Odds & Ends: Jefferson, Batum, Brand, Nene
In a busy NBA offseason, the Jazz haven't been talked about a great deal on a national level after adding Randy Foye and Marvin Williams to a talented young core. However, big man Al Jefferson is certainly taking notice. Referring to former General Manager Kevin O'Connor and current GM Dennis Lindsey, Jefferson said "The GMs did a hell of a job improving our team. I feel a lot better," tweets Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune. Jefferson is also entering his walk year, but he says that he hasn't given it any thought (Twitter link). Here's more from around the league as Sunday turns into Monday..
- Joe Freeman of The Oregonian looks at the biggest questions facing the Blazers this season. Among them is whether Nicolas Batum can take the next big step and justify the $45MM contract he was given this summer. Part of that leap will be an attitude adjustment as Batum often appears to look passive on the floor.
- Mavericks forward Elton Brand says that he expects to serve as the club's enforcer in 2012/13, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Dallas claimed the former All-Star off of waivers back in July after he was amenstied by the 76ers.
- If the Wizards hope to turn things around this year, they'll need a major contribution from forward Nene, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Nene, acquired at last year's deadline from Denver, has battled back from two major setbacks in his career and will have to stay healthy in order for the Wizards to stay competitive this season.
Southeast Rumors: Hawks, Wallace, Lewis, Bobcats
There was plenty of change throughout the Southeast Division, as the Magic, Hawks and Wizards pulled off significant trades while the Heat upgraded with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. The Bobcats are banking heavily on No. 2 overall pick Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to help turn the team around, and we have news on him and others from around the division.
- Some in the Heat organization are concerned about the long-term health of Dwyane Wade, who could miss all of the team's preseason games as he hopes to get his ailing left knee ready for the regular season opener, writes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. The team will give Allen occasional off days during the regular season, as the Spurs have done with Tim Duncan, Goodman adds.
Earlier updates:
- Hawks coach Larry Drew believes it will be a tall order for his team to replace the production of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams this season, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. "Both of those guys were very key and big pieces to our puzzle," Drew said. "This opens up opportunities for new guys, guys who have been here, guys who are coming in. It doesn’t happen overnight. We are going to have to lace it up and really go to work and try to, as a team, try to step up. Everybody has to step their game up now."
- Vivlamore also shares in his piece that Drew isn't sure how he'll rotate guards Devin Harris, Jeff Teague and Lou Williams. Harris and Teague, the two natural point guards, are both entering contract years.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel speculates that Ben Wallace could be a fit for the Heat. Wallace is reportedly seeking a contract after going back-and-forth about retirement this summer.
- Lewis hopes he'll start the season as a reserve instead of as a starter for the Heat, as he told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Sulia link).
- Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap is working with Kidd-Gilchrist to improve the shooting touch of the University of Kentucky product, writes Jerry Tipton of the Lexington Herald-Leader. Tipton also shares praise from Purdue coach Matt Painter about Hornets second-round pick Darius Miller and Shelvin Mack, who could start the season at point guard for the Wizards in place of the injured John Wall.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel outlines a list of the top priorities for the Magic as they begin training camp.
John Wall Out Eight Weeks With Patella Injury
The Wizards officially announced today that John Wall will be out of action for about eight weeks while he recovers from a patella injury. The team's press release described Wall's diagnosis as the "early stages of a stress injury to his left patella," noting that surgery won't be required for the former first overall pick.
The injury, which figures to keep Wall sidelined for training camp, the preseason, and the first few weeks of the regular season, comes at a poor time for the third-year player. While it's still a lock that the Wizards will exercise his fourth-year option by October 31st, the upcoming season was expected to be a crucial one for Wall, who will be eligible for a contract extension next summer.
"Your third year is a key year," Wall said to the media, including Michael Lee of the Washington Post, earlier today. "It makes or breaks you, what you’re going to be in this league. This is a big year for me."
Although Wall's injury isn't expected to linger too far into the regular season, it may force the Wizards to invite another point guard to training camp. Currently, the team only has Shelvin Mack and A.J. Price under contract as Wall's backups. Nonetheless, GM Ernie Grunfeld doesn't sound like he's expecting to make any major changes as a result of Wall's setback.
"We're all disappointed for John after how hard he worked this summer and how excited he was to begin training camp, but we feel fortunate that we caught the injury early and that he will be able to return with the vast majority of the season still in front of us," said Grunfeld. "In the meantime, we're confident that the versatility and depth of our team will help us move forward and continue the positive momentum that we've seen over the past several months."
Wizards Rumors: Beal, Crawford, Wall, Seraphin
The Wizards have made a slew of changes to their roster since last season began, adding Nene at the March trading deadline, Emeka Okafor and Trevor Ariza in an offseason swap, Bradley Beal with the third pick in the draft, and Martell Webster, A.J. Price and others via free agency. GM Ernie Grunfeld believes the attitude and environment are now different in Washington, as Michael Lee of the Washington Post writes. For a separate piece, Lee also spoke with coach Randy Wittman, who had the interim tag removed from his position in June. We'll round up some of their noteworthy comments here:
- Wittman was impressed with what he saw from Beal over the summer, but believes the rookie will face some ups-and-downs and says Jordan Crawford has "a little bit of an advantage" in the competition for the starting shooting guard job.
- John Wall is a shoo-in to have his 2013/14 option exercised before the October 31st deadline, but Wittman said the stakes for him are high this season, the final year before he's eligible for an extension. The team must also make a call on Kevin Seraphin's 2013/14 option, and Wittman had praise for the strides the big man took as a part-time starter last season.
- Grunfeld, who signed a two-year extension in April, responded to owner Ted Leonsis' comment from earlier in the offseason that another lottery appearance is "unacceptable." "I think that’s great," Grunfeld said. "Everybody wants to be better and everybody wants to grow and everybody wants to compete for the playoffs. I think he also said if we don’t make the playoffs it won’t be the end of the world, but we want to see improvement. There’s no questions about that."
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Calderon, Rockets, Nene
The Bobcats certainly aren't a model of NBA success, but according to team president Fred Whitfield, the franchise was in even worse shape when he took the job in 2006, as Ely Portillo of the Charlotte Observer writes. “A lot of my friends that were very connected in this community told me to turn this job down,” Whitfield said. “They said literally everything that could be wrong with a company is wrong with the Bobcats.” While the 'Cats prepare to erase the memories of last season's on-court debacle when training camp starts next week, here's the latest from the rest of the league:
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, looking at ways the Raptors can improve offensively this year, says Jose Calderon is likely to come off the bench behind offseason acquisition Kyle Lowry. Calderon's name has been frequently mentioned as a trade candidate for this season.
- The Rockets have a slew of young players and an eye on the future, but GM Daryl Morey promises coach Kevin McHale won't dole out minutes just for player development purposes, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.
- In the same piece, Feigen says Patrick Patterson, whose team option for 2013/14 must be picked by October 31st for the Rockets to keep him from unrestricted free agency next summer, is likely to start at power forward.
- Lingering plantar fasciitis in Nene's left foot may cause him to miss the start of training camp, but the Wizards expect him to be ready for the regular season, Michael Lee of The Washington Post reports.
Wizards Sign Shavlik Randolph, Steven Gray
SEPTEMBER 19TH: The deals for Randolph and Gray are now official, per a Wizards press release.
SEPTEMBER 11TH: The Wizards have agreed to sign big man Shavlik Randolph and point guard Steven Gray, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post. The pair will receive non-guaranteed deals, likely for the minimum, and join Earl Barron, who also reached an agreement with the team today.
The 6'10" Randolph has played in parts of five NBA seasons with the Sixers, Trail Blazers and Heat, averaging 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 8.2 minutes per game for his career, but he hasn't appeared since 2009/10. He played last season in China and Puerto Rico, and hooked on with the Wizards summer league team this year. The 6'5" Gray was also a part of that summer league team, but he's still looking for his first official taste of NBA action after going undrafted out of Gonzaga and spending last year with BK Ventspils of Latvia.
Randolph, Gray and Barron stand a decent shot at making the regular season roster if the Wizards decide to carry 15 players, Lee says, since the team only has 13 fully guaranteed contracts, with point guard Shelvin Mack's minimum-salary deal partially guaranteed for $300K.
Wizards Sign Earl Barron
SEPTEMBER 19TH: The Wizards have officially signed Barron, the team announced today in a press release.
SEPTEMBER 11TH: The Wizards have agreed to terms on a non-guaranteed contract with Earl Barron, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). The unrestricted free agent big man will receive an invitation to the team's training camp with a chance to earn a roster spot.
Barron, 31, has appeared in games for the Heat, Knicks, Suns, Bucks, Trail Blazers, and Warriors in his NBA career, meaning he'll have a chance to make the Wizards his seventh team in seven seasons. Outside of a moderately productive 2007/08 season with Miami and an impressive seven-game stint with the Knicks in 2009/10 (11.7 PPG and 11.0 RPG), Barron has never been more than a very limited contributor. He appeared in two games for Golden State last season before being waived.
Barron will be the 15th player under contract for the Wizards.
Odds & Ends: Bucks, Wolves, McGee, Cook, Mavs
Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel checks in with several Bucks who are working out prior to the opening of training camp. Joining the workout are a few hopefuls who are auditioning for a formal invitation to camp, and that group includes Alando Tucker, the 29th overall pick in the 2007 draft, and Orien Greene, a four-year NBA vet who last played with the Nets in 2010/11. It's been a busy night as teams make their final moves before training camp, and we've got several more tidbits here:
- Chase Budinger might be new to Minnesota, but he's no stranger to the Wolves coaching staff, having played under coach Rick Adelman and some of his assistants while they were together with the Rockets, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes.
- In the same piece, Zgoda adds Anthony Tolliver to the list of players whose agents remain in contact with Wolves GM David Kahn. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 reported earlier that Kahn was talking to the representatives of Hassan Whiteside and Sean Williams.
- Hakeem Olajuwon has worked with several NBA players, but none have spent more time under his tutelage than JaVale McGee, who re-signed with the Nuggets this summer on a four-year, $44MM deal, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com writes (Insider only).
- Brian Cook, who re-signed with the Wizards today, was initially apprehensive about getting sent to Washington from the playoff-bound Clippers in a deadline deal last season, but was quickly sold on the move when he realized his new teammates wanted to win, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post notes.
- Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside looks at Josh Akognon's circuitous journey to Mavericks training camp. The 5'11" point guard is set to join the Mavs, likely on a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal.
- Mark Montieth of Pacers.com examines the basketball roots of Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard, an Indiana native who played under former Pacers coach Larry Brown in college.
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel gives his take on the alliance of Stan Van Gundy and Dwight Howard, who are supporting the same local political issue in Orlando months after their acrimonious departures from the Magic.
- The company that owns the Staples Center, home of the Lakers and Clippers, is up for sale, as Walter Hamilton of the Los Angeles Times writes.
Wizards Re-Sign Brian Cook
Michael Lee of The Washington Post hears from agent Mark Bartelstein that client Brian Cook has signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Wizards. The big man was rumored to be close to a deal with the team on Friday, though the Suns were also reportedly in the mix. It will likely be for the minimum salary, which he earned last year while splitting the season between the Wizards and the Clippers.
Cook has averaged fewer than 10 minutes per game three of the last four seasons, including last year, when he saw 8.6 MPG. That includes the 9.7 MPG he got in the second half of the season with the Wizards after coming over in same deal that brought Nene to Washington. The 6'9", 31-year-old Cook averaged 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds with a 10.4 in his time with the Wizards. Cook's rate of 9.3 rebounds per 36 minutes over his 16 games with the team was higher than in any of his nine NBA seasons.
He represents the 18th player on the team's preseason roster, which includes at least 14 with a partial guarantee. It appears as though Cook will compete with Earl Barron, Shavlik Randolph and Steven Gray for the last regular season roster spot, though another position could open if the team decides to waive point guard Shelvin Mack and absorb his partial guarantee of $300K.
Wizards Close To Deal With Brian Cook
The Wizards have offered Brian Cook an invitation to training camp, and the 31-year-old big man could sign a non-guaranteed deal by sometime this afternoon, Michael Lee of the Washington Post hears. Cook has also been in contact with the Suns, Lee also reports.
Washington acquired Cook last year in the same deadline deal that brought in Nene. The nine-year veteran, who would make $1.229MM on a minimum-salary deal, averaged 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in just 8.6 minutes a game for the entire season, though his numbers went up to 3.1 PPG and 2.5 PPG in 9.7 MPG after he went to the Wizards. He became an unrestricted free agent after a two-year, minimum salary deal he signed in 2010 expired this summer.
Lee also confirms a report from Jeff Zillgitt of the USA Today that we passed along last night saying that the Wizards had interest in Maurice Evans for their front office, though Evans, the vice president of the players union, wants to continue playing.
The Suns, who have more than $8MM in cap room, could go over the minimum to sign Cook, as could the Wizards, who have $3.25MM of their midlevel exception available after signing Martell Webster, though it seems unlikely either team would do so. Lee says the Wizards, who have 14 players with at least a partially guaranteed deal, would probably go with someone who can play up front for their final roster spot, which signals their interest in Cook.