James Singleton Passes On Wizards’ Offer
James Singleton appears to have moved on from the Wizards and will explore other opportunities. His agent tells Craig Stouffer of the Washington Examiner that Singleton has passed on Washington's contract offer (Twitter link). According to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, the Wizards were unwilling to offer more than the veteran's minimum for the forward (Twitter link).
Singleton was impressive in the final month of the 2011/12 season with the Wizards, initially joining the club on a 10-day contract before signing for the rest of the year. In 12 games, the 31-year-old averaged 8.2 PPG on 54.7% shooting in 21.8 minutes per contest. Those averages, along with his 19.6 PER, were all career highs.
Still, it's hard to imagine Singleton earning more than a minimum-salary deal this summer, as the five-year NBA veteran has never been more than a bench player. If he doesn't get an NBA offer he likes, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Singleton sign overseas — the Murray State product has shown a willingness to travel in the past, having played in Italy, Spain, China over the course of his career.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Howard, Ferry, Teague
In a piece that calls upon Dwight Howard to act professionally as he seeks to move on from the Magic, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com revisits the big man's decision to waive his early termination option this past March. Broussard says Howard wanted to give the team a chance to improve the roster and was open to staying, but when former coach Stan Van Gundy told the media a team executive had let him know Howard wanted him fired, Howard lost all trust and confidence in the Magic. There are a few other items concerning the Magic's Southeast Division rivals this evening:
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune expects former Wolves assistant coach Jerry Sichting to wind up in that same role for the Wizards (Twitter link). That appears to be the "tweak" to his staff Wizards head coach Randy Wittman was referring to (link below).
Earlier updates:
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio applauds Hawks GM Danny Ferry, hired barely a month ago, for assembling a competitive team for the upcoming season while freeing cap space to make a major move next summer.
- This coming season will be the last of Jeff Teague's rookie contract, and with all the new faces on the Hawks this year, including fellow point guard Devin Harris, Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution takes a look at how Teague can make the most of 2012/13.
- Roger Mason, who agreed to sign with the Hornets today, thought when last season ended that he'd be back with the Wizards, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post writes. With the team drafting Bradley Beal at his position and adding other veterans who can assume his leadership role, the eight-year veteran decided to turn elsewhere.
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman held forth on a number of topics, and Lee has the details. Wittman hinted that the team may keep a roster spot or two open heading into training camp, and said he's still considering another "tweak" to the coaching staff after hiring former Spurs assistant Don Newman earlier this summer.
- In the same piece, Wittman addressed the team's decision to use the amnesty clause to waive Andray Blatche, saying, "I hope and wish the best for Dray. And maybe this can be the best thing for him in turning his career back around and being the player I think we all think he can be."
- Wittman expressed a preference for having three point guards on the roster, and said that's one reason the Wizards signed A.J. Price.
Southeast Notes: Bobcats, Wizards, Meeks, Jardine
Earlier today we learned that the Bobcats missed out on free agent forward Carl Landry, whom they've been eyeing for quite some time. Ultimately, the player regarded as the best remaining free agent decided to ink a two-year, $8MM deal with the Warriors. A sign-and-trade with the Hornets was a rumored possibility but that proved to be difficult after the club renounced his rights. More from the Southeast division..
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter) says there is no telling if the Bobcats will bring in another power forward after missing out on Landry. It's possible that Charlotte will stand pat and instead go with the bigs that they already have. That strategy would mean that the club is betting heavily on Tyrus Thomas bouncing back after he averaged 5.6 PPG last season.
- The Wizards, along with the Lakers and Bucks, are among the frontrunners for free agent Jodie Meeks, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. “There are five or six teams, but those three are at the forefront right now because I’ve been talking to them the most," said the soon-to-be 25-year-old. Kennedy adds that Meeks seems likely to sign this week.
- Scoop Jardine, who broke his right foot three days before the draft, will likely receive an invitation to training camp with the Bobcats, a source told John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The guard was hardly a lock to be drafted before the injury but was said to have impressed the Sixers.
T-Wolves, Cavs Favorites For Anthony Tolliver
JULY 27th, 6:09pm: The Wolves still consider Tolliver a "priority," but they want to make another move or two first, Tolliver's agent tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). It seems likely those moves involve the finalizing the agreed-upon deals for Brandon Roy and Greg Stiemsma. Tolliver remains in discussion with several teams, his agent says.
JULY 20th, 1:15pm: Tolliver, who hopes to sign within the next two weeks, told Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida today that the Timberwolves and Cavs are still the frontrunners for him, but added that the Hawks, Mavericks, Bulls, and Wizards are also in the mix (Sulia links).
JULY 18th, 11:53am: Anthony Tolliver has spent the last two seasons in Minnesota, but now his future with the team is up in the air as the Timberwolves wait to see if their offer sheet for Nicolas Batum is matched. Larry Fox, Tolliver's agent, tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype (Sulia link) that he is in regular talks with four teams about his client, including the Cavaliers and the aforementioned T-Wolves.
"Minnesota has made it clear they want Anthony back," Fox said. "But we have to wait until the Batum situation resolves itself today and then also for them to finalize some transactions that have been discussed but not yet formalized."
If the Timberwolves were to bring back Tolliver, they would have to sign him using cap space or their room exception, since they renounced his rights in order to clear room for Batum's offer sheet.
Fox also classified the Cavs' interest as "serious" but said Cleveland had to work through some trade scenarios over the next couple days before moving forward on Tolliver — it's very possible those trade discussions involve the Magic and Lakers, as we heard earlier today. Tolliver's agent didn't name the other two teams he'd been talking to, but Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida reported last week (via Twitter) that the Bulls, Lakers, and Mavericks were eyeing Tolliver, so it's probably safe to assume that a couple of those clubs are still in the mix.
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Alonzo Gee, Randy Foye
The Celtics and Heat will kickoff the upcoming season as the NBA released the schedule for 2012/13 on Thursday. In another notable matchup, the Nets will host the Knicks on opening night in the inaugural basketball game at the Barclays Center. Among the highlights of the five Christmas Day contests include the Thunder taking on the Heat in Miami and the Knicks heading to the Staples Center to battle the Lakers. Here's the latest news and happenings from around the league…
- The Celtics may appear to have a complete roster as the calendar turns to August, but general manager Danny Ainge is always looking for another piece that may make his team better, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. "I'm always looking for ways to improve the team," Ainge said. "I like our team; I like our guys. But I'm always looking. You're never going to hear me say, 'I'm done.' Because you never know what may open up down the road or in the near future."
- Talks are slow but steady between the Cavaliers and Alonzo Gee, says Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (Sulia link). Gee's agent, Andre Buck, won't rule out accepting the Cavs' qualifying offer if that's the best contract his client receives from Cleveland.
- The Jazz wanted Randy Foye more than any other team and that made the former Villanova star's decision easier when it came time to sign a contract, writes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. "I felt," Foye said, "I could come in and contribute and help these guys."
- The Wizards have invited former Gonzaga guard Steven Gray to attend the team's training camp, reports HoopsHype (via Twitter). Gray spent the 2011/12 season in Europe playing for Latvian club BK Ventspils where he averaged 11.5 PPG and 2.9 RPG.
- The Lakers continue to have interest in Jodie Meeks as the two sides are in talks about a potential contract, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Nets, Blazers
It was yet another night of fevered Dwight Howard rumors, as he reiterated his trade demands in a meeting with Magic GM Rob Hennigan and assistant GM Scott Perry. One of the bombshells amidst a flurry of reports was that the Mavericks are the "overwhelming favorite" to sign Howard if he becomes a free agent next summer. That makes a trade more difficult, as Wojnarowski writes, since other teams now know Howard has a soft spot for Dallas. Chris Mannix of SI.com says Howard would re-sign with the Lakers or Nets if traded there, but otherwise plans to become a Maverick (Twitter link). Zach Lowe of SI.com points out, with an assist from Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com, that the Mavs would have to clear some cap room for 2013/14 in order to make a maximum offer for Howard (All four Twitter links). Here's more from the Association this evening:
- Nets GM Billy King doesn't consider signing a backup center a priority after missing out on Nazr Mohammed, reports Fred Kerber of the New York Post, who adds that the team's offseason work is likely done.
- Jason Quick of The Oregonian takes an in-depth look at the finalists for the Blazers head coaching job.
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com does the math and determines the Magic own a pair of trade exceptions: $2.75MM left over from the Brandon Bass trade expiring December 12th, and $4.35MM from the trade that sent Ryan Anderson away, expiring next summer.
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post spoke with Cartier Martin, who recently re-signed with the Wizards. Martin is the only Wizard left on the roster from before Washington took John Wall with the No. 1 pick 2011, as Lee notes.
- A veteran NBA doctor tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork that 75% of players require some kind of procedure on their knees at the end of the season, and many of them keep it a secret (Twitter link).
- Obrad Fimic, the agent for Russian guard Alexey Shved, said the Nets showed no interest in his client despite being owned by fellow Russian Mikhail Prokhorov, tweets Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Shved finalized his three year, $10MM deal with the Wolves today.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star argues retaining assistant coach Brian Shaw is the best move the Pacers have made this offseason.
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Hawks, Miles, Brewer
- With only four players remaining on the Hawks roster from last season, new general manager Danny Ferry has managed to clean his team's salary structure while keeping hopes high for the future, writes HoopsWorld.com's Lang Greene.
- C.J. Miles, a free agent who most expected to have found a new team by now, will meet with the Cavaliers this week, writes The Dallas Morning News' Eddie Sefko.
- The Timberwolves made Ronnie Brewer a "generous" offer, but the free agent forward decided to sign with the Knicks instead, according to TwinCities.com's Ray Richardson.
- Before signing A.J. Price, the Wizards were interested in signing Jonny Flynn to be John Wall's backup, but decided against it, writes the Washington Post's Michael Lee.
- ESPNNewYork.com's Jared Zwerling breaks down the Knicks decision to acquire Ronnie Brewer and Pablo Prigioni.
- Mavericks second-round pick Bernard James is expected to sign a contract with the team in the next day or two, reports ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan.
- The Trail Blazers reportedly interviewed as many as 10 candidates to fill their empty head coach position in Las Vegas last week, but have yet to contact any of them to say they were advancing to a second round of discussion, according to The Oregonian's Jason Quick. The process remains in its infant stage.
- Agent Mark Bartelstein tells Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle that he hopes Carl Landry and Dominic McGuire will make decisions in the next few days. Those two players, including free agent Brandon Rush, could be part of the Warriors' plan moving forward (Sulia links).
Free Agent Rumors: Landry, Thomas, Mason
A few more free agents have come off the board today, as A.J. Price and Pablo Prigioni finalized deals with the Wizards and Knicks respectively, while Ronnie Brewer was among the players to agree to a new contract, reaching a deal with the Knicks. With a number of available players still on the market though, here's a round-up of a few of the day's assorted free agent rumors:
- The Hornets have renounced Carl Landry's Bird Rights, making a sign-and-trade difficult to work out, writes Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. The Bobcats were interested in a sign-and-trade deal for Landry, but New Orleans would need to get back under the cap to have room to make it work.
- Malcolm Thomas, who was named to the All-Summer League team, is drawing interest from a number of teams, including the Clippers, Bulls, Hawks, and Bobcats, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Former Lakers second-rounder Patrick Beverley is seeking an NBA job, having worked out for the Bulls, Cavs, and Rockets this offseason. Agent Kevin Bradbury tells Scott Powers of ESPNChicago.com that he thinks his client would be a good fit in Chicago: "He plays defense and does what’s asked of him. He fits the Bulls’ system. I think that’s intriguing for the Bulls. He really respects [Tom Thibodeau]."
- The Wizards have interest in bringing back Roger Mason, but Mason isn't looking to sign a one-year, minimum-salary deal, says Michael Lee of the Washington Post. The veteran guard has also received interest from the Thunder, Hornets, Bulls, and Lakers.
Wizards Sign A.J. Price
1:14pm: The Wizards have officially signed Price, the team announced in a press release. The deal is for one year, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
11:04am: Looking to land a point guard to back up John Wall, the Wizards have agreed to sign A.J. Price, reports Michael Lee of the Washington Post (via Twitter). Terms of the deal aren't yet known.
A former second-round pick, Price has spent the first three years of his career with the Pacers. The 25-year-old has averaged 6.0 points and 2.0 assists in 14.9 minutes per game in 150 career contests. Because he has only been in the NBA for three years, Price was eligible for restricted free agency this summer, but after he posted a career-low 3.9 PPG and .339 FG% in 2011/12, the 6'2" guard did not receive a qualifying offer from Indiana.
As our Free Agent Tracker shows, the Wizards have been all but inactive on the free agent market this summer. Before Price, Washington's only other free agent activity had involved re-signing Cartier Martin for less than $1MM.
Odds & Ends: Beal, Williams, Cavs, Morrison
Bradley Beal specifically asked that the Wizards’ take him with the third-overall pick and so far he is justifying the club's decision to oblige, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. While summer league results aren't a perfect barometer for future success, the shooting guard impressed as he averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per contest. Here's more from around the Association..
- One scout told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter) that Derrick Williams, who went No. 2 in the 2011 draft, would not have have gone in the top eight in 2012. It's an interesting take as some observers seemed to be down on what the 2012 class had to offer beyond the top few selections.
- Cavaliers coach Byron Scott believes that the club's future looks bright even if they don't make a significant trade, writes Joel Brigham of USA Today. "I'm looking at a nice young core of guys," Scott said. "If we add some guys to that core, more power to us, and if we don't, we'll go with what we got because I think right now the future of our team is pretty bright."
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter) opines that Adam Morrison has played his way onto an NBA roster this season. The forward is averaging about 20 points and five boards per game for the Clippers' summer league team.