Chicago Bulls Salaries
Contracts above $5 million
Luol Deng has four years left on his increasing contract while Kirk Hinrich has only two seasons left on his decreasing deal. Derrick Rose will be entering the third season of his rookie contract.
These three players total $25.9 million.
Rest Of Team’s Salaries
Minnesota Timberwolves Salaries
Contracts above $5 million
Big Al is the only large contract on the Wolves’ books and he has three years left on his contract.
Rest Of Team’s Salaries
Oklahoma City Thunder Salaries
Contracts above $5 million
All three players are entering the final year of their respective contracts.
They combine to make $18.23 million.
Rest Of Team’s Salaries
Miami Heat Salaries
Contracts above $5 million
Rest Of Team’s Salaries
Mario Chalmers has a non-guaranteed contract but at that salary he’s a lock to be picked up so I included him here. Chalmers will be in the final year of his contract. Read the rest of this entry »
New Jersey Nets Salaries
Contracts above $5 million
Devin Harris is the only contract above $5 million on the Nets books at the moment. He has three more years left on his contract.
Rest Of Team’s Salaries
Yahoo Sports reports
Without a clear-cut suitor emerging to sign him, All-Star guard Allen Iverson announced his retirement on Wednesday.
“I would like to announce my plans to retire from the National Basketball Association,” Iverson said in a statement released to Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Stephen A. Smith, who first announced Iverson’s decision on his personal web site. “I always thought that when I left the game, it would be because I couldn’t help my team the way that I was accustomed to. However, that is not the case. Read the rest of this entry »
New York Knicks Salaries
Contracts above $5 million
Both hold player options for the 2010/11 season and are locks to pick up those options. They will be entering the final year of their contracts.
They total $18.16 million. Read the rest of this entry »
(1) How many teams are carrying full rosters?
(2) How many teams have open roster spots? One open spot or two open spots? And who are those teams?
Full Rosters
The following teams are carrying 15 players on their roster
Ron Tillery of the Memphis Commercial reports
Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace oversees a team that is shaky at the point and has little to no leadership in the locker room.
The hope is that veteran floor general Jamaal Tinsley provides an upgrade in both of those areas.
Leadership? Tinsley? Oh-oh! The article continues
“We just felt that (Tinsley’s) experience and playmaking ability could be of benefit to us,” Wallace said. “So we reached out to him. … He’s an accomplished playmaker. We felt that it was a chance to buy some insurance at that position.” Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
The Allen Iverson experiment with the Memphis Grizzlies is over.Memphis announced Monday that the team has ended its one-year contract with the 10-time All-Star and former league MVP in what it called a mutual agreement. Iverson was not placed on waivers by the 6 p.m. ET deadline on Monday so is expected to be waived on Tuesday, a league source told ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan.
Under the agreement, Iverson will receive only a fraction of the $3 million he was scheduled to earn. If he clears waivers, he will become an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday night. Read the rest of this entry »
The Hawks have 8 wins and 2 losses in their first 10 games with a margin of victory of eight points per game.
The Hawks early success in the regular season is a bad sign for any teams who were hoping to tempt Joe Johnson away from Atlanta next summer. The Hawks are looking like a 55+ win team right now and they still have enough youth/potential to improve further. It will be hard for teams to offer a better situation than the one Atlanta is offering.
Secondly, with Atlanta winning the Hawks front office will reluctant to let Joe leave. Questions over whether a player is max contract worthy, or how many years you want to commit to a player, those questions have a habit of dying down when teams are winning. Read the rest of this entry »
The Sacramento Kings have signed free agent Ime Udoka
That was the rough logic behind the Kings’ signing of Ime Udoka on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-5, sixth-year swingman spent the last two seasons as a key reserve for San Antonio, averaging 18.0 and 15.4 minutes, respectively.
He was a strong defensive presence and an occasional three-point threat, although his 32.8 three-point percentage last season was the worst of his career (37.4 percent overall).
According to sources, Udoka has a nonguaranteed contract for the veteran’s minimum salary that will run through the end of the season and pay him a prorated amount of $1.03 million. It won’t be fully guaranteed until Jan. 10, 2010.
“I’m thinking of him in terms of the (shooting guard) and (small forward positions),” Westphal said. “He’s a versatile player, a good three-point shooter.
“He’s been part of winning programs, and I think he can help anybody in this league. … If you can add a guy like that to your team, it’s a good thing to do.” Read the rest of this entry »
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports
According to league sources, the Cavs are close to signing free agent guard Antonio Daniels.
The team has been weighing the need for another guard during the preseason and has been interested in Daniels since he was waived last week by the Minnesota Timberwolves following a contract buyout. Daniels, a 14-year veteran, can play both guard positions. He will clear waivers today and the Cavs could act fast and pull the trigger. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
The Phoenix Suns today announced that the club has been awarded the rights to center Jarron Collins. Collins, who spent the preseason with the Portland Trail Blazers, became available after being waived October 22, 2009.
he 6-11, 249-pound Collins is an eight-year NBA veteran who has spent every career regular season with the Utah Jazz. The 30-year-old owns career averages of 4.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in 16.9 minutes in 480 games (206 starts). Read the rest of this entry »
The Oregonian reports
“I’ve been through a lot in my career, and after all I’ve been through, I kind of thought these times were behind me,’’ Udoka said. “But I’m not going to sit around and be depressed. I’ve worked this hard and put in the work, and I have to be ready for the next opportunity. All I can do is hope one comes up.’’
Udoka said he is hoping to sign on with another team, and is awaiting word from his agent, Mark Bartelstein, who has been talking to other teams. Udoka said some potential suitors could be Oklahoma City, Denver, Sacramento and Utah. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
Damon Jones has signed a one-year deal with Napoli in Italy’s top division, according to agent Andy Bountogianis of Cleveland-based Mark Termini Associates.Jones decided to seize this opportunity to grab a firm offer in one of Europe’s top leagues as opposed to holding out for another NBA job, with numerous veteran guards still searching for roster spots.
Good decision by Damon Jones. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Miami Heat announced today that they have signed free agent guard Carlos Arroyo.
Arroyo, 6’2”, 200 pounds, has appeared in 433 regular season NBA games (113 starts) and averaged 7.0 points, 3.3 assists and 1.7 rebounds in 18.2 minutes while shooting 43.2 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from three-point range and 80.1 percent from the foul line.
Bad Fit
Do these two qualities sound like complementary skills in a point guard who will playing alongside Dwyane Wade?
Arroyo needs to be treated like a star (touches, shots, time on the ball) in order to be effective. Read the rest of this entry »
The Washington Times reports
Haywood dedicated himself this offseason to returning in the best possible shape and having another career year. He had no shortage of motivation. In addition to making up for lost time, he wanted to see his Wizards back in the playoffs, where they had become a fixture the previous four seasons. And this time he wanted to go further. Additionally, Haywood is entering the final season of a five-year, $25 million contract.
But Haywood – who is the longest-tenured Wizards player and said he wants to finish his career with Washington – said a big payday is the last thing on his mind as the Wizards prepare for their redemption tour.
“My biggest thing is winning. If we come out here and win, first of all everybody looks good. Second of all, I feel like I’m going to have a big part in it,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »
Unrestricted Free Agents
Guards: Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Ben Gordon, Mike Bibby, Stephon Marbury, Ronnie Price, Jannero Pargo, Juan Carlos Navarro, CJ Watson, Brevin Knight, Royal Ivey, Kevin Ollie, Flip Murray, Anthony Carter, Bobby Jackson, Jason Hart, Damon Jones, Luther Head, Sean Singletary, Cartier Martin, Will Solomon, Tyronne Lue, Juan Dixon, Marcus Williams, Lindsey Hunter, Jacque Vaughn, Mike Wilks, Will Conroy, Pooh Jeter, Dan Dickau, Eddie Gill, Steve Francis, Mateen Cleaves, Blake Ahearn, Jeff McGinnis, Alex Acker Read the rest of this entry »
NBA Fanhouse reports
Meanwhile, the Nuggets will sign Graham, who averaged 7.7 points last season with Toronto, to a one-year non-guaranteed contract worth $884,881. Sources confirmed the deal. Nuggets guard J.R. Smith said he has heard Graham will sign, and called him “really athletic.” Read the rest of this entry »
NBA Fanhouse reports
Udoka’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed Friday his client will sign with the Trail Blazers. It will be a one-year minimum contract worth $959,111 and likely partially guaranteed.
“We talked a lot with Denver,” Bartelstein said about Udoka, who played last season with San Antonio. “But it’s a good fit (for Udoka). They really let us know they wanted him.” Udoka, who previously played for the Trail Blazers in 2006-07, was born and raised in Portland, and played collegiately at Portland State. Read the rest of this entry »
The Houston Chronicle reports
Seeking another offensive option for training camp, the Rockets on Thursday reached agreement on a non-guaranteed contract with free agent guard Rashad McCants, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
In a move reminiscent of last season’s addition of Von Wafer, also a talented scorer who turned a longshot chance into a strong season, the spot with the Rockets would offer McCants a chance to revive a stalled career and the Rockets a no-risk look. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
Free-agent guard Flip Murray has reached an agreement in principle to join the Charlotte Bobcats, according to NBA front-office sources.
Murray and the Bobcats have a one-year deal at the NBA’s bi-annual exception of $1.99 million, with a formal signing forthcoming as early as Friday, sources said.
Murray’s agent, Mark Termini, confirmed the deal when reached Thursday night by ESPN.com. Read the rest of this entry »
Jerry Zgoda reports
The Wolves on Tuesday waived veteran guard Chucky Atkins, agreeing to pay him the due $760,000 for a $3.48 million contract that was most non-guaranteed. That cost savings is why Kahn traded Etan Thomas and two future second-round picks to Oklahoma City in late July for Atkins and Damien Wilkins.
At the time, Kahn hinted that Atkins’ contract might soon be traded away for another piece of the proverbial puzzle. That never happened, and Tuesday they cashed in the $2.72 million savings themselves. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports via Alan Hahn’s twitter
The Knicks have come to agreement with David Lee on a 1-year contract of $7 million with a $1 million bonus if the Knicks make the playoffs.
Good signing for the Knicks.
I’m not sure why NY are signing Lee + Nate to contracts above their qualifying offers, but they’re still getting them at good prices so it’s too bad. Anyway … nice signing.
Sporting News reports
Restricted free agency is only getting tougher, and Bobcats guard Raymond Felton is the latest to figure that out. After discussing a long-term deal last week, talks between Felton and Charlotte have broken down, and multiple sources now say that rather than continuing negotiations, Felton will simply sign the one-year, $5.5 million qualifying offer put forth by the Bobcats. Read the rest of this entry »
Alan Hahn wrote on his blog
Nate Robinson will be signed to a one-year contract today and, according to a person with knowledge of the situation, Robinson, who was a restricted free agent who earlier this summer told the Knicks he had no interest in playing anywhere else, will get more than his $2.9M qualifying offer. There are also performance bonuses included in the deal. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Chicago Bulls re-signed center Aaron Gray on Tuesday.Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. Read the rest of this entry »
NBA Fanhouse reports
Free-agent swingman Keith Bogans will sign a one-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs, sources confirmed Monday to FanHouse.
Bogans, a solid defensive player, is being looked at as an heir apparent to Bruce Bowen, who retired recently after being San Antonio’s perimeter defensive stopper throughout much of the decade. The Spurs had been grooming Ime Udoka for that role, but they are electing not to bring him back as a free agent after he played two seasons with the team. Read the rest of this entry »
Beware The Career Year
Last season Flip Murray had a career year in scoring efficiency. It wasn’t just his best season to date, it was by far his best season, unlike anything he’d ever produced before.
Check it out:
|
Year |
eFG% |
TS% |
|
2003-04 |
46.2% |
49.7% |
|
2004-05 |
39.4% |
43.3% |
|
2005-06 |
44.2% |
48.7% |
|
2006-07 |
43.2% |
RealGM reports
Mickael Gelabale will join the Lakers in training camp.”It’s a dream come true for me,” Gelabale told HoopsHype. “It’s a legendary team, with guys like Magic, Kareem, Kobe … I was a fan of the team as a kid.”
Gelabale will sign a non-guaranteed contract with Los Angeles prior to camp. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
The Portland Trail Blazers have signed free agent forward Juwan Howard to a one-year contract, it was announced today by General Manager Kevin Pritchard. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.“Juwan Howard will add a wealth of experience and veteran savvy to our young, talented roster,” said Pritchard. “We look forward to Juwan’s contributions on the court and in the locker room.” Read the rest of this entry »
Conrad Brunner reports
Just such a player was snagged today when the Pacers signed free agent Luther Head, a combo guard who spent most of his first four seasons with Houston.
“Luther is a guy we have had our eye on,” Bird said in a statement released by the team. “He can shoot, he has speed and quickness and he will fit in well in our up-tempo game. I think he’s going to be a good addition to our basketball team.” Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Los Angeles Clippers today re-signed unrestricted free agent forward Brian Skinner.
Per team policy terms of the contract were not released.
In 51 games played with the Clippers last season, Skinner averaged 4.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 16.5 minutes per game. Over his 11 year NBA career, Skinner has tallied 4.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 18.3 minutes per game. Read the rest of this entry »
Wow, that was quick … Yahoo Sports reports
After completing a buyout with the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, guard Sasha Pavlovic has agreed in principle on a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
Well, now we know why Sasha was willing to give up the $250 … because he found a team that was willing to pay him more than the veteran’s minimum.
The Wolves need all the help they can get on the wings, so Sasha is a solid addition for them. Read the rest of this entry »
The Star Telegram reports
The Mavericks are set to retain the services of James Singleton, who is expected to accept their qualifying offer and sign his contract today or Tuesday, a pair of NBA sources said.
Singleton averaged 5.1 points and 4 rebounds last season, but improved as the year went along as he recovered from serious knee surgery.
The 6-8 Singleton also played four different positions during the course of the season and showed 3-point shooting range in addition to being a solid rebounder. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
The Knicks have signed point guard Sun Yue to a partly guaranteed contract.Yue’s agent, Charles Bonsignore, told the New York Times of the signing.
The 6′9″ point guard was drafted by the Lakers in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Los Angeles Clippers announced on Friday that the team has re-signed restricted free agent forward Steve Novak. Per team policy terms of the deal were not announced.In 71 games played for the Clippers last season, Novak averaged 6.9 points in 16.4 minutes per game. Completing his third NBA season, the sharpshooter out of Marquette connected on 119-286 three-pointers (.416) on the year. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that free agent guard Gabe Pruitt has been signed to a contract.Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Pruitt, 6-4, 170-pounds, has career averages of 2.0 points and 7.4 minutes in 62 games over two NBA seasons with the Boston Celtics. The Los Angeles, CA-native was selected by Boston, following his junior season at the University of Southern California, in the second round (32nd overall) of the 2007 NBA Draft. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Memphis Grizzlies have withdrawn their qualifying offer to guard Juan Carlos Navarro, making him an unrestricted free agent, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced on Thursday.
In his only NBA season (2007-08), Navarro averaged 10.9 points and 2.2 assists in 82 games and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Memphis Grizzlies today released the following statement from General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace.“The Memphis Grizzlies have agreed in principle to enter into an agreement with free agent guard Allen Iverson. We anticipate signing him to a contract very soon.”
And — link
The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Allen Iverson, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced on Thursday. “We are excited to announce the signing of Allen Iverson,” Wallace said. “He is one of the all-time great guards in the history of the NBA. This is a great day for the Grizzlies organization, our loyal fans and the city of Memphis.” Read the rest of this entry »
The Phily Inquirer reports
The 76ers have agreed to terms with forward Rodney Carney, this according to a source familiar with the situation.
Carney, 6-foot-7, has agreed to a 1-year deal. Previously, Carney spent two seasons with the Sixers: 2006-07, 2007-08. In July of 2008, Carney was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he played last season.
In his 3-year career, Carney has averaged 6.5 points and 2.0 rebounds a game. Read the rest of this entry »
TalkBasket reports
The rumours which insisted that PAOK was close to signing an NBA player whose name would have an impact in Europe are coming true as the club is close to getting Tyronn Lue.
Lue has great NBA experience as he has played 11 full seasons there after his graduation from Nebraska College in 1998. Last season he had a limited role at Milwaukee Bucks where he averaged 4.7 ppg and 2.2 rpg in 13.1 minutes (30 games) Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
The waiting and wondering is finally over for restricted free agent Ramon Sessions, who agreed Friday to sign a four-year, $16 million offer sheet with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
A source told ESPN.com that the paperwork on the deal was being processed Friday morning. After Sessions signs, the Milwaukee Bucks will have seven days to match the offer, which they are not expected to do. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
After helping the San Antonio Spurs win three championships and establishing himself as perhaps the premier perimeter defender of his generation, Bruce Bowen is retiring at 38.
Bowen told ESPN.com that he will formally announce his retirement at a Thursday afternoon news conference and said he would elaborate more on his decision then. Read the rest of this entry »
Hawks.com reports
The Atlanta Hawks have signed veteran center Jason Collins, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Rick Sund. Per team policy, terms were not announced.
“Jason provides us with additional size and a good interior defensive presence,” Sund said. “He has extensive experience, having started in two NBA Finals with the Nets, and is another player with strong character and leadership qualities.”
A nice signing for the Hawks here. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
C.J. Watson has decided to pass on Golden State’s three-year, $5.6 million extension and will sign for the qualifying offer worth just over $1 million, multiple sources confirmed to RealGM’s Alex Kennedy.Watson will play out the remainder of his contract and become an unrestricted free agent next summer. Golden State could enter the season with as many as five point guards on their roster and playing time was a big factor in this decision. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
After a half-season stint with the Boston Celtics, Mikki Moore is going back to the West Coast.
Moore’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, told ESPN.com on Monday that the free-agent center agreed to a one-year contract with the Golden State Warriors over the weekend.
Moore’s deal is for the $1.3 million, the veteran minimum.
A decent signing by Golden State. Moore is a serviceable player that will add some insurance to the Warriors, as deep big man depth. Read the rest of this entry »
The Orlando Sentinel reports
Lon Babby, Foyle’s agent, said the agreement is a one-year deal worth slightly more than $1.3 million. The Magic, who are over the salary cap, could offer Foyle only the minimum salary for a veteran with at least 10 years of NBA experience.
Foyle, 34, will back up starting center Dwight Howard and reserve Marcin Gortat.
Magic GM Otis Smith adds
“If you need him to bang against the bigger bigs, he can,” said Magic General Manager Otis Smith. “But he brings leadership, which he’s always done since he’s been in the league, and he brings professionalism, which he’s one of the best at. As a human being you’re putting around your team, he’s one of the better guys in our league, and he’s shown that year after year.” Read the rest of this entry »
Nola.com reports
The New Orleans Hornets re-signed veteran center/forward Sean Marks, bringing their roster total to 14, one below the league maximum and a number the team carried all of last season.
Marks, who turned 34 Sunday, is believed to have signed a one-year deal for the veteran minimum, which last season was about $1.045 million.
Hornets GM Bower + Head Coach Scott added these words
“We really liked how he continued to improve as the season went on,” Bower said of Marks Read the rest of this entry »
The Denver Post reports
The Nuggets renewed their insurance policy on Thursday, re-signing reserve center Johan Petro, who at worst is a commodity as a 7-footer, and at best could develop into a reliable role player.
Petro, 23, signed a one-year, league-minimum deal for $825,000, multiple sources said.
Also, the Post reports that the Nuggets are continuing their search for more help on the wings to fill that final league minimum required 13th roster spot. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Memphis Grizzlies have signed former NBA Development League standout and free-agent forward Trey Gilder, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Read the rest of this entry »
Taureen Green is heading to Greece — RealGM reports
Former Florida Gators star Taureen Green has signed a deal with AEK in Greece.Green played with CAI Zaragoza in Spain last season, averaging 10.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
He was the 52nd overall pick by Portland in the 2007 NBA Draft. Read the rest of this entry »
The Hoop reports
According to superbasket.gr, Cedric Simmons (2.06-PF) is about to be announced by Peristeri, the team that returned to the A1 League after 5 years. The administration of Peristeri working in conjunction with the best scout in Greece, Steve Yatzoglou, managed to secure another great transfer in their effort to make sure that Peristeri has returned for good.
Cedric Simmons isn’t an NBA caliber player.
I would be surprised if he makes it back to the NBA. Simmons was too far lacking in both the technical + mental aspects of the game.
Slamonline.com reports
The 6-2, 225-pound guard Fred Jones has agreed to terms with the Italian team Biella Angelico. The American has officially agreed to a one-year deal.
In 2004 Jones won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, beating out ex-champion Jason Richardson. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward Mark Madsen.Madsen was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves on July 22nd along with Sebastian Telfair and Craig Smith in exchange for Quentin Richardson.
The Clippers’ roster currently stands at 12 players. Read the rest of this entry »
SI.com reports
The Houston Rockets have reached a verbal agreement on a contract with British free agent Pops Mensah-Bonsu, a television station reported.Mensah-Bonsu, a forward who split time between San Antonio and Toronto last season, told KRIV-TV in Houston that it feels good to be a Rocket.
Nice signing for the Rockets. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
The Magic have signed free agent guard Jason Williams, General Manager Otis Smith announced on Wednesday.
“Jason (Williams) provides depth and leadership to our backcourt,” said Smith. “He is a veteran point guard that knows what it takes to help us reach our ultimate goal. We are excited to add him to our team.” Read the rest of this entry »
Sign and Trade
Milwaukee Bucks acquire: Carlos Delfino + Roko Ukic
Toronto Raptors acquire: Amir Johnson + unnamed other
Source
This deal isn’t done yet … but appearantly it’s close to completion.
The Toronto Star reports
They are on the verge of finalizing a two-for-two deal with Milwaukee that sends swingman Carlos Delfino and point guard Roko Ukic to the Bucks.
Young big man Amir Johnson is headed to Toronto and ESPN reported Monday afternoon the other player is raw swingman Sonny Weems. Read the rest of this entry »
Brian Windhorst reports via Twitter
Source tells Plain Dealer Cavs have agreed with combo forward Rob Kurz on a nonguaranteed contract. Quality shooter who can play 3 & 4.
And, the second report
Cavs have also signed center Darryl Watkins to a training camp contract. He will compete with Kurz for a roster spot with Kurz as favorite. Read the rest of this entry »
Unrestricted Free Agents
Guards: Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Ben Gordon, Mike Bibby, Stephon Marbury, Ronnie Price, Jannero Pargo, CJ Watson, Brevin Knight, Royal Ivey, Kevin Ollie, Flip Murray, Anthony Carter, Bobby Jackson, Jason Hart, Damon Jones, Luther Head, Sean Singletary, Cartier Martin, Will Solomon, Tyronne Lue, Juan Dixon, Marcus Williams, Lindsey Hunter, Jacque Vaughn, Mike Wilks, Will Conroy, Pooh Jeter, Dan Dickau, Eddie Gill, Steve Francis, Mateen Cleaves, Blake Ahearn, Jeff McGinnis, Alex Acker Read the rest of this entry »
Quick Checkup
Who has spent their MLE?
Who has spent part of their MLE?
ESPN reports
Joe Smith has agreed to a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks for the veteran’s minimum, a source told ESPN’s Ric Bucher on Friday.
Smith, a 6-foot-10, 225-pound center, is a 14-year veteran. He was picked No.1 overall by the Golden State Warriors in 1995 and has played for nine teams.
Smith picked Atlanta over Cleveland Cavaliers, where here played last season and which was offering the same deal. Read the rest of this entry »
Yahoo Sports reports
The Denver Nuggets have re-signed veteran point guard Anthony Carter to a one-year contract for $1.3 million, a league source said.
Carter averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 assists in 78 games for the Nuggets last season. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
Ira Newble plans to sign with Aris BC in Greece. Read the rest of this entry »
Yahoo Sports reports (Kleiza)
Denver Nuggets restricted free-agent forward Linas Kleiza has agreed to a two-year, $12.2 million contract with Greek team Olympiakos, his agent Bill Duffy told Yahoo! Sports on Monday.
The contract has an opt-out clause, which allows Kleiza to again become a restricted free agent next summer.
Interbasket.net reports (Von Wafer)
After signing Josh Childress away from the Atlanta Hawks during last year’s offseason, Greek outfit Olympiakos is at it again, signing Houston Rocket’s sub Von Wafer to a contract worth $5 million over 2 years. Read the rest of this entry »
Marc Spears reports
Free-agent forward Leon Powe will sign a two-year contract for the league minimum with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday if the team’s doctors are satisfied with the progress of his injured left knee, a league source said.
Powe tore his anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage in his knee during Game 2 of the Boston Celtics’ first-round series against the Chicago Bulls. He had reconstructive surgery on May 5 – his third major knee surgery – and has been rehabilitating in Los Angeles. Powe hopes to be back on the court by this season’s All-Star break, and the Cavaliers are willing to take a low-risk gamble on him pending the results of his physical.
The Cavaliers will hold the option for the contract’s second season. Read the rest of this entry »
Yahoo Sports reports
Glen “Big Baby” Davis is close to signing a two-year contract to stay with the Boston Celtics, a league source told Yahoo! Sports on Friday night.
The deal is expected to be signed early next week.
Davis tried to get several teams to offer him the mid-level exception, but a depressed financial market made it hard for that to happen. A handful of teams – including Detroit, New Orleans and New Jersey – discussed sign-and-trade scenarios with the Celtics, but Boston general manager Danny Ainge never wanted to lose him. Read the rest of this entry »
Okay, this feels like a pointless exercise … since Colangelo is settled, or close to, on his roster for the start of training camp … but I can’t help it so here we go.
I think the Raptors could benefit from making a couple more small moves — losing some of the dead weight on the end of their roster, and then signing a couple of solid minimum contract players who’ll provide more impact for the Raptors.
Here’s a few small moves Toronto could make to flesh out their bench
Dead Weight
Toronto have 14 players on their roster currently. They can only depend on 10 of those players, and I think one of those 10 guys isn’t good enough to be a rotation worthy player on a team with solid depth.
The guys who I consider to be dead weight are — Marcus Banks, Roko Ukic, Quincy Douby and Patrick O’Bryant. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
Free-agent center Ben Wallace agreed to terms with the Detroit Pistons on Friday, according to a league source.
The contract is for one year at the veteran’s minimum of $1.3 million, according to sources.
Smart move + good signing.
I was more enthusiastic about this situation a few weeks ago … what changed? Read the rest of this entry »
Phily Daily News reports
Agent Marc Cornstein’s two longest-standing active clients are Samuel Dalembert and Primoz Brezec. By sometime next week, both will be members of the 76ers.
Brezec, 29, is expected to come to Philadelphia to accept what a source is terming a 1-year contract for the veterans’ minimum. According to the terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Brezec – with seven seasons of service in the NBA – is entitled to $1,107,572. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
The Minnesota Timberwolves have signed restricted free-agent center Ryan Hollins to an offer sheet and seem likely to get him.The Dallas Mavericks have seven days to match the offer, but they don’t have much need for a third- or fourth-string center. The Mavs signed Drew Gooden last week and are counting on him to back up starter Erick Dampier. Power forward Dirk Nowitzki can also log minutes at center.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban even posted this to his Twitter account Monday: “congrats to ryan hollins. wish him the best w twolves.”
Terms of Minnesota’s offer were not immediately available.
Judging from Mark Cuban’s reaction, this is pretty much a done deal. Read the rest of this entry »
The Phily Daily News reports
The 76ers are finalizing a deal to bring back combo guard Royal Ivey on a 1-year contract.
The two sides have agreed to terms, although a contract probably will not be executed until at least the end of the week.
Ivey, who joined the Sixers last season, opted out of the second leg of his 2-year contract. A source familiar with the situation indicated the deal is for slightly more than the league minimum. Read the rest of this entry »
The Boston Globe reports
Forward Shelden Williams has agreed to a one-year contract with the Celtics. Financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Williams, 25, was the fifth overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks after a decorated college career at Duke. He was a first-team All-American in 2006 and graduated as the program’s all-time leader in blocked shots and rebounds.
But the 6-foot-9-inch, 250-pound Williams has struggled in his five NBA seasons; while he plays with an aggressive style, he’s undersized for a power forward and not quick enough to play Read the rest of this entry »
Unrestricted Free Agents
Guards: Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Ben Gordon, Mike Bibby, Stephon Marbury, Ronnie Price, Jannero Pargo, CJ Watson, Brevin Knight, Royal Ivey, Kevin Ollie, Flip Murray, Anthony Carter, Bobby Jackson, Jason Hart, Damon Jones, Luther Head, Sean Singletary, Cartier Martin, Will Solomon, Tyronne Lue, Juan Dixon, Marcus Williams, Lindsey Hunter, Jacque Vaughn, Mike Wilks, Will Conroy, Pooh Jeter, Dan Dickau, Eddie Gill, Steve Francis, Mateen Cleaves, Blake Ahearn, Jeff McGinnis, Alex Acker
Wings: Hedo Turkoglu, Ron Artest, Shawn Marion, Trevor Ariza, Grant Hill, Carlos Delfino, Marquis Daniels, Bostjan Nachbar, Wally Szczerbiak, Anthony Parker, Keith Bogans, Quinton Ross, Hakim Warrick, Bonzi Wells, Mickael Gelabale, Dahntay Jones, Walter Herrmann, Von Wafer, Rodney Carney, Desmond Mason, Ime Udoka, Kareem Rush, Matt Barnes, Rashad McCants, Joey Graham, Bobby Jones, Jerry Stackhouse, Fred Jones, DeMarr Johnson, Ronald Dupree, Mo Ager, Michael Dickerson, Patrick Ewing Jr, David Noel, Morris Almond, Ruben Patterson, Gerald Green, Stephen Graham, James Singleton, Luke Jackson, Richie Frahm, Derrick Bryars, Bobby Jones, Hassan Adams, Steve Novak, Brandon Wallace, Demetris Nichols, Thomas Gardner, Othello Hunter, Marcus Williams, Ira Newble
Big Men: Anderson Varejao, Lamar Odom, Charlie Villanueva, Rasheed Wallace, Zaza Pachulia, Leon Powe, Ben Wallace, Drew Gooden, Brandon Bass, Rasho Nesterovic, Joe Smith, Channing Frye, Fabricio Oberto, Chris Wilcox, Chris Andersen, Pops Mensa-Bonsu, James Augustine, Jason Collins, Brian Skinner, Ike Diogu, Johan Petro, Tim Thomas, Robert Swift, Adonal Foyle, Mikki Moore, Chris Mihm, Shelden Williams, Josh Duncan, Jake Voshkul, Maceo Baston, Stromile Swift, Melvin Ely, Sean May, Sean Marks, Malik Rose, Ryan Bowen, Paul Davis, Rob Kurz, Austin Croshere, Jamaal Magloire, Primoz Brezec, Antoine Walker, Chris Richard, Michael Doleac, Jelani McCoy, Dwayne Jones, Cheikh Samb, Mouhamed Sene, Donyell Marshall, Theo Ratliff, Raef LaFrentz, Shavlik Randolph, Jarron Collins, Calvin Booth, Michael Ruffin, Mike Harris, Andre Brown, Chris Taft, Lance Allred, Cedric Simmons, Lorenzon Wright
Restricted Free Agents
Guards: Ramon Sessions, Raymond Felton, Nate Robinson, Jarrett Jack, Juan Carlos Navarro, Shannon Brown
Wings: Marvin Williams, Josh Childress, Linas Kleiza, Ersan Ilyasova, Jamario Moon, Mario West, Jeremy Richardson
Big Men: Paul Millsap, Marcin Gortat, David Lee, Glen Davis, Aaron Gray, Solomon Jones, Joel Anthony, Josh McRoberts, Ryan Hollins
Retirement
Eric Snow, Dikembe Mutombo, Sam Cassell
Pro Basketball News reports
Marcus Williams had a banner NBA Summer League. And it made a difference.
Williams’ agent, Calvin Andrews, confirmed to Pro Basketball News on Wednesday afternoon his client will sign with the Memphis Grizzlies within the next few days. The point guard will get a one-year deal for the NBA minimum of $855,189. Read the rest of this entry »
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports
Hakim Warrick, an athletic 6-foot-9 forward who played the past four seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, has reached agreement with the Bucks on a one-year deal, sources indicated Friday.
Warrick averaged 11.6 points and 5.0 rebounds while appearing in all 82 games for the Grizzlies last season, primarily in a bench role.
Warrick is able to play both the small forward and power forward positions and should have an opportunity to start for the Bucks, who have lost Richard Jefferson (in a trade) and Charlie Villanueva (to free agency) this summer Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
Free agent forward Lamar Odom will return to the Los Angeles Lakers, an NBA source said Thursday.
“I always wanted to come back because we won the championship,” Odom told ESPN.com. “I’m playing for the biggest brand in the world. And I’m playing with the most fluid, talented center in the world in Pao Gasol, Andrew Bynum’s coming back and of course Kobe Bryant.
“But to now get an opportunity to play with Ron Artest, a guy I’ve known 16 years, it means a lot. I told Ron Ron a few weeks ago I couldn’t walk away. I still had to fight. Everytime negotiations didn’t go the way I thought, I just took a step back, like them pulling the offer off the table, I just knew I had to fight.” Read the rest of this entry »
Via Marc Stein
One more Grizzlies item: Memphis’ deal with second-round pick Sam Young is a three-year contract worth $2,658,000. The third season, at $947,800, is a team option. Taken No. 36 overall in June’s draft, Young averaged 13.6 points (a team high) and 4.2 rebounds on 51.9 percent shooting in summer league play, helping the Grizz go 5-0. Read the rest of this entry »
Yahoo Sports reports
The Atlanta Hawks and restricted free-agent forward Marvin Williams agreed in principle to a five-year contract worth about $40 million on Wednesday, sources told Yahoo! Sports. The deal isn’t expected to be signed until next week.
Not the best deal in the world for Atlanta, but a decent one. I suppose Marvin is worth that type of money.
Marvin Williams has turned himself into an elite role player over the past year or so. He’s developed into one of the finest defensive players in the league at his position, a good rebounder, and a good offensive player who can shoot from distance. He’s a player that consistently adds major value to his team in a supporting fashion.
NBA.com reports
The New Orleans Hornets announced today that they have signed free agent forward Ike Diogu. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not released.
“We’re excited to have Ike join our team and expect him to help the frontline off the bench this season,” said Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower. “He has shown a lot of potential as an inside scorer and as an effective rebounder.”
This is likely a minimum contract signing.
Thoughts
I’m not a fan of Ike Diogu. There’s no doubt that he has talent, he can score and rebound at an NBA level, but he plays very poor defense and is self-involved offensively (plays like a star when he’s not) which limit his on-court value in a large way. Read the rest of this entry »
Dallas Morning News reports
Looking to bolster their 3-point shooting, the Dallas Mavericks announced the signing of free-agent forward Tim Thomas on Tuesday. Terms were not disclosed.
Some quotes from Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson
“He is a really good 3-point shooter that can spread the floor for us and will immediately make us a better 3-point shooting team,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban said via e-mail. “Plus, he is a far better 1-on-1 post defender than he gets credit for. His defensive points per possession in the post the last couple years has been very good. His length and experience really pay off.” Read the rest of this entry »
A small quote from the bottom of an Andre Miller article
The Sixers have been searching for four players to fill out their roster on 1-year contracts, the same way they added Kareem Rush, Royal Ivey, Donyell Marshall and Theo Ratliff last summer. In a touch of irony, two of the guards in whom they have shown interest, Sacramento unrestricted free agent Bobby Jackson and Orlando unrestricted free agent Tyronn Lue, are also represented by Andre Miller.
I thought it was interesting to hear the Sixers were looking for four more, likely minimum contract, players to round out their rotation + roster. Read the rest of this entry »
This story is a few days old, catching up on old business
ESPN reported the Cavs signing Moon to an offer sheet
The Cleveland Cavaliers have continued their offseason remodeling by signing restricted free agent Jamario Moon to an offer sheet.
Full details of the offer sheet are unlikely to be known until Monday, when the contract is submitted to the league office. But sources said that the deal signed Friday — which Heat officials confirmed after an ESPN.com report earlier Sunday — spans two guaranteed years.
The Miami Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman discussed two other issues facing the Heat’s decision on whether or not to match Moon’s offer sheet Read the rest of this entry »
This story is a few days old, catching up on old business
Yahoo Sports reports
Free-agent guard Marquis Daniels has committed to sign with the Boston Celtics, a league source said Friday.
Daniels will receive the Celtics’ $1.9 million biannual salary-cap exception if the Indiana Pacers aren’t interested in a sign-and-trade deal.
The 6-foot-6 Daniels averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 54 games with Indiana last season, his third with the team. Daniels previously played three seasons with the Mavericks.
Negotiations are still on-going about a sign and trade Read the rest of this entry »
This story is a few days old, catching up on old business
Yahoo Sports reports
Chris Wilcox agreed to a a two-year, $6 million contract with the Detroit Pistons, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Saturday. Read the rest of this entry »
The Indy Star reports
The Indiana Pacers have agreed to a two-year deal for forward Solomon Jones, a person familiar with the situation confirmed today.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Read the rest of this entry »
This story is a few days old, catching up on old business
RealGM has the press release
The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has exercised its first right of refusal and retained restricted free agent forward Paul Millsap, pending the results of a physical. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. Utah had seven days to match an offer sheet made to Millsap by Portland.“Keeping Paul on our roster was one of our main goals this offseason,” said Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor. “We look forward to watching him play a key role on this team for many years to come.”
“We are excited to keep Paul with the Jazz,” said Jazz President Randy Rigby. “Since he arrived in 2006 he has been an integral part of our team, establishing himself as one of the up-and-coming power forwards in the NBA.” Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
The Dallas Mavericks have struck a deal with unrestricted free agent Drew Gooden to make use of some of the money they got back when Orlando matched their offer sheet earlier this month to restricted free agent Marcin Gortat.
Gooden announced via his Twitter feed shortly past midnight Saturday that he is signing with the Mavericks. “Dallas here I come,” he wrote. In response, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tweeted: “Welcome Drew.”
Sources with knowledge of the deal told ESPN.com that Gooden is receiving a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $4.5 million with incentives that will likely take it beyond $5 million by season’s end. A formal announcement of the signing is expected Monday or Tuesday. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
That power forward is Hakim Warrick, who was taken by surprise Thursday night when the Grizzlies rescinded their $3 million qualifying offer to him to give themselves more flexibility on the free-agent market.
Warrick will remain on Memphis’ cap for the time being at $6.2 million — 300 percent of his salary last season — but the Grizzlies could move about $9 million below the cap if they formally renounce their rights to him or move him in a sign-and-trade deal. Read the rest of this entry »
Doug Smith reports
Rasho Nesterovic is coming back to his adopted hometown.
The veteran centre, who spent two seasons with the Raptors before being traded to Indiana a year ago, has agreed in principle to a one-year deal worth about $1.9 million (all figures US), the so-called biannual exception to the NBA’s salary cap. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
The Portland Trail Blazers have offered point guard Andre Miller a three-year contract after failing in their efforts to acquire New York Knicks restricted free agent David Lee, sources close to the process said Friday.
Miller’s contract would be worth $21 million, with $14 million guaranteed and $7 million included as a third-year team option, a source said.
Bad Fit
I think Andre Miller is a very poor fit in Cleveland … Read the rest of this entry »
This news is from a few days ago
Jonathon Givony reports from his twitter account
DeJuan Blair has signed a guaranteed three-year contract with the Spurs for $2.7 million, Jonathan Givony has learned.
Blair was an excellent pickup in the second round. Good decision by the Spurs to give Blair a three year contract, now they have him locked up for three years on a low contract and will have his full bird rights when his deal expires. Smart decision.
Conrad Brunner reports
The press release was brief. Its impact will be profound.
The announcement Wednesday evening a resolution has been reached avoiding arbitration and allowing the Pacers to waive Jamaal Tinsley brings welcome closure for the franchise and the player. Read the rest of this entry »
The San Antonio Express reports
The Spurs have gotten younger and more athletic this summer, but their newest addition proves they still value veteran big men who can defend. Read the rest of this entry »
The Miami Herald reports
The Heat re-signed backup center Jamaal Magloire on Wednesday, giving the team four centers under contract.
Magloire signed a one-year contract for $1.18 million, the veteran’s minimum for a player with his length of service. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Indiana Pacers announced Wednesday they have re-signed free agent forward Josh McRoberts to a multi-year contract. Per club policy, teams of the contract were not closed. Read the rest of this entry »
I’m catching up on some of the news from the past few days …
Oklahoma City Thunder
Let’s start with the Oklahoma City Thunder side of things:
The Oklahoma City Thunder waived guard Earl Watson it was announced today by Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Read the rest of this entry »
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports
Forward Ersan Ilyasova is returning to the Milwaukee Bucks after playing the past two seasons for Regal FC Barcelona in Spain.
Basketball sources confirmed Thursday that Ilyasova and the Bucks had agreed on a three-year deal estimated at nearly $7 million, with a first-year salary of $2.1 million. Read the rest of this entry »
The main issue with the Raptors remaining summer spending isn’t this year’s luxury tax threshold, but the 2010/11 mark. That is due to three main issues (1) Bargnani’s extension (2) Pay increases for top earners (3) The likelihood of the luxury tax line falling in a large way.
So, let’s have a quick look at the Raptors payroll for this coming season and the 2010/11 season … and try to figure out just how close the Raptors are to the luxury tax in both seasons, and how much they can spend
2009/10
The Raptors salaries
Sports Illustrated reports
Free-agent forward Sean May agreed in principle to a one-year contract with the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, hoping for a fresh start for a career that has been derailed by injuries.
The Kings announced the agreement Tuesday but did not disclose terms of the contract. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
The Miami Heat announced Monday that they have re-signed center Joel Anthony. Read the rest of this entry »
The Orlando Sentinel reports
The Orlando Magic were on the verge of another bold acquisition late Monday, reaching an agreement in principle on a two-year deal with free-agent forward Matt Barnes.
Aaron Goodwin, the agent who represents both Barnes and All-Star Magic center Dwight Howard, confirmed the deal early Tuesday morning in a text message to the Orlando Sentinel.
“He has agreed to a two-year deal, and I believe that Dwight’s recruitment of him truly sealed the deal,” Goodwin wrote. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
After receiving an improved offer last week and taking a few more days to deliberate, two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash notified the Phoenix Suns over the weekend that he is accepting their two-year extension offer worth $22 million.
Nash’s agent, Bill Duffy, has confirmed that his client will formally sign the extension as early as Tuesday after ESPN.com reported the deal earlier Monday. Read the rest of this entry »
Euroleague.net reports
Tau Ceramica agreed to terms of a contract with small forward Walter Herrmann, who inked a two-year deal with the Euroleague powerhouse on Friday. Read the rest of this entry »
Jarrett Jack spoke to the Indy Star
The Indiana Pacers will not match the four-year, $20 million offer the Toronto Raptors made to restricted free agent Jarrett Jack, Jack told The Indianapolis Star in a telephone interview late Sunday night.”It took a minute, but I was able to secure a contract for four years,” Jack said. “I’m looking forward to playing with Chris (Bosh) again. It will be like our freshman year (at Georgia Tech) all over again.”
The Pacers had until today to make a decision.“It was a very difficult decision because Jarrett proved last season what he can bring to a team,” team president Larry Bird said in a statement this afternoon. “We thank Jarrett for his contributions to the Pacers, both on and off the court, and wish him the best in Toronto.” Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
The Chicago Bulls announced on Monday that the team has waived guard Anthony Roberson. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has re-signed guard Ronnie Price. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
“Keeping Ronnie on our roster was important to us,” said Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor. “He is someone who knows our system and has proven capable of stepping in whenever called upon. Over the last two seasons he has shown a commitment to working hard and improving his game, and as a result, we expect his growth to continue.” Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Chicago Bulls made a settlement with forward Tim Thomas on Tuesday. In accordance with that move, the Bulls have requested waivers on Thomas. Read the rest of this entry »
Lamar Odom
The LA Times reports
Lakers owner Jerry Buss, an avid poker player, called Lamar Odom’s bluff at the negotiating table Tuesday, following through with his threat to pull the offer to Odom.
The Lakers admitted that the offer Buss presented to Odom and his representatives has been available for over a week, but that because the unrestricted free agent never responded, Buss grew upset and broke off all negotiations.
“Yes, we have taken the deal off the table,” Lakers public relations director John Black said. “Talks have broken down for the time being.” Read the rest of this entry »
Good interview with Boki Nachbar on Hoopshype
You announced on Twitter yesterday that you were going to make a decision on your new team today or so. Have you made a decision already?
BN: I’m really close to signing a contract with Efes Pilsen, the Turkish champion, for one year. They’ve been calling me for the last two weeks and I’ve been postponing it because I was trying to get a good NBA contract. But I don’t want to let go this offer from Efes because financially it was so much stronger than anything in the States, especially with the market in the NBA being so tight this year and good players getting such low contracts. It’s hard to get a long-term, solid contract. So it makes sense for me to wait one more year and go for free agency then. Unless something dramatic happens today, it looks like I’m going to sign with Efes Pilsen. Read the rest of this entry »
The San Antonio Express reports
The Washington Wizards have made a contract offer to former Spurs center Fabricio Oberto, traded to the Detroit Pistons as part of the package that brought Richard Jefferson to the Spurs in a three-team, pre-draft trade with the Milwaukee Bucks last month.
Terms of Washington’s offer to Oberto aren’t known. He was released by the Pistons after the deal was completed. Read the rest of this entry »
Sekou Smith reports
Josh Childress is going back to Greece.
The former Hawks swingman said he is returning to Olympiakos for the 2009-10 season and will not opt out of his contract and return to the NBA. Read the rest of this entry »
Ben Wallace Is A Valuable Free Agent
Arizona Republic reports
Ben Wallace was gone before he was here.
The Suns completed a contract buyout Monday for Wallace, whom they acquired for such financial motivation in the Shaquille O’Neal trade in June. The Suns negotiated a $10 million buyout for a contract that would have paid him $14 million this season. Read the rest of this entry »
We’ve just passed the two week mark in free agency. Most of the big money names are off the board at this stage.
Unrestricted Free Agents
Guards: Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Ben Gordon, Mike Bibby, Stephon Marbury, Ronnie Price, Jannero Pargo, CJ Watson, Brevin Knight, Royal Ivey, Kevin Ollie, Flip Murray, Anthony Carter, Bobby Jackson, Jason Hart, Damon Jones, Luther Head, Sean Singletary, Cartier Martin, Will Solomon, Tyronne Lue, Juan Dixon, Marcus Williams, Lindsey Hunter, Jacque Vaughn, Mike Wilks, Will Conroy, Pooh Jeter, Dan Dickau, Eddie Gill, Steve Francis, Mateen Cleaves, Blake Ahearn, Jeff McGinnis, Alex Acker Read the rest of this entry »
Interesting analysis from Ross Siler in the Salt Lake Tribune
This is just my interpretation of what was said Saturday, but Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor made three comments that suggested the team was inclined to match the four-year, $32 million offer sheet Paul Millsap signed with Portland.
O’Connor has vowed to match any offer to Millsap that isn’t in the realm of the “really outrageous.” His comments Saturday seemed to suggest that an $8 million a year offer by the Trail Blazers doesn’t fit that definition.
First of all, talking about following through on the pledge to match, O’Connor mentioned “it might be a little different” if Millsap had been offered $11 million or $12 million a season. Read the rest of this entry »
KC Johnson reports
As expected, the Bulls re-signed guard Lindsey Hunter to a one-year contract Monday, bringing back the veteran for his 17th NBA season. Read the rest of this entry »
Hat tip to Ryan for pointing out the trade in the comments section
Denver's New Stopper: Arron Afflalo
Yahoo Sports reports
Detroit traded Arron Afflalo and Walter Sharpe to Denver for a future second-round pick, a move that creates another $1.8 million in salary cap space for the Pistons, a league source said Monday.
Afflalo averaged 4.9 points and 16.4 minutes in 74 games for the Pistons last season. Sharpe appeared in only eight games as a rookie last season.
As I wrote in reply to Ryan in the comments, I think the media reports are incorrect about Detroit clearing $1.8 million because they’re not accounting for the cap hold on open roster spots. I think the Pistons have only cleared about half that amount. Read the rest of this entry »
Marcin Gortat Is Heading Back To Orlando
I’m surprised … RealGM has the press release
The Orlando Magic have exercised its right of first refusal and retained restricted free agent center Marcin Gortat, General Manager Otis Smith officially announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed.
Orlando had seven days to match an offer sheet made to Gortat by Dallas on July 8.
“Having quality big men is an absolute must in our league, and Marcin (Gortat) has worked very hard to fit into that category,” said Smith. “He provides tremendous depth to our frontcourt and we’re happy to bring him back.” Read the rest of this entry »
Good summary by Elliot Teaford for Insidesocal.com, detailing a recent interview by KSPN-AM (710) with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak in which Kupchak answers some questions on the Lamar Odom situation.
I expect Lamar Odom to end up back with the Lakers. Mainly because I don’t think there’s much of a market out there for him. Odom should consider signing a one year deal and entering free agency next season, when there will be more teams with cap space who are looking for veteran talent.
This is an update to a previous post, to account for Detroit’s signings of Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva, in order to find out how much cap space the Pistons have left
Detroit Pistons Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Pistons’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $41.95 million spread across five players. Read the rest of this entry »
Jarrett Jack
Doug Smith reports
It didn’t take Bryan Colangelo long at all to make his next free agent move.
The Raptors president and general manager will, if he hasn’t already, extend a four-year contract offer sheet to free agent guard Jarrett Jack.
There’s no financial terms available right now but Jack made $2.2 million last season with the Indiana Pacers and it’s unlikely the Raptors wouldn’t make an offer that at least includes a marginal raise in the first year. Read the rest of this entry »
Anthony Parker
Cavs Plain Dealer reports
Free agent guard Anthony Parker is expected to arrive on Sunday and sign a two-year deal for about $6 million as early as Monday, according to his agent, Henry Thomas
Thomas said Parker, 34, who played with Toronto the past three seasons after starring in Europe, was looking forward to playing with a championship contender in whatever role the team assigns him.
After signing Parker, the Cavs will have about $3 million left of their mid-level exception and another $2 million left in their biennial exception. The two cannot be combined.
I don’t like this signing. Not because of talent, the money is fair enough for the talent, but because the Cavs should not be adding salary that stretch beyond one season. Read the rest of this entry »
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports
Rookie guard Jodie Meeks has agreed to a three-year contract with the Bucks, sources confirmed Wednesday.Meeks, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Kentucky, was the 41st overall pick in the June draft.
“I’m excited about it and relieved to have it done,” Meeks said. “I know they have a lot of confidence in me. I’ve got to continue to come in here and work hard and show what I can do.” Read the rest of this entry »
MEMPHIS, TENN.(AP) —The Memphis Grizzlies have waived Jerry Stackhouse(notes), just a day after acquiring the NBA veteran in a four-team, eight-player trade. Read the rest of this entry »
Paul Millsap
ESPN’s Chris Broussard reports
The Portland Trail Blazers have offered Utah Jazz free agent Paul Millsap a four-year contract worth between $32 million and $36 million, according to league sources.
The offer includes a hefty signing bonus that will make it difficult for Utah to match. The Jazz will be presented with the offer Saturday and have seven days to match because Millsap is a restricted free agent. Read the rest of this entry »
Brandon Bass Will Be Joining Forces With Vinsanity Next Season
NBA.com’s David Aldridge reports
The Orlando Magic are trying to keep up in the arms race in the competitive Eastern Conference, agreeing to terms on Friday with free agent forward Brandon Bass on a four-year deal believed to be worth $18 million.
The 23-year-old Bass was one of the most coveted big men in this year’s free agency class, having been a valuable role player off the bench for the Mavericks the past two seasons. He played in 81 games for Dallas last year, averaging 8.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19 minutes a night. Read the rest of this entry »
Grant Hill Choose The Valley Of The Suns Ahead Of The Bright Lights Of New York City
Yahoo Sports reports
Grant Hill has decided to re-sign with the Phoenix Suns, and a large part of the decision is based on the belief that Steve Nash is close to reaching an agreement on a contract extension, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.
The Suns will also sign free agent Channing Frye to a two-year deal for $3.8 million, sources said. The second season is at Frye’s option. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
The Utah Jazz and center Mehmet Okur have agreed in principle to a two-year contract extension worth just under $21 million, according to NBA front-office sources.
Okur could have been a free agent this summer but elected on June 30 to complete the final season on his current contract with the Jazz at $9 million.
Sources told ESPN.com that Okur and the Jazz have quickly reached terms to extend the contract by two more seasons at $20.8 million starting in 2010-11.
Nice deal for Memo, and a decent deal for Utah. The length of the contract is a nice bonus for Utah, it’s a fairly short deal, and it spans the best remaining years (30 years old) of Okur’s career.
An Andre Miller update courtesy of ESPN’s Chris Broussard
Miller (most likely) Out Of Phily
Andre Miller’s career with the Philadelphia 76ers is almost certainly over. The Sixers offered the 33-year-old point guard a one-year deal for the midlevel exception ($5.8 million). Miller was understandably underwhelmed, but after spending big last summer on Andre Iguodala ($80 million) and Elton Brand ($80 million), Philadelphia couldn’t give Miller the three-year, $30 million contract he wanted just to remain a mediocre club. The Sixers aren’t willing to give Miller three years even at the midlevel.
Miller’s agent, Andy Miller (no relation), is trying to find a sign-and-trade deal that will fetch his client something near $10 million per year. But he’s been unsuccessful so far. The Sixers will not do a sign-and-trade just for the sake of doing one; it has to make sense for them, and nothing they’ve seen has made any sense.
Wow … that is surprising news.
I thought Miller was pretty close to a certainty to return to Phily. There’s just not much of a market place out there for a 31 year old point guard looking for $10 million a year, and it’s not like the Sixers have a bunch of better opportunities open to them. Read the rest of this entry »
Quick recap on the trade last night for the Raptors
This is quite simply a stunning trade for Bryan Colangelo. Regaining the Raptors trade exceptions, not having to renounce his own free agents, and moving Humphries two year deal for expiring contracts. Unbelievable!
Bryan Colangelo deserves a round of applause!
The Raptors suddenly have a ton more options at their disposal. What should they do with them?
The Current Team
Starters: Jose Calderon – Demar DeRozan – Hedo Turkoglu – Chris Bosh – Andrea Bargnani
Rotation Players: Reggie Evans
Deep Bench: Roko Ukic, Marcus Banks, Quincy Douby, Antoine Wright, Devean George, Patrick O’Bryant, Nathan Jawai
Brief Analysis
The Raptors have four of their starting five locked up, with the final spot open, likely for whichever player offers the best mix of defense + rebounding. Read the rest of this entry »
This is an update to today’s earlier post
Adrian Wojnarowski reports
The Dallas Mavericks have reached agreement to acquire Shawn Marion in a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Raptors, league sources said Wednesday.
The Mavericks and Raptors recruited the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies to help facilitate the deal. The Raptors will get Hedo Turkoglu in a sign-and-trade deal with the Magic rather than signing him outright. They also will receive forwards Devean George and Antoine Wright from the Mavericks.
Marion will receive a five-year, $40 million contract from the Mavericks.
Stackhouse will go to the Grizzlies, who will waive him. Only $2 million of Stackhouse’s $7 million contract for next season is guaranteed. The Grizzlies will receive cash, likely $3 million, to participate in the trade.
Toronto, which gets to keep its midlevel salary-cap exception, sends a trade exception to Orlando. The Mavericks also will receive forward Kris Humphries from the Raptors.
The Dallas Morning News first reported the Mavericks were nearing a deal for Marion, describing the trade as “on the lip of the cup.”
The Trade
You gotta love, and hate at the same time, four team trades. So many elements, and so confusing. I think I’ve gotten this trade straight now though (took awhile!)
Toronto Raptors
So, Toronto sign and trade Marion for around $8 million. Turkoglu comes back to them. The Raptors also trade Humphries to Dallas, along with Marion, and take back George and Wright from the Mavs. Read the rest of this entry »
Anderson Varejao = Overpaid?
ESPN reports
The Cleveland Cavaliers have come to an agreement with free agent Anderson Varejao on a six-year deal, his agent Dan Fegan told ESPN.com.
Varejao’s contract is worth $42.5 million over the six years, and the final year is only partially guaranteed. Incentives could push the total amount to $50 million.
“Andy made it clear from the beginning of the process that his first choice was Cleveland,” Fegan said. “He feels strongly that there’s unfinished business left in Cleveland — to win a championship.”
$42 million over 6 years, for an average of $7 million a season, sounds like a fair deal for both parties.
#50 million over 6 years, for an average of $8+ million a season, sounds like a bad contract for the Cavaliers. Read the rest of this entry »
Yahoo Sports reports
Free-agent guard Dahntay Jones has agreed to a four-year, $11 million contract with the Indiana Pacers.
Jones, 28, started for the Denver Nuggets during their run to the Western Conference finals last season. He averaged 5.4 points and 2.1 rebounds. Read the rest of this entry »
Jannero Pargo Rejoins The Bulls
Adrian Wojnarowski’s twitter feed reports
Jannero Pargo has agreed to a one-year deal worth approx $2 million with the Chicago Bulls, a league source told Y! Sports.
Presumably the Bulls are planning on using a lot of two point guard backcourts with Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and Jannero Pargo. Why else pay a third string point guard more than the minimum?
Lineup + Rotation
The Bulls have an interesting lineup now:
Chris Andersen
The Denver Post reports
Chris Andersen and the Nuggets have agreed on a five-year contract that could earn Andersen up to $26 million, the player’s manager, Mark Bryant, said Tuesday night.
A word on the contract
Andersen will make $3.7 million next season in his backloaded and incentive-based contract, which will help the Nuggets financially
Last season
Last season, Andersen ranked second in the NBA with an average of 2.5 blocked shots and was the Nuggets’ top post player off the bench. He averaged 6.4 points and a career-high 6.2 rebounds, and his colorful personality — as well as his colorful tattoos and spiked hair — made him a fan favorite.
Age
Chris Andersen is 31 years old and his game is based on athleticism + energy + hustle. He just signed a five year contract, and it’s back loaded.
How much money will he be making when he’s 35 an 36 years old? and what type of contribution can he make at that age? Read the rest of this entry »
Shawn Marion Is Heading To Dallas
Yahoo Sports reports
The Dallas Mavericks are close to acquiring Shawn Marion in a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Raptors, league sources said Wednesday.
Jerry Stackhouse will be dealt to the Raptors, who will ship his contract to another team for considerations.
The Trade
It’s unclear whether it’s a three team trade, or a straight trade followed up by a second trade by Toronto to a team below the cap.
Creative work by Donnie Nelson and Bryan Colangelo. Nicely done.
I didn’t think this trade was possible when I first heard of it, but I was wrong, and by including a third team they were able to get it done. The Raptors were able to avoid the $2 million cap charge from Stackhouse after he was waived, by sending him to a third team. Read the rest of this entry »
Antonio McDyess
The San Antonio Express reports
The Spurs are apparently going hard to the hoop in their pursuit of free-agent forward Antonio McDyess.
According to an NBA source with knowledge of the negotiations, the Spurs are believed to have offered McDyess a three-year contract starting at the full mid-level exception, expected to be worth $5.854 million next season.
That third year, which is only partially guaranteed, could be what puts the Spurs over the top. Read the rest of this entry »
Zaza Pachulia
Per Sekou Smith — link
Much has been made in the past 72 hours about Zaza’s impending departure and his being replaced by Andersen, or a combination of players that includes the Australian big man. Slow down with that one.
Sources tell me that while initially things didn’t look too good with the offer that was presented to him by the Hawks, the sides are working their way toward more agreeable terms (we’re talking slightly north of the $16 million over four years he signed for the last time he was a free agent but decidedly south of the $33 million over five years Marcin Gortat is expected to receive from Dallas) Read the rest of this entry »
Andrea Bargnani
ESPN reports
Hedo Turkoglu is on the way and it appears that Andrea Bargnani will also soon have his long-term future secured with the Toronto Raptors.
Bargnani’s agent, Leon Rose, told ESPN.com on Tuesday night that the Raptors — who later this week will officially sign Turkoglu away from Orlando — have reached an agreement in principle on a contract extension for the 7-foot Italian, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Raptors in the 2006 draft.
The deal, according to NBA front-office sources, would span five seasons starting in 2010-11 and earn Bargnani an estimated $50 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Sekou Smith writes
What that means for the Hawks is that they might get a do-over with Childress, a restricted free agent again this summer as he was last summer.
Last summer they lost him as an asset when he chose to sign with Greek power Olympiakos (for $20 million post taxes). What the Hawks didn’t lose was the right of first refusal on Childress if he decided to return to the NBA this summer.
And two of my spies have made it clear that were Childress to receive any sort of “reasonable” NBA offer (the $5.6 million mid-level exception or below), the Hawks would match it before Childress finished signing his name on the offer sheet (the aim, however, is to work out a sign-and-trade deal to appease both sides since Childress has made clear his desire to play elsewhere, per a source). Read the rest of this entry »
Okay, not all of these guys will end up signing for a minimum contract, but there’s a possibility that they may so I’ve included them.
Guards
Here’s the main guys to watch:
I thought Flip Murray was due for a good pay increase this offseason, but Atlanta’s acquisition of Jamal Crawford and now resigning Mike Bibby makes it highly unlikely that they’ll offer him much money. Flip Murray is coming off a career season, one that stands out from the rest of the pack in a major way, and there will be some doubts as to whether he’s a one hit wonder who can’t repeat the feat or if he’s simply improved. He could quite easily fall back to a minimum contract, but it is still unlikely. Read the rest of this entry »
The Hawks Keep Their Floor General
The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports
Free agent point guard Mike Bibby has agreed to a three-year deal worth an estimated $18 million to return to the Hawks, according to two people familiar with the situation.
Also a quick update on the Hawks other free agents
Bibby’s deal is the first of several the Hawks have to get done this summer. Hawks general manager Rick Sund is scheduled to fly to Washington today to meet with representatives for fellow Hawks free agents Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia and Josh Childress. Read the rest of this entry »
How should Danny Ainge organize his roster?
We know he has penchant for rolling the dice on low risk high reward players at the end of his roster, how many can he afford to have? How many reliable bench players would one like to see before he starts going with projects?
My Preferences
First Preference
Guards — Rondo, House and Pruitt
Wings — Pierce, Ray, first wing off the bench, second wing off the bench
Big Men — KG, Perk, Sheed, fourth big, Scalabrine
That’s 12 players who I am happy to rely on in their roles. With the final three roster spots, I’d like to see Giddens, Walker and Powe. Read the rest of this entry »
San Antonio Express reports
The Spurs have agreed to contract terms with Marcus Haislip, a 6-foot-10 former lottery pick of the Milwaukee Bucks who has been playing in Europe since washing out of the NBA in 2005.
Widely regarded as one of the top free agents in Europe this offseason, the 28-year-old Haislip is expected to sign with the Spurs not long after the NBA’s moratorium on offseason business expires Wednesday.
No confirmation on the contract terms yet, but it appears the Spurs did not use part of their MLE to get Haislip over here, so they’ll still be able to spend their MLE on someone else (McDyess! Please go to San An Dice, they need you). Read the rest of this entry »
Ken Berger reports
UPDATE: Shannon Brown will re-sign with the Lakers for two years and $4.2 million, according to his agent, Mark Bartelstein. The second year is a player option.
Short and sweet, nice work Ken Berger. Read the rest of this entry »
Jason Kidd Stays In Dallas
In an expected move, Jason Kidd has re-upped with the Mavericks.
Jason Kidd has given the Dallas Mavericks a verbal commitment that he will re-sign with the team Wednesday.
Kidd, 36, will receive a 3-year, fully guaranteed contract worth in excess of $25 million.
“We are excited to have Jason Kidd back in a Mavs uniform,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told The Dallas Morning News. “He was a major contributor for us last year, and we expect more of the same next year.”
Dallas Mavericks
A very good signing for the Mavericks. Jason Kidd will be a steal at that price next season, and he figures to age well considering the way he plays and how he effects a game. Therefore, a good contract. Read the rest of this entry »
Rasheed Wallace Is Another Body To Throw At Howard
The Boston Globe reports
An NBA source said tonight forward Rasheed Wallace has committed to sign with the Celtics Wednesday, the first day free agents are eligible to sign.
“Once (Wallace) had a chance to reflect on everything, and realizing what his objectives are, he just decided this was the best fit for him, all the way around,” said Bill Strickland, Wallace’s agent. Read the rest of this entry »
Sheed & Davis Together In Boston?
Via Gary Tanguay
Dallas has become the 5th team interested in Glen “Big Baby” Davis, along with Memphis, New York, San Antonio and Detroit. He wants to stay in Boston but the money may be to good to turn down.
Since then Mark Cuban has pulled out via Twitter
contrary to reports, the Mavs are not pursuing Glenn Davis. Great player, but we like our guys
Market Looks Weak
I can’t help but look at these and all the other Glen Davis free agent updates, and think the market looks weak for him. Read the rest of this entry »
Team-by-Team
Atlanta Hawks
Players In
Players Out
Teams Undecided Free Agents
Hedo Turkoglu Will Be Joining Forces With Jose Calderon And The Raptors Next Season
ESPN reports
Free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu changed his mind Friday and decided not to join the Portland Trail Blazers, opting instead to accept a five-year $53 million offer from the Toronto Raptors, sources told ESPN.com.
The Raptors had to … in order to free up the cap room
The decision left the Blazers livid and was a huge coup for the Raptors, who have promised Turkoglu all of the salary-cap space they will have from renouncing their rights to Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino, which will likely add up to a starting salary in the $10.1 million range, with eight percent annual raises. Read the rest of this entry »
Update: The Hedo to Blazers deal is off. Hedo has backed out of the contract, and will instead sign with the Raptors.
ESPN is reporting
Hedo Turkoglu has reached an agreement in principle to become a Portland Trail Blazer, according to sources.
Although a verbal commitment may be announced sooner, the terms of the contract cannot be finalized until Wednesday, after the NBA informs teams what next year’s salary cap will be. Read the rest of this entry »
The Boston Globe reports
Celtics free agent guard Stephon Marbury said to The Globe early Friday morning that he doesn’t expect to be returning to Boston after receiving a disappointing one-year contract paying $1.3 million using the veteran’s minimum.
Despite Marbury’s disappointment at the Celtics offer, he was thankful to the club for giving him a fresh start Read the rest of this entry »
I’ll be keeping a list of all transactions here. Transactions will be sorted by date, team-by-team, and contract size. Links to each is available from the Free Agency page near the top of the site.
Signings Above the Mid Level Exception
Mid Level Exception Signings
Signings above $3 million, but below full MLE
Signings above a minimum contract, lower than $3 million
Qualifying Offers
Minimum Contract Signings
The Dallas Morning News reports
Quinton Ross, the former SMU and Kimball star, appears ready to sign a free-agent contract Wednesday. Terms are not yet known.
That clip out is near the bottom of the article. The article is mostly based on Marcin Gortat’s likely signing. Read the rest of this entry »
The Boston Herald reports
The Celtics met with Rasheed Wallace this afternoon in Detroit, according to a well-placed league source close to the negotiations, and offered the free agent center a contract.
According to the source, the Cs have offered Wallace a two-year contract, starting with the $5.8 million mid-level exception. Danny Ainge, the team’s executive director of basketball operations, Kevin Garnett and co-owner Wyc Grousbeck represented the Celtics. Read the rest of this entry »
Update: The Rockets did not use the MLE, they signed Ariza with the Disabled Player’s Exception (Yao’s injury)
ESPN reports
The Houston Rockets have answered the defection of Ron Artest to the Los Angeles Lakers by quickly reaching an agreement to sign Trevor Ariza away from L.A.
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that Ariza made a verbal commitment Tuesday night to sign a five-year deal with the Rockets on Wednesday — the first day free agents are permitted to sign new contracts — not long after the Lakers and Artest reached terms on a three-year deal worth an estimated $18 million.
ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan reports that Ariza, according to sources, will receive the Rockets’ full mid-level exception, which is being projected to come in at $5.8 million for next season. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN is reporting
Restricted free-agent center Marcin Gortat was scheduled to fly to Dallas on Thursday after giving the Mavericks a verbal commitment to sign an offer sheet with them next week, according to NBA front-office sources.
Sources told ESPN.com that the Mavericks are bringing Gortat to town to tour the area and the team’s facilities after extending him an offer believed to be worth Dallas’ full mid-level exception — which could translate to a five-year deal starting at roughly $5.6 million — in hopes of dissuading the Orlando Magic from matching the offer.
Excellent signing
This is what I wrote about Gortat in the free agency previews: Read the rest of this entry »
CBS Sports’ Ken Berger reports
Artest, whose versatility and toughness have made him one of the most coveted and combustible players in the NBA, told CBSSports.com Thursday that he’s signing with the Lakers.
“I’m definitely going to L.A. — to sign, yeah,” Artest said in a phone interview. “Lakers, Lakers, Lakers. I’m in L.A. right now.”
Artest said he met with Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss Thursday and previously had spoken with Lakers coach Phil Jackson. He was en route to his financial manager’s office, where he planned to huddle on the phone with his agent, David Bauman, to finalize details. Read the rest of this entry »
Interesting news on both players
Ron Artest
Fox 26 Sports reports
NBA sources told FOX 26 Sports Wednesday it is unlikely free agent forward Ron Artest will return to the Houston Rockets.League sources told FOX 26 the Rockets would be willing to offer Artest a one-year contract at best. The sources said because of that the chances of Artest resigning with Houston are remote. Read the rest of this entry »
Yahoo Sports reports
The Detroit Pistons have reached agreement with free-agent guard Ben Gordon on a five-year contract worth around $55 million, a source with knowledge of the talks told Yahoo! Sports Wednesday evening.
The Pistons are continuing to negotiate with forward Charlie Villanueva and are moving closer to an agreement.
July 8 is the first day free agents can officially sign contracts.
Newsday reports
A person with the knowledge of the negotiations says the Detroit Pistons have agreed in principle to contracts with free agents Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. Read the rest of this entry »
Good article in the Boston Herald
The Celtics, already strapped for roster space as they delve into the free agent market, have decided to part ways with Leon Powe.
That, at least, is the impression left with the 25-year-old forward following a conversation with President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge yesterday.
Powe, who is recovering from his third knee surgery, did not receive a qualifying offer from the Celtics by the Monday night deadline. As a result, Powe became an unrestricted free agent.
Powe continued
“Of course I was disappointed, because I want to come back,” Powe said today. “I love the fans. It was just a wonderful place to play.”
Powe walked away from his conversation believing that his time as a Celtic was finished.
“I wasn’t feeling a vibe like that,” he said Read the rest of this entry »
I’ll be making adjustments to this post as players opt in and out of their contracts. When a player opts out, they’ll be added to their new list in unrestricted free agency.
Unrestricted Free Agents
Guards: Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Ben Gordon, Mike Bibby, Stephon Marbury, Ronnie Price, Jannero Pargo, CJ Watson, Brevin Knight, Royal Ivey, Kevin Ollie, Flip Murray, Anthony Carter, Bobby Jackson, Jason Hart, Damon Jones, Luther Head, Will Solomon, Tyronne Lue, Juan Dixon, Marcus Williams, Lindsey Hunter, Jacque Vaughn, Mike Wilks, Will Conroy, Dan Dickau, Eddie Gill, Steve Francis, Mateen Cleaves, Blake Ahearn, Jeff McGinnis, Alex Acker Read the rest of this entry »
This is an update to a previous post following the trade of Shaquille O’Neal.
Phoenix Suns’ Salaries
Alright, let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Suns’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $50.31 million for four players. Read the rest of this entry »
This is an update for a previous Utah post since Boozer, Okur and Korver all decided not to use their ETO’s, and stayed with Utah as a result. How do those decisions effect the Jazz?
Utah Jazz Payroll
Alright, let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Jazz’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $56.87 million for five players. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ll be keeping a list of all transactions here. Transactions will be sorted by date, team-by-team, and contract size. Links to each is available from the Free Agency page near the top of the site.
July
No contracts can be signed for another week. Agreements prior to then are verbal agreements.
July 1st
Who’s opting out? Who’s Not?
The Headliners
Carlos Boozer
RealGM has a staff report
Utah Jazz forward Carlos Boozer announced on Tuesday that he is exercising his player option for 2009-10.
Boozer will make $12.657 million this season and join the famed 2010 class a free agent next summer.
“We are excited that Carlos has decided to remain with the Jazz,” said Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor. “We are hopeful he can continue to play at an All-Star level and will have an injury-free season.” Read the rest of this entry »
Philadelphia 76ers Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These four contracts combine to make $45.4 million.
Read the rest of this entry »
New York Knicks Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These seven contracts combine to make $62.93 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Off the press release on the Clippers website
Player options for Ricky Davis and Brian Skinner
In related roster moves, the Clippers announced that guard Ricky Davis has exercised his contract option for the 2009-10 season and that forward Brian Skinner has decided not to exercise his contract option for the 2009-10 season, making him an unrestricted free agent. Read the rest of this entry »
Miami Heat Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These four contracts combine to make $53.87 million. Read the rest of this entry »
New Jersey Nets Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These four contracts combine to make $31.18 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Indiana Pacers Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
The MLE
How much is the five year MLE worth?
I don’t think the MLE gets decided until the cap is finalized, which is July 7th, but it figures to be worth around $5.5 million so we’ll use that as our ball park figure.
Year One: $5.5 million
Year Two: $5.94 million
Year Three: $6.15 million
Year Four: $6.93 million
Year Five: $7.48 million
Total: $32 million
Channing Frye
Portland have decided not to make a qualifying offer for Frye
Channing Frye’s two-year stint with the Trail Blazers officially ended Monday when general manager Kevin Pritchard said the team has decided not to make a qualifying offer to the 26-year-old free agent power forward.
The move allows Frye to become an unrestricted free agent, and prevents the Blazers from having the right to match an offer from another team. The Blazers had until midnight on Tuesday to make a $4.6 million qualifying offer to Frye, who made $3.1 million last season. Read the rest of this entry »
I wrote two posts on two separate sections within the NBA
Now, it’s time to round it out with the remainder of the NBA:
Los Angeles Clippers Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These four contracts combine to make $48.15 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Dallas Mavericks Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These four contracts combine to make $51.97 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Okay, here’s an introduction to the top free agents on the market this summer.
I have split the players into three categories
From there I separated unrestricted and restricted free agents, offering a Top 10 unrestricted free agents and Top 5 restricted free agents.
For information on teams with cap space this summer — please click here.
For information on other teams cap situations, and how that may effect their free agency plans — click here.
Over the next 24 hours, players and teams will decide how to use their early termination options, player options and team options. At that point, we’ll have a complete list for free agency this summer and I’ll update the initial free agent list at that time.
Also check out the top free agents list for guards and wings
This post will look at power forwards and centers. Out and out combo forwards were included in the wings sections.
Top 12 — Unrestricted Big Men
(1) Lamar Odom — Signed with the Lakers for $33 million over four years
Lamar Odom is a notch below an All-Star.
A good rebounder, a very good defender, and highly skilled offensive player. He can pass, dribble, decent jumper, good slasher, good but underutilized post game, and an excellent finisher around the rim.
Lamar Odom is also highly erratic and his teams can’t truly rely on him. Due to this flaw, he’s best served as the fourth best player on a high quality team, rather than one of the building blocks somewhere else.
In all likelihood, Odom will be looking at a contract above the MLE. Unfortunately for him, the market isn’t kind and lacks suitors for his talents, so his price could easily be knocked back to $7-8 million, and maybe even further. Odom will be a bargain this summer, because he’s worth around $10 million per annum. Read the rest of this entry »
Cleveland Cavaliers Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These four contracts combine to make $57.18 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Wow … I thought Milwaukee was interested in retaining Charlie Villanueva, especially after dumping Richard Jefferson’s contract.
ESPN has the story
The Milwaukee Bucks have made qualifying offers to restricted free agents Ramon Sessions and Ersan Ilyasova, but will not make an offer to Charlie Villanueva. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
The New Jersey Nets are picking up the $2.06 million contract option on forward Jarvis Hayes for next season.”Jarvis was a key member of our rotation last season, providing instant scoring and the ability to stretch the defense,” Nets president Rod Thorn said Monday in a statement. “We are pleased to have him continue as a member of our roster and look forward to a similar contribution this season.” Read the rest of this entry »
Also check out the top free agents posts for guards and big men
This post will be looking at two guards, small forwards and combo forwards. Out and out power forwards will be in the big man section.
Top 10 — Unrestricted Wings
#1 Hedo Turkoglu -- Signed with the Raptors for 5 years in a deal worth $53 million
Hedo Turkoglu is a rare breed in the NBA. He is a wing player with the skill set of a point guard, a brilliant passer who can double up and run his team’s offense for large chunks of games. A player who can create offense for both himself and for others.
There’s simply not many guys (ten, give or take) in this league who bring this skill-set to the table. Now, the others are better versions of this skill set than Hedo, but Turkoglu is a mighty fine player in his own right.
Oh, and his defense is under-appreciated. I think he’s a good defender and doesn’t deserve the criticism that he receives for his work on that end of the floor. Read the rest of this entry »
Houston Rockets Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These three contracts combine to make $45.72 million.
Shane Battier and Yao Ming both have two years left on their contracts, although Yao Ming does hold an early termination option on his deal. Tracy McGrady is an expiring contract. Read the rest of this entry »
Golden State Warriors Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These five contracts combine to make $41.8 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Charlotte Bobcats Salaries
Alright, we’ll split the contracts into two sections, above and below $5 million, let’s start with the above $5 million crowd.
These seven contracts combine to make $53.22 million. Read the rest of this entry »
Also check out the top free agents list for wings and big men
This post will look at point guards and combo guards. Out and out shooting guards will be on the wings list, which will be out tomorrow.
Top 10 Unrestricted Guards
#1 Andre Miller — Signed with the Blazers for $22 million over 3 years. Final year is a team option.
The 33 year old guard is coming off an excellent season that saw him average 16.3ppg, 6.5apg, and 4.5rpg. He was one of the two best players on a Phily squad that made the playoffs and pushed the Eastern Conference Champs, the Orlando Magic, to six games.
Miller is looking for his last big payday. It’s unclear how much that deal will be worth though. His best chance at getting a contract significantly above the MLE will be by resigning with his own team, the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Sixers are the frontrunner to sign Miller. It’s hard to see any of the other teams who are below the cap, making a hard push to sign him, so it could easily be a limited market place for Miller. Read the rest of this entry »
Great news today for Pacers fans, here’s the story
The Indiana Pacers will not pick up Marquis Daniels’ $7.5-million team option, a person with knowledge of the situation said today.
Daniels averaged 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 54 games last season.
The report notes that the Pacers may try to resign Daniels in free agency
The Pacers could re-sign Daniels to a multi-year contract at a lower annual salary during the free agency period.
I think there’s a strong chance that the Pacers look to do this. Read the rest of this entry »
This post is an update to the previous Magic cap concerns article. A new post was written to take into account the acquisition of Vince Carter and to assess how that changes things for Orlando.
Orlando Magic Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on Orlando’s’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $62.33 million for five players.
Rashard Lewis, Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson all have four years remaining on their contracts. Pietrus has three years with the final year being a player option. Their new addition, Vince Carter, has three years left on his contract with the final year only being partially guaranteed. Read the rest of this entry »
This is an update to an earlier post following the acquisition of Richard Jefferson.
San Antonio Spurs’ Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Spurs’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $59.71 million for four players. Read the rest of this entry »
Los Angeles Lakers Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on Lakers books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $44.26 million for five players. Read the rest of this entry »
There is an updated edition of this article following the acquisition of Vince Carter. Click here for that.
Orlando Magic Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on Orlando’s’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $52.5 million for five players. Read the rest of this entry »
Boston Celtics Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Celtics’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $56.03 million for three players. Read the rest of this entry »
Chicago Bulls Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Bulls’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $56.69 million for seven players. Read the rest of this entry »
The Indy Star reports
Backup point guard Travis Diener said today that he will return to the Indiana Pacers next season.
Diener could have opted out of his contract and become a free agent. Instead, he will make $1.7 million next season.
Diener added
“I like playing for coach (Jim) O’Brien,” Diener said. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
Philadelphia 76ers President and General Manager Ed Stefanski announced on Monday that Royal Ivey has declined the player option on his contract for the 2009-10 season, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Ivey (6-4, 215) signed as a free agent with Philadelphia on July 28, 2008. He appeared in 71 games off the bench for the Sixers last season, averaging 3.0 points and 1.1 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game.
Good third string point guard just entered the free agent market. Read the rest of this entry »
There is an update to this article — after Boozer, Memo and Korver all decided to stay, and looking at what changes that would have for Utah’s summer decisions.
Utah Jazz Payroll
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Jazz’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $30.21 million for two players.
Andrei Kirilenko has another year to run on his deal after next season, while Deron will be just beginning his five year extension. Read the rest of this entry »
Washington Wizards Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Wizards’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $57.68 million for six players.
Etan Thomas has an early termination release clause but he definitely will not use it. Mike James has a player option and he will definitely use it. Both players are entering the last year of their contracts, as is Brendan Haywood.
Gilbert Arenas has four more years after next season, Jamison has two more, and Butler has one more.
I want to separate this number for a moment just to make a quick point on how valuable Caron’s and Antawn’s contracts are. Read the rest of this entry »
The Los Angeles Times reports
Bryant, 30, can become an unrestricted free agent next month by terminating his Lakers contract with two more years and $47.8 million on it. The 13-year veteran could then re-sign with the Lakers for five years and about $135 million.
“It’s been a blast being here from ‘96 to now,” he said to the crowd. “Here we are, back on top. This feels unbelievable. We have a young team, a team that has a lot of chemistry. We want to do this thing again and again. We’ll be back next year, ready to go. We’re going to keep on rolling.”
When asked about the possibility of leaving, Kobe replied Read the rest of this entry »
Update from the previous post, to take into account the Jason Kapono-Reggie Evans trade and a better knowledge of what slot the Raptors will draft at this summer.
Toronto Raptors Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Raptors books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $30.6 million spread across four players. Bargnani will be entering the final year of his contract in 2009, while Bosh has a player option following the 2009/10 season and is expected to opt out. Kapono has another season following the next one, and Calderon has four years left on his deal. Read the rest of this entry »
Good article on NBA Fanhouse
The intoxicating effect of reaching the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history will prompt the Orlando Magic to loosen the purse strings and venture into the previously-dreaded luxury tax territory this summer to re-sign free agent-to-be Hedo Turkoglu.
Magic President and chief executive officer Bob Vander Weide told FanHouse that ownership likely would approve paying the luxury tax for the first time if it means keeping the nucleus of this team together. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
Utah Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor announced today that the team has exercised its option on center Kyrylo Fesenko for the 2009-10 season.
Fesenko has also played a total of 51 games (35 starts) while on assignment with the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League over the past two seasons, where he averaged 10.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.82 blocks in 25.5 minutes per game.
RealGM Note: Fesenko will make $870k during the 2009-10 season.
Good decision by Utah. Read the rest of this entry »
The Money
What is the difference between the amount of money Toronto can offer Chris Bosh and the amount some other team can offer?
Chris Bosh can earn a max contract which can be up to 30% of the salary cap. Since we don’t know the exact salary cap figure, we can’t give exact figures for Bosh’s salary, but we can effectively ball park the figure.
For the purposes of this example, we’ll assume a nice round figure of $60 million for the salary cap in 2010.
Some Other Team Offers Bosh A Max Contract
A salary starting at $18 million, at 8% increases per annum, for five years. Read the rest of this entry »
The Portland Tribune is reporting
The Blazers have team options on guard Steve Blake ($4.0 million salary next season) and forward Travis Outlaw ($3.6 million) that can be exercised on July 1, but it sounds as if both will remain with the club – unless a trade is made, of course.“I don’t see a scenario where we don’t pick up their options,” Pritchard says. “They’ve both been terrific for us. We like those guys way too much.”
The single most important element to the Cavs future, after LeBron James, is their ability to acquire a second star. Everything else takes a back seat to that goal. Their best opportunity to get that star, a star who can be an elite player for the next 6-8 years alongside LeBron, is through free agency in 2010.
The most important issue for the Cavs is maintaining that opportunity. This is very important to consider when discussing the Varejao contract extension.
The Cavs Salaries In 2010
Who is on the books for the Cavs in 2010? Read the rest of this entry »
The NY Post reports
Stephon Marbury’s up and down (and down some more) playoff run with the Boston Celtics probably won’t result in a lucrative contract next season but there is one team that could have interest in the former Knicks guard.
Marbury, according to a source, was contacting Flip Saunders almost on a daily basis during the postseason and there is a chance that Marbury could be reunited with his first professional coach (okay, second after Bobby Cremins) next season.
Saunders is now the head coach of the Washington Wizards and would strongly considering adding Marbury to the roster if there is a vacancy. The biggest hurdle for Marbury is that Mike James and Javaris Crittenton are both under contract.
Ernie Grunfeld was a big Marbury fan when Ernie ran the Knicks. Read the rest of this entry »
This is an outdated post, there is an update following the acquisition of Richard Jefferson. Please click here for that post.
Spurs Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Spurs’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $45.57 million for three players.
Manu Ginobili will be entering the final year of his deal, while Parker has two more to go, and Duncan three years to play on his contract. Read the rest of this entry »
This is old news but it’s worth repeating …. 48 Minutes of Hell (Spurs site) does a great job breaking down the story
During the course of the aforementioned thread something else is suggested that should catch your attention. A board member named Bruno, a SpursTalk regular and trusted friend of this writer, cites section Article VIII, Section 2 of the CBA and notes that the Spurs are capable of signing Splitter for an amount greater than the rookie scale beginning next summer (2010). The section in question reads: Read the rest of this entry »
Nuggets Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Nuggets’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $59.51 million for five players.
Kenyon Martin and JR Smith will have one more season on the books following the 09/10 campaign, while the other three have two more seasons to go after next year. Billups’ final year is only partially guaranteed … and Nene + Martin + Melo have early termination options on their final year. Read the rest of this entry »
It will be challenging for the Heat to upgrade significantly this summer because it is up against the luxury-tax threshold and wants big 2010 salary-cap space to re-sign Dwyane Wade and another free agent (potentially Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire).
But owner Micky Arison said this week the Heat is willing to expedite the process this summer if the opportunity arises. ”If a player you would be targeting became available in 2009, why wouldn’t you do it?” Arison said of possibly trading for a 2010 free agent. “. . . We have not historically been a very patient organization. We’re an organization that moves quickly. If the opportunity came along, we would consider it. But we’re doing it under certain restraints.” Read the rest of this entry »
Slam reports
SLAM contributor J. Gamble [making his debut with us next issue] hears from a close personal friend of Rasheed Wallace’s that unless Sheed gets $8 million to play next year, he’s going to retire. If that’s true, we’ve probably seen the last of Sheed in the NBA.
I have no problem believing that Sheed is one of those players who’ll only play in the NBA so long as the money is right. The last few years, the grind looks like it’s been wearing him down mentally. Now whether that line is drawn at $8mil or not, is very much up for questioning, but the overall message here seems on point. Read the rest of this entry »
Q&A of the day
Question: I’m going to put you on the spot here. Will Lamar Odom re-sign with the Lakers? And what about Trevor Ariza? I would surely like both of them to return, as I feel they play key roles.
–Javier Cossio
Answer: Hey, I’m supposed to be the one putting people on the spot. But I’ll play along this time.
I’d be surprised if both Ariza and Odom return to the Lakers. The Lakers have already earmarked $74 million for only eight players next season.
If the two free-agent forwards command, say, $15 million a year in combined salaries, the Lakers would be pushed pretty deep into the luxury-tax stratosphere, where nobody seems to want to be in this economy. Read the rest of this entry »
Great news for the Spurs — the San Antonio Express reports
Finley undecided: Michael Finley said he has not decided whether to exercise his final-year option with the Spurs.
Finley is due another $2.5 million should he decide to play another season.
“I haven’t really thought about next year, to be quite honest,” Finley said. “I’m going to sit back with my family now, enjoy this extended period of time off, and when the time comes that I have to make a decision about my future, that’s when I’ll make it.”
Wow, what a coup it would be for the Spurs to get out from under the contract and clear $2.5mil off their salary bill. Read the rest of this entry »
The Detroit free press reports
If it was his last game as a Piston, Antonio McDyess went out with guns blazing.
With his team falling further and further behind, he kept hitting shots and grabbing rebounds.
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished their first-round sweep of the Pistons, 99-78, Sunday at the Palace, but McDyess left it all on the court as he tied a career playoff high with 26 points.
He added 10 rebounds, another part of the highlight tape teams around the league will watch when they decide whether to make a pitch for the unrestricted free agent. Read the rest of this entry »
I wrote this yesterday as a comment over at Raptors Republic
We pretty much know Shawn Marion’s salary if he returns to Toronto. He won’t resign if he’s not paid significantly more than the MLE. A good contract would be between $7-8 million. A bad contract would be $9-10 million.
Shawn Marion will have MLE contract offers on the table. That’ll be worth $32mil over five years.
The Raptors will likely have to pay Marion a contract that lasts for four to five seasons. Otherwise, he’ll be passing up guaranteed money, in order to play for a worse team that has no hope at contending for a title, and be on a team that doesn’t really make him a focal point (14ppg, 12 shots) …. which is very unlikely.
It appears that re-signing Marion is one of the Raps priorities heading into this offseason. I don’t like their game plan, but hey, it is what it is.
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Buck’s books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Hornets’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
Great report over at Hornets 24/7 on a recent team event between season ticket holders and Hornets GM Jeff Bower.
Hornets season ticket holders were given the opportunity to attend a Hornets event at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in New Orleans on Tuesday, where GM Jeff Bower spoke and answered questions. Jason Calmes (aka 420ftJesus) was in attendance and kindly took notes. Here they be.
Thank you very much to Jason Calmes for the excellent report. It’s a good read and well worth reading if you’re interested in the Hornets.
There was one section in particular that I was interested in and that was the information given about the Jannero Pargo negotiations from last summer Read the rest of this entry »
Interesting signing from the Milwaukee Bucks, especially for one so late in the season, and to guarantee next season on his contract so early in the going … interesting move.
The Bucks signed Stoudamire for the rest of this season and the 2009-’10 season, but the team’s intention is not to play him during the remaining five games of the current season.
“He’s one of those guys who can come off the bench and get hot right away,” Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. “That’s a role he’s been comfortable in. Read the rest of this entry »
There is an update to this post following the trade of Shaquille O’Neal.
Phoenix Suns Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Suns’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
Last month I looked at all the teams who figure to have substantial cap space heading into this summer, detailing how much cap flexibility they had and pondering on how they may use it in free agency.
However, those teams are not the only ones who are facing major financial decisions this summer. Now, I’ll switch my attention to teams who are over the luxury tax line, near the tax line, or who have players looking for large extensions which could put them over their limit. Teams who are facing major financial pressures, and consequently may be forced to make changes. Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM has the press release
The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed guard Shaun Livingston to a multi-year deal, Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today.
Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. Read the rest of this entry »
Nice to hear that Ime Udoka wants to remain in San Antonio
Udoka signed a two-year deal worth over $2 million with San Antonio in the summer of 2007.
“Definitely,” Udoka said of wanting to remain with the Spurs. “I’ve had a great two years here. Just the comfort level you get from playing with these guys, and knowing the type of team we have, it’s great to be here.” Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN is reporting
The Houston Rockets have signed guard James White to a multiyear contract.
The 6-foot-7 White originally signed a 10-day contract with the Rockets on March 3, then signed a second 10-day contract on March 13. He signed his new deal Tuesday. Read the rest of this entry »
Raptors.com reports
The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday they have signed guard Quincy Douby to a 10-day contract. He is the 17th GATORADE Call-Up of the 2008-09 NBA Development League season and the 135th overall since the league began play in 2001.
Douby, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, averaged 18.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 28.6 minutes in five games with the D-League’s Erie BayHawks this season. He scored in double figures in all five games, with a high of 23 points at Albuquerque. Read the rest of this entry »
Former Orlando center Adonal Foyle is expected to re-sign with the Magic, the Sentinel has learned.
Foyle, who will most likely join the team in New York on Monday, was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this month after a buyout agreement was reached for his contract.
Magic officials have previously lauded Foyle as a good practice partner for center Dwight Howard. His re-signing is likely for those purposes. Read the rest of this entry »
Detroit Pistons Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Pistons’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $26.95 million spread across three players. Maxiell will be begining a four year extension, while Rip will also have one year plus his three year extension to go. Tayshaun meanwhile will have two years to go on his contract. Read the rest of this entry »
Sacramento Kings Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Kings’ books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $37.8 million spread across five players. Kenny Thomas will be entering the final year of his contract, and will come of the books the following summer. However, three of the other four are on the books for four more years, and Garcia is on the books for five more seasons. Read the rest of this entry »
Oklahoma City Thunder Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Thunder’s books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $18.11 million spread across three players. Both Collison and Watson are entering the final year of their contracts, while Krstic has two more years on his deal. Read the rest of this entry »
The NY Post is reporting an odd Steve Nash rumour
The unraveling of the Suns could benefit the Knicks. Suns owner Robert Sarver, during the Cavaliers-Suns national telecast Thursday night, admitted he could break up the team in the offseason.
There’s speculation the Suns, expected to miss the playoffs, could use an early termination clause to release point guard Steve Nash this summer and save $7 million on his 2009-2010 wage. Nash would have to play for the $5.9 million mid-level exception but wants to come to New York. Read the rest of this entry »
Memphis Grizzlies Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Grizzlies books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $14.64 million spread across two players. Next season is the final year of Darko’s deal, but Jaric has another year on his contract beyond that worth $7.65mil. Read the rest of this entry »
The List
Big Men: Adonal Foyle, Austin Croshere, Antoine Walker, Paul Davis, Robert Horry, Courtney Sims, Michael Doleac, David Harrison, Steven Hill, Jelani McCoy, Rod Benson, Malik Bandiane, Rafael Araujo, Lance Allred, Michael Olowokandi, David Padgett, Dwayne Jones, Jackie Butler, CJ Giles, Chris Taft, Wang Zhi Zhi
Wings: Bonzi Wells, Ira Newble, Kirk Snyder, Luke Jackson, Ruben Patterson, Read the rest of this entry »
Brian Windhorst reports
Joe Smith is about to become a Cavalier, again.
The Cavs and the veteran 6-foot-10 forward agreed to terms on a one-year contract Tuesday night. He is expected to sign the deal once he clears waivers Wednesday morning and should be able to join the team by Friday’s game at Boston. Read the rest of this entry »
Portland Trailblazers Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Blazers books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
There is an update to this post — to take into account the Jason Kapono-Reggie Evans trade and a better knowledge of what slot the Raptors will draft at this summer.
Toronto Raptors
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Raptors books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
David Aldridge is reporting
Last-minute negotiations before tonight’s midnight deadline will result in veteran big men Joe Smith and Drew Gooden being bought out by Oklahoma City and Sacramento, respectively, according to a league source. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN is reporting
The veteran forward and the Oklahoma City Thunder reached agreement on a buyout of his contract, sources told ESPN The Magazine’s Ric Bucher on Sunday. The Clevaland Plain Dealer reported that the Cavaliers will try to sign him immediately after he clears waivers. Read the rest of this entry »
The Boston Globe reports
The Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent guard Stephon Marbury. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed, though two NBA sources said before Marbury cleared waivers that he would sign for the prorated veteran minimum of $1.3 million for the rest of the season.
“We are very excited to have a player of Stephon’s caliber joining our team. Our entire organization is confident in the belief that Stephon can play an important role in helping us to win another championship,” said president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. Read the rest of this entry »
Atlanta Hawks Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Hawks books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That is a total of just below $30 million. Both Speedy Claxton and Joe Johnson will be entering the final year of their contracts, while Josh Smith will have three more years past 2009/10 to go on his deal.
The rest of Atlanta’s contracts
Minnesota Timberwolves Salaries
Let’s start off by looking at who is currently on the Wolves books for next season.
Here are the contracts over five million dollars
That totals $28.63 million. Both Mike Miller and Brian Cardinal will be entering the final year of those contracts, and thus coming off the books in 2010.
Now let’s have a look at the rest of their contracts
Over the next week or so I’ll be looking at each one of the above teams individually to see
Okay, so let’s get to it and have a look at each one of those teams Read the rest of this entry »
Michigan Live is reporting the following
Detroit remains an option, but the team’s struggles may lead to McDyess choose to play elsewhere.
“I hate to sell myself short of anything at this point in my career,” McDyess said. “So I have to keep all my options open.”
Also
If the right changes are made with Detroit’s roster this summer, McDyess said he would consider signing a deal that would allow him to finish his playing career with the Pistons.
“I just have to see how everything is going to go in the summer with this team, and kind of go from there,” McDyess said. “But like I said, it’s flattering that there are some teams that still think I can help them win. I definitely feel I have some options.” Read the rest of this entry »
RealGM reports
The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed free-agent forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu to a 10-day contract.
The 25-year-old Mensah-Bonsu had most recently been playing with the Austin Toros, the Spurs NBA D-League affiliate. In eight games with the Toros, he averaged 26.6 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.50 blocks in 39.8 minutes. Read the rest of this entry »
Unrestricted Free Agents
Guards: Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, Ben Gordon, Mike Bibby, Stephon Marbury, Ronnie Price, CJ Watson, Brevin Knight, Kevin Ollie, Flip Murray, Anthony Carter, Bobby Jackson, Jason Hart, Damon Jones, Tyronne Lue, Juan Dixon, Lindsey Hunter, Jacque Vaughn, Mike Wilks, Steve Francis, Sam Cassell, Eric Snow
Wings: Shawn Marion, Ron Artest, Trevor Ariza, Grant Hill, Wally Szczerbiak, Anthony Parker, Read the rest of this entry »
The Boston Globe reports
The Celtics are hoping to fill their need for a big man by winning the Mikki Moore sweepstakes.
Moore’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, confirmed the team has offered the center a contract, and said several other teams have done the same thing, although he wouldn’t divulge their names.
Moore is expected to make his decision today after clearing waivers and becoming an unrestricted free agent. “A lot of teams are very excited about him, so it’s a tough decision for Mikki,” said Bartelstein.
The second paragraph is the most interesting there — the Celtics have offered Mikke Moore a contract, an so too have several other teams. Read the rest of this entry »
The NY Daily News reports
Quincy Douby will be given a chance to win one of two available roster spots when he works out for the Knicks next week. According to a Knicks source, Douby has not been guaranteed a job but rather a tryout in front of the coaching staff. The 6-3 guard, the 19th pick of the 2006 draft, was released by Sacramento this week. Read the rest of this entry »
In order for players who are bought out to be eligible for the playoffs, the players must be waived prior to March 1st.
This post will be kept up to date on the latest happenings regarding buyouts up until that time, and will be used to give information on those various players.
A list of possible buyout candidates
Several contenders just threw their hands in the air and screamed “Yipee” at the news of Hornets-Thunder trade falling though. Suddenly, all those Joe Smith possibilities are back in play.
Chris Sheridan: A source who has been in the know for years tells me that Joe Smith is keeping his fingers crossed that the Thunder do not find another trade for him now that he’s back in Oklahoma City. Smith, the source said, would like to do a buyout and then sign with the Boston Celtics as this season’s version of P.J. Brown.
That quote is from a trade talk roundup by Chris Sheridan.
The ideal scenario for several teams is for Joe Smith not to be traded, and then be bought out by the Thunder, and picked up as a free agent for low value contract by some contender.
Here’s a short list of teams who’ll likely be interested in Joe Smith Read the rest of this entry »
Dallas Morning News reports
Rick Carlisle said the Dallas Mavericks have decided to hire Darrell Armstrong, but not as a backup to point guard Jason Kidd.
Armstrong is ready to embark on his coaching career and would join Carlisle’s staff in an assistant coach/developmental coach role. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN reports
So it’s official: Mourning’s calling it quits. He’ll do chores and play with his two kids and work on his golf game and promote his charitable causes. But after 15 seasons and countless career comebacks, he’s done chasing championships.
The seven-time All-Star center said Thursday he won’t return from a devastating leg injury Dec. 19, 2007 — the fourth anniversary of his life-saving kidney transplant. He had been working out at the Miami Heat complex and said he’s running and jumping again, but he feared another leg injury if he returned. Read the rest of this entry »
Good article by Adrian Wojnarowski for Yahoo Sports today which states that the preseason games that Darius Miles played with the Boston Celtics count against the 10 game mark he has to achieve in order for his salary to be put back on Portland’s salary cap. In other words, he has not played only 2 games, he has played 8 games and needs to play only two more. Read the rest of this entry »
I’ll be keeping a running log over the next week on players who have been waived during this period. I’ll also offer a few thoughts on whether or not those players can help some other team.
Late Addition: At the bottom of the page I’ll give links to reports of players who are save from being cut. I made an earlier post citing ESPN’s list of players who are in danger of being cut over the next few days.
So far we have four players:
Further players who have been waived
Good section on ESPN’s weekend dime listing the 25 players who’s contracts will become guaranteed on January 10th.
All contracts are guaranteed for the rest of the season if a player is on a roster as of Jan. 10 or has not cleared waivers before 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan 9.
Teams will thus be required to shed any player deemed surplus to requirements by 6 p.m. Wednesday.
The 25 players facing the greatest risk over the next few days, all of whom are working on minimum deals: Read the rest of this entry »
For all those NBA teams – the New Orleans Hornets included – who were hoping for yet another comeback by veteran forward P.J. Brown, there’s no good news in the New Year.
Brown said Wednesday he’s officially retired.
“My career ended June 17,” Brown said of the day he became a world champion when the Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers for the 2008 NBA title. Read the rest of this entry »
There’s a good story in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Dikembe Mutombo’s further efforts to raise funding for the hospital he helped build in his native Congo. There’s a lot of great information there about you can pitch in and help
Mutombo is trying to raise at least $2 million to help treat the thousands of patients who have been coming, mostly on an out-patient basis, to the hospital he has built in his native Democratic Republic Of The Congo. Read the rest of this entry »
ESPN is reporting
Former New Jersey Nets big man Nenad Krstic followed Josh Childress’ lead this summer and bolted the NBA for the riches of international basketball.
Seven weeks into the season, Krstic is on the verge of coming back to the NBA.
Two league sources told ESPN.com on Friday the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed in principle to sign Krstic to a three-year offer sheet. The deal should be finalized on Monday, according to the sources. Krstic is still a restricted free agent. The Nets would have seven days to match the deal once they receive the offer sheet.
A league source in New Jersey said the chances of the Nets matching what is believed to be a three-year, $15 million offer are slim. The Nets like Krstic but are trying to clear cap space for the summer of 2010. Read the rest of this entry »
The Memphis Grizzlies have bought out veteran forward Antoine Walker
The Memphis Grizzlies waived forward Antoine Walker, club General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today.
The 6-9, 245-pound forward did not appear in a game with the Grizzlies this season after he was acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves on June 26, 2008 along with the draft rights to guard O.J. Mayo and guards Greg Buckner and Marko Jaric in exchange for the draft rights to forward Kevin Love, swingman Mike Miller, forward Brian Cardinal and center Jason Collins.
“Antoine Walker was a true professional during his time in Memphis,” said Wallace. “We wish him all the best in his effort to find another team where he can receive more playing time.” Read the rest of this entry »
Some interesting quotes from Dikembe Mutombo from Marc Spears in the Boston Globe
Once Dikembe Mutombo passes out his gifts, he hopes to return to the NBA for a final season, possibly with the Celtics.
The 7-foot-2-inch, 260-pound center said last week he hopes to sign with a team after spending Christmas with his family in Atlanta. The four-time Defensive Player of the Year said among the teams that have shown interest are Boston, San Antonio, and Miami.
The former Rocket also said Houston has “not answered me.” The 42-year-old, who has blocked 3,278 shots during his 17-year career, said he is in “good shape” from working out three hours a day with spinning classes, yoga, and weightlifting. Read the rest of this entry »
Yahoo Sports reported last night that the Grizzlies were close to agreeing terms with Miles
In a move that could damage the salary-cap flexibility of the Portland Trail Blazers, Darius Miles is close to signing a minimum-salary contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, two NBA sources said Friday.
Miles recently worked out for the Los Angeles Clippers, who drafted him third overall in 2000, but team officials said they would prefer to wait until January to decide whether to sign him. The Grizzlies had room for another player after trading guard Javaris Crittenton to the Washington Wizards on Wednesday and appear to have settled on Miles after looking at D-League options. One source said only a last-minute veto by Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley could keep the team from signing Miles. Read the rest of this entry »
NBA.com reports that the Bobcats are close to signing Juwan Howard
The Charlotte Bobcats were closing in Tuesday night on signing veteran forward Juwan Howard, who had been without a job since being released by Denver last month.
General manager Rod Higgins said he had been in discussions with Howard’s agent, David Falk, and expected a deal completed in next day or two. The Nuggets had also shown interest in re-signing the 35-year-old Howard, in his 15th NBA season.
“We’re fortunate that we were able to get in the mix with Juwan,” Higgins said. Read the rest of this entry »
The Charlotte Observer reports
The Charlotte Bobcats plan to sign former Cleveland Cavaliers center Dwayne Jones to fill one of the roster spots they opened Wednesday, the Observer has learned.
Jones could be in practice as soon as Thursday, after the Bobcats cut forward Andre Brown and Linton Johnson Wednesday. Neither had a guaranteed contract and neither was active for the Bobcats’ last four games.
Jones is a 6-11 forward-center from St. Joseph’s who spent parts of the past three seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
He was in the Cavaliers’ rotation last season, playing in 56 games, averaging 1.4 points and 2.5 rebounds.
Jones was with the Orlando Magic in the preseason before being cut. Since then he’s played overseas in Turkey.
Excellent signing for the Bobcats. Jones is a very strong rebounder and solid defender, he’ll help shore up their interior. Jones is a useful player, a rotation worthy player, for the Bobcats. It’s a good opportunity for Jones too, there’s minutes to be won in Charlotte and he has a good shot at winning them.
Here’s one question off of Michael Wallace’s Q&A for the Miami Herald
Submitted by ellis cox from miami fla
Q: any word on zo? and do you think he can help this team?
Answered 11/11/08 14:22:09 by Michael Wallace
A: Zo is still around. Ran into him the other night in the locker room before a Heat home game. He still has his locker and is working out every day to rehab from the knee injury. As long as this team stays competitive and in position to make the playoffs – and Zo progresses in his recovery – he’ll be back. Should be by mid-January if everything works out.
ESPN had a good section on the luxury tax/roster spots in their weekend dime which had a graph detailing each team’s position in relation to the luxury tax, which I thought was very interesting.
Here’s the great graph they had in their story Read the rest of this entry »
2008 Free Agent List
Unrestricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Baron Davis, Chris Duhon, Jannero Pargo, Anthony Johnson, Eddie House, Sebastian Telfair, Keyon Dooling, Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, Roger Mason, Juan Dixon, Kevin Ollie, Earl Boykins, Anthony Carter, Jason Williams, Dan Dickau, Darrell Armstrong, Carlos Arroyo, Tyronn Lue, Royal Ivey, Salim Stoudamire, Alex Acker, Sam Cassell, Damon Stoudamire, Smush Parker, Blake Ahearn
Wings/Combo Forwards: Corey Maggette, James Posey, Bonzi Wells, Tony Allen, Mickael Pietrus, Mo Evans, Ricky Davis, Kareem Rush, Boki Nachbar, James Jones, Walter Herrmann, Quinton Ross, Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Devin Brown, Devean George, Derek Anderson, Jarvis Hayes, Ira Newble, Antoine Wright, Kirk Snyder, Fred Jones, Matt Barnes, Goran Giricek, Eric Piatowski, Von Wafer, Casey Jacobsen, Mickael Gelabale, Shannon Brown, Yakhouba Diawara, Ronald Dupree, DeMarr Johnson, Pat Garrity, Linton Johnson, Mario West, Awvee Storey, Ryan Bowen
Big Men: Elton Brand, Alonzo Mourning, Kurt Thomas, Dikembe Mutombo, DeSagana Diop, Francisco Elson, Theo Ratliff, Kwame Brown, Brian Skinner, Chris Andersen, Robert Horry, Eduardo Najera, Malik Allen, Austin Croshere, Adonal Foyle, Primoz Brezec, Calvin Booth, Nick Fazekas, Paul Davis, Earl Barron, Michael Ruffin, Jake Voshkul, Michael Doleac, Randolph Morris, Louis Admundson, Sean Marks, Dwayne Jones, Juwan Howard, Scott Pollard, Lorenzon Wright, Herbert Hill, Othella Harrington, Shavlik Randolph, Jamaal Magloire, DJ Mbenga, Andre Brown, Patrick O Bryant
Restricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, Ben Gordon, Louis Williams, Daniel Gibson, Sasha Vujacic, Delonte West, Flip Murray, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jose Juan Barea, Chris Quinn, Andre Owens
Wings/Combo Forwards: Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, JR Smith, Josh Childress, Carlos Delfino, Kelenna Azubuike, Ryan Gomes, CJ Miles, Dorell Wright, Demetris Nichols, Marcus Williams, Ersan Ilyasova, Jeremy Richardson, Kasib Powell
Big Men: Josh Smith, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, Nenad Krstic, Carl Landry, Ronny Turiaf, Chris Richard, Robert Swift, David Harrison, Craig Smith, Ryan Hollins
Likely To Retire
PJ Brown, Lindsey Hunter
Limited Salary Protection - to varying degrees – Crossed out means Waived
Leon Powe, Brandon Bass, Marcin Gortat, Josh Powell, Mike Harris, CJ Watson, DJ Strawberry, Bobby Jones, Taureen Green, Loren Woods, Coby Karl, Lance Allred, Keith Van Horn, Joel Anthony, Stephane Lasme, JamesOn Curry
Free Agents Unemployed In NBA End Of Last Season - Large Majority Unlikely To Return to NBA
Point/Combo Guards Keith McLeod, Darrick Martin, John Lucas, Eddie Gill, Will Bynum, Jay Williams, Randy Livingston,
Wings/Combo Forwards Jorge Garbajosa, Gerald Green, Ruben Patterson, Richie Frahm, Darius Miles, Doug Christie, Dahntay Jones, Jackie Manuel, Luke Jackson, Justin Reed, Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, Eddie Robinson, Eric Williams
Big Men Marc Jackson, Justin Williams, Mike Sweetney, Jelani McCoy, Michael Olowokandi, Jackie Butler, Kelvin Cato, Dale Davis, Lonny Baxter, Alan Henderson, Rod Benson, Samaki Walker, Wayne Simien, Chris Taft, Stanislav Medevenko, Lawrence Roberts, James Singleton, Mo Taylor, Aaron Williams, Alexander Johnson, Danny Fortson, Elton Brown, Ha Seung-Jin
The Sun Sentinel ran an article with a few of excerpts from Alonzo’s upcoming autobiography and I must admit it looks like an interesting read (truthful).
I’m not writing this post to advertise his book, no my function here is too read way too deeply into one small sentence and make something out of it that isn’t there … and pull a muscle while I make this large reach
On leaving the Heat as a free agent in 2003 for a larger contract offer from the Nets:
“I never should have left Miami I was caught up in things like market value.”
Is it just me or does this sound like Alonzo is unlikely to play for someone other than Miami should he return to the NBA this season?
Zo has also said “We” in just about every interview I’ve seen all summer when referring to the Heat.
The reason I’m so interested in this is because if Alonzo did switch teams he could be a difference maker for some Contenders bench. Imagine the impact he’d make in Boston? Or how about New Orlenas who’ve limited backup bigs? How about the Spurs who desperately want a second shot blocker to slide alongside Duncan? Or the Lakers? Alonzo could be a big difference maker as a late season signing. He’s important to the big picture of how this season ends up finishing. He’d also be great for Miami (there interior is weak, Alonzo’s D is necessary) and young Beasley if he did stay with the Heat.
The article also quoted some sections of the book on SVG and how he left the club, interesting quotes:
On former Heat coach Stan Van Gundy declining to play Mourning in tandem with Shaquille O Neal during the 2005 Eastern Conference Finals against Detroit:
“Stan is a good guy, but at that point I thought he was overmatched and lacked the experience necessary to lead us to the championship I didn’t have confidence in him because I didn’t think he used the personnel correctly.”
On the same subject:
“I ran into the Pistons’ coach, Larry Brown, two years later and he asked me why Stan didn’t put us both in there. He said he couldn’t understand it.”
Everyone once in awhile I like to drop some inane information so here we go
On how soaking his surgical right knee with homeopathic tea could enhance his chances of returning to the court this coming season:
“It cut down the swelling, healed the soft tissue, bone and cartilage, and improved my range of motion.”
The Lakers have finally signed Mbenga. That feels like a long time coming.
The Los Angeles Lakers have re-signed free agent center Didier “DJ” Ilunga-Mbenga, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.
Mbenga, a 7-foot, 255 pound native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the Lakers last season on January 21 and February 1 before signing for the remainder of the year on February 11.
In 26 games with the Lakers, Mbenga averaged 2.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.62 blocked shots in 7.8 minutes while totaling four points and five rebounds in 10 minutes over seven postseason games.
In 121 career games including two starts, Mbenga is averaging 1.6 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.50 blocked shots in 5.8 minutes.
Mbenga is a straight forward player, he’s a guy you never want on the court and will only put him there if things are truly screwed up and you have no other big men to turn to. He’s a body and little else. Third string center, a player who should be your 6th big in the rotation (15th man on your roster) and I think he is for LA so that’s fine. I expect he’ll make their roster but it’s not a certainty.
The Lakers roster now stands at 19. The Lakers are loaded (in terms of depth and options) on the wings so I can’t see the following three players making the roster – Dwayne Mitchell, Joe Crawford, and finally Brandon Heath. With Mbenga signed it looks unlikely that CJ Giles makes the cut. That’s the four players I expect to be cut bringing the Lakers back down to 15 bodies. I think the next two players that are close to being on the edge are Mbenga and Coby Karl but I think they’ll survive the cut.
Update: Looks like Mbenga’s contract is guaranteed so his spot looks safe on the roster. Coby Karl looks the most vulnerable for that final cut.
The Blazers have added Shavlik Randolph to their queue of training camp cuts
Former Duke center Shavlik Randolph is expected to sign with the Portland Trailblazers, the Raleigh News & Observer reports.
The 6-10, 240 Randolph was injured most of last season while with the Philadelphia. He averaged just 0.9 points a game and 3.0 minutes in the nine games in which he did play.
The free agent has played just 79 games in three seasons with the 76ers.
I’m sure there’s a reason why the Blazers signed Shavlik Randolph …. I just can’t for the life of me figure it out.
He’s not making it through training camp.
The day started out with a quiet reminder that Landry still hadn’t accepted Houston’s offer
JCF: Well, the first question is pretty obvious: What’s the latest on the unsigned guys like Joey Dorsey and Carl Landry?
DM: Joey is close to signing. By the end of the week, we should have that finished. We’re looking forward to having him join. It will likely be a long-term deal that keeps him here for a good stretch.
With Carl, we have a fair offer out there and we’re hoping he takes it.
JCF: And how about Dikembe?
DM: Yeah, no update on Dikembe right now.
The day will however end on a much different note with the Charlotte Bobcats stealing inside and signing restricted free agent Carl Landry to a three year $9mil offer sheet. The Rockets now have 7 days to decide how to respond
With next week’s start of training camp bearing down, Rockets second-year forward Carl Landry signed an offer sheet with the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday that will force the Rockets’ hand nearly three months after he became a free agent.
The Rockets have seven days in which they may match the offer to Landry, worth roughly $9 million over three seasons.
Will the Rockets match the offer sheet? It looks likely
Rockets general manager Daryl Morey could not be immediately reached for comment but had said since the end of last season that he would match any offer Landry received up to the mid-level exception. He avoided spending that exception to keep it to retain Landry and sign this season’s second-round pick, Joey Dorsey.
The offer sheet Landry received with the Bobcats will not prevent the Rockets from retaining Landry or signing Dorsey, but will likely force the Rockets past the threshold that would trigger a luxury tax penalty unless they make other cost-cutting moves.
Signing center Dikembe Mutombo would also push the Rockets past the luxury tax line, though Mutombo could choose to wait to see how the Rockets’ roster shakes out before signing.
Bobcats GM chimes in
“Landry is an emerging NBA talent, as evidenced by his play over the final 42 regular-season games and into the Rockets first-round playoff appearance,” Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins said. “His ability to play both the power forward and center position will complement our post play.”
Landry’s agent was quick to say Landry would be happy to return to Houston despite this process (a sign he thinks Houston will match? I think so)
“He feels great about the Bobcats’ situation and is excited about it, but has no ill feelings at all with the Rockets,” Buddy Baker said. “Carl understands the process. Charlotte has a great young team and a Hall of Fame coach (Larry Brown). But he feels like Houston is a championship-caliber team.
“If the Rockets choose to match it, he would be equally confident and excited about playing for the Rockets. If they don’t match it, he will go to a great situation to play for an incredible coach and with an emerging team. The business part that he can control is over. We’ll see how it plays out.”
I have heard of reports that the Rockets were only offering Landry half of the figure that Charlotte were but I haven’t found confirmation of that anywhere yet.
To me this is a home run decision for Houston. There shouldn’t even be any thinking involved, just one quick call (or however they do it) and match the offer sheet. $9mil over three years is great value for a quality backup like Carl Landry, a player who fits in beautifully with the Rockets roster.
As for the Bobcats, I wouldn’t even bother to think about what Landry would do for your roster because I can’t see him playing for you next season. But boy if he did ….. superb addition and a huge boost to the Bobcats playoff aspirations.
Update: An article in Hoopsworld had that story, also a report of Morey flying out to Landry over the past week to make this new offer that is reportedly half of what Charlotte are offering. I find Hoopsworld to be unreliable so I’ll try to find a second source to confirm it.
The Orlando Sentinel reports
The Orlando Magic will take 16 players into training camp next week, adding small forward Jeremy Richardson and power forward-center Dwyane Jones to the roster.
Jones, 6 feet 11, 250 pounds, finished last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers, participating in five playoffs games as a backup.
I don’t know enough about Richardson to comment on him, but he couldn’t crack Atlanta’s weak bench so I doubt he has any chance of making Orlando’s.
Dwyane Jones is an NBA level player. He’s a solid 3rd string center. He plays solid defense and adds solid rebounding. He’s an extra body that can give solid minutes every now and again. What are his chances of making the roster? I’d guess zero. Why add Jones when you have Gortat and Foyle backing up Dwight Howard already? Plus Battie can play center. I’m surprised no other team wanted to bring him in as a third string center.
Per InsideHoops
Euroleague.net reports: Perennial Serbian League champion Partizan has improved its roster for the upcoming 2008-09 Euroleague season by inking power forward Stephane Lasme to a one-year deal. Lasme (203, 25) arrives from the Miami Heat, where he averaged 5.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 16 NBA games last season, during which he also played for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBDL.
InsideHoops.com editor says: I’ve seen Lasme just enough to feel that he could help an NBA team’s deep bench. A solid 9th-13th man worth giving a shot. The overseas experience should help him a bit.
According to the Arizona Daily Star, the San Antonio Spurs have signed young Salim Stoudamire.
Salim Stoudamire has escaped pro basketball’s burial grounds — the Atlanta Hawks — and now will play for a winner.
The ex-Wildcat shooting star has signed with the San Antonio Spurs
In three years with the dismal Hawks, Stoudamire averaged just 17 minutes per game and was often slowed by a chronic ankle injury. His career average is eight points per game.
The only way I can see Salim Stoudamire lasting through training camp and the ensuing season is if George Hill is having huge problems, and thus the Spurs are left needing a third string point. Jacque Vaughn looks secure enough as the primary backup at the point – which should scare Spurs fans no end considering the drop off in his play over the past 12 months.
Salim is best described as one of those ‘tweener guards that badly needs to round out his game in order to be a consistently effective backup guard. It’s within his reach so I’m reluctant to write him off, but he has to do the work first. He might be better off playing in Europe for a year or two, the playing time could be of considerable help to him.
San Antonio also signed three other players for training camp but are considered long shots to make the squad. The San-An Express adds this on Stoudamire:
It’s unsure whether this is just a non-guaranteed training camp signing
Update: The contract is a two year deal. The first year is partially guaranteed, and the second is a team option.
The Boston Herald has the quote from Danny Ainge
P.J. Brown gladly took part in a White House ceremony, but his message to the Celtics remains the same.
“P.J. is retired,” Ainge said. “Today was just an enjoyable day, and we should probably leave it at that. P.J. knows that we’d love to have him back, but right now he’s done.”
Well there goes the Celtics safety clause on Patrick O Bryant. Unless you don’t believe PJ that is … but I tend to believe him.
The Celtics still need that long defensive minded backup big man to help match up better against teams like Orlando, Cleveland and Phily out East and a few of the teams (Lakers) out West.
It’ll be interesting to see how they react to this news. My guess is that Danny Ainge will keep the roster, go into the season, and find out if O Bryant can play. Then make his next decision on whether or not it’s a priority to land that long big man defender.
This news is a few days old but I never got around to it, so well, here we are. ESPN offers this:
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that the Cavs signed guard Delonte West to a three-year deal worth $12.6 million.
The Cavaliers hold a team option on the third year.
Cleveland wanted to limit West, a restricted free agent, to two guaranteed seasons to preserve as much financial flexibility as possible for the summer of 2010, when LeBron James is an unrestricted free agent. But West, sources said, is guaranteed $500,000 for the 2010-11 season from the Cavs in the event they decline to pick up his option.
West was acquired last season from Seattle as part of the three-team, 11-player megatrade before the Feb. 21 deadline. Filling a major void at point guard, the 6-foot-3 West averaged 10.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 26 starts for the Cavaliers.
He was one of Cleveland’s best players during the postseason, averaging 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 13 games for the Cavs, who pushed the NBA champion Boston Celtics to seven games before losing in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Delonte’s versatlity as a combo guard was enticing
The 25-year-old West can play either position in the backcourt. He will likely back up point guard Mo Williams, who was acquired in a trade this summer from Milwaukee. West could also get time at shooting guard along with Daniel Gibson, another restricted free agent signed by the Cavaliers during the offseason.
Cavs GM Danny Ferry adding
“He’s a tremendous defender and he’s about what we want to be about on that end of the floor,” Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said.
Ferry said West’s decision to work out at the Cavaliers’ training facility this summer assured both sides that he wanted to stay in Cleveland.
“It was a very healthy thing for the process. It kept the relationship on a good, positive level,” Ferry said. “He wanted to be part of what we’re working toward. We’ve said all along that we want Delonte on this team. He’s a good player and can make us a better team.”
Ferry is excited about Cleveland’s potential this season. Williams will give the Cavaliers a second, bona fide perimeter scoring threat to complement superstar LeBron James.
“We have guys who really love to play and love to compete,” Ferry said. “We have really good depth everywhere and we have a solid balance of youth and experience.”
………………..
So how much are the Cavs paying their point guards now?
Let’s see, that’s $8.5mil for Mo Williams, another $4mil for Delonte, another $4mil for Gibson. There’s a cool $16mil spent. Oh and another $7.3mil for Eric Snow (that’s $23mil total), but he’s retiring, and seeking medical retirement.
Come to think of it, how much are the Cavs paying their bench?
Gibson, Delonte, Varejao, Pavlovic – that’s $18mil right there. Another 4-6 players which likely will total at least another $4mil. That’s a lot of money.
Anyway
My first reaction to the Delonte signing was surprise. I didn’t see the need to keep him with Gibson and Williams both firmly in the long term plans. I can’t shake the feeling that half the reason Cleveland signed him was to keep in order to create additional flexibility for a trade, that’s not to say it has to be Delonte that moves but he’s the most likely of the backcourt trio. There simply isn’t a need for the Cavs to pay this much money for three guards who are all best off at the point.
I’m not overly optimistic about the potential of these small backcourts between Delonte/Gibson/Williams – due to a lack of defense, and not good enough offense to make that up – plus I doubt how comfortable Mike Brown is with the idea because he likes size in his backcourt.
Also, I love what the Cavs have done with the third year, great work in keeping their financial flexibility for the summer of 2010. Very important
………………..
In related Cavs news, Cleveland have invited Ronald Dupree to camp.
Ronald Dupree, who will go in history as the last player inked by the Seattle SuperSonics, will be signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Via Hoopshype
The Lakers may not be done adding players to their frontcourt. Free agent center Jelani McCoy is currently working out at the team’s facility with the coaching staff, Andrew Bynum, Chris Mihm and Josh Powell, agent Giovanni Funiciello told HoopsHype.com.
“We are waiting on some other clubs that have shown interest in Jelani,” Funiciello said. “We shall see our next move. He has lucrative offers overseas, but we have looked more towards the NBA… Not to say if something very interesting comes our way we wouldn’t entertain it.”
McCoy, who was a member of the last Laker championship team back in 2002, averaged 0.5 ppg and 0.8 bpg last season in six games with the Denver Nuggets.
I have a soft spot for Jelani McCoy so hopefully he finds a way onto someone’s roster. Good athlete, good rebounder, solid defender, little bit dumb. He’d be a capable 5th big or very good 6th big in the rotation, in other words he’s a deep insurance player. The Lakers already have those spots manned with Powell and Mihm … I’m not convinced McCoy can beat them out for anything. Something different rather than something better. Not much point in signing him.
Hey hey, finally, I don’t have to write Oklahoma City every time I want to talk about this ball club. The Thunder … meh, they could have done better with that right? Anyway onto Robert Swift
The Thunder retained Robert Swift the other day, here’s the press release via RealGM
The Oklahoma City Thunder re-signed restricted free agent center Robert Swift it was announced today by the team’s General Manager Sam Presti. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We are pleased to have Robert back with our organization,” Presti said. “We look forward to his contributions this season.”
Swift, the 12th overall pick in the 2004 NBA Draft, has career averages of 1.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in 71 games with the club.
The 7-1, 270 lbs center averaged 18.8 points, 15.9 rebounds and 6.2 blocks per game as a senior at Bakersfield High School on his way to being named a McDonald’s All-American.
The Thunder made the qualifying offer, which was $3.6mil, and I presume that is what he’s resigned for.
Good decision to keep Swift around. His career so far has been devastated by injuries but he has shown some flashes of being a quality player in this league when healthy. Too young and too much talent to give up on. Good call to keep him around for another year.
If he’s healthy he could be a difference maker (likely from awful to very poor) for the Thunder. They desperately need a big man in the middle and more help on the backboards.
I was fairly negative a couple of days ago on the rumoured Magic targets to fill their third string PG … well they signed one of them yesterday, Mike Wilks
Veteran Mike Wilks will sign a one-year contract for $1.04 million to become the Magic’s third point guard, the Sentinel has learned.
Wilks, 5-10, a six-year veteran, will back up starter Jameer Nelson and Anthony Johnson.
It feels like Orlando have aimed too low on this target. Why not go out and sign Darrell Armstrong? Or Juan Dixon? Or give Shaun Livingston a shot? Or Travis Best as one of the comments off of that link?
Why bother signing Wilks? What does he offer that a 10 day contract or D-League call up won’t?
Anyway, Wilks won’t challenge AJ for the backup point. We probably won’t see him much next season unless Orlando’s guards get hit with a few injuries. He’s capable enough not to be a liability as the third guard but Orlando could have got better bang for their buck.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilks gets waived before midseason. The Magic aimed too low on this signing.
As I said a few days ago, I haven’t understood their strong interest in retaining Chris Quinn but yesterday their hard work came to fruition as he re-signed with the Heat. The press release via RealGM:
The Miami Heat announced today that they have re-signed guard Chris Quinn. Per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Quinn, who originally signed with the Heat on July 6, 2006 as a free agent, has appeared in 102 games (26 starts).
During his two-year NBA career in Miami, he has averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 17.1 minutes while shooting 40.9 percent from the field, 38.9 percent from three-point range and 81.5 percent from the foul line.
In his 26 career starts, he has averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 1.42 steals and 32.8 minutes while amassing a 3.18 assist-to-turnover ratio and shooting 42.7 percent from the field, 40.4 percent from three-point range and 85.3 percent from the foul line.
Additionally, Quinn has scored in double-figures on 27 occasions, including four 20-point performances.
Miami’s three point guards – Mario Chalmers, Marcus Banks, Chris Quinn
I’ll be amazed if Chalmers doesn’t win the starting job. Pity he has no intelligent veterans behind him to teach him about the league. Risky choice, poor choice, of backups.
Baltimore Sun speaks:
Baltimore native and three-time NBA champion Sam Cassell said today he plans to become an assistant coach with the Boston Celtics after playing one more season.
Cassell, a 38-year-old guard who was part of the Celtics’ title run this year, told a reporter about his plans shortly before speaking at a City Hall news conference. “This is my last year playing with the Celtics,” he said. “Next week, I’ll sign the contract.”
After finishing the 2008-09 season, he plans to exercise an option to join the coaching staff. “I am playing this year,” he said. “After that, I have the option to do coaching for them.”
Celtics spokesman Brian Olive declined to comment.
Huh?
Well okay …. why? … wait … Boston has 15 guys under contract already …… somebody is going to get cut …. Miles and his non-guaranteed contract is a long shot to crack the roster.
Why do they want to sign a fourth point guard? Seems unnecessary.
What does this mean for Pruitt? Another season in the NDBL while not playing point guard? That’ll be great for his development.
I really don’t understand this move.
Update: Ainge confirms Cassell offer
Sam Cassell is expected to sign with the Celtics for the 2008-09 season, general manager Danny Ainge said yesterday.
“Sam made a comment that he would like to coach someday, and I already knew that,” Ainge said. “But we are working on a deal to bring Sam back as a player. There is nothing done yet, but we could get it done soon.
“We always bring four point guards to training camp. We love where Gabe [Pruitt] is and we also have Eddie House. Rajon [Rondo] is our starter and they are fighting for the backup spot.”
Here’s an article from the OC Register
Now that Andew Bynum’s surgically repaired knee is no longer a problem, the focus switches to his contract extension demands.
Bynum’s agent, David Lee, is seeking a five-year deal that could be worth up to $80 million extension. Not bad pocket change.
I don’t expect Bynum to get a contract extension. If I’m LA, and I expect LA to do this, I’d wait the year and let him prove his fitness. No need to take the risk. He’s a restricted free agent anyway. Just play out the year. There’s nothing to gain by tying him up now.
As for the value and whether or not Bynum is worth a max contract, the answer is yes, yes he is worth a maximum contract. He’s already a better player than someone like Andrew Bogut and his potential is massive. He’s worth a maximum contract and he will receive a max contract, the question is when … and I think the answer is next summer.
A brief article from the Orlando Sentinel offers some thoughts on potential Magic targets:
Well-traveled free agents Eddie Gill or Mike Wilks are in the mix to be signed as the Orlando Magic’s third point guard, according to Magic General Manager Otis Smith.
Gill, 6-foot, and Wilks, 5-10, are six-year veterans.
“We’ll bring in a few players. We’re close on a couple of guys,” Smith said.
Not good signings …….. bad signings. Otis needs to look elsewhere and find someone else.
Otis Smith also added
Smith said the club likely will bring in another wing player and another big man.
Off the South-Florida Sun
“It’s up to Quinny,” Heat President Pat Riley said. “We’ve offered him a couple years from the qualifying offer. He hasn’t been able to bring us an offer. We want Quinny back. So he has the choice.”
Quinn, a restricted free agent, has two standing offers from the Heat, which can match any outside offer. One is the one-year qualifying offer, at $972,000. The other is a two-year deal.
I’d prefer Miami to sign a veteran 3rd string point guard. Someone who could help teach Mario Chalmers how to run the point, and how to get acclimated to the league …. someone like Darrell Armstrong.
I thought Chris Quinn was fairly awful last year. Riley must believe Quinn’s gym rat ways will translate into further development …. because at this point he’s not an NBA level player. The only positive contribution he makes is his jump shot. Lot of work needs to be done.
In related news, Miami’s undrafted signee Michael Richards tore his ACL and will be out for the season. Poor lad.
Hoopsworld has an article out stating that the Rockets have given Daniel Santiago a training camp invite:
Houston’s brass has invited five big men to try out for the team, one of which is former LA Clipper Daniel Santiago. Santiago has just fulfilled a three-year contract with the Spanish ACB’s CB Málaga, and is now hoping to resume his career in the NBA. If things don’t work out for him to return to the NBA, he also says he’d be happy to return to Europe.
“I’m really at a point in my life where I’m letting God handle all of that,” Santiago recently told HOOPSWORLD. “I’ve done the NBA thing, I’ve done the Europe thing – I just want to enjoy playing basketball and spending time with my family. I’ve been fortunate enough to play with some teams that are powerhouse teams, been in the playoffs with just about every team I’ve played for in my whole career, and that’s including the NBA. I feel like anywhere I go I’m going to be blessed and be a blessing to that team. If I wind up in the NBA, great, I’ll do the best I can. If I go to Europe, great, I’ll do the best I can there. I just want to have a successful career and be a help for the team that picks me up.”
While playing for Spain, Santiago established himself as one of the best big men in Europe. He’s not an overwhelmingly gifted physical specimen, but he does more than make up for any physical shortcomings with his wide array of skills. He can score from anywhere, even has legitimate NBA three-point range. He’s a double-double waiting to happen, is a smart, savvy player. He was working out at IMG a couple of weeks ago where he completely dominated Boston Celtic Patrick O’Bryant in head-to-head competition. Not that it’s hard to do that, but Santiago is certainly capable of competing at the NBA level.
If the Rockets are truly committed to moving on, they could do a lot worse than give Santiago another shot at the NBA. His experience and wide array of skills would make him a great asset to the team.
Apparently he was on the Clippers summer league team last year but I can’t for my life remember him playing. He only appeared in three games and played 25 minutes total. Last time I saw him playing for an extended period was back with the Bucks, while there he was a good third string center or a poor primary backup center.
That said I’ve always had a soft spot for Daniel Santiago, all it took was one of those beautiful roling hook shots of his …. he even cracked out a sky hook two times I saw him play. How could you not pull for a third string center with hook shots like that?
I doubt he makes the cut but I’m pulling for him. I’m thinking they invited him as a backup plan should Mutombo retire. Consider him a huge long shot if Deke resigns, otherwise he has a decent (not good) chance of making the cut.
ESPN has the news
CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers signed center Lorenzen Wright on Friday to help offset the loss up front of forward Joe Smith.
Cleveland has been looking for some frontcourt size since Smith was traded as part of the three-team deal with Oklahoma City and Milwaukee that brought guard Mo Williams to Cleveland.
The 6-foot-11, 255-pound Wright played 12 games for Atlanta and five for Sacramento last season, averaging less than a point and 2.1 rebounds.
Wright is coming in to fill that Scott Pollard role for the Cavs. That extra 6-11 body you can throw out there if you’re in trouble, but would otherwise never play. Wright will be the fifth big man in the Cavs rotation behind JJ Hickson. He’ll play about the same as Pollard did when he was with the Cavs two years ago, in other words he isn’t a replacement for Joe Smith … and Lo Wright is not good enough to be in the way of young JJ Hickson. No execuses, Hickson has the opportunity to win the fourth big role and I expect him to do so.
Here’s some additional information
The Cavaliers have signed veteran center Lorenzen Wright to a contract, Cavs general manager Danny Ferry announced today. Per team and league policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed, but NBA sources indicated it was a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum of $1.2 million.
“Lorenzen brings us valuable size and experience and adds depth to our frontcourt,” Ferry said. “We think he’s a good fit for us and look forward to him joining our team.”
There was also one other piece of interesting information in that article
The Cavs are expected to announce a deal with second-round draft choice Darnell Jackson from Kansas on Saturday.
That would give the Cavs a total of six big men, so it’s hard to see them making any more additions there without one of them moving in the opposite direction. Good decision to sign Darnell Jackson, he can be a decent backup big man in the NBA.
Update: Cavs have officially signed Jackson now. Here’s a link to the press release on RealGM
Jackson played for the Cavaliers’ team during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. In five games (four starts) he averaged 5.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 24.6 minutes per game.
“Darnell has showed us he is a young, smart, hard working player,” said Ferry “And we are excited to see his development continue now.”
Small news here …. the press release off RealGM
The Miami Heat announced today that they have requested waivers on forward Stephane Lasme.
The 6’8” forward was originally signed to a 10-day contract by the Heat on Mar. 21, 2008.
He was signed for the remainder of the 2007-08 season on Apr. 10. In 16 games (four starts) last season, Lasme averaged 5.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.38 blocks, and 18.9 minutes.
Lasme was originally the 46th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors for whom he appeared in one game last season before being waived on Nov. 17.
Not a surprising move, Lasme did not have his contract fully guaranteed for the upcoming season and is a marginal NBA player. Easy target to be dropped.
Lasme has a lot of work to do to turn himself into an NBA caliber player. He’ll probably get another chance but without serious development it’s hard to see him doing anything with it.
Here’s the report from ESPN:
Donyell Marshall and the Philadelphia 76ers agreed to a one-year contract on Tuesday, the latest free agent to join a team poised to make a run in the Eastern Conference.
Marshall is scheduled to meet with management on Tuesday and sign a contract by week’s end, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. The deal is likely to be for $1.26 million, the veterans’ minimum for players with at least 10 years’ experience in the league.
Stefanski adding
“Donyell Marshall has proven time and time again his value as a player in this league,” 76ers president Ed Stefanski said. “We believe his ability to stretch defenses with his perimeter shooting will prove to be a great asset for our team and we look forward to having him back home in Philadelphia.”
Donyell had eyes for only one team
Marshall wanted to get a deal done with his home state franchise, his agent, Andy Miller, told the Daily News. Marshall starred at Reading High School in the early 1990s.
“I said ‘OK, we’ll see if we can get something done,’” Miller said, according to the Daily News. “But I also said we should talk about contingencies in case it didn’t work out. He said he didn’t want to talk about contingencies, that he wanted to hear a yes or a no from the Sixers first.”
Well this is mostly a non-story, news of little importance.
Donyell has declined considerably over the past few years and with his lost athelticism he’s lost a good chunk of his versatility (ability to play SF, defend mutliple positions, drive off the bounce). He’s an out-an-out big man these days, a perimeter orientated one, and a stand still shooter offensively. His effieciency and scoring totals have also plummeted. Basically …. he isn’t much use on the court. Don’t intend to be rude about it, but that’s the situation.
Donyell’s only value as an NBA player these days is as a locker room elder. Someone who has been there and done it, someone who’ll keep the locker room focused and enjoyable. Be the good teammate, and be a leader at practices. He shouldn’t be on the court. I expected some team to sign Donyell this season, and whether it was that team’s intentions or not, I always felt that would be the role he’d play regardless of where he landed.
Simply put he’s the 6th best big man on the Sixers roster behind Brand, Dalembert, Evans, Speights and Theo Ratliff. If Smith were healthy he’d be the 7th best. Don’t expect to see him on the court, when he does arrive, enjoy those brief moments as much as possible because you might not see him again (potential retirement).
I’ve always liked Marshall, good for him getting one more contract and tagging along on a contender.
2008 Free Agent List
Unrestricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Baron Davis, Chris Duhon, Jannero Pargo, Anthony Johnson, Eddie House, Sebastian Telfair, Keyon Dooling, Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, Roger Mason, Juan Dixon, Kevin Ollie, Earl Boykins, Anthony Carter, Jason Williams, Dan Dickau, Darrell Armstrong, Carlos Arroyo, Tyronn Lue, Royal Ivey, Salim Stoudamire, Alex Acker, Sam Cassell, Damon Stoudamire, Smush Parker, Blake Ahearn
Wings/Combo Forwards: Corey Maggette, James Posey, Bonzi Wells, Tony Allen, Mickael Pietrus, Mo Evans, Ricky Davis, Kareem Rush, Boki Nachbar, James Jones, Walter Herrmann, Quinton Ross, Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Devin Brown, Devean George, Derek Anderson, Jarvis Hayes, Ira Newble, Antoine Wright, Kirk Snyder, Fred Jones, Matt Barnes, Goran Giricek, Eric Piatowski, Von Wafer, Casey Jacobsen, Mickael Gelabale, Shannon Brown, Yakhouba Diawara, Ronald Dupree, DeMarr Johnson, Pat Garrity, Linton Johnson, Mario West, Awvee Storey, Ryan Bowen
Big Men: Elton Brand, Alonzo Mourning, Kurt Thomas, Dikembe Mutombo, DeSagana Diop, Francisco Elson, Theo Ratliff, Kwame Brown, Brian Skinner, Chris Andersen, Robert Horry, Eduardo Najera, Malik Allen, Austin Croshere, Adonal Foyle, Primoz Brezec, Calvin Booth, Nick Fazekas, Paul Davis, Earl Barron, Michael Ruffin, Jake Voshkul, Michael Doleac, Randolph Morris, Louis Admundson, Sean Marks, Dwayne Jones, Juwan Howard, Scott Pollard, Lorenzon Wright, Herbert Hill, Othella Harrington, Shavlik Randolph, Jamaal Magloire, DJ Mbenga, Andre Brown, Patrick O Bryant
Restricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, Ben Gordon, Louis Williams, Daniel Gibson, Sasha Vujacic, Delonte West, Flip Murray, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jose Juan Barea, Chris Quinn, Andre Owens
Wings/Combo Forwards: Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, JR Smith, Josh Childress, Carlos Delfino, Kelenna Azubuike, Ryan Gomes, CJ Miles, Dorell Wright, Demetris Nichols, Marcus Williams, Ersan Ilyasova, Jeremy Richardson, Kasib Powell
Big Men: Josh Smith, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, Nenad Krstic, Carl Landry, Ronny Turiaf, Chris Richard, Robert Swift, David Harrison, Craig Smith, Ryan Hollins
Likely To Retire
PJ Brown, Lindsey Hunter
Limited Salary Protection - to varying degrees – Crossed out means Waived
Leon Powe, Brandon Bass, Marcin Gortat, Josh Powell, Mike Harris, CJ Watson, DJ Strawberry, Bobby Jones, Taureen Green, Loren Woods, Coby Karl, Lance Allred, Keith Van Horn, Joel Anthony, Stephane Lasme, JamesOn Curry
Free Agents Unemployed In NBA End Of Last Season - Large Majority Unlikely To Return to NBA
Point/Combo Guards Keith McLeod, Darrick Martin, John Lucas, Eddie Gill, Will Bynum, Jay Williams, Randy Livingston,
Wings/Combo Forwards Jorge Garbajosa, Gerald Green, Ruben Patterson, Richie Frahm, Darius Miles, Doug Christie, Dahntay Jones, Jackie Manuel, Luke Jackson, Justin Reed, Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, Eddie Robinson, Eric Williams
Big Men Marc Jackson, Justin Williams, Mike Sweetney, Jelani McCoy, Michael Olowokandi, Jackie Butler, Kelvin Cato, Dale Davis, Lonny Baxter, Alan Henderson, Rod Benson, Samaki Walker, Wayne Simien, Chris Taft, Stanislav Medevenko, Lawrence Roberts, James Singleton, Mo Taylor, Aaron Williams, Alexander Johnson, Danny Fortson, Elton Brown, Ha Seung-Jin
From the Florida Sun-Sentinel
The Heat added to its depth at center Friday by agreeing to terms with free agent Jamaal Magloire.
Although terms were not immediately available, Heat President Pat Riley said earlier in the day the team was looking for a player willing to take the veteran’s minimum.
Magloire is a useless player at this stage of his career. His legs are gone, he’s finished, it’s as simple as that. No system or coach are going to make his legs move like they used to and like they need to in order to compete. If he’s not the slowest player in the league he’s certainly in the top 5.
Magloire won’t play next season or at least he shouldn’t play. He just doesn’t offer enough on the court and his lack of speed makes him a liability.
Riley said at the start of the offseason he could envision the team opening with incumbent starting power forward Udonis Haslem at center, as a means of also getting trade-deadline acquisition Shawn Marion. and first-round draft choice Michael Beasley into the starting lineup.
I’m just looking at their roster here and it sure looks like Miami are facing a lot of small ball next season. They have three big men in Beasley, Udonis and Blount who will surely eat up the majority of the available big man minutes but no other good options. I’m not convinced on Joel Anthony, we’ll see how he develops over the summer but I don’t see him being a better option than going small. James Jones and Dorrell Wright can do some spot duty at power forward … it’s not what I’d call a good option but it might be the best available option for Miami.
Alonzo Mourning is still injured and not schedule to return until 2009, and he’s not a definite to resign although it appears that is likely if he recovers well from his injury.
As expected Hamed Haddadi has joined the Memphis Grizzlies. Here’s the press release via RealGM
he Memphis Grizzlies signed free-agent center Hamed Haddadi, who led all 2008 Olympians in rebounding and blocks, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The Ahvaz, Iran native recently participated in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, where he was the only player to average a double-double (16.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.6 blocks) in Olympic competition while playing five games for the Iranian National Team. The 7-2, 254-pound center had his best performance came against eventual bronze medal winner Argentina when he had a team-high 21 points and game-high 16 rebounds on Aug. 16.
“We are pleased to sign Hamed,” said Wallace. “He is a young center who was very productive as a rebounder, shotblocker and scorer at the Rocky Mountain Revue Summer League in Salt Lake City, Utah, the 2008 Olympics and the FIBA Diamond Ball Tournament in Nanjing, China prior to the Olympics. Our coaching staff is eager to begin working with Hamed.”
There were some complications initially but they’ve all been sorted out now.
Update: Some quote from the Grizzlies’ GM Chris Wallace
“I don’t like to use that term because it suggests that he’s not someone who can contribute in the short term,” Wallace said. “And that’s not the case. He’s going to need some work in certain aspects of his game. But he’s 7-2. You can’t teach height. He can rebound and block shots, and he can score around the basket with his left hand. He has an outside shooting touch, and he’s fared well in (summer league and Olympic) games.”
Adding
“I’m not going to say we shouldn’t sign Hamed because a foreign big man (Cezary Trybanski) that preceded him didn’t work out,” Wallace said. “You can’t look at it that way. In basketball, you can never have too many big centers. You need as much depth as you can get. If we develop Hamed, he’s going to be a real asset for our organization in the future.”
Also
Wallace also pointed to Griz coach Marc Iavaroni’s “track record working with young big men” as one of many driving forces behind the acquisition.
“Adding a young center who has some real potential as a shot-blocker and rebounder is where we thought we needed to go with the 13th spot on our roster at this point and time,” Wallace said.
From Nola.com
In an effort to help strengthen their front-court depth, the Hornets signed free agent forward/center Sean Marks on Thursday.
Terms of his contract were not released.
The Hornets are hoping the signing of Marks, a 6-foot-10, 250-pounder who is a nine-year NBA veteran, helps shore up a front court that lacked depth last season.
Marks has career averages of 3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 9.1 minutes per game, while playing with four different teams — Toronto, Miami, San Antonio and Phoenix.
“We are excited for Sean to join our team,” Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower said. “He is a veteran leader, who has been on winning teams and will be a great addition to our front court.”
“He’s a player that runs the floor and is a very good shooter,” Bower said. “He will be able to provide more depth for our front line. He knows how to play the game. And he has been on good teams in the past. He’s going to bring a lot to our team both on the court and off the court.”
I like Sean Marks, skilled big man, and useful 5th big in the rotation. His ability to step out on the floor away from the basket, and either shoot or pass, will be a good weapon for the Hornets who had no big outside of David West who was comfortable on the ball away from the rim last season. Nice diversification there.
Marks is a huge long shot to fill the Hornets backup big man void … but he can be the fifth big in the rotation, or fourth big if hard pressed. Solid acquisition.
From RealGM
Former Florida Gators point guard Taurean Green has agreed to play for the Spanish club CAI Zaragoza, according to Alligator.
Green is in the process of negotiating what is believed to be a one-year deal with the team.
“I feel like this is the best move for me right now,” he said. “The competition is tough. The guys playing in this league are good players.
Article over at the Contra Costa Times with some brief bites of news on three players being looked at for the job:
Looking at a certain free agent and once promising prospect
During his conference call with local media today, Chris Mullin (answering a question from my man Tim Kawakami) told reporters the Warriors will be going to look at Shaun Livingston in Chicago tomorrow. He said the workout was scheduled long before the Warriors learned starting point guard Monta Ellis would be out for three months after today’s knee surgery. Certainly, they will be looking on with much more intensity.
On Marcus Williams
Mullin said as of this point, Marcus Williams is the starter.
On CJ Watson
Which means C.J. Watson, who is non-guaranteed and needs to make the roster, is the No. 2. That’s music to Watson’s ears.
“I’m ready for the opportunity,” Watson said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I’m kinda sad that Monta got hurt. But this gives me an opportunity to prove myself to the coaches.”00
Watson had a positive summer league and a good showing at an ensuing popular Las Vegas camp, where he played on the same team as Williams and against the likes of Stephon Marbury, Sebastian Telfair and Mike Conley Jr.
Watson is all but guaranteed a long hard look at camp no
There was a short note at the end of this Cavs article
The Cavs are a bit torn between playing first-round pick J.J. Hickson or bringing in another big — a Scot Pollard-type. They reportedly worked out veteran center Lorenzen Wright at their practice facility last week. Some have asked why Dwayne Jones wasn’t retained, but the two sides have severed tie
Interesting stuff there. It’s going to be very interesting to see how much belief the Cavs have in JJ Hickson’s abilities in the short term. The fact they’re looking at veterans isn’t that surprising, but at such poor veterans? They must not have too much confidence in Hickson. Or perhaps they want a backup for Hickson and a replacement for Jones? We’ll see, we’ll have a good idea after they make their decisions.
Two other pieces there:
(1) The cavs have severed ties with Dwayne Jones. No interest in bringing him back. That’s surprising. He’s a solid fifth wheel big man, decent body, rebounds a bit and plays some defense. Useful.
(2) Lorenzon Wright has nothing to offer. Why are they looking to him? Maybe they’re replacing Jones and not Hickson’s spot in the rotation? Anyway, Wright isn’t capable of filling either need and they should stop looking at him.
Year Five Ladies and Gentleman
From the Miami Herald:
Forward Dorell Wright agreed to terms with the Heat on a two-year deal Wednesday, according to his agent, Bob Myers.
”Dorell is excited about returning to Miami,” Myers wrote in an e-mail. “He’s very happy to be back, and looking forward to helping the team.”
Myers declined to disclose terms of the deal.
Wright is coming off season-ending knee surgery to repair a torn ligament.
Patience is virtue, Patience is a virtue. Well so is impatience, what the hell has Wright shown to deserve this much consideration? So far he’s served only as a player who holds up Miami Heat team with poor performances. It’s been four years now, how much patience can you have?
So is this the year that Dorrell Wright finally shows us why Pat Riley has so much faith in him?
I doubt it. There’s three talented wings ahead of him in the rotation in Marion/Wade/Jones and Wright is far worse than each of them. I’d be surprised if he’s anything more than a 5-10 minute player …
Actually now that I pause for a minute, Daequan Cook offers more as the fourth wing so Dorrell might not even get those minutes. It should be a battle between those two, whoever improves the most this off-season being named the victor.
I’m very surprised that they bothered to re-sign Wright. He has no value since James Jones signed on. He just doesn’t contribute enough to be on the floor. I’m even more surprised that he got a two year contract.
From the Arizona Republic
Guard D.J. Strawberry is the only Suns roster member whose status is in flux for the coming season. His agent, Duffy, said he would not discourage Strawberry from getting a chance to go elsewhere. The Suns have until Oct. 31 to exercise his option for a $711,517 salary, $200,000 of which is guaranteed once he makes the opening night roster. Without him, the Suns would need to sign a 13th player.
Since he is the 13th roster spot I think it’s unlikely they let him go, especially with the other bench slots already filled. It just goes to show you what their (Suns) expectations are for Strawberry this coming season … and I say that because I’ve heard a lot of fans hoping for a breakout year and/or for Strawberry to crack the rotation. Big difference.
Delayed news … there was a press release on RealGM a few days ago:
The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed free agent forward Darius Miles. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Miles, a 6’9”, 235lbs forward out of East St. Louis High School has posted career averages of 10.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.15 blocks in 412 career games.
“Darius has been in twice for workouts with us and has impressed us with his progress, health, and attitude;” said Danny Ainge, Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations/General Manager. “Darius will have the next couple of months to prove to myself and Coach Rivers that he can help us win.”
“I’ve watched the Boston Celtics play a lot last year and loved what I saw in their teamwork and chemistry on the court and it’s the team that I want to try to resume my career with.” said Miles. “I am excited about having an opportunity to play on a team that I feel my personality fits with and a team that can have great success on the court.”
Marc Spears CelticBlog, not much different, same press release
Ainge feels confident that Miles is completely healthy.
“He’s healthy. He has a great attitude. He’s ready to resume his career,” said Ainge.
It’s one of those signings where you don’t expect anything to come of it, but there is a large upside there that makes it sort of interesting. The deal is non-guaranteed so the risk has been limited.
The doctors deciding he had a career ending injury makes it very hard for me to expect Miles to make a comeback, especially since Miles is a player who was overly reliant on his athleticism. It’s not just the verdict, but how recent the verdict was, just a few short months ago. Also the severity of Miles’ injury which has been described as the worst micro-fracture surgery of recent years in the NBA. Let’s say that they were wrong and Miles can play …. at what level could he perform at now?
There was a quote from Nate McMillan which interested me:
McMillan said Miles began practicing again with the Blazers at the beginning of the year, but couldn’t participate on a regular basis. McMillan said he, the coaching staff, and the trainers did the best they could to get Miles back in a Blazers uniform, but he could never get physically cleared.
“We had him working out and were running him through some drills,” said McMillan. “He actually tried to go through some practices. For a day or so he could do that and then he had to take a couple days off.
This is pretty much what I expect from Miles, for him to look splendid in the odd workout but to quickly decline once the schedule picks up and that grind starts to work his body over. Much like it did with Dajuan Wagner when he tried to comeback with the Warriors.
But hey maybe it works out …. I’ve always liked Darius so hopefully it does. It’ll be interesting to see if Darius Miles can stay healthy as the grind picks up over training camp and the opening months … and if he’s match fit, what level he’s able to perform at post-injury.
In other news the Boston Celtics have also signed 2nd round draft pick Bill Walker
The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed 2008 second round draft pick Bill Walker. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“Bill’s hard work and skill development this summer has given us the belief that he can be in our short-term plans as well as our long-term plans.” said Danny Ainge, Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations/General Manager.
Walker will wear No. 12 with the Celtics.
This brings their roster up to the full 15 players. I wouldn’t be surprised if Danny brought in another player or two for training camp though.
Per ESPN
The New Orleans Hornets turned to a familiar face to fill an opening in the backcourt, signing Devin Brown on Friday.
Brown, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers, played with New Orleans two seasons ago and was brought back to bolster the depth in the backcourt depth. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Brown, 6-foot-5, likely will be the primary backup to All-Star point guard Chris Paul and will join recently signed James Posey as a backup shooting guard. Brown, like Posey, also can play forward.
“I’ll be all over the place,” Brown said. “I can play [both guard spots and both forward spots]. If I was a couple of inches taller I could probably play a little center.”
With Brown, Posey and veteran Mike James backing up Paul and shooting guard Mo Peterson, New Orleans should be versatile in the backcourt.
“We like the depth that [Brown] provides in a number of areas,” Hornets general manager Jeff Bower said. “He’s a veteran that we have a lot of confidence in.”
Brown averaged 7.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 78 games with Cleveland last season. In 2006-07 with the Hornets, the 29-year-old Brown averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 58 games.
Update: Hat-tip to Khandor who has a link to a much better Brown article with a few choice quotes from Jeff Bower.
It didn’t take long for New Orleans to find the player it needed to replace the departed Jannero Pargo.
The Hornets signed free agent Devin Brown, a six-year veteran with playoff experience, Friday afternoon.
But more importantly, he has intimate knowledge of the Hornets, having played with the team while it was in Oklahoma City during its post-Katrina exile.
“It feels good. I’m glad to be back,” Brown said. “I’ve got a lot of family and support here. I’m ready to go out and get some things done.”
Bower talks
At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, Brown is bigger and more physical than Pargo. That certainly helped him catch the eye of General Manager Jeff Bower, but it was his prior history with the Hornets that did the most for him.
“The experience Devin had with us in the past and how successful he was able to blend his talents in with a lot of these players are key reasons we made the signing,” Bower said.
His experience at playing point guard in the past also helped.
“He has got the ability to play the point,” Bower said. “He has the ability to play the off guard. We think in addition to Chris and Mike James, the three of them all have the ball handling and the varying skill sets for us to use at the point position as well as some off the ball.
“We like the depth it creates for us in a number of areas and the experience he has.”
For those of you who don’t know, good friend of the site Khandor is a big believer in Devin Brown being a good option for the Hornets at the backup point. To read his reasons check out the comments section here. I disagree, but I’d be happy to be wrong.
I consider this is a solid signing for the Hornets if Devin Brown is being used as an insurance player and not as an expected rotation player. As a fail-safe option for Wright and Posey. However, if he’s expected to be play the backup point guard minutes then count me in the non-believer camp. I think the Hornets are best off going with Mike James as the backup point. I’d also play both Posey and Wright ahead of Brown on the wings, leaving Brown as the backup to the backups, the third string option for all three perimeter slots.
Some further thought on Brown at the point ….
On the defensive side of the floor I think a trio of Wright-Posey-Brown would make an excellent unit.. I’d like to see Ju-Ju defend the best quick player on the court (either point or two guard) in that scenario becauese I think Wright’s better mobility, extra length and better defensive ability could cause more disruption than Brown. Offensively however there’s far more questions than answers, they’d likely need David West out on the floor with them to give their halfcourt offense some hope, otherwise I’d expect a lot of suspect possessions. Transition offense would be a big key for that unit.
Then again …. a duo of Wright and Posey will always form a good defensive unit out on the perimeter. Give them a mediocre defender at the point and they’ll form one of the best second unit periemter defense in the league, likely the best.
ESPN has the news
DENVER — The Denver Nuggets re-signed restricted free agent JR Smith to a multiyear contract on Friday.
The 22-year-old guard averaged 12.6 points for the Nuggets over the past two seasons.
He shot nearly 40 percent from 3-point range, the best percentage in team history for players with at least 100 3-pointers.
Okay that’s fairly lousy information. Hang on, the Rocky Mountain News has an article up now:
Terms of the deal were not released. As of a month ago, Smith said he hasn’t gotten an offer from the Nuggets, other than the option to return next season for the $3.04 million qualifying offer. He turned down a three-year extension offer in October worth about $10 million
“We’re extremely delighted to have J.R. back,” said Mark Warkentien, vice president of basketball operations. “His blend of off-the-charts-athleticism and long-range shooting ability is rare, especially for someone his age. We believe his best basketball is still to come.”
Last season, he averaged 12.3 points in 19.2 minutes a game and recorded career bests for field goal percentage (46.1) and three-point percentage (40.3).
That’s better. JR Smith was one of the best free agents on the market this season and an absolute steal in that MLE ballpark.
What Denver need to do now, is jettison Allen Iverson and rebuild around the talents of Carmelo Anthony and JR Smith. Those two will provide a very good 1-2 punch on the wings and most of the scoring needs the team will have.
Once again from Yahoo Sports
BEIJING – After receiving US government approval, Iranian center Hamed Ehadadi has been cleared to sign with NBA teams, Yahoo! Sports has learned.
The NBA sent out an email to executives late Wednesday afternoon informing its 30 teams they were free to enter into negotiations with the 7-foot-2 Iranian Olympian, as well as one of his teammates on Iran’s national team: guard Mohammadsamad Nik Khahbahrami.
This follows up the initial news that NBA teams were forbidden from even discussing a contract with Ehadadi until a license had been approved U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Ehadadi has been linked strongly to the Grizzlies
Via RealGM
The Chicago Bulls recently re-signed Demetris Nichols to a one-year, partially guaranteed contract, the Daily Herald is reporting.
Nichols was the team’s second-leading scorer in the Orlando summer league in July, averaging 13.6 points.
I like Nichols. He has some talent but until he learns to affect games in more ways than one (scoring) he won’t make anybody’s rotation. He simply isn’t a prolific enough scorer to make up for his other flaws, but with hard work he can limit those weaknesses and turn himself into a player. It remains to be seen whether he’s willing to put that type of work in, there’s been no evidence to back up that possibility so far.
I doubt Nichols sticks on the Bulls roster. With Deng and Nocioni ahead of them there’s not much point in Chicago keeping Nichols around, not unless he’s making great progress which he did not do over the last year.
Update: Two things: (1) Nichols has a buyout clause in his contract costing $150k. That’s the partial guarantee, allowing the Bulls some flexibility if they want to free up the roster spot or are just unimpressed with Nichols (2) Nichols put in a good summer’s work and it was one of the main reasons Chicago’s front office decided to sign him in the first place, so that’s encouraging. My main question is what was he working on? Can he rebound/defend? Do something else that impacts games? And I don’t have those answers but I’m looking forward to finding out when the season begins.
Consequences of the Luke Jackson signing,
It seems odd to me that they signed Jackson ahead of Koponen, if the signing is accurate then Koponen must be spending next season(s) out in Europe. On a related note, Tau Ceramica are predictably looking at Koponen following the loss of Dragic. The article also states that Bologna and Cajasol have contacted Pettri’s representatives.
Koponen has signed with Vitirus Bologna
Petteri Koponen, the 6-5 Finnish point guard who was a 2007 first-round pick of the Portland Trail Blazers, has signed a four-year deal with Virtus Bologna of Italy.
His agent, Marc Cornstein, says the deal has buyouts every summer which would make it possible for Koponen to return to the NBA. The Blazers can continue to hold Koponen’s rights until 2011, although it will cost them some flexibility under the salary cap to do so.
In Bologna, the 20-year-old Koponen will compete for minutes at the point guard spot with Earl Boykins.
The Truehoop article continues
Most scouts felt he was not so good last summer when he was 19, but much better, stronger, and more assertive in Las Vegas in 2008.
His agent discussing the situation
Cornstein says there was interest in Koponen from other NBA teams. “By drafting him in the first round, Portland has the right to hold onto his rights even if they don’t feel he is ready for the NBA,” explains Cornstein. “When we investigated trades, the Blazers say that they like Petteri as a player and don’t want to give up on him. So our hands our tied somewhat with what we can do in the NBA. And Portland, I think, wants to have its cake and eat it, too. This way Petteri can continue to develop, and they don’t have to give up a roster spot.”
“The risk, for Portland, is that if Petteri has a bad year or gets hurt, obviously, they won’t bring him over. But if plays really well, then because of the rookie scale, he’ll have go decide if he wants to play in the NBA, or make two, three, or even four times as much money overseas. Rudy Fernandez just decided to play in the NBA under those circumstances, but I think that will increasingly be the exception and not the rule.
“Petteri’s ultimate goal remains to play in the NBA. But he’s in a very good situation, with an excellent contract playing in a beautiful place, for a team with a proud history that is committed to winning and has basketball-crazy fans.”
Cornstein represents several NBA players who signed in Europe this summer, including Nenad Krstic, Primoz Brezec, and Bostjan Nachbar. Koponen was a different story in many regards, he was not an NBA free agent, but nevertheless Cornstein says the result was the same. “The story of my summer has been the same every time. In every case, the players decided to sign where they felt they were the most wanted,” he explains.
“If I could get on my soapbox for a minute, I would say that the one lesson of this summer for NBA teams is to put a little bit more effort into wooing players. The rate of exchange between the Euro and the dollar is not something we can change. For the next few years, the CBA can’t change. But at the moment the story is that players who are deciding between the NBA and overseas are not, in the cases we have heard about, being wooed much by the NBA team. If teams do things to make players feel wanted — like the Kings did last summer with Beno Udrih, when they made him feel beyond wanted — it goes a long way. Everyone, in every line of work, wants to feel wanted.”
It’s disappointing that Pettri won’t be on the Blazers next year but he wasn’t going to play anyway so not much lost. Now this will probably become Sergio Rodriguez’ last opportunity to make a permanent home for himself in Portland. Blake and Bayless look etched in as the 1-2 punch at the point, 3rd string is far less certain and that’s the role Koponen will likely have if he does come over. So Sergio’s play this year will likely be the deciding factor.
Update: Link to an article where Pritchard talks about the Koponen move
“First of all, we really liked the progress (Koponen) made,” Pritchard said. “He’s gotten better. But we looked at the Rudy Fernandez model and Rudy got much better while playing in Europe and his development allows him to come in (to the NBA) and play. This was all about where Petteri could develop the best.”
Via RealGM:
Center Earl Barron has become the latest in the long line of NBA players to jump ship to Europe for more money, signing a contract with Italian team Fortitudo Bologna, according to the Lega Serie A website.
Barron will be joined by former NBA player Qyntel Woods, who also made the jump to Fortitudo Bologna.
Good for them. Woods wasn’t going to get a spot in the NBA anyway, Barron was questionable. Earl is an interesting young player who could become a solid player in the league … but he still has a long way to go. Maybe a move to Europe will help him forward that but I think it will most likely leave him lost in the shuffle, but hey at least he’ll make more money.
Small piece in a general sports chatter in the Miami Herald:
• Seeking help at center, the Heat scheduled a Wednesday visit with Jamaal Magloire, 30, his agent said. Magloire, who is 6-11, has averaged 8.6 points and 7.2 rebounds in his career but played in just 31 games last season, joining Dallas after New Jersey cut him in February.
I’m surprised that Magloire is getting looks from NBA teams. He’s been awful for two years now and his problems stem from his declining athleticism … they’re not problems that he can fix. Magloire is currently one of the five slowest players in the league and it kills him.
Good player back when but not anymore. Anyone who signs him is getting a player who’ll sit on the end of their bench and provide next-to-nothing. Go out and take a chance on a young player who might be able to contribute, don’t sign Magloire.
From the PhilyBurbs
Stefanski had hoped to discuss a possible contract extension with the agent for point guard Andre Miller.
There is one problem — Miller doesn’t have an agent. Miller, who has one year and $10 million left on his deal, is no longer represented by Lon Babby. The Sixers wouldn’t mind adding another season or two onto that contract, but the lack of an agent could make that difficult
The rest of the article is about Andre Igoudala moving back to shooting guard, worth a quick look.
With Andre Miller this is all going to be about price and years. If Phily can get a good deal it’ll set them up to be a major contender for the East for the next three years. If not, the situation becomes complicated. They need to be careful in not overpaying Miller because a mistake there (already have three big money contracts on the roster past next season, the fourth will limit their flexibility) could cost their chances at becoming a frontrunner in the East.
Via a RealGM staff report
The Oklahoma City NBA franchise announced today that the team has waived forward Donyell Marshall.
Smart move.
Donyell Marshall is finished I’m afraid. Age has robbed him of his athleticism and skills. He’s not even an NBA level player anymore, although he may hang on as a 14-15th man type, an elder statesman who’ll show the youngsters how to play. He can’t be in an NBA rotation, he’s too bad a player, he’s done, finshed, kaput.
From ESPN:
Devean George’s stay in Big D is going to last longer than anyone imagined.
George and the Dallas Mavericks have reached an agreement on a new two-year contract worth about $4 million, according to his representative.
Agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN.com on Wednesday that the deal soon will be made official and includes a player option for George to return to free agency after the coming season.
New coach Rick Carlisle was eager for the Mavericks to retain George, who spent the last two seasons in Dallas and is regarded as a perimeter threat and versatile defender off the bench when healthy
Two years $4mil? How the heck did he squeeze that out of the Mavericks?
Bad signing. George is a decent veteran’s minimum, and by decent I mean acceptable not good, signing and fourth/fifth wing in the rotation type. He’s not a player who can fill the Maverick’s massive holes on the wings and he’s not an especially great fit next to Kidd because he doesn’t get on the break like he used to and because of his streaky shot which limits him offensively.
Mavs are killing themselves this offseason. Their main hope now is trading Jason Kidd, look for them to shop Kidd before the trading deadline.
In related news, it looks like the Mavs are declining to offer Kidd an extension. Not surprising.
Update: Article in the Dallas Morning News, lots of comments mostly very unhappy with this signing
Update 2: Here’s the quote from Rick Carlisle
“His experience and ability to run the floor and play and defend multiple positions will be a great asset for us this season.”
It looks like that speculation from a few days ago about Theo being a Sixer target has come true.
The 76ers could have a veteran backup big man in place as early as today.
Theo Ratliff, 35, a veteran of 13 NBA seasons, has sifted through four offers and settled on rejoining the Sixers on a 1-year contract, according to a source familiar with the situation.
The source said the 6-10 Ratliff could visit with the Sixers today and accept a 1-year contract for the veterans’ minimum of $1.4 million. By the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, a portion of the salary would be paid out of a leaguewide pool.
When asked yesterday about the search for an additional big man, Sixers president/general manager Ed Stefanski said he hoped to have a resolution “within 48 hours,” but would not elaborate.
The above quote is from this article from the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Excellent signing for the Sixers, Theo fills the void left by Jason Smith’s injury beautifully.
Some small news here
Slight surprise that they went out and added another big man after waiving two bigs (Powell, Fazekas) and signing Brian Skinner as a replacement.
Their choice of big man however is not such a surprise, Mike Dunleavy was pretty high on Paul Davis as a backup center last season before he got injured. Davis would have had Powell’s minutes at center had he stayed healthy and have given the Clips (according to Dunleavy) a post presence while Kaman was resting.
Paul Davis is the third Davis, all unrelated, signed this summer …. from ESPN
LOS ANGELES — The Clippers re-signed unrestricted free-agent center Paul Davis on Monday, giving Los Angeles three players named Davis on their 15-man roster.
He joins Baron Davis and Ricky Davis, another pair of free-agent additions.
Paul Davis averaged 2.5. points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 22 games with the Clippers before sustaining a season-ending injury to his right knee last Dec. 21.
The Clippers picked the 24-year-old former Michigan State star with the 34th overall selection in the 2006 draft, and he played a total of 53 games with them during the last two seasons. The Clippers renounced their rights to Davis on July 16, making him an unrestricted free agent.
I haven’t seen much of Davis but he’s never impressed me when I have seen him in action. I was wondering why I had seen so little of him so I looked up his games and saw he only played 374 minutes total in two years, only 22 games and 194 minutes last season. There were media reports saying Davis had an improved shot before last season, but he made only 37% in his limited minutes … we probably have a fairly inaccurate view of the man from his lack of action. Time will tell what he actually has to offer.
Looking at their roster it’s hard to see Davis playing any role on the court next season. I’m surprised they’d consider playing him ahead of DeAndre Jordan, and if they weren’t considering that why sign him at all?
The Clippers are now up to 15 players on their roster.
The signing isn’t finished just yet but the agreement is in place. From the Arizona Republic:
Suns second-round draft pick Goran Dragic reached a buyout agreement with Spanish club Tau Ceramica and is en route to Phoenix to sign a contract to play for the Suns this season.
Dragic ended more than seven weeks of negotiations with the Spanish club by signing a buyout agreement Saturday night, his agent, Rade Filipovich, told The Arizona Republic on Sunday. Dragic is on his way to Phoenix with a verbal agreement that he will sign a four-year contract early this week with the Suns, Filipovich said. The deal’s fourth year will be a team option. Read the rest of this entry »
Good article on Cleveland.com about this very subject:
Danny Ferry insisted Wednesday’s acquisition by the Cavaliers of point guard Mo Williams from Milwaukee did not affect the team’s efforts to sign restricted free agent point guard Delonte West.
“This changes nothing on the Delonte front,” the general manager said in a conference call with reporters to announce the six-player, three-team deal. “We like [West] very much and remain hopeful that we’ll find a common ground on a contract. This trade was more about being pro-active to improve the team, to create more scoring and to add depth. Those are things that are important to us going forward.”
On the flipside
But one can’t help but wonder if West feels the same way
West could not be reached for comment. Agents Aaron Goodwin and Noah Crooms did not respond to emails seeking comment.
I consider it very likely that Delonte will take the qualifying offer and try free agency again next summer.
What possible team is left that can offer more than $2.7mil and also length on the contract? Because that’s what it’ll take for Cleveland not to match the contract. I don’t see anyone out there btoh willing and having that money to spend. Delonte is a backup caliber point guard, for a team to committ that type of money to a backup they’d have to see him as a key bench player and piece that would help them make a big move. Which means it would likely be a team with playoff aspirations, one that needs a point guard, and has their MLE left to play with. Maybe Miami could work out a sign-and-trade. Anyone else? I’d say Denver if they weren’t cutting costs. Orlando could have been a good fit but they should be fairly happy with Nelson and AJ.
Update: Found a quote from Delonte’s agent
“It leaves Delonte exactly where he was before,” Goodwin said. “The only difference is instead of paying $4 million to Damon Jones (who was traded to Milwaukee), they are now paying $8.5 million to Mo Williams.
“(Williams and West) are both points guards and I don’t think Delonte is concerned with that. The financial situation remains the same, and so does our position: Either offer Delonte a more favorable contract or he may opt to just sign his qualifying offer. The ball is still in their court. It definitely shows why they haven’t been in any hurry to get things done.”
Ferry added
“We’ve communicated with Delonte and agent,” he said. “They knew this was a possibility. We still hope Delonte is part of our team.”
BEIJING – As interest has grown in the NBA over signing 7-foot-2 Iranian Olympian Hamed Ehadadi, the league office has sent a letter to its 30 teams instructing that they are forbidden to even discuss a contract with Ehadadi, Yahoo! Sports has learned.
In the letter, which was sent Friday, NBA legal counsel wrote: “It has come to our attention that representatives of Hamed Ehadadi, an Iranian basketball player, may be contacting NBA teams to discuss the possibility of signing Mr. Ehadadi to an NBA player contract.
“We have been advised that a federal statue prohibits a person or organization in the United States from engaging in business dealings with Iranian nationals.”
The NBA is applying to the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control for a license that, “if granted,” the league said, would allow teams to negotiate with the 23-year-old Ehadadi. Until then, no franchise is allowed to do so.
Some more on the man
After his most impressive game of these Olympics – 21 points and 16 rebounds in a 97-82 loss to Argentina on Saturday – Ehadadi, a center, said through an assistant coach, Mehran Hatami, “It is my dream to play in the NBA.”
When asked if he had been in contact with NBA teams, Ehadadi said, “two or three,” including the Memphis Grizzlies.
“It’s our pleasure for one player from Iran to one day play in the NBA,” Hatami said. “I am sure he will play there this season because he has played great (at the Olympics). He is a talented player. He is OK for beginning in the NBA. After practicing a few years, you will see that he will be one of the great players.”
League executives don’t exactly share Iran’s grand vision for Ehadadi. He’s considered a project – “Pretty limited,” one league executive said Saturday – but there has been intrigue with his developing offensive game and an ability to block shots. In Iran’s four losses in Pool B thus far, Ehadadi has averaged 16.5 points, 10 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
This is buried in the middle of the Iggy article I will link to once/twice today in the Phily Inquirer
With second-year big man Jason Smith likely out for the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, an unsubstantiated report surfaced that the Sixers had reached out to former Sixers center/forward Theo Ratliff with an offer to play for the veterans’ minimum. A source familiar with that situation said Ratliff had offers from other teams for more money, but that he was very interested in the Sixers.
Ratliff, a 13-year veteran, finished last season with the Detroit Pistons.
Theo Ratliff would be a truly splendid signing for the Sixers. A veteran presence who’s been around the block, who defends at a high level, solid rebounder, solid offense player and very smart. He’d also be a positive influence on Dalembert, Speights and from the sidelines Jason Smith when it comes to teaching interior defense. Good plug in player, a big man who knows his business.
As for Theo, he should sign with the Sixers. He’ll be a rotation player for a contender. He’ll be returning to a city where he has already lived in, and playing for a team where he achieved his greatest individual successes as a player. Playing under a coach who he has already played for, someone who knows his game and how to use him.
Here’s hoping this move comes to fruition.
The San-Antonio Express has the story
Michael Finley is poised to return for a fourth season in San Antonio.
The Spurs have agreed to terms with the free-agent shooting guard, an NBA source told the Express-News on Friday afternoon.
Details of the finalized deal weren’t immediately available, but as recently as last week the Spurs were believed to have offered the 35-year-old Finley a deal starting at the veteran league minimum of $1.3 million.
Finley, the crown jewel of the Spurs’ free-agent chase three summers ago, returns with less fanfare than he first arrived. He averaged 10.1 points per game as a part-time starter last season, but could see his role threatened by the arrival of free-agent swingman Roger Mason Jr.
Still, the Spurs always valued Finley’s professionalism and leadership, and were eager to bring him back — especially after losing Brent Barry to Houston last month.
Finley had other suitors
In choosing to re-up with the Spurs, Finley rebuffed a short list of suitors that reportedly included the NBA champion Boston Celtics. He also turned down an offer to play in Europe next season.
The article goes on to tell the news of Pargo joining Dynamo Moscow, Pargo had become a Spurs target over the past few weeks. Pargo could have provided a threatening figure of the pine, someone could put pressure on the opposition off the dribble while also allowing the Spurs to run their offense in a similar way to when Parker was on the court. He would have been a quality addition to the side.
The Spurs likely point guard of choice now is the quickly declining and limited Jacque Vaughn. All indications point to Roger Mason Jr taking over Brent Barry’s role, but he has some point skills and could be an interesting alternative. That’s something the Spurs should look at in camp.
Getting Back To What This Signing Signifies
The Spurs are one of my favourite teams in the NBA. They’ve played some of the purest and most beautiful basketball in the league. This summer has been difficult, difficult for me to see from afar, because everything they’ve done this summer has doomed their postseason hopes for next season.
It’s a shame that Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are going to waste what is likely to be their best remaining chance at a ring, not because they’re not good enough but because their supporting cast isn’t. The incredible talent these three men possess and powerful foundation they provide for their teammates … and it’s being wasted by the Spurs unwillingness/inability to improve their supporting acts.
The Spurs are currently a fighting a great battle, a battle all great teams face at some, the fight against time. They face challenges at home … Duncan’s age … and away …. the reigning Western Champions Los Angeles Lakers and the rising Portland TrailBlazers. With every passing month their hand becomes that bit weaker, while the opposition continue to gain in strength.
It’s too early to say conclusively this is the end of the road for the Spurs but this may turn out to be just that.
Update on Finley’s Contract
Once again from the San An-Express:
Specific details of the agreement were not immediately available, but Thomas said the Spurs have made a commitment to Finley “beyond just a year” and that the new contract will pay more than the veteran minimum of $1.3 million next season.
“Obviously, Michael had a great first three years in San Antonio,” Thomas said. “He took his time (deciding to re-sign), because he had some interest from other contending teams. He just wanted to evaluate everything and make sure he made the right decision.”
This deal gets worse and worse. There’s been some sentiment on a few Spurs fans sites that Finley may be returning to take a veteran from the end of the bench role, similar to Steve Smith a few years ago, but with increased money and years that theory looks shot. Here’s an example of one of those sites and some of the negativity Finley’s signing is getting.
The excellent Paul Coro over at Arizona Central has the story
The Suns never were mistaken as the toughest team but this summer’s moves aim to at least create a bench with an edge.
The Suns continued a toughening theme Thursday, signing 25-year-old power forward Louis Amundson to bring energy and defense to the bench.
Amundson, who is 6 feet 9 and 225 pounds, is fully guaranteed for 2008-09 on a minimum deal worth $711,517. The Suns hold a team option to bring him back for 2009-10.
“I’m a high-energy, athletic player who can run the floor,” Amundson said after working out Thursday with new teammates Boris Diaw and D.J. Strawberry. “I take pride in my defense. I like to get in there and change the game with my athleticism.”
A Suns makeover began in June when Terry Porter was made head coach to bring a new defensive system and emphasis. Since then, the Suns have targeted energetic defenders with the drafting of Robin Lopez and the signings of Matt Barnes and Amundson, who played 16 games for Philadelphia last season.
“The thing I like coming off the bench is someone with a lot of fire,” said Suns General Manager Steve Kerr, whose team often fades without Steve Nash, (Nash’s plus-minus rating ranked sixth in the NBA last season). “We have relied a lot on outside shooting. We want toughness and tenacity and guys who can come off the bench for three minutes with a lot of activity and change the game. We need to change the personality of our bench.”
Suns Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin saw “defensive intensity” and “unbridled enthusiasm.”
“He has an underlying toughness that we want to bring to the team,” Griffin said. “We believe his best basketball is ahead of him.”
The Suns have inserted Lopez and Amundson into the reserve big man spots held last season by Brian Skinner, now with the Los Angeles Clippers, and Sean Marks, a free agent. The Suns have 12 players under contract
RealGM also offers up this quote from the East Valley Tribune:
“(Coach) Terry Porter also saw him some last year and he played well against the Pistons. He’s a versatile guy who can play the four or the five for us,” Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr said. “Like Robin (Lopez) and Matt (Barnes), we feel like we’ve added another player with a strong motor. He takes charges, blocks shots and he can push the ball on the break.”
Nice signing. Good kid with an interesting game. Great motor, great hustle, good rebounding, good defense, excellent energy. He has an interesting package. I like the idea of both Admunson and Lopez coming in to provide a spark for the ageing starters. Two guys who understand their role and keep things simple. Admunson likely won’t play much because of Lopez and Diaw but his instant energy will give Terry Porter a great option to call upon when things aren’t running the way he wants them.
I like that Steve Kerr seems to have a vision here – Lopez, Admunson, Barnes – all high energy hustle guys. He’s putting that together nicely. Always interesting to see a GM have a clear view of what he wants and showing the ability to bring the plan to fruition.
Update: Just a nice descriptive quote here
“We haven’t had tenacious, nasty guys,” Suns General Manager Steve Kerr said. “I think Robin Lopez is that way. Louis is that way. Matt Barnes is that way. We’re trying to complement our guys.”
Paul Coro over at Arizona Central has three recent updates on his blog discussing the circumstances and issues surrounding their second round draft pick Dragic.
The first article discussed the buyout, the Suns contribution, the possible Suns-Dragic contract and the main holdup for Tau:
Tau Ceramica did acknowledge for the first time in El Correo that there has been interest from the Suns to sign Dragic. There is no big news there. We have known for a while that the Suns would be willing to contribute $500,000, the maximum a NBA team can pay in an international buyout, to get Dragic out of his contract. And since Phoenix’s free agency targets fell through, we’ve known that the Suns are willing to use some of their mid-level exception so they can pay Dragic enough to cover his buyout. That would take a multi-year deal starting at almost $2 million because Dragic’s buyout will be more than the $1.55 million that his Tau contract stipulated for next July. He had no buyout in his contract for this summer.
The biggest factor in getting Dragic to Phoenix now seems to be Tau’s ability to find a backup point guard to replace him.
If Tau do find their new backup point guard the good news is that it will be soon and in plenty of time before camp
The good thing for the Suns is that this process could be resolved, one way or another, by the end of next week. Tau’s schedule operates about a month ahead of a NBA timeline so imagine a NBA team letting its roster stay incomplete late into September. Tau is going to want to firm up its team because it starts playing “friendlies” in September.
Then came the articles titled – “Not So Fast” and “Not So Fast Part Two”. This first was in response to some Dragic quotes in a Spanish newspaper
Earlier in the week, there were overseas reports saying Goran Dragic was going to play the coming season with Tau Ceramica. Dragic’s own words about staying in Europe were either misunderstood or he was speaking with political correctness, much like a player who knows he’s going to be traded but talks of his current team as if he’s going nowhere.
The second was in response to a SportingNews article
Today, the rush to judgment comes from the other side of the pond and the other side of the Dragic choices. Sportingnews.com reported that the Suns are “ready to sign” Dragic and that Dragic is “intent” on signing a deal with Phoenix. Both assertions have been known for a while but that has not got a deal done in the six weeks that have passed since the draft.
Here’s what happened with Dragic up in Slovenia when he made the quotes
What apparently prompted the confidence that Dragic is coming to Phoenix was the same event that prompted the Dragic-to-stay reports in Slovenian and Spanish stories earlier this week. Remember when Dragic made the comments about staying to Slovenian reporters and they were picked up by Spanish media? It turns out Dragic was coming out of the offices of Geoplin Slovan, his original Slovenian club (not the one that Tau loaned him to last season). He was there to sign a release document that allows Tau to negotiate a buyout with Dragic.
That action is prompted by the court case that Geoplin Slovan won earlier this summer in Slovenia, where it was ruled that Dragic was under contract to play there when he signed his contract with Tau. That ruling has enabled Geoplin Slovan to negotiate for a percentage of any buyout Dragic agrees to signing with Tau. That is just one of the “red tape” hurdles that we’ve been hearing about to slow the process of Dragic coming to the Suns.
The reason for the optimism
The release document is a significant step toward Dragic getting an early buyout from Tau, where his contract did not have a buyout until next summer. However, terms of that buyout still need to be negotiated between Dragic and Tau and a contract with the Suns would then need to be done, although the latter is more of a formality if the first part gets done. Tau has a Euroleague point guard in mind to take Dragic’s place as Tau’s backup point guard.
So things are progressing, look good and definitely better, but are very much a long way from being finalized. More patience Suns fans.
I haven’t seen Dragic play but the majority of reports I’ve heard on the man have been flattering.
Here’s the press release via RealGM:
The Miami Heat announced today that they have requested waivers on forward Bobby Jones. Jones was claimed off waivers by the Heat on Aug. 5 after being waived by the New York Knicks on July 29.
Jones, whose first stint with the Heat began on Mar. 12, 2008 after signing a 10-day contract, appeared in six games with Miami during the 2007-08 season and averaged 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 23.8 minutes.
Overall he appeared in 47 games last season, with five teams including the Heat, and averaged 3.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 11.3 minutes per game.
What the hell are Miami doing? Why claim him off the waivers only to waive his butt 10 days later. It’s not you didn’t know him, he played 6 games for you last season. What did you gain here?
Ludicrous behaviour from the Miami Heat
Adrian Wojnarowski at Yahoo Sports has the story:
BEIJING – New Orleans Hornets free agent guard Jannero Pargo, a valued sixth man, has reached an agreement in principle with Moscow Dynamo on a one-year contract worth about $4 million, sources close to the negotiations told Yahoo! Sports.
Some details still needed to be worked out Friday before the contract could be finalized, but sources said there were no hurdles left that should jeopardize the deal.
Pargo will be joining Boki Nachbar and their impressive new head coach David Blatt. The Russian team were able to put more guaranteed money on the table than NBA teams.
This is a really sad day. Pargo was the sixth man on a contender. His exhilirating style of play was a joy to watch and his contributions were extremely important to a weak-then-respectable Hornets bench. The two-man backcourt of he and Paul …. ahh. Big loss for the Hornets.
Not a good day
RealGM has the press release:
The Los Angeles Lakers have signed free agent Josh Powell, it was announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not released.
Powell, a three-year NBA veteran, spent last season with the Los Angeles Clippers where he averaged 5.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 64 games.
Solid signing by LA. Powell is a 5th big in the rotation type of guy, limited in too many ways for more, but a good rebounder and solid defender. He provides great effort and good strength in the paint. Whether or not he plays will be decided how they use primarly Lamar Odom – small forward or 6th man backing up the big positions – and secondarily Radmanovic/Walton – backup power forward minutes. If either situation occurs where they’re taking up minutes at the four spot Josh Powell doesn’t play. Chris Mihm will have minutes at the backup center because he’s just a better basketball player.
Powell is a good insurance signing for their frontcourt. Should have signing someone like Theo Ratliff though, Theo could have been a difference maker for their bench. Similar money, Lakers aimed a bit too low. Still solid move.
Alonzo Mourning did a Q&A with the Miami Herald. Check that out here. There was one question of specific interest
Q: The Heat has not added a center this offseason, so do you get the sense that they’re expecting you to come back and contribute in some capacity?
A: I think Pat Riley is not done. I think he’s going to continue to make the right decisions to build the team to a level that we can possibly contend at some point. At this particular stage I’m not going to look at this as a rush to get back healthy again. I’ve got to take my time and based on my conversations I’ve had with Pat Riley, he told me, “Take your time. I want you to be 100 percent if you’re able to come back and play again.” I’m going to do that.
That’s not a committment to returning to the MIami Heat but it certainly points in that direction which re-inforces the common belief that Alonzo will only return to Miami if he plays next season.
Via RealGM:
Seeking to add additional depth to its backcourt, the Atlanta Hawks General Manager Rick Sund announced today that the club has signed free agent guard Ronald “Flip” Murray to a contract. Per team policy, no other details were released.
“By signing Flip, it provides us with another experienced player who has the ability to play multiple positions for us,” said Sund. “Because of his versatility, he will be a valuable asset for us as a reserve, and we look forward to the contributions he’ll bring this season.”
A 6-3, 197-pound combo (point/shooting) guard, Murray is a six-year veteran who last played for the Indiana Pacers. He saw action in 23 games after he was signed a mid-season free agent (March 1) following his release from the Detroit Pistons, and he averaged 11.0 points and 3.5 assists (.425 FG%, .389 3FG%, .754 FT%) in those contests.
Interesting that his ex-GM Sund was the one to pick him up. Perhaps there are larger expectations than meet the eye?
Flip Murray is a good signing for Atlanta. He should immediately become their primary backup guard and provide good depth to Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson. His scoring ability will help a limited bench.
These were a few articles from the Atlanta-Consistution that I bookmarked when the move happened but did not have the time to post a link to, there’s 5 articles:
(1) The news wire story stating he’s leaving – 624 comments, some interesting if you want to scroll through a bunch of them
(2) More detailed report of Childress leaving for Greece
(3) Examining the numbers in the Childress deal
(4) Losing Childress an astonishing mistake by the Hawks
(5) Q&A on how it happened
There’s a load of interesting information which you may or may not know about the deal from these articles. I’m going to pick out a few that caught my eye at the time:
From the more detailed report of his leaving
Atlanta had offered him a five-year, $33 million contract. But the Hawks slow-paced negotiating tactics and the limits of restricted free agency, combined with what Childress called Wednesday the “opportunity of a lifetime,” resulted in his decision.
Childress, whose net pay from Olympiakos will be $20 million
One Greek newspaper reported that representatives for at least two other players contacted Olympiakos to let the team know that if it didn’t reach terms with Childress that they’d be interested in the same offer.
“I signed this deal with the intention of playing with Olympiakos for the duration,” Childress said, “but obviously, if an opportunity comes up in the NBA I’m more than willing to have my ears open to it. I’m an NBA player and I think I’ve proven that. This is a little change-up.”
From the examining the numbers article:
Former Hawks swingman Josh Childress had no idea he’d be the pioneer he appears to be today, the morning after signing a three-year, $32.5- million contract with Greek powerhouse Olympiakos
Either way you slice it Olympiakos was offering more, including an annual salary nearly twice the value of the Hawks’ offer annually:
— Olympiakos offered three years and $32.5 million, which after taxes paid by the club becomes a net of salary of about $6.7 million a year for Childress.
— The Hawks offered five years and $33 million, which after taxes paid by Childress becomes a net salary of about $3.4 million per year for Childress.
— In addition to the double-stuffed salary Olympiakos also pays for all of Childress’ living expenses, including luxury accommodations, a car and driver and maid service.
— Childress also has an annual opt-out clause in the contract that will allow him to weigh his NBA options, as a restricted free agent provided the Hawks tender a qualifying offer to him, every summer.
— There is no buyout clause in the contract, meaning Childress won’t have to negotiate a compensation package for Olympiakos if he were to return to the NBA before the end of the three year deal.
From the very negative outlook from the Mark Bradley article declaring Childress’ leaving an astonishing mistake
This summer was the test. The Hawks flunked. Are we surprised?
They couldn’t persuade the lesser of their two prized free agents to stay. They got outspent and outhustled by a team from Greece. Think about that.
An NBA-caliber player in the flower of his youth has chosen to play somewhere other than the NBA. It’s unprecedented, yes, but it’s also fitting. After this ham-handed non-negotiation, the Hawks should forfeit all claim to being big-league. They allowed something to happen that simply cannot happen.
This was Childress, speaking via conference call from Athens: “I wanted to get it done early … I was disappointed by the initial Hawks offer. They said, ‘Go out and find another offer’ … There was no urgency, no desire to get anything done.”
This astonishing whiff comes not three months after the Hawks took the Celtics to Game 7 and this woebegone franchise began to buy back the good will lost over a decade of incompetence and indifference. This summer was going to be the time to consolidate precious gains, to prove to a suddenly rapt audience that happy days were here again. Instead we see that, in the serious-about-basketball department, the Hawks weren’t even a match for Greeks bearing gifts.
“After the Boston series, we thought things would get done,” said Childress, speaking of himself and Smith. “But I don’t think there was any commitment shown … We had a good run, we’d done everything we were expected to do, and we were put on hold.”
Sund wasn’t willing to do budge upward, not even after Olympiakos raised the stakes. Said Sund: “Going above the luxury tax with a team under .500 is probably premature.” That’s the kind of small-minded thinking that has, over time, reduced the Hawks to irrelevance. After the pain and suffering of making all those lottery picks and watching them flail, the organization had cause to think this group might well win if kept intact.
For a few dizzying spring days, we dared to believe the Hawks were no longer the Hawks, that they were something better and brighter. Fooled us again.
There’s 188 comments at the end of that article, I only scrambled my way through about 75 of them but nearly all declared their agreement with Mark Bradley and show utter dismay at the Hawks franchise. Several of the comments go into the ownership situation with some comments arguing Belkin was the man to own the club and that present ownership were the actual problem. One 15 year season ticket holder says he’ll never watch a Hawks game again after this. A minor few agree that making a more competitive offer to beat Olympiakos wasn’t a wise move, but most of them show distrust/anger that Childress has no replacement arriving. I looked for a Mo Evans’ article with a comments section but couldn’t find one so no word on whether those fans are content with that move. Sekou Smith, however, does title the report Hawks’ fill Childress void by signing Evans. Many of the 624 comments article sing a similar tune although a few more seem to be at least accepting, some supporting, the decision to let Childress leave.
Moving on to the Q&A
Q. What was the Hawks final offer to Childress, and did they ever raise the stakes after realizing that there was a chance he would leave for Europe?
A. The Hawks offered a five-year deal with a starting salary slightly above the NBA’s $5.5 million mid-level exception that would have totaled $33 million over the life of the contract. They never formally raised their offer, and if they planned on doing so at the 11th hour, it was already too late.
Q. Did Childress’ camp sideswipe the Hawks, or were the Hawks aware that he might pursue his options on the international market?
A. One of his Childress’ agents, Lon Babby, answered that question on a conference call Wednesday morning, “We didn’t sneak out of town. We were in touch with the Hawks on a daily basis. There was an ongoing dialogue. There was nothing melodramatic about how the process unfolded. That’s the reality of it. They were fully prepared for our decision.”
Anyway I just thought that there was interesting information there. Check out the Atlanta-Constitution’s Hawks coverage. There’s some good stuff there, especially on the recent Josh Smith signing. Here’s a quick look-see at what Mark Bradley’s Josh Smith article gets at:
They’ve retained Smith for $58 million, but we’re left to wonder what would have happened had he found an offer for, say, $70 million. Regarding Smith, the Hawks got incredibly lucky.
Yes, keeping Smith has lessened the damage, and thanks to the Grizzlies, keeping him was as easy as falling off a log. But simply sitting back and hoping to get lucky isn’t the hallmark of a big-time franchise. It is, sad to say, the way of a middling and muddled outfit. Like this one.
In the comments section he writes
I don’t think the Hawks have any choice but to match this offer. But the cynic in me wonders what would have happened had Smith found an offer for $70 million, as opposed to $58 million. And I’m guessing he’d have been gone, which would have been simply atrocious.
Clearly the Childress decision is going to affect the outlook of every Hawks fan’s opinions on the Hawks ownership’s intentions. Could be a tough time for GM Sund for a good while, he’ll need to find a way to turn this around and make significant progress to get the fan support fully back.
Via RealGM:
James Gist, the 57th selection in the 2008 draft, signed a contract Monday to play for Angelico Biella, according to the Italian League team’s Web site.
Gist, 6-foot-9 and 235 pounds, played well for the Spurs’ summer league team in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. However, he likely would have spent most of the season with the Spurs’ D-League team in Austin had he signed an NBA contract. By playing in Italy, Gist can get significant playing time without costing the Spurs a roster spot.
Here’s the link to Kentucky.com:
Los Angeles Clippers guard Dan Dickau has signed with Euroleague team Avellino, the club announced Tuesday.
Dickau, 29, averaged 5.3 points and 2.6 assists in 67 games with the Clippers last season, his sixth in the NBA. In 300 career games with Atlanta, Portland, Dallas, New Orleans and Boston, he has posted averages of 5.8 points and 2.5 assists.
His best season came in 2004-05 with New Orleans, when he played in 67 games — 46 starts — and averaged 13.2 points with 5.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.
Avellino president Vincenzo Ercolino said in a report on the Euroleague website that Dickau would be the club’s starting point guard.
“Our aim was to find a player that could make a difference and dictate the tempo of our team,” Ercolino said. “In the end we managed to bring Dan Dickau to Avellino. He is a serious professional with NBA experience. We have nothing to envy of any other playmaker that arrived in Italy this year.”
Good luck Danny boy
From the Daily Herald:
The Bulls are offering Gordon a deal in the range of $59 million over six years and do not want to go any higher because then they would be subject to the NBA’s luxury tax, a dollar-for-dollar penalty when the payroll exceeds the tax threshold of $71.15 million.
Of course, Gordon doesn’t have many options if he wants to bolt from the Bulls. The team would have to agree to any sign-and-trade deal. In order to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, he would have to first sign a one-year qualifying offer worth $6.4 million and spend a lame-duck season with the Bulls. The other option would be to sign with a European team, something Gordon clearly would prefer not to do.
The starting salary is around $8mil so his qualifying offer of $6.4mil isn’t far off that. If he’s willing to roll the dice the immediate financial difference isn’t much. Of course that’s a lot of long term security to pass up.
I think the $59mil is a great deal for Gordon, and likely a bad deal for Chicago, and that he should take the money and run.
The other thing Chicago could do is move some minor contracts like Cedric Simmons and up the offer by a few million. I’m both surprised and unsurprised that they haven’t done this, surprised because they say they want him and are capable of engineering a larger offer, and unsurprised because this gives them a firm negotation figure which they can stand tall against.
From the Oklahoman
Second-round pick Devon Hardin is expected to sign with a team in Turkey. Under NBA rules, Oklahoma City can retain his draft rights for up to one year after his contract ends with his overseas team, allowing Oklahoma City to monitor his development and have the first chance at signing him when he returns.
Hardin, a 6-foot-11 power forward, was the 50th overall pick in this year’s draft. He averaged 9.3 points and 7.4 rebounds in his senior season at California last year.
That’s disappointing. I was hoping the young fella would be in the league next year, especially since Oklahoma City is so weak in the paint.
The Hornets re-sign Ryan Bowen.
“Last year was a lot of fun,” Bowen said. “It was fun to be a part of it, and I enjoyed playing for a great organization. We had a wonderful year. That’s why I wanted to go back.”
For Hornets fans fretting over frontcourt depth, this has to be considered good news. Bowen at the very least provides the team great energy and hustle off the bench, and he’ll again be counted on to spell David West at the power forward spot.
He’s a good practice guy. Nice addition, hopefully he doesn’t have to play because that won’t do the Hornets many favours. Bowen’s the consummate team first role player, he’s a good guy to have knocking around.
RealGM has some Grizzlies news:
The Memphis Grizzlies have renounced their rights to free agents Casey Jacobsen and Andre Brown, according to Inside Hoops.
Jacobsen, a 6-6, 198-pound guard, averaged 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 53 games last season with the Grizzlies.
Brown, a 6-9, 245-pound forward, posted 3.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 33 games for Memphis last season.
I see no reason why Brown or Jacobsen should be in the NBA next season. Good moves by Memphis.
The highlight of these tidbits is the news regarding Michael Finley from the San-An Express.
Two months and one week after he became a free agent, Michael Finley remains a man without a team.
Whether Finley returns for a fourth season in a Spurs uniform appears to be entirely up to him.
The Spurs are believed to have tendered Finley an offer worth more than the veteran minimum of $1.3 million to keep him in San Antonio, where he was a part-time starter on a team that went to the Western Conference finals last season.
If Finley winds up playing anywhere else next season, there’s a chance — however remote — it could be in a familiar haunt.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram, citing Finley’s agent as its source, has reported the Dallas Mavericks have contacted the 35-year-old guard about a possible return to the Metroplex.
Finley spent 8 1/2 seasons with the Mavericks before joining the Spurs as a free agent during the 2005 offseason. However, it seems a long shot Finley would relocate to Dallas.
The Spurs desperately need to replace Michael Finley. Bringing him back would do the club no favours.
Dallas on the other hand would be a decent destination. The article goes on to talk about how the Mavs are loaded on the wings but none of their guys are good player once you get past Josh Howard. Finley could challenge Stackhouse for the 7th man spot or starting spot right away because his perimeter shooting suits the club better. None of their young wings stand out as guys ready to contribute.
Also some news on interesting Spurs draftee James Gist from the same article
An Italian Web site reported Friday that James Gist, the Spurs’ second-rounder from Maryland, had agreed to a deal with a team in Italy. A Spurs source said Gist has not yet signed with any team overseas, leaving open the possibility he still could begin next season in San Antonio.
If Gist were to sign with a foreign team, the Spurs would retain his NBA rights.
Chad Ford has a nice article on the situation:
On Friday, the Hawks got some semblance of redemption. The Grizzlies signed Smith to a five-year, $58 million offer sheet and the Hawks quickly matched the contract, ensuring Smith’s return.
It was a smart move by the Hawks. Many teams would’ve waited the full seven days before deciding to match the offer. The Hawks’ decision to immediately match sent a strong signal to Smith that they wanted him and wanted the healing to begin.
Not hard to see that one coming.
Smith was desperately trying to get out of Atlanta and the Hawks weren’t budging from a lowball offer of $45 million over five years
Did the Grizzlies raise the bar enough? My first thought was no, that they wouldn’t even make the Hawks blink. Well in less than a day the Hawks matched so that assumption was spot on. Did they even make a real play for Smith, Chad has the same question:
As for the Grizzlies, on the surface, their decision to make Smith a big offer looks encouraging. I’ve been critical of owner Michael Heisley’s unwillingness to spend money on the team. Everything they’ve done since January reeks of a team trying to cut costs — at whatever cost.
For weeks the Grizzlies failed to make an offer to the likes of Smith or Iguodala despite being the only team with significant cap room. Their five-year, $58 million offer sheet to Smith has all the appearances of a savvy team taking advantage of a buyers’ market and taking a shot at a young player who could be an All-Star someday at a position that they really need help with.
Look a little deeper and things aren’t as clear. A source in Memphis told me on Friday that the team “already knew” that the Hawks were going to match the offer. The source held out little hope that Smith would actually wear a Grizzlies uniform. Why would the Grizzlies make an offer to a player that they knew they wouldn’t get? According to one GM, it’s all about appearances. “If you’re getting criticized for being cheap and doing nothing this at least counts for something. Now Mike Heisley and [GM] Chris [Wallace] can beat back skeptics who question your commitment to the long-term health of the team. It happens all the time.”
I’m not sure I’m willing to go that far. Smith would’ve been a great fit in Memphis.
Unlike Chad I am willing to go that far. I easily believe and would expect that what the source said is actually be true. Memphis needed to raise that pay level a lot higher in order to trouble Atlanta’s decision and they were unwilling to do it, that’s why Josh was always extremely likely to stay in Atlanta. If Memphis put serious pressure on Atlanta with a max contract or close to it this is a different conversation, but they didn’t. They just made an offer that everyone knew was likely to be matched by Atlanta.
A couple of days ago now there was a great rumour in the Cleveland papers discussing the possibility of JR coming to the Cavs, this is from Terry Pluto over at Cleveland.com:
About the Cavs …
J.R. Smith is a restricted free agent who could provide the Cavaliers with some needed athleticism should they outduel the rebuilding Denver Nuggets for him.The Cavs are talking to Denver about restricted free agent J.R. Smith, and they should go after him hard. The 6-6 Smith is athletic, shot 40 percent on 3-pointers and 46 percent overall while averaging 12.3 points in only 19 minutes a game. With Denver signing wing man Dahntay Jones and being on a binge to cut payroll (they gave Marcus Camby to the Clippers to cut $10 million), it seems Smith should be available. The Cavs have plenty of expiring contracts, which should help Denver if it continues to want to keep payroll under control. Smith won’t be 23 until September. He has averaged 10.9 points in 21 minutes a game during his four-year career. He had some maturity issues in the past, but he also was just a kid who skipped college entirely. Denver has said it will match an offer for Smith. I think the Cavs should offer something close to the mid-level exception and see if the Nuggets will do it — or force their hand in a deal.
Before we rubbish, actually let’s rubbish the rumour, there is no hope Denver let this kid go. He’s too good and his contract will be too friendly to even consider letting him leave. JR Smith’s importance to the Nuggets far outweighs Camby’s, heck he’s the second most important player on their squad and gives the Nuggets a legit 1-2 punch alongside Melo for the future as they look to retool their roster.
Anyway, if the Cavs did manage to do the business and get this done it would be a huge move for Cleveland. Possibly big enough to make them the favourite to get past Boston.
Heck, two years ago JR Smith was dropping 16-17ppg in starters minutes and he’s come on leaps and bounds since then (now scoring 12.3ppg in 19.2mpg, 23ppg per 36 minutes). In a team like the Cavs were they’re desperate for another scorer he’ll have many opportunities to shoot the ball and would be a major scorer. Smith is also freakishly efficient with a TS% of 60% while shooting 40% on threes taking nearly 400 threes in only 19 minutes a night. His scoring skills and shooting ability would complement LeBron perfectly because teams couldn’t hedge off of JR Smith. Add in his ability on the break and penetration in the halfcourt and the Cavs offense could look somewhat dynamic for the first time since Mike Brown joined the club.
Cleveland would also be good for JR. His defense needs work and he’s showing some interest in improving it, in Mike Brown he’d have hands down the best defensive head coach in the league. Brown made Wally World look like a good defender, he can definitely do the same for JR Smith. With some time and hard work Smith could become a good defender in his own right and the Cavs/Brown would speed that process up.
Smith also plays with terrific energy and fearlessness on the court. He was a major sparkplug for the Nuggets over the second half of last season and provide the same for Cleveland.
Mmm – JR Smith and Daniel Gibson – imagine how difficult life becomes for the opposition to double LeBron then. That would be a nightmare for the opposition trying to contain LeBron with those two ready to pounce on any wayward defending …… Add Delonte and Wally as their backups. Z as a natural third scorer. Then the overall toughness from their other bigs of Big Ben, Varejao, Joe Smith, Hickson plus Pavlovic providing a good utility player. That’s a very nice squad, very deep.
Do no underestimate how dangerous Smith is or how deadly a LeBron-Smith combination could become, it could make Cleveland the team to beat out East.
_____________________
The Rocky Mountain News had a reply on their blog
NBA rumors are a way of life, but sometimes common sense must rule. That’s why I had to shake my head Monday when I saw a report out of Cleveland saying the Nuggets and Cavaliers are talking about a deal involving young shooting guard J.R. Smith.
The 22-year-old Smith is a restricted free agent, but there is no indication that he and the Nuggets are going to part ways anytime soon. In fact, I’ve been told by a very reliable source that J.R. is not going anywhere and he could re-sign with Denver within the next 7 to 10 days.
Smith is one of those young players the Nuggets can ill afford to let go
I have no trouble believing this report and find it hard to believe the Nuggets will let Smith leave.
Smith is one of the most promising young players in the league. To draw a parallel to another free agent, this signing has similar potential to that of Chauncey Billups when he signed with Detroit for the MLE out of Minnesota. An excellent young backup who was clearly capable of a lot more and was a very promising player. Smith at the MLE is incredble value for whatever team he joins.
The Memphis Commercial Appeal is reporting:
The Memphis Grizzlies have sent a contract offer worth $58 million to Atlanta Hawks restricted free agent Josh Smith today, according to multiple NBA sources.
As the only team left with significant room under the salary cap, the Griz have shifted out of a summer holding pattern and targeted the versatile 6-9, 235-pound forward.
Atlanta has seven days to match, per league rules, once Smith receives the offer sheet.
Smith’s numbers have increased in each of his four NBA seasons since Atlanta made him a first-round pick out of high school in 2004. He averaged 17.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks last season, helping the Hawks make the playoffs.
The Hawks have said they would match any contract offer to the 22-year-old Smith, but are on the hook next season with big contracts for Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson.
Well I doubt this comes off for the Grizzlies. I don’t think their offer is high enough over what Atlanta were offering Smith to stop them from matching the offer sheet. Likely this means Smith returns to the Hawks.
If it were to go through it would be a nice pickup for the Grizzlies. Smith and Darko would an interesting shot blocking combination in the paint, then Rudy Gay and all their guards. Not bad. That would be an exciting team to watch with good room for development.
Smith is one of the riskiest free agents on the market because of his flaws and because he hasn’t proven himself as an All-Star caliber performer yet. There’s a lot of doutbs about him and a long term contract is a risky investement, but the potential rewards make this contract a good deal.
Here’s a link to the Elson article for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel:
Francisco Elson will have a chance to move into the backup center role behind Andrew Bogut, pending a deal between the Milwaukee Bucks and the 7-foot native of the Netherlands.Sources said the Bucks were considering a potential two-year contract with Elson, who split time last season with the San Antonio Spurs and Seattle SuperSonics.
Calvin Andrews, Elson’s agent, told a Denver media outlet Thursday that an oral agreement was in place with the Bucks.
Andrews said the deal could be completed within 24 hours.
Good signing by the Bucks, Elson was one of the best remaining available big man free agents. I’m surprised so few teams made a run at him.
The Bucks still have a lot of problems on their interior. They were the worst ranked defense, by defensive efficiency, in the NBA last year and they needed to make a big move to significantly alter their D. Elson is a solid pickup but he isn’t a changing force of that magnitutde, he’s not an Anderson Varajeo level backup big man.
Good move. Solid pickup. More work, larger work, needs to be done.
Update: Financials
Elson, who signed a two-year deal with Milwaukee worth around $3 million, is projected as the primary backup to center Andrew Bogut. The Bucks’ pursuit of the 7-foot Dutch native was reported here last week, but contract details had to be completed.
“He’s played over 5,000 minutes in this league and brings experience to our roster,” Bucks general manager John Hammond said. “He’s played for an NBA champion (with San Antonio). He runs the floor, and he’s another guy who can step out and make a face-up jump shot.”
The Bucks now have a big-man group composed of Bogut, Elson, Dan Gadzuric, power forward Charlie Villanueva and veteran Malik Allen. Rookie draft choice Joe Alexander also will be used at power forward and small forward.
“This gives us five bigs,” Hammond said. “And Elson can play the 4 (power forward) and the 5 (center); he’s proved that already.”
Via RealGM:
The Lakers and point guard Sun Yue have agreed to terms on a two-year deal, according to The Los Angeles Daily News.
The team hopes to officially sign Yue within the next few days.
Yue is known as the Chinese version of Magic Johnson because of his playmaking abilities, and will face new teammate Kobe Bryant when China plays the United States on Sunday.
I haven’t seen him play over the past 12 months so I’m not entirely sure where his game is at these days. Hopefully he’s improved because the player I saw last year or the year before that was not an NBA level player. Sun Yue will also have difficulties over his natural position as he joins the Lakers because he doesn’t have the quickness to play the point.
Wait and see but lower your expectations.
Via RealGM:
The Bobcats on Wednesday signed guard Shannon Brown to a one-year deal, according to an Associated Press report.
Brown appeared in 21 games for the Cavaliers and Bulls last season, averaging 5.4 points.
Good signing for the Bobcats. Nice low risk move for a guy with some potential. In games where he started last year (only 5) he scored 13.5ppg and grabbed 6rpg in about 30 minutes of action. He didn’t have the periemter game to complement LeBron but he showed some excellent athleticism and an ability to get to the cup. Playing beside shooters like Carroll and Richardson hopefully will help him get back on the floor. Intriguing player.
From the Times-Picayune:
Pargo’s agent, Mark Bartelstein said the Hornets “don’t seem interested in signing (Pargo) at this point. I don’t think he’ll be back with them at this point.”
Hornets general manager Jeff Bower on Tuesday declined to comment on any on-going negotiations with free agents.
Bartelstein said he really couldn’t characterize the Hornets’ interest or lack thereof in retaining Pargo
It appears the Hornets might be ready to live with Mike James as a backup point guard this season allowing Janerro Pargo to sign with another NBA team, possibly the San Antonio Spurs.
Yeah I don’t know what to make of that. Barlestein talks a lot, it’s likely just hot air. I’m going to continue going under the assumption that the Hornets are by far the most likely team to sign Jannero Pargo
ESPN has the story:
Another established NBA free agent is heading overseas.
Veteran point guard Carlos Arroyo, whose future with the Orlando Magic appeared to vanish after limited minutes in the playoffs and the Magic’s recent signing of Anthony Johnson, has accepted an offer from Israeli giants Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
The signing was officially announced on Monday.
Arroyo’s agent, Leon Rose, confirmed the signing to ESPN.com on Sunday night after Maccabi Tel-Aviv coach Effi Birenboim appeared on the country’s national sports network (Sport5) to tout what is believed to be the richest transaction in Maccabi’s history.
“I’m very happy we’ve completed this signing,” Birnboim said Monday on the club’s Web site. “Arroyo is a player of the highest standard and has been our top priority for a while.”
Sources in Israel said Arroyo will receive an estimated $2.5 million net next season — roughly the equivalent of a $5 million NBA salary after taxes — as part of a three-year contract. The deal includes an opt-out provision that will enable Arroyo to return to the NBA after each of the next two seasons if he chooses.
No real loss. Arroyo is a below par backup point guard who needs to dominate the ball to be effective. He’ll look a much better player in a situation where he’s allowed to be a star like when he plays with his national team, and like what he may have out in Europe.
Arroyo becomes the eighth player who worked in the NBA in 2007-08 to sign with a foreign club since free agency commenced July 1.
The eight players are – Nenad Krstic, Jorge Garbajosa, Carlos Delfino, Boki Nachbar, Josh Childress, Carlos Arroyo, Juan Carlos Navarro, Primo Brezec. Plus young Brandon Jennings.
On the ESPN link they have a sidebar vote asking you to choose who the best player to go abroad is outside of Josh Childress – the leading vote getter is Arroyo at 36%, second place is Krstic at 26%.
I’m going to break this into two parts – unrestricted and restricted. For a full remaining free agency list (last updated (08/01) click here.
Unrestricted Free Agents
#1 Bonzi Wells
Good backup wing who provides a go-to scorer off the bench. Nice post game, limited jumper. Good defender and very good rebounder. Likely will be available for between the minimum and the LLE. Solid 6th man, excellent 7th man. His game is slipping but he’s still a game changer against most sides.
#2 Jannero Pargo
Erratic and inconsistent but a full blown game changer. Great scoring and a solid playmaker. Functional floor general. Great athleticism, good defense. Excellent ballhandler and a very good penetrator. Needs the ball in his hands to effect games. Low efficiency for a guy who shoots as much as he does. Solid 6th men, very good 7th man.
Hornets will very likely hold onto him.
#3 Theo Ratliff
Backup center, 2nd big off the bench. Rebounding, interior defense, shot blocking, experience, toughness. Detroit seem to be going in another direction with Amir Johnson’s continued development and the acquisition of Kwame Brown. Potentially a very solid addition for several teams around the league, both of last year’s finalists should be looking at him.
#4 Francisco Elson
Lower level center. Great athlete, good shot blocker, solid rebounder, solid defender. Very mobile and can cover a lot of different types of big men. He has a very smooth shot offensively but lacks confidence and aggressiveness so you don’t see it too often. He can play in any type of system and will be a fine utility player. Several teams should be looking to him as their 2nd big off the bench and backup center.
There’s three other very interesting names but I omitted them from this list – Alonzo Mourning, Dikembe Mutombo and Shaun Livingston. Until Alonzo says otherwise I don’t believe he’ll leave Miami, if he were to leave he’d easily be the best unrestricted free agent on the market. Heck Alonzo is probably the best backup center in the league today. Deke is another guy that I can’t see leaving his previous team. So the first two were left off because I don’t believe they’re seriously open to new destinations. The third is a talented young player recovering from a serious injury. Nobody knows how much Shaun Livingston has to offer, he’s risky but he’ll likely sign for the minimum and is good value at that price.
Restricted Free Agents
#1 Andre Iguodala
Good scorer, very creative, great ballhandler and passer, great penetrator, top defensive player, excellent athleticism, very good rebounder. A little more work on his scoring ability and shooting ability and he’ll be an All-Star for the next 6-8 years. Excellent two guard.
#2 JR Smith
Excellent prospect for his price range – around the MLE. His price range is what drives him up to the number two spot on this list, he provides incredible value. For a ball park think Chauncey Billups going to Detroit, a player who’s already proven to be a quality contributor but has the talent to be so much more. A potential steal.
He’s already one of the league’s better 6th men. He’s instant energy and competitiveness, a great driving factor off the pine. He has excellent range on his jump shot and is very dangerous off the dribble. Excellent athleticism and a great finisher in traffic. Extremely efficient scorer. Game is too one-dimensional to be a star but he’s working on that. Offensively his only value is his scoring, he’s not much of a passer or playmaker and doesn’t rebound well enough. His overall court awareness is improving but still needs work. Doesn’t rebound enough either. He’s showing signs of extra effort on the defensive end which is very encouraging (although he’s still a weak defender). Getting his defense up to a respectable level is his biggest priority because whatever team he’s on won’t be able to keep him off the floor with his scoring ability if he can defend also.
Every team in the league that has the MLE at their disposal should be considering signing him, he could be an 18-22ppg very shortly if he ends up in a good situation.
#3 Josh Smith
Erratic in every respect. Terrible shot selection, very poor jump shooter, bad decision making, doesn’t go to the post enough, doesn’t use his quickness on penetration often enough, below par rebounder, poor man-to-man defender, turnover prone. Very good help defender but cheats too much to be an excellent help defender. Excellent shot blocker. Good perimeter skills for a power forward, below average for a small forward. Versatile for a power forward. Has spent the last four years turning himself into a power forward and he’s far more effective at that position. Great potential but he doesn’t seem to have the smarts to bring out his best game. Good worker.
Josh Smith drops to #3 on the list largely because of his contract demands. HIs new deal could be a make or break type of contract depending on whether or not he fulfills his potential. Risky signing.
#4 Carl Landry
Didn’t play much. Only 42 games, only 16 minutes a night. Then Yao went down and his role changed too much from where it should naturally be, muddying the picture even further. It’s hard to tell how good he is. Is he one of the best backup bigs in the league? Or is he a good backup big who had a terrific stretch?
Landry is an very good rebounder. He’s also an excellent finisher around the rim and has a good shot out to about 16 feet. He’s very smart and his movement off the ball is excellent, generally creating several easy opportunities a night. He’s a tough player and likes to get dirty in the paint. Will do the little things that make you win. Provides great energy every night.
Value is hard to workout because of the short span of games. Going full MLE is very risky. At 3-3.5mil he’s brilliant value.
Houston won’t let him leave. Maybe a full MLE contract could make them hesitate but maybe not. They’re right too. Landry showed a lot in that short stretch, enough for him to be in the ball park next to guys like Maxiell. All eyes on where he goes from here.
Delonte West is the only other unrestricted free agent who should garner more than a minimum contract, but he’s a questionable talent who has considerably more value to his own team than others so expect him to remain in Cleveland.
Shocked at this signing. The Detroit Free Press has the news:
The Pistons have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with backup Walter Herrmann.
The 6-foot-9 small forward was an unrestricted free agent and salary information was not disclosed.
They clearly immerse themselves in the detail. Two lines. Love it.
The reason why I was shocked at the move was because of the complete lack of minutes Herrmann suffered while with the Pistons last season. Detroit were desperate for another wing and he couldn’t get in there, he couldn’t beat out Jarvis Hayes (not hard competition) and he couldn’t take the vacated minutes when Hayes was dumped from the rotation. Clearly Joe Dumars felt Herrmann had an awful lot more to offer than Flip Saunders was getting out of him … and he’s right because he does have a lot more to offer.
Great signing by the Pistons. Herrmann should be the backup small forward next season the primary backup on the wing unless Aaron Afflalo makes a big leap.
Guessing the contract is the minimum or perhaps the remaining portion of the MLE ($1.8mil).
Here’s the article from the Orlando Sentinel:
Center Adonal Foyle has re-signed with the Orlando Magic for the 2008-09 season.
A 10-year-veteran, Foyle opted out of his two-year contract after last season to become a free agent.
He was disappointed he had lost playing time in the playoffs to rookie Marcin Gortat, but the Magic wanted him back. He agreed to return after talking to the Magic this week, and he and Gortat will back up all-star Center Dwight Howard. Foyle, 33, came to Orlando after reaching a buyout agreement with the Golden State Warriors after the 2006-07 season.
Great signing for the Magic. Their center position is now very solid with Dwight-Battie-Gortat-Foyle. There were no financial terms but it must be a vet’s minimum contract.
I’m kind of shocked that Foyle decided to stay with the Magic. I don’t blame him for being unhappy as a 3rd string center, he’s better than that and can provide more value to other teams. As for next season, I picture Gortat beating him out again. It looks like Gortat is continuing to improve (good summer league) and that his game is more well rounded than Foyle, especially his offensive game which offers to the Magic. Battie will become the first choice backup when Orlando wish to play small, but minutes will open up for Gortat if Orlando play bigger. I wonder if they’ll keep that same starting lineup (Pietrus instead of Mo) or not, use Battie as a 6th man? I’d like to see a Nelson-Hedo-Lewis-Battie-Howard lineup just to see how it might do. That could be very intresting.
2008 Free Agent List
Unrestricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Baron Davis, Chris Duhon, Jannero Pargo, Anthony Johnson, Eddie House, Sebastian Telfair, Keyon Dooling, Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, Roger Mason, Juan Dixon, Kevin Ollie, Earl Boykins, Anthony Carter, Jason Williams, Dan Dickau, Darrell Armstrong, Carlos Arroyo, Tyronn Lue, Royal Ivey, Salim Stoudamire, Alex Acker, Sam Cassell, Damon Stoudamire, Smush Parker, Blake Ahearn
Wings/Combo Forwards: Corey Maggette, James Posey, Bonzi Wells, Tony Allen, Mickael Pietrus, Mo Evans, Ricky Davis, Kareem Rush, Boki Nachbar, James Jones, Walter Herrmann, Quinton Ross, Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Devin Brown, Devean George, Derek Anderson, Jarvis Hayes, Ira Newble, Antoine Wright, Kirk Snyder, Fred Jones, Matt Barnes, Goran Giricek, Eric Piatowski, Von Wafer, Casey Jacobsen, Mickael Gelabale, Shannon Brown, Yakhouba Diawara, Ronald Dupree, DeMarr Johnson, Pat Garrity, Linton Johnson, Mario West, Awvee Storey, Ryan Bowen
Big Men: Elton Brand, Alonzo Mourning, Kurt Thomas, Dikembe Mutombo, DeSagana Diop, Francisco Elson, Theo Ratliff, Kwame Brown, Brian Skinner, Chris Andersen, Robert Horry, Eduardo Najera, Malik Allen, Austin Croshere, Adonal Foyle, Primoz Brezec, Calvin Booth, Nick Fazekas, Paul Davis, Earl Barron, Michael Ruffin, Jake Voshkul, Michael Doleac, Randolph Morris, Louis Admundson, Sean Marks, Dwayne Jones, Juwan Howard, Scott Pollard, Lorenzon Wright, Herbert Hill, Othella Harrington, Shavlik Randolph, Jamaal Magloire, DJ Mbenga, Andre Brown, Patrick O Bryant
Restricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, Ben Gordon, Louis Williams, Daniel Gibson, Sasha Vujacic, Delonte West, Flip Murray, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jose Juan Barea, Chris Quinn, Andre Owens
Wings/Combo Forwards: Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, JR Smith, Josh Childress, Carlos Delfino, Kelenna Azubuike, Ryan Gomes, CJ Miles, Dorell Wright, Demetris Nichols, Marcus Williams, Ersan Ilyasova, Jeremy Richardson, Kasib Powell
Big Men: Josh Smith, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, Nenad Krstic, Carl Landry, Ronny Turiaf, Chris Richard, Robert Swift, David Harrison, Craig Smith, Ryan Hollins
Likely To Retire
PJ Brown, Lindsey Hunter
Limited Salary Protection - to varying degrees – Crossed out means Waived
Leon Powe, Brandon Bass, Marcin Gortat, Josh Powell, Mike Harris, CJ Watson, DJ Strawberry, Bobby Jones, Taureen Green, Loren Woods, Coby Karl, Lance Allred, Keith Van Horn, Joel Anthony, Stephane Lasme, JamesOn Curry
Free Agents Unemployed In NBA End Of Last Season - Large Majority Unlikely To Return to NBA
Point/Combo Guards Keith McLeod, Darrick Martin, John Lucas, Eddie Gill, Will Bynum, Jay Williams, Randy Livingston,
Wings/Combo Forwards Jorge Garbajosa, Gerald Green, Ruben Patterson, Richie Frahm, Darius Miles, Doug Christie, Dahntay Jones, Jackie Manuel, Luke Jackson, Justin Reed, Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, Eddie Robinson, Eric Williams
Big Men Marc Jackson, Justin Williams, Mike Sweetney, Jelani McCoy, Michael Olowokandi, Jackie Butler, Kelvin Cato, Dale Davis, Lonny Baxter, Alan Henderson, Rod Benson, Samaki Walker, Wayne Simien, Chris Taft, Stanislav Medevenko, Lawrence Roberts, James Singleton, Mo Taylor, Aaron Williams, Alexander Johnson, Danny Fortson, Elton Brown, Ha Seung-Jin
The Phily Inquirer has the story
The future, in a sense, arrived yesterday when the Sixers agreed to the terms of a 5-year contract with their restricted free agent guard. There are apparently a few minor nuances that need to be worked out before the deal can be finalized.
While additional terms of the deal were not immediately known, it is reasonable to assume the package for the fourth-year combo guard is worth somewhere between $25 million and $27 million.
Yesterday, Merle Scott, Williams’ agent, told the Daily News, “It’s a good deal for Louis. It gives him a chance to grow with a team that’s building and allows him to stay with the team he came into the [NBA] with.”
The future the Sixers had been planning for with Williams began to significantly take shape last season, when he appeared in 80 games and averaged 11.3 points in 23 minutes.
As the No. 45 overall pick in 2005, he became the first high school player selected by the Sixers since they chose Darryl Dawkins at No. 5 in 1975. Williams put together 3,338 points, 768 rebounds, 650 assists and 355 steals as South Gwinnett High went 103-16 during his 4-year career.
Great signing by the Sixers.
We’ll go with the reported figures – I’m surprised Louis Williams got so little money, I expected him to be up around the MLE at least. If I’m an opposing team I’m definitely telling Louis and his agent that I’m happy to try test Phily’s resolve with a full MLE offer. Louis Williams is already one of the better 6th men in the league (which is worth MLE consideration by itself) and he clearly has a ton of potential. The Sixers got a great deal financially here. If Louis takes over the starting point, in say 3 years, from Andre Miller this deal will look like a steal.
It was imperative that the Sixers re-signed this guy if they wanted to contend for a Championship. Had they lost Williams. their bench would have looked very vulnerable. Louis’ scoring (a point every two minutes) balances out role players like Reggie Evans and Jason Smith. His all round play is very important because it gives the Sixers a 6th starting quality player who can come in and change games. Their bench now looks very well rounded with Louis, their three strong backup bigs, Kareem Rush and Willie Green.
On another note the signing of Louis Williams keeps their youngsters together – Iggy, Young, Speights, Smith. It also gives the Sixers a very good in house option to replace Andre Miller when age starts to derail his game.
Fantastic signing by the Sixers
Other Sixers News
According to CSN, Iggy is asking for $75mil over 6 years. Considering some of the other big money moves and Luol Deng’s contract in particular … Iggy will get that money. He’d deserve that more than the money fellow 2004 picks Deng, Biedrins, and Bogut got. The strength of the 2010 free agent class might be a dissuading factor on Iggy’s willingness to play out the year under his qualifying offer.
From the Chronicle:
“It would surprise me if they thought he would come back for the veteran’s minimum,” Falk said. “I’ve know (Rockets owner) Leslie Alexander for a long time. Dikembe has a very good relationship with Les. We’ll get together when we get back and see if there can be a situation for Dikembe to consider playing another season.”
The minimum for a veteran with Mutombo’s experience is roughly $1.3 million. If he was paid the minimum, however, the Rockets would only pay $ $797,581 of that amount (with the NBA subsidizing the difference) and only the amount the Rockets pay would count when calculating whether their payroll exceeds the luxury tax threshold.
“That’s all stuff we need to negotiate with him,” Morey said. “I don’t know if what we’re doing has been decided. We’re planning to sit down with Dikembe, it looks like after the Olympics. We hope to convince him to return.”
“I am as aware as anyone of the tax situation,” Falk said. “I don’t know it would be up to one guy to prevent them from facing a tax situation. He is an important building block and significant piece of the puzzle.”
Paying Dikembe anything above the minimum will make a considerably larger luxury tax issue. If Deke got a 500k rise on the minimum it would cost the Rockets $2mil more … as explained in the article the league pays anything above that $798k mark which is $500k in Deke’s case. Once a contract goes above the minimum, the team has to pay the entirety of the contract. So that’s one million (500k twice because of the luxury tax), and then another million from the 500k rise. So $2mil to pay Deke an extra $500k. Clearly it’s going to be very expensive for the Rockets to pay Dikembe Mutombo more than the veteran minimum.
What surprises me more is asking for more than the minimum after he signed for the minimum last season when he earned $1.2 million.
At the end of the day I expect him to sign for a minimum contract. If the Rockets do need to pay more I reckon they will because Deke holds enough value to them, especially in the locker room, and because their other options are fairly limited. Mutombo is still good value at around double his wages last year and I don’t believe he’ll get that type of increase anyway, so he’ll be a good signing for the Rockets when he does re-join the team.
First Move
Two days ago now the Clippers released Josh Powell. Here’s the press release from RealGM:
The Los Angeles Clippers today waived forward Josh Powell, it was announced by Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor. In 64 games played last season, Powell averaged 5.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 19.2 minutes per game.
I’m very surprised at this move. Powell was their second best big man last year (not saying a lot) and this was still a team that had no big man depth. Who is going to relieve Camby and Kaman? Now Powell shouldn’t have been playing anywhere near the minutes he was last season but he was a solid 5th big in the rotation or second big off the bench if his team had no depth. He provided some decent defense and good rebounding, offensively he was a low usage type of role player (a guy who doesn’t need touches). Powell was a player who could have contributed off the bench this upcoming season.
While I was surprised it wasn’t totally out of the blue. Josh Powell was on a short list of players who had limited salary protection – non guaranteed contracts – so he was first in line for a team looking to cut salary.
One of the other reasons the Clippers might have let him go was their faith in two youngsters – DeAndre Jordan and Nick Fazekas. Fazekas had a productive run with the Clippers late last season and the Clipps seem interested to find out more about him. I’m unsure of his abilities mainly because of his lack of athleticism, he might be the most unathletic player in the NBA today and it causes him serious difficulties. Still he’s a smart player who rebounds well and can score so you hope he work around his athletic disadvantages. DeAndre Jordan is a very promising prospect but I pictured him being a 3rd string center as a rookie and blossoming later on after he improves on his basic package of skills.
Another reason the Clippers could have let Powell go is because of their quality and depth on the perimeter. Perhaps they’re planning on playing small ball this season. Al Thornton logged a lot of minutes last season as a power forward and could be the player that enables such an adventure. They also have Tim Thomas who can play both forward positions equally. That gives the club good flexibility in their lineups.
Second Move
Yesterday the Clippers made a very wise move and fixed some of their big man depth by signing veteran Brian Skinner.
Originally drafted by the Clippers in the first round (22nd overall pick) of the 1998 NBA Draft, Skinner is a 10-year NBA veteran who returns to Los Angeles after playing 66 games last season with the Phoenix Suns. Skinner averaged 3.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.2 assists for Phoenix in 2007-08. “Brian Skinner is a veteran NBA player who will give us both size and depth in the middle,” Baylor said. “We are familiar with Brian and know that he will be a good fit in his return to the Clippers.”
Specifics of the deal weren’t released but the Clippers only have the veteran minimum to offer and it’s likely a one year contract.
I like Brian Skinner. He’s a big man who knows his business. He provides tough defense and good rebounding. He’ll help the Clippers. His addition also makes the Powell loss a lot easier to take although I would have kept both until I was sure on Fazekas/Jordan.
Anyway great move by the Clippers in adding Brian Skinner. He’ll help that team.
Other Clippers News
Since we’re talking about the Clippers, there was a few interesting quotes in this Ricky Davis article:
“As long as I’m out there in that fourth quarter and it’s time to win that game,” Davis said. “That’s when I want to be playing.
It’ll be interesting to find out what role Ricky is playing for the Clippers next season. They have two nice prospects on the wing in Gordon/Thornton and two vets in Mobley/Thomas. Will Ricky be a guy that finishes games for them? I didn’t think so (I was going with the youngsters) but possibly.
Sounds like someone else is trying to side step and downplay the loss of Elton Brand
“At the end of the day, guards win games,” said Neil Olshey, Clippers director of player personnel. “And we have some pretty darn good guards all of a sudden. We have guys who can score, create their own shots, shoot the ball with range.”
Moving on, Elgin Baylor likes their chances this season
“I think we have the potential in my mind to be a playoff team,” said Elgin Baylor, vice president of basketball operations. “We’re much stronger with the addition of these two players.” [the second player he was referring to was Jason Hart]
I don’t know about the playoffs, currently i have the Clippers at the bottom of a three team (Dallas, Denver) race for the eight seed. They definitely have a shot at making the playoffs though. Elgin is 100% correct about the Clippers getting a lot better with those two additions, and better again with Skinner, these moves give the Clippers the depth necessary to make a legitimate run at the playoffs.
Update:
Well it certainly wasn’t faith in Nick Fazekas, the Clips just withdrew their qualifying offer. Here’s the press release via RealGM:
he Los Angeles Clippers today announced that the team and forward Nick Fazekas have agreed to the withdrawal of the teams qualifying offer dated June 25, making Fazekas an unrestricted free agent. Signed by the Clippers as a free agent on March 18, Fazekas appeared in 26 games last season for Los Angeles, averaging 4.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 10.3 minutes
A little surprising considering they also let Josh Powell go. I didn’t really understand why Fazekas was going to be in the NBA next season so my initial expectations were that the Clips were letting him go. They surprised me when they made that qualifying offer. Fazekas didn’t have much of a summer league in either of the past two seasons but he did have that 26 game stretch last season where he clearly showed some interesting skills.
Because of his lack of athleticism I think it best that he goes to Europe. He’s a talented basketball player who can have a good pro career somewhere, his athleticism is just so awful that sadly I don’t think he can achieve that in the NBA.
Bulls waive JamesOn Curry
As expected, the Bulls waived 2007 second-round pick JamesOn Curry on Thursday. The guard never played in a regular-season game.
By releasing Curry, the Bulls are only obligated to pay $100,000 of his partially guaranteed salary for next season. Counting Ben Gordon’s tender offer, the Bulls currently have 13 players under contract.
ESPN has the news:
Derrick Rose was the No. 1 overall pick in last month’s NBA draft, but Luol Deng still ranks as the Chicago Bulls’ cornerstone player.
That status appeared to be slammed home Tuesday night when NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that Deng and the Bulls, after more than a year of slow-moving negotiations, are suddenly on the verge of completing a new contract that will keep the restricted free agent in Chicago.
With Deng committed to leaving for England by week’s end to join Great Britain’s national team — and insisting to the Bulls that he would not negotiate with them further without a deal by Friday — sources said that the sides have verbally agreed on a new six-year pact worth a guaranteed $71 million.
Sources said that Deng’s agent, Jason Levien, flew into Chicago to spend Tuesday at the Bulls’ offices finalizing the deal, which could be announced as soon as Wednesday.
Update: The Bulls offer is worth up to $80mil including incentives.
Yeah I don’t know about this. I’m a big fan of Luol Deng’s game but he wasn’t worth that type of money. $60mil would have been about right and that’s paying for a decent bit of potential. This deal reminds me a lot of Richard Jefferson when he re-signed with the Nets for $78mil over 6 years. From the first minute he signed that deal you could tell it would be a problem down the road. The Bulls are about $1mil less per annum so that will help but will it be enough to stop Deng’s contract becoming an albatross around their neck?
The problem with Deng is that he’s a fairly one-dimensional player offensively. He scores and that’s it. His handle and passing are both functional but neither are game changing. He doesn’t create anything for his teammates, he just knows how to look after his own scoring. His scoring is also fairly straight forward since he doesn’t have three point range, doesn’t create well in iso’s, doesn’t post up well enough. Deng is excellent off the ball and he has a money midrange jump shot that stretches out to about 20 feet. He’s also an excellent finisher on the break but doesn’t run a break well. Deng also doesn’t get to the FT line well so easy points can be hard to come by. Not only does Deng have a one-dimensional offensive game and a fairly straight forward scoring repertoire but he also doesn’t score that much. He was slowed a bit by injuries which limited his minutes and effectiveness last season, so let’s take the previous year where he was only an 18.8ppg scorer. That’s good but hardly go-to player worthy especially when you further consider his inability to create for others.
Defensively I love what Deng brings to the table. He’s got great size, good lateral quickness, great strength so physically he has a nice package. After that he’s very disciplined defensively, has good positioning and anticipation skills. He’s a high quality man-to-man defensive player and a good team defender. He isn’t the type to create turnovers but he does force low percentage shots and make the opposing players life difficult.
His next greatest strength is his rebounding. He adds 7rpg playing mostly at small forward which is a great number. HIs superior size, defensive ability and rebounding skills allow him to play some power forward in small ball lineups.
I said earlier that he was slowed by injuries (achilles) last season so I expect him to play better next season and above his level of performance from a year prior.
Because of the large nature of his contract and his fairly one-dimensional offensive game a huge onus is going to be on Deng’s ability to score. He’s going to have to become a go-to option for his team in order to be worth that type of money ($71 over 6 years). He doesn’t have the moves yet to be that type scorer and he doesn’t have the versatility with his scoring to beat defenses that hone in on him. Right now it’s doubtful that Deng can be more than a third option on a contender for a title.
The Bulls then gradually raised their offer to a higher annual average that Deng turned down in October, when Chicago was limited to offering him a five-year extension and presented the 6-foot-9 forward with a five-year package worth $57.5 million. As ESPN.com reported earlier this month, Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf chose to personally handle the bulk of the negotiations with Deng’s camp as opposed to the standard practice of Bulls general manager John Paxson serving as lead negotiator.
This scares the life out of me. I hate, hate with a passion, interfering owners. We all knew that Reinsdorf was that already and that he’d complicated matters in the past but this is just terrible. It sends an awful message about the authority and security of John Paxson. If I’m a Bulls fan I’m terrified by this because clearly nobody is truly in charge. How is Paxson ever going to fulfill his vision for the team if Jerry keeps sticking his head through the door and putting his own agenda first?
Some other relevant news
The immediate prospects for Gordon, by contrast, are much harder to gauge. ESPN.com reported earlier this month that there is some sentiment in the Bulls’ organization to keep Kirk Hinrich — a Reinsdorf favorite — and play him at shooting guard alongside Rose and Deng while attempting to move Gordon via sign-and-trade. Sources said Tuesday that Gordon indeed has been shopped by the Bulls this month in various sign-and-trade scenarios.
Here’s the press release from RealGM
The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that guard Taurean Green and guard/forward Bobby Jones have been waived. Both had been acquired on Monday from Denver, along with a 2010 second-round draft choice, for forward Renaldo Balkman and cash considerations
Not surprising. A quick decision on Green was necessary because his contract became guaranteed on August 1st so you knew something was going to happen today.
Meanwhile the Hawks have signed ex-Knick and local product Randolph Morris.
Randolph Morris won’t go far from home for the next stop on his NBA journey.
The former Landmark Christian star has agreed to a two-year contract with the Hawks, according to two people familiar with the situation.
Morris, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound center/power forward has agreed to the NBA minimum salary, which is about $1.7 million for the two years.
A one-time AAU Atlanta Celtics teammate of Hawks free agent forward Josh Smith and Orlando All-Star and Olympic team starter Dwight Howard, Morris took a different path to the NBA than the former first-round picks.
Due to a provision in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement, Morris was prohibited from re-entering the draft, thus the free-agent status he held throughout his junior season at Kentucky.
A first-team All-SEC pick as a junior, when he averaged 16.2 points, 7.8 rebound and 2.1 blocks, Morris signed with the Knicks.
Morris will help solidify a Hawks’ frontcourt rotation that has been woefully thin the past three years.
Al Horford held down the starting job at center as a rookie last season and was backed up by Zaza Pachulia. The Hawks had no one else log significant minutes at center.
Morris is capable of working at both center and power forward for the Hawks, who still have to sort out Smith’s future. The restricted free agent is still in the midst of slow-paced negotiations with the team on a potential contract extension.
Nice move by the Hawks. I’m still intrigued by Morris as a pro and I’m hopeful that he can make it in this league. He signed for the minimum which is good, and they’ve given themselves to years to try and work him into a player. I don’t expect to see much of Morris in his first year as a Hawk player, he isn’t good enough to take minutes away from Horford/Pachulia so he’ll be third string and regularly collecting DNPs … but in a year’s time Pachulia will be a free agent. If Morris works his socks off he can make a claim for that backup position instead of spending another $4mil per on Zaza
………………………………………………..
In largely unrelated news the Magic just released James Augustine. Similar move as the Knicks, Augustine has limited salary protection on his contract and wasn’t good enough to be kept around. He shouldn’t be in the NBA next year.
ESPN reports that Okafor has reached an agreement with the Bobcats over an extension:
The Charlotte Bobcats have agreed in principle on a six-year contract worth at least $72 million with restricted free agent Emeka Okafor.
General manager Rod Higgins confirmed the agreement Tuesday to local reporters, saying that he expects the contract to be completed “in the next few days” after an ESPN.com report said the sides had made significant progress in the past week and were on the verge of a deal.The agreement with Okafor by far represents Charlotte’s biggest expenditure on one player as the club readies for its fifth season. Okafor turned down a five-year deal with a similar $12 million annual average before last season, preferring to wait for restricted free agency.
“It was very important for us to get a deal done,” Higgins told The Associated Press. “He creates a sense of security around the basket for us. He’s a guy that I think his skills are still developing in a lot of ways. Having Larry [Brown] as our head coach now, Emeka will benefit having a great coach to teach him.”
Terrible move by the Bobcats. It’s simply too much money. Okafor isn’t good enough to be the best big man on a contender. He’s a good player but he’s a notch or two below being an All-Star. This will be a debilitating contract for the club. Now with Richardson, Emeka, Wallace, Carroll, Nazr all taking up the cap space … there’s just no room for the club to go. They’ve maxed out as a 30-something win ball club. This is a very depressing day for a Bobcats fan.
Kate Fagan breaks the news over at the Phily Inquirer:
The 76ers have reached an agreement with free-agent guard Kareem Rush.
A source close to Rush has confirmed that the shooting guard is in Philadelphia and will sign with the Sixers tomorrow.
Terms of the deal were not known.
Rush played last season with the Indiana Pacers, averaging 8.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. He also shot 38.9 percent from the three-point line. Last season, the Sixers were last in the league in three-point shooting.
Rush is a five-year NBA veteran who also played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Bobcats.
His best season came in 2004-05, when he averaged 11.5 points a game for Charlotte.
Great signing by the Sixers. They just added Kareem Rush to their squad. Beautiful, perfect fit. Excellent move.
Rush was the Pacers best perimeter defender last season. He’s a high quality perimeter shooter and a good complementary scorer. He’s intelligent and plays his role well. Just a perfect fit for their roster
Ed Stefanski continues to impress. Just an excellent fit, the best possible fit on the market place. Brilliant signing.
From NetsDaily:
Nenad Krstic has a two-year deal worth more than $5 million per year in place with a Russian team named Triumph and will sign there if the Nets don’t work out a sign-and-trade with another NBA club by midnight Monday. Krstic would prefer to remain in the NBA, and he would be able to return after a year should he go to Russia. In an interview with a Serbian radio station, Krstic said the NBA is no longer his priority.
There’s a few other links from NetsDaily for more information. Here’s one of them, D’Alessandro adds this:
The Nets are about to lose Nenad Krstic – once the jewel of their young player development program – and it doesn’t bother them in the least.
The 25-year-old big man is expected to sign a two-year deal with a team in Moscow worth roughly $10 million, he confirmed in an interview this morning with the Serbian-language website Mondo.
And his former employer considers this a win-win situation.
The Nets now don’t have to worry about another center-starved NBA team giving him an offer sheet they could be forced to match, they will still retain his rights, and – at a time when they’ll be preoccupied with developing the likes of Yi Jianlian and Brook Lopez – Krstic can use the next year or two to get back to the level he played at in 2006-07, before he tore his knee ligament.
“Considering we’re losing a starting-quality player, it’s not necessarily bad, put it that way,” one high-level Nets official said. “He’s an awfully good player, but he has to get his confidence back, so maybe it’s a good thing.”
In other words, the Nets will watch him closely for the next year or two, take him back when he is ready or allow him to increase his trade value in the interim. And if Krstic doesn’t regain what he once had before December 2007 — when a torn ACL detoured his quest of becoming one of the most promising young big men in the league — they don’t lose a penny.
Cold? Perhaps.
I don’t know what to think about this. On one hand it’s excellent for Jersey because it’s a win-win long term. The Nets will still have the option to make Krstic a restricted free agent in two years time, so they’ll effectively have first option on the man. They take no financial risk whatsoever. They allow Krstic to get the court time he needs to develop back his confidence and conditioning, if he does they regain a very effective starting quality big man in the NBA. If Krstic fails they lose nothing.
On the other hand they’re losing a player who’s been their best big man for four years now. He’s had some injury difficulties but surely he’ll recover from them after a full offseason to build his strength back up. Krstic is a player who could help them.
Then again the Nets are loaded with young talent at their bigs – specifically three players in Lopez, Yi, Williams – who all also need court time. They’re overloaded at those two positions and the void left by Krstic would actually make selection issues easier.
It’s a very odd situation.
If Krstic leaves he’ll be the best NBA player this offseason to leave the NBA.
ESPN reports:
LOS ANGELES — The Clippers continued their offseason makeover Monday, signing veteran swingman Ricky Davis to a multiyear contract.
Sources told ESPN.com’s Chad Ford that the deal was for two years, $4.7 million with an opt out clause for Davis after his first year.
Davis, an unrestricted free agent who turns 29 in September, averaged 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while playing in all 82 games for the Miami Heat last season. He shot 43.3 percent from the floor, 40.5 percent on 3-pointers and 78.7 percent from the foul line.
“With his ability to score and shoot from the outside, it’s really going to open up the floor for us, particularly our low-post players,” Los Angeles general manager Elgin Baylor said. “He can score from outside, he can score from inside. He’s versatile; he can play [shooting guard], he can play [small forward].
“He’s been terrific coming off the bench, instant offense. That’s up to the coach [Mike Dunleavy] to decide, how he’s going to use him. Most likely, he’ll come off the bench. That’s been his strength.”
The 6-foot-7 Davis has averaged 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 31.1 minutes in his career. He was chosen with the 21st overall pick of the 1998 draft by the Charlotte Hornets after one year at Iowa, where he averaged 15.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Davis had his best season with the Cleveland Cavaliers five years ago, averaging 20.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists in 79 games
Very good signing by the Clippers. They needed another wing who could score and create his own shot out on the perimeter. Ricky’s shooting ability will also be another big plus for them. They’ve really solidified their perimeter rotation with this move – Baron, Hart, Cuttino, Gordon, Ricky, Thornton, Thomas. I get the feeling we might be seeing some small ball with Thomas/Thornton playing at power forward. The Clippers have a fair few bodies out on the perimeter and no quality backup bigs.
The Clippers are a serious player for that 8th seed. I see them competing for it along with Dallas and Denver. They’re not my favourite to win it but they have a legit shot at it.
Here’s a link from ESPN:
Kwame Brown is headed back to the Eastern Conference.
Brown’s agent, Mark Bartlestein, told ESPN.com on Monday night that the former No. 1 pick in the 2001 draft has reached a verbal agreement on a new contract with the Detroit Pistons.
The contract is believed to be a two-year deal worth $8 million, with Brown
Brown played in only 15 games with the Grizzlies after the trade, averaging just 3.5 points and 3.8 rebounds in under 14 minutes per game.
Very odd move by Joe Dumars. This one is a little hard to figure out. I wonder why he went after Kwame and paid him so much.
I had Kwame pinned down in the LLE-$3mil range. I’m very surprised Joe Dumars had to go so high to bring Kwame in. I’m even more surprised that he agreed to pay Kwame for two seasons considering (a) Kwame’s track record of disappointment (b) The unliklihood that they’d get out-bidded (c) He’s already offering Kwame $4mil per annum which is overpaying (d) the Pistons have considerable cap space next summer which is now being eaten into by Kwame Brown.
The Pistons were vulnerable all last season to teams with size and length in the paint. Heck, they made Kendrick Perkins look like a dominant player in the playoffs in what was one of the rarest series for Perk, he was actually the biggest guy on the court. They needed reinforcements in the paint. More shot blocking, more post defense, more rebounding, more size and bulk in the paint. Kwame is a very good post defender and a good defender overall, he’s also a solid rebounder, so he does provide some virtue to the Pistons. On the other end of the floor the Pistons rely on teamwork and intelligence which will likely trouble Kwame.
The biggest player involved in this move for me is Rasheed Wallace. He’s brilliant with younger players and will be an excellent influence on Kwame. He’ll help team Kwame some ways to round himself out defensively (help defense needs to improve) and how to prepare himself better. I’ve heard a few mentions that this might open up a Rasheed Wallace trade considering he’s one of their best assets (talented expiring contract) but that makes me very uncomfortable with Kwame. Antonio McDyess is too quiet and unassuming to be a guiding force for Kwame. Kwame needs a chaparone and only one Piston big man is capable of that and that’s Rasheed Wallace. I think they have to hold onto Wallace if they want Kwame to make the most of his abilities.
On another note this surely all but rules out Theo Ratliff’s return to Detroit. They now have McDyess, Sheed, Kwame, Maxiell and Amir in their big man rotation. There isn’t room for another guy who can still play this game.
Surprising move by Dumars. It’s likely to disappoint considering the cost and length of the contract but hopefully he’ll get a serviceable role player here, Kwame has the ability to be that.
From ESPN
hursday night, the Warriors signed Monta Ellis, their 22-year-old restricted free agent, to a six-year, $67 million contract.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Monta under contract for the next several years,” Warriors vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin told The Associated Press. “He has been one of the top young players in the NBA for the last two years and enjoyed a tremendous season last year. The growth that he has demonstrated at such a young age is incredible and we look forward to him playing a big part in our future success.”
“We are very pleased that Monta has been rewarded for his efforts on the court and his singular focus to be a great NBA player,” Ellis’ agent Jeff Fried said.
Press release via RealGM had the similar quotes and a nice roundup stats wise
Ellis, 22, averaged a career-high 20.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.53 steals in 37.9 minutes in 81 games last season. He ranked 14th in the NBA in field goal percentage (.531, 3rd among all guards), 15th in steals, and 25th in scoring.
Contra Costa Times reports on Ellis plus other Warriors moves
But Ellis is now the starting point guard and the team’s highest-paid player. He has an early termination option that allows him to walk away from the contract before the final year (2013), when Ellis is 26 years old.
“He stated to me right away that his strong preference was to play for the Bay Area fans,” Ellis’ agent Jeff Fried said. “Obviously, you have to factor in the economics. But this is where he wanted to be.”
$66mil over 6 years ….. the big question is did the Warriors overpay?
No not really. They got themselves a fine deal. Monta Ellis is a good notch below being an All-Star but at an average of $11mil per, well he’s about worth that. He has an efficient 20ppg scorer and they’re normally paid in that pay range. So the Warriors didn’t even pay for potential. Ellis has improved hugely each season of his career so far, and still has much room for improvement, so that contract could end up being a steal (or at least very good) in two-three years time.
I gotta say I’m disappointed if I’m Monta Ellis and I’m wondering if my agent did a good enough job. The Warriors just coronated Ellis as their franchise player, as their future, as Baron Davis’ replacement and the reason why they can live without Baron successfully. Late last season many were saying (wrongly) that he was the Warriors most important player already. There’s also a consensus that there’s huge upside still there in Ellis who’s just three years removed from high school and developing at an incredible rate. How didn’t he get more out of the franchise?
After all the Warriors just paid Corey Maggette $50mil over 5 years so an average of $10mil per. How does Ellis, as their new franchise player and vastly more talented player, only recieve one million extra per annum? How does his agent not manage to get more out of the Warriors? How much would Ellis have gotten if he had Maggette’s agent?
I can’t shake the feeling that his agent did a bad job for him.
Switching Gears
Great signing for the Warriors. It was a must-get-done situation and they came away with flying colours. Keeping their best player (also best young player, prospect) on a fine contract. Good day’s business.
I’m looking forward to Monta playing the point guard role. I think he’ll surprise us. Don Nelson has said in the past that Monta has good vision and passing skills …. his problems were realizing when to score/pass and making decisions as a floor general. Ellis has come on leaps and bounds with his recognition and decision making as a scorer and I’m hopeful he can make similar leaps as a point guard. He’ll likely never be a Baron Davis type of floor general but I think he can be a good one and a great scorer at the position.
ESPN reports:
NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that Biedrins was en route to Oakland on Sunday night after agreeing to a new six-year contract with the Warriors worth nearly $63 million. The contract, sources said, will likely be signed Monday and include a player option for Biedrins to return to the free-agent market in the summer of 2013 after completing five seasons.
Biedrins has made steady progress since the Warriors selected him as a teenager with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft. He averaged 10.5 points and 9.8 rebounds last season in just 27.23 minutes per game, leading the league in field-goal percentage (.626) and improving his biggest weakness — free-throw shooting — from 52.1 percent in 2006-07 to 62 percent last season.
Bad news for the Warriors. They overpaid badly to keep Biedrins in town, their best hope now is that he can grow into that contract. The biggest priority for Biedrins is on the defensive end. He’s a lousy defender, especially his post defense. He gets chewed up by more physical players and is regularly on the end of opposing center’s best performances. If he’d just shape up his defense Nellie would leave him on the floor for 36 minutes instead of limited to 27mpg.
Biedrins should also work on his rebounding, he has great numbers on the rebounds he grabs but his team simply don’t make a big enough leap with their team rebounding when he’s on the floor. He’s doesn’t box out well enough and his lean body doesn’t take up space, so offensive rebounders regularly crash into his area and steal away boards.
This is the latest in a busy summer full of moves for the Warriors. They’ve handcuffed themselves for the next two seasons by overspending, at the third season they’ll be able to add a big contract. In the meantime they can get used to 25-37 win seasons …. all eyes on their raw youngsters (Randolph, Wright), that’s their only hope for respectability over the next two years. I’ll have a look at their total summer moves in a few days, I don’t think anyone has done more and boy have the Warriors done very little despite their activity.
Here’s a report from the Rocky Mountain News:
One Jones couldn’t keep up with another. And nobody was Green with envy about a certain point guard’s performance.
Thursday was not a good day for a pair of Nuggets players with non-guaranteed contracts. The Nuggets signed big man Chris Andersen to a one-year guaranteed deal, and agreed to terms on a one-year guaranteed deal with swingman Dahntay Jones.
That could spell the end with the Nuggets for point guard Taurean Green and swingman Bobby Jones. Or at least keep the Nuggets from guaranteeing their contracts for next season.
The Nuggets must make a call by Aug. 1 on Green, when his contract becomes guaranteed for $711,417 if he hasn’t been waived. A similar call for $797,581 must be made by Aug. 15 on Bobby Jones.
Today is July 28th so a decision is very close by for Taureen Green. I’ve always liked Green and believe him to be an NBA level player and a solid third string guard. If he buckles down he could become a primary backup. I like his defense and competitiveness, that’s enough to always give him some value to a team. After that his composure and functional point guard skills make him dependable on both sides of the court.
Bobby Jones is another matter. I haven’t been able to figure him out. How many teams was he on last year? 6? Nuggets twice? He’s never in one place long enough to get a read on him. Clearly there’s some talent there because every now and again he pops up with an impressive performance. I have no idea what his failures are because I haven’t seen him enough, and I haven’t read any information about why teams keep letting him go so early (bad locker room guy?).
Anyway, I’m looking forward to finding out what happens to both of them. Especially Green, hopefully he has a home in the NBA next season.
Per ESPN:
Gomes’ agent, Bob Myers, told ESPN.com that the sides have agreed in principal on a “multiyear deal” that is expected to be formally signed next week.
Assuming Love is ready to start alongside Jefferson right away — and with the sharpshooting Miller poised to give the Wolves’ much-needed dose of experience — it would appear that Gomes is most likely to come off the bench with Smith, with McCants and Brewer in the mix as well.
“In a few years, this is going to be a special team,” Gomes told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune earlier this week.
I couldn’t find any financial information anywhere yet but I did come across this:
Financial details of Gomes’ contract were not known, but it is believed to be for at least three seasons.
I’m not wild about Ryan Gomes. I thought the Wolves should have let him go this summer. I’m going to hold off on calling it a bad move until I hear the numbers. Rumours had him around the 3-4mil mark per annum.
The reason I didn’t like Ryan Gomes in Minnesota was because he’s a tweener. He’s not a small forward and he’s not a typical power forward, although power forward is definitely his best position. He irritates me as a small forward because he doesn’t have the perimeter skills necessary to play there … the thing that annoys me the most is that after three years playing next to Al Jefferson he still doesn’t feed the post well enough. That wrecks my head. That alone makes me want to exile him, you have to be able to play next to your franchise player. Defensively he’s a poor player, he doesn’t have the quickness on the perimeter or the size/bulk to handle bigger players inside. To work around that he has to have good defensive instincts and fundamentals, and he doesn’t. With Kevin Love on board there will be even less minutes available in the big man slots so Ryan Gomes will likely be forced into more small forward action where I don’t like him. He’s a player who’s production will decline measurably as his surroundings improve around him, he simply doesn’t have the skill level to be a 13ppg go-to scorer on a good team. He’ll be at best a role player, and since he doesn’t have the perimeter skills he’ll have to earn most of his minutes at power forward where there’s a clear logjam.
I just don’t see the point in resigning a player who’s a bad fit and who’s contract will be nothing but a negative (albeit a small one) on your cap flexibility. This move wreaks of a bad just wanting onto a player because Gomes is young and the team sucks.
Update: Financials and a good article
Gomes is 25 and getting better every year, a key reason the Timberwolves signed him Tuesday to a five-year contract reportedly worth more than $21 million.
“Ryan’s got a tremendous basketball IQ,” McHale said. “We now, as an organization, have to take his strengths and play to them.”
Those strengths, he noted, come not so much from the numbers but in the heart Gomes shows each game.
“This isn’t fantasy basketball,” McHale said. “Statistics mean nothing; you’ve got to win. I think Ryan would be the first one to tell you, if his statistics went down and the wins went up, he’d be just as happy. … He just brings a level of basketball IQ, maturation, understanding, accepting, a real professional level to the team, which is great for such a young guy.”
“He’s got a lot of versatility,” McHale said of Gomes, “and that versatility comes from the fact that he’s an intelligent player.”
So $21mil over 5 years. An average of about $4mil per annum. I don’t like this contract. It’s not awful or anything, I’d just rather not have on my books.
Update Two: Further information on Gomes’ contract
Here’s the deal on the deal: Officially, it’s for five years, although the Wolves have options after the second and third years and Gomes has the option after the fourth year. So the first two years are guaranteed, at $3.5 million next season and $3.8 million in 2009-2010. His salary jumps above $4 million after that if the team exercises its option. If Gomes remains a Timberwolf for all five seasons, the contract will approach $22 million.
So the Wolves have an out on Ryan Gomes’ contract if things aren’t working out. Okay I’m fairly pleased with this deal now. Good enough flexibility to cancel out my initial thoughts of the contract being a small negative on the Wolves cap. Solid stuff.
CJ Miles quotes about his conversation with the Jazz following the matching of his offer sheet
Miles said in a conference call that the Jazz “are not going to promise me I’m going to play just because I signed the contract.”
“That’s not been discussed,” he said. “It’s been discussed that if I come in and work and show that I should play, then I will play, and that’s what I plan to do.”
More infomation on Delonte West’s situation in Cleveland
“As we have consistently communicated, we like Delonte and what he brings to this team, and that is how we have approached this free agency process,” said Cavaliers General Manager Danny Ferry, who declined to be specific on the status of negotiations.
Talks were believed to be progressing between West and the Cavaliers, but the team is not expected to offer more than the five-year, $20.8 million deal shooting guard Daniel Gibson signed last week. Because West is a restricted free agent, the Cavaliers can match any offer he receives from another NBA team — but Cleveland has no such edge with foreign teams.
I think it’s a good decision not to pay Delonte as much as Gibson. Gibson will only be more effective as the talent around him increases, Delonte will not. Delonte needs to have the ball in his hands too much which creates doubts in my mind about how suitable he’ll be for the Cavs after they upgrade (if they upgrade).
An article from the News-Herald rubbishes the Delonte-to-Dynamo story
However, Cavaliers point guard Delonte West probably won’t be joining them. An Internet report saying he received a lucrative offer from Dynamo Moscow in Russia is false.
Nachbar, who played in New Jersey last year, recently signed a three-year, $14.3 million deal with Dynamo. That pretty much ate up the rest of Dynamo’s payroll.
Besides, they already have a pretty good point guard in former Oklahoma star Hollis Price.
Further thoughts on the Cavs offer
A source said the Cavs’ offer is far less than the mid-level exception of $5.6 million. Since there are only a couple teams with enough money to pay more than the mid-level, there is no market pressure on the Cavs to do so. However, he is their starting point guard.
And some good news on Devin Brown’s chances of finding a home next season. Turns out there’s a few teams interested in him.
Among the teams showing interest in former Cavs guard Devin Brown are Dallas, New Orleans, Denver and Atlanta. To a lesser extent, both Miami and Washington have made contact with Brown’s representatives.
Brown played a team-high 78 games for the Cavs last year, which included 20 starts. He averaged 7.5 points.
Here’s a link to an interesting article by Dave Berri over at The Wages of Win Journal. He’s evaluating the stats from summer league.
Some interesting information on the possible Bobcats’ offer to Emeka Okafor
Last summer, the Bobcats made Okafor a multi-year offer that would have averaged over $12million per season. Okafor declined that proposal in October, playing out the season to reach restricted free agency.
A source familiar with the situation said the Bobcats are now offering Okafor something closer to $10million a season. Higgins declined comment on the negotiations.
Also that the possibility of an Okafor sign-and-trade is fairly low
With salary-cap room drying up around the NBA, the chances of Okafor receiving an offer sheet appear slim. So the only way Okafor could sign long-term elsewhere would be via sign-and-trade.
Higgins didn’t sound receptive to that alternative.
“When you do a trade, you want to do something that makes sense for all involved,” said Higgins, adding that the NBA’s base-year compensation rule would make it difficult to receive fair value.
If Okafor receives a big raise in a new contract, the team acquiring him in trade would have to absorb about twice as much money under its salary cap as the Bobcats could take back. That would make it tough for the Bobcats to get talent comparable to what they’d lose in a starting center.
The Bobcats re-sign Ryan Hollins
Charlotte Bobcats center-forward Ryan Hollins signed a one-year qualifying offer that will bring him back to the team next season.
Under NBA collective-bargaining rules, Hollins will make about $1 million in this, his third NBA season.
Despite being a restricted free agent, Hollins played for the Bobcats’ summer-league team in Las Vegas this month. He said then he planned to accept the Bobcats’ offer, in part so that he could play for new coach Larry Brown.
I’m shocked they even made him a qualifying offer. He was close to worthless last season, his only value being that he’s an extra body. Not a basketball player, just a body. Hollins was one of the principal factors in what made the weakest collection of big men in the league last season. I feel sorry for Emeka, he deserves some help down in the paint. Very poor signing.
Great news over at ESPN breaking the news that Sasha Vujacic will remain with the Lakers for the upcoming season. Here’s the details:
Lakers restricted free agent guard Sasha Vujacic has agreed to a three-year, $15 million contract after emerging last season as a key member of the Western Conference champions.
“We felt Sasha made great progress in this past year, and our coach showed great confidence in playing him the second half of the season,” Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said Friday in confirming the agreement, first reported by the Riverside Press-Enterprise. “Assuming he continues to work as hard during the offseason as he has in the past, I don’t see any reason that trend wouldn’t continue.”
The 24-year-old Vujacic averaged a career-high 8.8 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 72 games this season, and 8.1 points 2.2 rebounds and 0.8 assists while playing in all 21 playoff games.
Vujacic drew national attention June 10, scoring a career playoff high 20 points including a crucial 3-pointer with a little under two minutes remaining in the Lakers’ 87-81 victory over the Celtics in Game 3 of the NBA finals.
Earlier in the day there were reports of Vujacic possibility heading to Europe, which I thought would be a crucial loss to the Lakers bench that would seriously harm their Championship hopes. Thankfully that hasn’t come to fruition.
Great signing by the Lakers and a truly necessary signing. This gives their bench some solidity and will help their Championship hopes next season.
Some have said that $5mil per annum is too much for Vujacic … they’re probably right but he isn’t being overpaid by too much. Gibson got a $21mil 5 year contract in Cleveland which was about right, and Sasha is a superior player than Gibson. Also, Sasha has improved significantly each year of his pro career so while he isn’t worth that money today he might be worth it in a year or two’s time (ala Korver). Another way of looking at it was that Vujacic was their actual 6th man in the playoffs last season and did the job well, and that’s about the salary for a 6th man of quality. During the regular season of course Jordan Farmer was the bench’s pivotal player but he under-performed through most of the playoffs … which muddies that picture somewhat.
Either way whether Vujacic is earning too much or not … the Lakers most definitely needed him on their bench to give them a superior shot at the title next season. Considering all the other money and hopes in the roster, it was a signing well worth doing.
The years on the contract also decrease the risk. It’s only a three year deal so the contract will remain tradeable, or could be restructured in 3 years time if he’s not worth that type of money. It gives a lot of added flexibility over a 5 year deal which would be far more imposing on the Lakers flexibility.
Lot of interesting small pieces of news today and over the past two-three days so I’ll recap a bunch of them here:
Biedrins drawing a lot of interest from European teams:
A source close to the Warriors’ fifth-year center said European teams are hot and heavy after Biedrins. The Latvia native is drawing strong interest in a couple Russian clubs, according to the source, who added that teams are willing to sign him for three to five years for what amounts to more than $10 million a year.
This would be the best news for Biedrins’ in months. The only team with salary cap space that was reportedly interested in him, other than the Warriors, was Philadelphia. But the 76ers spent their cap money on Elton Brand. So leverage of a fat offer from overseas is Biedrins’ best hope of getting the money he wants from the Warriors, or anywhere in the NBA.
Biedrins’ camp, which was rumored to have its sight set on the ballpark of Chris Kaman’s contract (five years, $55 million), likely won’t be elated about the offer they’re likely going to get from the Warriors. I would be shocked if it even equaled Corey Maggette’s average of $10 million a year. Just looking at the numbers, I’m thinking six years, $48 million.
The source said Biedrins’ camp and Golden State have yet to formally meet. But Biedrins figures to be next on the list now that the Warriors are out of salary cap space and star guard Monta Ellis is signed.
Talkbasket has the news on which team Garbajosa will join:
Out of all three serious offers that Spanish forward Jorge Garbajosa received, he picked the least expected one. 30-year-old signed 2-year contract with 3 million euros per season. Khimki have already signed another former Toronto Raptor Carlos Delfino.
I love Garbo. Shame he won’t be in the NBA next season. He was an excellent glue guy and quality role player. Great intelligence, very good range and jump shot, smart passer, very good defender, tough as nails. 6-10 combo forward. Shame he isn’t in the NBA. San Antonio were reportedly making a run at him, I wish that went through, he would have been great for them.
Garbajosa will be a big addition for his new team in Russia.
Jazz match offer for CJ Miles:
The Utah Jazz on Friday exercised their first right of refusal on the contract of guard CJ Miles, matching the offer he signed with Oklahoma City last week.
Terms were not disclosed, but multiple sources indicated Miles inked a four-year, $15 million deal with the franchise formerly known as the Seattle Supersonics.
I’m surprised the Jazz matched that offer. There’s some talent there but I’m not sure how much, the Jazz obviously felt he was worth the risk at that number.
Denver add Dahntay Jones:
One day after adding a reserve post, the Nuggets added a reserve swingman — Dahntay Jones agreed to a one-year deal with Denver, his agent confirmed.
Jones, a Duke product, played well on Denver’s summer league team, well enough to earn himself a guaranteed contract for the league minimum, around $1 million.
“I think George (Karl) is going to put a real emphasis on defense, defensive pressure, and Dahntay is a great on-the-ball defender,” agent Mark Bartelstein said. “I think he will help them immensely that way. He’s a great fit.”
Interesting pickup for the Nuggets. Jones reportedly had a terrific tour with the Nuggets during summer league putting up 18ppg in just 23mpg. I haven’t gotten to watch any of the Nuggets SL games so I don’t know whether he’s improved or by how much. Jones played four years at Memphis before being cut back in training camp by Boston last year. He has some defensive ability but his BBIQ and offensive game are very much in question. Unfulfilled talent is the best description of Jones, he’s a player who could be a solid end of bench guy. Last year he was rightfully not in the NBA, he wasn’t good enough.
ESPN reports that Okafor and the Bobcats are nowhere near signing a deal. Bobcats GM Huggins maintains that he expects to keep Okafor on the team and sign him to an extension.
The financials on the Kurt Thomas signing were revealed:
The Express-News has learned that deal will pay Thomas a total of $8 million — $4.2 million next season and $3.8 in 2009-10.
I’m surprised it cost them that much to hold onto Kurt Thomas. Hopefully he’ll provide more than last season considering the money he’s going to be paid. I thought he’d be closer to the LLE. Considering his deal is two years, the Spurs are probably expecting Tiago Splitter to be a natural replacement for Thomas at the end of his contract.
Royal Ivey.
The Sixers have reached an agreement with the 6-4 backcourt player, who spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks and the first three seasons of his career with the Atlanta Hawks.
Ivey, 26, will not officially sign a minimum-salary contract until Monday, which is believed to be for 2 years and include a significant guarantee. The league minimum for a player with four seasons of service is $854,957.
The Sixers see Ivey as an off-the-bench complement to Williams because of his size and defensive ability. He averaged 5.6 points and 2.1 assists in 75 games last season, making 20 starts. He entered the league in 2004-05 as a second-round draft choice of the Hawks.
“He’s a very tough kid who is better offensively than people think,” said Keith Glass, Ivey’s agent. “His defense and aggressiveness tend to overshadow his offense, but he’s gotten better offensively each year.”
Very good signing by the Sixers. Ivey is a very good third string point guard. His physical defense and superior size at the point will also fit in with the Sixers pressure defense. I like that move. Good stuff.
Nenad Krstic is another being courted by European teams:
What happens with restricted free agent Nenad Krstic will have a lot to say about what else the Nets do this summer.
The Nets would love to keep the 7-foot, soon-to-be 25-year-old Krstic, but Thorn points out that Krstic is looking for more money than the team is willing to spend, and he isn’t bound by what other NBA teams are willing to offer him, either.
Europe has become an attractive option with all the money its clubs are able to throw around.
Sheridan had this on his recent Childress article:
Nets president Rod Thorn has said Krstic is currently weighing offers from overseas
Some numbers on the Wolves signings
Ok, here they are: Sebastian Telfair’s three-year deal is worth $7.5 million and breaks down this way: $2.3 million this coming season, $2.5 million in 2009-2010 and he has the option to come back in 2010-2011 for $2.7 million. Craig Smith signed a two-year deal worth $4.8 million that will pay him $2.3 million and $2.5 million a season.
Also, the Wolves appear to be getting closer to signing Ryan Gomes. If they do, it’ll probably be somewhere in the $3 million a year rang
Okay so they grossly overpaid Smith and overpaid Telfair. This reinforces my wild guess that Telfair won’t finish that contract in Minnesota, I see him getting traded before that. Interesting side note on Ryan Gomes who had been linked with a near MLE type contract, 3mil per is a lot more reasonable.
Update on Marc Gasol’s financials and an odd quote:
One could argue that Marc is every bit of a question mark now as his older brother was back then. But after signing a three-year, $10 million contract, Marc spent considerable time pointing out the differences with his older brother — including a frame that’s been upgraded since his days at Lausanne Collegiate School.
Gasol, 23, is no longer a chubby teenager. The 7-1, 265-pounder is a brawny athlete after playing five years of professional basketball in Spain.
As he held up his jersey — No. 33, previously donned by Mike Miller, now with Minnesota — Gasol talked about being “motivated to prove to everybody that I can play.”
He then added: “I know I can play.”
That’s exactly what the Grizzlies are counting on to help solidify a rather unstable post position.
“You don’t know until you’re here,” Gasol said when asked what his impact will be. “I know you get pushed around and knocked down (in the NBA), but you have to step up again. I have more body than Pau. I weigh more than Pau so it’ll be easier for me to bang.”
He won the ACB league Most Valuable Player award this season and was one of two ACB players to rank in the top five in scoring (fifth), rebounding (third) and blocks (third). Gasol’s .653 field goal percentage with Akasvayu Girona was second in the league.
“Marc is strictly a center,” Wallace said. “And he’s a tremendous passer. He’ll instantly be one of the best passers on the team.”
Gasol said the turning point for him happened when Spain won gold during the 2006 FIBA World Championships.
“It taught me what I had to do to get to be a better player,” said Gasol, who was originally drafted by the Lakers with the 48th pick overall in 2007. “It started with taking care of my body.”
$10mil over three years seems reasonable to bring him over. I really don’t know what to expect out of Marc Gasol but he looks a very interesting prospect and he’s a player that should be able to help Memphis early on.
Ball Don’t Lie has an article today talking about the possibility of Vujacic heading off to Europe. The initial report came from the LA Times:
“Lakers reserve guard Sasha Vujacic, a restricted free agent, is prepared to leave the team and accept an offer from a European team in the next few days if the Lakers don’t make him an offer he deems fair, according to a source in the Vujacic camp who spoke only on the condition of anonymity.”
Kelly Dwyer continues on
Secondly, and most important? We can’t afford to lose this guy.
Mitch Kupchak? Pay the man. Pay the Machine, too, because Sasha has equal parts within him. The blood in that picture above? We’re not sure if it’s real, or something the Machine came up with in order to try and worm some pity out of James Posey back in June. One minute a concerned Pose is telling the man not to pick at it, the next second the Machine is drilling a 26-footer in Posey’s face.
That’s how the Machine works, in deference to the man at all times, but taking over when the situation calls for it.
And you can’t lose that edge. You can’t lose that touch. You can’t lose those skills. You can’t lose that man, or the Machine.
Make no mistake …. Sasha Vujacic would be the best player to leave the NBA this summer if he goes.
Make no mistake …. re-signing Sasha is imperative to the Lakers bid for an NBA title
Sasha Vujacic is an excellent 7th man and a solid 6th man. The Lakers bench has already been weakened by the loss of Ronny Turiaf. Losing another key contributor without reinforcements would put the Lakers bench under the microscope.
Even more so Sasha’s skill set is very necessary to the Lakers. Vujacic performs well under pressure as seen by his playoff exploits – leading scorer off the bench throughout the playoffs by 25%, leading bench scorer in the Finals, second best scorer per minute in the Finals, stood up in Game Three to provide Kobe with the scoring sidekick he needed. With the Lakers adding back Andrew Bynum and with Lamar Odom possibly/likely to play at small forward, the Lakers need for shooters has suddenly grown, especially if Odom and his poor jumpshooting is out on the perimeter. The starting unit would have only one jump shooter outside of Kobe, and the bench would have only two others without Sasha (not expecting Walton/Rad to both play if Odom is starting SF). They need Sasha’s scoring and his shooting.
Vujacic is also the second best perimeter defender on the Lakers roster. He’s a good defensive player who specializes as a pressure defender. When used as an off the ball defender he falls into the average category. His size and lateral quickness makes him a great option against smaller guards like Iverson. The Lakers need to keep his defensive ability on the roster.
Losing this guy would be a huge loss to the Lakers title hopes.
Hollinger wrote the news wire piece:
Atlanta general manager Rick Sund said that while he believes the Hawks made a proposal that was competitive within the NBA, it would have been fiscally irresponsible to try to match Olympiacos. Sund wouldn’t reveal the exact numbers of Atlanta’s offer. But he said it exceeded the salary cap’s midlevel exception, which is more than $5.5 million, and would have made Childress the team’s fourth highest paid player.
“Obviously I’m not happy with it because I wanted him on my team. I wish things would have turned out different, but it’s his decision at the end of the day,” Hawks center Al Horford said. “I’m disappointed about it because he’s one of the guys that I really liked to play with, but we have to be able to bounce back and try to sign the other Josh [free agent Josh Smith].”
Olympiacos initiated the contact, said Lon Babby, another of Childress’ agents. With the strength of the euro against the dollar, Babby believes international clubs now have the resources to pursue high-level American players — and other restricted free agents may reciprocate the interest because it creates leverage they lack within the NBA.
“The path to globalization that the NBA has paved for years now appears to travel in both directions,” Babby said.
“I think it’s always going to happen when you get a player that’s pretty solid over here and then they get offered more money, it’s hard to pass up,” Toronto Raptors star Chris Bosh said. “Especially guys in the midlevel range when they can go over to Europe and probably make a little bit more money, it’s always a better situation for them.”
Chris Sheridan’s article:
Josh Childress’ agent interrupted somebody during a conference call Wednesday to make sure everyone understood that the contract Childress signed with Greek club Olympiacos was worth in the neighborhood of $21 million over three years after taxes.
That’s nearly $7 million a year in take-home pay, which amounts to some $2-3 million more per season (when you account for U.S. income taxes) than the Atlanta Hawks were willing to offer.
And with his anxious client already turned off by the way the Hawks did not seem to be sharing his sense of urgency, Childress shocked the NBA and the international basketball world Wednesday by signing what is believed to be the most lucrative contract ever offered to an American player to head overseas.
His agent, Lon Babby, said Childress will have the opportunity to opt out of his contract each of the next two summers without having to pay a buyout, though the Hawks can maintain his NBA rights and keep him a restricted free agent in perpetuity as long as they tender him a qualifying offer each summer.
“I’ve talked to a few guys, and it could become a trend. I’m not so sure that it won’t,” Childress said. “It’s different. We thought out of the box a little on this one, and players see a fellow NBA athlete move overseas and adjust to the culture, some might ask ‘Why not me?’ So I’m interested how this might turn out for some of the other restricted free agents.”
“If you believe in the globalization of the sport, there’s no reason the path can’t travel in both directions,” said Babby.
Euroleague teams are not hindered by a salary cap or a luxury tax, but there are a limited number of owners with deep enough pockets to operate their teams at a substantial financial loss in order to sign the caliber of players needed to consistently remain among the top European teams.
But with the euro recently at an all-time high against the dollar, it takes a lot fewer euros than it did just a couple years ago to make an offer that, dollarwise, seems over the top.
“I think there will be a lot of American players shaking their heads over this, wondering why there are [European] teams willing to pay $4, $5 or $6 million when the most NBA teams are willing to offer is the biannual exception, which is less than $2 million. How could you not consider that? I can’t say how many players will go, but I think a lot will explore this,” agent Marc Cornstein said.
“The level of concern is low,” NBA president of basketball operations Joel Litvin told ESPN.com in a phone interview. “This is what happens when you have a global sport and a global marketplace for elite players, and we’re confident that the NBA remains the gold standard for professional basketball. Businesswise, it’s good for us, because it means more basketball fans will be watching basketball, and those fans will find the NBA because that’s where the best of the world plays.”
Check out the rest of his article, lots of good information.
Hollinger wrote a separate article talking more about what the loss of Childress means to the Hawks:
After the Hawks came back to beat the Lakers in a game in February, one of the team’s myriad owners sidled up to a reporter, beaming, and said, “We have arrived.”
It appears it was a brief stay.
First and foremost, obviously, it deprives the Hawks of one of the best sixth men in the game, a guy who could make a huge impact without needing any plays run for him because of his ability to attack the glass, score in transition and play off the ball.
It also leaves them scrambling to fill out the roster, with most of the offseason’s top free agents already claimed by other teams. Atlanta has only eight players under contract at the moment, and two of them (oft-injured Speedy Claxton and oft-inactivated Solomon Jones) barely count. Even if the team can re-sign Josh Smith, the Hawks are still paper thin.
Hollinger mostly focused on the Hawks reputation and the organization rather than focusing on the basketball side of things
But the real damage here isn’t immediately visible. Nothing could do more to perpetuate the Hawks’ standing as one of the league’s worst-run organizations than to have a player they desperately wanted to keep bolt for another continent. The stink from that will linger long into the future — affecting other free agents’ decisions to join the Hawks and/or remain with them — until there comes a time when the organization can prove it has its act together.
That day seems a long way off. Look, good organizations just don’t screw up like this. They stay in touch with free agents: They make sure the player knows he’s wanted and it’s just a question of finding the price, and they lay the groundwork far ahead of time by operating in a first-class manner.
On that level, the fact that Childress didn’t think twice about leaving — and that Josh Smith seemingly would gladly pack his bags too — speaks volumes about the management. So does the fact that Atlanta is among NBA players’ favorite cities to visit, yet nobody wants to play there.
Best not say the name Chris Paul to Hollinger anytime soon …. sounds like he hasn’t gotten over that one yet.
Henry Abbot over at Truehoop took a completely different direction:
But Childress is the first American player in line to make big money as a key part of a good team who has decided to ditch the NBA.
As NBA fans, how should we take this?
Just about every reaction I have seen from NBA fans has been along the lines of “oh no, this is bad for us.”
My reaction is exactly the opposite. Unless you’re a fan of the Atlanta Hawks, have a party! This might be a little bit of a short-term black eye for the NBA, but this is great for NBA fans, and ultimately, the NBA.
Go check out his list of reasons, they’re good. To sum it all up, he thinks the competition offered by Europe will help force the NBA to improve some of it’s problems. He also likes that it’s becoming worthwhile to spend more time checking out the EuroLeague.
Marc Stein breaks the news
Summer-league sensation Bobby Brown on Wednesday reached terms on a guaranteed contract with the Sacramento Kings, according to NBA front-office sources.
Sources told ESPN.com that Brown rejected multiple lucrative offers from overseas after netting a two-year deal from the Kings on the strength of a strong debut season as a pro in Germany and a productive showing in Las Vegas as the lead guard for the New Orleans’ summer squad.
The Hornets were among a handful of NBA teams that tried to sign Brown in the last week, with New Orleans star guard Chris Paul calling the 23-year-old personally to urge him to come to training camp in October. Golden State Warriors coach Don Nelson is another Brown fan who was spotted at several of the Hornets’ games in Vegas.
But the Kings won the race to sign him by commiting two years to Brown, who helped Alba Berlin win the German club championship last season. The second year of Brown’s new deal, sources said, is a player option.
Israel’s Maccabi Tel-Aviv — perenially one of the strongest teams in Europe — has been pursuing Brown aggressively this month, but sources said Brown was on the verge of accepting a multiyear deal “in the millions” from Spanish giant Barcelona this week when Sacramento increased its bid.
Undrafted in 2007 after attracting little attention while at Cal State Fullerton, Brown drew raves in Vegas with his improved floor leadership and decision-making to complement his athleticism and scoring ability. Although he’s considered more of a combo guard than a pure point guard, Brown outplayed three first-round picks — Memphis’ Mike Conley, Charlotte’s DJ Augustin and San Antonio’s George Hill — in head-to-head matchups.
Great news for Bobby Brown, a guaranteed two year deal, brilliant. Looking forward to seeing more of him. The Kings need a backup point guard so he could be in the rotation next year.
From Yahoo, click here for more:
LeBron James could crush the world for an Olympic gold medal this summer, but the evolving power of the euro could cost him his Cleveland Cavaliers point guard.
This time, the overseas revolution of outbidding NBA teams for restricted free agents advances with Dynamo Moscow discussing a two-year, $10 million offer with Delonte West, a source close to West said on Thursday.
As with most restricted free agents, West has few options right now. He could sign a $2.76 million qualifying offer for the 2008-09 season and become an unrestricted free agent next year. General manager Danny Ferry has considered sign-and-trade possibilities for West but ultimately has wanted to keep West.
After his trade from the Seattle SuperSonics at the February deadline, West won the Cavaliers’ starting point guard job, averaging 10.5 points and four assists per game. In pushing the Boston Celtics to seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals, West averaged 14.5 points – including two 21-point performances – over the final five games.
That’s great news for Delonte, happy for him. That’s a very good contract offer and likely more than he’ll get in the NBA. He should take the deal. The Cavs shouldn’t match and likely shouldn’t make 4-5mil type offer themselves.
So how badly would this hurt the Cavaliers?
It would be pretty bad. Delonte will be a difficult guy to replace simply because it’s late in the game and the free agent point guard ranks are fairly bleak right now. The only guy with solid talent is Jannero Pargo and he’d likely cost 4mil-to-MLE to get out of New Orleans. That’s a pricey contract. Once you get past him there’s nothing more than 3rd string point guards in the unrestricted group. The only good restricted free agents all look like they’re too difficult to entice away from their teams. So replacing Delonte will clearly be a problem. The Cavs aren’t exactly flush with trading assets, although one of their expiring deals possibly could acquire someone on a bad contract (Earl Watson or Ridnour for example).
Delonte was probably the second best Cavalier at creating his own shot during the Celtics series. He was able to alleviate at least a small bit of the pressure/burden on LeBron’s shoulders to create everything offensively. He was also a good shooter, a good driver and a functional passer/handle/point guard. He gave good hustle and was very competitive rising to the challenge as far as his talent would take him. Basically, he leaves a sizable hole.
Possible Replacements:
Their expiring contracts could net an overpaid point guard
2008 Free Agent List
Unrestricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Baron Davis, Chris Duhon, Jannero Pargo, Anthony Johnson, Eddie House, Sebastian Telfair, Keyon Dooling, Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, Roger Mason, Juan Dixon, Kevin Ollie, Earl Boykins, Anthony Carter, Jason Williams, Dan Dickau, Darrell Armstrong, Carlos Arroyo, Tyronn Lue, Royal Ivey, Salim Stoudamire, Alex Acker, Sam Cassell, Damon Stoudamire, Smush Parker, Blake Ahearn
Wings/Combo Forwards: Corey Maggette, James Posey, Bonzi Wells, Tony Allen, Mickael Pietrus, Mo Evans, Ricky Davis, Boki Nachbar, James Jones, Walter Herrmann, Quinton Ross, Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Devin Brown, Devean George, Derek Anderson, Jarvis Hayes, Ira Newble, Antoine Wright, Kirk Snyder, Fred Jones, Matt Barnes, Goran Giricek, Eric Piatowski, Von Wafer, Casey Jacobsen, Mickael Gelabale, Shannon Brown, Yakhouba Diawara, Ronald Dupree, DeMarr Johnson, Pat Garrity, Linton Johnson, Mario West, Awvee Storey, Ryan Bowen
Big Men: Elton Brand, Alonzo Mourning, Kurt Thomas, Dikembe Mutombo, DeSagana Diop, Francisco Elson, Theo Ratliff, Kwame Brown, Brian Skinner, Chris Andersen, Robert Horry, Eduardo Najera, Malik Allen, Austin Croshere, Adonal Foyle, Primoz Brezec, Calvin Booth, Paul Davis, Earl Barron, Michael Ruffin, Jake Voshkul, Michael Doleac, Randolph Morris, Louis Admundson, Sean Marks, Dwayne Jones, Juwan Howard, Scott Pollard, Lorenzon Wright, Herbert Hill, Othella Harrington, Shavlik Randolph, Jamaal Magloire, DJ Mbenga, Andre Brown, Patrick O Bryant
Restricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, Ben Gordon, Louis Williams, Daniel Gibson, Sasha Vujacic, Delonte West, Flip Murray, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jose Juan Barea, Chris Quinn, Andre Owens
Wings/Combo Forwards: Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, JR Smith, Josh Childress, Kareem Rush, Carlos Delfino, Kelenna Azubuike, Ryan Gomes, CJ Miles, Dorell Wright, Demetris Nichols, Marcus Williams, Ersan Ilyasova, Jeremy Richardson, Kasib Powell
Big Men: Josh Smith, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, Nenad Krstic, Carl Landry, Ronny Turiaf, Chris Richard, Robert Swift, David Harrison, Craig Smith, Nick Fazekas, James Augustine, Ryan Hollins
Likely To Retire
PJ Brown, Lindsey Hunter
Limited Salary Protection - to varying degrees
Leon Powe, Brandon Bass, Marcin Gortat, Josh Powell, Mike Harris, CJ Watson, DJ Strawberry, Bobby Jones, Taureen Green, Loren Woods, Coby Karl, Lance Allred, Keith Van Horn, Joel Anthony, Stephane Lasme, JamesOn Curry
Free Agents Unemployed In NBA End Of Last Season - Large Majority Unlikely To Return to NBA
Point/Combo Guards Keith McLeod, Darrick Martin, John Lucas, Eddie Gill, Will Bynum, Jay Williams, Randy Livingston,
Wings/Combo Forwards Jorge Garbajosa, Gerald Green, Ruben Patterson, Richie Frahm, Darius Miles, Doug Christie, Dahntay Jones, Jackie Manuel, Luke Jackson, Justin Reed, Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, Eddie Robinson, Eric Williams
Big Men Justin Williams, Mike Sweetney, Jelani McCoy, Michael Olowokandi, Jackie Butler, Kelvin Cato, Dale Davis, Lonny Baxter, Alan Henderson, Rod Benson, Samaki Walker, Wayne Simien, Chris Taft, Stanislav Medevenko, Lawrence Roberts, James Singleton, Mo Taylor, Aaron Williams, Alexander Johnson, Danny Fortson, Elton Brown, Ha Seung-Jin
Pargo, whom the Hornets want to re-sign, wants a three-year deal and has received interest from several teams. He has opted out of his contract with the Hornets the past two years only to re-sign with them.
“We’re moving to continue filling out our roster kind of like on a step-by-step basis,” Hornets General Manager Jeff Bower said. “We had dialogue with a lot of guys.”
It’s not likely the Hornets will re-sign Wells, but Bowen might be extended an offer. Bowen, who said he wants to return, worked a camp for the Hornets this week. He averaged 1.6 points in the playoffs, playing in nine games. He made the roster last season as a free agent.
The Golden State Warriors have matched the contract offer submitted to restricted free agent guard Kelenna Azubuike by the Los Angeles Clippers, it was announced today by Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Mullin. The Warriors had seven (7) days from receipt of the contract – Friday, July 18 – to match the offer from Los Angeles. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced. “We are pleased to have Kelenna back in the fold,” said Mullin. “He’s a young and talented player who has continued to improve during his two seasons with our team. His versatility, athleticism and ability to shoot the 3-pointer certainly fit our style of play. Additionally, we think he will continue to improve and expand his game.” The Golden State Warriors have matched the contract offer submitted to restricted free agent guard Kelenna Azubuike by the Los Angeles Clippers,
Well that was surprising. Why are the Warriors making this move? Did that Mo Evans signing actually go through? Why add another swingmen to an already full rotation? Why waste more cap space?
If nothing else I think this move signals one thing for sure – Monta Ellis is their long term solution at the point guard. They’re bringing in too many wings for a team that had any plans of letting him stay as an off-guard.
The agent for Rockets restricted free agent Carl Landry said Thursday that Landry is not considering any specific offer, that no decision is imminent and that nothing has changed in Landry’s options.
Buddy Baker said he could give any one of several NBA teams the go-ahead to present an offer, but that Landry is still weighing his options.
“We’ve had teams interested in what we think Carl’s value is and saying what they think Carl’s value is,” Baker said. “We’re waiting to finalize that. It’s not, “We’ll give you this.” It’s more, ‘We’re very interested, what are you thinking?’
“If he wanted to me to close deals, I could close it, yes. We’re not going to rush through this process. We’re going to go through this process, pursuing all of his options.”
Baker would not specify which teams have expressed interest. He said there have also been inquiries from several teams overseas. But though he said Landry would consider any offer, he downplayed the likelihood Landry choosing to leave the NBA.
“It’s somewhat common sense. You’re going to consider all offers you receive,” Baker said. “He’s not looking to do something, but you never know. You leave open all doors.”
Baker said he does not have a specific offer for Landry to consider.
“The way I define ‘offer’ is something we would respond to,” Baker said. “He has significant interest, as I would state it. We have to explore the economic structures of those clubs. If I said ‘make me an offer,’ they would make me an offer. I don’t think these particular clubs have the resources it would take to make an offer that we would entertain.
Here’s the rest of the article. The initial excerpts of the article I read made it sound like he was heavily considering Europe but after reading the whole article his agent is clearly downplaying that possibility. The fact that there’s a lot of teams expressing interest but not making an offer isn’t surprising. It’s important for Houston that they hang onto Landry, he’s very important to their hopes of contending. Chuck Hayes is the guy you can lose, you can’t lose Landry. Landry brings and all around game and some offensive ability.
Rocky Mountain News breaks the news:
The Birdman is set to fly again at the Pepsi Center.
Chris Andersen, a fan favorite in Denver from 2001-04, has agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Nuggets and the deal could be done within the next couple days, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
Andersen, 30, made a name for himself with his high-flying dunks and hustling style during three seasons with the Nuggets, but his career spiraled downward after he signed with New Orleans as a free agent in 2004.
Good signing for the Nuggets. Andersen was a solid role player before his suspension and there’s a good chance he can get back to that. He’ll be a solid backup for Nene and Martin. Good style fit for him, the Nuggets play the perfect up and down fastbreaking basketball to suit Andersen’s skills. The contract is reportedly a one year veteran’s minimum deal.
This signing likely takes them out of the running for Francisco Elson. I had thought of the Nuggets as the frontrunner for his signature so this puts Elson further into play for several teams in need of a backup big man (Boston, LA) with length/athleticism. I’d like the Nuggets to sign Elson also to give them a second good backup big, but I doubt they’ll do that. I can see the Nuggets looking to Kleiza in a smaller lineup where he plays more time as a power forward.
On a Camby article, this news was dropped at the bottom:
The Clippers aren’t done dealing. They signed Golden State forward Kelenna Azubuike (8.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg) to a three-year, $9.3 million offer sheet last week.
The Warriors have until Friday to match the offer, but two NBA sources said they will not because they signed forward Maurice Evans, who split time between the Lakers and Orlando last season, to a three-year, $6.4 million deal.
Why not just keep Azubuike? Better and younger
Mo Evans is just in the way of Belinelli now. Don’t see the point in signing him at all. Contract is a little rich for Mo too. He’s a solid role player so it’s not a bad signing. It just feels like a pointless signing.
Confirmation of the story here on the Mercury News.
Update: link
Golden State has offered Evans a three-year, $6.4 million deal, but after initially agreeing to the terms, Evans is reportedly holding out for more money from the Warriors.
I don’t know what to make of that sentence. I still think he’s very likely to sign and probably that contract or close to it. We’ll find out shortly I’m sure.
The San Antonio Express reports:
The Spurs announced Tuesday that they have re-signed Kurt Thomas, the veteran center who provided solid rebounding and interior defense during the playoffs. Terms of the deal weren’t announced.
Thomas, acquired last season in late February from Seattle, averaged 4.5 points and 4.9 rebounds during the regular season with the Spurs. He averaged 4.1 points and 4.9 rebounds during the playoffs.
The Lakers had expressed an interest in Thomas, but he said earlier in the offseason that he hoped to stay with the Spurs.
“Hopefully, things work out that way,” Thomas, 35, said of the possibility of re-signing with the Spurs. “That’s the great thing about being a free agent. I get to weigh my options and decide what’s best for me and my family.”
Thomas had a disappointing spell with the Spurs last season so hopefully he can offer more to the team after having a training camp and full season to get acclimated. The Spurs didn’t have any real choice about resigning him. There were no other options that came close to his talent levels and they were desperate for another quality big man in order to compete. They’ll need his interior play and rebounding to compete with some of the top big men duos in the West.
On another note, Mahinmi wants to take his opportunity to make the Spurs rotation next season.
Update: Here’s a further link with a few quotes from the Spurs
When the Spurs acquired Kurt Thomas and his soon-to-be-expiring contract from Seattle in February, they did so hoping he would be more than just a four-month rental.
“We were hoping he’d finish his career here,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.
Financial terms of the deal were not immediately available, but Thomas told the Express-News his new pact was good for the next two seasons.
For Thomas, who will turn 36 in October before opening his 14th NBA season, that qualifies as a long-term deal. It could be the last pro contract he ever signs.
“Every player in the league wants a little security,” Thomas said Tuesday from his home in the Dallas area. “It’s been a goal of mine to play 15 years, and this will take me to my 15th season.”
Thomas played in all 17 playoff games, starting eight of them, and averaged 4.1 points and 4.9 rebounds in those.
Spurs officials, who consider Thomas more vital to last season’s run to the conference finals than his raw numbers indicate, are pleased to have him back.
“He’s a pro,” Buford said. “He has great maturity and presence in the locker room, and winning a championship is important to him. When you combine those things, it’s easy to understand why he’s here.”
“From the beginning, Kurt wanted to be here, and we wanted to keep him here,” Buford said. “Our discussions with him and his representatives were always proactive and efficient and specific toward keeping him here.”
Thomas cast the decision to come back to San Antonio as a no-brainer.
“It wasn’t tough at all,” he said. “I really enjoy playing with Timmy (Duncan) and Manu (Ginobili) and Tony (Parker). I liked being around the guys, I liked playing for (coach Gregg Popovich), and the fans were great fans. That kind of made it a real easy decision.”
Also of note
Horry in limbo: It is appearing more and more like Robert Horry’s days as a Spur are over.
Horry, who won two of his seven NBA championships with the Spurs, has said he wants to play a 17th NBA season and would prefer to do it in San Antonio. However, dialogue between Horry and the Spurs has been scant.
Thomas’ decision to re-sign could mark the end of Horry’s days in silver and black. Unless Horry attracts interest elsewhere, he could be forced to retire, putting an end to his distinguished career as one of the top NBA role players of all-time.
MLive.com reports:
AUBURN HILLS — Will Bynum walked away from lucrative offers overseas for a shot at making the Detroit Pistons squad as their No. 3 point guard.
Bynum’s gamble has paid off now that he has agreed to a multi-year deal with Detroit.
“It’s pretty much a done deal now,” Bynum said.
Bynum’s agent, Mark Bartlestein, confirmed Monday night that his client has agreed to a two-year deal with Detroit, which includes a team option for the second season.
“He’s very excited about it,” Bartlestein said.
Bynum, whose previous NBA experience consisted of 15 games with the Golden State Warriors during the 2005-2006 season, said he got the offer from Pistons coach Michael Curry on Sunday night.
“Man, it was like a dream come true when I got that call,” Bynum said. “I’ve been waiting all my life for an opportunity like this. I can’t wait to get started.”
Bynum, who played for Maccabi Tel Aviv in Israel the past two seasons, said one of the turning points for him came after Detroit’s second summer league game when he and Pistons president Joe Dumars had “a long talk.”
“He (Dumars) just sat me down and said, ‘just relax and do what you do.’” Bynum recalled. “I really needed that.”
Bynum’s play improved at both ends of the floor, showcasing the skills that made him the 2006 Development League rookie of the Year.
It’s great to see a player work his way back into the league and great to see summer league action pay off. I’ve only seen one Detroit summer league game so far so I can’t comment too much on his where his skills are these days … he looked alright but not a standout in that game. I don’t picture Bynum getting much court time playing behind Billups and Stuckey.
The most interesting part of this signing is not who was signed but who wasn’t – Lindsey Hunter. It very much looks like he’s going to steer himself along his expected path and retire, rumoured to have a front office job waiting for him in Detroit.
The Minnesota Star Tribune breaks the news that the Wolves have reached an agreement with Bassy:
The Timberwolves reached agreement Monday on a multi-year contract with unrestricted free agent Sebastian Telfair, his agent said.
“We’re very excited for the opportunity to finish what we started,” agent Andy Miller said. “Sebastian wants to help get this team back to the playoffs.”
Telfair, who turned 23 last month, became an unrestricted free agent on July 1 when the Wolves declined to make him a one-year qualifying offer that would have guaranteed him $3.5 million.
Telfair started 51 of the 60 games he played for the Wolves last season and averaged 9.3 points, 5.9 assists and one steal a game. Foye missed the season’s first three months because of a knee injury. Telfair missed the season’s final six weeks because of a badly sprained ankle.
Sebastian Telfair was one of the best remaining unrestricted free agent point guards on the market. I was surprised a few other teams weren’t making a run at him because he could have helped a number of teams.
As for the Wolves, it’s nice that they resigned him and he did have a solid season for them last year … but I doubt he finishes his contract in Minnesota. He isn’t the defender or perimeter shooter that Big Al and Love need to play with, and he doesn’t make up for it strongly enough in other areas. I would be surprised if he lasts his whole contract there. Short term, he’ll start and be a helpful piece of the puzzle.
We await word on the specifics of the deal
ESPN reports:
Bostjan Nachbar is the latest NBA player to choose the euro over the dollar.
Nachbar has agreed to a three-year contract with Dynamo Moscow, a deal that will pay the former New Jersey Nets small forward $14.3 million, he told ESPN.com early Monday.
The contract, worth 9 million euros, will include affordable buyout clauses after each season to allow him to explore the option of returning to the NBA.
Nachbar said he was keeping a close eye on how the salary cap situation in the summer of 2010 will impact his prospects of returning to the league.
Nachbar averaged 9.8 points last season for New Jersey in his sixth NBA season.
“The NBA had better be careful,” Nachbar said. “European teams are offering a lot of money. It’s much more, considering there are no taxes, than what I could make signing for the mid-level exception.”
Another quality player bites the dust and leaves the NBA. Gonna miss Boki.
It’s a good decision by Nachbar. He didn’t have the market place here and no team was going to pay him the contract he deserved.
The Boston Herald reports that Tony Allen and Eddie House have resigned with the defending Champion Boston Celtics:
Tony Allen and Eddie House are staying in the fold.
According to Danny Ainge, the Celtics have agreed to terms with each on two-year contracts.
Ainge would not be specific on the financial figures, but according to a source, both are being paid in the mid-$2 million range.
In the case of House, the money is roughly half the mid-level exception of $5.585 million.
The Celtics did not have to use any of the mid-level on Allen, because he has been with the club four years and the team thus has his “Bird rights.”
Teams are allowed to pay to keep their own free agents who have been with the club three years.
Tony Allen was one of the sleepers in the free agent marketplace. He could replace Posey as the team’s sixth man next season and health wise he’s ready for a breakout season. It’s a great decision to keep Tony.
Eddie House is a player who was wildly impressive last season. I would have rathered they signed him to a one year deal, especially if they’re paying him half the MLE, as now they have Tony+House almost making up a whole MLE contract next season which makes it harder for them to spend the MLE next season (plus Scal). It feels like the Celtics overpaid House considering they gave him a two year deal. Anyway, he’s a good player and will help their team to defend their title. Good work.
Marc Spears of the Boston Globe adds some further information:
The Celtics agreed to terms with guards Eddie House and Tony Allen to return, general manager Danny Ainge announced today. Both will get two-year contracts (though House’s second year is a player option, according to an NBA source). House’s deal was made using a portion of the team’s $5.5 million mid-level exception. According to the source, House will make $2.7 million next season and $2.9 million the year after if he excercises his option.
Allen agreed to a two-year guaranteed deal paying $2.5 million each year, according to a league source. Since the Celtics had Allen’s Bird Rights, they didn’t have to use the mid-level exception to re-sign him.
ESPN reports:
The Phoenix Suns apparently dipped into the talent pool in their own division this weekend.
Multiple media reports on Sunday said that free-agent forward Matt Barnes who played for the Golden State Warriors last season, will take a physical on Monday in Phoenix before signing a one-year deal with the Suns.
“He’s the perfect player for us, an athletic guy who runs the floor, finishes at the basket and can shoot the outside shot,” Suns general manager Steve Kerr said, according to the East Valley Tribune. “He’s also a guy who has had big games in the playoffs for Golden State and likes the big stage.”
The 27-year-old Barnes has played for five teams in a five-year career. His best season came in 2006-07 when he averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds for a Warriors team that upset the top-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.
Last season, Barnes’ numbers fell off to 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, close to his career averages of 6.1 points and 3.8 rebounds.
Barnes will make the veteran minimum — $1.2 million — next season.
This is a decision that could come back to haunt the Phoenix Suns. I have my doubts about Barnes’ ability to play outside of Nellie’s offensive system. Barnes is a lot like Jared Jeffries in that he’s far more effective as a power forward than a small forward, his offensive skill set and by that I mean his perimeter skills (passing, handle, driving, perimeter shooting), are below par for a small forward but a big advantage as a power forward. That makes Barnes far more effective as a power forward but iffy when playing other positions.
To add a complication to the situation, the Suns already have Boris Diaw who’s a far superior combo forward so Barnes potential PF minutes will be limited. Then add Robin Lopez as the backup center so neither Barnes or Diaw are expected to play many minutes at center, leaving minutes open solely on the wing for Matt Barnes.
There’s also a question to how good a shooter he really is. In his first season in Golden State, he stroked 36% of 190 three pointers. Last season he hit only 29% while taking 181 three pointers. Prior to coming to GSW he hardly ever shot threes, and when he did he shot around 25%. This is a guy who’s had an iffy perimeter shot for the duration of his career.
There’s also concerns as to how accomplished a defender he is. He provides great energy and hustle and solid team defense but … as a one-on-one defender there’s some questions. He doesn’t seem to have the lateral quickness to defend top perimeter players and he clearly has nowhere near enough bulk to handle power forwards. Because of this he can be a liability as a man-to-man defender.
Barnes’ numbers, performances, and consistency all dipped last season and the main reason was the loss of Jason Richardson. When J-Rich was around Golden State had three perimeter players (Baron, Richardson, Jackson) who could all shoot, drive, post up. The post up game is the most important part for Barnes, that meant he was allowed to stay outside the three point line and operate from there. The Warriors post players were always able to either score or create an easy shot for Barnes or other supporting cast members. Because the Warriors perimeter players could all take their man off the dribble, that meant the opposition had to keep quicker players on them, leaving a slow big man to defend Barnes. Nellie wanted Barnes (and Al Harrington) to drag that big man outside to leave the rim unprotected and to provide an unusual offensive situation. Well without a third post up player, their best post player, the Warriors offense lost some of it’s ability to create easy shots for Barnes. Thus his shooting percentages and scoring dropped. That’s just a small part of how reliant Barnes was on Nellie’s offensive system.
The Suns desperately needed a true wing to backup Grant Hill and Raja Bell. I have my doubts about Barnes’ ability to fill that roll and this signing could come back to haunt the Suns later in the season. They would have far better off going after someone like Mo Evans.
Slovenian center Primoz Brezec (216 cm, 1979) confirmed for several Slovenian media, that he will continue his career in Lottomatica Roma. He spent last 7 seasons in NBA playing for Indiana Pacers, Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors. Union Olimpija Ljubljana, AXA FC Barcelona and Real Madrid were interested in him too.
He was very disappointed in last two seasons because after some injuries he didn’t get enough playing time to show that his two good seasons with the Bobcats weren’t coincidence. He was traded two times last season and this seems to push his patience over the limit.He will officially sign probably on Monday and will play in Roma for one year. Financial details are unknown.
The NJ Nets have agreed with a sign and trade to sign Keyon Dooling using their trade exception garnered through the Jason Kidd deal.
An eight-year veteran, Dooling would be acquired by making use of a $3.3 million trade exception the Nets obtained in the Jason Kidd deal last February. That will now be transferred to the Magic, who will prepare a two-year contract that calls for a $3.3 million salary next year and a $3.5 million salary for 2009-10, with a partially-guaranteed third season that will pay him a pittance.
The process is expected to be completed by mid-week, after Orlando prepares the contract and the Nets give the 6-foot-3 Dooling his physical. But the process won’t begin until the teams run the trade past the league Monday morning.
Well my first thoughts veered immediately towards Marcus Williams and Devin Harris. The Nets do realize they have two good prospects at the point that desperately need minutes right?
This is like that Najera signing that completely ignores the fact they have 7 talented big men that need minutes …. while being absolutely desperate for more wing players behind Vince.
The trade gives the Nets a solid backcourt trio, with a feisty, long-armed third guard who can defend both spots effectively. But it also gives them 16 guaranteed contracts, so they have stepped up their efforts to move point guard Marcus Williams, who now becomes the odd man out again.
The most logical landing spot for Williams might be one of the many teams who have their own trade exceptions — Seattle has two, in fact — and wouldn’t mind taking a chance on a work in progress with a $1.2 million price tag.
“I have no problems with going to 16 contracts,” Thorn said. “We’ve got other things to do. Even if this does happen, we have work to do,and we have a lot of time to do it in.”
Okay appearantly they do, they just don’t rate Williams. This is simple, Dooling isn’t good enough to give up on a prospect over, so they must have a very low opinion of Marcus Williams. In that scenario it makes perfect sense to sign another guard. I don’t like developing two young guards at the same time so I’m all for jettisoning one of them for the betterment of the other. I wonder what type of offers they could get for Williams, I’m guessing only 2nd round pick types of offers considering his disappointing second season. They should try calling the Raptors, Colangelo was high on Williams once.
Dooling will be a nice complement behind Devin Harris giving the Nets two defensive orientated point guards who can set the tone defensively at all times. Now it’s up to the rest of the squad to start matching that defensive ability.
Dooling is a solid pickup for Jersey. He doesn’t mean a whole pile or add a huge amount but he’ll be a useful player for them. That’s the third stop gap type of signing the Nets have made this summer, it’s hard to get excited about them because clearly the franchise is in rebuilding mode and none of these are likely to stick around once the club comes out the other side.
Orlando did make an offer but Dooling didn’t much like it:
The Magic had offered him the biannual exception, which calls for a mere $4.1 million for two seasons. His agent, Rob Pelinka, rejected the offer, and Dooling himself called it an insult.
“I don’t even know why they offered that bi-annual because I rejected it right away. I don’t know if they were trying to devalue me or whatever the case may be, but that wasn’t acceptable,” Dooling told Florida Today. “It’s ridiculous. That’s not a suitable offer for someone who was a good player on a good team. It wasn’t a market value offer and that’s the bottom line.”
I don’t even know why Orlando made that offer. They already have two superior point guards and better two guard options. What’s the point of keeping Keyon? No point.
Hat Tip to Ethan Edwards for pointing out the offer sheet signed by CJ Miles.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports:
Miles signed a four-year, $15 million contract with Oklahoma City, sources said Friday. Utah will have seven days to decide about matching the offer sheet and keeping the restricted free-agent guard.
The Jazz will have to take into account the luxury-tax implications of matching the offer, especially with young guards Ronnie Brewer and Morris Almond already on their roster.
The offer to Miles is guaranteed for three years with a fourth-year team option. It is said to dwarf previous multiyear contracts the Jazz had talked about with Miles, believed to be worth no more than $4 million for two years.
Jazz general manager Kevin O’Connor said, “If he does get an offer sheet, we’ll look at what the numbers are and we’ll make some determination.” O’Connor added: “There’s very few restricted free agents who have signed yet. They are the last ones to sign.
This should be a very tough decision for Utah. At this stage it’s near impossible to tell how good Miles could be and clearly there is some talent there. Then add in their cap situation and two other young players at the same position. Difficult decision. I’m thinking they let him go but it could go either way.
2008 Free Agent List
Unrestricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Baron Davis, Chris Duhon, Jannero Pargo, Anthony Johnson, Eddie House, Sebastian Telfair, Keyon Dooling, Beno Udrih, Shaun Livingston, Roger Mason, Juan Dixon, Kevin Ollie, Earl Boykins, Anthony Carter, Jason Williams, Dan Dickau, Darrell Armstrong, Carlos Arroyo, Tyronn Lue, Royal Ivey, Salim Stoudamire, Alex Acker, Sam Cassell, Damon Stoudamire, Smush Parker, Blake Ahearn
Wings/Combo Forwards: Corey Maggette, James Posey, Bonzi Wells, Tony Allen, Mickael Pietrus, Mo Evans, Ricky Davis, Boki Nachbar, James Jones, Walter Herrmann, Quinton Ross, Brent Barry, Michael Finley, Devin Brown, Devean George, Derek Anderson, Jarvis Hayes, Ira Newble, Antoine Wright, Kirk Snyder, Fred Jones, Matt Barnes, Goran Giricek, Eric Piatowski, Von Wafer, Casey Jacobsen, Mickael Gelabale, Shannon Brown, Yakhouba Diawara, Ronald Dupree, DeMarr Johnson, Pat Garrity, Linton Johnson, Mario West, Awvee Storey, Ryan Bowen
Big Men: Elton Brand, Alonzo Mourning, Kurt Thomas, Dikembe Mutombo, DeSagana Diop, Francisco Elson, Theo Ratliff, Kwame Brown, Brian Skinner, Chris Andersen, Robert Horry, Eduardo Najera, Malik Allen, Austin Croshere, Adonal Foyle, Primoz Brezec, Calvin Booth, Paul Davis, Earl Barron, Michael Ruffin, Jake Voshkul, Michael Doleac, Randolph Morris, Louis Admundson, Sean Marks, Dwayne Jones, Juwan Howard, Scott Pollard, Lorenzon Wright, Herbert Hill, Othella Harrington, Shavlik Randolph, Jamaal Magloire, DJ Mbenga, Andre Brown, Patrick O Bryant
Restricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Monta Ellis, Jose Calderon, Ben Gordon, Louis Williams, Daniel Gibson, Sasha Vujacic, Delonte West, Flip Murray, Juan Carlos Navarro, Jose Juan Barea, Chris Quinn, Andre Owens
Wings/Combo Forwards: Andre Iguodala, Luol Deng, JR Smith, Josh Childress, Kareem Rush, Carlos Delfino, Kelenna Azubuike, Ryan Gomes, CJ Miles, Dorell Wright, Demetris Nichols, Marcus Williams, Ersan Ilyasova, Jeremy Richardson, Kasib Powell
Big Men: Josh Smith, Emeka Okafor, Andris Biedrins, Nenad Krstic, Carl Landry, Ronny Turiaf, Chris Richard, Robert Swift, David Harrison, Craig Smith, Nick Fazekas, James Augustine, Ryan Hollins
Likely To Retire
PJ Brown, Lindsey Hunter
Limited Salary Protection - to varying degrees
Leon Powe, Brandon Bass, Marcin Gortat, Josh Powell, Mike Harris, CJ Watson, DJ Strawberry, Bobby Jones, Taureen Green, Loren Woods, Coby Karl, Lance Allred, Keith Van Horn, Joel Anthony, Stephane Lasme, JamesOn Curry
Free Agents Unemployed In NBA End Of Last Season - Large Majority Unlikely To Return to NBA
Point/Combo Guards Keith McLeod, Darrick Martin, John Lucas, Eddie Gill, Jay Williams, Randy Livingston,
Wings/Combo Forwards Jorge Garbajosa, Gerald Green, Ruben Patterson, Richie Frahm, Darius Miles, Doug Christie, Dahntay Jones, Jackie Manuel, Luke Jackson, Justin Reed, Anfernee Hardaway, Allan Houston, Eddie Robinson, Eric Williams
Big Men Justin Williams, Mike Sweetney, Jelani McCoy, Michael Olowokandi, Jackie Butler, Kelvin Cato, Dale Davis, Lonny Baxter, Alan Henderson, Rod Benson, Samaki Walker, Wayne Simien, Chris Taft, Stanislav Medevenko, Lawrence Roberts, James Singleton, Mo Taylor, Aaron Williams, Alexander Johnson, Danny Fortson, Elton Brown, Ha Seung-Jin
Appearantly the team talked to Tony and his representatives as well as making calls to his college (Oklahoma State) assistant coaches. They brought Tony and his representatives in for a talk but unfortunately it looks like they decided not to resign him. The podcast folk weren’t able to find out why the team decided not to resign him.
I’m pulling for Tony to get himself into a good situation, he’s one of the potential sleepers in this free agency class who’s capable of a lot more at a low price.
Here’s the link, it’s a video (primarily about the team name) that talks about Tony around the 12 minute mark:
The Bucks today signed point guard Tyronn Lue and forward Malik Allen to contracts, helping to bolster the team’s bench.
The 6-10 Allen brings a veteran leader to the frontcourt and someone who is familiar with Skiles’ system, after playing for the new Bucks coach during two seasons in Chicago.
Allen began the 2007-’08 season with New Jersey and was traded to Dallas in February, part of the deal which also sent Jason Kidd to the Mavericks and brought Milwaukee native Devin Harris to the Nets.
The seven-year veteran appeared in 73 games last season and averaged 4.6 points and 2.7 rebounds, with a 48.0 field goal percentage.
“Coach Skiles and I have a history, and we have a lot of mutual respect,” the 30-year-old Allen said. “I really was happy my time there (in Chicago). He’s got a great basketball mind. As far as seeing things within a game, he’s one of the best.
“There were a lot of attractive pieces for me to come here. I feel like this is a good team. It’s just a matter of finding the chemistry, and the ‘want to do it.’
“It definitely helps having a guy that’s played for him before, to talk to the other guys who may not be familiar with the system and what he wants. I can do that.”
Agent Andy Miller represents both players and said they were excited to be joining the Bucks.
“Individually, they will have good roles, and it’s a perfect fit on many levels,” Miller said. “They can help some of the young players and also help push this over the top.”
I like the Malik Allen signing for the Bucks. He’s a solid backup big man who’ll provide some more depth up front. After a disappointing season where he didn’t get much of an opportunity in Jersey or Dallas, I was a bit worried that Allen might not get another chance in the league. I’m very glad he got a good offer and will be with a coach that values what he brings to the table because there’s no doubt that he’s a solid NBA player. The article doesn’t mention the contract terms but I presume it’s for the minimum.
The Star Tribune reports:
The Wolves have agreed to terms with restricted free-agent Craig Smith on a two-year contract and the third-year forward is expected to join the franchise’s summer-league team in Las Vegas today.
Smith averaged 9.4 points on 56.3 percent shooting and 4.6 rebounds in 77 games (including 11 starts) last season.
Unfortunately no financial terms are available yet. It’ll be interesting to learn what he gets. I’m not sure why they bothered to resign Smith with both Kevin Love and Al Jefferson ahead of him. Smith doesn’t add a whole lot to their team.
Azcentral.com broke the news
Free agent point guard Tyronn Lue may have said that playing for the Suns was his first choice but his real choice wound up being going to Milwaukee for more money.
Lue’s agent, Andy Miller, informed the Suns today that Lue has agreed to terms with Milwaukee. It appears Lue has accepted the biennial exception, which gives him a two-year contract starting at $1.91 million this season (the second year is a player option). Phoenix was firm in offering a one-year veteran minimum contract of $1.26 million to Lue because the Suns project to be over the luxury tax threshold.
I don’t understand this signing at all for Milwaukee. Ramon Sessions is clearly a very talented young point guard who deserves the opportunity. Ahead of him they have Mo Williams on a huge contract coming off of a career season. Why would Lue want to be third fiddle? Why would Milwaukee waste their time signing Lue to be their third fiddle? They already have Charlie Bell for that. Why would they waste their LLE on a third string point? It makes no sense for the Bucks. I don’t understand why Lue would want to join a team where he’s the third best point guard? Must have been the money but Lue has made a decent bit over the years and that’ll be a very difficult situation for him if he’s not playing regular.
I’d love to see Sessions start next season and have Mo Williams return to his Vinnie Johnson role that he plays so well. It’d really help balance out the team. A pass first point guard to help the scorers – Redd, RJ, Charlie, Bogut – and a top bench scorer to provide firepower and a game changing force off the pine. Could be beautiful, like it once was with TJ and Mo a few years ago. They paid Mo too much money so it likely will never happen, pity.
Milwaukee have a lot of depth out on the perimeter right now.
PG – Mo, Sessions, Lue
SG – Redd, Mason, Bell
SF – RJ, Alexander, Mbah-Moute
Could a trade be in the works? Or planned targets in the near future? Looks that way.
Update: The Bucks Blog on JSonline say that Lue signed a one year contract for $2.5mil.
Marc Spears over the the Globe breaks the news
Celtics free agent James Posey signed a four-year deal with New Orleans today, according to his agent Mark Bartelstien.
This is a big blow to the Celtics, Posey was a huge contributor for them last season. It’ll be interesting to see how Ainge goes about rebuilding his bench. Does he replace Posey or spend the money at another position and try to build a different look? He still has options available so it isn’t the end of the earth but it definitely is a blow to the team.
Meanwhile, the Hornets got themselves a position they didn’t have a huge need for. So I’m not overjoyed at it from their perspective. I was hoping primarily they’d sign a backup big man which proved impossible so fair enough. As a second choice I was hoping for another go-to scoring option to help diversify their offense a bit, they’re still too one dimensional relying far too heavily on Chris Paul. But as a third option, finally, they check the box. Posey gives them a legit perimeter defender, a tough playoff veteran, a champion, a clutch performer and a high level perimeter shooter. He’ll help the Hornets.
I was always happy with a four year MLE offer. Three years would be ideal but four is definitely acceptable. Posey is good value at four years.
Here’s the link
Latest report are that Argentinean small forward Carlos Delfino, who was NBA free agent an played for Toronto last year, will sign for Russian Khimki Moscow for 3 years and 8.5 million Euros. Olympiakos was in game for him too but he accepted rich Russian offer.
1.98 cm, 104 kg and 1982 bor Argentinean NT member began his professional career in 1998 in Argentinean league. In 2000 he moved to Italy, where he played for 4 years with Reggio Calabria and Skipper Bologna. In 2003 he was 25th pick in NBA draft and moved to USA in 2004. He played 3 seasons with Detroit Pistons, who had drafted him, last year he signed with Toronto Raptors. Despite having good season, he’s now heading back to Europe.
Trade Summary
Nuggets get: 2nd round pick, $10.1mil trade exception
Clippers get: Marcus Camby
First thoughts on the trade – Idiotic move by the Clippers that robs them of their cap space which could have brought in a far superior player. Denver had to cut salary and Camby was expendable which is fair enough. I don’t see this having much of an effect on Denver because Nene will be back healthy next season and can replace Camby.
Why did the Clippers make this deal?
The virtue of the trade for the Clippers was adding a capable player who can start at power forward, the club’s most gaping hole. Chris Kaman had hardly any help on the backboards or with the interior defense last season, he fought valiantly but was outnumbered on a nightly basis and got beat because of it. Camby brings them a quality rebounder and an excellent weak side defender/shot blocker which will solve this problem. Offensively Kaman is a good enough low post option to get away with someone like Camby next season so Camby’s lack of scoring shouldn’t be too large of an issue.
Those two guys should give the Clippers a top interior defense next season and one of the better rebounding teams. In order for the Clippers to become a top defensive team next season they need to buckle down on the perimeter, especially on the wings. Baron Davis can play good defense. Thornton and Gordon … eh. Mobley inconsistent but sometimes capable. Be interesting to see how their perimeter D shapes up next season.
Why is it a bad move for the Clippers?
There’s a good argument for this trade being the worst possible realistic move that they could have made. The argument is three-fold:
(1) There was four restricted free agents heavily linked with the Clippers since Brand defected – Josh Smith, Emeka Okafor, Luol Deng, Andre Iguodala. All four are superior players than Camby, all four are both better offensive and defensive players than Camby. All four are younger than Camby. The Clippers were also linked with an interesting Zach Randolph scenario which again would have been a better move (if they move Cat/Thomas, not straight cap space).
Josh Smith in particular would have been a very interesting choice. I’m not Smith’s biggest fan but the Clippers would have been an excellent fit for him. He needs a center like Chris Kaman next to him; someone who can be a low post scorer, top rebounder, second anchor, good post defender to defend bigger players. Baron Davis and the Clippers young wings also meant that they’re likely to have a running game and Josh Smith is one of the best open court big men in the league today. He checked every box and would have been an inspired choice.
(2) The Clippers just threw away their cap space. I keep hearing about 2010, but they had cap space right now, who the hell cares about 2010? Any cap space they have today they can have in 2010, it’s not like the league is going to take it away from them because they didn’t use it. Instead, they spend it and remove all their options. That’s fine if the player is good enough but Camby isn’t. They should have kept that cap space until they found a better use for it.
(3) A lineup of Baron-Gordon-Thornton-Camby-Kaman is very solid. It’s not going to contend for a title though, nowhere close to that. It’s going to win 35-45 games a season if healthy, hovering around that .500 mark. With the West the way it is it’s unlikely to be a playoff squad so they’ll be in the lottery, unfortunately for them they’ll be winning too many games to get a high lottery pick. So not contending, and not adding the top level talents in the draft, and not being able to add top level talent in free agency.
So how do they improve? They don’t. All improvement is going to come internally from their prospects – Thornton, Gordon, Jordan – because they don’t have the flexibility to make additions elsewhere.
What does this mean for the Clippers?
It means they just threw away every hope of making a large leap in the near future on a 34 year old center who’ll play no role in their future.
It means they’ve just wasted the next two years of their franchise while playing for absolutely nothing. Incidently those two years are likely to be the best two years of their best player, Baron Davis, remaining career.
It also means that the Clippers lack offensive firepower and are in dire need of Gordon/Thornton becoming a 20ppg threat just to have a shot at making the playoffs. There’s way too much offensive burden on Baron Davis right now and he needs more help.
Why did Denver make this deal?
They backed themselves into a corner by adding bad contracts – Nene, Kenyon, Iverson – which in conjunction with Melo and Camby left them with five players earning eight figure salaries. Their payroll was up around $76mil for last season and they still had to resign JR Smith who’ll likely cost at least the MLE. They were a 50 win team, but also an 8th seed that was far too flawed to contend for a title. They needed to cut costs and give themselves a chance to retool while hanging onto their young talent. It’s also worth noting that the financial benefits of having Allen Iverson weren’t as big as initially thought and that the Nuggets lost money last season.
In trading Marcus Camby they cut $10mil of their salary bill both this season and the next season. This gives them some breathing room which should help them keep JR Smith and Kleiza in the future.
What effect will losing Camby have on the Nuggets?
Very little if any, in fact, I think Denver will be better next season.
The most important big man on the Nuggets roster is Nene. Denver are going to be better next season because he’s returning after missing nearly the entire previous season. Nene will be able to replace Camby’s void and add some to the roster.
With Nene and K-Mart they’ve kept two very good defenders, their two best interior defenders. Both are high quality one-on-one defenders, both play good post defense, both protect the rim, and both a good team defenders. Nene gives them a legit 6-11 260lb presence in the paint who can limit post scorers. Their interior D is going to be better without Camby.
Their perimeter defense is suspect. If Anthony Carter and Iverson are starting again next season it’ll be difficult for them to improve there. They need to move both players. Carmelo Anthony on the other hand is improving as a defensive player and became their best perimeter defender (not saying much, still below par but better and close to mediocre) late last season. He’s a guy who should improve more next season. Their perimeter defenders will take less chances without Camby hanging around which is a good thing because they’re (a) awful at making that decision (b) Camby was more concerned with his box sheet than stopping the play. Their perimeter defense will still be bad, very bad, but Camby’s presence wasn’t making much of a difference anyway.
Camby’s selfish defensive ways hurt Denver consistently last season. He regularly stepped back and allowed penetration so he could come over late and attempt to block the shot, instead of getting in the way and denying the easy path to the rim in the first place. That gave up extra easy baskets and extra easy follow up buckets. He’s also given up on boxing guys out and gives the opposition unnecessary extra possessions, especially considering how dominant a rebounder he can be when he’s head is glued on straight.
Camby is also a weak one-on-one defender who’s a poor post defender. Opposing big men score on him easily and often, especially post players who have a field day with Camby. Last season Camby was the Nuggets’ fourth best post defender and probably the fifth best if Steven Hunter ever played. That’s a combination of two things (a) Camby is a poor post defender (b) Denver have good post defenders on their roster in Nene, Kenyon, Najera. Camby’s opposing PER last season shows some of these flaws with opposing big men shooting 52.5% against him and putting up a PER of 17.9 which is very poor for a top defender. He’s a poor man-to-man defender and a poor post defender. What he is is an excellent weak side shot blocker and good help defender.
Camby has the ability to be a defensive beast in this league but his efforts have been half-hearted (selfish too) and they’ve created nearly as many problems as they solved limiting his overall value as a defender.
Camby’s offensive game has also become problematic. It’s not that he can’t contribute offensively, it’s that he doesn’t put enough effort in to give his team what they need. Last season was easily the most stagnant I’ve ever seen Camby offensively, he just stood around 17-20 feet from the rim and provided zero threat to the defense. He used to create problems with his activity and mobility which meant the defense had to keep someone near him. Nowadays they just back off and leave him alone out there. He’s coming off his lowest scoring year in four years (and under his career average) and his lowest FG% in 5 years (again under his career average). Things got even worse in the playoffs as he scored a pitiful 3 points a game where his lack of scoring/movement allowed the Lakers (Gasol) to send shot blockers down into the paint on all penetration limiting Camby’s teammates.
Camby doesn’t leave much of a void offensively. Nene is clearly a superior offensive player and will help the Nuggets there next season.
Denver is going to be better than they were last season.
Okay, so I shot down Camby’s defense there a bit, should a Clippers fan be worried?
Firstly, Camby is a grossly overrated defender and never should have been DpoY. His reputation is far greater than his actual impact. That needs to be said. He’s a weak one-on-one defender and poor post player, he’s not a top tier defender in this league because of those flaws. He is an excellent weak side shot blocker and a good help defender.
Also worth saying, I rate Chris Kaman as a better defensive player than Camby.
From there on you’re looking at two ways of looking at it – (1) Camby is still capable of being a game changing force through his defense. His use of his skills have been poor lately but he clearly can still be a dominant defender so a change of scenery good brighten him up and get him back to his merry best. (2) Camby is already slipping, he’s old, and he didn’t give his best in Denver. Why would he change? Not giving your best is a character issue …. it really depends on your persepective.
Conclusion
Awful trade for the Clippers because it robs them of better options. It will improve their squad significantly but it was nowhere near their best play.
Necessary trade for the Nuggets that they can survive.
Orlando made a shrewd move today picking up veteran point guard Anthony Johnson
The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard Anthony Johnson, General Manager Otis Smith announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed. “Anthony addresses our need for depth at the point guard position,” said Smith. “He is a veteran leader who has played in the NBA Finals. We are happy to add Anthony to the Magic family.”
Terms of the contract aren’t available yet, at least I haven’t found them on an article anywhere yet. I imagine he signed for the veteran’s minimum but possibly the LLE. Orlando already used their MLE on Pietrus so that out. I’d also hazard a guess that it’s a one year deal.
Anthony Johnson is a quality backup point guard. He’s a solid defender, big physical guard, and he’s a playmaker. More of a scorer than a passer but he can make things happen. He’s a good floor general who keeps his teams organized. He did a great job in New Jersey backing up Kidd en route to two NBA Finals appearances, after that he moved on to Indiana were he had three quality seasons and recently he’s done good work for Atlanta and Sacramento. He’s a vet that knows his business and does it well.
AJ is one of the better backup point guards available in free agency this year and he is an upgrade over Arroyo and Dooling so Orlando have done well for themselves with this move.
2008 Free Agent List
Unrestricted Free Agents
Point/Combo Guards: Baron Davis,