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Odds & Ends: Turiaf, Arenas, Lakers, Greene

March 26th, 2012 at 10:24am CST by Luke Adams

Let's check in on a few Monday morning odds and ends from around the league….

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Lou Williams Discusses 2012/13 Option

March 26th, 2012 at 8:43am CST by Luke Adams

The 76ers will head into the offseason with two players holding early termination options on their contracts. Elton Brand, who's in line to earn $18MM+ next season, is highly unlikely to give up the final year of his deal, but Louis Williams is a different story. Williams, a candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, is due about $5.35MM in 2012/13 if he doesn't opt out of his deal, and spoke to Dennis Deitch of The Times Herald about his options.

"I obviously have the option to opt out, but I still have a year there, so I haven’t really thought about it," Williams said. "I’ve just been trying to play well, then in the summertime we can let the business side take care of itself."

Agent Leon Rose and the Sixers had brief discussions prior to the season about an extension for Williams, but tabled those talks until season's end. The 25-year-old sounds as if he's very open to revisiting the topic in the summer.

"I consider Philly my second home," Williams said. "I’m comfortable here, I enjoy the direction the team is growing in, so it’s not really a situation where some guys can’t wait to get out of their contracts. There’s an opportunity there to extend the contract or go somewhere else, but we haven’t really thought about it. I’m happy here and plan on being here."

I'd be a little surprised if Williams waived his ETO and played out his final season. He should be able to negotiate a multiyear contract this summer, with Deitch pointing to Sixers teammate Thaddeus Young and fellow sixth man Jason Terry as potential comparables for a long-term deal.

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Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Jackson, Casey

March 25th, 2012 at 11:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Atlantic Division race could be the most exciting in the NBA, with the Sixers clinging to a half-game lead over the Celtics and the Knicks sitting just three games back. The winner gets, at worst, the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference — though for practical purposes, it could be the fifth seed, as winning percentage, not seeding, determines home-court advantage in the postseason. If the playoffs started today, the Sixers would go on the road for Game 1 against the fifth-seeded Hawks, who have a better record. Here's the latest from the NBA's northeastern corner:

  • New Celtics center Ryan Hollins has always looked up to Kevin Garnett, and they bonded during the lockout, writes Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com. Their relationship might explain why the Celtics chose Hollins to shore up their front line this week. 
  • Phil Jackson looms as a coaching candidate for the Knicks and other teams, but girlfriend Jeanie Buss says no teams have been in contact with Jackson, David Singer of Los Angeles' 710 ESPN Radio tweets. (Hat tip to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com)
  • In The New York Times, William C. Rhoden takes a look at how involvement in a scandal at the University of Kentucky set Raptors coach Dwane Casey on a path away from college and toward the NBA. In an appreciation, Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun wonders whether Casey might be the greatest coach in the team's 17-season history. That's a stretch for a guy who's 16-33 in less than one full season.

 

 

 

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Odds & Ends: Bell, Cavs, Nocioni, Macklin

March 25th, 2012 at 10:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

On this date in 1990, the Bulls re-signed sharpshooter Craig Hodges, who backed up Michael Jordan on Chicago's first two championship teams, in addition to winning three straight three-point contests at the All-Star Game. Here's what's happening around the league tonight:

  • Jazz guard Raja Bell's bothersome left knee could require microfracture surgery that would end his season, according to Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. Apparently one doctor has recommended microfracture, but Bell has sought a second opinion, the results of which are due Monday (All four Twitter links).
  • Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio shared a number of observations following the Cavs' 108-83 loss to the Suns today, including his thoughts on the team's needs in the draft. Even though they could use a center and a shooting guard, Amico believes the team should pursue the most explosive scorers at any position. The Cavs will have a pair of first-round picks this year thanks to the Ramon Sessions trade. 
  • Andres Nocioni, who signed to play in Spain this week, received offers from two playoff teams, but none of them would make any promises about playing time, he writes in Spanish on a blog on ESPNDeportes.com (translation courtesy HoopsHype).  
  • Pistons big man Vernon Macklin, a second-round pick in last year's draft, has been impressive in the D-League, notes Brendan Savage of MLive.com. The 6'10", 227-pound University of Florida product is averaging 17.2 rebounds a game. Still, the Pistons plan on leaving him with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for another five games, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. 
  • Jonathan Givony of Draft Express gives his best guesses about who will be a part of this year's Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, an annual showcase for seniors coming out of college.
  • Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel mentions Anthony Carter as a candidate for the Heat should the team look to sign a point guard in the wake of its loss to the Thunder tonight (Twitter link).
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Blazers Expect To Pick Up Babbitt’s Option

March 25th, 2012 at 8:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

Blazers acting GM Chad Buchanan said the team "anticipates" it will exercise its $2.9MM option to retain forward Luke Babbitt past next season, tweets Jason Quick of The Oregonian. The option represents the fourth year (2013/14) of the rookie-scale contract Babbitt signed with the team after being selected with the 16th pick of the 2010 draft.

The University of Nevada product hasn't been used much in his first two seasons, averaging 1.8 points in just 5.9 minutes over 46 career games. Babbitt appeared to enter the rotation after the team cleaned house at the trade deadline, but with the addition of J.J. Hickson, he's seen his minutes diminish again in Portland's last two outings. LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews are the only Blazers on guaranteed contracts for 2013/14, so adding Babbitt to the mix wouldn't compromise the team's future flexibility much.

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Thunder Notes: Battier, Fisher, Free Agents

March 25th, 2012 at 8:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tonight, the Thunder are taking on the Heat in what some consider to be a preview of the Finals. Close to 60 percent of Hoops Rumors readers, however, feel that at least one of the teams will falter before June. Let's take a look at some of the news out of Oklahoma City:

  • The Thunder offered only two years and didn't provide as much of a chance for Shane Battier to get crunch-time minutes, and that's why he signed his three-year, $9.4MM deal with the Heat instead, Battier told Ethan J. Skolnick of The Palm Beach Post.
  • ESPN's Marc Stein has the details on Derek Fisher's contract, passing along that the deal is worth $2.3MM for the rest of the season.
  • Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman tweets that Thunder coach Scott Brooks envisions new backup point guard Derek Fisher playing 13 to 20 minutes a night, which suggests we could see more D-League stints for Reggie Jackson.
  • While 10 members of the Heat were acquired via free agency, Fisher and Royal Ivey are the only free agent acquisitions on the Thunder, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN, via Twitter. 
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Jeff Green Eyeing Return To Celtics?

March 25th, 2012 at 7:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Free agent forward Jeff Green is out for the year after surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm, and the Celtics voided his contract when he failed a preseason physical. Nonetheless, he's been attending the team's home games this year, occasionally sitting on the team's bench, and CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely believes it's clear Green prefers to re-sign with Boston as an unrestricted free-agent this summer (Twitter link). Michael Lee of The Washington Post adds, via Twitter, that Green still has a home in the Boston area.

Green's pending unrestricted free agency comes about by an odd set of circumstances, and that's not simply because of his heart ailment. When the Celtics voided the one-year, $9MM offer after his failed physical, they also withdrew their qualifying offer to him, making him an unrestricted free agent instead of a restricted one, which allows any team to sign Green to a deal without giving the Celtics a chance to match it.

Perhaps Green feels a debt of gratitude over the move, which the Celtics didn't have to make. Still, with the expiring contracts of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics will have plenty of cap space this summer, and with Green coming off surgery, he won't command the type of contract he otherwise would. The former No. 5 overall pick has career averages of 13.9 PPG and 5.5 RPG, and was acquired by the Celtics last year at the trading deadline. 

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Productive Players On Minimum Deals

March 25th, 2012 at 6:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

A slew of bought-out players, 10-day contract recipients and D-League call-ups have found new homes this past week, and many of them have signed minimum-salary contracts. That minimum is not the same for everyone, as veterans are entitled to more money based on the number of years they've been in the league, but with most of these contracts in six figures instead of seven, a productive minimum-salary player is almost always a bargain. Besides, the league compensates teams that sign minimum-salary veterans with three or more years of service for the difference above that of a second-year player's minimum deal, so qualified veterans won't be passed over for younger, cheaper talent. The most prominent minimum guy this year is, of course, Jeremy Lin, whose story has been well-documented. Let's take a look at some of the other cheap pickups who've paid off. 

  • Ian Mahinmi, Mavericks: Making $916K in the final season of a two-year contract, Mahinmi is the starter at center in Dallas, putting up 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and posting a 14.7 PER. 
  • Nate Robinson, Warriors: Picked up for $983K in January, the 5'9" spark plug has been inserted into the starting lineup because of Stephen Curry's injury and the Monta Ellis trade. He's averaged 11.7 PPG and 4.6 assists per game in March. 
  • Shelden Williams, Nets: A starter in the absence of Brook Lopez, the undersized 6'9" center pulls down 10.1 rebounds per 36 minutes, not too shabby on $993K.
  • Gerald Green, Nets: He's been the jewel of the 10-day pickups so far this year. He's posted 10.6 PPG and 15.8 PER in 22 minutes a night.
  • Steve Novak, Knicks: At $993K, he's another find for New York, the long-range bomber has touched on 48.1% of his three-point attempts this year, good for a career-high 8.6 PPG. 
  • Landry Fields, Knicks: Not many second-round picks can say they've started all but three of the games in their career. He's putting up 9.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 47% shooting this year on $762K.
  • Michael Redd, Suns: He hasn't gotten too much playing time, but that he's playing at all is a marvel, considering injuries have forced him to miss the better part of the last three seasons. This year, he's averaging 18.9 points per 36 minutes for $1.3MM. 
  • Isaiah Thomas, Kings: Outplaying first-round pick Jimmer Fredette, this second-round selection has found his way into the starting lineup. His scoring has gone up in each month, and he's averaging 12.8 PPG and 4.4 APG for $474K.
  • Danny Green, Spurs: San Antonio GM R.C. Buford is a master at finding value. Green makes $854K, and he's put up 8.6 PPG and 3.8 RPG while playing 23.8 minutes a game. He's made 18 starts, too.

 

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Free Agent Stock Watch: Andre Miller

March 25th, 2012 at 3:59pm CST by Michael Pina

In this "golden age" of point guard play we're currently witnessing, Andre Miller continues to stay under the radar as one of the most efficient, yet underrated, players in the entire league. Now in his second tenure with the Nuggets, Miller is backing up another point guard (Ty Lawson) for the first time in his career, and despite his team's success playing the two off one another with a change-of-pace strategy, he's expressed unhappiness in the role.

As the highest paid player on Denver's roster, Miller is about to see the three-year, $21MM deal he signed in 2009 come to an end, and it's probable that with Lawson entrenched as the team's starter for the foreseeable future, he'll explore other options come the offseason.   

Miller believes he can still start for someone and produce at a high level. At this stage in his career, a team might be gambling should they allow him to do so. Right now the 35-year-old is averaging the second lowest FG% of his 13-year career—in five fewer MPG than last season—but his per-36 minute assist numbers are his second highest. What he continues to offer a Denver team that has one of the league's best benches, is savvy, consistent point guard play and veteran leadership. For younger players, he's invaluable playing the role of mentor, but it doesn't seem like that's something he's interested in doing. If nothing else, Miller is tough, respected, and still able to slow the game down to his own manageable pace. 

There don't appear to be any high profile point guards in the upcoming draft, and apart from Deron Williams, Goran Dragic, and Steve Nash, the league's free agency pool appears to be thin as well. If Miller is serious about starting, there are several teams that would love to utilize his services.  After this season comes to an end, it wouldn't be surprising to see him  end up playing for Charlotte, Indiana, Utah (if they can find another home for Devin Harris and his soon to be expiring contract), or even Portland, the team that unwisely traded him for Raymond Felton last June.  

Andre Miller's availability on the market will most likely fall as far under the radar as his on-the-court influence these past 13 years, but there's no denying the fact that he can still play in this league. Whether he chooses to limit a possible destination by insisting he's a still worthy of starting is another story altogether. 

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Hoops Rumors Originals: 3/19/12 – 3/25/12

March 25th, 2012 at 3:00pm CST by Michael Pina

Here's a look back at all the original material produced by our writers from the past week:

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