Month: November 2024

Magic Notes: Howard, Agent, Deadline

It would seem the schedule makers were plugged into the rumor mill when they set up tonight's Magic-Nets game in Orlando for a day after the trade deadline.  The Nets were leading candidates to engage in a Dwight Howard deal with the Magic, but instead had to wonder what might have been as they watched D12 put up a relatively tame 18-point, six-rebound effort in an 86-70 Orlando win. Here's what's happening in the Magic Kingdom a day after a most anticipated trade deadline:

  • The kinship between Howard and Deron Williams was not compelling enough to draw the big man away from his video game in time for dinner with the Nets point guard, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, via Twitter. Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star Ledger points out that the two did exchange texts. (Twitter link) 
  • Howard confirmed what manager Kevin Samples said yesterday, and is not firing agent Dan Fegan, Bondy also tweeted. There was speculation that Fegan was influencing Howard not to opt in to the final year of the deal, since Fegan, who didn't negotiate Howard's existing contract, wouldn't get a cut. (Twitter links)
  • Orlando fans were forgiving of Howard for his indecisiveness, giving him a "booming ovation" at the start of tonight's game, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.  
  • The Magic top Washington Post writer Michael Lee's list of deadline winners for the deal they didn't make, with the Nets as the top loser.

Reaction To Clippers, Nuggets, Wizards Deal

There were several components to yesterday's three-team deal between the Clippers, Nuggets and Wizards, but each team seems pleased with the centerpieces of the swap.

The Clippers are welcoming Nick Young with open arms as they plan to slide him into the starting shooting guard spot after last night's embarrassing loss to a Suns team that was without Steve Nash and Grant Hill. GM Neil Olshey had been working on the deal for 10 days but didn't expect it to happen, as he told Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.

“I was actually surprised," Olshey said. "I didn’t think there was any way we would be able to acquire a player like Nick Young for a future second round pick.”

To be precise, the Clippers sent Brian Cook to Washington as well as a 2015 second-rounder.

One part of the deal amounted to an exchange of big men, with Nene going to Washington and JaVale McGee heading to Denver. Both sides were apparently glad to get rid of them, according to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix (All Twitter links).

Mannix says several Nuggets were upset about Nene's contract negotiations, which dragged on past the start of the truncated training camp this year, and felt they contributed to what's been an off year for him so far. Yesterday, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post also cited Nene's lack of readiness for the season. After signing a five-year, $65MM deal, injuries limited Nene to playing in just 28 of Denver's 43 games prior to the trade. He averaged 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds, numbers that were fairly similar to last year's 14.5 PPG and 7.6 RPG, but his 16.8 PER was significantly lower than the 20.4 he posted in 2010/11. Mannix also heard that the move was in part prompted by the play of rookie Kenneth Faried, who has taken advantage of the absense of Nene and others and averaged 10.6 PPG and 8.1 RPG in March.

The Wizards, meanwhile, were "thrilled" to get rid of McGee, Mannix notes, before having to worry about re-signing the restricted free agent in the summer. McGee reportedly said he plans to ask for $14MM a year. 

 

Deadline Deals Explained Financially

A few weeks ago, I broke down some of the rules and regulations on trades in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. Now that the trade deadline has passed and we've seen a number of deals consummated, it's worth a look back to see how those trade rules applied to this week's moves.

As we run through the trades, explaining the financial details for each team, keep in mind that each club involved in a deal can break down a trade in different ways. Jeff Kramer of Storytellers Contracts explained this splendidly in a piece on this week's Andrew Bogut/Monta Ellis trade for Blazer's Edge. Although the total salaries going each way matched up almost perfectly, the Bucks broke down the move into two separate trades, while the Warriors viewed it as three separate transactions. This way, each team was able to acquire a sizeable traded player exception that wouldn't have been possible by viewing the trade as a single, simultaneous transaction.

For more clarification on this point, check out Kramer's piece, revisit Larry Coon's CBA FAQ, and feel free to ask questions in the comments section of this post. Also, be sure to check out our list of outstanding traded player exceptions, which has been updated to reflect all the info below.

Here's the complete breakdown of this week's trades:

Read more

Odds & Ends: Nene, Celtics, Camby, Kaman, Rubio

A few odds and ends from around the league for Friday afternoon:

Spurs Close To Signing Patrick Mills

The Spurs are finalizing a contract with former Blazers guard Patrick Mills, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated tweets that it will be a two-year deal. 

Amick adds via Twitter that the deal will include a player option in the second year, worth about $1MM. The Blazers renounced Mills' rights this morning, the team confirmed via Twitter.

According to a tweet from Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, the Pistons also wanted to sign Mills. The Rockets were interested in the guard, too, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reported earlier today. The Spurs were also reportedly interested in Derek Fisher, whom the Rockets are rumored to be buying out. San Antonio was searching for a point guard after the abrupt retirement of T.J. Ford this week, who was subsequently shipped to Golden State for financial reasons in the Stephen Jackson-Richard Jefferson deal. The Warriors have waived Ford, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Mills, a 2009 second-round pick out of St. Mary's College, averaged 5.1 points and 1.5 assists in two seasons as a backup in Portland. He signed with a Chinese team earlier this season, but has received FIBA clearance to join an NBA team.

 

Failed Deals: Nets, Bucks, Kaman, Pistons

Shortly after yesterday's trade deadline, we rounded up a few near-deals that didn't quite get done. Reports continue to trickle out about offers that were turned down and trades that were close, so let's cover a few more:

  • Appearing on KNBR in San Francisco, Ric Bucher of ESPN.com reported that the Nets offered Brook Lopez to the Bucks for Monta Ellis shortly after Milwaukee acquired Ellis from Golden State (hat tip to RealGM.com). Unsuprisingly, the Bucks turned it down, according to Bucher.
  • Bucher added that the Warriors could have acquired Chris Kaman from the Hornets in exchange for Brandon Rush, Kwame Brown's expiring contract, and a second-round pick, but chose to land Bogut instead (link via RealGM).
  • The Pistons were also in on Kaman, offering the Hornets one of their big contracts along with a future first-round pick, says Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Ben Gordon is the only Piston whose contract would've worked in a one-for-one deal.
  • After turning down that offer, the Hornets countered with Carl Landry for Jason Maxiell and an unprotected 2012 first-rounder, says Goodwill. The Pistons rejected that one.

Oden Wants To Play Again, Interested In Pacers

It's been another disappointing season for Greg Oden, who underwent knee surgery that sidelined him for the year, then was waived by the Blazers yesterday to clear a roster spot. However, Oden's agent Mike Conley Sr. tells the Associated Press (link via ESPN.com) that his client is committed to playing basketball again.

When Portland waived Oden, his agents Conley and Bill Duffy released a statement saying that "the first priority is Greg's health" and that there's no timeline for his return to the hardwood. According to Conley, while Oden initially contemplated ending his career, he's fully focused on rehab now. Conley says the former first overall pick is rehabbing at home in Indianapolis and would have interest in joining the Pacers once he gets healthy.

When Oden clears waivers this weekend, he'll be an unrestricted free agent.

Rockets Intend To Buy Out Derek Fisher

The Rockets will buy out the remainder of Derek Fisher's contract, according to Fran Blinebury of NBA.com (via Twitter). Speculation that Houston would buy out Fisher began almost immediately after the Rockets acquired him yesterday, with Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweeting earlier today to "expect [a] buyout."

Fisher's cap figure is $3.4MM this season, with a player option worth the same amount for 2012/13. The Rockets have been attempting to clear cap space for this summer, so if the Rockets and Fisher agree on a buyout, we'll see how much of next year's figure Houston can clear from its books.

If a buyout is finalized before next Friday, Fisher will be free to sign with any team in the NBA besides the Lakers. Since L.A. traded him, the veteran point guard is prohibited from rejoining the Lakers this season, under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Pacific Notes: Nash, Bogut, Morris

As every Pacific team except the Clippers prepares to host a game later tonight, let's check in on the latest updates out of the division:

Latest On Lakers’ Failed Trade For Beasley

1:36pm: Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld reports a slightly different story on how the Beasley talks broke down, saying the Lakers were trying to send Luke Walton and other "salary dump type pieces" to Minnesota. Ingram suggests the reports on Fisher's inclusion causing Minnesota to back out are Lakers' spin.

10:42am: We heard yesterday that the Timberwolves had backed out of a potential three-team trade that would've sent Michael Beasley to the Lakers, Derek Fisher and Jamal Crawford to Minnesota, and a first-round pick to the Trail Blazers. The Lakers ultimately moved Fisher and that first-rounder to Houston for Jordan Hill, but a few details have surfaced on that failed deal have surfaced today.

According to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, Anthony Tolliver would have also been involved in the deal, heading from Minnesota to Portland. McMenamin says the T-Wolves pulled out of the deal with just seven minutes left before the trade deadline, leaving Lakers officials "puzzled and disappointed."

Mike Breshanan of the Los Angeles Times hears from a source that the trade was "whisker-close" to being completed, but that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor blocked the deal. Presumably, if ownership vetoed the deal, it was for financial reasons rather than basketball reasons, though that's just my speculation.