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Month: November 2024

Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Pietrus, Deron Williams

May 14th, 2012 at 7:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

As two Atlantic Division teams go at it tonight in Game 2 of the Celtics-Sixers series, let's check on what's happening off the court:

  • The Knicks stand to gain if the union prevails on its contention that players claimed off waivers may retain their Bird Rights, but only by so much. If the arbitrator rules in favor of the union, that could allow the Knicks to re-sign Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak while using the mid-level exception on another player. Yet, as Howard Beck of The New York Times points out, the team would have only the smaller taxpayer mid-level exception if retaining Novak and Lin, along with their other free agents, pushes them above the $74MM luxury tax apron. Currently, the team has approximately $58.7MM guaranteed to players next season, with seven free agents and two players on non-guaranteed deals (All Twitter links).
  • Mickael Pietrus, a free agent after the season, will have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee this summer, and hinted that he may re-sign with the Celtics, according to Jackie MacMullan and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Pietrus underwent the same procedure on the knee during this past offseason.  
  • At the bottom of this piece by Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, Nets shooting guard Anthony Morrow offers a glimpse into the mind of top free agent target Deron Williams. Among other things, Morrow says that Williams "really likes Brooklyn," and loves the team and his teammates.  
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Warriors Notes: Lacob, Small Forwards, Draft

May 14th, 2012 at 6:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

While the Warriors await the May 30th draft lottery with crossed fingers, hoping they don't slide below their projected seventh slot and lose their pick to the Jazz, there are a few items of note from the Bay Area:

  • The team has promoted Kirk Lacob, son of co-owner Joe Lacob, to assistant GM, according to a statement. He previously served as director of basketball operations for the Warriors and general manager of the Dakota Wizards, the team's D-League affiliate. Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle provides detail.
  • A "big" upgrade at small forward is on tap this summer, according to Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group. It's increasingly clear that the team has soured on Dorell Wright, Kawakami says, and the team will seek a replacement who can have an impact on both sides of the floor.
  • In the same piece, Kawakami says the draft is the most likely means the team will use to get a new starter at the 3, and mentions Harrison Barnes, Terrence Jones and Perry Jones as possibilities at No. 7, with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist in play if the team moves up into the top three picks. If they make a deal to move into the middle of the first round, they're high on Meyers Leonard, Kawakami reports.
  • San Francisco mayor Ed Lee, along with all 11 city supervisors, sent a letter to the Warriors that said the city would cooperate to help the team return to San Francisco by 2017, according to Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross of the San Francisco Chronicle. The city, home to the Warriors from 1962-71, is likely seeking a privately financed arena near the Bay Bridge. The news comes on the heels of the state's demand that Oakland return $3.5MM it had hoped to spend on planning for a new arena.
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Union Seeks Ruling On Bird Rights, Waiver Claims

May 14th, 2012 at 5:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

The player's union is challenging the NBA's declaration earlier this year that players who are claimed off waivers lose their Bird rights, Howard Beck of The New York Times reports. The union is seeking an arbitrator's ruling by July 1, which would have significant impact for several free agents and their teams.

If the union is successful with their challenge, it will be easier for many of the teams who claimed players off waivers this year to re-sign their players. The most prominent examples are the Knicks with Jeremy Lin and Steve Novak, the Clippers and Chauncey Billups, and the Blazers and J.J. Hickson. All of those players were claimed off waivers this season and are at the end of their contracts. If the union's challenge is successful, the teams will be allowed to retain those players using either Early Bird, in the case of Lin and Novak, or full Bird rights, as with Billups and Hickson. There were an unusually high number of players claimed off waivers this year, but the other four players on that list were either waived for a second time this season without being claimed, or have contracts in place for next year.

The league clarified its interpretation of the rule earlier this year, shortly after Lin became a sensation for the Knicks. It cited a clause in the collective bargaining agreement that said players lose their Bird rights when they're waived, regardless of whether a team claims them. The union contends that because everything else about a player's contract remains intact if he's claimed off waivers, the Bird rights should remain as well. Bird rights are tied to the number of years a player spends with a team. He must have finished at least two seasons with a team to have Early Bird rights and three for full Bird rights. Beck says that the union's case also compares a waiver transfer to a trade, arguing that because Bird rights are retained in trades, when players are sent to another team against their will, the same should be true when they're waived and claimed, also against their will.

The union and the league must select an arbitrator before the matter can proceed. Since, as Beck writes, much of the union's case centers around the spirit of the law, and the league is going off specific language in the CBA, it seems unlikely the arbitrator will rule in the union's favor. Still, it will be interesting to see how the pending case will affect teams as they prepare for the draft, which takes place three days before the date by which the arbitrator has been asked to rule. 

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Knicks Rumors: Smith, Lin, Nash, Fields

May 14th, 2012 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

On Friday, I examined the Knicks' salary cap situation heading into the offseason and explained the obstacles facing the team as it looks to retain its own free agents and bring in more talent. With the help of CBA expert Larry Coon, ESPN.com's Jared Zwerling explores the same topic more extensively. While our conclusions were similar, Zwerling was able to add some details on the thinking of the club and its free agents. Here are the highlights:

  • A source tells Zwerling that J.R. Smith's father Earl is going to try to convince his son to stay in New York but that "it's very clear that the money is the biggest factor with him." In fact, Smith chose the Knicks over the Clippers in free agency this past season because he was financially broke and the Knicks had more money to offer, according to Zwerling.
  • One source on Jeremy Lin: "He's going to be in New York next year regardless, unless they decide they're not going to match him because [Steve] Nash is going to come in at $5 million or something like that. But Nash is a pipe dream. I think that they keep Lin, just because of his popularity."
  • If Lin re-signs in New York, the Knicks will be hard-pressed to retain Landry Fields. Zwerling hears from a source that Fields may get a $5MM-per-year offer, not because he's necessarily worth that, but because teams often have to overpay to pry restricted free agents away.
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Odds & Ends: Olympics, Butler, Bosh, Chandler

May 14th, 2012 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's check out some odds and ends from around the Association as we prepare for a pair of second-round playoff games in Boston and Oklahoma City….

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Wizards Facing Decision On Rashard Lewis

May 14th, 2012 at 2:38pm CST by Luke Adams

Rashard Lewis has one year remaining on the massive contract he signed in July 2007, but it's very unlikely he'll return to Washington in 2012/13. Michael Lee of the Washington Post says the Wizards will likely "take every step to part ways" with Lewis this summer.

While it's clear the Wizards would like to shed Lewis' contract, there isn't necessarily one obvious solution for how to do so. Lewis' $22.7MM salary for next season is only partially guaranteed for $13.7MM, so Washington could save $9MM by simply releasing the 32-year-old by June 30th. The Wizards have also yet to use their amnesty provision and could eliminate Lewis' remaining $22.7MM from their cap entirely by amnestying him.

According to Lee, however, the Wizards view Lewis as having trade value and are expected to pursue deals around the time of the draft. Lewis' contract will be next year's largest expiring deal and could represent a chance for a team to clear significant cap room in preparation for the CBA's more punitive cap and tax restrictions in 2013/14, says Lee.

While it's certainly worth exhausting trade possibilities in case there's a team that would have interest in Lewis and his expiring deal, I have my doubts that Washington will find a suitor. Players in the final years of large contract this season, such as Antawn Jamison and Chris Kaman, didn't seem to attract significant interest, and Lewis has an even bigger price tag, which will make it challenging to find a trade partner.

As I wrote when I previewed the Wizards' offseason, I view Andray Blatche as a more logical candidate for the amnesty provision, and expect Washington to simply buy Lewis out prior to June 30th, saving $9MM. For Lewis' part, he still expects to be a contributor, wherever he plays next year.

"I still feel like I got a lot of basketball in me," Lewis said. "I know I can still play at a high level. I know I can still run and jump. It’s just getting healthy."

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Offseason Outlook: Detroit Pistons

May 14th, 2012 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Guaranteed Contracts

Options

Non-Guaranteed Contracts 

  • None

Free Agents (Cap Holds)

Draft Picks

  • 1st Round (Pending lottery; 1.7% chance at first overall pick)
  • 2nd Round (39th overall)
  • 2nd Round (44th overall)

Cap Outlook

  • Guaranteed Salary (including options): $63,398,209
  • Non-Guaranteed Salary, Cap Holds: $6,142,550
  • Total (not including draft picks): $69,540,759

On February 1st, the Pistons were a 4-20 team, a mere half-game ahead of the lowly Bobcats and seemingly headed for a high lottery pick. The squad that played .500 ball (21-21) over the rest of the season is closer to what GM Joe Dumars and the front office expects to see from the Pistons in 2012/13.

With nine players on guaranteed deals, and Jason Maxiell a decent bet to pick up his $5MM player option and return, the Pistons' roster for next season figures to look similar to 2011/12's team. And if the Pistons of the second half show up, a mostly-unchanged roster isn't necessarily a bad thing. Young players like Brandon Knight and Greg Monroe continue to develop into strong NBA regulars, and the Pistons figure to add another lottery pick to the roster this summer.

Even with a free agent splash unlikely, the Pistons will face decisions on whether to be active on the trade market or use their amnesty provision. Dumars figures to explore every possible trade avenue, with Rodney Stuckey, Jonas Jerebko, Will Bynum, and Austin Daye among the players that could be discussed. Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva won't have trade value, but are candidates to be amnestied if the Pistons want to clear some cap room.

Of course, teams generally only make use of the amnesty provision for extremely unpalatable contracts or if they need to clear room to make another move. With Richard Hamilton's buyout still on their books, Maxiell potentially opting in, and a ninth overall pick adding another $2MM or so to the payroll, the Pistons' 2012/13 salary will likely exceed $65MM even before the team fills out its last few roster spots. Amnestying Gordon or Villanueva wouldn't create the necessary cap space to affect the team's free agent plans, so I wouldn't expect either player to be released unless Detroit is worried about hitting the luxury tax threshold.

All but assured a top-ten draft pick, the Pistons are in a good position to add size in June. Power forward is the draft's deepest position and the Pistons' greatest need. Even if Detroit stays put in the lottery and picks ninth, intriguing big men like Perry Jones III, Terrence Jones, Jared Sullinger, Tyler Zeller, and John Henson could be available. While Dumars has indicated the team may just select the best available player, there's a good chance that player could be a big man anyway.

With limited cap flexibility, the Pistons won't be a player for major free agents this summer, but they have enough trade assets to still have an eventful offseason. Expecting a playoff berth for Detroit next season may be a little too optimistic, unless the team can find a significant upgrade in the draft or on the trade market. But the squad that started 2011/12 by losing 20 of 24 games should be a distant memory when next season gets underway.

Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.

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Draft Notes: Lamb, Workouts, Power Forwards

May 14th, 2012 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Draft night is still over six weeks away, but a number of important draft-related dates are inching closer. The NBA's first official draft workout is schedule for this weekend in New Jersey, while the May 30th lottery will take place two weeks from Wednesday. Here are today's draft updates and links:

  • Like Kentucky teammate Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb has hired Arn Tellem as his agent, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.
  • In an Insider piece, Chad Ford of ESPN.com previews this weekend's workout and lists the players in his top 100 who have accepted invites.
  • TNT's David Aldridge continues his draft preview on NBA.com by looking at this year's deepest position: Power forward.
  • Agent David Falk tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that there's a giant gap between Anthony Davis and the rest of the draft class. Falk predicts that many teams with top picks will try to trade down, because the difference between the second-best prospect and eighth-best prospect is "minuscule."
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Coaching Rumors: Carlisle, Bobcats, Knicks

May 14th, 2012 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Before the free agent period for players gets underway this summer, a number of free agent coaches could land new jobs. Here are the latest updates on a few coaching situations around basketball:

  • Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson and owner Mark Cuban are in agreement that Rick Carlisle should be back coaching the team next year, writes Earl K. Sneed at NBA.com. Like many Mavs players, Carlisle is not yet under contract for 2012/13.
  • Mike Krzyzewski announced at a press conference today that this summer's Olympics represent the last time he plans to coach Team USA in international competition, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein.
  • Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer provides an update on the Bobcats' coaching search, which president of basketball operations Rod Higgins says is progressing at a "nice, slow pace."
  • The Knicks are more interested in "putting on a good show" than winning, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who says that's why New York hasn't reached out to Phil Jackson. Berger hears that Jackson "has the itch" to returning to coaching, but hasn't been contacted by an NBA team.
  • Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports explores the evolution of Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, who tells Wojnarowski that reports that he'd lost the team earlier this season were "a joke."
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Grizzlies, T-Wolves, Thunder Eyeing Alexey Shved

May 14th, 2012 at 10:04am CST by Luke Adams

CSKA Moscow, who blew a 19-point second half lead and lost the Euroleague final to Olympiakos this weekend, has at least one well-known player expected to sign in North America this summer, in Andrei Kirilenko. But Kirilenko isn't the only player CSKA is anticipating losing to the NBA. According to Jonathan Givony (via Twitter), Alexey Shved is drawing interest from NBA teams, including the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and Thunder.

Shved, 23, was eligible for the NBA draft in 2010, but went undrafted and has played for CSKA Moscow ever since. 2011/12 was a breakout season for the 6'5" guard, who Givony says has developed into a "very complete" offensive player and an improved shooter (Twitter link).

Shved's asking price is $10MM for three years, according to Givony.

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