While very few teams still have cap space available as the 2012/13 season approaches, there are a number of clubs in good position to clear a ton of money from their books next summer. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld takes an early look at which teams have the least guaranteed money on their cap next summer and beyond, and notes that many of the teams in the best position are in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons, Bobcats, Hawks, Cavaliers, and Wizards all only have between $17MM and $22MM in guaranteed money on their caps for 2013/14, though many of those numbers will increase when rookie-contract options are exercised.
Here are a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference on a Tuesday afternoon:
- Nets GM Billy King said today that he talked to free agent point guards Steve Nash and Goran Dragic before he knew for sure whether Deron Williams would be back, tweets Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger.
- The general consensus around the NBA would suggest Dwight Howard is the league's best center, with Andrew Bynum placing second, but Dorell Wright would give the nod to his new Sixers teammate. "[Bynum]’s going to need two defenders to stop him," Wright told John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I would say he’s the best big man in the NBA right now, hands down."
- Celtics GM Danny Ainge spoke briefly to ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg about a number of topics. According to Ainge, the team doesn't expect to bring in another ball-handler to replace Keyon Dooling, preferring to let its young guys compete for that roster spot.
- Within a piece about Brook Lopez's and MarShon Brooks' futures in Brooklyn, Howard Beck of the New York Times mentions that the Hawks "pushed hard" to acquire Brooks in the deal that sent Joe Johnson to the Nets.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star examines whether the Pacers really upgraded their bench over the offseason.
- In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, David Thorpe explains how the Celtics quietly had one of the NBA's best offseasons.