2012 October | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Copeland, Rasheed, Bynum

October 24th, 2012 at 8:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

We rounded up a host of Celtics news earlier, but there's more out of the Atlantic Division this evening, as the Nets and Knicks face off in the final preseason game for both teams.

Reports have been optimstic about camp invitee Chris Copeland's chances of making the Knicks regular season roster, and SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria and Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com give further indication the power forward will remain with the team for the start of the regular season.
Rasheed Wallace is likely to get the team's other open roster spot, Zwerling reports in the same piece, adding that the Knicks aren't in pursuit of free agents Kenyon Martin, Chris Andersen or Josh Howard to fill in for the injured Amare Stoudemire.
The Sixers have no timetable for the return of Andrew Bynum, who continues to be held out of practice. John Finger of CSNPhilly.com and Zach Lowe of Grantland.com examine what the team will do as long as its marquee offseason acquisition can't play.

Suns Waive Ike Diogu, Solomon Jones

October 24th, 2012 at 7:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns have waived Ike Diogu and Solomon Jones, reports Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Both were on non-guaranteed deals. Coro says the moves mean fellow camp invitees Diante Garrett and Luke Zeller will likely make the team, as Coro predicted earlier today. Phoenix has 15 players remaining on the roster, so they're down to the regular season limit.

The Warriors selected Diogu with the ninth overall pick in the 2005 draft, but traded him midway through his second season with the team, and he's been a journeyman ever since. He's averaged 6.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in parts of six NBA seasons, including a brief two-game stint with the Spurs last year, and also spent time playing in China and Puerto Rico during 2011/12.

Jones was the first camp invitee for the Suns this season after 21 total games with the Clippers and Hornets last year. The former second-round pick hasn't made much impact in his six seasons in the league, but he did notch career highs in points (5.5), rebounds (3.7) and minutes per game (17.8) last year.

Coro believes that the fact Zeller and Garrett would make only the rookie minimum salary of $473,604, almost half of the veteran's amount of $854,389 the Suns would owe Diogu and Jones, is playing a role in the club's decision on which of its camp invitees to keep for the regular season. Though the team is well below the salary cap, owner Robert Sarver is notorious for pinching pennies.

Southwest Rumors: Martin, Spurs, Aminu, Miller

October 24th, 2012 at 7:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

Four of the five Southwest Division teams are in action tonight, including the Hornets and Rockets, who square off in New Orleans. There's plenty of news out of the division tonight, so let's get right to it.

The Spurs have had interest in Kenyon Martin in the past, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, who wonders whether the team may have interest in signing him later this season. Martin continues to hold out for more than the veteran's minimum.
Of the two players the Spurs waived Tuesday, McDonald thinks Derrick Brown was a more surprising cut than Eddy Curry (Twitter link).
The Hornets have a week left to decide whether to pick up the fourth-year option on Al-Farouq Aminu's rookie deal, but the eighth pick in the 2010 draft appears unlikely to begin the season as the team's starting small forward, tweets John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Lance Thomas, with the team on a non-guaranteed deal, is starting over Aminu for the second straight game.
Darius Miller, unlike other second-round draft selections, has a guaranteed deal for this season, and Hornets coach Monty Williams cites his maturity from four seasons of college ball as reason why he's pleased with this year's 46th overall pick, as Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweets.
Elton Brand feels he has a lot to prove after he was amnestied by the Sixers last season, and wants to do so by fitting into the team concept with the Mavericks, as The Associated Press reports (via the Dallas Morning News). "I don't think there's too many teams with more cap space than right here," Brand said of the Mavs. "So if you want to audition, play right and play the right way."

Celtics Rumors: Ainge, Grousbeck, Joseph

October 24th, 2012 at 6:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Celtics are in the midst of a long layoff, having ended their preseason on Sunday, nine days before Tuesday's regular season opener against the Heat. That doesn't mean the stream of news has stopped coming out of Boston, where the Celtics begin their sixth straight year as title contenders. Coach Doc Rivers addressed a report this weekend that traced the Ray Allen/Rajon Rondo feud back to a 2009 trade proposal involving the Suns, saying he didn't know about any such trade and didn't think the report was true, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston writes. Here's the rest of the scuttlebutt surrounding the Celtics.

In a Q&A with Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge addressed concerns that the team's window of opportunity to win a championship has closed. "Those were legitimate questions about the window on the team," he said. "But Paul Pierce had a great March and April last season before he twisted and tweaked his knee and wasn't the same in the playoffs. He was the player of the month in March and great in April. KG (Kevin Garnett) was one of the best big men in the league all year last season, including the playoffs. They certainly showed that the window is not closing on them. We've added depth this year, and that depth should take a little bit of pressure off them and prolong their ability to be good players in Celtics uniforms."
Zillgitt also spoke with owner Wyc Grousbeck, who insisted that winning championships, not profit, is the organization's primary concern, and praised the team's players for having "the best chemistry in the league."
We heard this weekend that the Celtics were keeping second-round pick Kris Joseph around for opening night, and now Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com reports the team has informed Joseph of their decision to do so. Joseph, the 51st overall pick this June, is on a minimum-salary deal that won't become guaranteed until January 10th. The team is expected to waive Rob Kurz and Micah Downs, its other two players on non-guaranteed deals, before Saturday's deadline to do so.
Rivers, a member of the league's competition committee, said All-Star rosters may be expanded to 13 players this season, Forsberg reports.

Western Notes: Jordan, Lakers, Suns, Blazers

October 24th, 2012 at 4:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Back in August, when we asked Hoops Rumors readers for their Rookie of the Year pick, over 44% of about 1,050 voters selected Anthony Davis, making him the top choice by far. Davis is off to a promising start, averaging a double-double in five preseason games and making a strong impression on Hornets coach Monty Williams.

"He’s just a coach’s dream," Williams said, according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld. "He handles the situations with wisdom that’s beyond his years. He listens, he’s humble, and yet he still has an edge…. He’s going to be pretty special if he continues to work and allow himself to be coached the way he has so far. He’s just an amazing kid."

Here are a few more of today's notes from around the Western Conference:

A number of recent reports have linked Jerome Jordan to teams in China, but for now Jordan is still hoping to make the Grizzlies' regular season roster, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "I know my agent has been talking to a bunch of teams. You know, as a worst-case scenario," Jordan said. "I don't know if there's a deal, per se, in China. But it's about making it in the NBA this year. I'm about trying to make it in the league and establish myself. I want to be around a long time."
The Lakers are expected to waive second-round pick Darius Johnson-Odom soon, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Making an educated guess, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic predicts that Luke Zeller and Diante Garrett will earn spots on the Suns, and explains his reasoning.
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News wonders if two players under contract with the Spurs, Wesley Witherspoon and JaMychal Green, will be released soon to join San Antonio's D-League affiliate.
Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts says he expects to keep Nolan Smith as the team's backup point guard over Coby Karl, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com tweets. Karl himself indicated this week that he's bracing for news of his release.
ESPN.com's John Hollinger (Insider link) wouldn't be surprised if the Blazers consider moving Wesley Matthews at this season's trade deadline.

Poll: Which FA Will Make An Impact In 2012/13?

October 24th, 2012 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics recently snatched Leandro Barbosa off the free agent market, ensuring that perhaps the most prominent name among the remaining unsigned players has a job this season. However, there are still a number of players who not only are free agents, but haven't even participated in training camp with a team.

Along with the players who have yet to sign a contract this offseason, plenty of recent camp cuts have become unrestricted free agents again, further saturating the market. While many of the names on our list of free agents likely won't play for NBA teams this year, odds are that at least a couple will sign with contenders and potentially have an impact later in the season.

So today's poll question is this: Which of the remaining free agents do you expect will make the most significant impact this season? Make your pick below and feel free to explain your choice in the comments section.

Bulls Waive Marko Jaric, Ryan Allen

October 24th, 2012 at 3:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls have officially waived camp invitees Marko Jaric and Ryan Allen, the team announced today in a press release. The pair of cuts reduces Chicago's roster to 13 players, meaning the team is likely set for the regular season.

Jaric and Allen were among the five free agents the Bulls invited to camp this month, but like the other three, who have also been released, they were long shots to earn roster spots. Although teams can carry up to 15 players in the regular season, the Bulls are up against a hard cap, with only about $758K of breathing room. Chicago would have needed to make a corresponding roster move to clear space for either player's minimum-salary deal.

As is, the Bulls will be eligible to sign a veteran player without trading or releasing another player as of November 19th, when the amount of the veteran-minimum salary prorates to fit within their cap parameters.

Cavs Pick Up 2013/14 Option On Byron Scott

October 24th, 2012 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers have exercised their 2013/14 option on Byron Scott's contract, reports Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Since replacing Mike Brown in 2010, Scott has led the Cavs to a 40-108 record, though the team appears to be on the upswing, having added top-five picks Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, and Dion Waiters in the last two drafts. We heard earlier this offseason that the Cavs and Scott had begun talking about a contract extension for the head coach, who expressed a desire to remain in Cleveland long-term.

"We'll take care of that somewhere down the line," Scott said at the time. "People ask, ‘Do you really like Cleveland?' I love it. The perception of Cleveland is it's the ‘Mistake by the Lake.' I hope I'm here in the next five years. I enjoy what's going on."

Scott may not be locked up for the next five years, but the Cavs' decision on his option means he's now under contract for the next two seasons, at least.

Odds & Ends: Harrington, Heat, Celtics, Christmas

October 24th, 2012 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Six days from today, we'll be gearing up for an opening night that includes a showdown in Miami between the two odds-on favorites in the Eastern Conference. As we continue to count down the days until the 2012/13 regular season tips off, let's round up a few links from around the NBA, including some Heat and Celtics notes….

Al Harrington probably doesn't fit into the Magic's long-term plans, but his recovery from knee surgery is important for Orlando, since the team likely wants to showcase him in advance of the trade deadline, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida spoke to a few former Celtics stars about Ray Allen's decision to leave Boston for the Heat.
While the decisions at the back of the roster may be difficult, the Heat are unlikely to cut a player with a guaranteed contract to make room for a non-guaranteed player, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe takes a look at the acclimation process for the Celtics' offseason acquisitions.
Dionte Christmas, recently released by the Celtics, is drawing interest from Greek team Olympiacos, according to a Sports24.gr report (translation via Sportando).
At ESPN.com, David Thorpe makes his picks for the NBA's top five most potent duos (Insider link), while Kevin Arnovitz examines five teams he believes are at a crossroads.

Warriors Waive Four Players

October 24th, 2012 at 11:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have made four cuts, reducing their roster to 15 players with less than a week until the regular season gets underway. Golden State has waived camp invitees Carlon Brown, Lance Goulbourne, Rick Jackson, and Tarence Kinsey, according to a press release from the team.

Golden State began training camp with the maximum 20 players under contract, but released Stefhon Hannah earlier in the month. With 15 players still under contract, the Warriors could be poised to enter the regular season with their current roster. Kent Bazemore is the only player remaining on the team without a fully guaranteed contract, though he has a partial guarantee and seems to be a good bet to make the team.

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