Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Thomas, Wallace

March 20th, 2013 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks' roster may be decimated by injuries, but the team received at least one piece of good news today. Carmelo Anthony is listed as probable for tonight's game against Orlando, and told reporters, including Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, that he'll be ready to play (Twitter link). Even shorthanded, the Knicks look like good bets to pick up a win at home against an 18-50 Magic squad. Here are a few more notes out of New York:

  • The Knicks may soon have to decide on whether to cut Kurt Thomas or Rasheed Wallace, as both players are expected to be sidelined well into April, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. According to Berman, the club will likely stand pat for now to see how Thomas and Wallace are healing, but could release one of them to open up a roster spot for a D-League big man.
  • Coach Mike Woodson told reporters, including Begley (Twitter link), that he's "not sure" whether the Knicks will make a roster move. Woodson intends to talk to GM Glen Grunwald about it later today.
  • There are conflicting views on whether the timeline for Thomas' foot injury (two to four weeks) is realistic. Berman spoke to Dr. Anish Kadakia, a leading orthopedic foot surgeon at Northwestern Hospital, who said that because Thomas' stress fracture is not new, he could recover within a month. However, Dr. Steven Weinfeld, the chief of foot and ankle service at the Icahn School of Medicine, told the New York Times that the timeline for Thomas might be overly optimistic. "My experience is these things don’t heal quite that quickly," Weinfeld said. "I wouldn’t be surprised if he misses more time than that."
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Cavs Sign Chris Quinn For Rest Of Season

March 20th, 2013 at 10:11am CST by Alex Lee

10:11am: The Cavaliers have officially signed Quinn, the team announced in a press release. The deal will be for the remainder of the season, according to the Cavs.

WEDNESDAY, 8:23am: Quinn is expected to finalize his deal and be in uniform tonight against the Heat if he passes a physical today, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

TUESDAY, 8:24pm: The Cavaliers will sign Chris Quinn of the NBDL's Tulsa 66ers, reports Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside (via Twitter).  With Kyrie Irving potentially sidelined for the remainder of the season, the Cavs just learned that Dion Waiters will now miss at least a week.  Per Schlosser, Quinn will serve as a short term fix in Cleveland. 

Quinn, a Notre Dame product, has five years of NBA experience on three teams but has not played in the league since 2010-11 with the Spurs.  Since then, he has bounced between the NBDL and overseas and was one of the final cuts last fall in training camp with the Jazz.  At 29 years old, this audition might be the last in the regular season for Quinn if he cannot prove his worth.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Kentucky Prospects Considering Return To School

March 20th, 2013 at 8:59am CST by Luke Adams

As we prepare for the NCAA Tournament to get underway in earnest tomorrow, one team is notably absent from the Madness: The defending champion Kentucky Wildcats. Not only did Kentucky fail to earn a spot in the field of 68 — the Wildcats also dropped their first game of the NIT, losing 59-57 to Robert Morris.

Despite a disappointing season, Kentucky still has plenty of candidates to be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft this June. Nerlens Noel, Alex Poythress, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Archie Goodwin all rank in Chad Ford's top 20 at ESPN.com. Although Noel still seems like a good bet to enter the draft and be a top-five pick, the other three freshmen sound unconvinced about being one-and-done, as they tell Kyle Tucker of the Louisville Courier-Journal.

"I don’t know if it’s a question whether I’m going (to the NBA) or not," Goodwin said. "I don’t think I’m ready to go. It’s no reason why I think any of our guys should really leave. We should come back next year … and just try to do better than what we did this year. Because the expectations we had for ourselves this year, we didn’t meet them at all. We didn’t come close. So I think think that’s what says we should all come back."

For the most part, Poythress and Cauley-Stein echoed Goodwin's sentiment, indicating they didn't feel ready for the NBA. However, as NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper notes, front offices don't always put a ton of stock in what prospects say after emotional losses, and Cauley-Stein hinted that while he may be leaning toward returning for his sophomore year, he'll consider all his options.

"I’ve just gotta look out for me and my family," Cauley-Stein said. "If it comes down to it, if my family needs me, then I’ll go [to the NBA]. But if not, I’ll stay and get a couple more years of education and develop myself [into] more of an all-around basketball player."

Ford currently ranks Poythress, Cauley-Stein, and Goodwin 13th, 16th, and 20th respectively on his big board, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has them 16th, 21st, and 18th on his list. Should the trio decide to return to Kentucky for the 2013/14 season, it would be another blow to a draft class that's already being viewed as the weakest in the last several years.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Royce White: Rockets, NBA Want Me Gone

March 19th, 2013 at 10:41pm CST by Alex Lee

The last time we heard from Royce White, he was quietly attempting to salvage his rookie season in the D-League after being suspended by the Rockets in January.  White had then just finally accepted the D-League assignment after an extended "holdout" resulting from his perception that the team and league did not have sufficient support in place for players suffering from mental illness. 

That silence has officially ended.  In a video interview with the Huffington Post, White said that he thinks the NBA and the Rockets would prefer if he just went away, citing his independent voice and his commitment to improving the way NBA handles players with mental health issues.  Here is a sizeable chunk of White's comments, courtesy of Ben Golliver at Sports Ilustrated:

“I went through the bumps and bruises of having to advocate for myself against a billion-dollar corporation. Other than that, I think I’ve actually been successful, if you look at the rate of success, or what could have went wrong. I could have easily been out of the league or blackballed or things like that. But that hasn’t happened yet…

“I’m a problem because I’m not afraid to say what I think and I’m not afraid to stand alone. Even amongst the NBA community, the players, the union, the NBA office, and [commissioner] David Stern and [deputy commissioner] Adam Silver. I’m not afraid to stand alone in my own circle, and say, hey listen, you guys aren’t respecting mental health…

“If I was to make an educated guess, I would guess that Adam Silver and David Stern and the Rockets organization, some other owners in the league, GMs, want me gone. And why do they want me gone? Because business is about convenience, it’s not about doing what’s necessary, right? It’s about cutting overhead… Being efficient. And a lot of times, what’s best for us as human beings doesn’t meet that criteria for business people.”

What happens with White now is anyone's guess, but it is probably safe to say that neither the Rockets nor the NBA will appreciate these comments.  As Golliver points out, the Rockets have already expressed plenty of frustration with their rookie.  We will be certain to keep an eye on this story, as there is sure to be some sort of fallout or reaction from the Rockets or the NBA. 

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Free Agent Notes: Mayo, Kaman, Bynum, Howard

March 19th, 2013 at 9:44pm CST by Alex Lee

We're still a long way from the NBA offseason, but as teams are eliminated from playoff contention (and eventually the playoffs), we should start to hear more and more about their free agents.  Here are a few links on some of the players that will be part of this summer's free agent crop:

  • In his Tuesday chat session, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News says that O.J. Mayo can be the third best player on a legitimate title contender and that the Mavericks need to bring him back if they can get him at the right price.  For Sefko, that price is somewhere under $10MM per year.  He recommends something in the ballpark of a four-year, $30-35MM pact, though he admits that may not get it done for Mayo.
  • Sefko also opines that Chris Kaman, a free agent at season's end, will likely sign elsewhere this offseason.  One option to replace Kaman at center would be Andrew Bynum, who Sefko calls "double-damaged-goods" because of his balky knees.  However, Sefko says the Mavs should still consider offering Bynum their mid-level exception because should he return to health, at his age, he could be then be the NBA's biggest bargain.
  • With news of his knee surgeries, Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops has dropped Bynum to 13th on Free Agency Rankings.  According to Hamilton, Bynum's talent makes him worthy of a multi-year deal, but anything more than three years is unlikely.
  • Dwight Howard has fired his business manager and cousin, Kevin Samples, after nine years of service, Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports.  Ding suggests that this move is another step in Howard's transformation into his "own man".  Without Samples, who moved to Los Angeles when Howard joined the Lakers, Howard will presumably head into free agency looking elsewhere for advice.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Poll: Does John Wall Deserve A Max Deal?

March 19th, 2013 at 7:53pm CST by Alex Lee

We already know John Wall thinks he is worthy of a maximum-salary contract.  As of today, it sounds like we know that the Wizards think he is worthy of a maximum-salary contract.  But do you think he is?

While he has certainly shown plenty of potential in his first three years in the league, the Wizards surely expected Wall to blossom into a star more quickly, similar to how Kyrie Irving has this year in Cleveland.  As Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld points out, Washington has gone 18-15 since Wall returned and the lightning quick point guard has looked incredible in March, averaging 20.1 points, 7.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 steals while shooting 52.4 percent from the field.  

But Kennedy also notes that some people in NBA circles still have reservations about his jump shot and feel for the game – both of which were questions on Wall when he was at Kentucky.  While his recent performance suggests he may be improving on those opportunity areas, he will need to do it consistently to convince everyone that is headed for stardom.

It sounds like Wall will get a max deal.  But what do you think – is he worth it?  Feel free to elaborate on your answer in the comments section. 

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Wall, Mitchell, Brooks

March 19th, 2013 at 7:18pm CST by Alex Lee

There are only four games on the NBA schedule tonight.  With anticipation for the NCAA Tournament ramping up, we should expect the NBA draft updates to pour in.  Here are a few links from around the league and the college ranks:

  • Whether John Wall is worthy of a max deal is still up for debate, writes HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy.  It was reported earlier today that all signs point to the Wizards offering Wall a max contract.  Kennedy indicates that while Wall and the Wizards have been stellar since his return, plenty of evaluators still have their doubts that Wall can take the jump to legitimate stardom.  Wall will become a restricted free agent after next season, but says he would prefer to sign an extension before that happens.
  • We heard earlier today that North Texas forward Tony Mitchell intends to enter this June's NBA draft.  Our Luke Adams noted that Mitchell seemed to take a step back this year in his sophomore season.  CBS College Basketball Insider Gary Parrish agrees, writing that Mitchell projected as a mid-to-late first rounder last year and that his sophomore season undoubtedly hurt his draft stock and could cost him millions. 
  • While his playing time has been drastically reduced in his second season, Nets guard MarShon Brooks has made the most of a recent uptick in minutes, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.  Assuming the Nets will continue to be aggressive in their pursuit of a title, Brooks, currently fifth in the team's guard rotation, could be a value trading chip down the line given the ability he showed as a rookie.
  • If you ever have the urge to check in on your favorite retired player, Sham Sports has a recently updated (and very entertaining) compilation of the whereabouts of former NBAers.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Ainge Doesn’t Envision Trading Rondo Or Bradley

March 19th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Since being all but written off following Rajon Rondo's season-ending ACL injury, the Celtics have gone 16-7, strengthening their hold on a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While there's been some chatter about the team playing better without Rondo in the lineup, GM Danny Ainge dismisses the notion that the All-Star point guard might become expendable going forward, stressing that the team loves the backcourt combination of Rondo and Avery Bradley (link via Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com).

"I don’t know what you're insinuating," Ainge told 98.5 WBZ-FM in Boston when asked about Rondo. "Because Avery is not Rondo and Avery can also play two guard with Rondo and those guys have been extremely effective together. I know that we haven’t had them together much this year and I think that Rajon loves playing with Avery Bradley, for a lot of different reasons. I think that combination last year proved to be spectacular, they just didn’t get a chance to get together much this year, so it's a little bit unfair."

Rondo's name has surfaced frequently in trade rumors over the last several seasons, and even Bradley was mentioned in a couple reports prior to last month's deadline, but according to Ainge, the Celtics don't intend to shop either player this offseason.

"I can’t envision any scenario, no," Ainge said of trading either player. "I love those guys, where Rondo is right in the prime of his career, and Avery's not even there yet, he's continuing to get better. I think they are a great guard combination and to ever consider doing something like that, it would have to be something significant."

While Rondo is under contract through 2014/15, Bradley will be eligible for a contract extension this summer. When Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined candidates for rookie-scale extensions over the weekend, he predicted that Bradley would sign a long-term deal with Boston this offseason.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Teams Projected To Be Taxpayers In 2013/14

March 19th, 2013 at 3:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this month, I looked at Eastern and Western Conference teams that could create room for a maximum contract this offseason. With more punitive luxury-tax penalties on the way, and CBA rules in place that restrict flexibility for taxpaying teams, more clubs are looking to maintain cap space, or at least stay well below the tax line.

Still, there are plenty of teams whose commitments for 2013/14, the first year that those more punitive tax penalties will take effect, already put them well into tax territory. We won't know for sure until the summer what the tax line for '13/14 will be, but it's unlikely to be too much higher than this season's $70.307MM mark.

In addition to facing increased penalties for being in the tax, taxpaying teams will lose the ability to make certain roster moves. Any club that spends more than the taxpayer mid-level exception, uses its bi-annual exception, or acquires a player via sign-and-trade next season won't be permitted to increase its team salary more than $4MM above the tax threshold — those clubs will face a hard cap similar to the one the Bulls have been up against this year.

There's still plenty of time between now and the start of next season for teams to cut salary, whether that means making trades, using amnesty clauses, or reaching buyout agreements with players. But for now, here are the teams projected to be in tax territory for 2013/14:

  • Boston Celtics: If Paul Pierce chooses to turn down his $15.33MM player option, or the team buys him out for the guaranteed $4MM on that option, perhaps the Celtics can avoid the tax, but both scenarios are improbable. With Pierce's full salary on the books, the C's have $72.77MM committed to 11 players, which will put them slightly over the tax threshold. The C's could be candidates to explore a trade or two that would help them slide back below that line.
  • Brooklyn Nets: With over $84MM in guaranteed money on their books for 2013/14, the Nets are on their way to becoming perennial taxpayers — incredibly, the club also has $76MM+ committed for '14/15, and potentially close to $73MM for '15/16.
  • Chicago Bulls: Poised to pay the tax for the first time this season, the Bulls might have to do it again next year if they don't make any cost-cutting moves. The team currently has more than $74MM committed to eight players.
  • Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers' current commitments total $77.63MM, which doesn't seem too bad until you consider that a maximum-salary contract for Dwight Howard will likely be added to that figure. If the Lakers don't make any trades or use the amnesty clause, their tax bill will end up being nearly as large as their team salary.
  • Miami Heat: The Heat will rack up a significant tax bill in '13/14, but ownership should be happy to pay that price for what could be the team's last run together. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh all the have the ability to opt out of their contracts in the summer of 2014.
  • New York Knicks: Interestingly, the six teams that look like near-locks to be in the tax next season are the same six that will be taxpayers this season. Considering the looming repeater tax that takes effect in 2015, some of these clubs have to be prioritizing getting below the tax line by '14/15. It won't be easy for the Knicks to do that though — they no longer have the amnesty clause, and don't have many trade assets. New York has $74MM+ in commitments for '13/14 (assuming J.R. Smith declined his player option) and $76MM+ for the following season (assuming Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire exercise their player options).

Honorable mention:

  • Denver Nuggets: The Nuggets' position in relation to the tax will depend in large part on Andre Iguodala's contract situation. If Iguodala were to pick up his player option or sign a long-term deal with a similar starting salary, Denver would be up to nearly $68MM in commitments for 11 players, meaning minimum-salary players might be necessary to fill out the roster and avoid the tax.
  • Golden State Warriors: Player options will also have a significant impact on the Warriors' team salary, as Andris Biedrins, Richard Jefferson, and Brandon Rush all appear to be near-locks to opt in. If Carl Landry does too, Golden State's salary would be about $73MM for 11 players, making it tricky to get out of the tax.
  • Oklahoma City Thunder: Avoiding becoming a long-term taxpayer was a primary motivation in the James Harden trade, so one would assume the Thunder will do everything they can to stay out of the tax next season. Still, if the team hopes to bring back Kevin Martin, they'll have to add him to a roster that already includes $65MM+ in salary commitments.
  • Toronto Raptors: Currently projected to be in the tax, the Raptors could easily avoid it by amnestying Andrea Bargnani ($10.75MM), but will likely amnesty Linas Kleiza ($4.6MM) instead. That should be enough to sneak below the tax line, but it won't give them a ton of flexibility to make additional moves without going back into tax territory.

Storytellers Contracts was used in the creation of this post.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Hamilton, Allen, Celtics

March 19th, 2013 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks announced a pair of injuries today, as Kurt Thomas will miss approximately two to four weeks with a stress fracture in his right foot, while Tyson Chandler will be sidelined for a week with a small bulging disc (all Twitter links). As Howard Beck of the New York Times notes (via Twitter), with so many players injured, particularly in the frontcourt, it may be time for the Knicks to reconsider their decision not to waive Rasheed Wallace to open a roster spot for a replacement. While we wait to see if the club makes a roster move, let's check out a few more items from around the Eastern Conference:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts