2013 March | Hoops Rumors

Neil Olshey Talks Blazers’ Roster, Offseason, CBA

March 7th, 2013 at 8:40am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers couldn't steal a victory in Memphis last night, and a recent slide has all but removed the team from the playoff conversation in the Western Conference. However, it's still been a solid season for Portland, a team that was expected to be firmly in the lottery this year. General manager Neil Olshey appeared on 1080 AM in Portland on Wednesday to discuss the season and the club's future, and Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge transcribed a number of Olshey's notable comments. Here are the highlights:

On his assessment of the season and the roster:

"We've set a really good foundation. It's a process. It's not my job to react to things that happened prior to my arrival. It's my job to be proactive to build the organization from where I inherited it. Getting a strong coaching staff in, I think we nailed the draft with Damian [Lillard] and Meyers [Leonard], we've gotten great development out of our core guys and we've got great cap flexibility going forward. I think we're in a great position."

On the timeline the team anticipates for taking the next step:

"It's as fast as possible. Nobody wants to accelerate this thing more than [owner] Paul [Allen] and I. What we don't want to do is make a race to the middle by making knee-jerk reactions that work for the next five minutes. I think we're a better team than we were at this point last year. We've got a lot of flexibility going forward."

On whether the team will re-sign Eric Maynor:

"That was not a deal done in a vacuum just to get us over the next 25 games. Eric is being evaluated just like everybody else on the roster. What was intriguing about Eric is that he was a restricted free agent and we do have the ability to keep him long-term. He's represented by an agent who we have a good relationship with, who also represents Jared Jeffries and J.J. Hickson and had Jamal Crawford. For me in Los Angeles, he represented Kenyon Martin and Chauncey Billups. We're going to work together with Andy [Miller] to make sure that this is the right spot for Eric and he works into our roster composition and our culture going forward."

On whether the team has decided which players will stay and go in the offseason:

"We have for the most part. It's certainly nothing that we're going to make public. There are certain guys that the organization had made commitments to prior to our arrival, both Terry and myself, that we were going to give an opportunity to compete, see how they fit into Terry's system of coaching offensively and defensively. How they fit into our team and culture going forward."

On how the new CBA has affected the Blazers' roster-building:

"I don't think it really has, to be honest with you. Everybody wants to use that as a bail out, that the CBA has changed things, I haven't seen the results of that yet. If people are being more judicious in their free agent signings then that's a good thing for the league in general because we work off of comps. When you've got teams that are willing to solve problems or get themselves out of trouble by overspending on certain areas, it changes the comps around the league. The more we can make this about expertise and prudent free agent signings, solid trades, and placing a higher level of importance on the draft and player retention, I think it's a good thing for the league and our fans."

On the team's top-12 protected draft pick, which may or may not change hands:

"Part of being in a front office is that it's a fluid situation. You've got to change gears, you've got to have multi-tiered strategies. If we end up in a position where we retain our draft pick, then we'll go into the draft and see if we can get an impact player like we did last summer. If we don't… it allows us to start putting that pick in play into deals beginning on draft day, it increases our cap room from about $11.8MM to $13.1MM. It allows us to be more active in the free agent market and then going forward you just analyze whether you'd rather have one in this draft or have one unencumbered going forward. That's going to end up being a player."

Atlantic Rumors: Sixers, Josh Smith, Knicks, White

March 6th, 2013 at 11:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

Rob Mahoney of SI.com took a look at 18 players on troublesome contracts, and all five Atlantic Division teams have a representative. The last-place Raptors appear to have the most problems, with Rudy Gay, Andrea Bargnani, DeMar DeRozan and Landry Fields all on the list, though the Nets, with Joe Johnson and Gerald Wallace, have multiple entries as well. Here's more from the Atlantic:

The Sixers were one of several teams reportedly pursuing Josh Smith at the trade deadline, and John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that the Sixers were "close" to a deal with the Hawks. Philly's interest in the soon-to-be free agent dates back to last season, Mitchell also notes.
Jerome Jordan, who spent last season with the Knicks, has been on the team's radar as he plays in the D-League this season, reports Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link). Zwerling says New York can't sign him this season, though the Knicks could bring him aboard if they go against their plan to re-sign Kenyon Martin when his 10-day contract expires. New York could also waive a player on a guaranteed contract, but that seems unlikely.
Andrew Perna of RealGM.com checks in with D.J. White, who finally made his debut for the Celtics tonight after signing a 10-day contract on February 28th. White revealed that he had opportunities to play for NBA teams before heading to China in September.

Heat ‘Feverishly’ Pursued Trade For Nikola Vucevic

March 6th, 2013 at 10:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Nikola Vucevic gives the Heat fits, having twice gone for at least 20 points and 20 rebounds against the team after tonight's 25-point, 21-board performance. The second-year Magic center could have been putting up those numbers for the Heat instead of against them if Miami had been willing to part with either Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, or both, according to John Denton of Magic.com (Twitter link). Denton tweets that the Heat were "feverishly" trying to trade for Vucevic when he was with the Sixers last season, but apparently they weren't willing to give up their top two point guards to make it happen.

The Sixers dealt Vucevic to the Magic in August as part of the four-team Dwight Howard/Andrew Bynum blockbuster. The 22-year-old native of Switzerland has blossomed in Orlando, where he averages 12.1 points and 11.2 rebounds per game as the starting center. He's seeing twice as many minutes per game as he did last year with Philadelphia, which made him the 16th overall pick in the 2011 draft. Vucevic saw even less time in the playoffs, notching just three minutes during the Sixers' run to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Heat had evidently seen enough to believe he could address their deficiencies in the paint. Miami has grabbed the fewest rebounds of any team in the league, and certainly the addition of Vucevic would have helped remedy that. Money likely wasn't an inhibiting factor for the Heat, since he's on a rookie-scale contract that pays him just $1.7MM this season. Still, Heat president Pat Riley and the rest of the team's front office probably didn't predict Vucevic would develop as well and as quickly as he has. If they had foreseen it, they might have had pause about dealing away both of their top two point guards, though they're apparently confident enough in the ballhandling abilities of Dwyane Wade, LeBron James to go without a third point guard this season.

Pacific Links: Warriors, Hunter, Dwight

March 6th, 2013 at 10:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers moved with a game and a half of the final playoff spot tonight with a stunning 25-point comeback on the road against the Hornets, putting pressure on the Warriors, Rockets and Jazz. The Rockets added Aaron Brooks in the past few days to help their postseason cause, and Golden State may be the next team to bolster its roster, as we note here:

It seemed as recently as two days ago the Warriors were in no rush to add to their 13-man roster, but co-owner Joe Lacob tells Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group that the team will probably make a signing soon. Lacob confirms the team has enough room under the luxury tax threshold to add someone for the minimum, and Kawakami believes the W's would find a fit in Dominic McGuire, who spent time with the team last season and would likely welcome a return.
Suns coach Lindsey Hunter still has the "interim" tag attached to his title, but the team's front office saw him as the long-term solution when they promoted him, writes HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy, who would be surprised if Phoenix doesn't retain Hunter this summer.
Dwight Howard's characterization of his former Magic teammates as "people nobody wanted" drew a pithy response from Jameer Nelson earlier today, and Rashard Lewis followed suit, as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel details.
The soon-to-be free agent's reputation is also taking a beating from front office types, as a Western Conference said he "wouldn't touch Howard with a 10-foot pole," Kennedy tweets.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Nikola Pekovic

March 6th, 2013 at 9:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

This morning, we heard from Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press that there's no chance the Wolves let center Nikola Pekovic sign with another team as a restricted free agent this summer. Of course, since the 27-year-old Pekovic can sign an offer sheet with any team, and since centers of his caliber and relatively young age have long been a commodity in the NBA, it's far from a certainty that he'll be back in Minnesota next season.

There appears to be a division within the Wolves front office about Pekovic's value, as Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities has reported on multiple occasions. Wolfson would be "shocked" if the Wolves agreed to pay him $12MM a year. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors pointed to the contracts of JaVale McGee and DeAndre Jordan, both of whom are making close to $11MM annually, as evidence that Pekovic could draw offers for as much if not more this summer.

Pekovic is a few years older than both McGee and Jordan were when they signed their contracts, so he probably won't be viewed as having as much upside. He makes up for it with significantly greater production, particularly on the offensive end, where he's averaging 15.9 points per game on 50.9% shooting. Pekovic, like McGee, carries a high PER. Minnesota's center is posting a 19.5 PER this season, and is at 18.2 for his three-year career. Much of that efficiency comes from his work on the offensive boards. This season, he's 10th in offensive rebounding percentage after leading the NBA in 2011/12. One of his primary shortcomings appears to be basket protection, as Pekovic has never averaged a block a game despite standing 6'11". He's out with a strained abdominal muscle right now, but he's avoided major injury, and this is likely to be the first season he'll have missed as many as games for the Wolves.

It figures to be crowded at the top of the free agent center market this summer, as Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum and Al Jefferson could all change teams. Pekovic, Tiago Splitter and J.J. Hickson provide clubs with a few Plan B's. Perhaps the Suns will attempt to trade Marcin Gortat. Still, it seems there are always fewer quality centers than there are teams looking for one, so I don't think Pekovic will have trouble finding an offer in the $12MM-a-year range. He probably won't get the maximum salary, which would probably be around $15MM a year, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's more likely to re-sign with Minnesota. The advantages a player's incumbent team has aren't nearly as pronounced when the free agent isn't a max guy. The Wolves are able to offer him five years instead of four, but they won't be able to offer him more money unless they overpay him.

Pekovic has spoken highly of the Wolves, citing his teammates and the coaching staff last month when he said, "I like everything about Minnesota." Kevin Love is optimistic his frontcourt mate will return, and the team will have plenty of cap flexibility to accomodate him. The Wolves only have $37.67MM committed for 2013/14, though Andrei Kirilenko could add about $10.2MM to that figure if he opts in for next season. Either way, Minnesota will have enough space for Pekovic even if he signs a maximum-salary offer sheet, which seems doubtful.

Much will hinge on whether the Wolves are confident that a core of Love, Pekovic and Ricky Rubio is capable of taking them where they want to go. They might be able to do better, but re-signing Pekovic probably gives them the quickest route to becoming a contender, or at least a top-four team in the West, by the time Love can opt out of his deal and become a free agent in the summer of 2015. Given Love's comments expressing doubt about his future with the team — remarks he tried to backtrack from — there's probably a sense of urgency within Minnesota's braintrust to start winning now. My guess is that'll be enough to convince the Wolves to go into the $12MM-a-year range it will likely take to keep Pekovic this summer, even as the team might try to depress his value by indicating they won't.

Northwest Rumors: Babbitt, Webster, Wolves

March 6th, 2013 at 7:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

The only two teams idle on a 14-game night in the NBA reside in the Northwest Division, as the Thunder and Nuggets get the night off to enjoy their victories on Tuesday. The rest of the division is on the court, and making noise off the court as well, as we detail here:

As Victor Claver has inherited Luke Babbitt's role with the Blazers, The Oregonian's Joe Freeman writes that it seems clear the team doesn't plan to re-sign Babbitt when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer.
The Blazers and Wolves have hashed out an agreement over compensation related to Minnesota's complaints that Portland didn't fully disclose the extent of Martell Webster's ailments before trading him to the Wolves in 2010. A Wolves spokesperson didn't disclose specifics, and simply said the teams have "have resolved this matter amicably," as Michael Lee of The Washington Post writes. Since there likely would have been an announcement if a draft pick had changed hands, as the Wolves were reportedly seeking, it seems likely Minnesota received financial considerations, if anything, in the settlement, though that's just my speculation.
The Wolves are looking into applying for an injury exception that would allow them to sign a 16th player, but they might not need it. According to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, who noted that Kevin Love may be nearing a return, Chase Budinger could be back in a few weeks as well.
Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors earlier today asked readers which Western Conference team is most likely to miss the playoffs, and though Utah holds a two and a half game on the Lakers in the standings, the eighth-place Jazz are neck and neck with L.A. atop the poll results.

Wolves May Seek Clearance To Add 16th Player

March 6th, 2013 at 6:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wolves have been decimated by injury this season, losing everyone from superstar Kevin Love to minimum-salaried Malcolm Lee for significant stretches. The league granted the team an injury exception that allowed Minnesota to temporarily carry 16 players in January, and GM David Kahn is once more looking into that possibility, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.

Such an exception would allow the Wolves to exceed the 15-man roster limit for a short time while some of the injured players recover. A team is only eligible for the exception if it's had four sick or injured players who've been out for three games and will continue to miss time. Minnesota certainly meets that criteria, as Lee, Chase Budinger and Brandon Roy have all been out for a while and don't appear poised to return, while Nikola Pekovic and Andrei Kirilenko will miss at least another week. Love will visit his surgeon next Wednesday, and hopes to be ready to return a week after that, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).

If the league grants the exception, the Wolves would use it to sign a big man to a 10-day contract, according to Wolfson. That Minnesota would only go with a 10-day deal makes sense, since the exception is temporary, and if they signed someone for the rest of the season, they'd have to waive a player with a guaranteed salary whenever the exception runs out. However, that's exactly what the Timberwolves did earlier this season. The first injury exception they received lasted 20 days, but when it was up the team chose to keep Chris Johnson and Mickael Gelabale, who had been on 10-day contracts, and waive Louis Amundson and his guaranteed contract.

The injury exception is not to be confused with a disabled player exception, which grants teams room to sign or trade for a player to replace someone who's out for the season.

Categories:
Minnesota Timberwolves

Raptors Likely To Offer Extension To Rudy Gay

March 6th, 2013 at 5:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Five weeks into Rudy Gay's tenure with the Raptors, GM Bryan Colangelo already sees him as the face of the franchise, and he's likely to offer Gay an extension when he becomes eligible for one in July, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The team will also pursue a "proven scoring post player" in return for Andrea Bargnani, Spears writes.

While Raptors management has been quick to embrace him, Gay believes he wasn't given a fair shake by new members of the front office in Memphis who arrived after Robert Pera bought the team at the start of the season. Gay had an inkling he'd be traded, since he felt the new management team, headed by CEO Jason Levien, didn't give him an opportunity to show he was worth his contract, which pays him $82.3MM over five years.

"With [new management], I don't think anybody's comfortable," the ex-Grizzlies forward said. "They're rookie owners. They come in there and they want it their own way, and you can't blame them for that. But it's a player's league."

Come July, Gay will have played three seasons of his five-year deal, making him extension-eligible. The Raptors would only be able to add two seasons to his contract, since veteran extensions are limited to four years including the remaining years on the existing deal. Still, an extension would likely remove the possibility, however remote, of Gay invoking his player option to decline the $19.3MM he's set to receive in 2014/15.

Veterans have been largely unwilling to sign extensions since they can usually sign for more money and more years in free agency, but Gay may be willing to make an exception, considering how highly the Raptors view his skills and how few teams may be willing to pay him more. Gay isn't thinking long-term, Spears writes, but that could change between now and July, and he seems to have a positive view of his new surroundings.

"Last time I left it up to my agent and it worked for me," he said. "I love the city. I think the team has a lot of potential. The organization is great. [Colangelo] is here and he is watching every step trying to make this team better."

As for a Bargnani trade, I'm not sure whether Toronto will be able to find a top-shelf post option in return for a player whose numbers have declined precipitously this year. The Raptors will also be hard-pressed to avoid the tax next season, so finding an upgrade who costs less or the same amount as Bargnani's $10.75MM salary figure for next season will be a challenge.

Southeast Notes: Oden, Heat, Magic, Scott

March 6th, 2013 at 4:28pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA's longest current winning and losing streaks both belong to Southeast Division teams, and will be on the line tonight. The Heat are hosting the Magic, in search of their 16th straight win, while the Bobcats will look to snap a seven-game losing streak at home against the Nets. As we wait for the Eastern Conference's best and worst clubs to get underway tonight, let's round up a few notes out of the Southeast….

Agent Mike Conley Sr. doesn't expect Greg Oden to sign anywhere until July, suggesting to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that teams will have more financial flexibility to pursue his client after the season. According to Conley, there is mutual interest between Oden and the Heat, and the two sides expect to talk again in the summer. The Cavs, Bobcats, and Spurs are other potential suitors for the former first overall pick, according to Tomasson.
Responding to Dwight Howard's suggestion that his Magic teams were "full of people nobody wanted," Jameer Nelson shot back at his former teammate, as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel documents. "At some point, when are you [Dwight] gonna as a man, when are you going to take ownership and stay out of the media in a professional manner?" Nelson said.
Mike Scott has returned to Atlanta to rejoin the Hawks after a brief stint with the team's D-League affiliate, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks officially announced in a press release that Scott has been recalled from the Bakersfield Jam and will be available for tonight's game against the Sixers.

Poll: Which Western Team Will Miss The Playoffs?

March 6th, 2013 at 3:01pm CST by Luke Adams

A recent surge by the Bucks, combined with slumps by the Sixers and Raptors, has all but ended any drama surrounding which Eastern Conference teams will make the postseason. But while the eight Eastern teams may be fairly locked in, there's still a heated race going on out west, where at least one of the Warriors, Jazz, Rockets, and Lakers won't make the cut.

Currently, the Warriors (34-27) have the best record of the four clubs, followed by the Rockets (33-28), Jazz (32-28), and Lakers (30-31). However, Golden State has been sliding down the Western Conference standings in recent weeks, having lost 10 of 13 games before a Monday night win against the Raptors.

Still, with only six of their remaining 21 games on the road, the Warriors are in good position to hang on to a playoff spot. The Rockets appear to have an inside track on a postseason berth as well, given their fairly manageable rest-of-season schedule. John Hollinger's playoff odds list the Warriors and Rockets at 85.3% and 98.4%, respectively.

Things are less certain for the Jazz and Lakers. Utah has lost four of five, and has a particularly tough schedule the rest of the way, including games against the Bulls, Knicks, Thunder, and Grizzlies in the next 10 days. Nonetheless, the Jazz hold a two and a half game lead on the Lakers, who remain on the outside looking in. That's why L.A.'s odds of earning a playoff spot are still just 45.3% compared to Utah's 61.3%, according to Hollinger's formula.

With six weeks remaining in the regular season, there's still plenty of time for the playoff picture to change significantly, and plenty of opportunities for teams to gain or lose ground — the Warriors, for instance, still have multiple games on the schedule against the Rockets and Lakers, as well as one against the Jazz. A 4-1 or 1-4 performance in those contests could be the difference in whether or not the team makes the playoffs.

In all likelihood though, three of these four teams will appear in the postseason, while the other club will be watching from home. Which do you think will be the odd team out?

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