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Odds & Ends: Collins, Irving, Wolves, Harrington

August 12th, 2013 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's check in on a few Monday odds and ends from around the Association:

  • A report over the weekend indicated that the Pistons have shown exploratory interest in Jason Collins, but Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News hears that the team is unlikely to actually sign him.
  • Although his friend John Wall recently inked a new long-term deal with the Wizards, Kyrie Irving won't be eligible for an extension until next summer, so he's not thinking about his contract situation yet, as he tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
  • Timberwolves president Flip Saunders spoke to reporters today, including Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, and confirmed that the team expects Robbie Hummel, Lorenzo Brown, and Othyus Jeffers to be in training camp. Saunders also discussed Nikola Pekovic, Shabazz Muhammad, and Milt Newton.
  • While Al Harrington appears on track to land a deal with the Wizards, several other teams showed interest, including the Clippers, Kings, and Pelicans, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • Subbing in for David Aldridge at NBA.com, Steve Kerr presents some ideas for how to improve the NBA's draft lottery.
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Kyler On Magic, Turkoglu, Bucks, Ellis, Sanders

August 12th, 2013 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

As we noted yesterday, the Magic lost an asset this weekend, when the team let the $17.8MM trade exception created by last August's Dwight Howard deal expire unused. As Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explains in his latest piece, Orlando explored a few possible uses for the exception. Ultimately though, it didn't make a whole lot of sense to take on additional salary when the club is already paying substantial amounts to players no longer on the roster. Here's more from Kyler:

  • The Magic are still talking to Hedo Turkoglu about a buyout, but there's a belief that he may have some value at the trade deadline as a big expiring contract. As such, he may remain on the roster beyond opening night, says Kyler.
  • Orlando remains undecided on what to do with second-round pick Romero Osby, who the team has said could earn a spot on the roster. If the Magic extend a training camp invitation to Osby, they'd have to either sign or waive him.
  • According to Kyler, the Bucks offered Monta Ellis a four-year, $46MM contract in free agency last month. If those numbers are accurate, they signal how uninterested Ellis was in remaining in Milwaukee, since he eventually settled for a three-year deal from the Mavericks worth about $20MM less.
  • The Bucks continue to discuss an extension with Larry Sanders, and Kyler says it sounds like Sanders could get the sort of deal Ellis didn't — something that could be worth up to $46-50MM for four years, depending on incentives.
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Rockets In Mix For Stephen Jackson?

August 12th, 2013 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

After seeing his three-year, $27.77MM contract expire at the end of this past season, Stephen Jackson will have to accept a significant pay cut if he hopes to continue his NBA career. But Jackson does intend to keep playing, and he's been working out in the hopes of joining a contender, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Kennedy tweets that the Rockets have been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Jackson.

Jackson's production fell off last season, with his 6.2 PPG, .373 FG%, and 8.0 PER all among the worst marks of his career. He didn't even make it to the end of the season with the Spurs, as the team released him before the playoffs got underway.

Still, Jackson can make the occasional three-pointer, a skill of particular interest to the Rockets, who have added a number of shooters around Dwight Howard this summer. Jackson and Howard have also reportedly discussed the possibility of playing together in the past, which makes Houston a logical fit for the 35-year-old.

The Rockets can offer minimum-salary contracts to free agents, and are believed to still have their $2.65MM room exception available as well.

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Timberwolves To Interview Milt Newton

August 12th, 2013 at 10:45am CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 10:45am: According to Saunders, the Wolves have yet to formally interview Newton, but have asked for and received permission from the Wizards to speak to him. Saunders would like to talk to Newton about a front office job involving scouting and personnel (Twitter links via Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune).

SUNDAY, 8:56am: Wizards vice president of player personnel Milt Newton sat down this week for a formal interview with the Timberwolves for their GM position, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Stein first reported two and a half months ago that the team was considering Newton for the job. Minnesota president of basketball operations Flip Saunders wants to hire a pair of executives to assist him in the front office. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported early in July that Newton was likely to stay with the Wizards, but a week later, Wolfson said Newton was still in the mix to join the Wolves.

Wolves director of basketball operations Rob Babcock also appears to be a candidate for the GM job, though he could instead become the team's vice president of basketball operations, the other position Saunders is looking to fill. The Wolves also had their eyes on Tim Connelly before he became Nuggets GM.

Newton, who grew up in Washington, D.C., has spent the past decade in the Wizards organization. Before that, he served as an executive with the D-League, scouted for the Sixers, and worked for USA Basketball.

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Week In Review: 8/5/13 – 8/11/13

August 11th, 2013 at 9:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Knicks appeared to be a longshot to sign point guard Beno Udrih, but they pulled off a serious coup in landing him on Friday.  The 31-year-old appeared to be between the Grizzlies and the Knicks and went with the latter, even though New York can only give him the veteran's minimum.  It may not be as big of an addition as Andrei Kirilenko, but both NYC teams have surprised everyone with their bargain shopping this summer.  Here's our look back at the week that was..

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Northwest Notes: Nuggets, T’Wolves, Brown, Curry

August 11th, 2013 at 8:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Flip Saunders is the leading man in the Timberwolves' front office, but he's searching for two executives to help assist him in day-to-day operations.  This morning, we learned that Wizards vice president of player personnel Milt Newton sat down with the T'Wolves to formally interview for the GM position while they could also promote former Raptors GM Rob Babcock from within.  Here's the latest out of the Northwest Division..

  • The Northwest Division is the best example this offseason of the cyclical nature of the league, writes Royce Young of CBSSports.com.  The Nuggets have slipped after losing their GM and failing to re-sign their top offseason target in Andre Iguodala.  Meanwhile, the Timberwolves could take the divisional crown after making a few shrewd moves and getting Kevin Love back.
  • Bobby Brown has until August 15th to exercise his opt out clause with China's DongGuan Leopards and AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops sees the Jazz as a good fit for the lighting quick point guard.  Brown averaged 18.3 PPG in Euroleague last year and improved greatly as a true one-guard.
  • Seth Curry says that Timberwolves are among the teams that have extended a training camp invitation to him, writes Mark Berman of The Roanoke Times.  The Warriors, Spurs, and Bobcats have also invited the undrafted Duke guard to camp.
  • Earlier today, we looked at the latest on the Thunder.
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Poll: Will LeBron James Serve As NBPA President?

August 11th, 2013 at 6:11pm CST by Zachary Links

LeBron James is a pretty busy guy, but it's possible that his schedule is going to get even more crowded in the coming months.  In addition to chasing his third NBA title and his fifth MVP trophy, James could make a run at the presidency of the National Basketball Players Association.  James wouldn't be the first star player to hold the mantle, but he would be the first since Patrick Ewing was at the helm from September 1997-July 2001.  James knows that he would be stretched pretty thin if he goes through with it, but he sounds serious about the idea.

"I'm not sure I have the time to do it, but it's something I'm going to think about with my team and go from there," James said yesterday. "But I think we all can agree there's been a lot of transition in our union in the last couple of years. If it's not me in that seat then I hope it's someone who is comfortable with it and can do the job."

While the likes of Ewing, Isiah Thomas, Buck Williams, Alex English, Bob Lanier, Oscar Robertson, and Bob Cousy have served as the NBPA president, the last three men to spearhead the union (Michael Curry, Antonio Davis, and Derek Fisher) have had lighter workloads.  At the same time, the NBPA is still reeling from a serious scandal and a CBA that tilted things back in the favor of the owners.  Ultimately, will LeBron go through with it?

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Hoops Links: Thunder, Williams, Harden, Hayward

August 11th, 2013 at 4:32pm CST by Zachary Links

This week 13 years ago, the Lakers announced the retirement of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jerry West and named Mitch Kupchak to succeed West in that position.  While Lakers fans aren't always on Kupchak's side, it's hard to argue with his overall results since taking the reins in 2000.  Under Kupchak's watch, the purple and gold have won four NBA titles (2001, 2002, 2009, 2010).  However, he'll have his work cut out for him going forward as the Lakers must perform well enough this season and get creative financially in order to be in the mix for the elite free agents in 2014.

Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors?  Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com.  Here's this week's look around the web..

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.

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Thunder Notes: Abrines, Durant, Mid-Level

August 11th, 2013 at 3:33pm CST by Zachary Links

The Thunder couldn't do a whole lot this offseason, but they were able to make an intriguing late-summer addition when they inked Ryan Gomes to a one-year deal.  Gomes, who first agreed to a deal in late July and formally signed last week, spent last season overseas.  Prior to that, the seven-year vet had career averages of 10.2 PPG and 4.6 RPG for three different teams.  Here's the latest out of OKC..

  • Thunder second round draft pick Alex Abrines will remain overseas in 2013/14, writes Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman.  The 6'6" swingman for FC Barcelona was drafted with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2013 Draft.
  • Mayberry also spoke with Kevin Durant, who is confident about the Thunder this season, despite a changing landscape in the Western Conference.  The Thunder were fairly handcuffed this summer, but he likes the squad as is.  “People that really knew, as far as our money situation, knew that we couldn't sign anybody too big,” Durant said. “We got myself, Russell Westbrook, (Kendrick Perkins) and Serge Ibaka all locked in on big contracts so it's kind of hard to sign (someone). Everybody wants us to get the biggest free agents, but it's kind of hard to do that with the money that we have (committed) and the tax and the new CBA. So it was kind of difficult. But we knew the business side of it. But we know we have a really good team.”
  • Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld notes that the Thunder have the largest exception of anyone to offer in their $5.2MM mid-level exception.  However, the cap-conscious club is far more likely to trim its payroll than add to it.
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Hoops Rumors Originals

August 11th, 2013 at 2:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a recap of all the original analysis produced by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..

  • Luke Adams examined Eric Bledsoe as an extension candidate.
  • Luke looked at the moves the Sixers might make in order to reach the salary floor.  It’s even possible that they won’t add salary in order to reach the minimum as the penalties aren’t terribly severe.
  • Chuck Myron found that fewer teams were doling out lucrative one-year deals this summer.
  • Here’s a look at the top distributors still left on the open market.
  • Chuck gave us a new entry into the Hoops Rumors glossary: the Derrick Rose rule.
  • The only question left with Larry Sanders‘ extension is whether he gets a four or five-year pact, Chuck writes.
  • Most of you see the Sixers hiring a coach before the Nikola Pekovic situation gets wrapped up.
  • Hamed Haddadi is among the top rebounders left in free agency.
  • Luke compiled a list of veterans eligible for contract extensions.
  • It may surprise you, but veteran Richard Hamilton is among the top scorers left in free agency.
  • I asked Hoops Rumors readers to pick out the best non-minimum one-year deal of the summer.
  • Here’s a rundown of how free agents have fared by height, courtesy of Chuck.
  • We asked if the Heat are still the team to beat in the East.
  • The overwhelming majority of you see Doc Rivers as the best Western Conference coaching hire.
  • Here’s a refresher on our commenting policy.
  • Did you know that you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors?
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