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Month: November 2024

Hawks Notes: Silver, Ferry, Owners

September 22nd, 2014 at 4:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s been more than two weeks since Hawks controlling owner Bruce Levenson announced his intention to sell his stake in the club stemming from an investigation that uncovered an email with racially charged statements that he’d written in 2012. GM Danny Ferry helped defuse the controversy when he agreed to take an indefinite leave of absence after his own racist statements became public, but the leadership of the Hawks remains in limbo. Here’s the latest:

  • A sitting NBA owner told Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the Hawks will move to a new city “over my dead body,” casting further doubt on the notion that a new principal owner will move the franchise. Commissioner Adam Silver will meet Friday with Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed to discuss the state of Hawks ownership, as Vivlamore reports in the same piece.
  • Silver said today that he thought Ferry was wise to take his indefinite leave of absence, as Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal tweets. Silver said earlier this month that he doesn’t think Ferry committed any offense that should prompt the team to fire him.
  • Vivlamore’s piece also provides a breakdown of the Hawks ownership shares. Levenson owns 24% of the team, but his share combined with those of Ed Peskowitz and Todd Foreman total 50.1%, and all three are selling. Michael Gearon Sr. and Michael Gearon Jr. own approximately 42% of the team combined, while the rest of the club is in the hands of Rutherford Seydel, Beau Turner and a New York-based investment group that includes Steven Price.
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Franklin, Blue Work Out For Wizards

September 22nd, 2014 at 2:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

Free agent shooting guards Jamaal Franklin and Vander Blue are working out today at the Verizon Center in Washington, the home court of the Wizards, as Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post observes (Twitter link). It’s not entirely clear whether the Wizards are putting Franklin and Blue through their paces or if they’re working out on their own, but it nonetheless seems as though they’re auditioning for the club one way or another.

Franklin was reportedly in San Antonio last week to work out for the Spurs, with whom he presumably has an in thanks to his connection with former San Diego State teammate Kawhi Leonard. Rumors have been sparse surrounding Blue since the Celtics elected not to re-sign the former Marquette standout following the expiration of his 10-day contract with the team this past season. Blue was in camp last fall with the Sixers, who cut him before opening night, while Franklin spent the season on the Grizzlies roster after Memphis made him the 41st overall pick in 2013. Franklin saw only 165 total minutes in the regular season and playoffs combined, and the Grizzlies waived him in August, using the stretch provision to defray the immediate cost of his guaranteed salary.

The Wizards struck camp deals with Xavier Silas and Damion James last week, bringing their roster to 16. Washington has fully guaranteed deals with 13 players and a partially guaranteed arrangement with Glen Rice Jr., but J. Michael of CSNWashington.com wrote last week that there’s a strong chance that Washington will open the regular season with fewer than 15 players. Even so, Silas told Michael that the Wizards are giving him a “legitimate chance” to make it to opening night, so GM Ernie Grunfeld is apparently in no rush to make decisions.

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Bulls Re-Sign Nazr Mohammed

September 22nd, 2014 at 2:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls have re-signed center Nazr Mohammed, the team announced (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether the 37-year-old is coming back with any guaranteed money in his contract, but Chicago almost certainly isn’t giving him more than the minimum salary he’s earned the past two seasons with the club, since that’s all the Bulls can hand out to free agents. They renounced their Early Bird rights to Mohammed in July.

It’s somewhat surprising to see Mohammed wind up back with Chicago, given the team’s beefed-up front line that includes newcomers Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic. Mohammed worked out for the Heat late last month, but there’s otherwise been little interest in the 16-year veteran. He appeared in 80 regular season games for the Bulls last season, but he averaged just 7.0 minutes per outing and totaled five minutes over two playoff appearances.

The Excel Sports Management client nonetheless maintained confidence throughout the summer that he’d find a deal, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The question remains whether he’ll still find himself under contract come opening night. Chicago has 12 fully guaranteed deals plus a partially guaranteed arrangement with E’Twaun Moore, but the team hasn’t carried more than the NBA-minimum 13 players on opening night in any of the last three seasons.

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Mavs Sign Doron Lamb

September 22nd, 2014 at 1:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavericks have signed shooting guard Doron Lamb, the team announced (Twitter link). All of the terms aren’t immediately clear, but Dallas is limited to giving out no more than the minimum salary. There’s no guaranteed money involved, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas (on Twitter).

Lamb, who turns 23 in November, has been on the market since shortly after the Magic waived him at the end of June to avoid guaranteeing his minimum salary for the season. Up to that point he’d been on the same contract that he’d signed after the Bucks made him the 42nd overall pick in 2012. He put up similar numbers in his first two seasons in the league, split between Milwaukee and Orlando. The Arn Tellem client has averaged 3.5 points in 12.7 minutes per game in the NBA, but he’s made his mark with 39.4% shooting on 1.3 three-point attempts per contest.

It’ll be an uphill battle for Lamb if he’s to make the opening-night roster, since Dallas already has 15 fully guaranteed deals, plus partially guaranteed arrangements with Eric Griffin and Ivan Johnson. Charlie Villanueva is also with the Mavs on a non-guaranteed deal.

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Spurs Work Out Fuquan Edwin

September 22nd, 2014 at 12:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

Undrafted former Seton Hall swingman Fuquan Edwin is auditioning for the Spurs today and Tuesday, a source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link). It’s the second time that the first-year pro will have shown off for the Spurs, who also worked him out prior to the draft.

Edwin suffered a regression this past season as a senior for the Pirates, as his scoring, rebounding and three-point shooting were all off from the marks he put up as a junior. He averaged 15.5 points and 4.7 rebounds and made 37.5% of his three-point attempts in 31.3 minutes per game the past two years combined for Seton Hall. He also saw 7.3 MPG for the Thunder in summer league this year.

Edwin joins a lengthy list of players reportedly on San Antonio’s radar. Michael Beasley, Hakim Warrick and Jamaal Franklin are among the veterans who’ve also apparently worked out for the Spurs, so Edwin seemingly faces long odds of making the training camp roster, much less remaining on the team through opening night. The Spurs have 14 fully guaranteed deals and three partially guaranteed arrangements.

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Celtics Notes: Rondo, Smart, Young, Playoffs

September 22nd, 2014 at 8:18am CST by Chuck Myron

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge hasn’t been shy about batting down trade rumors surrounding Rajon Rondo, but the chatter won’t go away. The conflicting narratives might have root in Ainge’s own uncertainty about the future of his point guard, as he expressed in a public appearance Sunday, according to Bill Doyle of the Telegram & Gazette.

“The possibility of a trade is not out of the question,” Ainge said about Rondo. “Nobody is untradeable, but I don’t see that happening.”

Doyle rounds up more from Ainge’s Q&A with fans at a church in Worcester, Mass., and his entire piece is worth a read for Celtics diehards. We’ll round up a few of the highlights here:

  • Ainge pointed to mutual interest in a continued relationship between the Celtics and Rondo when asked whether he would trade the All-Star, Doyle notes. “The truthful answer is I really don’t know,” Ainge said. “I have no intention. I’m not trying to trade Rondo, but because he’s a free agent this summer, he assured me that he wants to stay in Boston. We’d love to keep him in Boston.” 
  • Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck first made use of the word “fireworks” in reference to the team’s offseason plans, but Ainge picked up the torch and still isn’t ruling out a flashy move even as he expressed contentment with his pair of first-round picks from June, as Doyle chronicles. “It wasn’t the fireworks that we tried,” Ainge said, “and we continue to try to do, but we’re excited about Marcus [Smart] and his future and James Young and his future. We need to be more patient with James, especially out of the gate. I think Marcus is more physically ready to play at our level than James is today, but we hope for fast progress from James. I felt like we acquired some assets. We didn’t panic and do anything that was silly.” 
  • Ainge admits a championship is out of reach this season, and while he was reluctant to set goals, he doesn’t think the playoffs are out of the question, Doyle writes.
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Western Notes: Warriors, Harris, Grizzlies

September 21st, 2014 at 9:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Dennis Rogers of Clippers.com solicited the help of four national writers to preview the Pacific Division for 2014/15.  Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com says that the offseason move that will probably have the most impact will be replacing coach Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr.  How the Warriors respond to losing a popular coach is critical to how the division will shake out, Shelburne opines. More from the Western Conference..

  • Mavericks guard Devin Harris says his squad believes that they’re even better than last season, according to Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram (Twitter links).  The Mavs had an active offseason which included adding Chandler Parsons and trading for Tyson Chandler.
  • While the Grizzlies are certainly a team worthy of respect, they did not do enough this summer for Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders to expect significant improvement.  While Hamitlon likes some of their moves, like re-signing Zach Randolph to a two-year, $20MM extension, the Grizzlies could be leapfrogged by the Pelicans in his estimation.
  • The Grizzlies shook up their front office this summer but General Manager Chris Wallace decided to more or less stay the course, writes Adi Joseph of USA Today Sports.  Still, Memphis brought in Vince Carter to replace Mike Miller as the veteran swingman off the bench, and the team drafted two productive college players in Jordan Adams and Jarnell Stokes.
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Eastern Notes: Magic, Heat, Knicks

September 21st, 2014 at 8:51pm CST by Zachary Links

After suffering a torn Achilles tendon almost nine months ago, Bobcats forward Jeff Taylor is working his way back towards full health, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.  “It’s been a long road,” Taylor said. “With an Achilles injury, you have to be really patient – slowly getting back all your strength, back to what you were.”  Here’s more from the East..

  • Magic newcomer Luke Ridnour perfectly fits what the team needs, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.  The 33-year-old has a mature locker room presence, experience as a reserve guard, and still shows glimpses of solid play.  Perhaps more importantly, he can show No. 10 overall pick Elfrid Payton Jr. the ropes.
  • The staff at Basketball Insiders previewed the Heat for the upcoming season.  Without LeBron James, none of the five writers have Miami winning the division.  The consensus seems to be that they’ll be a playoff team, and maybe one with homecourt advantage, but the ceiling doesn’t go much higher than that.
  • The Knicks haven’t named their D-League coach yet, but when they do, the final candidate will be familiar with the way Derek Fisher wants to play, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com.  “We’ve talked to a few candidates, very good candidates. We’re not there yet, we’re very close. But this is a very unique position because you want to have someone who is familiar with the way Derek wants to play and the system. But also [someone who is] familiar with the future and the landscape of the D-League and its process,” Westchester Knicks GM Allan Houston said.
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Hoops Links: Lee, Matthews, Martin

September 21st, 2014 at 7:23pm CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 1991, USA Basketball announced the “Dream Team” for the 1992 Olympics. Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Patrick Ewing, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, Chris Mullin, Scottie Pippen, David Robinson, and John Stockton were named to the team.  Not bad.  In May of the next year, Christian Laettner and Clyde Drexler were added to the squad.

Got a great basketball blog post that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors?  Send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.  Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere…

Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

September 21st, 2014 at 6:02pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look back at the original reporting and analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..

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