Jared Dudley said in a recent interview with Grantland’s Zach Lowe that he would have considered the Wizards in free agency if he had opted out of his contract, writes Ben Standig of CSNWashington.com. Dudley, who was also considering a return to Phoenix, was traded from Milwaukee to Washington earlier this month and said the Bucks didn’t show much interest in retaining him if he had opted for free agency. Dudley surprised many when he opted in for $4.25MM next season before the trade, but he used the case of the still-unsigned J.R. Smith to explain his reasoning. “I wanted to opt out,” Dudley said. “The whole thing was to opt out. At the same time, you never want to opt out — you want to have a deal in place or at least have a backup plan.” Dudley underwent surgery Tuesday for a herniated disk in his lower back and is expected to be out of action for three to four months.
There’s more news from the Southeast Division:
- Michael Beasley could have a chance to make the Heat roster if he is willing to come to camp without a guaranteed contract, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The columnist sees Zoran Dragic as a “lock” to earn a roster spot because of his brother, Goran, while Josh Richardson‘s potential combined with a small contract gives him a good chance as well. Winderman adds that based on Beasley’s Instagram account, he is clearly taking another shot at the NBA.
- At 35, the Heat’s Udonis Haslem is giving no thought to retirement, according to Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. “I feel fine,” Haslem said. “I feel like I could go three or four more years depending on how Coach might need to use me or what the situation might be.” Haslem’s workload was down again in 2014/15, logging less than 1,000 minutes for the second straight season. However, he may be called on more often next year, especially if backup center Chris Andersen gets moved to help avoid the repeater tax. Haslem’s spot on the roster is secure, as he is signed for a guaranteed $2.9MM.
- Nobody questions the shooting ability of the Hornets‘ Troy Daniels, but he’ll have to do more than that to earn a secure spot in the NBA, writes Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. The 24-year-old is already on his third team, and Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said the guard’s “physical development” will be key to his NBA future. “I’ve wanted to see him add weight and gain strength, which I think will help him at both ends of the floor,” Clifford said. “He can shoot the ball from long range. He has a good feel of how to play. Right now, in order to take advantage of the skills he has worked on, he has to get stronger.”
As I’ve said, I feel like the Jared Dudley addition is big for Washington. Obviously, he just had back surgery, so I dont know what the timeline looks like there. Still, they added him and Alan Anderson as depth on the wing, and they should add some perimeter defense, and 3 point shooting to that team
Yeah, with Anderson and Dudley, they’ll have no problem making up for Paul Pierce; in fact, I think they’ll be better off, as long as Dudley’s back isn’t slow to heal.
I wouldnt mind Beasley getting an invite to camp, at least as depth in case of injuries. I’ve spoken about how he was a totally different person and player in his stint with us at the end of last season. He played some big minutes for us, even at the 5, and he was pretty impressive with his effort defensively. Offensively, the Heat ran a lot of similar sets for him as they would for Bosh. His decision making was clearly improved. If there was more space for him on the floor, maybe he would have knocked down more 3s, as he has always been good in that area. I personally think that he deserves another shot somewhere in the NBA
As for UD, he was big for us at times last year, even playing big minutes when he wasnt even cleared to play. He is such an important leader for us. I hope he stays as long as he can, and then afterward, he’ll have his jersey in the rafters where it belongs, with him hopefully remaining in a similar role to Zo or Juwan Howard in the organization…He has started to increase his range out to the 3 point line though. If he can start to knock down that corner 3, that will add time to his career for sure
I was a little surprised when the Heat turned down his option. It was only for the minimum salary, and it’s not as if the Heat don’t know what they’re getting with Beasley at this point. So, I’d actually be very surprised now if he gets an invite to training camp. I think declining the option made it clear that his time in Miami is done, for better or worse.