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New York Notes: Lopez, Young, Gasol

May 3rd, 2015 at 7:59pm CST by Will Joseph

The Nets have made it clear to Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young — both can opt out of their current deals — that they would like them to return, Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com writes. Young said he first would want to see what Lopez plans to do before making a decision. “I definitely wanna see what the big fella’s gonna do also, but we’ve already been told that they expect us back next year and they want us back next year — no matter if we pick up our options or opt out,” Young said. “But for me, like I said, I’m just gonna factor in everything possible across the board and just try to make the right decision.” In what Mazzeo describes as an uncertain offseason for the Nets, Alan Anderson said he plans to opt out of his current deal, while Mirza Teletovic can become an unrestricted free agent if the Nets don’t submit a qualifying offer.

Here’s more from the Big Apple:

In the same piece, Mazzeo writes that Nets coach Lionel Hollins believes Lopez has the potential to be a franchise player — if the big man’s low-post game gets better.“I think when you look at Brook, I think that you can think about him that way,” Hollins said. “He has some limitations. When I say limitations, I think that if he developed his post-game, he could be a franchise player. But I don’t want to put that pressure on him, to say that if he doesn’t do that, he isn’t. I’m just saying that potentially with size and athleticism and the whole nine yards, from an offensive perspective. But there’s a lot more that goes into a franchise player than just skill, so I don’t even want to go there.” There’s a strong belief around the league, according to previous reports, that Lopez will opt out but re-sign with the Nets on a max deal this summer.
Lopez said his mind isn’t made up on what to do, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “You know, I don’t know,” Lopez said. “There’s lots of different stuff. I haven’t thought about it at all. The season just ended, so I haven’t given it any thought.”
Anderson, on the other hand, is very sure about opting out, Bontemps adds in the same piece. “I’m free,” Anderson said. “I mean, I would love to stay in Brooklyn, but I am a free agent. So I will be free.” The Nets, as Bontemps notes, will have Anderson’s Early Bird rights, giving them some additional flexibility to re-sign him, after he spent the past two years with the team.
Former Knicks player Beno Udrih, who is now on the Grizzlies, said New York doesn’t have much of a shot at landing Memphis’ Marc Gasol, who will become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, tweets Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. “They’re not going to get him. He’s a laid-back guy and doesn’t like drama,” Udrih told Zwerling.

Northwest Notes: Brooks, Thunder, Aldridge

April 25th, 2015 at 10:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Thunder GM Sam Presti doesn’t think Scott Brooks is a bad coach, but he believes he can find a better one, writes Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. Brooks was fired Wednesday after the Thunder narrowly missed the playoffs with a 45-37 record. Tramel speculates that the move was about the future, noting that Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant have had the same coach since they entered the league. He said Presti likely wants to give them a fresh voice as they enter the next stage of their careers.

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

Three leading candidates to replace Brooks as Thunder coach were compared by Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Florida’s Billy Donovan and Connecticut’s Kevin Ollie have both been wildly successful as college coaches, while Tom Thibodeau has made the Bulls a perennial playoff team but is rumored to be in hot water in Chicago.
LaMarcus Aldridge is the latest in a long line of talented power forwards in Portland, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. When he was drafted by the Trail Blazers in 2006, it was to ultimately replace the man who he is now lining up against in the playoffs, the Grizzlies’ Zach Randolph. Aldridge said he remembers being labeled as a “project” early on. “People always called me ‘soft,’ but Z-Bo never did,” Aldridge said. “In practice, I would go at it. I wasn’t strong enough to bang, but I would bang with him as much as I could.” Randolph was dealt to the Knicks in 2007, but the Blazers are hoping to keep Aldridge. He is expected to be among the most sought-after free agents on the market this summer.
Aldridge made comments to Holmes that echoed those he gave to Michael Lee of The Washington Post earlier this season in which he reflected on a time when he didn’t think the Blazers viewed him as a star in the making. “I wish I could say that,” Aldridge said to Holmes. “I want to give you that story so bad. But I’m trying to tell you, they did not believe in me in the beginning. I was a ‘project.'”
After losing most of his season to shoulder surgery, Utah’s Alec Burks is looking forward to next year, reports Ryan McDonald of The Deseret News. The surgical procedure came just two months after Burks agreed to a four-year, $42MM extension with the Jazz. “It was tough,” he said. “I’ve never experienced anything like that missing so many games, but I learned a lot. I’ll be able to play next year, and I can’t wait.”

Western Notes: Gasol, Brooks, Paul

April 19th, 2015 at 8:14pm CST by Will Joseph

In using LeBron James‘ decision to bolt from the Heat and join the Cavaliers after the Spurs beat Miami in last year’s NBA Finals as an example, Geoff Calkins of the Commercial Appeal opines that how the Grizzlies fare in the playoffs will impact Marc Gasol‘s free agency decision. Gasol was not at all forthcoming when asked if the playoffs could have an impact on his future. The big man has spent his entire seven-year career with the Grizzlies. “I don’t know,” Gasol said. “Honestly, I haven’t put in my mind what’s going to weigh what, and I really don’t know. I honestly can’t tell you because I haven’t had time to even think about it. So, I don’t know.”

Previously, Gasol cast doubt on the idea that an early postseason exit for the Grizzlies would dissuade him from re-signing. Earlier this week owner Robert Pera expressed a similar view that the playoffs would not have much bearing on Gasol’s decision.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

The Blazers are decimated by injury, they are facing the Grizzlies — a team that has beat them in all four contests this season — and have several question marks heading into the summer. All of that presents this time period as the biggest challenge since GM Neil Olshey was hired in June 2012, John Canzano of the Oregonian opines. This summer, the team’s top player, LaMarcus Aldridge, will become an unrestricted free agent. Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez will also become unrestricted free agents.
Embattled Thunder coach Scott Brooks, whom the team is reportedly evaluating prior to making a decision on his future, has received three significant votes of confidence, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman writes. Serge Ibaka has joined Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in supporting Brooks, who has guided the team since the 2008/09 season. “Why are you going to fire him?” Ibaka is quoted in a piece by Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype. “What has he done? Injuries were not his fault. Why would he go? He has not done anything. He’s not responsible for the injuries. He did his best with the team he had. Would [another] coach do better with a team with so many injuries? What could he possibly do about it? The team is with him. You can’t blame him for what has happened.”
Chris Paul has never led a team beyond the second round of the playoffs and although the star point guard has never received much backlash for his lack of postseason success, Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders opines that if Paul fails to get far this postseason, his name won’t be associated with the transformation of the Clippers.

Southwest Notes: Rondo, Gasol, Spurs

April 17th, 2015 at 3:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

Rajon Rondo has been a disappointment for the Mavericks since they traded for him in December, owner Mark Cuban admits to Grantland’s Kirk Goldsberry, and as the point guard readies to take on the Rockets in the playoffs with free agency looming this summer, Rondo’s time is now.

“He hasn’t been as good of a fit as we would’ve liked,” Cuban said. “And Rajon would tell you the same. I think that he is a guy that is built for the playoffs, and we haven’t had a lot of practice time together. He’s been here for maybe five or six practice days.”

While we wait to see if Rondo, who’s fallen out of the top 10 in the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, can recover some of his value with a strong postseason, here’s more from around the Southwest Division:

Marc Gasol in February cast doubt on the idea that an early postseason exit for the Grizzlies would dissuade him from re-signing, and owner Robert Pera echoed his center in comments to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, who writes in a subscription-only piece. “It’s a very long season and there are always going to be ups and downs,” Pera said. “You can’t get too high when shots are falling or too low when they aren’t. With respect to Marc, he is unique in that he is as much a Grizzlies stakeholder as I am. He has been a Grizzly his entire career, experiencing the lows of rebuilding and the highs of the past few seasons. I believe his goal, like mine, is to build a winning culture in Memphis that will carry on long after we have both faded into the background. In that sense, I believe his decision will be based not on any one particular result but on the process generally and his confidence in the direction of our franchise.”
Spurs coach/president Gregg Popovich has made Danny Green his whipping boy, but it’s not because he isn’t high on the swingman, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News explains. One unnamed executive who spoke with Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops recently estimated Green’s value at $6MM a year.
The Spurs have assigned rookie Kyle Anderson to the D-League, the team announced. San Antonio’s affiliate has a playoff game tonight, while the NBA club doesn’t tip off its first-round series against the Clippers until Sunday night.

Pacers Win Tiebreaker For 11th Lottery Position

April 17th, 2015 at 2:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers won a random draw with the Jazz today that gives Indiana the 11th lottery position and Utah the 12th, reports Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link). The teams finished with identical 38-44 records this season. Indiana will have an eight-in-1,000 chance at the No. 1 overall pick, and Utah will have a seven-in-1,000 chance, but while the extra chance the Pacers have probably won’t matter, the Pacers are in line to pick one spot in front of the Jazz if, as is most likely, neither team wins any of the top three picks.

The Lakers, who hold Houston’s first-rounder, won a random draw with the Celtics, who have the Clippers’ selection, for the 27th pick, so Boston will pick 28th, Washburn also reports (Twitter link). The Mavericks have the 21st pick and the Bulls the 22nd after winning the random draw between those teams, and the Grizzlies won their draw with the Spurs for pick No. 25, leaving San Antonio pick No. 26, according to Dan Feldman of ProBasketballTalk.com. We’ve updated our post showing this year’s draft order and lottery odds with the latest news.

The procedure for two teams tied for lottery spots dictates that they split the odds for the two positions they occupy, and that the winner of the tiebreaker receive the extra chance if there’s an odd number of them. But since the 11th team in the lottery receives eight chances out of 1,000 and the 12th gets seven chances out of 1,000 to win the lottery, the Pacers simply take over the odds of the 11th spot. There’s less than a 10% chance that either team will move up or back in the lottery.

The tiebreaker comes with a slight financial consequence for next season, since the Pacers will have the rookie scale amount for the 11th pick instead of the 12th counting against their cap, and the Jazz the opposite, a difference of nearly $100K. That difference will be slightly larger once the draftees sign for the usual 120% of those scale amounts. The teams could remove those respective cap hits if they and the players they pick agree in writing not to sign next season, but that’s an unlikely outcome.

Southwest Notes: Leonard, Griffin, Grizzlies

April 13th, 2015 at 8:16pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kawhi Leonard‘s recent play is a major reason why the Spurs have become the league’s hottest team, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports. The reigning NBA Finals MVP is averaging 19.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.6 steals during the team’s current 11-game winning streak while shooting 56 percent from the field. Leonard is developing a reputation of stepping up his game late in the season and the playoffs, Kennedy continues. Leonard’s resurgence is a major reason why potential playoff opponents are fearful of drawing the Spurs, Kennedy adds. Leonard becomes a restricted free agent this summer, though he expects to remain with the Spurs for the long haul.

In other news around the Southwest Division:

Mavs camp invitee Eric Griffin has signed to play in Puerto Rico for Leones de Ponce, TAB Deportes reports (Twitter link; hat tip to agent Brian J. Bass). The Jazz, Clippers, and Celtics were reportedly interested in signing Griffin last month while he was with the Mavs D-League affiliate, and he also reportedly met with the Clippers about a 10-day deal in February.
Mavs coach Rick Carlisle and point guard Rajon Rondo have seemingly put their differences aside heading into the playoffs, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Rondo served a one-game, team-imposed suspension after a heated exchange with Carlisle over play-calling in late February. Carlisle said that he and Rondo, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, have worked out a compromise, Medina adds. “Rondo’s been a pro. I like Rondo a lot. I’m looking forward to the playoffs because of his experience,” Carlisle said to Medina. “These kinds of adjustments are great opportunities for growth both for him and for us.”
The Grizzlies are approaching the postseason with consistent defensive intensity despite injuries to key players, Ron Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Memphis has held its last three opponents to 39% despite playing the Clippers without starters Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Tony Allen.

Lowe’s Latest: Lopez, Biyombo, Davis

April 7th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Most executives around the league expect Brook Lopez to turn down his player option for next season, worth more than $16.744MM, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe. That’s on the heels of his surge over the past month, as he averaged 20.9 points and 9.1 rebounds per game in March, and he’s upped those numbers to 22.8 PPG and 9.8 RPG so far in April. Lowe wrote in December that most execs thought Lopez would pick up the option, so it seems his hot streak has changed thinking around the league. Still, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck wrote just a week after Lowe’s report in December that he had heard from many executives who expected even then that Lopez would opt out. The Nets center said a few weeks ago that he hadn’t thought about what to do with the option, so there’s some mystery here. Lowe has more rumors from his latest column, which focuses on players with decent chances of becoming this year’s version of what DeMarre Carroll was in 2013, when he signed a two-year, $5MM pact that wound up a bargain deal for the Hawks.

Bismack Biyombo will almost certainly see the value of his qualifying offer from the Hornets shrink from more than $5.194MM to nearly $4.046MM thanks to the starter criteria that he has virtually no chance of meeting. Executives are “nearly unanimous” that he wouldn’t command annual salaries of that nearly $5.2MM amount in free agency this summer, according to Lowe, though while most people believe a team could snag him for about $4MM a year, no one is sure about that, Lowe adds.
Ed Davis rejected a multiyear contract offer from the Grizzlies this past summer, several league sources tell Lowe. He instead signed with the Lakers on a two-year deal for the minimum salary with a player option that he’s said he plans to decline in search of a long-term deal this summer. Davis turned down a rookie scale extension in the fall of 2013 that would have given him annual salaries of $5-6MM beginning this season, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal reported this past October.
Derrick Williams doesn’t intrigue front offices as much as he did a year ago, Lowe writes. He, too, is in line for a reduced qualifying offer from the Kings for failing to meet the starter criteria.
Lowe identifies the Spurs as a team to watch on Mirza Teletovic, though it’s unclear if that’s just speculation. The Nets can match offers if they extend a qualifying offer of more than $4.21MM.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Belinelli, Carter

April 5th, 2015 at 11:48am CST by ChrisCrouse

In just his third season in the league, Anthony Davis has made a case to win the MVP award. The Kentucky product is averaging 24.4 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game, while leading the league with a 30.91 player efficiency rating. If Davis takes home the Maurice Podoloff trophy either this year or next, he could benefit financially if he signs an extension with the Pelicans because he would meet the fifth year 30% max criteria. These criteria, known collectively as the Derrick Rose rule, would allow him to receive roughly 30% of the salary cap as his starting salary in an extension, as opposed to roughly 25%, which is usually reserved for players with 0-6 years of experience. Davis could also meet the criteria if during his first four years in the league, he makes two All-NBA teams or is twice voted as a starter in the All-Star game. Davis was voted as starter for the first time in the 2015 All-Star game and is likely to make his first All-NBA team this season. Davis would meet the criteria if he accomplishes either of those feats again during the 2015/16 season, even if he signs an extension before that happens when he is eligible this offseason.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Marco Belinelli will be a free agent at the end of season and it’s uncertain whether he will return to San Antonio next season, as he says in an interview with II Corriere dello Sport, which is translated by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. At 29-year-old, Belinelli acknowledges that salary will be an important factor in his decision in free agency.
Vince Carter has battled injuries this season, but the 38-year-old guard is not looking to retire after the season, Scott Cacciola of The New York Times writes. “I can’t imagine not playing.” said Carter, who signed a three year, $12MM deal with the Grizzlies last offseason. “I can’t accept that yet. I’m not at the point where I wake up and it’s like, I’m tired of this. Being around these young guys makes you feel young, I promise you.”
Ian Thomsen of NBA.com chronicles Carter’s time in the league starting in 1998 when he was an intriguing young prospect with star potential to this season where he is an elder statesman for a contender in Memphis.

And-Ones: Pekovic, Luxury Tax, Grizzlies

March 30th, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nikola Pekovic‘s injury-riddled season appears to be over as Timberwolves coach Flip Saunders does not expect him to play the remainder of the season, Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press tweets. The 29-year-old, fifth-year center has appeared in just 31 games this season and has not played since March 11th because of an ankle injury. He is averaging 12.5 points — his lowest since his rookie season — and 7.5 rebounds in 26.3 minutes. He has three years and $35.8MM remaining on his contract, the longest commitment that Minnesota has besides point guard Ricky Rubio.

In other news around the league:

The luxury tax threshold is estimated to check in at around $81MM for next season, a source tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, confirming a figure Sean Deveney of The Sporting News cited earlier this season. The threshold should vault to around $101MM for 2016/17, Bondy added.
The Grizzlies recalled forward Jarnell Stokes and guard Russ Smith from their D-League affiliate, the Iowa Energy, the team announced on its website. Stokes has been assigned to Iowa six times this season while Smith has completed three stints with the Energy as well three prior stints with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Stokes has averaged 2.7 points and 1.7 rebounds in 17 games with the Grizzlies. Smith has averaged 1.4 points and 0.4 assists in 5.0 minutes in 10 games in his rookie season with Memphis and the Pelicans.
Funding for upgrades to the Target Center, the Timberwolves’ home area, could receive an additional boost from the city of Minneapolis, Erin Golden of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. A proposal to increase the city’s contribution to the upgrades cleared another Minneapolis City Council hurdle, Golden continues. The city, which has already agreed to spend $50MM on a project, could boost its support by another $24.5MM because of rising construction costs, Golden adds.

Southwest Notes: Llull, Bertans, Gasol

March 28th, 2015 at 9:52pm CST by ChrisCrouse

GM Daryl Morey shot down the rumor that the Rockets are preparing to give draft-and-stash prospect Sergio Llull a contract for three years, totaling at least $17MM, calling it simply “not true” in an interview on Mad Radio, one of Houston’s local sports stations. Morey did say that the team may have interest in bringing the point guard aboard in the future. Houston acquired Llull’s rights from the Nuggets during the 2009 draft.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

Spurs international prospect Davis Bertans tore his right ACL while playing for Laboral Kutxa of Spain’s Liga ACB, writes Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Bertans will likely miss at least six months of action. The small forward was the 42nd overall pick in the 2011 draft and San Antonio acquired his draft rights as part of the Kawhi Leonard trade.
Marc Gasol hasn’t ruled out leaving the Grizzlies and joining the Knicks, according to Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Kerber cautions that re-signing with Memphis seems to be the most likely option for Gasol, who has family ties to the city. The center reiterated that he isn’t concerned with his free agency at the moment. “I haven’t put any time in it,” Gasol said of his impending offseason decision. “The truth is, I haven’t put any time or any thought in that. It can have no impact right now. It can’t help me or my team. It’s not the time.”
James Harden is making a strong case to win the MVP award this season and he credits his familiarity in Houston as part of the reason that he is able to take his game to new heights, writes Kristie Rieken of the Associated Press. “[I’m] just more comfortable, knowing my teammates, being comfortable with myself on the court,” Harden said. “Knowing how to get shots, knowing how to get my teammates shots, and once I feel comfortable I can worry about doing other things.” The Arizona State product is in the second year of a five-year extension worth over $78MM, the maximum for a player with his level of experience.