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Western Notes: Brand, Mavs, Nash, Suns, Grizzlies

April 23rd, 2013 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Western Conference home teams are 5-0 in playoff games so far, after Chris Paul's buzzer-beater lifted the Clippers to a thrilling Game Two win over the Grizzlies last night. The Nuggets will look to make it six straight victories for favorites in the West tonight against the Warriors. While we wait for that game, let's check out some items from around the conference:

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Kyler On Paul, Teague, Jack, Billups, Bledsoe

April 22nd, 2013 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler focuses on the playoff point guards that may be heading for free agency once their respective seasons end. Kyler has tidbits on those players, as well as notes on Eric Bledsoe and Phil Jackson, so let's check out the highlights:

  • Chris Paul is essentially a lock to re-sign with the Clippers and he'll have a "tremendous amount of input" in the team's roster moves and overall direction.
  • The Hawks will extend a qualifying offer to Jeff Teague, and while the club plans to keep its options open, it's unlikely that Teague will end up leaving Atlanta.
  • Jerryd Bayless is expected to decline his player option in search of a longer-term contract.
  • There's mutual interest in a new deal between Jarrett Jack and the Warriors, and the team will have Jack's Bird Rights, but the Warriors figure to be well into the tax unless they can make a cost-cutting move or two, which could complicate negotiations.
  • If Chauncey Billups doesn't return to the Clippers, retirement is more likely for him than signing with another club.
  • The Bucks will definitely match almost any offer sheet signed by Brandon Jennings, though if he receives the max from a rival suitor, Milwaukee will "have to seriously look at that."
  • While Bledsoe is expected to be an offseason trade candidate, Clippers sources are adamant that they don't need to make a decision on Bledsoe until the summer of 2014, or at least next year's trade deadline.
  • With a handful of head coaching jobs already opened up, Jackson's name will pop up frequently in the next several weeks, but Kyler hears that the odds of the 11-time champion accepting a coaching job aren't great.
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Grizzlies Sign Donte Greene

April 17th, 2013 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 2:02pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Greene, according to a team release.

TUESDAY, 12:14pm: After agreeing to sign Willie Reed and waiving Dexter Pittman on the weekend, the Grizzlies are expected to make one more roster move before the regular season ends, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Tillery tweets that the team will likely sign free agent forward Donte Greene.

Greene, 25, had been set to sign with the Nets last August before a fractured ankle sidelined him for several months, voiding his agreement with Brooklyn. Upon getting healthy, he reportedly drew NBA interest, but failed to land a contract. Last we heard, Greene was preparing to join a team in Puerto Rico earlier this month.

Like Reed's deal with the Grizzlies, Greene's contract is expected to include a non-guaranteed option for 2013/14, according to Tillery (Twitter link). That makes sense, since I would guess the club is getting a headstart on its Summer League squad and training camp roster for next season, rather than expecting Reed and Greene to play a role in this spring's playoff run.

Having waived Pittman, the Grizzlies won't need to make any further roster moves to clear room. Adding both Reed and Greene would give the team the maximum 15 players.

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Grizzlies Sign Willie Reed

April 17th, 2013 at 2:01pm CST by Zachary Links

WEDNESDAY, 2:01pm: The Grizzlies have officially signed Reed, the team announced in a press release.

SUNDAY, 5:27pm: Reed's deal will be a multi-year, non-guaranteed pact, according to Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal (on Twitter).

3:17pm: The Grizzlies have signed Willie Reed for the remainder of the season, agent Joel Bell tells Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter).  Reed, 22, played two seasons at St. Louis before going undrafted in the 2011 NBA draft.

Reed averaged 14.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for the Springfield Armor of the NBA Developmental League.  Terms of Reed's deal beyond the 2012/13 season are currently being worked on between the Grizzlies and Bell.

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Western Notes: Mayo, Blazers, Clark, Prince

April 16th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

We rounded up a few items from out of the Eastern Conference earlier in the day. Now let's head west….

  • Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle had harsh words for O.J. Mayo during and after last night's game against the Grizzlies, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com details. Mayo is widely expected to decline his 2013/14 player option and test free agency this summer, though MacMahon notes that the USC product recently told ESPNDallas.com he has yet to make a decision on the option.
  • Carlisle's comments on Mayo show why the Trail Blazers shouldn't consider pursuing the shooting guard if he hits free agency this summer, says Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com.
  • According to a Sports Business Daily report passed along by HoopsHype, Earl Clark has changed agents, making the transition from Happy Walters of Relativity Sports to Kevin Bradbury at BDA Sports.
  • Having been acquired by the Grizzlies in January's Rudy Gay blockbuster, Tayshaun Prince is excited to be back in the postseason, and tells Derek Page of HoopsWorld he's happy for Ed Davis and Austin Daye, who also came to Memphis in the deal.
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Grizzlies Waive Dexter Pittman

April 14th, 2013 at 4:43pm CST by Zachary Links

The Grizzlies announced that they have waived center Dexter Pittman.  The big man totaled two points and five rebounds in 20 minutes in seven appearances with the Grizzlies.  Pittman was cut loose to make room for the signing of Willie Reed. 

Memphis acquired the 25-year-old along with a 2013 second round draft pick from the Heat in exchange for the draft rights to Ricky Sanchez on Feb. 21.  The three-year veteran holds career averages of 2.4 points and 1.8 rebounds on .454 shooting in 7.2 minutes in 48 games with Miami and Memphis.

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Odds & Ends: Heat, Allen, Bucks, Muhammad

April 13th, 2013 at 12:35pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's this afternoon's look around the Association..

  • As it stands now, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel sees the Heat using the amnesty clause on Mike Miller.  While the vet is a great locker room influence, it doesn't make sense for Miami to carry his contract.  There's also the possibility that Miami finds a trade for Miller, but that could prove difficult.
  • The Bucks never made Ray Allen an offer to return when he was a free agent over the summer, writes Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times.  “I considered Memphis and Minnesota. That’s the plate I was looking at. Those were the teams that were offering me to go play for them," the guard said.
  • More from Woelfel, who writes that two NBA executives who once considered UCLA swingman Shabazz Muhammad a legitimate top-three draft pick now have him outside their top ten.  It's possible that the news that the Bruins star is actually 20 as opposed to 19 has hurt his stock.
  • Dwight Howard and Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni are divided on the club's offensive philosophy, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
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Southwest Links: Kaman, Mavs, Hollins, Rockets

April 12th, 2013 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Southwest's three playoff teams will battle for playoff seeding tonight, as the Spurs look for a win over the Kings to keep pace with the top-seeded Thunder, while the Grizzlies play the Rockets in Houston. As we look forward to a busy night of NBA action, let's check out some more updates out of the division….

  • Speaking to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Chris Kaman reiterated that he'd like to return to the Mavericks next season, a stance he has conveyed before. "I'd love to be back, but I don't know what's going to happen with the organization,'' Kaman said. "It's up to the owners and the coaches and all that — whoever decides all that stuff."
  • ESPN.com's Marc Stein appeared on 103.3 KESN FM in Dallas this week to address the Mavericks' top offseason targets, and the Dallas Morning News has a couple key quotes from the ESPN.com scribe.
  • Following up on a report from the Memphis Commercial Appeal on Lionel Hollins' job status, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Flyer takes an in-depth look at whether Hollins will, and should, be back on the Grizzlies' bench next season.
  • Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld spoke to Rockets GM Daryl Morey about the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, noting that "a good Portsmouth seems to help players a lot more than a bad Portsmouth hurts them." Morey said he usually arrives in Portsmouth with a list of six to 12 key players to watch.
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Hollins Confident His Fate Isn’t Tied To Playoffs

April 11th, 2013 at 6:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

Lionel Hollins doesn't believe a "growing perception" that the Grizzlies may be waiting to see if the team advances past the first round of the playoffs before deciding whether to bring him back, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal. Hollins and the team haven't discussed an extension to his deal, which is up at the end of the season. Still, a source recently told Marc Stein of ESPN.com that Hollins is "very likely" to receive a new contract after the playoffs even if the team bows out in the first round.

"There are a lot of teams that have successful seasons that don’t win in the first round," the coach said. "Look at San Antonio against us a couple of years ago. They won 61 games. That’s a successful season. But what happens in the playoffs is a different story. They caught a team on the rise and playing well. It happens."

Players, including Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen, spoke in support of Hollins, as Tillery details. There have been rumors of a rift between Hollins and Zach Randolph, but both said last month that such speculation wasn't true.

Hollins will likely have offers from other teams if he hits the offseason without a deal, but he's nonetheless made it clear he wants to remain in Memphis, according to Tillery. Hollins criticized the team's Rudy Gay trade earlier this season, but later said it was an emotional reaction, and that he's on board with the team's revamped management, which places a greater emphasis on analytics. 

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Traded 2013 Draft Picks Still Up In The Air

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

With just a handful of games remaining in the 2012/13 regular season, most traded 2013 draft picks that included some sort of protection have been locked in, with teams' records ensuring those picks will either change hands or stay put. The Bulls, for instance, obviously aren't getting the Bobcats' top-12-protected pick, while the Jazz know definitively that they will receive Golden State's top-six-protected first-rounder.

There are still a handful of picks whose fate remains up in the air, however. For instance, the Suns and Cavaliers are watching the Lakers' place in the standings anxiously, since Phoenix will get L.A.'s pick if the Lakers miss the playoffs, while the Cavs will grab it if the Lakers earn a postseason berth. With the help of our projected draft order, here are the details on that pick and the rest of the selections that still may or may not change hands:

Team: Raptors (30-48)
Protection details: First-round pick sent to Thunder if not between 1-3 or 15-30.
Projected landing spot: 10th
Current outlook: The Raptors have a chance to jump into the top three in the draft lottery to keep their pick, but it's a real long shot. Assuming they finish with the league's 10th-worst record, the Raps' odds of landing a top-three pick will be about 4%.

Team: Trail Blazers (33-45)
Protection details: First-round pick sent to Bobcats if not in top 12.
Projected landing spot: 12th
Current outlook: With Dallas five games ahead of them in the standings, the Trail Blazers will finish with no better than the league's 12th-worst record. That bodes well for their chances of keeping their first-rounder, since the odds of the 13th and/or 14th teams leapfrogging the Blazers in the lottery (pushing them out of the top 12) are only about 4%.

Team: Lakers (42-37)
Protection details: First-round pick sent to Suns if in top 14. If not in top 14, Cavaliers can swap Heat first-round pick with Lakers first-rounder; Lakers then send Heat pick to Suns.
Projected landing spot: 15th
Current outlook: A game up on the Jazz, the Lakers are in the driver's seat in the race for the final Western Conference playoff spot, but they'll host the Warriors, Spurs, and Rockets in their last three games, so it won't be a cakewalk. The Jazz hold the playoff tiebreaker and finish with games against the Timberwolves (twice) and Grizzlies. John Hollinger's playoffs odds give the Lakers 73.5% odds to earn the 8th seed, but this could still go either way.

Team: Trail Blazers (33-45)
Protection details: Second-round pick sent to Nuggets if not in top 40.
Projected landing spot: 42nd
Current outlook: Unlike the team's first-rounder, Portland isn't likely to keep this pick. Even if the Blazers' losing streak continues and they don't win another game this season, two of the Raptors, Sixers, and Timberwolves would have to finish the year with a handful of wins to push Portland's pick into the top 40. That means the Nuggets will probably receive it.

Team: Clippers (52-26)
Protection details: Second-round pick sent to Pistons if not in top 55.
Projected landing spot: 55th
Current outlook: The Clippers are a half-game up on the Knicks in the NBA standings and are within a game of the Grizzlies and two games of the Nuggets, so this pick remains unsettled. If the Pistons land it, it'd be one more very small asset in an offseason where the team is expected to have a lottery pick and a ton of cap space.

Team: Grizzlies (53-25)
Protection details: Second-round pick sent to Lakers if not in top 55.
Projected landing spot: 56th
Current outlook: A late-season loss or two for the Grizz could mean this pick ends up in the top 55 and remains in their control, but I don't think either team is losing much sleep over it.

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