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Latest On Marcus Camby

July 26th, 2013 at 6:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

Marcus Camby scored a total of 42 points over the 24 games he played for the Knicks this past season, so that alone would make it difficult to understand why the 39-year-old is generating so much chatter less than a month into free agency. Teams appear to be focusing more on his production in 2011/12, when he averaged 9.0 rebounds in just 22.9 minutes per game. Here's what we know:

  • The Bulls met with Camby on Friday, and Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com hears the talks are going "extremely well." He's telling teams he intends to go into coaching after he's done playing, echoing a report from earlier this month indicating he wanted to play two more years and then coach.
  • Camby recently met with Rockets doctors and passed a physical, as Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston reports. Agent Rick Kaplan told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle a couple of days ago that the Rockets were at the "top of his list" (Twitter link). 
  • Multiple reports show Camby is also considering the Heat, though Miami is showing less interest in him than Houston and Chicago are, tweets Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida.
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FA Rumors: Maggette, Blair, Telfair, Tinsley

July 26th, 2013 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Restricted free agents like Nikola Pekovic, Brandon Jennings, and Gerald Henderson represent the most intriguing names left on the free agent market, but in his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Alex Kennedy takes a look at a few unrestricted free agents who have flown more under the radar. Here are some highlights from Kennedy:

  • Corey Maggette considered retiring to pursue a front office job, but it looks like he'll postpone that plan for at least a year. Maggette would like to play for a contender, and could likely be had for a one-year, minimum-salary deal.
  • Although more than a dozen teams, including the Bulls and Clippers, have expressed some level of interest in DeJuan Blair, the big man still hasn't been able to secure the sort of multiyear offer he's seeking.
  • There continues to be mutual interest between the Knicks and Sebastian Telfair, who has also attracted some interest from contenders like the Heat and Thunder.
  • The Nets nearly signed Jamaal Tinsley earlier in the offseason, but opted for Shaun Livingston instead. Tinsley is now considering teams like the Mavericks, Rockets, Bobcats, and Suns.
  • Keyon Dooling still appears likely to make a decision on a team within the next week, and he figures to land a one-year contract worth the veteran's minimum.
  • After turning down the Bobcats last summer to join an apparent contender (the Lakers), Antawn Jamison could end up returning home to Charlotte this time around, according to Kennedy.
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Eastern Notes: Wall, Cartier Martin, Antic

July 25th, 2013 at 7:47pm CST by Ryan Raroque

SB Nation's Tom Ziller isn't totally convinced that the Wizards need to offer a maximum contract to John Wall this summer, pointing out that at worst, he'd be no more expensive to retain as a restricted free agent one year from now. He mentions Stephen Curry and Jrue Holiday as perfect examples where their respective teams were able to get good discounts by negotiating early extensions, but in Washington's case, offering a max extension now would eliminate potential negotiating leverage next summer in the event that Wall has a subpar season in 2013-14. Though Ziller understands why Wall deserves a maximum contract now, he argues that there'd be little risk and tangible potential benefit in waiting until next year to offer that type of deal.

Here are a few more news and notes out of the Eastern Conference:

  • In addition to their interest in free agent center Greg Oden, the Heat are also keeping their eye on Mo Williams, says Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld. 
  • Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along a report that Cartier Martin is close to a deal with Olympiacos (hat tip to Eurohoops). The 28-year-old swingman spent last season with the Wizards. 
  • Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets that new Hawks addition Pero Antic had previously passed up an offer to join the Magic in 2008. 
  • After bringing back Kenyon Martin, the Knicks are still in the market for one more point guard and possibly another big man, notes Newsday's Al Iannazzone. 
  • Josh Newman of SNYNets.com reports that Brooklyn forward Tornike Shengelia will have surgery next Wednesday to repair a damaged meniscus in his left knee and will most likely miss the FIBA Eurobasket Games in September at the very least. 
  • With the departure of Mike Miller, Heat reserve James Jones is looking for an opportunity at an expanded role next season (NBA.com via the Associated Press). 
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Eastern Notes: Monroe, Knicks, White, Heat

July 24th, 2013 at 9:50am CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few Wednesday morning items from around the Eastern Conference….

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Greg Oden Decision Expected Next Week

July 23rd, 2013 at 6:44pm CST by Luke Adams

6:44pm: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, Kings GM Pete D'Alessandro, and representatives from the Pelicans watched Oden workout today, sources close to the situation told Jeff Goodman and Marc Stein of ESPN.com.  Oden will put his skills on display again Thursday for Hawks officials before a private meeting with the Pelicans later this week in Las Vegas.  One source close to the process told the ESPN.com duo that teams in the Oden hunt are still in the information-gathering stage and no offer has been made yet.

4:14pm: Greg Oden is expected to make a decision next week on where he'll sign for the coming season, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. According to Spears (via Twitter), the former first overall pick will be choosing from a list of suitors that includes the Heat, Spurs, Pelicans, Kings, Mavericks, and Hawks.

Oden was said to be working out today for a group of teams, including the Pelicans, Kings, and Heat. New Orleans' interest in Oden has seemingly ramped up lately, as multiple reports have indicated the team plans to make him an offer in the $3MM range. It appears as if the Pelicans are out of cap room, so perhaps the offer would be for the $2.65MM room exception, which could be used to hand out about $5.42MM over two years.

Despite the Pelicans' interest, reports continue to suggest that the Heat and Spurs remain the frontrunners for Oden. San Antonio has already used its mid-level exception, and doesn't have its bi-annual exception available this summer, so anything more than a minimum-salary offer is unlikely. Miami, on the other hand, could offer part or all of its taxpayer mid-level exception.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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Eastern Notes: Irving, Bulls, 76ers, Wall, Heat

July 23rd, 2013 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking to reporters in Las Vegas, including Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, Kyrie Irving was dismissive of a recent report suggesting he wants out of Cleveland.

"I’m a Cavalier right now, I’m happy to be a Cavalier," Irving said. "I kind of had a sarcastic approach to [the report] because it was a rumor starter. I don’t think he knows anybody in my camp and I don’t know who the guy is. That type of stuff I don’t pay any attention to. Right now I’m a Cleveland Cavalier and I’m happy to be here."

Here's more from around the Eastern Conference:

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Lowe’s Latest: Clippers, Gay, Pekovic, Heat

July 23rd, 2013 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest lengthy piece for Grantland.com, Zach Lowe evaluates the offseason so far for all 30 NBA teams, writing that the Rockets stand alone as the only club to significantly improve without sacrificing future assets or flexibility. It's worth reading Lowe's entire piece, especially if you're curious to find out what he had to say about your favorite team. But here are a few notable tidbits from the story:

  • The Clippers recognize that even after adding free agents Ryan Hollins and Byron Mullens, the team needs another big man, and will likely sign one soon.
  • Lowe notes that the Raptors could be in position to clear a chunk of cap space next summer, when Rudy Gay's and Kyle Lowry's contracts could expire. According to Lowe, the Raps privately expressed a belief when they traded for Gay last season that he'd likely opt out next summer in search of a longer-term deal, rather than exercising his 2014/15 player option.
  • While the Jazz have taken some criticism for letting Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap walk rather than trying to flip them at the trade deadline for something of value, Lowe says Utah would have been willing to move either player last February if the club could have landed a first-round pick and avoided taking on long-term money.
  • There's some confusion among rival executives about why the Lakers are bothering with players like Chris Kaman and Nick Young, rather than going into full-blown tank mode, says Lowe.
  • Among the executives Lowe spoke to in Las Vegas, a couple of the most common questions involved what the Mavericks' and Bucks' plans are, since neither team seems to have a clear-cut direction.
  • The Timberwolves are a "99.9999% bet" to re-sign Nikola Pekovic at a fair number, according to Lowe.
  • Don't expect the Heat to be passive about LeBron James' potential 2014 free agency, says Lowe, adding that Pat Riley and the front office "won't promise him the same aging and top-heavy roster."
  • The Spurs are likely one of the teams unhappy about Andrei Kirilenko's new deal with the Nets, since San Antonio tried to acquire the Russian via sign-and-trade after being told he wouldn't sign for mid-level money.
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Free Agent Rumors: Miller, Oden, Camby, Blair

July 22nd, 2013 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Free agent rumors and rumblings have slowed down since the start of July, as most of the bigger names have come off the board. Still, even though not a ton of teams have significant cap space or exception money remaining, plenty of intriguing players remain on the market. We're entering the point in the summer where teams are hunting for bargains and value signings, so here's the latest on a few players who could fit that bill:

  • Mike Miller is meeting face-to-face for a second time with both the Thunder and Grizzlies, who appear to be the two favorites for him, says Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Rockets and Nuggets aren't out of the running yet, but Miller's choice will likely come down to OKC or Memphis (Twitter links).
  • The Heat, Pelicans, and Kings will observe Greg Oden in person as he works out this week, according to Stein and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, though Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports says (via Twitter) it'll just be the Pelicans and Kings. The Spurs and Mavericks are still in the hunt as well, with Miami and San Antonio still viewed as the frontrunners for the former first overall pick.
  • Marcus Camby is expected to make a decision on his next team within the next week, with the Rockets, Bulls, and Heat among the finalists, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
  • According to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com, DeJuan Blair's asking price is in the $3MM range, Lamar Odom is only interested in playing for a Los Angeles team, and Josh Akognon is drawing heavy interest from Chinese teams.
  • Zwerling adds (via Twitter) that the Knicks have some interest in Ivan Johnson, but the big man is still seeking a mini mid-level deal.
  • Prior to reaching an agreement with the Nuggets, Nate Robinson received serious interest from the Wizards, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). Washington had already used its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, so making a competitive offer would have been tricky.
  • Free agent point guard Delonte West spoke to Tzvi Twersky of SlamOnline.com about his desire to return to an NBA roster.
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Eastern Notes: Bynum, Mitchell, Sixers, Heat

July 22nd, 2013 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's check in on a few items from around the Eastern Conference….

  • Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com has the specifics on Andrew Bynum's deal with the Cavaliers, tweeting that the overall value is $24,790,000 over two years. However, only $6MM of that total is guaranteed, with no guarantee date. That means that the Cavs could waive Bynum on or before January 7th and only pay him $6MM. Assuming they keep him for the entire 2013/14 season, the Cavs could also release him next summer before July 10th and avoid paying any of his '14/15 salary, as ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst tweets.
  • Within his update of the Pistons' salaries, Deeks passes along the details on Tony Mitchell's contract, which is guaranteed for two seasons and non-guaranteed in the third. It'll pay him $500K in his rookie year, and the minimum in each of the next two years.
  • In his latest Morning Tip column at NBA.com, TNT's David Aldridge says the Sixers are expected to interview Raptors assistant Nick Nurse for their head coaching opening.
  • While much has been made of the cap space the Lakers expect to have next summer, the Heat could also be serious players on the free agent market if LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh opt out, writes Windhorst at ESPN.com. I would assume Miami's first choice would be to bring back all those guys on their current deals or new ones, but clearing their salaries would create a variety of possibilities for the team.
  • Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addresses some free agent possibilities for the Heat for the current offseason in his latest mailbag.
  • The Bucks are attempting to rebuild their roster without bottoming out, writes Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com.
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Odds & Ends: Faverani, Mavs, Rockets, Heat

July 21st, 2013 at 11:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Signs seem to be pointing toward Brazilian center Vitor Faverani finally joining the Celtics, according to a staff report from the Boston Herald.  Faverani's Spanish team in Valencia issued a press release on Friday that the 25-year-old has officially told them that he is leaving the team to pursue his basketball career elsewhere.  The Celtics and Faverani agreed on a three-year, $6MM framework of a deal, but the contract was delayed due to the Celts' efforts to get below the luxury tax line of $71.7MM.  Here's more from around the Association..

  • Beckley Mason of the New York Times takes a very interesting look at the directions that the Mavericks and Rockets are going in.  The Mavs are employing a similar strategy to Daryl Morey & Co. which may not be glamorous in the short term, but its a gameplan that ultimately brought Dwight Howard to Houston.
  • With Mike Miller out of the picture, the Heat have to find a rotation player who can help produce when Dwayne Wade's knees are acting up, opines Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
  • Former Rutgers and Creighton big man Gregory Echenique is signing with a German team, but his deal will come with an NBA out clause, sources tell Sportando.
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