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T-Wolves Cut Othyus Jeffers, Lorenzo Brown

October 25th, 2013 at 4:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have made a pair of roster cuts, releasing Othyus Jeffers and Lorenzo Brown, according to the club (via Twitter). Minnesota will still need to make at least one more move, as the team is now carrying 16 players.

Jeffers, who appeared in 31 total games for the Jazz, Spurs, and Wizards from 2010 to 2011, averaged 14.7 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 33 contests for the D-League’s Iowa Energy last season before inking a camp deal with the T-Wolves this fall. Brown, a point guard out of North Carolina State, was selected 52nd overall this past June by the Wolves. Minnesota will no longer hold his NBA rights, but could protect his D-League rights for the Energy. Both players were believed to be on fully non-guaranteed contracts.

As Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets, A.J. Price, Robbie Hummel, and Chris Johnson remain on the roster bubble. Price looks like a good bet to earn a regular season roster spot, so the decision may come down to Hummel and his non-guaranteed contract vs. Johnson’s guaranteed minimum salary deal.

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Odds & Ends: Oden, Celtics, Turner, 76ers

October 23rd, 2013 at 11:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

Greg Oden stepped on an NBA court for the first time in nearly four years tonight, throwing down a dunk and grabbing a pair of rebounds in four minutes of preseason action for the Heat tonight. It still doesn’t constitute an official return the way a regular season appearance would, but it’s a positive sign for the Heat as they attempt to turn Oden from a minimum-salary gamble into a bargain of an inside presence. Here’s more from around the Association:

  • The Celtics don’t plan to keep any of their four players on non-guaranteed deals into the regular season, preferring instead to carry a 14-man roster in a money-saving effort, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
  • The Timberwolves front office is reportedly high on Evan Turner, but there’s no talk of a deal that would send the former No. 2 overall pick to Minnesota, according to Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link).
  • James Anderson and Daniel Orton have fully non-guaranteed deals, but they’ve all “all but wrapped up” spots on the Sixers opening-night roster, writes Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer looks at Orton’s efforts to make the team, which includes losing nine pounds since the Sixers signed him a week ago.
  • The Blazers cut three players yesterday, but coach Terry Stotts was effusive in his praise of E.J. Singler, as Mike Tokito of The Oregonian details.
  • Kings lead assistant coach Brendan Malone resigned today, the team announced, with GM Pete D’Alessandro citing “factors associated with the rigors of coaching in the NBA” for why Malone is stepping down after 27 years in the NBA. Malone is the father of head coach Michael Malone. Chris Jent will slide up the bench and replace the elder Malone as lead assistant, according to the team (Twitter link).
  • David Stern characterized as “relatively upbeat” a report that the Bucks gave to the league’s owners on the status of the team’s quest to fund a new arena, as Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel reports.
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David Stern Talks CBA, Nets, Kings, Wolves

October 23rd, 2013 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA owners voted unanimously today to change the NBA Finals to a 2-2-1-1-1 format, after nearly three decades of using a 2-3-2 format. As Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes, commissioner David Stern called it an “easy sell,” since it helps improve competitive balance and aligns the Finals schedule with the rest of the postseason. In addition to announcing the change, Stern provided a few more notable updates following his last owners’ meeting as commissioner. Here are the highlights from Windhorst:

  • According to Stern, the league’s new revenue sharing system, which includes more punitive tax penalties, is working, with the league expecting about 24 or 25 franchises to be profitable by the end of the 2014/15 season. Of the teams not projected to be profitable, most are doing so of their own volition, by carrying high team payrolls.
  • Stern, on the Nets, a team that figures to pay significant tax penalties going forward: “I haven’t looked at the Nets’ balance sheet but my guess is they’re not necessarily going to be profitable.”
  • Stern indicated that plans for a new Kings arena in Sacramento are “going swimmingly,” adding that he expects it to open on time for the 2016/17 season.
  • Additionally, the Timberwolves are in final negotiations on the terms of a plan to overhaul and upgrade the Target Center, according to the commissioner.
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Northwest Rumors: Favors, Williams, James

October 22nd, 2013 at 3:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The base salary for Derrick Favors‘ new four-year extension with the Jazz is a little lower than the $49MM+ that was originally reported, according to HoopsWorld’s Eric Pincus (Twitter link). It’s a $48MM deal, with likely incentives that would take it up to $48.733MM, and unlikely incentives that could lift the value to $53.133MM, according to Pincus. There’s that and plenty more coming out of the Northwest Division today, where we’ve also heard the Nuggets may be shopping Kenneth Faried, the Jazz are still interested in signing Jamaal Tinsley, and the Wolves will exercise their 2014/15 option on Ricky Rubio. Here’s the latest:

  • The Wolves will pick up their 2014/15 option on Derrick Williams, just as they will with Rubio, and Williams expressed relief today in comments to reporters, including Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. “It helps, (having) the security.” Williams said. “You’re guaranteed at least one more year in the NBA. As long as you have that, I think everything is good.”
  • Damion James is the last player without any sort of guarantee on his contract who still remains on the Nuggets roster, and it doesn’t look like he’ll entice the Nuggets into cutting one of their guaranteed deals, as Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post examines. His best shot to make the team would have been if Quincy Miller struggled in camp, but Miller has impressed new coach Brian Shaw. James has played Jordan Hamilton to a draw this month, but Hamilton’s $1,169,880 guaranteed salary gives him the edge.
  • Hamilton will likely make it to opening night, but the decision on whether to pick up his $2,109,294 team option for 2014/15 is not as clear, given the Nuggets‘ depth at small forward, Dempsey observes in the same piece.
  • Favors and Enes Kanter have only started one game together in the NBA, but that total figures to grow much larger, especially now that the Jazz have locked up Favors’ for the long term. Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune looks at how Favors and Kanter will fit together, noting that coach Tyrone Corbin sees them as interchangeable parts at center and power forward.
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Wolves To Exercise Derrick Williams’ Option

October 21st, 2013 at 9:52pm CST by Zachary Links

The Wolves will exercise Derrick Williams‘ option for the 2014/15 season, owner Glen Taylor tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (Twitter link).  Minnesota technically has until October 31st to trigger the option.

The former No. 2 overall pick in the 2011 draft struggled in his rookie year but took a step forward in 2012/13, averaging 12 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 24.6 minutes per contest.  For his part, the 22-year-old has been confident that the option would be picked up.  Now, it’s all but certain that Williams will earn $6.33MM in the fourth and final year of his rookie deal.

The Arizona product has been linked to trade talk seemingly since the day he was drafted, but president Flip Saunders put that talk to rest over the summer.

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Northwest Notes: Blazers, Wolves, Jefferson

October 20th, 2013 at 7:37pm CST by Zachary Links

Is it playoffs or bust this season for the Trail Blazers?  It sure sounds like it based on what General Manager Neil Olshey told Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.  “We’re looking to take a step forward, but I think probably an accelerated step forward based on some of the offseason acquisitions we were able to make,” Olshey said. “Getting a veteran center like Robin and then building up the bench has kind of accelerated our growth a little bit.”  More out of the Northwest Division..

  • Don’t expect the Timberwolves to pull the trigger on a trade anytime soon. Coach Rick Adelman says other teams are reluctant to make trades right now.  “Everyone thinks they’re going to make the playoffs,” he said, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune (Twitter link).
  • That doesn’t mean that the T’Wolves won’t keep trying, however.  Adelman also made it clear that the club is looking at out-of-house options at the small forward position, Zgoda writes.  The Wolves have expressed interest in free agent Richard Hamilton, but things appear to be stagnant on that front.
  • Richard Jefferson is embracing his veteran role on a young Jazz squad, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.  “What we’re doing is expected,” he said. “You have a young team, whose roles are expanding. When you have a veteran rearm that’s used to playing in May and June, you come in with a different mindset. You come in with: ‘Hey. Let’s get in shape. Let’s get healthy. Let’s get ready for that long haul.’ This team is more: ‘Let’s set the tone. Let’s start establishing great habits as we move into the future.'”  Jefferson came to Utah this offseason as a part of the Warriors’ salary dump.
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Northwest Notes: Timberwolves, Roberson, Barea

October 19th, 2013 at 10:31pm CST by Spencer Lund

Here are some links from around the Northwest Division tonight:

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Western Notes: Leonard, Hamilton, Blazers, Favors

October 19th, 2013 at 8:08pm CST by Spencer Lund

With Tony Parker, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili all carrying a lot of mileage on their legs after multiple years of long playoff runs, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has taken to resting his old stars during back-to-backs while also limiting their game-to-game regular season minutes.

After the excellent play of Kawhi Leonard in last season’s NBA Finals, it might mean an increased role for the “3 & D” wing entering his third year. The San Antonio Express-News’ Jeff MacDonald shares, in a couple different tweets, that Popovich will be increasing Leonard’s responsibility on offense. McDonald thinks his scoring should jump significantly as a result.

Here’s more from around the Western Conference tonight:

  • The Timberwolves have expressed interest in unsigned free agent Richard Hamilton, but Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that there has been no further movement from GM Flip Saunders.
  • As noted earlier, the Blazers‘ starting five have yet to appear on the court together this preseason due to multiple injury issues.  The lack of time playing together means they haven’t gotten a chance to “gel” as a team, writes the Oregonian’s Mike Tokito.
  • Grantland’s Zach Lowe spoke with Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey about the Derrick Favors extension, and mentions in a tweet that Lindsey repeatedly mentioned the Bulls as a model for the Jazz franchise.
  • After the Jazz officially confirmed the four-year, $49MM+ extension this morning, everyone’s pretty happy writes the Deseret News’ Mike Sorenson.
  • Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune says Favors earned his extension with his defensive prowess for the Jazz.
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Odds & Ends: Knicks, Wolves, Hummel, ‘Cats

October 18th, 2013 at 10:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony says he doesn’t expect Kobe Bryant to woo him to the Lakers, but Frank Isola of the New York Daily News is convinced the two have already spoken about teaming up, and interprets Anthony’s statement this week that he wants to test free agency as a warning shot designed to spur the Knicks into improving the team around him. We’ll have to wait until summer to find out what ‘Melo winds up doing, but there are plenty of moves to be made around the league between now and then. Here’s the latest:

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Western Notes: Wolves, Bogut, Blazers, D12

October 18th, 2013 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Friday items out of the Western Conference….

  • The Timberwolves have internally discussed the possibility of signing Hedo Turkoglu if he’s waived or bought out by the Magic, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter). However, Wolfson adds that it sounds more like due diligence than anything serious.
  • Andrew Bogut exited the Warriors‘ game today in China early with back spasms, but head coach Mark Jackson said he’s not concerned, and that Bogut wanted to check back in (Twitter link via LetsGoWarriors.com). While it doesn’t sound like an issue that should significantly impact extension negotiations between the two sides, it may give the team some pause.
  • After shoring up their bench this offseason, this incarnation of the Trail Blazers is “officially on the clock,” writes Kevin Arnovitz in an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com. As GM Neil Olshey acknowledges, whether or not the Blazers have a successful season will dictate whether the club stays its current course or aggressively attempts to retool the roster.
  • Dwight Howard spoke to Sam Amick of USA Today at length about his decision to sign with the Rockets this summer, and a Dark Knight Rises scene that inspired him.
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