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Western Notes: Blazers, Brown, Williams, Martin

November 8th, 2012 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Western Conference got off to a bit of a slow start in inter-conference games this year, but Western teams turned that trend around last night. Of the six Wednesday night contests that pitted West vs. East, only the Sixers could earn a win for the Eastern Conference, beating the Hornets in New Orleans — the Suns, Mavericks, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Kings all defeated Eastern teams.

Here are a few of today's updates from around the Western Conference:

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Mickael Pietrus Expects To Sign Soon

November 8th, 2012 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 2:06pm: The Pacers may be an option for Pietrus, but there are still a few other teams in the mix, agent Bill McCandless tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com.

"A report goes out and everybody thinks Mickael is on a plane headed for Indiana," McCandless said. "Everybody needs to hold their horses."

WEDNESDAY, 12:36pm: The Pacers, who will be without Danny Granger for three months, have reached out to Pietrus, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). Indiana still has its $2.575MM room exception available.

11:32am: With the NBA regular season having completed its first week, there's still no word on where veteran wing Mickael Pietrus will sign. However, it may not be long before Pietrus finds a spot on an NBA roster. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that, while it may be hyperbole from Pietrus' camp, they believe he'll sign with a team in the next week to 10 days.

Pietrus has reportedly been seeking more than the veteran's minimum all offseason, with his agent stating in no uncertain terms back in July that his client wouldn't be playing for the minimum salary. As such, the Timberwolves, who could only offer the minimum, don't appear to be in play, according to Wolfson (Twitter link).

Following Brandon Rush's season-ending ACL injury, there was some speculation that the Warriors could pursue a player like Pietrus. Golden State still has its bi-annual exception available, and could gain a disabled player exception worth $2MM for Rush's injury. Still, the club is right around the tax threshold, so it's unclear if ownership would be willing to add more salary.

When I asked a couple weeks ago which unsigned free agent would have the biggest impact on the NBA this season, Pietrus narrowly beat out Kenyon Martin as your top choice.

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Offseason In Review: Minnesota Timberwolves

November 8th, 2012 at 1:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the month of November, Hoops Rumors will look back at each team's offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

Trades and Claims

  • Acquired Chase Budinger and the rights to Lior Eliyahu from the Rockets in exchange for their 2012 first-round pick (No. 18 overall; used to select Terrence Jones).
  • Acquired a conditional 2017 second-round pick from the Hornets in exchange for Brad Miller, the Nets' 2013 second-round pick and their own 2016 second-round pick.
  • Acquired Dante Cunningham from the Grizzlies in exchange for Wayne Ellington.
  • Acquired the Nets' 2013 second-round pick (from the Hornets), the Lakers' second-round pick (from the Suns), and their own 2016 second-round pick (from the Hornets) in exchange for Wesley Johnson and their own 2013 first-round pick (both sent to Suns).

Draft Picks

  • Robbie Hummel (Round 2, 58th overall). Will play overseas.

Camp Invitees

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

When Kevin Love and the Timberwolves negotiated an extension for the All-Star forward back in January, the two sides agreed to a four-year deal with an opt-out after year three. The contract, which gave Love the opportunity to explore the open market two years earlier than if Minnesota had given him the max (five years), signaled that the T-Wolves had a limited window of opportunity to surround Love with a playoff-caliber lineup. Love drove this point home early in the offseason, when he publicly urged Wolves management to upgrade the team's roster, dropping ominous lines like: "My patience is not high" and "If I don’t make the playoffs next year I don’t know what will happen."

If GM David Kahn and the Wolves hadn't already been committed to making a splash this summer, Love's comments certainly seemed to act as further motivation. The Timberwolves were one of the most active clubs in the NBA this offseason, participating in four separate trades and using their cap room to land a handful of free agents.

Besides swapping Wayne Ellington for Dante Cunningham with the Grizzlies, a deal that saw both teams dealing from a position of strength, the rest of the Timberwolves' trades involved clearing out salary and future assets in order to land players that would help the team immediately. Minnesota gave up its first-round picks in both the 2012 and 2013 drafts in order to land Chase Budinger and to clear Brad Miller's and Wesley Johnson's salary from the books.

On the surface, giving up two first-rounders to clear a few million dollars in salary and acquire Budinger, a solid but unspectacular rotation piece, looks like a mismanagement of resources. But neither draft pick was expected to bring in a star — 2012's first-rounder was No. 18 overall, while the future pick ticketed for Phoenix is top-13 protected for the next two years, meaning it'll almost certainly be a mid-to-late first-rounder. Additionally, clearing Miller's and Johnson's salaries helped the Wolves with their free agent signings, creating the necessary cap space to add players like Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Alexey Shved, and Greg Stiemsma.

Now, was it worth clearing room for all those free agent signings? Kirilenko's two-year, $20MM deal drew some criticism when it was announced, and there are certainly no guarantees on Roy's knees, raising questions about whether it was wise to commit eight figures to him. However, I don't particularly mind either deal. Kirilenko had a tremendous 2011/12 campaign in Russia, and the T-Wolves managed to protect themselves a little with the wording in Roy's contract. Those deals may not end up being bargains, but Minnesota isn't exactly a top destination in free agency, and the Wolves paid the necessary price to land a pair of players with upside. At two years each, neither contract will cripple the team's flexibility.

Approaching the offseason with the sort of win-now mentality that Kahn and the Wolves had may have seemed like an oddity for a team coming off a 12th seed in the West. But the 2011/12 T-Wolves were better than their 26-40 record, having hung around the fringes of playoff contention before an ACL injury ended Ricky Rubio's season. With a healthy Rubio and Love eventually coming back to play alongside the new additions and returning players like Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea, and the ever-improving Nikola Pekovic, the T-Wolves were a trendy preseason pick to end their eight-year playoff drought and make some noise in the Western Conference.

The summer of 2015, when Love can opt out and Rubio is scheduled to hit restricted free agency, is still a ways off, so I don't expect there to be a win-or-bust mandate on this year's team. But the Wolves' front office has made it clear with this summer's moves that the club is looking to contend sooner rather than later. Kahn and the Wolves have answered Love's offseason challenge. Now it's time for the players to take the next step.

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Northwest Rumors: Martin, Thunder, Blazers

November 7th, 2012 at 10:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz finished off a win against Lakers that moved the Northwest Division 3-0 on a busy night in the NBA. That reverses an early-season trend, since the Timberwolves are still the only team in the division with a record better than .500. It's not the way the teams envisioned things going when they made their moves this summer. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors has been reviewing the offseasons of a few Northwest Division teams this week, looking at the Trail Blazers, Nuggets and Jazz. Similar pieces covering the Wolves and Thunder are coming soon, but in the meantime, we have items about both teams and their division rivals right here.

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Odds & Ends: Shaw, Lakers, Sloan, Thabeet

November 6th, 2012 at 10:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s evening schedule only features three contests, but all three should be interesting to watch — the Magic will look to stay undefeated in Chicago, the Thunder will try to bounce back from a home loss to Portland, and in Denver, both the Nuggets and Pistons will be seeking their first win. As we await tonight’s games, let’s check out a few odds and ends from around the Association:

  • Pacers assistant Brian Shaw is arguably the most qualified assistant in the league, but Mark Montieth of Pacers.com doesn’t expect him to hold that title for much longer.  Shaw turned down the Bobcats head coaching job this summer because he didn’t like the fit, but figures to receive a stronger offer in his next try.
  • Speaking to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, one league source predicted that Jerry Sloan will replace Mike Brown as the Lakers‘ head coach within the next month.
  • Although James Harden was upset that the Thunder rushed his decision on a contract extension before they traded him to the Rockets, LeBron James tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that he thinks Harden is welcoming the opportunity to “have his [own] team and showcase what he’s able to do.”
  • Kevin Martin, who played with Hasheem Thabeet in Houston, says Thabeet seems to be an entirely different player with the Thunder. “Whatever they did to him, it definitely worked in his favor,” Martin tells Susan Bible of HoopsWorld.
  • Andrei Kirilenko talks to Michael Scotto of RealGM.com about his decision to play in Russia during the 2011/12 season before returning to the NBA with the Timberwolves this year.
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Western Notes: Kobe, Roy, T’Wolves, Hollins

November 6th, 2012 at 6:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Expectations are high in Denver as the new-look Nuggets stand as one of the most talented team in the Western Conference.  However, they've yet to notch their first win this season after losing to the Sixers, Magic, and Heat.  Tonight, Andre Iguodala & Co. look to secure their first W of the year as they take on the Pistons.  Here's more out of the West..

  • A report out of Turkey recently suggested that Kobe Bryant wants to play until he is 40, but Bryant's comments earlier today to reporters including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA.com (via Twitter) imply that he didn't necessarily mean playing in the NBA.  "Playing till I’m 40 is not beyond the realm of possibility,” Bryant said with a smile. “There’s always YMCA games. There’s always pick-up games. So, I’ll probably be playing. As long as I’m living, I’ll probably be playing.”  In the past, Bryant has suggested that he won't play in the NBA when he can no longer perform at a high level.
  • Brandon Roy hasn't looked strong so far in his comeback attempt with the Timberwolves, opines Zach Harper of CBSSports.com.  Of course, Roy is only three games in to the 2012/13 campaign, but Harper wonders if his knee troubles could keep him from playing closer to his old form.
  • Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins says that he isn't going to change his approach even as he faces uncertainty in his walk year, writes Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal.
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Odds & Ends: Bledsoe, Paul, McDyess, Pacers

November 4th, 2012 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus examines the depth of the Clippers, and says that the team has received numerous inquiries about reserve point guard Eric Bledsoe. The Clippers won't consider moving Bledsoe until they sign Chris Paul to a long-term contract, Pincus hears, adding that most executives expect Paul, an unrestricted free agent next summer, to stay with the team. There's plenty of other news from around the Association on the first weekend of the regular season, so let's dive right in.

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Northwest Rumors: Budinger, Martin, Westbrook

November 2nd, 2012 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

A rematch of last year's Western Conference Finals was the only game on the NBA's slate Thursday night, but it certainly delivered. After hitting a game-tying three with 28 seconds left, Tony Parker hit a buzzer-beater to give the Spurs an 86-84 win over the defending Northwest Division champions. We've got a few Thunder-related links to pass along this morning as they regroup from last night's loss, along with a couple more Northwest notes:

  • Despite not playing his first regular-season game with the Timberwolves yet, Chase Budinger tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities he can already picture himself sticking around Minnesota for a while: "I can definitely see myself here (long-term). It's a great city. You can already see how good the fans are here…. I'm excited for the season."
  • Wolfson also tweets that Kenyon Martin's camp has checked in a few times with the Timberwolves, but the T-Wolves have said Kevin Love's recovery is going well and they don't have a need at power forward. Since K-Mart is reportedly seeking the mini mid-level, I'm not sure the Wolves are necessarily a match anyway.
  • Noting that it felt "surreal" to be dealt to a championship contender like the Thunder, another K-Mart, Kevin Martin, tells Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld that he wasn't surprised by the trade. "With next summer being an unrestricted free agent and them in rebuilding mode," Martin said. "I knew it was going to come at some point."
  • One "well-placed" NBA executive tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he would've preferred to trade Russell Westbrook than James Harden, if he were running the Thunder (Twitter link).
  • Kevin Durant spoke to reporters last night about the Harden trade, and HoopsWorld TV has the video.
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Northwest Rumors: O’Connor, Thunder, Kahn

October 31st, 2012 at 8:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

With the Nuggets doling out a four-year, $48MM extension to Ty Lawson and the Thunder ruling out a deal with Eric Maynor, the rookie-scale extension drama is over for Northwest Division teams. Instead, the division's executives are focusing on other methods of building their teams as the season begins, and a couple of them have weighed in with reporters. Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune shares insight from Kevin O'Connor, executive vice president of basketball operations for the Jazz, while Timberwolves GM David Kahn sat down with Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Both pieces are worth a full read, but we'll break down the highlights here.

  • O'Connor compared the bounty of interior players the Jazz have to a baseball team with plenty of starting pitching, saying you can never have too much of either. "What it's going to do is help our team," he said. "You can't feelings get hurt because they don't play as well as they're supposed to and somebody else plays, that's not what the coach is concerned. What he's concerned with is how those guys can help us win. But if you look at the teams that won last year, all of the teams that won had pretty darn good depth especially at big guy positions. A couple of years ago you had (Andrew) Bynum and (Pau) Gasol and Lamar Odom. I'm happy that we have that. I'm please that the guys have continued to improve."
  • The Jazz executive also spoke about what the James Harden trade meant for the Thunder. "They weren't able to pay him," he said. "They paid three other guys (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka). I think that sends a signal that Oklahoma City does want to compete and does want to win a championship. There's very few teams that can pay everybody. I don't need to mention names but I think you know who they are, that can."
  • Kahn addressed the attention the Wolves have received for having only five black players, pointing to the diversity of the roster that includes five players from overseas. "Since I've arrived here, it's been imperative for us to cast the widest net possible in attracting talent, whether the players are domestic or international," he said. "What people are seeing is the outgrowth of that. That's how we've been operating and will continue to operate that way."
  • He predicted the recently waived Jonny Flynn, whom Kahn drafted sixth overall in 2009, won't be out of the league for long, and spoke about his own future with the Wolves. "I think they're going to keep me around for a few more days," Kahn quipped. "The ownership has an option to pick up (on my contract) whenever the season ends. I'm operating in the manner that everything we're doing is in the best interest of the franchise on a long-term basis. The owner (Glen Taylor) has encouraged me to feel that way and operate that way. Now that we have begun the turnaround, nothing would please me more than to be here with the collection of players we have for an extended period of time. I'm not thinking of anything but that."
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Western Notes: Meeks, Tinsley, Roy, Blazers

October 30th, 2012 at 8:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

The NBA released its annual report on the growing international presence on its rosters, noting the Spurs have a record eight players from overseas, notes Art Garcia of Fox Sports Southwest, and that includes players from Australia, Brazil, Canada, France and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy points out (Twitter links). The Timberwolves have five of the league's international players from four different countries, according to the team (Twitter link). As the league continues to attract talent from around the world, here's what's going on around the Western Conference. 

  • Jodie Meeks couldn't be more content with his decision to sign with the Lakers, even though the Wizards and Bucks offered him more money this summer, Kennedy reports.
  • In the same piece, Kennedy also checks in with Jamaal Tinsley, whose deal with the Jazz is non-guaranteed, as we learned last night. The backup point guard is enthusiastic about Utah's veteran offseason additions, but Brad Rock of the Deseret News believes the team's younger players are the key.
  • Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press looks at how the Timberwolves plan to use Brandon Roy this season, noting that the plan is for him to see 30 to 32 minutes per game, down from his career 35.6 MPG average.
  • The Blazers hired Chris McGowan as team president last night, but he'll take a hands-off approach to the basketball operations side of the franchise, reports Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
  • No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis is set to make his debut for the Hornets on Wednesday against the Spurs, and Davis believes he gained much from going against Duncan as the Hornets conducted voluntary scrimmages against the Spurs in the summer, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
  • The focus is on the present in Memphis, where Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace largely stood pat over the summer with a roster on the fringes of contention amid the ownership transfer from Michael Heisley to Robert Pera, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal examines.
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