Western Notes: Ridnour, Blazers, Jazz, Mavs
HoopsWorld’s Jabari Davis looks at how five of the most compelling additions to Western Conference teams are already influencing their new franchises just a couple weeks into the preseason. One of them is Eric Bledsoe, who faces extra pressure with a Halloween deadline to work out an extension with the Suns. Phoenix’s front office already has plenty on its hands, needing to get rid of at least one fully guaranteed contract within the next two weeks. Point guard Ish Smith leads a tight race among voters in our poll on which of the 16 Suns with guaranteed deals is most likely to be waived. Here’s more news related to Western Conference teams:
- Luke Ridnour is with the Bucks this season, a fact his former coach with the Wolves regrets, notes Charles F. Garnder of the Journal Sentinel. “We didn’t really want to get rid of Luke,” Rick Adelman said. “We had to make some moves, and he was the one that everybody wanted, and I know why.”
- New Blazers point guards Mo Williams and Earl Watson both spent last season with the Jazz, but neither begrudges the team’s decision not to sign any of its free agents and instead focus on its youth, observes Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Brandan Wright‘s shoulder injury creates opportunities for others on the Mavericks, including Fab Melo and Renaldo Balkman, who are on non-guaranteed deals, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News examines.
Traded 2014 First Round Picks To Watch
As we saw in 2011 when the draft pick acquired from the Clippers by the Cavaliers ended up landing first overall, trading unprotected first-round picks is a risky proposition for NBA teams. That would explain why, heading into the 2013/14 season, only three ’14 first-round picks have been traded without protection, all by veteran teams expected to have strong years.
The Knicks’ first-round pick will be sent to the Nuggets, as part of New York’s debt from the Carmelo Anthony blockbuster. However, if the Knicks’ pick is less favorable than Denver’s own pick, the Nuggets will pass it along to Orlando, as part of last summer’s four-team Dwight Howard trade. Otherwise, the Magic will receive Denver’s pick.
The Warriors’ first-round pick will head to Utah, one of several picks Golden State sent to the Jazz in the cap-clearing summer deal that saw Andre Iguodala land with the Warriors.
The other unprotected first-rounder will come from the Nets, who agreed to send their pick to Boston in this offseason’s acquisition of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. As part of 2012’s Joe Johnson swap though, the Hawks have the opportunity to swap their own first-round pick with the Nets’ pick, leaving the Celtics with the lesser pick of the two. So if the Nets disappoint this season, it will be the Hawks, rather than the C’s, who benefit most.
Nine other teams have agreed to give up their respective 2014 first-round picks in certain scenarios, but given the protection on these picks, only a handful will actually change hands next summer. We’ll be keeping an eye on the standings all season to monitor whether or not these traded picks will fall under protection, but here’s an early look at the situations to watch this season:
Team: Charlotte Bobcats
Will be sent to: Chicago Bulls
Protection: 1-10
Forecast: Despite the addition of Al Jefferson, the Bobcats still likely project as a lottery team, meaning this pick has a good chance to stay put. That could be good news for the Bulls, since we continue to inch closer to 2016, when this pick will become unprotected.
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Will be sent to: Oklahoma City Thunder
Protection: 1-20
Forecast: Mark Cuban and the Mavs are optimistic about the new-look roster, but I’m skeptical that Dallas is a top-ten team. This pick will probably stay with Dallas.
Team: Detroit Pistons
Will be sent to: Charlotte Bobcats
Protection: 1-8
Forecast: If the Pistons were to finish as a bottom-eight team, I expect there’d be some jobs opening up in Detroit in 2014, given the expectations for the club. I have the Pistons penciled in as a low playoff seed in the East, so this pick should be ticketed for Charlotte.
Team: Indiana Pacers
Will be sent to: Phoenix Suns
Protection: 1-14
Forecast: While the Heat may be the No. 1 seed in the East again, the Pacers shouldn’t be too far behind them. As such, this pick will likely land in the mid-20s and be shipped to Phoenix.
Team: Minnesota Timberwolves
Will be sent to: Phoenix Suns
Protection: 1-13
Forecast: If the T-Wolves can avoid the injury problems that plagued them last season, they should be a playoff contender. The West will be competitive though, so there are no guarantees either way on this one.
Team: New Orleans Pelicans
Will be sent to: Philadelphia 76ers
Protection: 1-5
Forecast: I’m not bullish on the Pelicans’ postseason chances for 2013/14, but the offseason upgrades, along with continued development from Anthony Davis, should ensure that New Orleans isn’t a bottom-five team. The result could be a pair of lottery picks for the Sixers.
Team: Philadelphia 76ers
Will be sent to: Miami Heat
Protection: 1-14
Forecast: Speaking of those Sixers, it would be truly be a shocker if their own first-rounder changed hands next summer. Many pundits don’t expect the Sixers to win 20 games, let alone earn a playoff spot.
Team: Portland Trail Blazers
Will be sent to: Charlotte Bobcats
Protection: 1-12
Forecast: Like the Wolves, the Blazers expect to be in contention for the postseason, but again, it won’t be easy in the West. This is another pick I could see going either way.
Team: Sacramento Kings
Will be sent to: Cleveland Cavaliers
Protection: 1-12
Forecast: The Kings are entering the season with playoff aspirations as well, but their odds are significantly lower, in my view, than the Wolves’ or Blazers’. I expect we’ll see Sacramento keep this pick.
RealGM.com was used in the creation of this post.
Western Notes: Henry, Wolves, Jazz, Melo
We’ve heard players like Omer Asik and Marcin Gortat mentioned repeatedly as possible trade candidates for the coming season, and both players earn a spot on Sam Smith‘s list of 10 players most likely to be traded at Bulls.com. Smith also includes a few surprises among his 10 names though, including a pair of power forwards on Western Conference playoff teams: Zach Randolph and David Lee. I’d be surprised to see either player go anywhere, but as we saw a year ago with James Harden and the Thunder, contending teams aren’t always averse to moving key players.
Here are a few more Monday items out of the West:
- Asked if Xavier Henry‘s play this fall is solidifying his spot on the regular season roster, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters, including John Ireland and Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report (Twitter link), “I would think so.”
- With CSKA Moscow set to play an exhibition game against the Timberwolves tonight, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities notes that a couple players on the Russian squad – Milos Teodosic and Sonny Weems – could interest the T-Wolves, or have been pursued by the team in the past (Twitter links).
- Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors are both eligible for contract extensions this month, but the Jazz don’t necessarily have to treat them equally, writes Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune. In Kragthorpe’s opinion, Utah should extend Hayward now and wait on Favors.
- It’s not clear if Fab Melo will earn a roster spot with the Mavericks, but the young center doesn’t sound unhappy to be out of Boston. Melo tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that the Celtics “didn’t give [him] a chance” last season, “even in practice” (Twitter link).
Odds & Ends: Adelman, Lakers, Knicks, Stevens
Here are a few links from around the NBA on a slow Saturday night that also saw a lot of interesting preseason action…
- Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman told Jerry Zgoda of the Minnesota Star Tribune, via Twitter, that he’s not too happy about playing 4 preseason games in 6 days, but Zgoda tweets that Adelman will play a lot of young guys on Monday against CSKA Moscow.
- Adelman would rather play an NBA team, Zgoda rehashes on Twitter, but he’s anxious to play a game because “I think we need one. You really don’t get a good feel for where you are until you play another team” (Twitter).
- The Wolves' coach also called Robbie Hummel a “ tough kid,” who he could see being a lottery selection if not for the knee injuries (Twitter).
- Lakers assistant coach and "de facto defensive coach" Kurt Rambis tells Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times that defense is a team effort. "Everybody's got to be connected. Everybody's got responsibilities and duties and they have to adhere to those."
- Defense was also the theme on the other coast as Knicks coach Mike Woodson tried to familiarize the Knicks youngsters on Saturday with the proper defensive technique for various offensive looks, writes George Willis of the New York Post.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com spoke with Celtics coach Brad Stevens about his team and getting enough sleep during a hectic NBA schedule Stevens has yet to experience.
Odds & Ends: Pistons, Budinger, Hardaway, Kings
The Pistons have engaged in discussions about acquiring exclusive control of an NBA D-League team, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. The Pistons' share their current affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, with the Bobcats, Pacers, Grizzlies, Bucks, and Magic. Here's more from around the Association..
- It looks like Chase Budinger's left knee issue isn't as bad as initially thought, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (via Twitter). Meanwhile, the T'Wolves are getting calls from representatives about the likes of Mickael Pietrus and DeShawn Stevenson. They'll decide on signing a free agent over the next week or so.
- Of the current 547 NBA players under contract, 398 played in the NBA last year, 62 come from NCAA teams, and 28 are from the D-League, according to Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival (via Twitter). Porcaro and Hoops Rumors teamed up in September to launch the Hoops Rumors International Player Movement Tracker.
- Tim Hardaway Jr. is showing great poise and professionalism as a rookie,writes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
- The Kings are loaded with guards, but Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee wants to see Jimmer Fredette get another opportunity to step up.
Western Notes: Carter, Dwight, Trail Blazers
While we heard earlier today that Shawn Marion may not be entirely sure of what the future holds beyond this season, his Mavericks teammate Vince Carter feels eager to continue his NBA career as long as his body allows him to: "I don’t want to limit myself. I think doing that, you start thinking about it as the season goes on. I just go. I just let the body pretty much dictate how I feel at the end" (Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas). The 36-year-old guard/forward is entering the final year of his three-year contract this season, though MacMahon notes that team owner Mark Cuban has already gone on record saying he'd like to re-sign Carter this summer.
- Warriors owner Joe Lacob tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that the team was much closer to landing Dwight Howard than people might think: "…we would not have gone after him if we didn’t think we had a chance or that it made sense…We were a lot closer than people realize to perhaps that actually happening."
- The Oregonian's Mike Tokito thinks Robin Lopez will not only help expedite the development of Meyers Leonard, but also provide a viable frontcourt partner for LaMarcus Aldridge on the opposite block. In another piece, Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports that Aldridge had sustained a strained hip flexor during practice last night. However, the Trail Blazers' PR Twitter account clarifies that the injury was a left quad strain (Twitter link). Head coach Terry Stotts, while somewhat concerned, doesn't believe it to be serious.
- Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press underscores the tough road that Timberwolves training camp hopeful Othyus Jeffers has had to endure to get to this point.
- Nuggets coach Brian Shaw is pleased with how his players have responded in training camp as he prepares to get the team to push the pace this season (Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post). In a separate article, Dempsey writes that JaVale McGee still has a ways to go before establishing himself as a legitimate post presence.
Training Camp Notes: Kobe, Marion, Price, Dedmon
Kobe Bryant will be heading back to Germany over the next several days to have platelet-rich plasma therapy treatment on his right knee, which is the same procedure that the Lakers superstar underwent in 2011 and credited with rejuvenating his career (Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports). One source tells Wojnarowski and Spears that the thinking behind pushing back the procedure until now is to give Kobe maximum benefit once he's able to return to action this season. Here's some more of the buzz coming from NBA training camps this evening:
- Mavericks forward Shawn Marion will become a free agent after this upcoming season, but there's no guarantee that the 35-year-old will continue his playing career beyond 2014, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
- Timberwolves training camp invitee A.J. Price is expected to make the team, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN in Minnesota.
- Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle thinks that DeWayne Dedmon's size gives him a chance to make the Warriors' opening night roster.
- Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal explains why New York should keep recently-invited swingman Chris Douglas-Roberts on board for the regular season.
Northwest Notes: Robinson, Williams, Trail Blazers
- Nuggets point guard Nate Robinson signed a two-year, $4.1MM contract this summer, with a player option in the second season. He wants a stable home, and is looking forward to picking up that option, unless, he says, Denver's management doesn't want him. Ultimately, the decision will be up to Robinson, writes the Denver Post's Christopher Dempsey.
- 1500ESPN.com's Darren Wolfson tweets a statement from Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams regarding his 2014/15 team option, saying "everyone would be a little shocked if it wasn't exercised."
- OregonLive.com's Joe Freeman writes about the Trail Blazers' new roster depth, and how head coach Terry Stotts can now experiment with more versatile lineups.
Northwest Notes: OKC, Nuggets, Aldridge, Wolves
After missing 2012/13 with a knee injury, Chase Budinger re-signed with the Timberwolves this summer, with both sides looking to put a lost season behind them. However, Budinger's year is off to an ominious start — the team announced today that he underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, a procedure that will sideline him indefinitely (Twitter links). As Minnesota looks to avoid further visits from the injury bug that plagued the club last season, let's round up a few items out of the Northwest Division….
- Budinger isn't the only notable Northwest player who has recently undergone arthroscopic surgery. The Thunder have announced in a press release that Russell Westbrook had the procedure performed on his right knee today, and that he'll likely miss the first four to six weeks of the regular season.
- Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post explores the 10 most interesting stories to come out of the Nuggets' Media Day, including GM Tim Connelly's willingness to shake up the roster, if necessary. "If we enjoy the success we want to have, maybe we’re not as motivated to be deal-seeking," Connelly said. "But I want to be opportunistic, I want to be aggressive. I don’t think we’re where we want to be at this point."
- At Media Day in Portland, GM Neil Olshey encouraged reporters to "get over" their fascination with LaMarcus Aldridge trade rumors and "move on," while Aldridge indicated that he's looking forward to spending the season with the Trail Blazers. Joe Freeman of the Oregonian and Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge have the details.
- At the Timberwolves' Media Day, Kevin Love wasn't too interested in discussing the past, including his injury-plagued 2012/13 season or his relationship with ex-GM David Kahn, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- In a separate piece for the Star Tribune, Zgoda talks to T-Wolves head coach Rick Adelman about why it took so long to determine that he'd definitely be back on the bench for the coming season.
- The Jazz finalized their camp roster today by signing Lester Hudson.
Northwest Notes: Wolves, Martin, Aldridge, Corbin
Wolves president of basketball ops Flip Saunders consulted coach Rick Adelman this summer as the team was debating the merits of signing J.J. Redick, O.J. Mayo and Kevin Martin. It was Martin, Adelman's former player on the Rockets and the only one of the trio who signed with Minnesota, who stood out to the longtime coach.
"All of them could help us," Adelman said, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune notes. "Anybody who could make a shot was going to help us. But Kevin I knew so well and I knew he’s going to get you 20 points every time he steps on the floor."
Zgoda passes along more from Adelman on his decision to return to the bench this season and his working relationship with Saunders, and we have more on Minnesota's rivals in the Northwest:
- Blazers GM Neil Olshey was testy with reporters when asked about LaMarcus Aldridge trade rumors at media day today, as Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge notes. For his part, Aldridge reiterated that he's not angling to get out of Portland. Golliver has a complete transcript of Olshey's media day comments here.
- Olshey and Blazers coach Terry Stotts both expect the team to make the playoffs this season, as Mike Tokito of The Oregonian observes.
- Tyrone Corbin, entering the final season of his contract with the Jazz, will be judged on how well the team's players develop this season rather than wins and losses, opines Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- We rounded up the latest from the Nuggets earlier this evening, including the team's addition of Kyle Fogg to its training camp roster.