The Northwest Division's lone remaining team in the postseason, the Thunder showed last night that they weren't about to go down without a fight. In snapping San Antonio's win streak at 20 games, Oklahoma City made the Western Conference Finals a series again, and proved that the Spurs aren't quite as invincible as they seemed. While we wait for Game 4 tomorrow, here are a few notes out of the Northwest, including a Nuggets injury update and details on the Timberwolves' draft plans….
Pacers president Larry Bird has yet to decide whether he will return to the club next season but he is apparently open to staying on if he and owner Herb Simon are on the same page. Today, Bob Kravitz of the Indy Star writes that Bird's conversation with Simon will center around the owner's willingness to spend on payroll. Predictably, point guard Deron Williams would be Bird's top target if Simon is willing to open up his wallet, but landing him would appear to be a longshot. Here's more from around the league..
Tonight's matchup features a Celtics team with an experienced and playoff-tested core against a mostly young 76ers team looking further build a foundation of playoff success. This also may be the final page of a great chapter in Celtics history if Boston loses tonight, as the futures of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen will be question marks this upcoming offseason. With less an hour away from tip-off in the third Game Seven of this year's playoffs, here's what we've heard from around the league:
- According to a series of tweets by Mike Wells of the Indianapolis star, Pacers owner Herb Simon hopes that Larry Bird will continue to work with the franchise in some capacity if Bird decides to step down as president, and that no meeting has been arranged between the two yet.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes that Dwight Howard must align himself with a winning team in order to repair his tarnished image and should therefore expand his list of preferred trade destinations. Also, Schmitz briefly discusses the idea of Steve Kerr and Brian Shaw joining the Magic as GM and head coach respectively. When recently asked about the GM vacancy, Kerr asserted that he is currently happy with his job as a TNT analyst, although the Magic are expected to still make inquiries. Shaw would accept the head coaching opportunity in a heartbeat, according to Schmitz.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld presents a list of this year's top-shooting free agents. Ray Allen, Jason Terry, Steve Novak, and Randy Foye were listed as some of the top unrestricted free agents who displayed solid three-point shooting percentages along with a high volume of attempts this year.
- Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press writes that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is confident in the team's chances to make the playoffs next season. Taylor also said that the team is "going to try" the free agent market.
The Thunder advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals last night, sending the Lakers to their second consecutive second-round exit. Despite the loss, Kobe Bryant vowed after the game that L.A. would be back in contention next season: "This is not one of those things like where the Bulls beat the Pistons and the Pistons disappeared forever."
Before the team returns to the court for the 2012/13 season, the Lakers will have a number of roster moves and decisions to make. Here's the latest on a few of the issues facing the club:
- Andrew Bynum told reporters last night, including Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com, that he's not sure what his future in Los Angeles holds. According to Bynum's agent David Lee, the ball is in the Lakers' court when it comes to talking about a contract extension for the young center.
- Brian Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com looks at eight questions facing the Lakers as the team prepares for the offseason. Within the piece, he suggests that coach Mike Brown won't be fired, and wonders whether Ramon Sessions will pick up his player option after a poor postseason.
- Over the luxury-tax threshold and with only the 60th pick in the draft, the Lakers will have to make trades if they hope to improve their roster, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
- Pau Gasol's time as a Laker will likely end soon, since he's their only logical trade chip, says Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune tweets that he expects the Timberwolves to get involved in Gasol trade discussions again.
- Gasol should be the first domino to fall, but the Lakers will be faced with other decisions too, writes McMenamin.
- For his part, Gasol doesn't think the Lakers need to significantly overhaul the roster, as he tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Gasol, Bynum, and Bryant all suggested that a full training camp would've helped the Lakers, who were adjusting to Brown's system.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Kevin Love ($12,922,250)
- Darko Milicic ($5,228,000)
- Nikola Pekovic ($4,837,200)
- Derrick Williams ($4,809,840)
- J.J. Barea ($4,493,500)
- Wesley Johnson ($4,285,560)
- Luke Ridnour ($4,000,000)
- Ricky Rubio ($3,741,120)
- Wayne Ellington ($2,083,042)
- Malcolm Lee ($762,195)
Options
- None
Non-Guaranteed Contracts
- Martell Webster ($5,712,000; partially guaranteed for $600K)
- Brad Miller ($5,104,000; partially guaranteed for $848K)
Free Agents (Cap Holds)
- Michael Beasley ($12,524,694)
- Anthony Randolph ($7,278,078)
- Anthony Tolliver ($2,665,000)
Draft Picks
- 1st Round (18th overall)
- 2nd Round (58th overall)
Cap Outlook
- Guaranteed Salary: $48,610,707
- Non-Guaranteed Salary, Cap Holds: $31,835,772
- Total (not including draft picks): $80,446,479
On the surface, the Timberwolves' 26-40 record suggests the 2011/12 campaign wasn't an overwhelming success. However, there were many encouraging signs for T-Wolves fans to take away from the season. The .394 winning percentage was actually Minnesota's best since 2005/06, and prior to Ricky Rubio's season-ending injury, the team was playing even better basketball, on the verge of contending for a playoff spot.
Rubio and Kevin Love are locked up for at least another three years, so now it's a matter of finding a supporting cast to surround the Timberwolves' two young stars. Having traded their lottery pick away, the Wolves aren't in position to add another young star to their core, but with some potential cap space and trade assets, the team has a few options heading into the summer.
The T-Wolves have a pair of players coming off rookie contracts in Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph, and will need to submit qualifying offers of $8.17MM and $4.05MM, respectively, to make them restricted free agents. I have my doubts about the team re-signing either player, so perhaps those qualifying offers won't even be made, though that's just my speculation. Either way, the club's decisions on Beasley and Randolph are crucial — with the qualifying offers or cap holds on the books for those guys, Minnesota won't be in position to make use of cap space, and will be limited to the $5MM mid-level exception when pursuing free agents.
The pursuit of free agents will be important for the Wolves, since it seems like their best chance at acquiring a shooting guard, which has been the team's most glaring hole in recent years. This year's free agent class is strong, with Ray Allen, Nick Young, Jamal Crawford, Jason Terry, and Leandro Barbosa among the players expected to be unrestricted FAs. For a couple of those guys, the mid-level exception should be enough, but if the T-Wolves want to make a strong play for someone like Allen or Terry, they could renounce their free agents and gain about $8MM in cap room.
While free agency is one avenue the T-Wolves will explore, the draft won't necessarily be a lost cause. Though they don't have their own pick, the Wolves acquired Utah's first-rounder, which will be 18th overall. Given this year's deep draft class, there should be some fairly appealing shooting guards or small forwards available for the Wolves at that spot — perhaps Terrence Ross, Dion Waiters, Moe Harkless, or Quincy Miller.
If the T-Wolves feel like they're close enough to contention that they prefer to bring in veteran talent rather than continuing to develop young players, a trade could be the best route. Besides their first-round pick, the Wolves also have a couple trade chips in Luke Ridnour and last year's lottery pick, Derrick Williams. I expect the team to keep Ridnour around at least until Rubio proves he's 100% healthy, and Williams' value isn't at its peak at the moment. But both players are assets the Wolves could use to fill other holes on their roster, if they can find the right deal.
At first glance, the Timberwolves' guaranteed commitments for 2012/13 – 10 players and $48MM+ – suggest there won't be much roster turnover this offseason, but Minnesota is definitely in position to make a few moves. I'm guessing the club won't find a trade offer it likes for Williams, and will look to the free agent market for a backcourt upgrade. A scenario in which the team re-signs Beasley, signs Crawford using its mid-level exception, and drafts a prospect like Miller or Ross isn't out of the question, and would make the T-Wolves a team to watch in 2012/13.
Storytellers Contracts and Sham Sports were used in the creation of this post.
CSKA Moscow, who blew a 19-point second half lead and lost the Euroleague final to Olympiakos this weekend, has at least one well-known player expected to sign in North America this summer, in Andrei Kirilenko. But Kirilenko isn't the only player CSKA is anticipating losing to the NBA. According to Jonathan Givony (via Twitter), Alexey Shved is drawing interest from NBA teams, including the Grizzlies, Timberwolves, and Thunder.
Shved, 23, was eligible for the NBA draft in 2010, but went undrafted and has played for CSKA Moscow ever since. 2011/12 was a breakout season for the 6'5" guard, who Givony says has developed into a "very complete" offensive player and an improved shooter (Twitter link).
Shved's asking price is $10MM for three years, according to Givony.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor wants to bring on a minority partner who could take over as principal owner of the team after a few years, Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press reports (via ESPN.com). The 71-year-old Taylor, who prevented a move to New Orleans when he bought it in 1994, said any such partner must commit to keeping the team in Minnesota. State lawmakers are considering a plan for what the AP report calls a "massive" renovation of the Target Center, and approval could come next week.
"I could find somebody to buy the team. That's not my problem," Taylor said. "I have to find someone that's committed to here. It's always best if it would be a Minnesotan. I'm telling you I don't know that's the way it's going to work out. I haven't had a lot of Minnesotans step up."
Taylor, who hasn't spoken to any candidates yet, says the move is partially motivated by his age, and that it's also a consideration in his unwillingness for the team to go through another rebuilding stage. He's instructed team President David Kahn to be aggressive this summer in free agency.
Taylor is also chairman of the NBA's Board of Governors and played a key role in negotiating the current CBA during the lockout. The specter of Taylor and commissioner David Stern stepping down soon, as well as the turmoil within the player's association which threatens to oust executive director Billy Hunter, means the next CBA is likely to be negotiated by new leadership on both sides.
As the Celtics, 76ers, and Nuggets look to even up their respective series tonight before heading home, let's round up some odds and ends from around the league:
- NBA commissioner David Stern doesn't believe Derrick Rose's torn ACL or other major injuries were caused by the condensed 2011/12 schedule, as he told Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio. ESPN Chicago has details and quotes.
- Stephen Litel of HoopsWorld wonders if keeping David Kahn as the team's GM is the best idea for the Timberwolves. Minnesota exercised its option on Kahn for 2012/13 last week.
- Magic GM Otis Smith will travel to the Los Angeles area to check in on Dwight Howard's recovery from back surgery, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Polish seven-footer Jakub Parzenski declared for the draft prior to Sunday's early-entry deadline, tweets Jonathon Givony of DraftExpress.com. Parzenski is ranked just 20th among 1991-born international players by DraftExpress.
- Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee outlines the latest developments, or lack thereof, in the "unhappy marriage" between the Kings and the city of Sacramento.
Timberwolves President David Kahn and coach Rick Adelman spoke with the press on Friday morning and Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune has the goods..
- Kahn called Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio the team's "cornerstones" and hopes to see the two players retire as lifelong T'Wolves. Outside of that, Kahn promised to be aggressive this year and implied that major changes are on the horizon.
- The Wolves will consider trading the 18th overall pick (from Utah) for a proven veteran but will also evaluate the players that could be available to them. What they won't do, however, is trade down repeatedly to acquire cash and future selections as they did with the 20th pick last year. "That would be a terrible thing to do, and I can assure you that never would we consider that," Kahn said.
- Kahn declined to discuss the futures of Darko Milicic, Michael Beasley, Anthony Randolph, and Martell Webster. Beasley and Randolph will become unrestricted free agents if the team doesn't pick up their qualifying offers. Meanwhile, it's hard to imagine that they'll exercise Webster's $5.7MM option for next season and Milicic, owed $5MM next year, figures to be an amnesty clause candidate.
- Kahn is in talks to bring some of the team's drafted European prospects to Minnesota in June so that Adelman and his staff can evaluate them. That would include forwards Nemanja Bjelica and Henk Norel and center Paulao Prestes. Without specifiying who, Kahn said one of those players might be ready for the NBA. Zgoda says it's likely Bjelica, though he is still probably too soft for the Association.
The Northwest Division won't be a major focus in tonight's games, with the Thunder off, the Jazz locked into the eighth seed, and the Timberwolves' and Trail Blazers' spots in the lottery set. Only tonight's Nuggets game in Minnesota will have an impact — a win would result in a first-round matchup against the Lakers, while a loss and a Mavericks win over Atlanta would see the Nuggets head to Oklahoma City.
As we prepare for the last night of the regular season, let's check in on the latest updates from the Northwest:
- Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor spoke to the media Wednesday about a number of topics related to the team's season and direction going forward. Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune has the highlights in two parts.
- ESPN.com's David Thorpe (Insider link) examines the Blazers' needs heading into the draft, and explains why UNC's Kendall Marshall is the best fit for Portland.
- Rick Adelman, like Kevin Love, hopes the Timberwolves are aggressive in pursuing roster upgrades this summer, writes Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. After saying he'll lobby management to make moves, Love adds that he'd like to have some input in personnel decisions.