Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld was disappointed by the failure to make the playoffs but insists his team has a strong foundation for the future, according to Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Washington fired coach Randy Wittman shortly after the 41-41 season came to a close. “The players tell you what to do, and I thought we were very inconsistent this year,” Grunfeld said. “That’s probably the only consistent thing about us: We went up and down. And there was no sense of urgency. I don’t think we played with the type of energy on a nightly basis that you need to achieve the kind of goals that we had. We had high expectations internally and externally.” Grunfeld will lead the search for the Wizards’ next coach and says he has already heard from agents for several interested applicants.
There’s more tonight from the Eastern Conference:
- The trade that brought Tobias Harris to the Pistons emerged right before the deadline, according to Rod Beard of The Detroit News. “His name wasn’t even out there for us until two days before we did the deal,” said coach/executive Stan Van Gundy. “We were really surprised.” Harris averaged 16.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game after arriving from Orlando, helping Detroit secure its first playoff spot since 2009 and the first of Harris’ career.
- Center Miles Plumlee is looking forward to next year after the late-season surge that made him a key part of the Bucks‘ rotation, writes Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel. “I’m just really thankful for the opportunity to get out there and play,” Plumlee said. “I love the game. I love the team here. I think we’re building something really special and I hope to continue to be a part of it.” Plumlee completed his four-year rookie scale contract and will enter restricted free agency this summer.
- Sean Marks started fining players for showing up late after taking over as Nets GM, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Several players confirmed to Lewis that frequent lateness was a problem with the team.
- The Magic insisted that the Celtics include Jae Crowder in a would-be deal when the sides discussed potential Tobias Harris trades before the deadline, and Orlando’s insistence on Crowder stopped the talks from going further, a league source told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Crowder isn’t untouchable, but he’s close, a league executive whose team negotiated with the Celtics told Blakely.
Anyone can have a blog about an NBA team, but some set themselves apart from the rest with the dedication and valuable insight they bring to their craft. We’ll be sharing some knowledge from these dialed-in writers on Hoops Rumors with a feature called Top Bloggers. As with The Beat, our ongoing series of interviews with NBA beat writers, it’s part of an effort to bring Hoops Rumors readers ever closer to the pulse of the teams they follow. Last time, we spoke about the Clippers with Lucas Hann, who is the editor-in-chief of SB Nation’s Clips Nation. Click here to see the entire Top Bloggers series.
Next up is Zach Oliver, the managing editor of SB Nation’s Orlando Pinstriped Post, a Magic blog. You can follow Zach on Twitter at @ZachOliverNBA. Click here to check out his stories.
Hoops Rumors: There has been some talk that Dwight Howard may seek a return to Orlando as a free agent this offseason. Could this reunion work for both sides? What odds do you give this of happening?
Zach Oliver: I do think this is a reunion that could work for both sides. The Magic are clearly a piece, if not more, away from being true contenders, and some of the things Dwight brings would help fill that void for the Magic. Obviously Dwight isn’t the same player he used to be, and that’s probably going to have an impact on it, as well as him likely wanting the four-year max.
That being said, if there is clear interest from Dwight, and he is going to come back and be engaged, the Magic are in no position to say no. They need a guy who is a splash and can make an impact, and Dwight would be that guy.
As for odds, I’d say they’re pretty slim, just based on the things that happened previously between the sides. If he’s willing to take less than the max, and the Magic could still get another free agent, then I think it would be a no-brainer.
Hoops Rumors: The trade of Tobias Harris so soon after he signed a new deal came as a surprise to many. Was this trade a signal that the power is shifting from GM Rob Hennigan to coach Scott Skiles, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post recently suggested?
Zach Oliver: I don’t think so. This was something that was likely going to happen either way. The deal that Tobias signed was very cap friendly, and a deal that would clearly be movable in a year or two.
The fact that they moved on from him that soon is surprising, and I think it shows more of a power shift between Hennigan and Magic CEO Alex Martins. They’re in a position where they need to take the next step, and getting an impact guy in free agency is the next step.
Now, if this is the summer that’s right for doing that is a completely different conversation for a completely different day.
Hoops Rumors: Skiles has the reputation of wearing out his welcome rapidly, thanks to his gruff demeanor and no-nonsense approach. Given the Magic’s core of young players, who will need stability as they grow together, was Skiles the right choice for the long term in Orlando?
Zach Oliver: Long-term? No. Short-term? I think so.
Skiles is a guy who’s going to come in and try to set an example and get the team in the right direction with a clear path to becoming a real contender. That hasn’t happened, and at this point, I think that you have to start asking questions about the players.
It’s been up and down already, and it’s probably going to continue for another season before the sides part ways.
Hoops Rumors: After a promising rookie season, Elfrid Payton has regressed in several areas. Is he the team’s long-term answer at point guard? If not, who is?
Zach Oliver: Yes and no. I think, if you keep Evan Fournier this summer, then Payton can be your long-term answer. If they keep Victor Oladipo, they might need to move on from Payton, unless either he or Oladipo becomes, at the very least, a league-average shooter.
He’s shown some real upside but has been so inconsistent this season, and that raises a lot of questions about if he can be the guy.
At the end of the day, unless they’ve got a clear chance to get someone like a Mike Conley in free agency, I think Payton is going to be their guy. When he’s engaged, he’s a threat in a lot of ways, and his shooting is starting to come around, albeit slowly.
Hoops Rumors: The Magic have drawn mention as a potential trade suitor for Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler this summer. What sort of package would Orlando need to put together to land Butler? Would it be worth surrendering all those assets to land the two-way star?
Zach Oliver: I’ve talked with some people about this, actually.
If the Magic are to go and try to get Butler, they’re going to have to give up a sizable package. It’s going to have to start with Nikola Vucevic because of salary reasons, but beyond that, they’ll likely need to part with Oladipo to get the deal done as well. I also think they’d likely throw in their first-round selection, because Chicago moving on from Butler would be a clear sign they’re going to rebuild.
Now, another option could be packaging Vucevic, Ersan Ilyasova — who has just $400K guaranteed next season — and their pick, plus another future pick, for Butler. That could give the Bulls some cap space this summer, and more future assets to move forward with their rebuild.
The Magic, along with the Celtics, have the assets to get Butler. It’s just a matter of them being willing to. If they’re serious about accelerating their rebuild, they should be. If they aren’t, then they’d be better off standing pat.
Hoops Rumors: The Magic are currently slotted No. 11 in the draft lottery order but seem to have a reasonable shot at moving up to No. 8 before the end of the season. Assuming they don’t luck out in the lottery, who do you think the team should target in that range come June?
Zach Oliver: I don’t think they keep the pick. They’re in a position where they need to bring in guys who can make an impact right away, and there’s just not going to be anybody in that range that can do that to the extent they need it.
If they did keep it, then maybe someone like Skal Labissiere would fit some of their needs. Even Ivan Rabb or Diamond Stone could be options, should they keep the pick, the chances of which I think are slim.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this interview.
It’s no secret that the Magic are poised to make a qualifying offer to retain the right to match competing bids for Evan Fournier this summer, but they’re also likely to make a qualifying offer, worth nearly $1.216MM, to Dewayne Dedmon, too, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. It’s unclear whether that’ll be the case with Andrew Nicholson, the other Magic player eligible for restricted free agency, Robbins writes. Nicholson, a former 19th overall pick, has yet to have a breakout season, but Robbins identifies Brandon Jennings, set for unrestricted free agency, as the soon-to-be Orlando free agent who’s had the roughest year. “It’s definitely going to be a big summer for me,” Jennings said. “I definitely would’ve wished things would’ve went a little differently, but they didn’t with the trade. So I guess I just have to take it for what it is this summer. Actually, the positive side of it is I get a whole summer. I get a whole three, four months just to get ready and play basketball all summer, work on my game, work on my body.”
Chandler Parsons answered affirmatively when Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com asked whether he and Dwight Howard would have conversations this summer about teaming up again. Parsons and Howard, who played together on the Rockets during the 2013/14 season, are both expected to turn down their respective player options for next season and hit free agency this summer.
The Mavericks are the front-runners to retain Parsons, as MacMahon previously reported, and while the Mavs have interest in Howard, they wouldn’t approach the maximum salary of nearly $30MM in a contract offer to him, MacMahon hears (ESPN Now link). Parsons, in his interview with MacMahon, expressed his affection for Dallas, the Mavs organization, coach Rick Carlisle and Dirk Nowitzki. Parsons called Mark Cuban the best owner in the NBA and said he wouldn’t want to play for anyone else, but he stopped short of committing to stay with the Mavericks. The versatile forward has played a key recruting role for the Mavericks as they’ve pursued free agents in the past, but he indicated that’s on hold until his own contractual situation is resolved.
“It’s tricky, because if I’m going out and I’m recruiting a free agent right in the beginning of free agency, and they obviously know that I’ve opted out of my contract and I’m still not signed with the Mavs, it’s difficult for them to get an understanding of what the foundation of the Mavs is going to be going forward when the main guy recruiting them still isn’t signed,” Parsons told MacMahon. “That’s something that [agent Dan] Fegan and Mark and [president of basketball operations] Donnie [Nelson] and everybody, they have to talk early on to maybe get something done. Obviously, Dan will be talking to every team in the league with there being so much cap space everywhere, but that’s a tricky thing. I can’t really recruit anybody to Dallas until I know that I’m coming back to Dallas.”
The Magic are reportedly Parsons’ second choice, and Howard apparently has interest in returning to Orlando if he can’t re-sign with the Rockets. Parsons also detailed the close relationship he still has with other former teammates still with Houston as part of his chat with MacMahon.
- Dwight Howard reportedly has interest in returning to the Magic, but the team would be unwise to give him the maximum salary of around $30MM that he and new agent Perry Rogers will no doubt request, opines Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Schmitz believes the Magic should stop at around $20MM and thinks the team would prefer to sign a free agent with less baggage.
- Magic point guard Brandon Jennings would like to re-sign with the club, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweets. Jennings, an unrestricted free agent after the season, is averaging 7.1 points and 4.0 assists in 24 games with Orlando since the Pistons dealt him and power forward Ersan Ilyasova at the trade deadline for power forward Tobias Harris.
- The Magic will need to rely on trades and free agency to make improvements this summer, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel opines. Orlando has been stuck in a holding pattern in recent seasons, not losing enough games to get a top pick without lottery luck, yet failing to make the postseason, a trend that has continued this season in Schmitz’s view. The draft has become a means to supplement the Magic’s core talent, while the focus is on landing free agents to lead the young team or trading some of those assets for a veteran, Schmitz adds.
Gerald Henderson has enjoyed his first season in Portland and wouldn’t mind seeing it turn into a long-term relationship, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Henderson quickly assumed a leadership role with the Blazers after being traded there from Charlotte last offseason. Even though he’s had to accept a reserve spot, Henderson says he’s happy being a “big-minute player.” He will be among at least six Portland free agents this summer, so a return isn’t certain despite apparent interest on both sides. “If they want me back and we can come up with a contract that makes sense, then I’d love to come back here,” Henderson said. “This has been a great year. I was just telling the guys; this has probably been one of the most fun teams I’ve been on. This has been one of my most fun years. Because we’ve really worked for this. We’ve really earned this. It’s a tight group, a great group of guys.”
There’s more out of the Pacific Northwest:
- Meyers Leonard is also hoping to stay in Portland, Freeman writes in a separate story. The Blazers’ back-up big man is out for the season with a torn labrum in his left shoulder. He will have surgery soon and faces a six- to eight-month rehab process. Leonard will be a restricted free agent this summer after turning down a contract extension in October, and the injury could limit the offers he gets from other teams. He hopes to be ready in time for training camp. “I believe that I can be a key piece of the future,” Leonard said. “Obviously, [I was] drafted with Damian Lillard. Been here with [coach] Terry [Stotts]. And I think that [GM] Neil [Olshey], the guys, coaches, understand what I bring.”
- Also headed for free agency is small forward Moe Harkless, who moved into the starting lineup in the wake of Leonard’s injury, relates Mike Richman of The Oregonian. Harkless, who is averaging 13 points and 5.8 rebounds per game since the change was made, was acquired from Orlando in an offseason deal. “I just got to be ready to be out there,” Harkless said of his new role. “Before I was just not really being out [on the floor] at crucial times in the game, but now I just got to stay ready and be ready to go.” He is making nearly $2.9MM in the final year of his contract.