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Atlantic Buzz: Lopez, Camby, Amare, Green

November 8th, 2012 at 9:52pm CST by Alex Lee

No teams in the Atlantic division play on this quiet Thursday night, but the 2-2 76ers will visit the 2-2 Celtics tomorrow night in Boston. If the Knicks are anywhere as good as they've looked through two games, both of these teams will need every win they can get if they want to keep pace. After a grueling seven-game series last spring, Dei Lynam of CSN Philly says that the Sixers are excited to renew the historic rivalry in 2012. Here is what else is going on in the Atlantic:

The Nets' Brook Lopez said he didn't let the possibility of going to Orlando for Dwight Howard distract him in the offseason, tweets Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports. Said Lopez, "It is what it is. I don't pay attention to sports media every day and watch TV and go on ESPN.com or anything like that. If my name was out there, I didn't really know it too much. I obviously knew of the situation. I didn't let it both me that much."
Marcus Camby, one of several veterans additions to the Knicks, will make his season debut on Friday, writes Ian Begley of ESPN New York. Like many of the older Knicks, expect Mike Woodson to monitor Camby's minutes closely.
According to Keith Schlosser of the Knicks Journal, Woodson hinted on a recent radio appearance that once $100MM man Amare Stoudemire is healthy, he will need to be eased back into the Knicks lineup, especially considering the team's early success. Schlosser opines that this could mean coming off the bench while he acclimates to Carmelo Anthony's new role as a post presence.
Doc Rivers wants more out of Jeff Green, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston. Green is a bit more introverted than many of his teammates, but nevertheless Rivers says he needs to be better and the team needs to figure out a way to unlock his abilities.

Atlantic Notes: Defense, Melo, Smith, Garnett

November 4th, 2012 at 7:45pm CST by Alex Lee

Through two games, it sure looks like multitude of veteran additions that the Knicks made this offseason have made them a more complete team. In the Atlantic division's only contest today, the Knicks stayed unbeaten in impressive fashion with a 100-84 win over the rival 76ers. They are now 2-0 for the first time since 1999.

Let's round up some other Sunday night links from around the Atlantic divsion here:

ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg breaks down first round pick Jared Sullinger's night on Saturday, a game in which he was thrust into the Celtics starting lineup in his third game as a pro. Sullinger responded admirably, grabbing 7 boards in more than 30 minutes of action.
76ers head coach Doug Collins is still hopeful that he can help "unlock" third-year swing man Evan Turner, and thinks it could be just one breakout game away, writes John Finger of CSN Philly. Turner, the second pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, has showed stellar rebounding skills but the rest of his game has yet to develop as planned.
Brook Lopez spent much of the offseason in the weight room in an effort to improve his rebounding abilities, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday, but the Nets big man has yet to see the results of his hard work translate on the court.

Earlier updates:

The Knicks have held their first two opponents to 84 points or less for the first time in 60 years, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York. Carmelo Anthony seems to be buying into Mike Woodson's defensive philosophy, and his teammates have noticed and followed suit.
One of those teammates is Knicks guard J.R. Smith, who was told to shoot on Sunday by Woodson and responded with 20 points off the bench, writes Ian Begley of ESPN New York. Smith, who is normally prone to jacking up too many bad shots, joined the Knicks last season after returning from China and reupped with the team on a two-year deal in July.
The rebuilt Celtics may take longer to mesh than originally expected, opines Sherrod Blakely. Blakely says that Kevin Garnett's defensive abilities make him uniquely critical as all the new pieces try to find their place on the team.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Nets, Knicks

October 4th, 2012 at 9:53pm CST by Ryan Raroque

It's the third day of Celtics training camp, and Brian Scalabrine and Mike Gorman spoke on CSNNE.com about who would possibly be Kevin Garnett's primary back up at the center position. Scalabrine thinks that while Darko Milicic and Jason Collins are both prime candidates, rookie Fab Melo might find his way to the D-League early on to refine his game first. Kevin Garnett also provided input on Jared Sullinger and Melo, saying that both have impressive work ethic. Here's what else we're hearing out of the Atlantic Division this evening…

Nets rookie guard Tyshawn Taylor is recovering from a strained right quad, but remains anxiously eager to prove himself to the team's coaches. The former Kansas Jayhawk also said that watching the team practice while being sidelined is helping him become acquainted with how the team is expected to run (Tim Bontempts of the New York Post writes).
According to John N. Mitchell of Philly.com, Spencer Hawes is excited about playing power forward next to Andrew Bynum. The former Washington Huskies big man has mostly been playing center since entering the league, but believes he has the skill-set to mesh well with the former Lakers star.
John R. Finger of CSN Philly writes about how Maalik Wayns can contribute to the 76ers with his speed and scoring ability. Dei Lynam of CSN Philly says that Dorell Wright has been impressive in camp, especially with his shooting and playmaking ability. Also, Max Rappaport of NBA.com looks at how Dorell, Jason Richardson, and Nick Young form a remarkable combination of viable outside shooters.
Knicks point guard Raymond Felton has lost 20 pounds since leaving the Trail Blazers and currently weights 207 pounds, according to Ben Golliver of the Blazers Edge. Felton admitted that his conditioning issues to start the 2011-12 season significantly affected his play early on.

More Reactions To The 4-Way Howard Blockbuster

August 10th, 2012 at 9:27am CST by Luke Adams

On a day when Team USA's semifinal game against Argentina was expected to dominate the headlines, the Olympics have taken a back seat to an epic four-way trade that will see three 2012 All-Stars changing hands. In a deal that's expected to be officially agreed upon later today, the Lakers will acquire Dwight Howard, the Sixers will land Andrew Bynum, and the Nuggets will get Andre Iguodala, while the Magic acquire a package of players and picks. We already examined some of the reactions to the agreement last night, but the links continue to pour in, so let's round up a few more….

According to Wojnarowski, the Rockets' offer for Howard included recent first-rounders, future lottery and unprotected first-round picks, and the opportunity to move bad contracts and gain cap space (Twitter links). I've maintained for a while that Houston's looked like Orlando's most logical trade partner, and none of the details about the Rockets' offer make me think otherwise.
In response to John Hollinger's tweet linked below, Brian Schmitz stresses, via Twitter, that the Howard deal ran through Hennigan first, before progressing to Martins and the DeVos family.

Earlier updates:

ESPN.com's John Hollinger tweets that it was likely Magic CEO Alex Martins, rather than GM Rob Hennigan, that ran the Howard deal.
In an Insider piece for ESPN.com, Hollinger says he likes the four-way trade for three teams, but really can't understand it from the Magic's perspective.
Sam Amick of SI.com argues that it's unfair to criticize the Magic for the deal yet, since there's a major "wait-and-see" aspect to their haul.
With everyone wondering whether the Magic could have acquired more from the Nets a month ago, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets Brooklyn's final offer for Howard: Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries (on a one-year, $9.6MM guarantee), MarShon Brooks, and four unprotected first-round picks for Howard, Jason Richardson, Chris Duhon, and Earl Clark.
Bynum had been open to re-signing with the Lakers, but was also very receptive to signing with a team where he could earn more touches, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Acquiring Bynum and his Bird Rights makes the Sixers the overwhelming favorites to retain him long-term, as I suggested earlier this week.
The Howard trade is the latest bitter pill for the Mavericks' front office to swallow, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.
National NBA fans may consider the Dwightmare to be over, but Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel says Howard's departure could haunt Magic fans for years.

Magic Not In Hurry To Trade Dwight Howard

July 21st, 2012 at 3:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:44pm: The Magic hope to have a deal by early August, reports Sam Amick of SI.com (Sulia link).

3:04pm: Magic officials continue to hold out for the best Dwight Howard deal, and are unlikely to trade him in the next few days, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld writes. The Rockets, a major player in trade talks, will be tied up while waiting for the Bulls to decide whether to match their offer sheet to Omer Asik, and it won't be clear what kind of cap space and assets Houston will have available until that situation is resolved, Kennedy says.

The Rockets and Lakers have been forced to bid against each other for Howard, and the Magic will weigh their final offers once the Bulls make their decision on Asik, according to Kennedy. Asik has signed the offer sheet but the Bulls have yet to see it, meaning the three-day period Chicago has to match is not yet under way. Last night, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio also noted the Magic's patient approach, but heard from an opposing team's GM who said there's no way the Magic can bring Howard to training camp in late September. I'm not sure if that deadline holds much weight, however, since Howard and the Magic already co-existed last season amid plenty of trade speculation, and there's no guarantee Howard's back will be healthy enough to allow him to make the start of camp anyway, though the big man insists he'll be ready for the season.

If Howard is still with the Magic come January 15th, when the Nets can trade Brook Lopez, Newsday's Rod Boone believes Orlando and Brooklyn would reinitiate talks, but obviously much can happen between now and then (Twitter link).

The Magic remain focused on their coaching search in the meantime, which is down to assistants Jacque Vaughn of the Spurs, Michael Curry of the Sixers and Lindsey Hunter of the Suns, Kennedy says. With the second round of interviews complete, Vaughn still appears to be the frontrunner, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, with Hunter the next choice. The next step involves meeting with the DeVos family, the owners of the team (Twitter links).

Brook Lopez Wants To Finish Career With Nets

July 18th, 2012 at 1:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Brook Lopez's new $60MM+ contract with the Nets will keep him under contract in Brooklyn until the summer of 2016, but if it were up to him, he'd remain with the team longer than that.

"The Nets are the only place I want to be," Lopez told reporters, including Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com. "I want to be a Net for my entire career."

It appeared at times that Lopez wouldn't even remain with the Nets until the end of the month, as rumors swirled that he'd be the centerpiece of a package to acquire Dwight Howard from the Magic. Lopez said today that he wasn't sure whether he would've accepted a sign-and-trade to go to Orlando in such a deal, but now he won't have to worry about being moved until at least January 15th. That's the day Lopez can be included in trades again, though Nets coach Avery Johnson downplayed the possibility.

"Whenever a free agent signs a contract, I don't think the possibility of you being traded in January ever comes up," Johnson said. "We're glad where it worked out where he's here. He's obviously drawn some attention from other teams in the free agency process, but he's home, he's with the Brooklyn Nets, and he'll be in the starting lineup at Barclays Center on opening night."

Nets Sign Brook Lopez To Four-Year Extension

July 11th, 2012 at 8:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:33pm: Howard Beck of the New York Times has the details on Lopez's contract, which includes a player option in the fourth year. Lopez will get $13.668MM for the coming season, $14.694MM in 2013/14, $15.719MM in 2014/15 and, the option is for $16.774MM in 2015/16. (Twitter links)

7:47pm: The Nets have announced the contract is official, via Twitter.

Nets Nearing Max Contract With Brook Lopez

July 11th, 2012 at 4:34pm CST by Luke Adams

4:34pm: Lopez is still considering signing Charlotte's four-year offer sheet, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski says the Nets will match any offer sheet Lopez signs, but matching an offer sheet would prevent Brooklyn from trading Lopez for a full year (Twitter links). It looks to me as if Lopez is seeking a little leverage with the Nets, perhaps hoping to increase his fifth-year guarantee.

2:59pm: With trade talks for Dwight Howard dead, the Nets are now expected to finalize a contract with Lopez, tweets SI.com's Sam Amick.

2:22pm: The Nets are warding off the Bobcats' advances toward Lopez and are close to finalizing a five-year, $78MM deal for the center, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski's report seems to suggest that the fifth year of the contract would not be fully guaranteed, but would still ensure that Lopez would make more than he could with another team.

12:56pm: Lopez is weighing a maximum offer sheet from another team, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times. Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that the Trail Blazers and Bobcats have both indicated to Lopez that they're willing to sign him to a four-year max offer sheet as soon as today.

12:43pm: The Nets have agreed to give Lopez four fully-guaranteed, max-salary years, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The two sides are still talking about a possible fifth year — since the Nets are the only team that can offer that fifth year, they can be more flexibile with the guarantee. The Nets' willingness to offer a four-year, max-salary deal means another team can't top Brooklyn's proposal in an offer sheet (all Twitter links).

WEDNESDAY, 12:13am: It's not out of the realm of possibility that Lopez could sign an offer sheet with another team, according to Wojnarowski. His report cites the Bobcats as a team with interest in Lopez on a max deal. An offer sheet would mean Lopez could avoid any partial guarantees based on games played the Nets might want in the contract, and would mean he couldn't be included in a sign-and-trade deal.

TUESDAY, 10:59pm: Lopez is close to reaching an agreement on a maximum contract with the Nets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The two sides are negotiating the length of the contract, as Lopez can sign for four years and $58MM or five years and $78MM.

1:44pm: While the Nets continue to try to find a way to obtain Dwight Howard, the team's primary trade chip is just a few hours away from being able to sign offer sheets with rival clubs. In case they aren't able to acquire Howard, the Nets have been negotiating a contract extension with Brook Lopez and could complete a deal within the next 48 hours or so, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

Signing Lopez to a new contract would mean that the Nets couldn't trade him for Howard or anyone else until January 15th. While Brooklyn would probably prefer to maintain the flexibility to complete a sign-and-trade involving their 24-year-old center, the end of the moratorium means the team could have to turn to Plan B. If Lopez were to sign an offer sheet with another team, the Nets could only match the offer or let him walk, and wouldn't be able to include him in a sign-and-trade deal.

With Howard-centric rumors dominating most of the Lopez news we've heard so far this July, there hasn't been much reported interest in Lopez from other clubs. But you'd have to think that a team in search of size, whether that's the Rockets, Trail Blazers, or another club, could make life difficult for Brooklyn by pursuing Lopez, a scenario the Nets would rather avoid.

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Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday

July 11th, 2012 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

In yesterday's round of Dwight Howard rumors, we learned that the Cavaliers had pulled out of the complicated four-team talks that included the Nets and Magic. The Nets are still in the mix for Howard, but are focusing more on one-on-one talks with Orlando now. Meanwhile, the Magic continue to talk with other teams, including the Rockets, Lakers, and Hawks, about a variety of trade scenarios involving the star center. What will today bring? We'll track the latest right here….

According to SI.com's Sam Amick, the Magic could simply let the Nets fall out of the race for Howard and seek another trade partner. Amick adds that the Rockets have been calling around looking for a taker for Luis Scola, in an effort to allow the Magic to clear more cap space in a Howard deal.
Among the Nets' reasons for accelerating the Howard talks: They're concerned that the Trail Blazers will step in and sign Brook Lopez to an offer sheet after missing out on Roy Hibbert, tweets ESPN.com's Marc Stein. The Rockets represent another threat to the Nets if their offer sheet for Omer Asik is matched, adds ESPN.com's Chad Ford (via Twitter).

Earlier updates:

The NBA’s New Maximum Salary

July 11th, 2012 at 11:39am CST by Luke Adams

While the NBA's salary cap and luxury tax figures remained the same for the coming season, the maximum salary that a player can earn was bumped up slightly for 2012/13. According to Larry Coon's CBA FAQ, the changes are as follows: