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Eastern Notes: ‘Melo, Magic, Smith

August 31st, 2013 at 7:09pm CST by Spencer Lund

After J.R. Smith called out Paul Pierce for being bitter after being traded from the Celtics in a piece by ESPN New York's Ian Begley, Begley offered up some additional material from his conversation with Smith.

Begley asked J.R, about Carmelo Anthony's impending decision next summer whether to opt-out of his contract with the Knicks. 'Melo's current deal will pay him $23.333MM for the 2014/15 season. If he does terminate the contract early, as many expect, he'll be eligible to re-sign with the Knicks for a five-year, $129MM deal. Another team could only sign him for $95MM over four years.

Said Smith, via Begley's tweet, "I don't see him leaving, but I said the same thing in Denver so it's up to him." Here's more around the Eastern Conference during a Saturday night when many are watching the opening day of college football…

  • In reaction to the same Begley piece from earlier today, CBS Sports' Zach Harper debates whether the NBA could possibly issue a fine after misconstruing Smith's comments as a more deliberate "threat." 
  • The fine would come on the heels of the news earlier this week that David Stern called a meeting to clear the air last season between Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and Knicks owner James Dolan.
  • Orlando Sentinel columnist Brian K. Schmitz tweets that the Magic are negotiating with Hedo Turkoglu for a buy-out. The Magic are on the hook for $6MM of Hedo's $12MM 2014/15 salary, and the full amount if he's still on the roster by January 7th. 
  • But that's highly unlikely since Turkoglu could well be playing in his native Turkey by that time. Can Pelister of TrendBasket.net reported earlier this week that Turkish team Fenerbahce Ulker is prepared to make Hedo a substantial offer.
  • Schmitz also adds that the Magic are inviting 2nd rounder Romero Osby to training camp as well as four free agents.
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Ric Bucher Compares T-Mac to AI & ‘Melo

August 31st, 2013 at 5:58pm CST by Spencer Lund

After announcing his retirement this week, there's been a large debate surrounding the career of Tracy McGrady. That polarization could best be summed up in the split vote in our poll asking whether McGrady should make the Hall of Fame earlier this week.  McGrady's peak seasons between 2001-2007 point to a dominant scorer who could also pass the ball and rebound.

T-Mac's 2002-03 season with the Magic saw him post the 16th best PER (Player Efficiency Rating) in NBA history, according to basketball-reference. Despite the numbers and the seven consecutive All-Star game appearances from 2001 through 2007, McGrady never led his team out of the first round of the playoffs. 

Grantland's E-I-C, Bill Simmons, wrote a long piece on the Friday before Labor Day weekend in which he blames McGrady's playoff failings almost exclusively on his supporting cast. Radio host for 95.7 The Game Ric Bucher has some thoughts on the matter (Sulia link).

While referencing Simmons' piece — where he spoke with McGrady's former coaches and peers and concluded that McGrady just wasn't hardwired to be a leader — Bucher believes that is a referendum on why McGrady didn't reach his full potential over his career. 

Bucher then compares McGrady with a contemporary, Allen Iverson, who also officially announced his retirement this month, and current player Carmelo Anthony:

Bill Simmons, in his wonderfully written and one of the longer dissertations on the subject, acknowledges TMac was not a leader. That's just it — once you state that and acknowledge how talented TMac was, you've outlined the crippling combination that foretold TMac never would be all that his talent promised. Such players aren't all that unique; Carmelo Anthony is another example. One of the absolutes in the NBA is that when the best player doesn't set the work-ethic bar for everyone else, a team has no hope of reaching its potential. Allen Iverson doesn't get to play the I-never-had-enough-talent-around-me card for the same reason. Both AI and TMac were never the defensive players they could've been. And when your effort to be in pristine condition is a question mark, as it was with McGrady, and injuries become chronic and sometimes debilitating, it's not as easy to blame bad luck and weak supporting casts.

Bucher goes on to write that McGrady chose to go to Orlando and Houston, even if they didn't have the supporting players he could have used to make a larger dint in the playoffs:

The other element either being overlooked or not widely known is that TMac chose to go to both Orlando and Houston, so it's not as if he was some helpless victim cast into inferior situations. Maybe that's how it turned out, maybe management misled him as far as what they intended to do, but he chose those situations over others. I've long said that on pure talent, TMac had more than Kobe; he was one of the rare few who had the pure ability to dominate whatever aspect of the game he chose, no matter who the opponent was. And as personalities go, I can vouch firsthand that few NBA players had a warmer one. All of which makes painting him as a sympathetic figure or a guy who didn't have the luck that so many others enjoyed easy. Dead wrong, but easy.

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New York Notes: All-Star Game, Carmelo, Nets

August 22nd, 2013 at 8:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque
Earlier this month, Paul Pierce told ESPN New York in a radio interview that it was time for the Nets to start "running this city." Not too long after hearing those comments, Knicks point guard Raymond Felton responded: "They will never take over the city. Because we've got 'New York' on our chest…They've got 'Brooklyn' on (theirs)…They'll never take over the city." After a 2012/13 regular season series that saw roughly 51 lead changes and both teams splitting two wins apiece, year two of this budding crosstown rivalry only looks to be more competitive and intriguing than last year. Here are some of tonight's rumblings out of Manhattan and Brooklyn: 
  • New York may be hosting two All-Star games between 2015 and 2018,
    writes Fred Kerber
    of the New York Post    . Multiple sources have maintained that the 2015
    All-Star game will be played at Madison Square Garden, while the Friday night
    and Saturday events will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
    Although nothing has been finalized, Kerber says the league, along with the Knicks and Nets, are in negotiations about a proposal involving
    a reversal of roles in 2017 or 2018, where Barclays takes on Sunday's main
    event and MSG hosts the other festivities.  
  • Carmelo Anthony offers his
    thoughts on the balance of power shifting toward the Eastern Conference
    and gives some insight on his offseason workouts (Jared
    Zwerling of ESPN New York    ). 
  • Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com provides an infographic of the Nets' depth at power forward, including Kevin Garnett, Reggie Evans, and Mirza Teletovic. 
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Odds & Ends: Paul, NBPA, Butler

August 22nd, 2013 at 7:42pm CST by Ryan Raroque

In discussing Chris Paul's election as the new NBPA president, ESPN's Brian Windhorst writes that neither Paul nor former union vice president Jerry Stackhouse would commit to a timetable nor discuss whether a search firm was in place to find a replacement for ex-NBPA executive director Billy Hunter. Stackhouse, who will remain active with the union in an advisory role, said they aren't in a rush but have already identified a number of candidates. Windhorst also says the union would ideally want a new executive director in place by February 1st, when Adam Silver is set to begin his job as the new commissioner. Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes, along with more from the above piece:

  • Some comments from Paul: "I've been thinking about (running) for a while on and off…I've had a lot of dialogue about it with committee members. I wouldn't have taken on the role if I was going to do it alone."
  • There are a few specific issues that were tabled during the 2011 CBA which still need to be resolved, especially blood testing for performance enhancing drugs (including human growth hormone) and the current age limit to declare for the NBA draft. 
  • Lakers guard Steve Blake and Bobcats forward Anthony Tolliver were added as new members to the executive committee, joining Paul, Roger Mason Jr., Stephen Curry, Andre Iguodala, James Jones, Matt Bonner, and Willie Green.
  • The union has turned to Deloitte Financial Advisory Services to examine its structure and will make necessary changes, such as adding a human resources and information technology department (J.A. Adande of ESPN.com).
  • Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today notes that the NBPA has hired Reilly Partners to help with restructuring and forming a job description for the executive director position, and that two names have surfaced as potential candidates for the opening: former NBA executive vice president of basketball operations Stu Jackson and former NBA and Madison Square Garden executive Steven Mills. 
  • Suns forward Caron Butler says he's looking forward to being a mentor to teammate Michael Beasley, gives his thoughts on the Clippers, and talks about how he's approaching the upcoming season in Phoenix. Butler adds that no one from the Clippers front office has spoken to him since he was notified by his agent about being traded, but insists there's no ill will: “I don’t leave with bitterness or anything, but a phone call would have helped the situation…But it’s cool, it’s no hard feelings because that’s the nature of the business" (NBA.com's Jeff Caplan). 
  • Hoopsworld's Alex Kennedy looks at a list of 11 of the top 13 players drafted this past June and discusses their chances at winning Rookie of the Year.
  • In the same piece, Kennedy relays a clip from Gary Payton's interview on FOX Sports, in which the Hall of Fame point guard reveals that he may have had something to do with Allen Iverson's "practice" rant on the 76ers several years ago: "(Iverson) asked me…'How do you keep your body is so good of a shape, and don’t get hurt, and stay always on the court?’ And I just told him for real, my coach George Karl didn’t let me practice. So that was it. I said, ‘You have to stop practicing." While watching the actual rant, Payton recalled thinking: ‘Don’t say it like this! Don’t do it like that, Allen…When he said it, I said, ‘No, that was not our conversation.’”
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Eastern Notes: Wade, George, 76ers

August 15th, 2013 at 10:05pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Heat superstar Dwyane Wade, like teammate LeBron James, can potentially opt out next summer and become a free agent, but told reporters on Thursday that there really isn't much to make of it right now and made it clear about where he stood: "Everyone knows where I want to be…That's what it's all about to me, is making sure we focus on this season, winning this championship…I want to be in Miami and I have nothing else to talk about. So there won't be (any) exciting news over here" (Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel). Wade also touches upon his health and is excited about the addition of center Greg Oden. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight: 

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Carmelo Anthony Talks Free Agency, Knicks

August 3rd, 2013 at 5:58pm CST by Michael Pina

In a question and answer session at his annual basketball camp earlier today, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony acknowledged that the "window is closing" on his shot at a championship, according to ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley.

The 10-year veteran's words were telling and unexpected, considering Anthony is still in the prime of his career, only 29 years old, and could be entering the last season of his current contract in New York.

Next summer Anthony will face the option of opting out of his current deal and signing with another team, or re-signing with the Knicks. Should Anthony opt out and re-sign with New York, he's eligible for a five-year, $129MM deal. With another team he could only sign for $95MM over four years, a difference of roughly $33.2MM. 

While speaking with his campers, Anthony also said he was in peak shape, even better than last summer when he played in the Olympic games. He also indicated that his shoulder was feeling much better after tearing it in the playoffs. Anthony is coming off a season in which he won the first scoring title of his career, averaging 28.7PPG. 

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Eastern Notes: Carmelo, Daye, Heat, Pistons

July 31st, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest column for ESPN.com (Insider-only link), Chad Ford assigns grades to all 15 Eastern Conference teams for the moves they've made this summer. While I disagree with a few of Ford's grades, and think it may be a little early to assume each team's offseason work is done, his explanations are worth reading. It may come as no surprise that Ford, a draft expert, gives top marks to the Sixers, who snagged a pair of top-10 prospects in last month's draft and figure to have two lottery picks next year as well. Here's more from around the East:

  • ESPN.com's 5-on-5 crew also breaks down a few questions relating to which Eastern teams made the best and worst offseason moves.
  • While there's no real indication that Carmelo Anthony wants to explore the free agent market next summer, he also isn't saying he plans to be a long-term Knick, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Carmelo will have the chance to opt out of his contract in search of a new deal next summer.
  • Before Austin Daye agreed to sign with the Raptors, the Heat were one team with interest, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, who also cites the Lakers as a suitor for Daye.
  • The Pistons have two roster spots open after trading three players for Brandon Jennings, leaving room to sign second-round pick Peyton Siva. However, according to Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, the more pressing need for the team may be a big man to provide frontcourt depth.
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Contract Details: Andersen, Young, Roberson

July 18th, 2013 at 8:49am CST by Luke Adams

The specific figures on several of this summer's contracts continue to trickle in, so we'll keep passing along any notable details or changes related to those deals. Here's the latest:

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Lakers Eyeing LeBron, Carmelo For 2014

July 17th, 2013 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers may not have landed their top target in 2013 free agency, but they're already planning to aim high again in 2014. According to Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, the Lakers are eyeing LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, who both have the opportunity to opt out of their respective contracts next summer.

The fact that the Lakers will be targeting the top free agents on the market doesn't come as any surprise, considering the team only has two players (Steve Nash and Robert Sacre) on its books beyond this season. The Lakers have frequently been cited as a potential suitor for LeBron, along with the Heat and Cavaliers, while plenty of outlets have speculated recently that L.A. will pursue Carmelo.

Whether the Lakers actually have a good chance to sign either player is another issue altogether. Shelburne's and Windhorst's sources have divided opinions on how likely either superstar is to make the jump to Los Angeles, with one source calling it "realistic" while another says it's "far-fetched at this point." According to ESPN.com's sources, LeBron isn't even considering his options for next summer yet, so it's impossible to handicap the odds right now.

"It's all wishful thinking at this point," said the league source. "Teams are doing more wishing than LeBron is wanting right now."

In order to have room for two maximum-salary players, the Lakers would need Kobe Bryant to take a significant pay cut, an idea Kobe didn't seem overly enthusiastic about when he was asked recently. However, if the possibility of landing an elite player or two becomes more realistic, I'd expect Kobe to reconsider that stance when the time comes.

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Glen Grunwald Talks Smith, Anthony, Point Guard

July 16th, 2013 at 7:45pm CST by Alex Lee

While the Nets have stolen the NBA headlines in New York for the most part this offseason, the Knicks have been busy as well lately.  Knicks general manager Glen Grunwald met with the media today, after adding Metta World Peace and re-signing J.R. Smith in the past week. 

  • Grunwald said Smith's knees shouldn't be a long-term issue, which is why he had no qualms committing four years and $24.7MM to the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN New York.  SNY's Adam Zagoria adds that the team is hopeful that Smith will be ready for the start of the regular season.  Grunwald was no doubt responding to the concern that was expressed after news broke that Smith underwent knee surgery less than a week after the Knicks re-signed him.  Grunwald said that the decision to hold off on the surgery came from Smith, who probably didn't want news of his surgery to impact free agency.
  • Grunwald also addressed the possibility of Carmelo Anthony opting out of his deal after the upcoming season, writes Zagoria, who opines that the situation could loom over the team like a black cloud.  To no one's surprise, Grunwald stressed the team's desire to keep Anthony in New York long-term, saying, "We obviously love Carmelo.  We think he's great for New York and New York's great for him."  Anthony's player option for 2014/15 is for $23.5MM.  Should he opt out, he would be eligible for a new five-year contract from the Knicks, adds Zagoria. 
  • Grunwald confirmed that the team is looking to add a point guard to go behind Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni.  Zagoria lists Aaron Brooks, Sebastian Telfair, Toure Murry and J.R.'s younger brother Chris Smith as possibilities to fill the role, but adds that Grunwald expressed interest in waiting until training camp to let it play out. 
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