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And-Ones: Deng, Mavs, Ariza

July 5th, 2014 at 11:11pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Luol Deng is apparently sticking to his desire for $12MM per season, notes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link). Deng has spoken with the Heat who are unsure about how much cap space they will have until LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade make their decisions, and the Hawks who are currently unwilling to pay that amount, according to the tweet. Deng’s best chance might be with the Mavericks who he is scheduled to meet with soon, opines Amico.

Here’s more from around the league:

  •  Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders runs through the best and worst performances from the first day of Summer League action, including some lottery picks making their debuts.
  • The Rockets and the Cavaliers are getting closer to creating max contract slots, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Rockets are discussing deals for Jeremy Lin, and the Cavs have been shopping Jarrett Jack packaged with a draft pick, notes Wojnarowski.
  • Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders looks at the Mavericks cap situation after the reported signing of Devin Harris.
  • Trevor Ariza met with the Heat on Thursday, reports Michael Lee of The Washington Post (Twitter link).
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Western Notes: ‘Melo, Mavs, Bledsoe, Kaman

July 4th, 2014 at 1:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

The offer the Mavs are making to Carmelo Anthony involves a starting salary of slightly more than $18MM, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com (Twitter link). That would mean a max of $77MM over four years, though McMahon pegs the likely value of the offer at $75MM. In any case, that’s significantly less than the nearly $96MM over four years the Lakers are reportedly offering in a max deal, and about $50MM less than the five-year max that the Knicks have apparently put on the table. There’s more from MacMahon on the Mavs amid the latest from the Western Conference:

  • The Mavs have confidence they’ll strike a deal to re-sign Devin Harris, presuming they don’t land Anthony or LeBron James, even if some of the inflated agreements around the league this week have pushed his market value higher, MacMahon writes. The team sees Isaiah Thomas as its primary fallback option should Harris sign elsewhere, and Dallas has also been in contact with the agent for Wasserman client D.J. Augustin, MacMahon adds.
  • There are some who believe that agent Rich Paul’s talks with teams about LeBron are instead intended to pitch clubs on Suns restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe, whom Paul also represents, tweets USA Today’s Sam Amick.
  • The Blazers came to terms with Chris Kaman believing they wouldn’t be able to sign Spencer Hawes or Channing Frye, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).
  • The Warriors have officially hired Alvin Gentry, Ron Adams and Luke Walton as assistant coaches, the team announced. Gentry, who spent last season as a Clippers assistant, was a candidate for multiple head coaching vacancies this summer. Adams was an assistant with the Celtics last season while Walton was an assistant for the Lakers D-League affiliate.
  • Marcus Camby, 40, still harbors aspirations of returning to the NBA after missing last year as he recovered from left foot surgery, an injury that prompted the Rockets to waive him just before the start of the regular season.
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Western Rumors: Nowitzki, Frye, Sefolosha, Love

July 1st, 2014 at 1:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs have had advanced discussions with Dirk Nowitzki but both sides have agreed to put off sealing a deal until after Wednesday’s meeting with Carmelo Anthony, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears. That’s to let the team keep maximum flexibility, the same desire that also prompted the sides to decide against an extension. The Mavs and Nowitzki engaged in extension talks before he became a free agent, so Dallas has a strong idea of what the perennial All-Star wants, Stein writes. There’s more on the Mavs amid the latest from the Western Conference:

Zach Links contributed to this post.

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Southwest Rumors: ‘Melo, Deng, Harris, Lowry

July 1st, 2014 at 12:02am CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs are prioritizing a meeting with Carmelo Anthony before locking in a date with LeBron James, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.  That speaks to the belief around the league that LeBron is staying in Miami, Berger adds. There’s more on the Mavs within the latest from the Southwest Division:

  • The Mavericks were the first team on the phone with Luol Deng‘s representatives tonight, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
  • The Mavs‘ first face-to-face meeting tonight is between owner Mark Cuban and point guard Devin Harris, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
  • Rockets GM Daryl Morey has traveled to Philadelphia to meet with free agent guard Kyle Lowry tonight, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Coach Kevin McHale is also there for the pitch, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).
  • Andray Blatche has been telling people around the league that he may end up with the Pelicans, sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).  This isn’t the first time that we’ve heard the Nets big man linked to New Orleans.
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Western Notes: Grizzlies, Harris, Wolves

June 21st, 2014 at 10:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Grizzlies need to find a small forward this summer, opines Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal in a subscription-only piece. Coach Dave Joerger said, “It’s becoming much more of a playmaking position. Used to be your shooting guard was a guy you ran off of picks and spot up to make shots. Point guard brought it up and your small forward was a defender and athletic runner. That’s not the case anymore. Teams are playing smaller and small forwards are like having another point guard. They’re having to make plays, create shots for other people and just do more than, say, 10 years ago.” Tillery notes the players the Grizzlies are looking at in the draft to fill this need are Kyle Anderson, K.J. McDaniels, Jerami Grant, Glenn Robinson III and Cleanthony Early.

More from the west:

  • All signs point toward the Grizzles and Zach Randolph agreeing on a long-term contract, and the process appears to be a mere formality, writes Tillery in a separate article. GM Chris Wallace told Tillery, “It’s going forward. We’re very excited about what Zach’s done in the past and hope to have him here in the future. This has really been a terrific boon for both sides. He’s obviously meant a great deal to us on and off the court. And Memphis has worked for him. This has been, by far, the best stop for him since he’s been in the NBA. So we’re working towards that goal.”
  • Devin Harris is looking for security in his next contract, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Harris becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, and is seeking a three-year deal according to the article. When asked what the chances were of him returning to the Mavericks, Harris said, “Pretty good. This is where I want to be, so, we’ll see. As long as things make sense.”
  • Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune asked Flip Saunders what kind of players would be available when the Timberwolves pick at No. 13, and Saunders said, “There’s a good player. I think there’s rotation players, probably all the way to 18 or 19, guys that will be able to come in and be in teams’ top eight [next season]. There’s a box of a lot of good players at that spot.”
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Bulls Targeting Devin Harris

May 13th, 2014 at 4:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bulls appear to have Mavs guard Devin Harris in their sights, as a source tells Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com that Harris has “been connected” to the team. Harris and the Mavs have mutual interest in a return, so it seems like it will be somewhat challenging for Chicago to convince him to come north and back up Derrick Rose. Harris is seeking a long-term deal, so perhaps Chicago will be willing to give him more security than the Mavs, though Dallas was ready to sign him to a three-year, $9MM deal this past summer before a toe injury scuttled those plans.

That same injury forced Harris to miss half of this past season after Dallas circled back and signed him to a one-year deal for the minimum salary, and once he returned, he took on a less prominent role than he’s accustomed to. Still, his 4.5-to-1.5 assists-to-turnover ratio this season was the best of his 10-year career, as the 31-year-old remains efficient.

Chicago appears poised to choose between soon-to-be free agents D.J. Augustin and Kirk Hinrich, who split point guard duties in Rose’s absence this year. The team has the flexibility to go in many different directions this summer, as I detailed last week, with Carmelo Anthony and Nikola Mirotic the primary targets. The Bulls will no doubt seek resolution with Anthony and Mirotic before moving on to Harris, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the team merely sees him as a fallback in case Augustin or Hinrich signs elsewhere. Chicago’s interest is nonetheless indication that the Excel Sports Management client is still well-regarded as a rotation-caliber player even if his days as an All-Star are long gone.

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And-Ones: Jazz, Harris, Oden

May 8th, 2014 at 10:47pm CST by Cray Allred

Steve Smith tells Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News that he’s interested in becoming a GM at some point, but that the Pistons opening doesn’t interest him. “As of right now, I’m happy where I am,” said Smith. “The time will come when the right situation pops up and I’ll be ready.” Here’s a roundup of the night’s notes:

  • The Jazz are picking twice in the first round, but vice president of player personnel Walt Perrin tells Jody Genessy of Deseret Sports that Utah uses the pre-draft process as an opportunity to evaluate prospects well outside of their draft considerations. “Not only are we looking at guys for this year’s draft, but you’re also getting information and you’re getting a feel for players,” said Perrin. “Once we figure out where we are come lottery [time], then we can concentrate on those particular players in that particular area.”
  • Jay Yeomans of Deseret News profiles each of the six draft prospects who worked out for the Jazz earlier today.
  • Jamal Crawford told reporters including Mark Medina of Los Angeles Daily News that the unresolved ownership issues in L.A. won’t outweigh his desire to play there for coach Doc Rivers (Twitter link). “As long as I’m with this group of guys and Doc [is] leading us, that’ll work itself out,” said Crawford. The Clippers have control over Crawford’s partially guaranteed contract for the next two years.
  • Devin Harris and the Mavs have mutual interest in the soon-to-be free agent returning to Dallas next season, and Harris tells Dwain Price of The Star-Telegram he’d prefer to reach a long-term agreement. “Obviously I don’t really know where [the negotiations] will go,” Harris said. “My intent is to come back, but like I said, only time will tell. I would rather not [sign a one-year deal]. It’s kind of tough to do, especially coming off surgery.”
  • Greg Oden tells Mark Titus of Grantland he’s come to terms with being a deep bench player for the Heat (H/T Shandel Richardson of The Sun Sentinel). “I know I’m one of the biggest busts in NBA history,” said Oden. “It’s frustrating that my body can’t do what my mind wants it to do sometimes. But worrying or complaining about it isn’t going to fix anything…I wish the circumstances would let me play more, but I certainly don’t regret coming back, and I don’t regret signing with the Heat.”
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Mavs, Devin Harris Share Interest In Return

May 5th, 2014 at 10:29am CST by Chuck Myron

Point guard Devin Harris demonstrated his value to the Mavs in their seven-game challenge of the Spurs, scoring 11.4 points in 25.1 minutes per game and nailing 44.0% of his three-point attempts. That no doubt plays a role in his inclusion as part of Tim McMahon’s short list on ESPNDallas.com of Mavs free agents with whom the team has mutual interest.

Harris returned to Dallas, where he had played his first three and a half seasons, on a one-year contract for the minimum salary this past summer. It was supposed to be a three-year, $9MM pact, but a toe injury scuttled those plans and kept him out until January 18th. He returned to a role that was his most marginalized on an NBA team since his rookie season, scoring 7.9 points in 20.5 minutes per game with career-worst 37.8% shooting from the floor. The 10th-year veteran nonetheless compiled his best assists-to-turnover ratio, averaging 4.5 dimes and 1.5 turnovers per game.

McMahon reported the Mavs’ mutual interest with Shawn Marion last week, and Marion said this weekend that he would indeed like to come back to Dallas, though he added that he’s “weighing my options,” as fellow ESPNDallas.com scribe Bryan Gutierrez observes. The other Mav on McMahon’s list is Vince Carter, and Dallas GM Donnie Nelson said a month ago that he wants Carter back. Marc Stein of ESPN.com emphasizes Carter’s contentment in Dallas in passing along that the Raptors are considering the idea of pursuing the 37-year-old Carter in the offseason.

Harris probably won’t attract too much attention on the free agent market given his regular season numbers, but Dallas has his Non-Bird rights to trump any minimum-salary suitors. The Mavs can give him a contract of up to four years, with a starting salary of $1,526,735, or 120% of his pay this season. That’s only slightly more than the minimum, but it does provide for higher raises than a straight minimum-salary arrangement would, which might prove a key selling point for the Excel Sports Management client.

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Amico’s Latest: Allen, Battier, Rivers, Kerr

April 7th, 2014 at 9:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Ray Allen appears unlikely to return to the Heat next season, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. League insiders nonetheless believe that if the Heat’s trio of stars return, there’s a strong chance the team will try to re-sign Allen, too, so it seems his future is contingent on what LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh decide to do. Indeed, those three will have much to say about what happens in free agency leaguewide, and Amico has more on the summer ahead and another member of the Heat as we highlight here:

  • Several teams are expected to court Heat forward Shane Battier for an executive job or a gig related to player development, Amico hears. Battier recently reiterated his plans to retire at season’s end.
  • The emergence of Brian Roberts has strengthened the belief around the league that the Pelicans will trade former lottery pick Austin Rivers this summer, according to Amico. Roberts is set to become a restricted free agent.
  • Sources tell Amico they wouldn’t be surprised if several teams aside from the Knicks try to convince Steve Kerr to run their basketball operations. Kerr has expressed a desire to coach, but it looks like the leaguewide interest in him is as an executive, the role he held with the Suns from 2007 to 2010.
  • Boris Diaw, Luol Deng, C.J. Miles, Marvin Williams, Luke Ridnour, Kris Humphries, Devin Harris and Jimmer Fredette are other free agents who appear unlikely to be back with their respective teams, Amico writes.
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And-Ones: Bulls, Harris, Jackson, Powell

March 20th, 2014 at 10:54pm CST by Charlie Adams

In his latest piece for ESPNChicago.com, Nick Friedell discusses with Jon Greenberg and Scoop Jackson what the Bulls’ offseason plan should consist of if they can’t land Carmelo Anthony. Friedell think bringing Nikola Mirotic from overseas makes the most sense, while Greenberg believes Lance Stephenson would be a great fit with coach Tom Thibodeau. Here’s more from around the Association:

  • Mavericks owner Mark Cuban confesses he regrets rescinding a contract offer he made to Devin Harris last summer that would have locked up the former All-Star for three years, reports Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW. Cuban decided to only offer Harris a one-year pact in wake of the news that the point guard would need foot surgery.
  • Bill Bradley was Phil Jackson‘s teammate on the Knicks’ two championship teams of 1969/70 and 1972/73, and he sees Jackson as a perfect fit as team president, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “I think he’s got an unparalleled record,” Bradley said, “a good head on his shoulders, knows what’s important in building a winning culture. That’s a great combination“
  • Gregg Popovich is known for his tendency to blow off reporters, but the Spurs coach had no shortage of words on how beneficial he thought the hiring of Jackson would be for the Knicks, says Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News. “To have somebody of Phil Jackson’s stature back in the mix is just a huge plus for everybody involved, so I think it’s great,” said Popovich. “When you put together a group and there’s synergy between the general manager, a president, as he’s going to be, and a coach… He just has to make sure that synergy exists and I’m sure that he will. He’s a smart man. There will be a system and a culture, for sure.“
  • ESPN’s 5-on-5 panel breaks down the NBA prospects they find most intriguing, and Brett Koremenos of Grantland writes that while Stanford forward Dwight Powell is often overlooked, a strong tournament showing by him and his team could boost his standing on scouts’ draft boards around the league.
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