Gerald Henderson

Eastern Notes: Curry, Henderson, Oden, Joseph

We've already had two amnesty provisions in the East announced tonight in Linas Kleiza and Drew Gooden.  Let's round up the rest of the Eastern Conference news here on Tuesday night:

  • The latest on the Sixers coaching search indicates that the team is no rush to make a decision, but that doesn't bother in-house candidate Michael Curry, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Curry, who conducted the team's pre-draft workouts and coached the Sixers summer league team, is expected to be interviewed and was told from the start by general manager Sam Hinkie that the coaching search would be a long process. 
  • The Bobcats and restricted free agent Gerald Henderson are having ongoing contract discussions about a return to Charlotte, but are still not close financially, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.  Just last week, we heard that the Bobcats and Henderson had reached a stalemate.  It doesn't look like things have changed much, but the report that the sides are still communicating is good news for Bobcats fans.
  • With the Heat now rumored to be the unofficial frontrunner to land Greg Oden, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders what type of message it would send if the team used the taxpayer mid-level exception, worth about $3.2MM, on the injury-prone Oden only days after re-signing Chris Andersen, who contributed to their second straight title run, for about half the price.  Winderman also speculates that the Heat could try to move Joel Anthony in a cost-cutting move that would easier allow them to ink Oden (Twitter links). 
  • Kris Joseph, waived yesterday by the Celtics, will likely look to latch on with an NBA team in a training camp this fall.  The Nets, with whom Joseph finished last season, are said to have interest in the forward, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, but are prohibited from signing him for a year after shipping him north in the deal to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett

Eastern Notes: Curry, Henderson, Oden, Joseph

We've already had two amnesty provisions in the East announced tonight in Linas Kleiza and Drew Gooden.  Let's round up the rest of the Eastern Conference news here on Tuesday night:

  • The latest on the Sixers coaching search indicates that the team is no rush to make a decision, but that doesn't bother in-house candidate Michael Curry, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Curry, who conducted the team's pre-draft workouts and coached the Sixers summer league team, is expected to be interviewed and was told from the start by general manager Sam Hinkie that the coaching search would be a long process. 
  • The Bobcats and restricted free agent Gerald Henderson are having ongoing contract discussions about a return to Charlotte, but are still not close financially, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.  Just last week, we heard that the Bobcats and Henderson had reached a stalemate.  It doesn't look like things have changed much, but the report that the sides are still communicating is good news for Bobcats fans.
  • With the Heat now rumored to be the unofficial frontrunner to land Greg Oden, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders what type of message it would send if the team used the taxpayer mid-level exception, worth about $3.2MM, on the injury-prone Oden only days after re-signing Chris Andersen, who contributed to their second straight title run, for about half the price.  Winderman also speculates that the Heat could try to move Joel Anthony in a cost-cutting move that would easier allow them to ink Oden (Twitter links). 
  • Kris Joseph, waived yesterday by the Celtics, will likely look to latch on with an NBA team in a training camp this fall.  The Nets, with whom Joseph finished last season, are said to have interest in the forward, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, but are prohibited from signing him for a year after shipping him north in the deal to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett

Eastern Notes: Curry, Henderson, Oden, Joseph

We've already had two amnesty provisions in the East announced tonight in Linas Kleiza and Drew Gooden.  Let's round up the rest of the Eastern Conference news here on Tuesday night:

  • The latest on the Sixers coaching search indicates that the team is no rush to make a decision, but that doesn't bother in-house candidate Michael Curry, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Curry, who conducted the team's pre-draft workouts and coached the Sixers summer league team, is expected to be interviewed and was told from the start by general manager Sam Hinkie that the coaching search would be a long process. 
  • The Bobcats and restricted free agent Gerald Henderson are having ongoing contract discussions about a return to Charlotte, but are still not close financially, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.  Just last week, we heard that the Bobcats and Henderson had reached a stalemate.  It doesn't look like things have changed much, but the report that the sides are still communicating is good news for Bobcats fans.
  • With the Heat now rumored to be the unofficial frontrunner to land Greg Oden, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders what type of message it would send if the team used the taxpayer mid-level exception, worth about $3.2MM, on the injury-prone Oden only days after re-signing Chris Andersen, who contributed to their second straight title run, for about half the price.  Winderman also speculates that the Heat could try to move Joel Anthony in a cost-cutting move that would easier allow them to ink Oden (Twitter links). 
  • Kris Joseph, waived yesterday by the Celtics, will likely look to latch on with an NBA team in a training camp this fall.  The Nets, with whom Joseph finished last season, are said to have interest in the forward, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, but are prohibited from signing him for a year after shipping him north in the deal to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett

Eastern Notes: Curry, Henderson, Oden, Joseph

We've already had two amnesty provisions in the East announced tonight in Linas Kleiza and Drew Gooden.  Let's round up the rest of the Eastern Conference news here on Tuesday night:

  • The latest on the Sixers coaching search indicates that the team is no rush to make a decision, but that doesn't bother in-house candidate Michael Curry, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Curry, who conducted the team's pre-draft workouts and coached the Sixers summer league team, is expected to be interviewed and was told from the start by general manager Sam Hinkie that the coaching search would be a long process. 
  • The Bobcats and restricted free agent Gerald Henderson are having ongoing contract discussions about a return to Charlotte, but are still not close financially, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.  Just last week, we heard that the Bobcats and Henderson had reached a stalemate.  It doesn't look like things have changed much, but the report that the sides are still communicating is good news for Bobcats fans.
  • With the Heat now rumored to be the unofficial frontrunner to land Greg Oden, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders what type of message it would send if the team used the taxpayer mid-level exception, worth about $3.2MM, on the injury-prone Oden only days after re-signing Chris Andersen, who contributed to their second straight title run, for about half the price.  Winderman also speculates that the Heat could try to move Joel Anthony in a cost-cutting move that would easier allow them to ink Oden (Twitter links). 
  • Kris Joseph, waived yesterday by the Celtics, will likely look to latch on with an NBA team in a training camp this fall.  The Nets, with whom Joseph finished last season, are said to have interest in the forward, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, but are prohibited from signing him for a year after shipping him north in the deal to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett

Eastern Notes: Curry, Henderson, Oden, Joseph

We've already had two amnesty provisions in the East announced tonight in Linas Kleiza and Drew Gooden.  Let's round up the rest of the Eastern Conference news here on Tuesday night:

  • The latest on the Sixers coaching search indicates that the team is no rush to make a decision, but that doesn't bother in-house candidate Michael Curry, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  Curry, who conducted the team's pre-draft workouts and coached the Sixers summer league team, is expected to be interviewed and was told from the start by general manager Sam Hinkie that the coaching search would be a long process. 
  • The Bobcats and restricted free agent Gerald Henderson are having ongoing contract discussions about a return to Charlotte, but are still not close financially, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.  Just last week, we heard that the Bobcats and Henderson had reached a stalemate.  It doesn't look like things have changed much, but the report that the sides are still communicating is good news for Bobcats fans.
  • With the Heat now rumored to be the unofficial frontrunner to land Greg Oden, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders what type of message it would send if the team used the taxpayer mid-level exception, worth about $3.2MM, on the injury-prone Oden only days after re-signing Chris Andersen, who contributed to their second straight title run, for about half the price.  Winderman also speculates that the Heat could try to move Joel Anthony in a cost-cutting move that would easier allow them to ink Oden (Twitter links). 
  • Kris Joseph, waived yesterday by the Celtics, will likely look to latch on with an NBA team in a training camp this fall.  The Nets, with whom Joseph finished last season, are said to have interest in the forward, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, but are prohibited from signing him for a year after shipping him north in the deal to acquire Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett

Wolves Rumors: Pekovic, Prince, Henderson

As I explained last Friday, the Timberwolves have done a good job this summer managing the cap, allowing the team to add Kevin Martin, Corey Brewer, and Ronny Turiaf, while locking up Chase Budinger. However, the offseason can't truly be viewed as a success until the T-Wolves re-sign free agent big man Nikola Pekovic. Here's the latest on that front, along with a few more noteworthy items out of Minnesota:

  • A source close to Pekovic tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities that there has been no movement in negotiations with the Wolves. Minnesota still has an offer on the table, believed to be for four years and $50MM, and persumably Pekovic's camp feels comfortable that the offer isn't going anywhere.
  • Timberwolves president Flip Saunders still intends to hire a general manager and VP of basketball operations. According to Wolfson, two candidates we've heard mentioned before remain in play: Rob Babcock and Milt Newton. Wolfson's report suggests two candidates will be hired (or promoted), rather than one exec filling both roles.
  • While a Wolves source says a three-year, $21MM deal for Andrei Kirilenko was at least briefly discussed, a source close to Kirilenko tells Wolfson that there was never an offer on the table to bring the forward back to Minnesota.
  • Before they signed Brewer, the Wolves had a chance to acquire Tayshaun Prince from the Grizzlies, but passed, given Prince's price tag, according to Wolfson.
  • The T-Wolves had "heavy interest" in Gerald Henderson prior to agreeing to terms with Martin.
  • The Wolves like O.J. Mayo, but determined he wouldn't be a good fit with Ricky Rubio, since the team wanted to add a two guard who didn't need the ball in his hands a whole lot, says Wolfson. Minnesota also pursued J.J. Redick before landing Martin, but couldn't negotiate a sign-and-trade as beneficial as the Clippers' deal.
  • Reps for Nate Robinson and Delonte West called the Wolves to see if the club has interest in either player, but the answer appears to be no, writes Wolfson.
  • After being selected 58th overall in the 2012 draft, Robbie Hummel spent last season playing in Spain, but now that he's back with the Wolves' Summer League squad, he's eager to show that he's deserving of the team's final open roster spot, as he tells Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. "That’s the ultimate goal," Hummel said. "It always has been my dream to play in the NBA. I’m thankful for this opportunity and want to show I belong."

Eastern Notes: Kirilenko, Henderson, Oden, Heat

When he turned down his $10MM+ player option with the Timberwolves, Andrei Kirilenko wasn't necessarily expecting to match that annual salary on a long-term deal, but he was seeking a three-year contract worth $8MM+ per season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. As Wojnarowski writes, that's why Kirilenko's decision to accept the Nets' $3.18MM mini mid-level exception is raising eyebrows around the NBA. Rival teams are suggesting the league look into the deal to make sure Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov isn't somehow circumventing the league's CBA.

"There should be a probe," an Eastern Conference general manager said. "How obvious is it?"

"Let's see if the league has any credibility," one team owner said. "It's not about stopping it. It's about punishing them if they're doing it."

As we wait to see if the NBA looks into the Nets' agreement with Kirilenko, let's check in on a few more notes from around the Eastern Conference….

  • While the Bobcats are wary of overpaying Gerald Henderson, there's no doubt the team wants to bring him back, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Bonnell adds in a tweet that the team talked to Henderson's reps today and there was a "positive tone."
  • Bonnell says in another tweet that even though Greg Oden's agent, Mike Conley Sr., continues to list the Bobcats among potential destinations for his client, center is no longer an area of need for the team.
  • Conley's comments to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida suggest that Miami remains atop Oden's wish list anyway, and Heat president Pat Riley confirmed today the team remains interested, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter).
  • Riley also told reporters, including Winderman (Twitter links), that the Heat don't plan to use their amnesty provision this week and that it's also becoming less likely that the team's mini MLE gets used. However, Riley didn't shut the door on either option.
  • Chris Smith, J.R. Smith's younger brother, is hoping to earn a spot on the Knicks' opening night roster, but acknowledges to Marc Berman of the New York Post that he'll have to prove he belongs.
  • Tom Ziller of SBNation.com examines how much value is attached to the option to swap draft picks with a trading partner, with a focus on today's completed Nets/Celtics deal.

Bobcats Exploring Sign-And-Trade For Henderson

8:28am: The Bobcats' preference remains to re-sign Henderson, but the team is open to considering sign-and-trade options, says Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

THURSDAY, 12:03am: The Bobcats are reluctant to offer Henderson a deal with a starting salary between $7.5MM and $8.5MM, Wojnarowski writes. That led the team to enter the mix for Monta Ellis, a favorite of executive Rod Higgins from their days together with Golden State.

WEDNESDAY, 11:12pm: Negotiations between the Bobcats and Gerald Henderson have hit a stalemate, and the team has begun reaching out to multiple other clubs to see if there are any sign-and-trade possibilities, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. There hasn't been much chatter about the restricted free agent this month, though teams may have been waiting to see how negotiations went between Charlotte and agent Arn Tellem.

Henderson largely plateaued this season after showing steady improvement over his first three years in the league. His points, assists and rebounding averages were virtually the same in 2012/13 as they were in the previous season, but a jump to 33% shooting from three-point range for the career 27.2% long-distance shooter shows a degree of promise, as does his 16.4 PER in 2012/13, his best number yet in that category.

Charlotte struggled to find takers for Henderson at the trade deadline, when the team was seeking either a big man, like J.J. Hickson or Timofey Mozgov, or a first-round pick. The Bobcats may have to shoot lower this time around as they seek a return for the player they took 12th overall in 2009.

Hawks, Mavs, Kings Finalists For Monta Ellis?

3:44pm: The Bulls made a run at Ellis in hopes of acquiring him via sign-and-trade, but couldn't make the other roster moves necessary to complete a deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Charania writes that the Kings appear to be in the lead for Ellis, with the Hawks and Mavs also in play. Whatever team Ellis decides on will likely have to make at least one roster move to create room for him.

2:46pm: A source tells TNT's David Aldridge that Ellis' decision may come down to the Hawks and Mavericks (Twitter link). Aldridge adds that Ellis remains interested in Sacramento, but the Kings' acquisition of Luc Mbah a Moute may take them out of the mix.

Meanwhile, in his full story on Ellis, Broussard goes into detail on each suitor's pursuit of Ellis, noting that the Mavs are hoping to land both Ellis and Andrew Bynum, and are shopping Shawn Marion in an effort to make room. The Hawks are considering a sign-and-trade involving Jeff Teague, the Bobcats are waiting to see what happens with Gerald Henderson, and the Kings are exploring trading Marcus Thornton, though again, the Mbah a Moute deal could reduce Sacramento's chances.

2:00pm: Among the free agents still on the board, none had a higher scoring average last season than Monta Ellis. But the top scorer on the market may not be available for long. According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter), Ellis hopes to make a decision on his destination within the next 48 hours, choosing from a group of suitors that includes the Hawks, Kings, Bobcats, and Mavericks.

The Hawks and Kings have been the teams most often linked to Ellis in the last several days, though the Mavs were also identified as a potential destination for him earlier in the free agent period. I believe this is the first we've heard of the Bobcats' interest, though it's probably not "serious," according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). Depending on what other moves are made, and how big a starting salary Ellis receives, some of those teams may need to negotiate a sign-and-trade with the Bucks rather than signing him outright.

Ellis, 27, declined an $11MM player option to hit free agency, and also reportedly turned down a three-year, $36MM extension offer from the Bucks last season, so he'll likely be seeking a starting salary in that $10-12MM neighborhood.

Bobcats To Extend QO To Henderson, Not Mullens

5:46pm: The Bobcats have confirmed via press release that they're tendering a qualifying offer to Henderson.

12:31pm: The Bobcats will extend a qualifying offer to Gerald Henderson, making him a restricted free agent, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). However, according to Bonnell, Byron Mullens won't receive a QO of his own from the Bobcats.

Both Henderson and Mullens met the starter criteria in Charlotte, meaning that their qualifying offers would have been worth $4,531,459 each. For Henderson, that's a modest increase on what would have been a $4,267,426 offer, but it represents a significant increase for Mullens, who otherwise would've been in line for a $3,293,976 QO. Perhaps that played a part in the Bobcats' decision, though Mullens' unproductive second half (7.2 PPG, 3.7 RPG in 20 games after the All-Star break) likely didn't help his case either.

When free agency opens next week, both Henderson and Mullens will be free to negotiate with any team, but only Mullens will be able to sign outright with a rival club. If Henderson signs a rival offer sheet, the Bobcats will have three days to match it.