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Money Time: Upcoming Free Agents In The Playoffs

May 19th, 2012 at 1:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

With another week of the playoffs in the books, let's check again on how soon-to-be free agents are faring in the postseason. You can catch up on the first and second installments by clicking the links. A number of players on expiring contracts are putting up impressive performances in the second round, but with size always a premium in the NBA, let's focus on three big men who are getting it done:

Winners

Kevin Garnett, Celtics: Garnett turns 36 today, but he's not atop this list because it's his birthday. It's hard to overlook his 3-for-12, nine-point, seven-turnover outing in the Celtics collapse against the Sixers last night, but Garnett's playoff renaissance has been one of the most compelling stories of the past few weeks. His 192 total points in 10 playoff games is more than anyone except Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and teammate Paul Pierce. Garnett's scoring (19.2) and rebounding (11.0) averages are his best in the playoffs since the Celtics' run to the title in 2008. He's protecting the basket, too, averaging 1.8 blocks per game. That's a figure he only exceeded once in the regular season, during his MVP year in 2003/04.

Tim Duncan, Spurs: A few weeks after his 36th birthday, Duncan can't believe how healthy he feels, and that's certainly been reflected in his play. He's led in his team in scoring with 22.0 PPG in two wins over the Clippers, while also averaging 7.5 rebounds, two steals and a block during the series. His 53% shooting for the postseason as a whole is the third-best percentage he's ever had in the playoffs, and his 25.4 PER is the fifth best of anyone on any playoff team this year. It's hard to imagine him leaving the Spurs, but he's probably earned a few extra dollars and another year or two on his next contract with his throwback performance.

Roy Hibbert, Pacers (restricted): He has exploited the Heat's weakness inside to the tune of 14.7 PPG and 13.3 RPG in three games against Miami, with three blocks a night to boot. He's pulled down 14 offensive rebounds in the series so far, and forced Miami coach Erik Spoelstra to start little-used Dexter Pittman in a vain attempt to match up with Hibbert's 7-foot-2, 278-pound size. For the playoffs as a whole, he's averaging 12.4 PPG and 11.8 RPG, and at age 25, he might be the No. 1 center on the free agent market this summer.

Losers

Ray Allen, Celtics: His 1-for-7 performance in Boston's closeout victory over the Hawks in the first round has carried over to the series against the Sixers. Allen is averaging only 9.3 points per game against Philadelphia on 29.4% shooting from behind the arc. That's not much of an improvement over his 27.8% three-point accuracy against the Hawks. Odder still is his 60% postseason free-throw shooting. He says his right ankle feels all right, but you have to wonder.

Matt Barne s, Lakers: His appearance on this list has a lot to do with Metta World Peace's return from suspension, but it never helps a free agent's case to become a forgotten man. He's played just 41 minutes so far against the Thunder, taken just seven shots, pulled down four rebounds and has more turnovers (four) than steals (three). The red flags will be flying especially high if he doesn't get much time tonight, with the Lakers playing a rare playoff back-t0-back.

Reggie Evans, Clippers: Evans, too, has seen his minutes cut drastically in the second round, but in his case there's not a clear reason why. Foul trouble might be to blame for his paltry eight minutes in Game 1, but he picked up just one foul as coach Vinny Del Negro went to him for just 11 minutes in Game 2, and his lack of playing time has contributed to an 82-66 advantage for San Antonio on the boards. Evans has seven rebounds in the series so far after bettering that total in six of the seven games against Memphis.

Celtics Notes: Allen, Rondo, Garnett

May 13th, 2012 at 1:12pm CST by Daniel Seco

With first round playoff action still underway, the Celtics kicked off the second round of the playoffs with a 92-91 victory over the Sixers at home on Saturday. Thanks to 29 points from Kevin Garnett, the Celtics were able to overcome a poor shooting performance from Paul Pierce to secure the win. Let's head up to Boston and catch up on the latest news and happenings at the Garden.

Celtics swingman Mickael Pietrus has been dealt a cold hand in recent weeks, but according to CSNNE.com's A. Sherod Blakely, Pietrus isn't the least bit worried about it.
While injuries have impacted the second half of Ray Allen's 16th season in the league, the former UConn star is thankful to still be in the league after so many years, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Allen, 37 later this summer, is one of the few players from the 1996 NBA draft that is still making a contribution to a team. “Sometimes with the other guys, they played two years, they played five years, they played nine years,’’ Allen said. “And they don’t seem like they lasted as long as they should, but some guys get to professional basketball and they just get burned out.
Barbara Matson of The Boston Globe says Rajon Rondo didn't know what to expect out of himself after failing to take a nap prior to Saturday's game against the Sixers. The result? The former Kentucky star had the eighth triple-double of his playoff career after getting off to a slow start and not finding his stride until the fourth quarter.
Garnett says he has no life beyond dedicating himself to basketball and it's paying huge dividends for the Celtics, reports ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg. “I have no life at this point," said Garnett. "I go home, get treatment, come back in here, study tape, film — no life at all. This is what it is.” With no distractions whatsoever, Garnett has been dominant on the court with 28 points and 14 rebounds in the series-clinching victory over the Hawks and similarly strong numbers Saturday night against the Sixers.

Kyler On Williams, Nash, Gordon, Mayo, Hibbert

May 4th, 2012 at 10:51am CST by Luke Adams

In his NBA AM column at HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler shares the latest rumblings on a handful of this summer's top free agents. Here are the highlights:

It's far from a done deal, but the general feeling around the Nets is that they're in the driver's seat for Deron Williams. Kyler names the Mavericks, Trail Blazers, and Magic as other teams that figure to aggressively pursue the point guard.
Steve Nash continues to tell people that returning to Phoenix is a "real and viable option." Kyler points out that even if Nash ends up elsewhere, the Suns could work out a sign-and-trade to get something out of it.
It's nearly a lock that Eric Gordon will be retained by the Hornets, but it's not clear how high the bidding will go. The Hornets were unable to agree on an extension with Gordon earlier this season, and while that was due in part to not having new ownership in place yet, there are also questions about the 23-year-old's durability.
According to Kyler, there's a good chance O.J. Mayo doesn't become a restricted free agent this summer, since a qualifying offer would put the Grizzlies over the tax line. If Memphis doesn't extend a qualifying offer, Mayo would be eligible for unrestricted free agency.
Kevin Garnett would like to finish his career with the Celtics.
The Pacers are prepared to match just about any offer for Roy Hibbert, and will let the market set the price for their center.
The Nets hope to deal with Brook Lopez's free agency after working out some of their other situations, but Lopez could disrupt their plans if he signs an offer sheet with another club early in the free agent period.

Odds & Ends: Raptors, Bulls, Magic, Frye

May 2nd, 2012 at 10:37pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Here are this evening's miscellaneous stories:

Lang Greene of HoopsWorld had his weekly chat with fans tonight. Among the more significant things he talked about were the chances that Tyreke Evans gets shopped this summer, the Nets pursuing Kevin Garnett if Deron Williams leaves, the Hornets matching any offer for Eric Gordon, and Portland being the realistic destination for Goran Dragic.
With $12MM in cap space before the draft, Bryan Colangelo talked about the Raptors' approach going into the offseason: "If there was going to be a year to make a bigger splash, whether in free agency or utilizing the space to acquire players by trade, I felt that would be better served in a subsequent season and that’s probably this summer" (Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld reports). Colangelo also told Brotherston that he and Ed Stefanski will be very active in terms of placing and entertaining calls with other GMs in the upcoming weeks and months.
Scoop Jackson, Melissa Isaacson, and Jon Greenberg of ESPN cover a few topics on the Bulls, including how Derrick Rose's injury will affect Chicago's title hopes over the next two years, whether Luol Deng should immediately get surgery and skip the Olympics, and Carlos Boozer's reliability in the playoffs.
Magic GM Otis Smith traveled to Los Angeles to check on Dwight Howard as he recuperates from surgery, according to Illiana Limón and Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. While there had been speculation that Howard is estranged from the franchise, Smith and Magic CEO Alex Martins say that he hasn't asked for a trade.
Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times provides a "to-do list" for the Nuggets if they are to have any chance at beating the Lakers.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas wonders if the Mavericks should make strategic defensive adjustments on Russell Westbrook or just hope that he starts missing mid-range jumpshots.
An article posted on Suns.com reports that Channing Frye underwent successful surgery on his right shoulder today.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Kevin Garnett

March 30th, 2012 at 8:39pm CST by Alex Lee

There has been a lot of talk lately about the impending unrestricted free agent status of Celtics veteran forward Kevin Garnett. Garnett wants to stay, and Doc Rivers expressed interest in bringing him back. So while there is certainly a chance that Garnett is not going anywhere, the 2004 NBA MVP would definitely generate significant interest should he hit the free agent market.

The age of the Celtics roster has been well documented in the media, and Garnett, who turns 36 in May, is obviously part of the reason why. While the Big Ticket is not the franchise centerpiece he once was, he was been able to maintain a consistent level of contribution over the past four years.

Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen teamed up to win the 2008 title in Garnett's first year as a Celtic. Since that season, there seems to be a general sentiment out there that Garnett is declining, but is he? While 2007-2008 may have been his last year as a superstar, his numbers since have been encouragingly consistent. His 2008-2012 points-per-game averages have been 15.9, 14.3, 14.9 and 15.6 while his rebounding averages have been 8.5, 7.3, 8.9, 8.1 respectively. That doesn't look like a decline to me, but at 35-years-old, the cliff has to be approaching.

Garnett is no longer an elite defender, but he is still above average and most importantly, he has stayed relatively healthy (played 69 and 71 games in the last two seasons). His leadership and on-the-court intensity are his signatures. Those aspects to his game will make him very attractive to contenders looking to add a final championship piece or even a younger team on the rise looking to learn how to win. The Nets have apparently already expressed interest. Who else could? The Pacers, 76ers and Mavericks all fit that mold, and could have the cap room to spend depending on what happens with their rosters.

It's hard to predict a price for Garnett because, let's face it, guys like him don't come around very often – he is in his 16th year and has produced at a high level in nearly all of them. The only certainty is that his $21MM+ days are numbered. Tim Duncan, who is also an unrestricted free agent after the season, faces a similar situation in San Antonio. It wouldn't be surprising if they received very similar deals, with one of them setting the market for the other. It all depends how many productive years the buyers think Garnett has left in him. With his consistency in the last four years, he has certainly made that hard to predict.

Atlantic Notes: O’Neal, Garnett, D-League, Davis

March 30th, 2012 at 4:06pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics announced today that Jermaine O'Neal underwent successful surgery on his injured left wrist. And as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets, all went well with Chris Wilcox's heart surgery yesterday too. Wilcox was waived by the Celtics earlier this month, and Boston could choose to let O'Neal go as well if the team needs to use his roster spot. For now though, the Celtics don't appear to be eyeing any free agents.

Here are a few more Friday afternoon updates out of the Atlantic Division:

Celtics big man Kevin Garnett appeared on WEEI's Mutt and Merloni show yesterday, and made some interesting comments, as Rich Levine of CSNNE.com writes. "I never wanted to be pieced around, or treated like a pawn, or a piece on the board," Garnett said. "Loyalty in this game has been depleted on both sides. The business of this game is terrible for players. It's all over the place. I have to choose and make a decision to whether to be part of the future of that. I wish players would take more of a stand in our league and understand that it's a player's league." Reading between the lines, Levine surmises that Garnett may have been referring to the lockout, the trade deadline, or both.
The NBA's D-League has turned into more of a true minor league system and is helping players reach the NBA, writes Jorge Castillo of the Star-Ledger. Castillo's piece is an interesting read, with a focus on the Nets' D-League call-ups, including Gerald Green and Jerry Smith.
The Knicks' offseason addition of Baron Davis fell under the radar following Jeremy Lin's emergence, but Lin's injury has given Davis a chance to re-enter the spotlight, says Keith Schlosser of the New York Times.

Odds & Ends: Garnett, Spurs, Randolph, Howard

March 29th, 2012 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The top of this year's draft figures to be particularly UNC-heavy, with three Tar Heel underclassmen declaring their intentions to enter the draft earlier today. Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Kendall Marshall will join senior Tyler Zeller as potential North Carolina lottery picks. And as ESPN.com's Chad Ford writes, the Tar Heels could make it five first-rounders if James McAdoo decides to enter the draft as well (Insider link).

Here are a few more afternoon links from around the Association:

Kevin Garnett seems open to returning to the Celtics next year and it's hard to argue Boston would be better off without him, writes Paul Flannery of WEEI.com.
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News breaks down the contract details for Boris Diaw and Patrick Mills. Each of the new Spurs signed a minimum deal, with Diaw's expiring at season's end and Mills holding a minimum-salary player option for next season.
The Kings worked out Shavlik Randolph yesterday, but didn't sign him to a contract, tweets Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. Jones adds that Randolph may be an option for Sacramento later.
According to Jeff Van Gundy, "only the most gullible fans" would believe Dwight Howard's decision to play another season with the Magic was about loyalty. Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel has the details and more quotes from Van Gundy.

Nets Eyeing Kevin Garnett, Ersan Ilyasova

March 27th, 2012 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

Although the Nets acquired Gerald Wallace at the trade deadline to provide immediate on-court help, the team has been in a nosedive over the last week and a half, losing six of its seven games since the trade. The slide has taken New Jersey out of the playoff picture, though it has increased the team's chances of retaining its lottery pick, which is top-three protected.

According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, if the Nets don't luck out in the draft lottery, the club will target power forwards like Kevin Garnett and Ersan Ilyasova in free agency. SI.com's Chris Mannix previously identified Garnett and restricted free agent Ryan Anderson as potential targets for the Nets, and Bondy says Anderson would also be a "welcome upgrade." However, the Nets would prefer a stronger rebounder to play alongside Brook Lopez.

The Nets, who were long thought to be a player for Dwight Howard this summer, are exploring backup plans now that D12 has opted into the final year of his Magic contract. If Wallace and Jordan Farmar choose to play out the final year of their contracts, and the Nets are able to re-sign Deron Williams and Lopez, the team won't have as much cap space as initially thought. However, the expiring contract of Kris Humphries, among others, should still create enough room to make a play for at least one free agent.

Eastern Notes: Garnett, Jamison, Hawks

March 26th, 2012 at 8:19pm CST by Daniel Seco

With eight of Monday's nine games currently underway, let's take a look around the Eastern Conference as the injury-riddled Knicks are trailing the Bucks in the third quarter thanks to a 24-point first-half outburst from Mike Dunleavy.

Rich Levine of CSNNE.com ponders Kevin Garnett's future as a Celtic as he wraps up his Hall of Fame career. Levine points out that while the Celtics are interested in keeping Garnett in green and white, there are many other teams, including title contenders, eager to add The Big Ticket as the final piece to a championship puzzle.
Brendan Bowers of The Plain Dealer looks at Antawn Jamison's career in Cleveland and breaks down his present value to the team both on and off the court. The question becomes whether the Cavs should re-sign the former UNC star or cut ties with him this summer. Jamison, 35, is averaging 18.0 PPG and 6.6 RPG on the season for a Cavs squad that has currently lost three games in a row.
While the Hawks have been battered by injuries over the course of the season, the team has managed to stay relevant in the playoff race amidst adversity, writes Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Hollins, Garnett, Knicks

March 24th, 2012 at 10:45am CST by Zachary Links

Last night the Sixers took care of the Celtics at home, winning 99-86 thanks in large part to a 37 point outburst in the third quarter. More importantly, Mickael Pietrus has been cleared to travel after his scare in Philly. Here's more out of the Atlantic division..

Celtics coach Doc Rivers is pushing the newly acquired Ryan Hollins to improve his rebounding, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. For his part, the 7-footer said that joining the C's was a no-brainer upon released by Cleveland.
Rivers told CSNNE's Greg Dickerson that he absolutely wants to see Kevin Garnett back with the Celtics next season. The soon-to-be 36-year-old has surprised many with his strong play this season as he's averaging 15.3 PPG and 8.3 RPG.
Knicks big man Tyson Chandler says that the team didn't quit on coach Mike D'Antoni, writes Al Iannazzone of Newsday. As for the Knicks' recently improved play under Mike Woodson? "Sometimes you hear the same message from a different person,'' the center said, "and for whatever reason it registers."