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Eastern Notes: Colangelo, Harris, Johnson, Hawks

April 10th, 2016 at 8:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bryan Colangelo, who was introduced today as the Sixers‘ new president of basketball operations, defended the controversial “process” championed by his predecessor, Sam Hinkie, writes Bob Brookover of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I do think it has been a success, because we’re at a jumping-off point now,” Colangelo said. “The organization is poised to take a major leap forward because of what has transpired over these last few years of what I’m going to call a measured rebuilding process.” Brookover isn’t a fan of Philadelphia’s complimentary players, but says the franchise has three valuable pieces in Nerlens Noel, Jahlil Okafor and Joel Embiid, along with three or possibly four first-rounders in this year’s draft. He believes Hinkie was a poor communicator and claims the Sixers are in better hands now that Colangelo is in charge.

There’s more news from the Eastern Conference:

The Sixers are eager to move past the avalanche of losing that has marked the past three seasons, according to Brian Seltzer of NBA.com. Philadelphia has sunk to a league-worst 10-70 this season after going 18-64 last year and 19-63 in 2013/14, all while Hinkie tried to stockpile draft picks and young players. “It’s been a tough three years,” co-managing owner Joshua Harris said at a press conference this afternoon. “I think we’ve been very honest with the city and the fans. I think the fans have been very patient with us. It’s not easy to build a winner. It’s not easy to build an elite team. Now it’s time to move to the next phase.”
Joe Johnson would have been a valuable addition to a Cavaliers team that is weak at the backup wing position, contends Jeff Kasler of AmicoHoops. Cleveland was considered an early favorite to land Johnson as he was negotiating his buyout with the Nets, but Johnson opted for Miami because he prefers the Heat’s up-tempo offense. Kasler says Johnson would have given the Cavs quality minutes that Richard Jefferson and Iman Shumpert aren’t providing and would have allowed more rest time for LeBron James in the postseason.
New Hawks principal owner Tony Ressler is planning a major upgrade to Phillips Arena, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Journal Constitution. Ressler, who bought the team nine months ago, claims Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed told him the city could finance about half of a planned $200MM to $300MM project. The work is projected to begin in the summer of 2017 and be completed in 2018.

Cavs Notes: Williams, Jefferson, Smith, Shumpert

January 3rd, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Having a healthy roster for the first time in more than a year is cutting into the playing time of some Cavaliers veterans, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon-Journal. It’s a situation that Anderson Varejao has been dealing with all year. Now Mo Williams is joining him and Richard Jefferson could be in the same situation, Lloyd speculates. Williams signed with the Cavs over the summer to handle the point guard duties while Kyrie Irving recovered from a fractured kneecap. Now that Irving is healthy, Williams’ playing time has plummeted. He was held out of a game against the Suns last week, then played just five minutes against the Warriors and 10 against the Blazers. Lloyd writes that it’s obvious Williams has fallen to third on the point guard depth chart behind Irving and Matthew Dellavedova. “Guys gotta understand and I’ve told them this, only so many guys can play,” said coach David Blatt. “That’s just the reality of the limitations of the game. Some guys may find themselves for no other reason other than that not playing many minutes or not playing at all.”

There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:

Some veterans on the team weren’t happy with Blatt’s decision to not play Jefferson in the Christmas Day game against Golden State, Lloyd writes in the same piece. The writer believes Blatt will have to eventually decide between Jefferson and J.R. Smith for a rotation spot. Smith is currently a starter, but Lloyd expects Iman Shumpert to take over his role when Irving’s minutes restriction is lifted.
Williams showed up at the locker room barely an hour before game time Saturday, then seemed to be a reluctant participant in cheering his teammates, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The writer sees the Cavs as primed for another run at the NBA Finals, but warns a counterproductive influence could help derail that.
Cleveland’s renewed defensive prowess has coincided with Shumpert’s return to the lineup, Lloyd writes in a separate story. Since Shumpert came back from a wrist injury three weeks ago, the Cavs lead the league in defensive field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage and are behind only the Spurs in points allowed per 100 possessions.

Cavaliers Rumors: Cunningham, Jefferson, Mozgov

November 8th, 2015 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The early-season success of journeyman Jared Cunningham may show how much Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is willing to spend to chase an NBA title, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Cunningham, who is with his fifth NBA franchise in four seasons, signed in September for the minimum salary of $981,348. However, Cleveland’s luxury tax situation means Cunningham will cost the team nearly $5MM if he remains on the roster through January 10th, when all contracts become guaranteed. If coach David Blatt and GM David Griffin want to keep Cunningham, Lloyd believes Gilbert would approve it. Lloyd notes that Cunningham has passed Joe Harris in the rotation, although Harris’ roster spot seems secure because this season’s contract is guaranteed for $845,059. However, if the roster gets back to full health, it’s unlikely either will see much playing time.

There’s more this morning out of Cleveland:

Cunningham has found a supporter in NBA veteran Richard Jefferson, according to Spencer Davies of Amicohoops.net. The 35-year-old Jefferson, who signed with Cleveland as a free agent in August, is now with his seventh team. “There’s a mentality that’s involved in the NBA,” Jefferson said. “There’s a mentality of a guy who’s trying to survive. There’s a mentality of a guy who’s comfortable and is just a vet and works consistently.”
Jefferson, who came close to NBA titles with the Nets and Spurs, tells Davies in the same piece that his decision to join the Cavs offers his best shot at a ring before he retires. Jefferson said the disappointment of losing to the Warriors last season is driving the team to get back to the NBA Finals. “You’ve been to the mountaintop without accomplishing your goal,” he said. “I think the next year that allows everyone to kind of focus a little bit more.”
If the trend continues, Timofey Mozgov will have to make his contract push three quarters at a time, according to Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group and The Cleveland Plain Dealer. With the Cavaliers employing a smaller lineup late in games, the starting center has gotten playing time in the fourth quarter in just one of the team’s first six contests. Mozgov, who is making $4.95MM in the final season of his three-year deal, is trying to be patient with the situtation. “It’s still hard for you win or lose,” he said of his fourth-quarter absences. “You want to play anyway, but it’s a long season and we have a lot of things to do so you’ve got to be smart about it.”

Central Notes: Jefferson, Vaughn, Pistons, Pacers

October 13th, 2015 at 12:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Richard Jefferson felt uncomfortable with the prospect of playing for the Mavericks once DeAndre Jordan turned his back on the team, and the veteran small forward took agent Jeff Schwartz’s advice to take a delicate approach to undoing his own verbal commitment to Dallas, as Jefferson details to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The 35-year-old signed a guaranteed one-year, minimum-salary contract with the Cavs after asking Mark Cuban’s permission to break off their deal.

“And so, [Schwartz] was like: ‘Well, Rich, I can call, but we should probably tell the Mavs first. And let’s see. Because I don’t want to call the Cavs and all of the sudden the Cavs call the Mavs about what’s going on and it comes back on me and it looks like I’m trying to do stuff behind their back,'” Jefferson said. “And so, we talked to Mark first and I asked him for permission, and he said, ‘That’s fine.’ And then there was some interest here [in Cleveland] and it was pretty much a no brainer.”

See more from the Central Division:

Rashad Vaughn‘s mature demeanor impressed Bucks coach Jason Kidd before Milwaukee drafted him 17th overall this June, and the rookie is making waves on the court, too, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines. “The Vaughn kid put on a show in the fourth quarter, as he did in Chicago the other night,” Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said after his team’s game against the Bucks Saturday. “We’re going to be dealing with him for a long time in the league. He’s got a quick release and can really, really shoot the ball.”
Detroit has experienced a whirlwind of player movement under Van Gundy, so in spite of their apparent interest in Markieff Morris, the Pistons would be well-served to consider the benefits of roster stability over yet another change, opines Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
The commitment to a traditional lineup that the Pacers made in the past seemed aimed at beating the Heat, but now that president of basketball operations Larry Bird has shifted the team’s roster and on-court philosophy, Paul George isn’t the only one who must fit in, argues RealGM’s Andrew Perna. Coach Frank Vogel, who’s under contract through 2016/17, must also prove he can lead a more potent attack on offense.

Cavs Notes: James, Thompson, Jefferson

October 4th, 2015 at 11:40am CST by ChrisCrouse

LeBron James has ended his silence regarding Tristan Thompson‘s contract situation, posting a picture of the two of them on his Instagram account with the caption, “Get it done!!!!! Straight up. #MissMyBrother.”

Thompson let the deadline pass without signing his qualifying offer earlier this week, which reduces his options to signing a long-term deal with the Cavs, signing an offer sheet from another team or continuing to sit out. However, if he does sit out the season, he will remain a restricted free agent next offseason. It was reported on Friday that Thompson and his camp prefer a three-year max contract to the five-year max they sought most of the summer, but Cleveland is uninterested in such a proposal.

Here’s more from the reigning Eastern Conference champs:

A five-year, $85MM deal would be a logical conclusion to Thompson’s stalemate with the Cavs, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post opines. Such a figure would allow Thompson to get a bigger contract than fellow restricted free agent power forward Draymond Green, who signed a five-year deal worth $82MM with Golden State this summer, while saving Cleveland a significant amount of money in luxury tax payments.
Kevin Love‘s first year as a Cavalier didn’t go as smoothly as planned, but James believes he will thrive in Cleveland this season, Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “I just think [Love’s] more comfortable in the situation that he’s in,” James said. “He’s got a year under his belt, he knows what he expects out of himself and what his teammates expect out of him. I expect big things from him this year with a year up under his belt.”
New addition Richard Jefferson hopes to give the Cavs 10-12 minutes each night, but the injury to Shumpert could force him to play more, Vardon writes in the same piece. The veteran is just excited to play alongside the four-time MVP. “With LeBron and his versatility … when you have that piece, kind of like the queen in chess, that can do everything, you realize that, ‘Hey if I can play the four and LeBron can go to the two, somebody else can play the three or vice versa, it makes everyone’s job a lot easier,'” Jefferson said.

Cavaliers Sign Richard Jefferson

August 5th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

AUGUST 5TH, 5:15pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

2:56pm: Stein’s full story includes Cuban’s response.

“He called and talked to me,” Cuban said. “RJ said he had an opportunity with an Eastern Conference team. He said he would honor what he [originally agreed to with the Mavs] but thought the other was a better fit. I told him I was OK with it and understood.”

2:43pm: Jefferson called Mavs owner Mark Cuban prior to choosing Cleveland over Dallas, so the Dallas organization was aware of this before it happened, as Cuban tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

JULY 21ST, 2:01pm: Richard Jefferson is breaking off his deal with the Mavericks to sign with the Cavaliers instead, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jefferson was to sign a one-year deal for the minimum with Dallas, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier this month. It’s the second time this summer that the Mavs have had a free agent commit to them and later back out, as DeAndre Jordan notoriously did earlier this month. Jefferson won’t see any more money with the Cavs than he would have if he’d stayed on his deal in Dallas, as the Cleveland pact is also for the minimum salary, reports Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group (Twitter link). The Cavs deal is for one year, a league source told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.

It appears Dallas was at least somewhat on board with Jefferson’s change of heart, as opposed to Jordan’s, as a source told Lloyd that the Mavs gave the free agents who committed to them the chance to back out in the wake of Jordan’s flip-flop (Twitter link). Wesley Matthews said earlier that Dallas afforded him the same luxury, but he instead recommitted for about $13MM more. The Mavs also bumped the value of J.J. Barea‘s deal significantly higher. It’s unclear if Dallas offered a better deal to Jefferson than the one he originally agreed to.

The minimum for Jefferson, a veteran of 14 NBA seasons, is worth $1,499,187, but, since the deal is only for one season, the Cavs only owe him $947,276, the equivalent of the two-year veteran’s minimum. That’s key, since Cleveland is poised to go deep into the tax. Still, the Jefferson deal will cost Cleveland about $3.6MM in tax penalties on top of his salary, as former Nets executive Bobby Marks points out on Twitter.

It’s the second consecutive summer in which the Cavs are signing a veteran forward who spent the previous season with Dallas. Cleveland did so last year with Shawn Marion, who retired after this past season.

Jefferson ends up with the same salary as he would have made in Dallas, but his switch is not without consequence. He’ll have to pay state income tax for Ohio, as he wouldn’t have had to do in Texas, and his Mavs deal would have given him the power to block trades afforded by rule to players who return to their teams on one-year contracts. Jefferson will also be eligible only for Non-Bird rights with the Cavs next summer, instead of the Early Bird rights the Mavs would have held with him.

Mavs To Re-Sign Richard Jefferson

July 3rd, 2015 at 4:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Veteran forward Richard Jefferson is set to sign with the Mavericks on a deal that would bring him back to Dallas for the 2015/16 campaign, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter links). It will be a one-year contract for the veteran’s minimum, Spears relays.

Jefferson joins point guard J.J. Barea, who is nearing an agreement of his own with the Mavs, in returning to a revamped Dallas squad. Athletic big man DeAndre Jordan is also set to join the team, having reached a deal with the Mavs on a four-year, $80MM contract earlier today. Dallas nabbed swingman Wesley Matthews on Thursday, in what has been a hectic few days for the team since the free agent signing period commenced.

The 35-year-old appeared in 74 games for the Mavs last season, including 18 starts. Jefferson notched averages of 5.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 16.8 minutes per night. His career numbers through 14 NBA seasons are 13.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 2.2 APG, with a slash line of .465/.380/.771.

Western Notes: Wright, Asik, Crowder, Lin

July 1st, 2015 at 9:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In the wake of losing free agent big man Tyson Chandler to the Suns, the Mavericks reached out to center Brandan Wright, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com tweets. Wright, whom the team dealt as part of the package to acquire Rajon Rondo from the Celtics last season, agreed to a three year, $18MM deal with the Grizzlies earlier this evening. Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Pelicans are in discussions with free agent Omer Asik about the center re-signing with the team, John Reid of The Times Picayune tweets. Blazers‘ free agent big man Robin Lopez doesn’t appear to be an option for New Orleans at this point, Reid adds.
The Mavericks are intent on adding depth at point guard this offseason, and were one of the first teams to reach out to free agent Jeremy Lin, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter). Dallas has also touched base with Patrick Beverley, J.J. Barea, and Nick Calathes, Tim MacMahon tweets.
The Clippers and Mavericks are among the teams that have expressed interest in free agent point guard C.J. Watson, Kennedy relays (Twitter link).
The Mavericks and the Celtics are the frontrunners to sign free agent swingman Jae Crowder, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (via Twitter).
The Pelicans and Mavs have both been in contact with free agent forward Richard Jefferson, Chris Mannix of SI.com relays (on Twitter).
The Rockets are intent on re-signing Corey Brewer, and Houston was the first team to contact the swingman when the free agent signing period commenced, Kennedy tweets.
The Pelicans, Rockets, and Knicks have expressed interest in unrestricted free agent center Kendrick Perkins, Royce Young of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link).
Denver’s top priorities in free agency are to re-sign Jameer Nelson and Will Barton, according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. The Nuggets are strong contenders for Nelson, and the general expectation is that they’ll keep Barton, as Dempsey details. The team would also like to re-sign Darrell Arthur but expects the Pistons, among others, to make a run at him, Dempsey writes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Mavs Notes: Rondo, Jefferson, Ellis

June 17th, 2015 at 11:30am CST by Chuck Myron

The Warriors won the 2014/15 title, but the Mavs appear poised to make an aggressive push to have more success in the 2015 offseason than any other team. They’re reportedly going after LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan, the No. 3 and No. 8 players in the latest Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, though Dallas hasn’t been too successful in luring marquee free agents since winning the title in 2011. As we wait to see if that changes this summer, here’s more on the Mavs:

Dallas would prefer to operate as an over-the-cap team this summer to preserve use of the full $5.464MM mid-level exception, one of the reasons why the Mavs cased Rajon Rondo‘s mutual parting with the team during the playoffs in the context of a back injury, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com details. Of course, Dallas still wants to go after apparent targets like Aldridge and Jordan, so sign-and-trades would be necessary to accomplish that while over the cap, MacMahon explains, suggesting the Mavs would prefer to officially end Rondo’s tenure on the team by sending him out via sign-and-trade.
The Mavs would like to re-sign Richard Jefferson as long as he’s willing to come back at the minimum salary, MacMahon writes in a separate piece.
Dirk Nowitzki said Tuesday that he’d love for the Mavs to keep Tyson Chandler and Monta Ellis and sign Aldridge, but having all three on next year’s team is most likely unfeasible, MacMahon tweets. Nowitzki also said that his gut feeling is that Ellis will opt out, as Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com relays (Twitter link). Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News passes along more of Nowitzki’s comments.

Southwest Notes: Rondo, Stoudemire, Smith

February 25th, 2015 at 12:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

The tension between Rajon Rondo and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle that bubbled to the surface with a profanity-laced shouting match and Rondo’s subsequent benching during Tuesday’s game predates that confrontation, team sources tell Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. The soon-to-be free agent and the coach have been at loggerheads over play-calling for a while, MacMahon hears, but owner Mark Cuban doesn’t seem worried, the ESPNDallas.com scribe notes. It’s far from the first time Rondo has clashed with a coach, as Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com points out (on Twitter). While we wait to see if his latest confrontation has any implication on this summer’s free agent market, there’s more on the Mavs amid the latest from the Southwest Division:

Mavs athletic trainer Casey Smith’s strong reputation was one of the keys to Amar’e Stoudemire‘s decision to sign with Dallas, as MacMahon writes in a separate piece examining the team’s success with players on minimum-salary contracts. Cuban cites the club’s medical staff along with its style of play and its success in the win-loss column for the team’s ability to attract veterans at a discount. “You start looking at the roster and what they’ve accumulated,” Richard Jefferson said. “I’m in year 14 [of my career] now. I want to win. If that means I have to take less money for a year or two to help a team win, then so be it.”
Josh Smith considered joining the Clippers before signing with the Rockets, as he told reporters today, including Dan Woike of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). The Clippers reportedly reached out to Smith’s representatives shortly after his release from the Pistons in December. He’ll be a free agent again in the summer.
Former Mavs and Pelicans point guard Gal Mekel wishes he’d entered the D-League when he was searching for an NBA deal after the Pelicans let him go earlier this season, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com. Mekel wound up signing this week with Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod.