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Southwest Notes: Ginobili, Dekker, Pelicans

October 20th, 2015 at 10:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Spurs veteran Manu Ginobili has been among the team’s most accurate shooters, making 12 of his 16 shots from the field overall and going 5 for 7 on 3-pointers in four preseason appearances, and entering tonight’s game he was the team’s No. 2 scorer, at 11.7 points per game, a level of play that is even surprising the 39-year-old shooting guard, Mike Monroe of The San Antonio Express-News writes. “I am shocked,” Ginobili said about his level of performance thus far. “To tell you the truth I wasn’t expecting this but I am feeling great; healthy; making shots. I’m playing relaxed. I am really enjoying the experience. That is what I wanted to achieve, this mental state. It’s way easier to do it in preseason when everything is more relaxed but we’ll see how it goes. So far, so good.”

Here’s the latest out of the Southwest:

Rockets first-rounder Sam Dekker has struggled with his shooting during the preseason, but the rookie feels that he is beginning to acclimate himself to the speed of the pro game, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. “As a rookie there is that little growth process,” Dekker said. “I don’t think I’m anywhere near as comfortable as I’m going to be. I’m learning every day and trying to learn from the best and ask as many questions as I can. I’m trying to pick up as much as I can so I can help this team and learn every day and keep growing and get more comfortable.”
The Pelicans need to find an effective power forward who can defend and score if the team wants to shift Anthony Davis to the center position, which is being considered under new coach Alvin Gentry, Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM writes. One target for next offseason who Tjarks suggests would be a good fit in New Orleans is current Rockets combo forward Terrence Jones, who will be eligible to become a restricted free agent at the end of the 2015/16 campaign. While Houston will most likely prefer to re-sign Jones, a substantial offer sheet proffered by the Pelicans could dissuade GM Daryl Morey from matching and bring Jones to New Orleans, Tjarks opines.
Team owner Mark Cuban believes that if the Mavericks‘ top players can remain healthy, Dallas will deploy a potent lineup and have an excellent shot to make the playoffs this season, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com relays. “We’re going to be fun,” Cuban said. “Our defense is going to be better, and we’re shooting the ball from three a lot more. And that’s with our young guys. Once the vets get in there, it will open things up more for them. … But we’ve got a lot of new, young guys that will be fun to watch. And then watching Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons and Wesley Matthews and Deron Williams, that’s going to be money right there. You know, that’s a [heck] of a top four.”

And-Ones: Cavs, Davis, Aldridge, Kobe, Teodosic

October 20th, 2015 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers are the pick to win it all and LeBron James is the favorite for MVP in the league’s annual GM survey, as John Schuhmann of NBA.com presents. More than half the executives who responded favor the Cavs, while the Warriors garnered only 17.9% of the vote, the third-lowest percentage for a defending champ in the 13-year history of the GM survey. Still, neither of last year’s Finals teams has Anthony Davis, whom a whopping 86.2% of respondents selected as the player they’d most want to build their teams around.

LaMarcus Aldridge drew 79.3% of the vote for the offseason acquisition who’ll make the greatest impact, and the Spurs garnered the same percentage for the team that had the best offseason, unsurprisingly. See more on Aldridge’s decision amid the latest from around the NBA:

Aldridge thought he would re-sign with the Trail Blazers when he put off thumb surgery last season, and he thinks the Blazers did all they could to keep him, but the lure of playing closer to his home in Texas proved too great when the time came for a decision, as he told Chris Mannix of SI.com. Aldridge said to Mannix that the idea that he left Portland because he couldn’t get along with Damian Lillard was overblown, and that while he and Lillard mutually acknowledged that they could have communicated better with each other, they don’t have a poor relationship. “But I never had an issue playing with him or anything like that or with him being the face or them promoting him or anything like that,” Aldridge said in part. “If I had an issue like that then why go to the Spurs? They don’t promote anybody.”
Kobe Bryant‘s presence was one of the best parts of meeting with the Lakers this summer, Aldridge insisted to Mannix for the same piece, striking back at the notion that he didn’t want to play with the Lakers star.
The GM poll also shows 28-year-old shooting guard Milos Teodosic, who plays for CSKA Moscow but whose NBA rights aren’t tied to any team, as the second-best international player outside the NBA aside from Sixers draft-and-stash prospect Dario Saric. Plus, more GMs want to see revamped lottery odds than any other rules change.

Southwest Rumors: Duncan, Mavs, Grizzlies

October 19th, 2015 at 10:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tim Duncan is trying to sort out where he fits into the Spurs’ pecking order with the emergence of small forward Kawhi Leonard and the addition of power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com. With high-scoring Aldridge at power forward, Duncan is likely to spend more time in the high post and use his passing skills, Wright continues. “My role has changed a little bit this year,” Duncan told Wright. “I’m trying to figure that part of it out. But it’s fun to be out there. It’s fun to be with the guys that I’ve been with for so many years and some new guys that I’m learning.” Even before Aldridge joined the Spurs, Duncan’s role in the offense was reduced, Wright notes. His usage rate of 22.2% last season was the lowest of his career but his true shooting percentage of .560 tied his best since 2006/07, Wright adds.

In other news around the Southwest Division:

International veteran Salah Mejri has fought his way into the mix for a rotation spot with the Mavericks, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports. The 7’2” Mejri gives the Mavs length at center and has displayed shot-blocking and rebounding skills during the preseason, Sefko continues. However, he needs to work on his strength, Sefko adds. Mejri received a guaranteed rookie minimum of $525,093 from Dallas.
Power forward Jarnell Stokes seems to have fallen out of favor with the Grizzlies and that could help journeyman center Ryan Hollins gain a roster spot, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports. Stokes only played six minutes in the team’s preseason game on Sunday, while coach Dave Joerger has made a point of praising Hollins, Herrington continues. With Marc Gasol as the only other true center on the roster, Hollins might fill a bigger need, Herrington adds. Stokes has a guaranteed contract worth $845,059 this season, while Hollins’ $947,276 deal is not guaranteed.
Rookie center Joshua Smith is getting extensive court time as he battles for the Rockets‘ final roster spot, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Injuries to big men Dwight Howard, Terrence Jones and Clint Capela have allowed Smith, who has a non-guaranteed deal worth $525,093, to make an impression on the coaching staff. “You look at a guy in my position – just trying to make the team – any chance you get to start, you have to take advantage,” Smith told Feigen. “I’m humbled they’re giving me a lot of opportunities. I just have to keep trying to make the best out of them.”

Southwest Notes: Aldridge, Robinson, McCalebb

October 18th, 2015 at 12:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agent addition LaMarcus Aldridge cautions not to expect too much right away from the new-look Spurs, according to Mike Monroe of the Express-News. After a busy offseason, the Spurs have at least five new players to integrate into their lineup. Aldridge was San Antonio’s free agency prize, signing a four-year deal worth approximately $80MM. The team also signed David West, traded for Ray McCallum, signed Euroleague star Boban Marjanovic and signed Jimmer Fredette. “We are all going into this for the first time together,” Aldridge said. “The ups and downs of the season are going to be new to us as a group, just learning how to play together in certain environments, certain games.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Nate Robinson and Bo McCalebb had just one practice before playing in their first game with the Pelicans, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune. Both were signed this week due to a rash of injuries, including backup point guard Norris Cole, who is expected to be out of action for six weeks with a high ankle sprain. ”I told them in the locker room after the game that it was really unfair what we asked them to do,” coach Alvin Gentry said. ”I think the thing that everyone has to realize is that these guys have been working but to be in basketball shape, you know you have to actually play basketball. So they struggled a little bit in that area.”
Robinson received a one-year, non-guaranteed minimum $1.5MM contract, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, and McCalebb was given a two-year, non-guaranteed minimum deal worth $1.4MM.
Injuries in the frontcourt are getting in the way of Rockets coach Kevin McHale as he tries to set a rotation for the season, writes Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Dwight Howard sat out his fifth straight game with a sore back Saturday, and backup center Clint Capela missed the game with a sore shoulder. A back injury has prevented Donatas Motiejunas from playing this preseason, and Terrence Jones was pulled in the fourth quarter for concussion evaluation. “I would like to see what we have and work on those lineups,” McHale said, “but I have to go with what I have, with who is healthy out there.”

Texas Notes: Harden, Smith, Green, Barea

October 17th, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Rockets‘ James Harden changed teams early in his career, but he told Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle that he doesn’t plan to do it again. “Definitely it’s going to end here,” Harden responded when asked about the rest of his career. Harden was sent to Houston in a 2012 trade after three years in Oklahoma City that included an NBA Finals appearance. He has three seasons left on a contract that will pay him more than $50.35MM.

There’s more from the Lone Star State:

The Heat were thinking of center Joshua Smith with the D-League in mind, which is why he opted for a camp invitation from the Rockets, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Smith, who was on Miami’s summer league squad, joined Houston on a one-year, minimum salary arrangement with no guaranteed money.
Danny Green, who re-signed with the Spurs during the offseason, is adjusting to life with free agent addition LaMarcus Aldridge, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Green, who received a four-year, $40MM deal to stay in San Antonio, has seen his shooting percentage decline in the preseason as he tries to get used to a lineup with three post players. “Before, we did a lot of drive-and-kick,” Green said. “We can still do that, but I think a lot of my looks are going to come from double teams in the post.”
J.J. Barea, who signed a four-year, $16MM deal this summer, remains among the Mavericks‘ most popular players as he enters his 10th NBA season, according to Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW. Barea will still be an important part of the team, as coach Rick Carlisle has said that he plans to have roles for all four of his point guards. “I look back and think about going into my 10th season, and sometimes I wake up and can’t believe it,” Barea said. “I enjoy it to the max. I have more fun than anybody every day, and I just keep working.”

Southwest Notes: Jenkins, Splitter, Pelicans

October 16th, 2015 at 2:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

John Jenkins is the leading scorer for the Mavericks in the preseason so far, and while that’s in large measure because of the absence of some of the team’s key figures, he’s making a strong impression, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News details. Jenkins, who left the Hawks in free agency this summer three years after Atlanta picked him 23rd overall, just wishes he could have shown off his game sooner, Sefko relays.

“I put in the work for three years and felt I earned a chance in Atlanta,” Jenkins said. “But I didn’t get it. A lot of guys just need an opportunity. I wasn’t a first-round pick for nothing.”

Jenkins is one of 15 Mavs with a fully guaranteed salary for this season, so his place on the roster seems relatively secure, Sefko posits, even though four Dallas players have partial guarantees. See more from around the Southwest Division:

The Spurs were tense in between the time they agreed to trade Tiago Splitter to the Hawks for virtually nothing aside from the cap space necessary to sign LaMarcus Aldridge and the moment Aldridge agreed to sign with San Antonio, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News. “We didn’t know what the outcome would be,” coach/president Gregg Popovich said. “But we knew if we wanted to change the team and add talent, it’s something we had to do.”
The partial guarantee on Bo McCalebb‘s contract with the Pelicans is worth $50K, but it won’t kick in unless he sticks through October 27th, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). McCalebb is on a two-year, minimum-salary deal, Pincus also notes.
Jerome Jordan‘s deal with the Pelicans is a non-guaranteed arrangement for one year at the minimum, and the same is true of the pact between Mirza Begić and the team, which New Orleans abruptly waived earlier today, as Pincus also shows on his Basketball Insiders salary page.

Southeast Notes: Splitter, Hardaway, Richardson

October 15th, 2015 at 9:45am CST by Chuck Myron

Tiago Splitter knew that the Spurs were planning a major play in free agency and says he expected that he would be traded this past summer, observes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Sure enough, the Spurs sent him to the Hawks, and Splitter admits that leaving San Antonio was difficult to accept at first, as McDonald relays. Spurs coach/president Gregg Popovich struggled with the decision but is optimistic it’ll work out for all involved, notes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“It was very difficult,” Popovich said. “When someone is with you for a while you get close to the family. That’s the business side of the situation that shows its ugly head once in a while. If we wanted to add the talent that we added, you had to do something. You can’t pay everybody. Tiago being here in Atlanta is a perfect fit for both parties.”

The center says he’s since warmed to Atlanta, according to McDonald. See more on another player the Hawks brought in via trade this summer and other items from the Southeast Division:

The Hawks traded for Tim Hardaway Jr. because he offers a combination of upside and experience and because they needed a backup shooting guard behind Kyle Korver, Vivlamore writes in a separate piece. He’s following Korver’s lead as he adjusts to Atlanta’s offense, which is quite different from the triangle he played in last season with the Knicks, as Vivlamore details.
Justise Winslow isn’t the only Heat 2015 draftee making a strong impression in camp, as second-rounder Josh Richardson is showing his scoring touch and meshing with Justise Winslow, observes Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. The Heat were shocked when Richardson, whom they pegged as the 24th-best prospect in the draft, slipped to No. 40, Lieser notes. “He’s a very competitive two-way player and you just don’t see those types of guys that often that really want to take on the challenge defensively,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said of Richardson. “He’ll guard multiple positions and stick his nose in their for loose balls. And offensively, he’s got nice poise.”
Paul Pierce left a leadership void in Washington when he opted out of his Wizards contract and signed with the Clippers, and while trade acquisition Jared Dudley believes he can fill it in one regard, he likes John Wall‘s leadership by example so far, as J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic details.

Western Notes: Rondo, West, Nuggets

October 14th, 2015 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

It’s been barely two weeks since the start of training camp, but Kings coach George Karl has already had some run-ins with Rajon Rondo, the point guard said in a Q&A with Manny Vieites of Cowbell Kingdom (video link; scroll to 1:00 mark). Karl said this summer that he expected them to butt heads to some degree, notes Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk.

“It’s not been going too well,” Rondo said to Vieites. “We got into a couple of arguments the last couple of days, but hopefully we continue to talk and get better.”

It’s unclear what Rondo’s remark means for the Kings, but it’s not ideal, Grantland’s Zach Lowe observes (on Twitter). Rondo is signed for just one season, with a salary of $9.5MM. See more from the Western Conference:

The Spurs have a “mythological lure,” as David West put it in an interview with USA Today’s Sam Amick as he explained his decision to sign with San Antonio for the minimum salary. “I’ve been a Spurs fan my whole life, and having an opportunity and wanting to learn from [Tim] Duncan and Manu [Ginobili] and Tony [Parker] and obviously Coach [Gregg] Popovich and all his knowledge, I just felt like it was a good environment, and it was the best environment,” West said.
Erick Green appears to have shown enough during the offseason and training camp to convince the Nuggets to keep him, posits Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post as he takes a crack at predicting the Nuggets lineups. Denver has 15 fully guaranteed pacts while Green has just a $100K partial guarantee. Nick Johnson, who came via the Ty Lawson trade and who possesses the smallest full guarantee at just more than $845K, isn’t in Dempsey’s lineup predictions, so ostensibly he’d be the one to go.
Turmoil seems to stalk the Kings, and the moves they made this summer don’t bode well for the long term, but Sacramento still has as much of a chance at the last playoff spot in the Western Conference as any of their competitors, opines Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.

Western Notes: Odom, Lillard, Randolph, Davis

October 13th, 2015 at 10:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Damian Lillard downplayed any rumored issues between him and LaMarcus Aldridge, and denied that their relationship was part of the reason Aldridge decided to leave the Trail Blazers for the Spurs as an unrestricted free agent this summer, Paul Flannery of SB Nation writes. “Our relationship was fine,” Lillard said. “Me and LA never had an argument. People are searching for something that’s not there. When you have two All-Stars on the same team and one of them decides to leave, it’s automatically, ‘They didn’t get along.’ We had back-to-back 50-win seasons. We both made the All-Star team. We played through him and after that it was me and that was that. We played well together. We never had an issue.”

Portland executive Neil Olshey noted that the franchise sought Lillard’s approval before embarking on a full-rebuild and surrounding the point guard with a younger crop of players, Flannery adds in the same piece. “This was not done without Dame’s participation,” Olshey said. “If he was at all reticent, if he said it would be great if you could get me another vet to help out, we would have gone out and found a couple of other guys to take the pressure off of him. He’s not that kind of kid. He embraces it. He thrives on it.”

Here’s more from out West:

Former NBA player Lamar Odom was hospitalized after he was found unconscious earlier this evening at a Nevada brothel, Andrew Dalton and Sally Ho of The Associated Press report. The 35-year-old was stabilized and taken to Desert View Hospital in nearby Pahrump, a sheriff’s office statement said. There was no further word on Odom’s condition. Odom’s last NBA action came during the 2012/13 season with the Clippers.
Zach Randolph is prepared to do whatever it takes to help the Grizzlies win this season, including accepting a reduction in his minutes in order to preserve his energy and health, Teresa M. Walker of The Associated Press writes. “I think I’m still in my prime, and I’m going to let my game, the way I play, speak for itself,” Randolph said. “But I mean whatever I need to do to help this team, if it’s play less minutes, whatever, I’m with this team whatever we need to do.“
Blazers power forward Ed Davis has switched representation from Relativity Sports to IT Sports Management and agent Paolo Zamorano, Sam Amick of USA Today tweets. Davis inked a three-year, $20MM deal with Portland this offseason.
Dwight Howard has no desire to repeat the circus that accompanied his previous forays into free agency, and he intends to keep the focus on the Rockets‘ 2015/16 campaign, and not where he may be playing next season, Fran Blinebury of NBA.com writes. The big man can opt out of his current deal after the season and become an unrestricted free agent, Blinebury adds, and Howard believes that he can play for another 10 seasons. “Even though this will be my 12th season in the NBA, I still feel like I’ve got a lot left in me,” Howard said. “I believe my best 10 years are still in front of me, if we play it smart and I appreciate the coaching staff, the training staff and everybody for working toward that.“

Cavs Lead With 16 Free Agent Signings

October 12th, 2015 at 5:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers have drawn plenty of attention the past few months for a free agent they haven’t signed, but even though Tristan Thompson lingers in free agency, Cleveland has taken care of more free agent business than any other team in the league during the 2015 offseason. They signed 16 free agents, three more than the Spurs, the team that recorded the next most free agent signings. The Cavs just made their latest signing this weekend, replacing Michael Dunigan with Dionte Christmas on the camp roster.

It might be easy to presume a direct correlation between free agent activity and success, given the teams at the very top and bottom of the list below. The Cavs and Spurs are strong bets to win their respective conferences this season, while the Jazz, Timberwolves and Sixers are nowhere near the title picture. The presence of the Warriors and Thunder on the bottom half of the list and the Kings and Nets close to the top debunk that theory, however. It has more to do with the fact that the Cavs had only four players signed for 2015/16 when they ended last season, while the Jazz had 13. Cleveland simply had more jobs to hand out.

Still, other factors are at play, since free agent signings don’t encompass draft picks, draft-and-stash signings, trades or waiver claims. The Trail Blazers made significant changes to their roster, but they did much of their work via trade instead of free agency. The Rockets had 10 players under contract on July 1st, but they still wound up making 11 free agent signings.

Here’s a look at the number of free agent signings for each team. Click the team’s name to see the names of each of their signees via our 2015 Free Agent Tracker.