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Western Notes: Ginobili, Gasol, Kings

October 14th, 2013 at 10:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

A Spurs intern lost Manu Ginobili‘s signed contract while traveling home from Buenos Aires, where the Argentinian swingman had inked the deal this summer, but Ginobili later signed a replacement copy when another Spurs staffer met up with him, as Jeré Longman of The New York Times reveals in a piece that examines San Antonio’s long history with international players. The Spurs may have suffered ill fortune in the Finals, but at least they don’t have to worry about what might have happened if the intern’s mistake had manifested into a change of heart for Ginobili. Here’s more from the West:

  • A report today indicated that Pau Gasol isn’t off-limits as the Lakers explore trade possibilities, but the team remains committed to the 33-year-old big man and views him as key figure this season, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
  • Kings coach Michael Malone expects the team to make its first round of camp cuts within the next couple of days, notes Bryan May of News 10 Sacramento (on Twitter). The team has 14 fully guaranteed contracts, as our roster counts show, meaning its remaining four players are likely battling for one opening-night roster spot.
  • The Lakers added a pair of assistants to their D-League coaching staff today, hiring Casey Owens and Thomas Scott, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
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Western Notes: Jazz, Gortat, Bogut, Ebanks

October 14th, 2013 at 1:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Trey Burke is set to have surgery on his broken right finger tomorrow, and Jody Genessy of the Deseret News hears from the rookie’s agent that the injury could sideline Burke for more than eight weeks. It’s bad news for the Jazz, who don’t have a ton of point guard depth, but the team isn’t rushing to find a replacement, and is still in info-gathering mode, according to Genessy (via Twitter).

One option that doesn’t appear to be on the table for Utah is bringing over second-round pick Raul Neto. According to GM Dennis Lindsey, via Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune, Neto’s team in Spain (Lagun Aro) is in a similar building process to the Jazz, so Utah wouldn’t try to lure away one of its best players (Twitter links).

Here’s more on the Jazz and a few other Western teams:

  • Luhm adds in another tweet that Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said today there are a couple of free agents who are looking for more than what the club is willing to pay.
  • Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic spoke to Marcin Gortat about entering a contract year and the possibility of remaining with the Suns long-term.
  • Andrew Bogut reiterated to Sam Amick of USA Today that he likes playing for the Warriors and wants to stay in Golden State beyond this season, but noted that Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry probably felt the same way before they signed elsewhere. In other words, Bogut hopes to remain with the Warriors, but recognizes anything could happen next summer in free agency.
  • On the heels of a report indicating Corey Maggette figures to retire if he’s waived by the Spurs, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld notes (via Twitter) that the veteran has long been interested in an executive job. Maggette participated in the NBPA’s Leadership Development Program, which prepares players for front office roles.
  • The NBA announced today that Devin Ebanks has been suspended two games for pleading nolo contendere to driving under the influence of alcohol. Ebanks is currently trying to earn a spot on the Mavericks‘ regular-season roster — he was already a long shot, but his suspension certainly doesn’t help his chances.
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Corey Maggette To Retire If Waived

October 13th, 2013 at 5:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

Corey Maggette is with the Spurs on a non-guaranteed camp deal, trying for what appears to be one open roster spot. If he doesn’t make it, his NBA career will end with this preseason, as he says he will retire if the Spurs cut him, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express News.

“If I could get an opportunity here, it would be great. If not, this game has been good to me,” Maggette said, according to McDonald (on Twitter).

Maggette says the Spurs were the only club to offer him a deal, and he acknowledged that his chances of making the opening night roster are slim, McDonald tweets. San Antonio has 19 players in camp and 14 of them are on fully guaranteed deals, leaving Maggette to battle Marcus Cousin, Courtney Fells, Myck Kabongo, and Daniel Nwaelele for the final spot, providing the Spurs elect to carry a full complement of 15 players.

Maggette has made more than $89MM in his career, according to Basketball-Reference, and even if he makes the Spurs, he wouldn’t add much to that on his minimum salary deal this season. The 33-year-old had considered retiring after last season to pursue a front office job, but he decided to make one more attempt at continuing his playing career. It appeared last spring that the Pistons, the team with which he spent 2012/13, had interest in bringing him back, but no deal with Detroit ever materialized.

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Odds & Ends: Nash, Spurs, Barbosa, Hawks

October 11th, 2013 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Let’s round up a few Friday odds and ends from around the Association….

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Camp Notes: Spurs, Hawks, Jones, Sixers

October 10th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Here’s a Thursday afternoon round-up of a few of the latest news and notes out of NBA training camps:

  • The Spurs have 14 players on guaranteed contracts, meaning a spot could be open for one of the team’s five remaining camp invitees. But Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link) expects the team to start the season with just those 14 players.
  • The Hawks‘ first round of roster cuts will come soon, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, who predicts they could happen as early as tomorrow. Undrafted rookie Adonis Thomas currently looks like the most likely player to be waived, says Vivlamore.
  • Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside looks at what’s next for Cameron Jones, after he was cut from camp by the Warriors. In Schlosser’s view, it should just be a matter of time before another NBA team takes a flier on the young guard.
  • While the Sixers will likely lose a lot of games this year, the team will benefit from getting a long, first-hand look at several young players, writes Michael Kaskey-Blomain at Philly.com. Many of those players are currently vying for roster spots and regular-season minutes, and if their development goes well, Philadelphia will have them under contract for several years, as I detailed this afternoon.
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Spurs Cut Sam Young

October 10th, 2013 at 12:57pm CST by Luke Adams

As one of a handful of teams still carrying the maximum 20 players allowed in the preseason, the Spurs will have to cut at least five players before opening night, and started today by waiving Sam Young, according to Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (via Twitter).

Young, 28, spent most of last season with the Pacers after playing for the Grizzlies and Sixers in his first three years in the NBA. The former second-round pick has seen a dip in his production and his playing time over the last couple seasons, but was familiar to Spurs fans for his role in the Grizzlies’ 2011 playoff upset of San Antonio, as he recently told Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

With Young reportedly no longer on the roster, Marcus Cousin, Courtney Fells, Myck Kabongo, Corey Maggette, and Daniel Nwaelele remain in the hunt for the final opening on the Spurs’ roster, assuming the team decides to start move forward with a full 15-man squad.

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Western Rumors: Kobe, Jazz, Bledsoe, Spurs

October 9th, 2013 at 7:24pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, Kobe Bryant addressed reporters at the Lakers‘ practice facility and fielded a number of queries, but wouldn’t answer the million dollar question.  “I didn’t say anything,” Bryant said when asked about a potential timetable for returning, according to Lakers.com. “I just keep it all open right now. I don’t’ know why you guys are so hell bent on timelines. When I’m ready, I’m ready.”  More out of the West…

  • The Jazz have to cut their roster down to 15 players before the start of the season, but there are no signs of that coming just yet, writes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.  There are 20 players on the roster currently, but Marvin Williams (Achilles’ heel) and Brandon Rush (knee) are recovering from surgeries.
  • Eric Bledsoe has matured since his rookie year and he’s ready to shine as a main player for the Suns, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.  Bledsoe came to Phoenix in the three-team deal with the Clippers and Bucks that sent J.J. Redick to L.A.
  • Spurs coach Gregg Popovich endorses European coaches making the transition over to the NBA, but Dan McCarney of the Express News wonders when that will become a reality.  Ettore Messina is among several qualified coaches waiting for their chance in the NBA, but the Italian doesn’t believe that offer will come anytime soon.
  • Former Mavericks forward and free agent Lamar Odom pleaded not guilty to DUI charges, according to the Associated Press.  Odom, who was said to be dealing with a drug problem and other issues, seems pretty far from another NBA run.
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Bulls Notes: Thibodeau, Forman, Pittman, James

October 8th, 2013 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ve heard for months about some potential discord between Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and the team’s front office, but Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports went into more detail over the weekend, as our Chuck Myron outlined on Sunday. On the heels of Wojnarowski’s report, vice president of basketball operations John Paxson took exception with the idea that the relationship between Thibodeau and GM Gar Forman was heading toward a boiling point.

“We’re so far past that,” Paxson told Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “To continue to try and keep it going, I don’t know what the agenda is…. If you’re really going to say something like that, then go on the record, be a man, put your name out there. Don’t hide behind that stuff. But from our perspective, from our seat, we’re doing great. The relationship is healthy.”

Here’s the rest of the latest out of Chicago:

  • While he acknowledged that the Bulls brass hasn’t always been on the same page when it comes to certain decisions, Paxson continued to downplay the idea that there’s any lingering disharmony: “No matter what you do in this business, when you’re making decisions, whether it’s based on personnel or anything like that, you’re going to have ideas, different opinions, and that’s what we do. We sit in a room and talk these things through. The thing is, right now we’re all on the same page, and there are no hidden agendas from Gar, myself and Tom.”
  • Within the same piece, Cowley cites a source who says there was some friction when Thibodeau assistant Ron Adams was let go. However, both Thibodeau and Forman “were over it in like a day,” according to the source.
  • Before he accepted a camp invite from the Bulls, Dexter Pittman received offers from the Hawks and Spurs, he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Pittman also spoke to Charania about his new offseason workout regime, and how he feels it’ll help his chances of earning a roster spot in Chicago.
  • Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com takes a look at veteran guard Mike James‘ quest to land a roster spot with the Bulls.
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Roster Battles: Spurs, Warriors, Heat, Sixers

October 8th, 2013 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have been searching for a backup small forward since releasing Stephen Jackson in the spring, and the team may have found its man in Sam Young. However, as Young competes for a roster spot in San Antonio, the veteran tells Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News that Spurs fans haven’t forgotten the role he played in the Grizzlies’ 2011 upset of the West’s No. 1 seed.

“That was one of the biggest moments in Grizzlies history, so when we beat them, a lot of Spurs fans were upset,” Young said. “When I got here, a couple people let me know on Twitter; a lot of people let me know on Facebook. Even a couple coaches talked about it, but it’s cool. They’ve embraced me.”

Here’s the latest on a few more players hoping to earn roster spots around the NBA:

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Lowe On Spurs, Randolph, Rockets, Raps, Cavs

October 8th, 2013 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Zach Lowe’s latest piece for Grantland is a lengthy one, as he breaks down all 30 NBA teams by tiers heading into the 2013/14 season. Amidst his evaluations of each club, Lowe also includes several tidbits related to teams’ trade options and cap situations. The entire piece is worth checking out, if only to see where your favorite team lands, but we’ll round up a few of the more interesting notes right here:

  • While the Spurs didn’t shake up the roster much this offseason, they’re in good position to make an in-season trade if need be, says Lowe. San Antonio has a couple movable expiring contracts (Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner), as well as a number of prospects stashed overseas.
  • Lowe believes Zach Randolph will finish the year with the Grizzlies, but notes that Memphis’ front office is willing to make bold moves and probably recognizes that Randolph’s trade value will be highest this season.
  • The Rockets are a a “very strong bet” to make a trade or two during the season.
  • Both the Wizards and Pistons are among the candidates to make an in-season panic trade, due to increasing pressure to make the playoffs. However, Detroit may not have a ton of appealing trade bait unless the club is willing to dangle Greg Monroe, according to Lowe.
  • With Kyle Lowry and Rudy Gay both potentially entering contract years, the Raptors could end up being deadline sellers if they get reasonable offers and aren’t in position to reach the postseason.
  • Although they have plenty of assets of value, the Cavaliers‘ trade options will be somewhat limited if they intend to keep their books clean in the hopes of landing LeBron James next summer.
  • Moving even one mid-tier salary during the season could create “serious cap flexibility” for the Kings.
  • The Sixers figure to gauge the market value for veterans Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young before the deadline.
  • While a Rajon Rondo trade isn’t entirely out of the question, it’s much more likely that the Celtics attempt to move players like Courtney Lee, Brandon Bass, and Kris Humphries, writes Lowe.
  • In Lowe’s view, “everyone is available” on the Suns, except for perhaps Eric Bledsoe and the team’s rookies.
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