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Texas Notes: Mavs, Spurs, Mekel, Joseph

October 7th, 2013 at 9:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Last week, Rockets owner Leslie Alexander made it clear that Chandler Parsons is very much in the club’s plans for years to come. “He’ll be here. We’ll sign Chandler. We always do. Nobody’s ever left. He’s an integral part of the team. We don’t want to let a terrific player go,” the owner said. Here’s a look at tonight’s news on the Lone Star State’s other teams..

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was without Jose Calderon, Devin Harris, and Shane Larkin for tonight’s preseason game and had to turn to Israeli import Gal Mekel at point guard. Carlisle says that he’ll be looking to see if Mekel will sink or swim, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News.
Mekel also got some good-natured ribbing from owner Mark Cuban, tweets Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. “Is (Gal Mekel) starting tonight? Oh good. Good for him. I guess we don’t have anybody else left,’’ said the owner.
It’s not quite a make-or-break season for Spurs reserve guard Cory Joseph, but it is a critical one for his future in San Antonio, writes Dan McCarney of the Express News. There’s a strong possibility that the Spurs will exercise his fourth season option in the coming weeks, but the club would like to see him take a serious step forward this year.
New Mavericks guard Monta Ellis can score, pass, and rebound, but the real question is whether he can win, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.

Texas Notes: Parsons, Alexander, Mavericks

October 3rd, 2013 at 9:49pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Without a doubt, Chandler Parsons proved to be one of the most intriguing young talents in the NBA last season, averaging 15.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 3.5 APG while shooting .486/.385/.729 across the board. Not to mention that the 6'9 forward is set to earn around $925K this year and is entering the third season of a four-year contract in Houston. Any team with hopes of landing the precocious neophyte via free agency may not have that chance, as Rockets owner Leslie Alexander was clear about his long-term commitment to Parsons:

"He'll be here. We'll sign Chandler. We always do. Nobody's ever left. He's an integral part of the team. We don't want to let a terrific player go" (Mark Berman of FOX 26)

Here's more news and notes to pass along out of the Lone Star State tonight, including more from Berman:

The Rockets' interest in keeping Parsons around for a long time is clearly mutual, based on Parsons' reaction to Alexander's comments: "I know at the end of the day it's a business, but when you have someone's word like that and you're happy here and you got a good thing going, I don't see this changing. I want to be here. So it's a good match."
With a history that includes bringing in Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, and Tracy McGrady to Houston, Alexander says that Dwight Howard has been "most important acquisition."
Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW thinks it'll be a miracle if the Mavericks approach 50 wins this season, instead offering 44-45 wins as a more realistic number.
Though the Mavs have 15 players signed to guaranteed contracts, head coach Rick Carlisle took notice of training camp invitee Renaldo Balkman: "He avoids the catastrophic mistakes some younger guys tend to struggle with" (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram via Twitter).
In this video from Spurs.com, Manu Ginobili speaks to the media about holding training camp at the Air Force Academy, which just so happens to be head coach Gregg Popovich's alma mater.
In another clip from the Spurs' team website, Marco Belinelli briefly comments about camp and says that his experiences with coach Tom Thibodeau in Chicago has helped him adapt to coach Popovich's expectations thus far.

Spurs Notes: Leonard, Carter, 15th Man

October 1st, 2013 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

As Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and the Spurs prepare to begin defending their Western Conference title, let's round up a few items out of San Antonio….

The Spurs were "scared to death" when they traded George Hill for Kawhi Leonard in 2011, head coach Gregg Popovich tells Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld. However, Leonard has developed exactly as the team hoped, and Popovich expects the young forward to "take over as the star of the show as time goes on." As I noted earlier today, Leonard will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension a year from now, and a big season could push him into the max-contract conversation.
Veteran point guard Anthony Carter, who was with the Nuggets in camp a year ago, has been hired as an assistant coach by the Spurs' D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros, the team announced in a press release.
Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News takes a look at the players vying for the Spurs' final roster spot this month. With 14 players on guaranteed contracts, one of the other six camp invitees – Marcus Cousin, Courtney Fells, Myck Kabongo, Corey Maggette, Daniel Nwaelele, or Sam Young – should end up being the 15th man.

Eastern Notes: Kirilenko, Bucks, Collins, Magic

October 1st, 2013 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up a few Tuesday items out of the Eastern Conference….

In a column on the Nets' addition of Andrei Kirilenko, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report details the veteran forward's time on the open market, which initially saw him turn down overtures from the Nets. According to Zwerling, Kirilenko drew some interest from the Warriors and Spurs, and was in talks with three non-playoff teams for larger salaries before he reconsidered Brooklyn's mini mid-level offer.
Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel rounds up several comments from Bucks owner Herb Kohl about the possibility of a new arena in Milwaukee, the offseason roster overhaul, and his aversion to tanking.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein explains why Jason Collins isn't in camp with an NBA team, and identifies three clubs that could be fits for the big man once the season gets underway, including the Wizards and Nets.
Player development is the primary focus in Orlando, but Magic executives tell Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld that the team doesn't view developing young players and winning games as mutually exclusive.
Pistons rookie forward Tony Mitchell is probably headed for a D-League stint at some point this season, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

Odds & Ends: Brooks, Evans, Wallace, Clippers

September 30th, 2013 at 11:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

MarShon Brooks requested a trade from the Nets last spring, a source tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, and the team accomodated him, throwing him into the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster in place of Reggie Evans, who was in an early version of the deal. The result pleased Evans and Garnett, who said the Nets' decision to keep their rebounder extraordinaire was even more important than landing free agent Andrei Kirilenko. There's still more fallout from that Nets-Celtics trade as training camps open around the Association:

Gerald Wallace admits he was "in shock" when he found out Brooklyn traded him to the Celtics, but he's pleased to be in Boston and says he's OK with spending the twilight of his career on a team that isn't a title contender, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
Brandon Davies, whose contract is partially guaranteed for $50K, and Lou Amundson, who's on a non-guaranteed deal, are the Clippers training camp invitees most likely to make the opening-night roster, a source tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
The Clippers announced a number of front office moves today, and added Brendan O'Conner to the coaching staff, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (on Sulia).
Suns center Channing Frye missed all of 2012/13 with a heart ailment, but with training camp ushering in the final season of his contract, the sharpshooter has been medically cleared to play, as Matt Petersen of Suns.com details.
Manu Ginobili wasn't sure the Spurs wanted him back when he hit free agency this summer, but a brief meeting with GM R.C. Buford convinced the veteran swingman that the team still values him highly, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
John Salmons didn't enter the offseason expecting that he'd remain with the Kings, but he says team officials assured him over the summer that he's still in their plans, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee notes via Twitter.

Aldridge On Hollins, Del Negro, Monroe, Rosas

September 30th, 2013 at 8:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

TNT's David Aldridge, in his weekly column for NBA.com, caught up with a pair of coaches who find themselves out of work despite recent success. Former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins and ex-Clippers bench boss Vinny Del Negro both want to get back into coaching, but of the two, Hollins seems more upset over his dismissal.

"For me, it was just getting over, trying to digest what happened," Hollins said. "Like the beautiful girl when she was rejected, what did I do wrong? And when I analyzed it, I don't think I did anything wrong. I think they made a decision, and that was it. Now, whatever they may say, I don't think is what really [happened] behind the scenes. They wanted to hire somebody different."

Aldridge has more from Hollins, and he also passes along a few other tidbits from around the league, so let's dive in:

Hollins would have been willing to take a discount to stay with the Grizzlies. "The market out there was $4MM [per year] for four years," he told Aldridge. "And I could have lived with that if they had come to me and said, 'We can't pay this.' But they never offered me a contract. Ever. They didn't talk to me for 10 days. But none of that really matters. It's their team, their money, and they can do what they want."
It's "highly unlikely" that Greg Monroe will sign an extension with the Pistons before the October 31st deadline for him to do so, sources tell Aldridge. That's no surprise, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors has detailed.
The Spurs wanted to bring Gersson Rosas to their front office before the Mavs hired him as GM this summer, according to Aldridge. Rockets GM Daryl Morey, under whom Rosas worked as VP of basketball operations, credits Rosas as "the driving force" behind the success Houston has had with its D-League affiliate.

Spurs Add Three To Camp Roster

September 30th, 2013 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Spurs have finalized their roster for training camp, and there are three names on the list which hadn't previously been reported. According to Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News (via Twitter), Marcus Cousin, Courtney Fells, and Daniel Nwaelele will be with the club in camp.

Cousin, 26, went undrafted in 2009 and has played for multiple D-League and international teams since then, as well as appearing in four games for the Jazz in 2011. The 6'11" big man was the leading scorer for Japan's Kyoto Hannaryz last season, averaging 14.5 PPG and 9.7 RPG in 57 contests.

Fells played his college ball in 2009 and, like Cousin, has bounced around since then. He played in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem last season, and earned a spot on the Celtics' Summer League squad in July. As for Nwaelele, he was reportedly offered a contract by the Spurs back in 2007, but was still committed to service in the Air Force. The 6'5" guard finished his five-year commitment to the Air Force last year and joined the D-League's Santa Cruz Warriors for the 2012/13 season.

Josh Howard Seeking Camp Invite

September 28th, 2013 at 1:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Josh Howard's 2012/13 season was cut short after just 11 games when he suffered a torn ACL, becoming one of many Timberwolves to miss time due to injury last year. But Howard is looking to return to the NBA, and is hoping to land a camp invite before the preseason gets underway next week, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

We heard back in May that Howard was participating in a workout that included many veteran free agents represented by ASM Sports. There haven't been any reports on potential suitors for Howard since then, but Spears indicates that the veteran forward had "good workouts" for the Spurs and Rockets. It's not clear if either of those teams is interested in bringing him to camp, but it sounds as if he at least showed he was healthy.

Howard, 33, spent the first seven seasons of his NBA career with the Mavericks before stints in Washington, Utah, and Minnesota. He's extremely unlikely to replicate his Dallas numbers again, but he could be a useful piece coming off the bench on a minimum-salary deal, assuming he's back to 100% health.

Mickael Pietrus Seeking Guaranteed Deal

September 27th, 2013 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Nearly all of the NBA contracts being signed in the weeks leading up to training camp are non-guaranteed, but Mickael Pietrus is looking for more than a make-good deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. Charania reports that Pietrus turned down a camp invitation from the Spurs and continues to seek an offer that includes a guaranteed salary.

We heard earlier in September that Pietrus was working out for the Spurs, and it's no surprise that he received a camp invite, since the team seems to be bringing in veteran wings to compete for its final roster spot. Sam Young and Corey Maggette are among the players who will be in camp with the Spurs.

According to Charania, Pietrus has worked out for a few teams besides the Spurs, but presumably no other club was willing to offer a fully guaranteed contract either. There's something of a precedent here for Pietrus, who didn't participate in training camp last fall, and ultimately landed a guaranteed pact with the Raptors a month into the season. With word of a few injuries already beginning to trickle in, it's probably not a bad strategy for Pietrus and his reps to wait out the market for now, in the hopes that a desperate team will be willing to up its offer within the next few weeks.

Pietrus' 2012/13 season was cut short due in part to knee issues, which plagued him even when he did suit up. He appeared in 19 contests for Toronto, averaging career-lows in PPG (5.3), FG% (.347), and PER (6.0), among other categories. However, Charania says the French swingman has spent the offseason working out to regain his old form.

Myck Kabongo To Join Spurs For Camp

September 27th, 2013 at 12:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Undrafted rookie Myck Kabongo has reached an agreement with the Spurs and will attend camp with the team, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). According to Wojnarowski, Kabongo figures to ultimately end up with San Antonio's D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros.

Kabongo, 20, left Texas after his sophomore year, ranked among Chad Ford's top 50 prospects for 2013, and was getting buzz during draft week as a potential late first-round pick, so it was a little surprising when he wasn't selected on draft night. The Canadian point guard played for the Heat in Summer League action, and switched agents last month, leaving Rich Paul for Bill Duffy.

NBA teams are permitted to retain the D-League rights to three players that attend training camp and don't make the NBA roster, so it appears that Kabongo will be one of those players for the Spurs. He'll become the 17th player on a roster that includes 14 guaranteed contracts and camp invitees Sam Young and Corey Maggette.