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Kyler On Warriors, Bucks, Ilyasova, Spurs

September 10th, 2013 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

The tenth and final installment of Steve Kyler's series on trade scenarios to watch was published today on HoopsWorld, focusing on the Warriors, Bucks, and Spurs. Let's dive in and round up the highlights….

With the expiring contract of Andrew Bogut and plenty of players on rookie deals, the Warriors have plenty of options should they decide they need to make a big splash at 2014's trade deadline, writes Kyler. However, Golden State is very high on its current roster, so it's more likely that the club tries to use one or two of its trade exceptions to supplement the present core.
The Bucks are in good position to trade frontcourt depth during the season, once new head coach Larry Drew sorts out roles and minutes for the team's big men.
Sources tell Kyler that virtually every team in the NBA has inquired about Ersan Ilyasova at some point this offseason. Ilyasova struggled at times last season in the first year of a long-term contract, but is still viewed as a good value. If Larry Sanders and John Henson emerge as the Bucks' go-to frontcourt pairing, don't be surprised if Ilyasova is dangled before the trade deadline, says Kyler.
The Spurs' offseason saw the team bring back players like Tiago Splitter and Manu Ginobili on multiyear deals, rather than clearing cap space and shopping in free agency. That's a sign that San Antonio is comfortable with its present core, making it unlikely that they'll get too involved in the trade market. Expiring contracts like Boris Diaw's and Matt Bonner's could be shopped, but those guys probably have more value to the Spurs than as trade chips.

Odds & Ends: Spurs, Sixers, Suns, Mekel

September 8th, 2013 at 9:46pm CST by Zachary Links

No team in NBA history has seen their 15th man have a significant impact on their season and the Spurs aren't likely to be the first, writes Dan McCarney of Spurs Nation. However, the fact that the Spurs are thinking about point guard Mike Bibby and Sebastian Telfair might say something about their concerns over the aging Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. Here's more from around the Association..

The 76ers are considering a number of free agent point guards including Rodrigue Beaubois, Chris Duhon, and Daniel Gibson, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (on Twitter).
New Suns GM Ryan McDonough is eager to rebuild in Phoenix, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. McDonough moved or released five of the team’s top nine scorers from last season with an eye on the bigger picture. “Walking in there, the main thing I wanted to do is upgrade the talent,” said McDonough. “And do it in a fashion that was sustainable for the long term. I didn’t want to try to take any shortcuts or try any quick fixes.”
Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype caught up with new Mavs point guard Gel Mekel. Mekel said that he chose Dallas over three other NBA clubs because he believed that Dallas sees him as a long-term piece.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if financial security would make the D-League more desirable for players.
Based on an early best estimate, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld looks at the teams that will be in position to go shopping during the free agent bonanza of next summer.

Odds & Ends: Hamilton, LeBron, Durant, Knicks

September 7th, 2013 at 12:16pm CST by Zachary Links

With the offseason winding down, most of the summer's impact free agents are off the board with deals in the NBA and, occasionally, overseas. However, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld identified five free agents still out there that can contribute to a team in 2013/14. Richard Hamilton who was waived by the Bulls in July for financial reasons, leads the list of free agents. Tyrus Thomas, Rodrigue Beaubois, Jamaal Tinsley, and Sebastian Telfair also earned mentions as players that can make a difference this season. Here's more from around the Association..

Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req'd) runs down a host of arguments for why the NBA should eliminate the max contract. One major reason is that players like LeBron James are probably worth more than the top deal allowable by the collective bargaining agreement. By capping the type of deal that James can fetch, it unfairly distributes the wealth to lower-level players.
In an interview with Italy's Gazzetta TV (video link), Thunder star Kevin Durant says that he would have liked to see Oklahoma City add guard Marco Belinelli this summer. The sharpshooter wound up signing a two-year deal with the Spurs this offseason.
The Knicks knew they were taking a risk when they re-signed J.R. Smith to a lucrative three-year pact this offseason, argues Marc Berman of the New York Post. A slight majority of Hoops Rumors readers say Smith's three-year, $17.95MM deal wasn't a good move for the Knicks.
Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld looks at six players on the comeback trail this season, including Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo, and, of course, Derrick Rose.

International Notes: Richards, Marshall, Caracter

September 4th, 2013 at 8:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

Just as the NBA's free agent frenzy is largely behind us, most significant international signings have already taken place as well. Still, there are a few players and teams making news overseas, and Mark Porcaro of Secret Rival has the latest:

Spurs "draft-and-stash" player Ryan Richards has signed to play for Al Nasr Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Porcaro tweets. San Antonio retains the British-born forward/center's NBA rights should he come stateside at some point.
Zeke Marshall played for the Sixers in summer league after going undrafted this June, but he'll be headed overseas for the season. He's joining Slask Wroclaw of Poland, which released Derrick Caracter just a week or so after finalizing a deal with the former Lakers big man (Twitter link). Caracter's knee and shoulder issues prompted the team to cut ties, according to Porcaro.
Julian Wright was a lottery pick in 2007, but he hasn't played in the NBA since 2010/11, and it looks like a return to the Association isn't in the cards right now. He's signed with Krasnye Krylya in Russia (Twitter link).

Mike Bibby, Mickael Pietrus Working Out For Spurs

September 3rd, 2013 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA point guard Mike Bibby is participating in a Spurs mini-camp this week, auditioning for a chance at a contract or camp invite, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Zwerling adds that Mickael Pietrus will also be among the players working out for the Spurs (Twitter links).

It seems the Spurs have yet to start extending camp invites to roster hopefuls. As our page of roster counts shows, the club currently has 14 players under contract, all on guaranteed deals. Teams can carry up to 20 players up until opening night, so I'd expect San Antonio to add a few more players before camp opens.

Whether Bibby or Pietrus will earn one of those spots on the preseason roster remains to be seen. Bibby, 35, didn't appear in an NBA game last season, having last played for the Knicks in 2011/12. Pietrus signed a minimum-salary contract with the Raptors last season, but injury woes and a lack of production limited him to 19 games.

According to Zwerling, Pietrus may have more workouts lined up, but the Spurs appear to be Bibby's only potential suitor at this point.

Celtics, Lakers, Spurs Eyeing Sebastian Telfair?

September 3rd, 2013 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

Although he has been the subject of plenty of rumors and reports since free agency opened two months ago, Sebastian Telfair remains unsigned. The veteran point guard continues to draw interest from NBA teams though, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio, who tweets that the Celtics, Lakers, and Spurs may be in the mix.

It's not clear whether those clubs have just kicked the tires on Telfair, or whether their interest is more serious, but none of them have been cited so far this offseason as a potential suitor. Previously, the Knicks, Nets, Heat, and Thunder were mentioned as a few possible destinations for Telfair, though some of those teams have since signed other players.

Boston currently has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, plus Donte Greene and three camp invitees, so the C's may not have much room for Telfair. That goes for the Spurs as well, who seem to be well-stocked at point guard already, with Cory Joseph, Nando De Colo, and Patrick Mills capable of playing the point behind Tony Parker. As for the Lakers, they already have Steve Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Farmar under contract.

Telfair, 28, appeared in 59 games last season for the Suns and Raptors, averaging 5.6 PPG and 2.6 APG in 16.6 minutes per contest. His .362 FG% was a career-worst mark, but many of his other rates, including a 10.9 PER and .353 3PT%, were in line with, or better than, his career averages.

Odds & Ends: Telep, Jefferson, Griffin

September 1st, 2013 at 10:12pm CST by Zachary Links

The Spurs have always been about innovation in the front office and they made an out-of-the-box hiring today by hiring well-respected prep recruiting analyst Dave Telep, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Telep, who recently left a job at a cable TV outlet, will work in a scouting coordinator role for the NBA draft under GM R.C. Buford.

It's difficult to be excited about the offseason in the Southeast Division with the most exciting move being the Bobcats signing Al Jefferson to a hefty contract, writes CBSSports.com's Royce Young. However, there is a power shift with the Heat at the top and the Wizards and Bobcats are trending up a bit while the Hawks will probably take a step back.
Whether or not the Clippers can truly contend in 2013/14 depends on star forward Blake Griffin, opines Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
In his weekend mailbag, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star writes that Landry Fields, who signed a three-year, $18.75MM, deal with the Raptors last offseason, is slowly working to get his shot back while rehabbing his arm/elbow injury.

Cavs, Spurs To Audition Josh Childress

August 27th, 2013 at 5:41pm CST by Alex Lee

The Cavaliers and Spurs are the latest teams to schedule workouts for Josh Childress, agent Chris Emens tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com (Twitter link). Despite the confirmation of the workout, Childress is one of 40 or more players that Cleveland will audition next month as training camp approaches, tweets Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer, so the team may not be especially interested.

Childress has already worked out for the Pelicans and been linked to the Knicks this offseason. He also reportedly turned down a lucrative offer from Greek powerhouse Olympiacos earlier this summer, instead opting to try to latch on with an NBA team. Childress, 30, spent two seasons overseas with Olympiacos but has yet to re-establish himself in the NBA since returning in 2010 with the Suns. It sounds like Childress has a handful of suitors, but as Schmitt Boyer cautions, it is tough to evaluate if he can land an NBA job until we figure out where he will spend training camp.

Odds & Ends: Ivey, Cavs, Fredette, Lakers, Draft

August 24th, 2013 at 3:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former second-round pick Royal Ivey has never scored more than 5.6 points per game in the NBA, nor has he averaged as many as 20 minutes a night. Still, the 6'3" combo guard has consistently found work in the league, as he's spent the entirety of the last nine seasons on an NBA roster. He's unsigned this summer, but it looks like he'll have a chance to make it an even 10 years in the Association. Ivey will soon work out for the Hawks and Spurs, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. Here's more on a few others looking to stick around the NBA awhile:

It was Carrick Felix's performance over the summer that prompted the Cavs to give the 33rd overall pick a slight bump in his first-year salary, the Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto writes. Pluto refers to the contract as a four-year deal, as it was originally reported to be, but Mark Deeks of ShamSports and HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus have it as a three-year pact.
Pluto has heard renewed chatter linking the Cavs to Jimmer Fredette. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported in early July that the Kings were dangling Fredette and Chuck Hayes in discussions with the Cleveland, but Pluto says the Cavs haven't spoken to Sacramento in more than a month.
The deal Elias Harris signed with the Lakers isn't fully guaranteed, but he seems a strong bet to make the team, since he's one of only 12 players under contract. Lakers assistant Mark Madsen shares his thoughts on the undrafted Gonzaga power forward with Mike Trudell of Lakers.com.
HoopsWorld's Yannis Koutroupis checks in with a ranking of the top 40 prospects for the vaunted 2014 draft, and names 20 others who could hear their names called next June.
This week's trade for Tony Wroten is further indication that the Sixers are all-in on player development, opines Michael Kaskey-Blomain of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Western Notes: Ginobili, Beasley, Hansen, Blair

August 21st, 2013 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's check out a few Wednesday items from around the Western Conference….

J. Gomez of SBNation's Pounding the Rock passes along and translates an interview Argentinian newspaper La Nación conducted with Manu Ginobili, which includes plenty of questions about retirement. According to Ginobili, frustration with health issues had him considering retirement this year, but once he improved physically, he realized he wanted to keep playing. The 36-year-old signed a new two-year deal with the Spurs last month.
The Suns have yet to publicly reveal their plans for Michael Beasley after the troubled forward's recent arrest, as Bob Young of the Arizona Republic writes. Young rightly points out that if the Suns plan to release Beasley, they have until September 1st to take advantage of the stretch provision, which would allow the team to stretch the cap hit over several seasons.
Chris Hansen's $100K donation to an anti-Kings-arena effort derails his credibility, but doesn't necessarily ruin Seattle's chances of receiving an expansion team in the next few years, says Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
Wilson Chandler is looking forward to reuniting with former Knicks teammate Nate Robinson in Denver, as Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com details.
DeJuan Blair is motivated and expects to make a difference in his first year with the Mavericks, according to Bryan Gutierrez of ESPNDallas.com.