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James Anderson Close To Deal With NBA Team

December 29th, 2012 at 4:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

James Anderson is nearing an agreement with an NBA team other than the Wolves, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Minnesota passed on Anderson after bringing him in Wednesday for a workout, Wolfson said. Anderson was reportedly set to sign in the D-League with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as of two days ago.

Anderson, who spent his first two seasons in the NBA with the Spurs, was in training camp with the Hawks and re-signed with the Spurs in November after Atlanta waived him prior to the start of the regular season. The Spurs let him go last week when injured Kawhi Leonard returned to the lineup.

San Antonio took Anderson with the 20th overall pick in 2010, but declined the third-year option on his rookie deal before the start of the 2011/12 season, making him an unrestricted free agent this past summer. The 6'6" swingman has averaged 6.7 points in 11.3 minutes per game over his NBA career.

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Spurs To Activate Leonard, Release Anderson

December 20th, 2012 at 2:45pm CST by Sean Highkin

The San Antonio Spurs plan to activate forward Kawhi Leonard, who missed the past five weeks of action, Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter). In order to clear a roster spot for Leonard, the team has waived forward James Anderson, reports Wojnarowski. Leonard is expected to play for the Spurs on Friday against the Hornets.

Leonard missed five weeks with tightness in his left knee and quadriceps. His return appeared to be getting closer when he was recently sent down to the team's D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros, for a rehab assignment. He will be called up from the D-League and rejoin the Spurs on Friday.

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Atlantic Notes: Nets, Bradley, Collins, Copeland

December 20th, 2012 at 11:18am CST by Chuck Myron

Dave D'Alessandro of the Newark Star-Ledger takes Deron Williams to task for his recent criticism of the Nets offense, believing that if Williams has issues with coach Avery Johnson just as he did with longtime Jazz boss Jerry Sloan, the problem lies with the player, not the coaches. Nonetheless, Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News questions whether Johnson can keep his job amid the signs of friction with Williams and the team's slump. The Brooklyn honeymoon appears to have ended for the 13-12 Nets, and here's more on a few of their Atlantic Division rivals.

Earlier updates:

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D-League Moves: Perry Jones III, Liggins, Knicks

December 19th, 2012 at 4:57pm CST by Zachary Links

We'll be keeping track of all of today's D-League comings and goings in this post. To keep up with the latest assignments and recalls, check out Hoops Rumors' 2012/13 list right here.

  • The Thunder announced they've assigned Perry Jones III and DeAndre Liggins to the Tulsa 66ers. It's the second time they've each been sent down. Liggins has averaged 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in three games for Tulsa, while Jones has put up a total of 23 points and seven rebounds in his two D-League contests.  
  • Forwards Chris Copeland and James White have returned to the Knicks after being assigned yesterday to the D-League's Erie BayHawks, the BayHawks announced via Twitter (hat tip to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside). Their return was expected when they were sent down, along with Amare Stoudemire, to practice with the BayHawks. Erie is in the midst of a four-day layoff, so none of the Knicks assignees saw game action. 
  • The Pistons have brought back Khris Middleton and Kim English from the D-League, according to James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press. Both rookies were sent down to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants a week ago. They were in the starting lineup for three games with Fort Wayne, with English putting up 18.0 points, 5.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds per contest, while Middleton posted averages of 11.0 points and 7.7 boards. Neither of them, both second-round picks this past June, have seen significant minutes for the big club in Detroit.
  • The Spurs announced that they have assigned Kawhi Leonard to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League for a medical rehab assignment.  Leonard has been sidelined with quadriceps tendinitis in his left knee since November 17th. Prior to the injury, Leonard appeared in nine games for the Spurs, averaging 10.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 2.0 SPG in 28.9 minutes.  Team doctors will determine a timeline for Leonard's return after he practices with the Toros.  
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Odds & Ends: Billups, Pistons, Aldridge, Blazers

December 18th, 2012 at 12:03pm CST by Zachary Links

Clippers guard Chauncey Billups says that he would like to keep playing for a few more years and won't rule out a return to the Pistons, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.  "You never say never to any situation. I got nothing but great memories about here and winning, and this building was on fire. I would like for my memories to stay like that," said the 36-year-old.  Here's more from around the Association..

  • The Blazers have said repeatedly that big man LaMarcus Aldridge will be the cornerstone of the franchise for years to come, but Aldridge doesn't see himself as "untouchable", writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.  Aldridge is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2014-15 season. 
  • The Hawks made a bold move this summer when they traded franchise player Joe Johnson to the Nets in an effort to improve their depth.  The Lakers might want to take a page out of their book, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
  • The Timberwolves may have an abundance of point guards after Ricky Rubio's return, but Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't see the Heat pursuing them as they want to avoid taking on long-term money.  Luke Ridnour will make $4.3MM next season, while J.J. Barea has two additional seasons at more than $9MM total.
  • Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld looks at five underrated members of the rookie class, including Nando De Colo of the Spurs and Pablo Prigioni of the Knicks.
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D-League Moves: Selby, Wroten, Plumlee, Joseph

December 17th, 2012 at 12:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

We'll keep track of all the day's D-League comings and goings with this post. Catch up on all the season's D-League movement with our roundup here.

  • The Grizzlies have assigned Josh Selby to the Reno Big Horns and recalled Tony Wroten from the team, Memphis announced in a press release. Selby has seen only 15 minutes of action in five games with the Grizzlies, while Wroten, a rookie, has logged even more scant playing time — eight total minutes in three games.
  • Miles Plumlee is back in the NBA after the Pacers recalled him from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced via Twitter. The 6'10" Plumlee, the 26th pick in the draft this year, has appeared in just four games for a total of 16 minutes, and has been passed over in the team's big man mix in favor of Jeff Pendergraph, among others.
  • The Spurs have assigned Cory Joseph to the Austin Toros for the third time this season, the team announced. Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News noted via Twitter a few minutes prior to the announcement that the team planned to send the second-year guard down so he can get some playing time. He's logged 65 total minutes over nine games for the Thunder this season, averaging 2.1 points and 1.4 assists per game.
  • The Thunder have brought back Jeremy Lamb and Daniel Orton from their D-League assignments, the team announced via Twitter (hat tip to John Rohde of The Oklahoman). They were sent down on Friday, and both appeared in back-to-back games for the Tulsa 66ers this weekend. Lamb notched 24 and 26 points, respectively, in the two outings while Orton averaged 12.0 points and 7.0 rebounds in the pair of D-League contests. Oklahoma City has made liberal use of relaxed D-League assignment rules this season, as this represents the third time both Lamb and Orton have been sent down and recalled this year. 
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Kyler On Varejao, Spurs, Gordon, Calderon

December 17th, 2012 at 11:32am CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler took to Twitter to reveal the career-threatening nature of Al Harrington's staph infection, and he also let loose with plenty of trade rumors along the way. We'll round up the juiciest tidbits here (all links via Twitter).

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Southwest Notes: Wallace, Hollinger, Ross

December 14th, 2012 at 10:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

While previous reports have indicated that GM Chris Wallace's role with the Grizzlies wouldn't change after the hiring of John Hollinger and Stu Lash, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports that Wallace, Hollinger and Lash are expected to have equal input with CEO Jason Levien, who'll have final say on basketball matters. While Wallace expressed a willingness to work in the new environment, Tillery wonders if this might signal the end of Wallace's tenure in Memphis, writing that "only time will tell" how long he stays on board. Here's more on the Grizzlies front office and other news from the Southwest Division.

  • Tillery notes the Grizzlies hiring of Hollinger isn't the first time the team has employed an analytics specialist in the front office. Aaron Barzilai, who's now with the Sixers, worked for the Grizzlies as a consultant for several years.
  • Beckley Mason of The New York Times wonders if the Spurs have been sitting Matt Bonner, with whom they're more efficient than when he's not on the floor, to give more minutes to DeJuan Blair in an effort to showcase Blair for a trade.
  • The Mavericks had interest in Terrence Ross before the Raptors took him eighth overall this June, reveals Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (Twitter link). The Mavs held the 17th pick in the draft before trading it to the Cavaliers, so that means they were either thinking of trading up or believed Ross might slip out of the lottery.
  • Chandler Parsons was a steal for the Rockets in the second round of the 2011 draft, but the 6'9" small forward was convinced he was headed elsewhere, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle details. "I thought I was going to go to the Celtics, 100 percent," Parsons said. "That was probably my best workout. I killed it." 
  • We went in-depth on the summer moves made by the Mavs and Hornets today as part of the Hoops Rumors Offseason in Review series.
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Offseason In Review: San Antonio Spurs

December 12th, 2012 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team's offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees, and more will be covered, as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

Trades and Claims

  • None

Draft Picks

  • Marcus Denmon (Round 2, 59th overall). Will play overseas.

Camp Invitees

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

When the NBA returned from its lockout a year ago, much was made of the fact that teams would miss out on the usual training camps. With only a couple weeks between the free agent period and the beginning of the regular season, clubs that were undergoing major overhauls would barely have any time to develop chemistry before the season was underway. As such, teams that stayed relatively intact were considered to be ahead of the game, with the lengthy layoff and abridged preseason viewed as less of a handicap for players who had a history together.

While the 2011/12 season may not have followed precisely that template across the league, the rule certainly seemed true in the case of the Spurs, led as always by Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker. San Antonio, having been written off as too old by more than one pundit entering the season, cruised to the best record in the Western Conference for a second straight season. Were it not for a torrid stretch of shooting by the Thunder in the West Finals, it's not out of the question that LeBron James and Miami's Big Three could still be searching for their first title together.

Although the Spurs fell short of a championship last season, the team seemed to approach the offseason with the same attitude that prevailed following the lockout — the fewer changes, the better. The Spurs were the only team in the NBA that didn't add a player via trade or waiver claim, and the majority of their moves in free agency simply involved re-signing their own players.

San Antonio had the least roster turnover of any of the Association's 30 teams, with Nando De Colo representing the club's lone addition, while only Derrick Byars and James Anderson were missing from last year's roster. Not only that, but a few weeks into the season, Anderson was already back in the fold, having been signed to a non-guaranteed deal to provide depth with Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson out of action.

Even the NBA's elite teams are always looking for ways to improve, with the defending champion Heat adding outside shooters like Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis over the summer. So what are we to make of the Spurs' relative stasis? Well, for one, players like Boris Diaw and Patty Mills were mid-season additions last year. With more time under their belts in San Antonio, they figure to only gain a better understanding of their respective roles with the Spurs.

Additionally, for all the talk about how "old" the Spurs are, the team has a pair of intriguing young players in Leonard and Danny Green. With Leonard only in the second year of his rookie deal and Green re-signed to an affordable three-year contract, San Antonio should expect improvements and increased contributions from both players, particularly on defense, where Green has exhibited the ability to be a lockdown defender on wing scorers.

Of course, without Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker, the Spurs wouldn't be in position to virtually stand pat with the current roster and still hope to contend for a title. Duncan took a significant pay cut this summer, and will earn $10MM annually over the life of his new deal, rather than the $21MM+ salary he was making in 2011/12. Such a cut makes sense for a player approaching the end of his career, but the Spurs clearly believe that the future Hall of Famer has plenty left in him, committing to a three-year contract. At 36 and 35 respectively, Duncan and Ginobili are probably a few years removed from their primes, but given how many players we've seen be effective into their late-30s, the Spurs' title window certainly remains open for now.

It's not easy to enthusiastically praise an offseason that consists of so few moves. But at the same time, it's hard to argue that the Spurs made any mistakes in essentially retaining the same team that was on a 20-game winning streak and two games from the NBA Finals when the Thunder's shooters caught fire last year. By bringing back the same players that took them deep into the playoffs last year, the Spurs are betting on the power of continuity, and hoping a few more bounces go their way when they return to the postseason in 2013.

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Spurs Unwilling To Pay Luxury Tax In 2012/13

December 12th, 2012 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

James Anderson has impressed so far with the Spurs, but whether or not the team keeps him and guarantees his contract for the season may depend on how close San Antonio is willing to get to the luxury tax threshold, according to Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News. Head coach Gregg Popovich tells Monroe that the Spurs are committed to staying out of tax territory this season, which could have an effect on the team's roster moves going forward.

"It's also a business," Popovich said, after praising Anderson and saying there was a chance he could stick in San Antonio all season. "So you’ve got to look at the money end of it, taxes and how close we are, because we’re not going to pay tax. We’re not going to do that."

According to ShamSports (link currently down), the Spurs' team salary was at $69,157,865 prior to Anderson's signing. Depending on how long Anderson remains on the roster, the team will take a cap hit worth a pro-rated portion of the veteran's minimum ($854,389). Keeping Anderson on the roster until season's end would take team salary close to $70MM, which wouldn't give the club much breathing room under the tax line ($70,307,000).

While it's possible for the Spurs to keep Anderson all year without going into the tax, it would likely prevent them from making subsequent moves later in the season. More signings, including 10-day contracts, would be difficult to maneuver, and the team would have to avoid taking on salary in any trades. As such, it's more likely that the Spurs will release Anderson prior to January 10th, when all contracts become fully guaranteed. That would give the team a little more flexibility beneath the tax line, and free up a roster spot to use later in the season. Additionally, if Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson come back healthy, Anderson doesn't figure to be a part of San Antonio's regular rotation anyway.

The Spurs paid about $2.5MM in taxes for last season's roster, but likely want to avoid being over the threshold for consecutive seasons, given the more punitive penalties on the way for repeat taxpayers.

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