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The NBA’s 2013/14 regular season and preseason schedules were announced earlier this month, but for our purposes at Hoops Rumors, the dates that were unveiled by the league today are more noteworthy (hat tip to Hardwood Paroxysm). Here’s a list of a few of the more important days on the NBA’s 2013/14 calendar, including ones announced today and ones we already knew about:

August 31: Last day for teams to release players using the stretch provision.

September 6: Second-round draft picks become free agents if not tendered a contract offer.
September 27: Media day for teams playing preseason games overseas.
September 30: Media day for the rest of the NBA’s teams.

October 28: Last day of the offseason. Roster size reduced to 15-player maximum (from 20). Last day to make sign-and-trade transactions, and last day to waive non-guaranteed summer contracts.
October 31: Last day rookie scale contracts can be extended, and last day option years on rookie contracts for the 2014/15 season can be exercised.

December 15: Most players who signed new contracts this offseason (on or before September 15th) can be traded as of this date.

January 6: Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts.
January 10: Players still on non-guaranteed contracts have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the season. Players must clear waivers by this date to avoid having their deals guaranteed.
January 15: Players with Bird or Early Bird rights who re-signed with their own over-the-cap team (on or before October 15th) and received at least a 20% raise can be traded as of this date. For instance, Tiago Splitter would be eligible to be dealt as of January 15th, rather than December 15th.

February 14-16: All-Star weekend in New Orleans.
February 20: Trade deadline.

March 1: Players released after this date are ineligible for the postseason if they sign with a new team.

April 16: Last day of regular season. Last day players can sign contracts for 2013/14. Luxury tax figures are determined using team salary on this day.

May 20: Draft lottery.

June 26: 2014 NBA draft.

Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

With plenty of potentially productive free agents still unsigned and a number of extension candidates in talks on new deals, there should be a number of notable stories to follow on Hoops Rumors before opening night. There are a handful of different ways you can follow us to keep tabs on the latest NBA news and rumors this summer and throughout the year.

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If you prefer to receive updates only on roster moves such as signings, cuts, and trades, you can follow our transactions-only feeds via RSS and Twitter.

If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out Hoops Rumors' 2013 Free Agent Tracker. Using our tracker, you can quickly browse the offseason's contract agreements, sorting by team, position, contract length, total salary, and a handful of other variables.

For instance, if you want to see all the Clippers' summer signings, you can sort by team and find all of the club's free agent additions listed here. If you're curious to see how many players signed contracts of four years or more, you can sort by contract length and bring up that list right here.

A few additional notes on the tracker:

• Not all of the agreements listed in the tracker are finalized yet. As signings become official, we'll continue to update and modify the data as needed. This also means that many of the dollar figures listed in the tracker won't be 100% accurate yet.
• Contract amounts aren't necessarily fully guaranteed, and are based on what's been reported to date.
• Training-camp invites will be included in the tracker. At this point, most teams haven't announced any camp invitees yet, so we'll do our best to determine which players are receiving actual NBA contracts and which guys are just receiving so-called "summer contracts." Summer contracts will be marked with a † symbol.

Our Free Agent Tracker can be found anytime on the right sidebar under "Hoops Rumors Features" or at the top of the page in the "Tools" menu. It will be updated throughout the offseason, so be sure to check back for the latest info. If you have any corrections, please let us know right here.

Here are a few Thursday afternoon items from around the Western Conference:

• After Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweeted last night that former Northeastern guard Matt Janning would work out for the Timberwolves, Shams Charania of RealGM.com confirmed (via Twitter) that the workout happened today. While he could receive a camp invite from the Wolves (Twitter link via Wolfson), Janning has an agreement in place with a Croatian team, and Charania suggests he probably won't receive enough NBA interest to pull out of that deal.
• In a conversation with Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, J.J. Barea raved about the Timberwolves' offseason moves and expressed confidence about the team's 2013/14 season.
• In a piece for the Hollywood Reporter, Ric Bucher quotes Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss as saying Dwight Howard was "never really a Laker," and that D12 was "just passing through."
• Asked whether he expects Kobe Bryant to be a Laker three year from now, GM Mitch Kupchak replied, "If he can play at a high level, I don't see any reason why he wouldn't be" (Twitter link via Mark Willard of ESPN LA 710).
• After speaking to executives around the NBA, ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (Insider link) names Stephen Curry as one of his dark-horse MVP candidates for next season.

Over the last several weeks, we've been keeping tabs on the NBA contracts signed by this year's first- and second-round draft picks. Because first-rounders are subject to the NBA's rookie scale, typically there isn't much negotiation required, so most of 2013's top picks have been locked up. However, for second-rounders, the outlook is a little murkier. This year's late selections have signed for a wide variety of years and dollars with their respective NBA clubs or with teams overseas.

So far, 24 of this season's 30 first-round picks have signed with their NBA clubs, while one (Lucas Nogueira) is set to spend another year in Spain. These five first-rounders remain unsigned:

• Anthony Bennett, Cavaliers (1)
• Alex Len, Suns (5)
• Nerlens Noel, Sixers (6)
• Michael Carter-Williams, Sixers (11)
• Livio Jean-Charles, Spurs (28)

In some cases it makes sense that these players haven't signed yet. The Sixers, for instance, still have a significant chunk of cap space available, and can maximize that room by keeping Noel's and Carter-Williams' cap holds on the books, rather than their final salaries (which will likely be 20% higher). Philadelphia will eventually sign the two lottery picks, but for now the team continues to maintain as much flexibility as possible, should a trade opportunity arise.

As for Jean-Charles, he appears likely to play overseas in 2013/14, so it's not surprising that he hasn't signed with the Spurs. It's not entirely clear why Bennett and Len haven't signed yet, but like the aforementioned Sixers duo, it'll just be a matter of time.

Here are the second-rounders who have yet to sign and aren't confirmed to be spending 2013/14 overseas:

• Grant Jerrett, Thunder (40)
• Marko Todorovic, Rockets (45)
• Raul Neto, Jazz (47)
• Ryan Kelly, Lakers (48)
• Romero Osby, Magic (51)
• Lorenzo Brown, Timberwolves (52)
• Deshaun Thomas, Spurs (58)
• Janis Timma, Grizzlies (60)

None of these players are assured of NBA roster spots this year, and in fact, it looks like many of them will end up playing elsewhere. Todorovic will likely remain with FC Barcelona, the Jazz may not have a spot available for Neto, Thomas is reportedly close to signing in Spain, and there probably won't be room for Timma in Memphis, where the Grizzlies already have 17 players under contract.

Brown appears to be a good bet to participate in training camp with the Timberwolves, with a chance to earn the team's 15th roster spot, and the Magic may extend the same opportunity to Osby. In that case, the Wolves and Magic would lose Brown's and Osby's respective NBA rights if they don't make the teams' regular-season rosters.

For Jerrett, his NBA future figures to depend on how many of their non-guaranteed players the Thunder decide to retain for next season. The club only has 12 players on guaranteed contracts, but Hasheem Thabeet, Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins, and Ryan Gomes all have non-guaranteed deals. Meanwhile, we haven't heard much about Kelly and the Lakers, but L.A. should definitely have room for him, depending on what other moves the team makes this offseason.

Performance enhancing drugs are an ongoing problem in contemporary professional sports, and according to Adam Silver, the NBA's deputy commissioner, the league will look to combat such drugs as human growth hormone (HGH) with blood testing in the future, writes New York Post reporter Tim Bontemps. The league does not currently test for HGH.

As Major League Baseball continues to battle through its own ongoing Biogenesis scandal, Silver says that, as far as he's aware, the NBA doesn't have any players involved. But even though the NBA has the same penalty structure as baseball, the implementation of HGH testing can't happen until the NBA Player's Association hires a new executive director and names a new president, something they're still in the process of completing. 

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Back in June, I compiled a list of the longest-tenured head coaches in the NBA, a collection of names that seems somewhat comical just a couple months later. Since then, the league's second- and third-longest-tenured coaches (Doc Rivers and George Karl) have been replaced, as has No. 7 (Lionel Hollins).

The 2013 offseason involved a flurry of head coaching movement that ultimately saw nearly half of the league's teams make changes. 13 clubs will start the 2013/14 with a new head coach, and there's no guarantee that many of the other 17 are safe in the long-term either. Here's a breakdown of the current statuses of the NBA's 30 head coaches:

New hires:

• Atlanta Hawks: Mike Budenholzer
• Boston Celtics: Brad Stevens
• Brooklyn Nets: Jason Kidd
  
• Charlotte Bobcats: Steve Clifford
• Cleveland Cavaliers: Mike Brown
• Denver Nuggets: Brian Shaw
  
• Detroit Pistons: Maurice Cheeks
• Los Angeles Clippers: Doc Rivers
• Memphis Grizzlies: Dave Joerger
• Milwaukee Bucks: Larry Drew
• Philadelphia 76ers: Brett Brown
• Phoenix Suns: Jeff Hornacek
  
• Sacramento Kings: Michael Malone

Firmly entrenched:

• Chicago Bulls: Tom Thibodeau. Thibodeau and Bulls ownership haven't always seen eye to eye, but the two sides agreed to a lucrative four-year extension for the former Coach of the Year last fall, so Thibodeau should remain on Chicago's bench for the foreseeable future.
• Dallas Mavericks: Rick Carlisle. The Mavs inked Carlisle to a long-term extension last year that should keep him under contract through at least 2016.
• Golden State Warriors: Mark Jackson. Earlier this offseason, the Warriors picked up Jackson's option for 2014/15, meaning he's locked up for two more seasons. Owner Joe Lacob has also said he envisions Jackson as the team's long-term coach.
• Houston Rockets: Kevin McHale. With Dwight Howard having signed with the Rockets, McHale figures to play a key role in ensuring D12 excels in Houston. McHale still has two years remaining on his contract, and owner Leslie Alexander has said his head coach is "not going anywhere."
• Indiana Pacers: Frank Vogel. Vogel's Pacers arguably overachieved in 2012/13, coming within a single win of the NBA Finals. Indiana locked its head coach up earlier this year to a deal that runs through 2014/15.
• Miami Heat: Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra's latest contract extension is set to expire after the 2013/14 season, but coming off two consecutive championships, the Heat's head coach will get a new deal if he wants one. Team president Pat Riley has said he expects Spoelstra to remain in Miami after Riley himself is gone.
• New Orleans Pelicans: Monty Williams. Williams has only led New Orleans to a .409 winning percentage in his three seasons with the team, but it's unlikely he'll be on the hot seat anytime soon, after agreeing to an extension that keeps him under contract through 2016.
• Oklahoma City Thunder: Scott Brooks. Despite the Thunder's disappointing finish in 2012/13, Brooks remains the team's long-term choice at head coach, having signed a four-year extension last summer.
• San Antonio Spurs: Gregg Popovich. The Spurs figure to keep Popovich around as long as he wants to stay, though perhaps that won't be a whole lot longer. The NBA's longest-tenured coach has indicated he may retire when Tim Duncan does.

Wait-and-see:

• Los Angeles Lakers: Mike D'Antoni. The Lakers have repeatedly thrown their support behind D'Antoni, who will no longer have to worry about finding the best way to utilize Howard. With two more guaranteed seasons remaining on his contract, D'Antoni looks safe for now, but another rocky season in L.A. will have fans calling for a change.
• Minnesota Timberwolves: Rick Adelman. Adelman's future with the Timberwolves is only uncertain because it's not clear how much longer he wants to stay in Minnesota. His wife's health problems had Adelman reportedly considering resigning, and while the Wolves expect him back for 2013/14, it still hadn't been 100% confirmed as of earlier this month.
• New York Knicks: Mike Woodson. Woodson doesn't start the season in any danger of losing his job, but '13/14 is the last guaranteed year on his contract, so an early exit from the playoffs next year could mean trouble for Woodson's long-term future in New York.
• Orlando Magic: Jacque Vaughn. There are no indications at all that the Magic are unhappy with Vaughn, who was just hired last summer. However, after he led the team to an NBA-worst 20-62 mark in 2012/13, it's probably premature to assume the team is certain that he'll be the coach for the next five or 10 years.
• Portland Trail Blazers: Terry Stotts. The blurb on Vaughn and the Magic can also be applied to Stotts, who was hired last summer as well. It's still too early to assume he's in any trouble or to assume he's the team's long-term answer.
• Toronto Raptors: Dwane Casey. Entering the last year of his contract, Casey looks safe for now, but he was hired by the team's previous regime. Masai Ujiri and company could decide to bring in their own head coach a year from now.
• Utah Jazz: Tyrone Corbin. Although Dennis Lindsey and the Jazz endorsed Corbin at the end of the season, he'll be entering the final year of his contract. The team stuck with Corbin after he had some issues with former Jazz players like Raja Bell and C.J. Miles, but it's not clear yet whether he's in the club's long-term plans.
• Washington Wizards: Randy Wittman. Anything less than a postseason berth will likely be viewed as a disappointment for the Wizards in 2013/14. If Wittman can't get the team to the playoffs in the final year of his deal, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Washington explore other options next summer.

Over the last week, we've been focusing on free agents who specialize in a particular aspect of the game, whether that's scoring, rebounding, defense, or something else. Already, we've examined the top scorers, the top three-point shooters, and the top rebounders still available in free agency. Now, let's turn our attention to the top distributors on the market.

These guys aren't exactly Chris Paul, or even Mo Williams, who reached an agreement to sign with the Trail Blazers earlier today. But for a team looking for an inexpensive addition who can share the ball well, these guys are worth checking out.

Listed below are the top 15 remaining free agents by assist rate (a percentage of their team's baskets they assisted while on the floor). Their assist rate for 2012/13 is listed in parentheses. To qualify, these players must have averaged at least 10 minutes per game and appeared in at least 20 contests in '12/13.

1. Dominique Jones (36.2%)
2. Jamaal Tinsley (34.1%)
3. Beno Udrih (32.3%)
4. Luke Walton (28.7%)
5. A.J. Price (26.4%)
6. Mike James (23.7%)
7. Jeremy Pargo (23.0%)
8. Chris Duhon (22.8%)
9. Jannero Pargo (22.8%)
10. Rodrigue Beaubois (22.6%)
11. Richard Hamilton (19.9%)
12. Terrence Williams (19.7%)
13. Leandro Barbosa (19.0%)
14. Darius Morris (16.8%)
15. Daniel Gibson (13.4%)

Honorable mention:

• Diante Garrett (31.3%) and Nolan Smith (19.9%) would have made the above list had they earned more playing time. Garrett only averaged 7.8 minutes per game in 19 contests, while Smith played 7.2 MPG for the season.
• Damien Wilkins (12.9%) and James Johnson (10.2%) were among the players who missed the cut, while guys like Delonte West and Keyon Dooling have solid career assist rates, but weren't on NBA rosters for most of 2012/13.

With most of free agency's big names off the board, teams scouring the market now figure to focus on finding bargains or adding specialists. Not many of the players still available will be able to contribute a little bit of everything, but there are plenty that excel in one specific area, whether that area is three-point shooting, rebounding, defending, or something else.

In recent days, we've examined the top scorers and the top three-point shooters still available in free agency. Today, we'll turn our attention to the best free agent rebounders.

Listed below are the top 15 remaining free agents by rebound rate (a percentage of missed shots they rebounded). Their rebound rate for 2012/13 is listed in parentheses. To qualify, these players must have averaged at least 10 minutes per game and appeared in at least 20 contests in '12/13.

1. Hamed Haddadi (19.8%)
2. Johan Petro (18.2%)
3. Lamar Odom (17.7%)
4. Nikola Pekovic (15.9%) (R)
5. DeJuan Blair (15.6%)
6. Ivan Johnson (14.7%)
7. Kevin Jones (13.5%)
8. Kurt Thomas (13.3%)
9. DeSagana Diop (12.9%)
10. Chris Wilcox (12.8%)
11. Antawn Jamison (12.2%)
12. Dominic McGuire (12.0%)
13. Luke Babbitt (10.9%)
14. Lance Thomas (10.6%)
15. Hakim Warrick (10.4%)

Honorable mention:

• Among the players who just missed the cut: Sam Young (9.9%), Luke Walton (9.8%), and Ronnie Brewer (9.6%).
• There were a handful of players with impressive rebound rates that would have qualified for the above list if they'd played a little more. Among them: Shavlik Randolph (20.9%; 16 games), Cole Aldrich (17.7%; 8.6 MPG), and Louis Amundson (16.7%; 9.5 MPG).