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Archive for July, 2013 < Older Entries Newer Entries > Martin, Budinger Boost Wolves Shooting July 2, 2013 11:10PM

. HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS Across 34 years, among all the franchises of the NBA jacking up 3-point shots since the rule and the arc were established for the 1979-80 season, no team shot them as often and as badly as the Minnesota Timberwolves last season. The Wolves .305 percentage was the worst in league history for a team that, by God, kept on shooting them anyway averaging 18.0 per game. Injuries to some of Minnesota best players hurt their accuracy even if a perimeter shooter was healthy, he might face more close-outs with big men Nikola Pekovic or Kevin Love absent on a given night. So, too, did the Wolves annual struggle to find competent players at the shooting guard position. Too often last season, coach Rick Adelman was stuck with an undersized tandem of Luke Ridnour and J.J. Barea. Those concerns about the shooting and the depth chart seemingly both got addressed Tuesday with reports that Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders reached agreements with two free-agent shooters. One is familiar: Chase Budinger, who played last season for a $885,000 salary, reportedly will get a huge raise on a three-year, $16 million contract to return. The other one is new to Minnesota and was considered one of the top 15 or so free agents in this offseason market: Kevin Martin, who is said to have reached agreement with the Wolves on a four-year deal worth an estimated $28 million to $30 million. Budinger, 25, will try to have the success envisioned by him and the Wolves prior to his knee injury (meniscus) last fall, which limited him to 23 games 15 from March 21 on. A 6-foot-7 forward, Budinger spent his first three seasons in Houston, two with Adelman. Reunited in the Twin Cities, he seemed perfect for the ball-and-player movement that the veteran coach runs offensively. Healthy now, hell try to fit perfectly again. Martin, 30, is a professional scorer, period. Twice in the past six years, the 6-foot-7 product of West Carolina ranked in the NBAs top 10 in scoring and from 2007-2011 averaged 22.4 points, made 38.5 percent of his 3-pointers and got to the line for 8.4 free-throw attempts per game. Martin established himself with the Sacramento Kings, who drafted him 26th overall in the 2004 Draft. Then he became a central figure in two major trades. In 2010, he went to Houston in a three-team, nine-player transaction in which his role was to step in for former Rockets star Tracy McGrady. Like Budinger, Martin was coached there by Adelman. Last October, Martin was shipped from Houston to Oklahoma City in the Thunders desire to cushion the loss of guard James Harden, the third option on OKCs 2012 Finals squad whose contract demands exceeded the teams budget. Coming off the bench the way Harden had as the leagues top Sixth Man, Martin averaged 14.0 points lowest output since his second NBA season but at 18.2 points per 36 minutes, he was only slightly off Hardens 19.3. But his ballhandling, passing and rebounding were a step back from his predecessors. And OKC didnt make it out of the second round. Now Martin joins a team that would be grateful for help in making it into the first round. Minnesota hasnt made the playoffs since 2004, a drought that this reconfigured crew hopes to end with Budinger and Martin getting open for Ricky Rubio assists and Love outlet passes. And at a combined 37.7 percent from 3-point range in their careers, the Wolves lowly 2012-13 ranking is bound to improve. Free Agent Tracker
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Tags: Chase Budinger, Kevin Love, Kevin Martin, Minnesota Timberwolves, Rick Adelman, Ricky Rubio, Steve Aschburner Posted in Free Agency 2013 / Comments (30) / Report: Splitter Sticking With Spurs July 2, 2013 8:49PM

Free Agent Tracker HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS Tiago Splitter finished the season coming off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of The Finals against the Miami Heat. He will start the 2013-14 season as the Spurs third-highest paid player when his representatives and the franchise put the finishing touches on a four-year deal worth slightly over $36 million, a deal first reported by Yahoo! Sports. Splitter, who became a restricted free agent Monday after the Spurs extended him a $3.49 million qualifying offer, turned out to be a must-get for a Spurs team trying to keep its core intact. But after producing his best season in the NBA during regular season, he struggled during the playoffs. He averaged just 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds during the postseason and was relegated to that reserve role against the Heat after both teams deployed small lineups. Still, Splitters new deal suggests that Spurs general manager R.C. Buford and coach Gregg Popovich have not soured on the Brazilian big man. Only All-NBA picks Tony Parker ($12.5 million) and Tim Duncan ($10.4 million) will earn more than Splitter next season. The Spurs still have free agent business to tend to this summer. Veteran swingman Manu Ginobili is an unrestricted free agent. But the Spurs, according to sources familiar with the negotiations, are in the midst of trying to find a way to re-sign Ginobili at a more reasonable price than the $14.1 million he earned during the final season of his most recent deal.
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Tags: Gregg Popovich, Manu Ginobili, RC Buford, Sekou Smith, Spurs, Tiago Splitter, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Yahoo! Sports Posted in Free Agency 2013 / Comments (15) / Bucks Tunneling Way Out Of Mediocrity July 2, 2013 8:43PM

. HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS When Milwaukee fans finish flipping through their Half-Season In Review: 2012-13 to relive their favorite J.J. Redick moments with the Bucks it wont take long they can start calculating the true haul from trading away promising young forward Tobias Harris, guards Doron Lamb and Beno Udrih along with cash to Orlando not quite 4 1/2 months ago. That wont take long, either. With Redick headed to the Los Angeles Clippers along with Phoenixs Jared Dudley, per Yahoo! Sports report Tuesday afternoon, and the Suns acquiring Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe and forward Caron Butler in the deal, the Bucks participation in the sign-and-trade portion with Redick earned them two second-round picks. Thats it. Which means that the package of players and money sent to Orlando in the deal that delivered Redick leaves Milwaukee now with guard Ish Smith, forward Gustavo Ayon and 28 games in which Redick, employed for his shooting, was about as inaccurate as at any point in his career. He shot 40.3 percent for the Bucks, second only to his 39.1 in 2008-09 with Orlando, and his 31.8 percent from 3-point range dragged his career mark down to 39.0. Never getting into rhythm in a backcourt that already had issues with Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis, Redicks game slipped across the board. He also chafed with Bucks interim coach Jim Boylan near the end of the eighth-seeded teams odd spit-out-the-bit season (4-16 after March 19, including the first-round sweep by Miami). Even if Redick had thrived, he wasnt returning to the Bucks. He wanted more money, and more opportunity to win, than they would or could offer. So salvaging two second-round picks was, well, something. But it continued a week in which the Bucks are waving a white flag on their recent history of plucky mediocrity. The Jennings-Ellis backcourt is kaput; one or both of the shoot-first guards will be gone via free agency, Ellis after opting out of an $11 million deal for next season, Jennings if the offer sheet he signs runs too rich for Milwaukees blood. Also, general manager John Hammond just took the youngest player in last weeks Draft, grabbing 18-year-old Greek forward Giannis Antetokounmpo at No. 15. Hammond raved about Big Gs almost limitless upside but no one expects him to help much on the floor next season. Center Samuel Dalembert will play elsewhere next season he was in coach Scott Skiles doghouse before Skiles exited in January and so will swingman Mike Dunleavy, a veteran backup who hit almost 43 percent of his 3-pointers in 2012-13 but is headed to the Bulls. In drafting Antetokounmpo, Hammond talked of what really is a reality check for a team such as Milwaukee. How are we going to get our next Allhangtime.blogs.nba.com/2013/07/page/4/ 2/11

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Star? the GM said. The implication was that, no, the Bucks arent going to land marquee free agents. So theyve got to rely on drafts and trades. Or maybe just drafts, because this trade stuff Harris was given all of 70 games to develop and still wont turn 21 until July 15 is looking a little shaky now too. The level-headed product of Tennessee averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds in 36.1 minutes in 27 games for the Magic. If theres a silver lining in Milwaukee aligning itself with Philadelphia, Boston and others already focused on the 2014 draft, it is this: Those rumors over the weekend about the Bucks interest in New York free agent J.R. Smith should stay mere rumors. Even if Milwaukee were ready to challenge for a top seed in the East, Smith would be a bad idea, a flashback through John Salmons, Corey Maggette, Stephen Jackson and even Bobby Simmons rolled into one. For a fellow such as Smith, Milwaukee surely holds no appeal, either for where it is located or for where it is headed.
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Tags: Brandon Jennings, Giannis Antetolounmpo, J.J. Redick, Jim Boylan, John Hammond, Mike Dunleavy, Milwaukee Bucks, Monta Ellis, Samuel Dalembert, Scott Skiles, Steve Aschburner, Tobias Harris Posted in Free Agency 2013 / Comments (10) / Report: West, Pacers Agree To 3-Year Deal July 2, 2013 1:27PM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS A day after securing C.J. Watson as their new backup point guard, the Indiana Pacers kept hold of their No. 1 target in free agency: power forward David West. West and the Pacers are in the process of putting the final touches on a three-year, $36 million deal, as first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, that would keep the teams emotional and locker room leader in place for the franchises continued rise in the Eastern Conference and league standings. David Aldridge
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Pacers get the big one done, agreeing to terms w/ David West on a three-year deal worth more than $36M, per source. Yahoo! first to report.
2:59 AM - 3 Jul 2013 136 RETWEETS 23 FAVORITES

This is the first big move of Larry Birds current tenure as the Pacers president of basketball operations, a move he said was at the top of his todo list when he rejoined the franchise last week after a year away from the team. The third year of the deal is reportedly a player option. In two years as the Pacers backbone, West has helped lead the franchise back to prominence. They finished each of these last two seasons on the wrong end of playoff series loss to the Miami Heat, this season it was a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference finals. West cant sign his new deal with the Pacers until July 10, when the leagues moratorium on free agent transactions and other business is lifted.
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Tags: CJ Watson, David West, Indiana Pacers, Larry Bird, Sekou Smith Posted in Free Agency 2013 / Comments (22) / Does Mike DAntoni Help Or Hurt The Lakers Cause With Dwight Howard? July 2, 2013 10:05AM

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. HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS Houstons Kevin McHale got the first crack at making a lasting impression on Dwight Howard, and from all indications did exactly that. Golden States Mark Jackson and Atlantas Mike Budenholzer acquitted themselves quite well, too, in their face-toface meetings with Howard. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle, easily one of the leagues top coaches and one of the smartest and most accomplished basketball minds around, is up next when the Mavericks contingent makes its sales pitch to Howard this afternoon. Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike DAntoni has some ridiculously tough acts to follow. The fact that hes one of the only coaches on Howards list of contenders who has actually worked with the prized free agent big man should be to his (and the Lakers) benefit. But if the rumblings about Howard and DAntoni struggling to find common ground during their lone season together are true, DAntonis seat alongside Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, stars Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash and others at Howards final recruiting session this evening in Los Angeles might not be the trump card it should be. In fact, its not unreasonable to wonder: is DAntoni helping or hurting the Lakers cause here? For all of the stars who have lined up to woo Howard, all of the owners, living legends, titans of industry and what have you, no one is more important than these respective coaches. They have to be front and center during this process with a clear-cut plan that details exactly how they will take advantage of Howards skills and what theyll do to exploit them in a way that leads to championships. Mike Bresnahan
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Coach Mike D'Antoni landed at LAX earlier today. He's currently on the list to be at Lakers' presentation Tuesday to Dwight Howard.
6:10 AM - 2 Jul 2013 61 RETWEETS 7 FAVORITES

Given Howards recent past with coaches (see Stan Van Gundy, Orlando), its not hard to overstate the importance of the coach-player dynamic in whatever becomes his final choice. The Los Angeles Clippers took care of that extremely important piece of business with their own free-agent star, Chris Paul, by dumping Vinny Del Negro after the best season in franchise history and pursuing and landing Doc Rivers to replace him and take over the role as the Clippers senior vice president of basketball operations. Via Twitter, Paul committed to the Clippers Monday morning and will sign a five-year, $107 million deal come July 10. Howard is extremely sensitive about the sentiment that hes some sort of coach killer, as he should be, because there are few tags more damaging to a superstars profile. Thats a tough thing to live down once you get it, said one Western Conference executive. Thats the knock on Dwight right now, whether he likes it or not. Everyone knows hed had issues with his last two coaches and thats why you know whatever is there with DAntoni would have to be fixed before he could honestly think about staying with the Lakers. Theres no way around it. If Howard decides hed rather play elsewhere, DAntoni will get plenty of blame deserved or not. And thats what makes his role today so crucial. With Bryant and Nash (two of DAntonis greatest allies) flanking him, he has a chance to clean up whatever mess is there and do his best to talk Howard back into the fold. We might never get any real answers anyway. Howard has never come clean on what went down with Van Gundy, even though their disconnect led to the dissolution of a championship-caliber team in Orlando. He will have a chance to walk away from the Lakers this time without having to publicly address the DAntoni situation. But that wont stop any of us from speculating. And it certainly wont silence the Lakers fans who are already convinced that DAntoni ruined any chance of Howard sticking around, even with the $30 million and extra contract year the Lakers can offer that no one else can. One of DAntonis colleagues came to his defense, insisting that if Howard chooses one of his other options, it wont be because of any rift real or perceived between Howard and DAntoni. Dont make this about Mike, thats not fair to him, said an Eastern Conference coach who knows DAntoni well and has coached against Howard for years. This is [Dwight's] thing. He has to own it and make it right. Blaming Mike for anything that hasnt gone his way the last couple of years is just wrong. This is Dwights choice, he has to make it, own it and get back on the floor and do what he does. And I know people are convinced that hes already gone, but Im not in that crowd. I think hes going to stay in L.A.
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Tags: Chris Paul, Clippers, Doc Rivers, Dwight Howard, Hawks, Kevin McHale, Kobe Bryant, Lakers, Magic, Mark Jackson, Mike Budenholzer, Mike D'Antoni, Mitch Kupchak, Rick Carlisle, Rockets, Sekou Smith, Stan Van Gundy, Steve Nash, Vinny Del Negro, Warriors Posted in Free Agency 2013 / Comments (57) /
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Lakers, Mavs Up Next On Howard Tour July 2, 2013 8:01AM

. From NBA.com staff reports Dwight Howard has, as expected, been a busy man during the opening two days of free agency. First came a rendezvous with the Houston Rockets once the free-agent season began at 12:01 a.m. ET (or 9:01 Howard time in L.A.) that included chats with the Rockets brass as well as a few Houston basketball legends. Yesterday, two teams perceived to be long shots to land Howard the Warriors and Hawks had their say with the All-Star big man. And while all of this is going on, the team Howard last played for the L.A. Lakers are concocting their pitch to him (which will take place sometime today). Unlike his date with Houston, few details have surfaced from Howards meeting with Golden State and Atlanta, but the Los Angeles Times Mike Bresnahan has some information on the get togethers: Howard met in Los Angeles with Golden State and Atlanta, neither of which has much of a chance to get him. The Warriors are too far over the salary cap to sign Howard as a free agent and can obtain him only via sign-and-trade, which wont happen because a) the Lakers probably will have to take back Warriors players whose contracts extend beyond this season, denting the massive amount of salary-cap space they can spend next year and b) such a trade saps the Warriors of valuable players that would be sent to the Lakers, making Golden State less desirable in Howards eyes. Just the same, one of the members of the Warriors contingent was Lakers legend Jerry West, now a consultant with Golden State. Atlanta is Howards hometown team, but the Hawks have never been higher than fourth on his list, according to a person familiar with Howards thinking. Generally speaking, the Hawks have a weak fan base and little to no tradition, having never been to the NBA Finals since moving from St. Louis in 1968. Tuesday is the much bigger day for Howards future. He will meet with the Dallas Mavericks and then the Lakers, completing a five-team circuit in under 48 hours in Los Angeles. As our own Scott Howard-Cooper pointed out last night, the Warriors pursuit of Howard may be wrought with some roster peril for a team that made the Western Conference semifinals just a few months ago. With Atlanta and Golden State off the calendar, the Dallas Mavericks and owner Mark Cuban are next up to bat, writes Bresnahan: He will meet with the Dallas Mavericks and then the Lakers, completing a five-team circuit in under 48 hours in Los Angeles. Howards camp has long been intrigued by the free-spending ways of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Howards agent, Dan Fegan, has a close working relationship with Cuban, who will bring Dirk Nowitzki to Los Angeles for the pitch to Howard. The news of the day, though, is Howard meeting with the Lakers. The attendees of todays meeting which, according to Bresnahan, include Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, coach Mike DAntoni, GM Mitch Kupchak, Lakers business/marketing guru Tim Harris and team executive Jim Buss reads as a whos who of Lakers big-wigs. Aside from those names, the Lakers TV outlet could be in the meeting as well, writes ESPNLosAngeles.coms Dave McMenamin: The Lakers are still finalizing the roster of people who will be a part of their pitch, but the delegation will also include executive vice president of player personnel Jim Buss and representatives from Time Warner Cable. The Lakers signed a record television contract in 2012 with the cable giant that could be worth $5 billion over 25 years. The NBA does not have a problem with Lakers broadcast partner Time Warner Cable SportsNet being part of the pitch for Howard, according to a league source. If TWC was to offer further compensation, that would be a violation of league rules. However, simply being present for the sitdown is in no way a breach of league etiquette. They could simply be presenting ideas about how they plan to cover Howard and the Lakers in the future, said the source. That is allowed. The Lakers wont be the only ones with a television element to their pitch. According to a source familiar with Houstons meeting with Howard, part of the Rockets presentation revolved around TV opportunities for Howard with Comcast SportsNet Houston. The Rockets own more than 30 percent of the network. The driving force of the Lakers talk will undoubtedly be the future they can sell Howard on, particularly a financial one. Per the NBAs new Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Lakers can offer Howard a longer, richer overall contract (five years, $118 million) than any other team can. Plus, as Bresnahan points out, the Lakers are in position for a shopping spree in the near future: The Lakers finally get their time with Dwight Howard, meeting with him Tuesday and trying to persuade him to stay with the franchise for five more years. They will sell themselves as the 16-time NBA champions how could they not? and they also subtly will remind him Steve Nash is the only player currently under contract after next season. As in, theres a massive shopping spree on the way in a year.
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Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Dwight Howard, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant, Mike D'Antoni, Steve Nash Posted in Free Agency 2013 / Comments (44) / Free-Agent Roundup: July 2 July 2, 2013 6:55AM
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. From NBA.com staff reports The biggest news other than CP3 staying in Clipperland from free agencys opening day wasnt that big at all. Mostly, a smattering of smaller-name reported signings dotted the map, including Mike Dunleavy to the Bulls, C.J. Watson to the Pacers and Eric Maynor to the Wizards among the notables. There was also Tyreke Evans getting a $44 million offer from Pelicans. As we gear up for Day 2 of free agency, here are some overnight items that you may have missed : Bucks, Mavs interested in trade for Bledsoe? Chris Pauls tweet yesterday not only assured Clipper fans that hell be in the fold for years to come, but re-opened the door to trading his understudy as well, it seems. According to ESPN.coms Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne, the Clips are thinking of moving reserve point guard Eric Bledsoe to either the Bucks or Mavs in an effort to land 3-point specialist J.J. Redick or scoring swingman O.J. Mayo. According to the ESPN.com report, new Clippers coach Doc Rivers wants to keep Bledsoe on the roster, but the Clippers are nonetheless engaged in live talks with the Bucks and Mavs regarding trades. The Magic and Raptors may also factor into a Bledsoe deal as the Clips have been in touch with those teams with talks that would land either Arron Afflalo (from Orlando) or high-flying swingman DeMar DeRozan (from Toronto). The primary driving force behind any trade for Bledsoe is the summer of 2014, which is when he will become a free agent. The Clips are reportedly concerned they wouldnt be able to match the kind of offer sheet Bledsoe would draw and, thus, lose him to the open market for nothing. As you can tell, this is a fairly complex story, but some details are below: Sources told ESPN.com that the Clippers have this week exchanged sign-and-trade scenarios with both the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks in potential deals that would bring either J.J. Redick or fellow free agent O.J. Mayo to L.A. The discussions with Dallas, sources said, center on Mayo, whom the Clippers are said to have contacted in the first few hours of NBA free agency Monday. Talks with the Bucks, meanwhile, center on Redick, with one source close to the process telling ESPN.com that a face-to-face meeting between Redick and the Clippers was imminent, perhaps as soon as Monday night. The Clippers, in their previous discussions with Orlando and Toronto, have targeted Magic guard Arron Afflalo and Raptors swingman DeMar DeRozan, although its not immediately clear what Torontos pending trade of Andrea Bargnani to the New York Knicks does to the Raptors ability to stay in the Bledsoe hunt. The Clippers had interest in Bargnani as a potential solution to their lack of floor-spacing shooters. A trade with any of the known suitors would almost certainly have to include other pieces such as Caron Butlers expiring contract because Bledsoe is due to make only $2.63 million next season in the final year of his rookie contract. If they can acquire another player or two Rivers likes, its believed he can be convinced to part with Bledsoe before the start of the season. The 23year-old is eligible for a contract extension before the Halloween deadline for such deals for members of Bledsoes draft class. Yet theres clearly also a part of Rivers who wants to ignore the conventional wisdom that the Clippers cant afford to keep Bledsoe as Pauls backup and try to keep him around for one more season as the ultimate insurance policy for Paul. The Clippers, with or without Bledsoe, are focused on adding perimeter shooters around Paul and Blake Griffin, sources say, as well as upgrading their perimeter defense. Blazers interested in Rockets Asik? The acquisition of Thomas Robinson from the Houston Rockets on Sunday could signal the Portland Trail Blazers interest in Rockets center Omer Asik, according to Chris Haynes at CSNNW. But whats being overlooked in all this was the Trail Blazers willingness to facilitate the deal in order for Houston to free up the necessary cap space to pursue free agent center Dwight Howard. According to league sources, several teams including the Trail Blazers, are closely monitoring the Omer Asik situation. Reports are out that the 70 center is available. If the Rockets get that verbal agreement they so desperately want from Dwight Howard, Asik will be moved. One source who is tuned-in with how things could develop tells CSNNW.com that the Trail Blazers are in the Rockets good graces, which could have an influence on where they choose to ship Asik when its time to do so. (more)
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Tags: Andre Iguodala, Andrei Kirilenko, Arron Afflalo, Austin Rivers, Dallas Mavericks, DeMar DeRozan, Eric Bledsoe, Greg Oden, J.J. Redick, Josh Smith, Los Angeles Clippers, Manu Ginobili, Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, O.J. Mayo, Orlando Magic, Paul Millsap, Sacarmento Kings, san antonio spurs, Tyreke Evans Posted in Free Agency 2013, HT News / Comments (40) / 2013 Free Agents: The Numbers July 2, 2013 12:01AM

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j HANG TIME NEW JERSEY At 12:01 a.m. ET on Monday, 144 free agents became available. While there are some big names at the top of the list, its not the deepest free-agent class weve seen. Only two 2013 All-Stars Chris Paul and Dwight Howard are on the market. Only 19 of the 144 free agents scored at least 1,000 points last season, and only 11 started at least 50 games for a playoff team. One of those 11, of course, was Paul, who took himself off the market pretty quickly. Two of the other 10 Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings started for the 38-44 Milwaukee Bucks. Jennings was a minus-289 last season. The other eight: Howard, Tony Allen, Andre Iguodala, Kyle Korver, Josh Smith, Tiago Splitter, Jeff Teague and David West. Jennings minus-289 was not the worst mark of available free agents. That belongs to Byron Mullens, who was a minus-419 (in only 1,428 minutes) for the Bobcats last season. Mullens teammate Gerald Henderson was a minus-402. The Bobcats were pretty awful whether or not Henderson was on the floor. The Bucks were pretty good (+6.9 points per 100 possessions) with Jennings on the bench and pretty bad (-4.4) with him in the game. His on-off-court differential of 11.2 points per 100 possessions was the worst among free agents who played at least 1,000 minutes with a single team last season. Worst on-off-court NetRtg differential among free agents
Player Brandon Jennings D.J. Augustin Byron Mullens Tyler Hansbrough Al Jefferson Min. On 2,896 1,226 1,428 1,366 2,578 NetRtg On -4.4 -1.1 -16.2 -0.6 -3.5 NetRtg Off +6.9 +7.8 -7.4 +8.0 +4.3 Diff. -11.2 -8.9 -8.8 -8.6 -7.8

Minimum 1,000 minutes with a single team NetRtg = Team point differential per 100 possessions On the opposite end of the spectrum was Devin Harris, whose Hawks were 10.0 points per 100 possessions better when he was on the floor than when he was on the bench. Best on-off-court NetRtg differential among free agents
Player Devin Harris David West DeMarre Carroll Kyle Korver Brandan Wright Min. On 1,421 2,435 1,111 2,259 1,149 NetRtg On +7.3 +8.5 +5.4 +4.4 +5.1 NetRtg Off -2.7 -0.9 -3.1 -3.7 -2.6 Diff. +10.0 +9.4 +8.4 +8.0 +7.7

Minimum 1,000 minutes with a single team It shouldnt be any surprise that, on offense, Paul was the biggest difference maker of the 145 free agents Best on-off-court OffRtg differential among free agents
Player Chris Paul David West J.J. Redick (ORL) Kyle Korver Roger Mason Jr. Min. On 2,335 2,435 1,575 2,259 1,218 OffRtg On 112.1 104.9 103.7 105.7 107.2 OffRtg Off 101.3 96.1 95.3 98.8 100.6 Diff. +10.8 +8.8 +8.4 +6.8 +6.6

Minimum 1,000 minutes OffRtg = Team points scored per 100 possessions And its no surprise that the Lakers were much better defensively with Howard on the floor, or that the Grizzlies got more stops with Tony Allen in the game. Lamar Odoms DefRtg differential, combined with Paul topping the list above, makes it clear that the Clippers were an offensive team with their starters in the game and a defensive unit when they went to their bench. Best on-off-court DefRtg differential among free agents
Player Lamar Odom Tony Allen Tiago Splitter Devin Harris Dwight Howard Min. On 1,616 2,109 1,997 1,421 2,722 DefRtg On 95.4 94.3 96.1 97.9 101.7 DefRtg Off 104.9 101.1 102.3 104.1 107.8 Diff. -9.5 -6.8 -6.3 -6.2 -6.0

Minimum 1,000 minutes with a single team DefRtg = Team points allowed per 100 possessions
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Redick was a big difference maker on offense with Orlando, in part, because he shot 39 percent from 3-point range and helped spread the floor. But he shot just 32 percent from beyond the arc after being traded to Milwaukee and isnt among the top 10 3-point shooters among free agents Highest 3-point percentage among free agents
Player Jose Calderon Kyle Korver Mike Dunleavy Kevin Martin Martell Webster Chris Copeland Roger Mason Jr. C.J. Watson Randy Foye O.J. Mayo 3PM 130 189 128 158 139 59 66 88 178 142 3PA 282 414 299 371 329 140 159 214 434 349 3PT% 46.1% 45.7% 42.8% 42.6% 42.2% 42.1% 41.5% 41.1% 41.0% 40.7% 3PA% 44.4% 68.9% 47.9% 47.7% 51.7% 36.8% 52.1% 46.6% 58.8% 34.0%

Minimum 100 3PA 3PA% = 3PA/FGA Howard ranked second among free agents in rebounding percentage, only topped by J.J. Hickson Highest REB% among free agents
Player J.J. Hickson Dwight Howard Zaza Pachulia Marreese Speights Lamar Odom MIN 2,323 2,722 1,134 1,300 1,616 OREB% 13.1% 10.6% 13.9% 12.6% 8.6% DREB% 28.0% 27.5% 21.5% 22.8% 25.2% REB% 20.5% 19.3% 17.7% 17.4% 17.2%

Minimum 1,000 minutes OREB% = Percentage of available offensive rebounds grabbed DREB% = Percentage of available defensive rebounds grabbed REB% = Percentage of available total rebounds grabbed There are a good amount of distributors on the market, including a couple of guys who had more assists than field goal attempts last season Highest ASTRatio among free agents
Player Jamaal Tinsley Pablo Prigioni Jose Calderon Chris Paul Beno Udrih MIN FGA AST 1,221 234 1,263 220 2,159 635 2,335 856 1,457 476 TO ASTRatio 45.2 42.7 39.4 36.9 32.4 TORatio 16.53 15.55 9.59 8.66 11.60 290 106 236 86 518 126 678 159 302 108

Minimum 1,000 minutes ASTRatio = Percentage of possessions ending in an assist TORatio = Percentage of possessions ending in an turnover Paul doesnt only dish dimes, but hes pretty good at getting himself to the free throw line, ranking fourth among non-big (PG, SG, SF) free agents in free throw rate Highest FTA Rate among non-big free agents
Player Andrei Kirilenko Manu Ginobili Darren Collison Chris Paul Gerald Henderson FGA 560 539 724 856 855 FTM 188 164 242 286 258 FTA 250 206 275 323 313 FT% 75.2% 79.6% 88.0% 88.5% 82.4% FTA Rate .446 .382 .380 .377 .366

Minimum 500 FGA FTA Rate = FTA/FGA Free Agent Tracker

Tags: Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Jennings, Byron Mullens, Chris Paul, David West, Devin Harris, Dwight Howard, Gerald Henderson, J.J. Hickson, J.J. Redick, Jamaal Tinsley, John Schuhmann, Jose Calderon, Josh Smith, Kyle Korver, Lamar Odom, Manu Ginobili, Tiago Splitter, Tony Allen Posted in Free Agency 2013, NBA.com/Stats / Comments (9) / Dunleavy, Bulls Agree On Two-Year Deal July 1, 2013 10:00PM

HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS While the rest of the basketball world waits for its next Dwight Howard update, the Chicago Bulls are busy handling their own business. They secured a verbal commitment from veteran swingman Mike Dunleavy on a two-year, $6 million deal, according to ESPN.coms Marc Stein: Sources told ESPN.com that Dunleavy quickly narrowed his long list of suitors to five teams Monday and chose to take the Bulls two-year offer worth $6 million. The deal cant be signed until after July 10, when the leagues annual moratorium on signings and trades is lifted, but teams and players are allowed to enter into verbal agreements during the freeze. Sources said Dunleavy also gave strong consideration to the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves after spending the past two seasons in Milwaukee. Dunleavy gives the Bulls one of the coveted floor stretchers on the free-agent market and helps shore up a bench rotation that will look much different from the crew that finished the season with many of its members in the starting lineup for a team that was ravaged by injuries all season. While its not the sort of championship move that cranks up the fan base, Dunleavy serves a very specific need for Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau.
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July 2013 Hang Time Blog | NBA.com

He needs a shooter with Dunleavys size to be ready when Derrick Rose returns after missing the entire 2012-13 season recovering from anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Free Agent Tracker
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Tags: Bucks, Bulls, Derrick Rose, Dwight Howard, Mike Dunleavy, NBA Free Agency, Sekou Smith, Tom Thibodeau Posted in Free Agency 2013 / Comments (33) / Efficiently, Pacers Add Watson, McMillan July 1, 2013 7:40PM

Some NBA teams hit free agency with smoke and lasers, going big and working on the egos of their targeted players in hopes of razzle-dazzling them to a heady decision. Others demonstrate their artistry more like Grant Wood. Less fanfare, stoically efficient. The Indiana Pacers are among the latter group, no muss, no fuss, rarely chewing their cabbage twice. Yet there they were on the first official day of free agency, addressing their areas of greatest need both on the court and on the side. The Pacers top priority remains the same: re-signing power forward David West. He is the heart of that team, he is a throwback threat offensively whose simplicity in the post can be breathtaking and he is vital to Indianas ambitions this season of catching and passing the Miami Heat and any other Eastern Conference contenders. West is one of the NBAs true grown-ups, and the fact that he and agent Jeff Austin arent beating a bass drum of competing offers is just more evidence of the value he brings to that team. West and newly returned President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird nailed down a solid business deal for both sides two years ago two years, $20 million in a bit of a show-us contract and there is no reason to expect a different outcome (some different numbers, sure) this time around. Meanwhile, Indiana reportedly reached an agreement with free-agent guard C.J. Watson to take over the backup point and initials role from D.J. Augustin. And former Seattle and Portland head coach Nate McMillan has been hired to slide into Brian Shaw s spot as the Pacers top assistant coach. Swapping Watson in for Augustin, a move first reported by Hoopsworld.coms Alex Kennedy, should be a low-cost upgrade, played out at equally low decibels. Watson, who spent 2012-13 in Brooklyn after two seasons in Chicago, plays with more emotion or expression than Augustin, but thats fine for Indiana coach Frank Vogel if he sees more proficiency. When the Pacers turned to Augustin in the wake of Darren Collisons trade departure last July, they welcomed having someone who wouldnt be fighting the backup role that Collison disliked. Trouble was, Augustin wasnt assertive enough and he never seemed to find any rhythm off the bench. His shooting and floor direction dipped, contributing to the Pacers already shaky bench. Watson arrives as a slightly feistier player, capable of playing both spots in the backcourt for variations alongside George Hill, and with a longer resume as a 3-point shooter (41.1 percent for the Nets last season). He reportedly would be signed for two years with the bi-annual salary cap exception (about $2 million yearly), with deals only official after July 10 when the moratorium period ends. Indiana also has made a qualifying offer of about $4.1 million to backup forward Tyler Hansbrough, who didnt progress as hoped. That too hurt the second unit, which on too many nights was like having retread tires on a $75,000 sports car. As longtime Pacers writer Conrad Brunner wrote on his EPSN 1070 blog: While the Pacers can hope for a complete return by Danny Granger, who would either give the bench a much-needed scorer or push [Lance] Stephenson into the role, that alone would not solve the problem. The Pacers bench ranked 29th in scoring (24.1), 30th in shooting (.393) and 26th in 3-point shooting (.329) in 2012-13. The moves will be to strengthen the bench, said team President Larry Bird. Our starters are pretty well set, especially if we can get Danny back. Theres still some uncertainty there. If he comes back, automatically our bench gets better. Weve just got to get the other guys to play better or bring in some guys we thinks going to help us. For us to talk about beating the great teams in this league, youve got to have a stronger bench. Our bench didnt produce last year the way we needed them to produce and we definitely have got to fix that one area. Finding another shooter in free agency, such as J.J. Redick, Chase Budinger or Marco Belinelli, could open up things for West, center Roy Hibbert and slashing Paul George too. In the meantime, Indiana got some help on the bench with McMillans addition. In 12 seasons prior to sitting out 2012-13, the former SuperSonics guard posted a 478-452 record with five playoff appearances. Shaw was hired as Denvers head coach and another Pacers assistant, Jim Boylen, recently joined San Antonio coach Gregg Popovichs staff. Free Agent Tracker
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