The last person who thought Ryan Anderson would earn $9 million a season, is Anderson himself. Now he’s not only highly paid, he becoming one of the teams leaders… Milwaukee’s Larry Sanders rebounds… Lakers not nearly as active as reported… NBA chats at 10am and 3pm EST.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Russell Westbrook intercepted Ryan Anderson’s inbounds pass, immediately pulled up for a 3-pointer that he nailed, blew on the tips of his pistol-shaped hands, then emphatically jammed both hands into the imaginary holsters on his hips.
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Brian Roberts scored 16 points and Lance Thomas and Ryan Anderson both added 14 to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 90-87 preseason victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Thursday night.
The New Orleans Hornets finished 21-45 last season and made numerous roster changes in the offseason. The Hornets will look very different in the paint this year, with the additions of several players at the forward and center positions. While rookie Anthony Davis spent his summer playing in London for the Summer Olympics, he is still just a rookie and should not be expected to lead the team like a veteran. Fortunately, the Hornets also brought in Robin Lopez and Ryan Anderson, who should bring a big presence to both the court and the team’s roster.
Remember when NBA owners and players were embroiled in a savage lockout because the owners thought the players were getting paid too much, and finally, after months of deliberation, the two sides ultimately came to a solution?
Well, based on some of the contracts that have been handed out thus far during the 2012 offseason, I think it’s safe to say that that “solution” wasn’t really much of a solution at all.
The owners played hardball during the entire lockout, adamant on the fact that the players’ contracts were becoming too rich. Then, you see guys like Ryan Anderson getting four-year, $36 million deals and Omer Asik getting signed to three-year, $25.1 million offer sheets.
That raises the question: what exactly was the point of the lockout?
To be perfectly honest, the players are making the owners look silly. They are still absorbing whatever amount of cash is in their wallets and laughing all the way to the bank. The funniest thing about all of this? The owners technically have the power in free agency.
Think about it. If all of the front offices wait the players out and don’t give them the money they want, then the players will be forced to accept lesser deals. Either that, or they don’t get paid at all. But, for some reason, owners and general managers are so eager to hand out ridiculous contracts to undeserving players, and I don’t get it at all.
Asik is a prime example. Yes, he is a great defensive big man, but the guy averaged 3.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season. He also only played 14.7 minutes a contest. So, you’re going to give a guy who has never even played 15 minutes a game during the regular season a deal that big? Not only that, but in the final year of that three-year pact, Asik will be making $15 million. What?
One has to really wonder what Houston Rockets’ general manager Daryl Morey was thinking when he decided to come up with that offer, but it’s not just Morey and the Rockets: what about the Minnesota Timberwolves inking Nicolas Batum to a four-year, $46 million offer sheet? Batum is a nice player, but he isn’t that nice, and I’m not sure if he ever will be.
For comparison’s sake, let’s take a look at one of the rather good deals of the offseason thus far. The Boston Celtics gave Kevin Garnett a three-year, $34 million deal. Put that into perspective: Batum got four years and $46 million while K.G. got three years and $34 million. Per year, Batum will be making more. Now I understand that Garnett is not the Garnett of old, but still, he is a much, much, much more impactful player than Batum, and yet, Batum will be getting paid more.
Anderson’s contract that he received from the New Orleans Hornets in a sign-and-trade deal may very well have been the worst of them all. Anderson put up solid numbers with the Orlando Magic during the regular season this past year, averaging 16.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. However, that was with Dwight Howard on the floor. Now, let’s look at Anderson’s playoff numbers, when Howard wasn’t playing: 9.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and he shot an abysmal 34 percent from the floor.
You’re telling me that Anderson is worth $36 million to the Hornets, a team that can ill afford to make any mistakes right now? Well, count that as mistake number one, as I don’t envision Anderson getting the same kind of looks from beyond the arc that he got with the Magic. It is an entirely different system, one that doesn’t have Howard patrolling the middle.
I’m sorry, but the owners are making themselves look like absolute fools right now. They pushed and pushed and pushed last offseason, and look where they are now: handing out monster deals to guys who probably should be making half of said deals.
Do I understand the owners’ beef with thinking the players are getting paid too much? Absolutely, but hey, it’s hard to take them seriously when they are the ones handing out the contracts.
So, the next time the NBA goes into a lockout (and based on this offseason, I’m guessing it will be soon) and you want to side with the owners, think about what happened during the summer months of 2012. Then maybe you will realize that the owners were just being senseless from the beginning.
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The New Orleans Hornets will retain shooting guard Eric Gordon by matching the Phoenix Suns‘ offer sheet.
John Reid of the Times Picayune reports that the Hornets, as expected, with match the four-year, $58 million deal offered by Phoenix. As noted by Reid, Gordon signed the offer sheet on July 11, and the Hornets will officially retain their star today, before the 72-hour deadline arrives.
Gordon showed All-Star potential during his time with the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 22.3 points per game during the 2010-11 season. But his first year in New Orleans was marred by injuries, and he appeared in just nine games.
The 2-guard was sent to the Hornets as part of the blockbuster deal that landed Chris Paul in Los Angeles, and Gordon has never been content in Louisiana.
Earlier this summer, he said, “(If the Hornets match) as of right now, I’d be disappointed,” via Jimmy Smith of the Times Picayune.
Gordon will have some talent surrounding him, as the Hornets acquired power forward Ryan Anderson in a sign-and-trade with the Orland Magic, in addition to drafting Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers.
But the team also sent Jarret Jack to the Golden State Warriors, which likely means Rivers will be the primary point guard when the season starts.
The team’s decision to draft Rivers did not sit well with Gordon, according to Reid’s report. He is understandably concerned about playing with a PG who averaged more turnovers (2.3) than assists (2.1) in college.
But after all the dust settles from this offseason, Gordon will be paired with Davis, one of the top young talents in basket, and a few wins will help mend all wounds.
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Have you heard the latest Dwight Howard news? The Brooklyn Nets have withdrawn from the Howard trade talks and instead signed restricted free agent Brook Lopez to a new deal. Howard still wants out of Orlando, and the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are rumored to be working on a blockbuster deal to land Howard in Los Angeles, with Andrew Bynum to Houston and a collection of the Rockets’ young assets in Orlando.
But enough news and facts!
Here is the Dwight Howard trade that should have happened this summer. It won’t, because Ryan Anderson has already been traded to New Orleans and Dwight Howard refuses to commit to resigning in Chicago, but it would have been the best outcome for all parties involved.
The Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic should have put together a blockbuster deal landing Howard, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola and spare parts to Chicago; Carlos Boozer, Ryan Anderson, Joakim Noah and several future Chicago assets to Houston; and a haul of Houston picks and prospects to Orlando.
What exactly would that trade have looked like for each team? Let’s break it down:
Chicago would receive:
Dwight Howard, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson
Houston would receive:
Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Ryan Anderson (resigned to a new deal) and Marquis Teague
Orlando would receive:
Terrence Jones, Patrick Patterson, C.J. Watson (team option), Ronnie Brewer (team option), Richard Hamilton, Kyle Korver, Chicago’s future first-round pick from Charlotte and three future first-round picks from Chicago.
So, why would each team do this deal?
And why is this trade better than whatever Houston, Los Angeles or even Atlanta can come up with?
For Chicago, this deal is a no-brainer.
They pair Derrick Rose with Howard, keep Luol Deng and add the sharpshooting Kevin Martin and skilled forward Luis Scola—both capable players Houston would like to trade. Chicago would have the best contending core of any NBA roster and be set for both the present and the future.
For Houston, this trade gives them two all-star level players, another capable starter and a talented point guard of the future.
The Rockets would get Noah and Anderson—an all-star frontcourt—to lead them back to the playoffs.
Anderson thrives playing off a defensive center, so pairing him with Noah is the perfect match. And Boozer, though he is much-maligned, posted a 19.8 Player Efficiency Rating last season and is flexible enough to play in many different lineups. Houston would have been free to re-sign rising star Goran Dragic (while nurturing the talented Teague) and field a strong lineup of Dragic, Jeremy Lamb, Chandler Parsons, Anderson, Boozer and Noah.
For Orlando, the deal would give them the right mix of expiring contracts and intriguing future assets to rebuild.
Watson, Korver, Hamilton (who has a team option in 2013) and Brewer are only signed through 2012. The Magic would have significant cap room as early as 2013 and be poised to rebuild with potential star Terrence Jones and several future picks. Armed with all that cap space and draft firepower, the Magic would have been able to rebuild faster than most expected.
But, sadly for everyone, this trade was not to be.
Instead of teaming with Rose and winning championships in the NBA’s largest single market, Howard might end up trudging through seasons in (gasp!) Atlanta, or who knows where else.
Ouch.
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WESTWEGO, La. (AP) — A smiling Ryan Anderson raved about the beauty, history and friendliness of New Orleans, and characterized the Hornets a young team with a bright future.
The Hornets and Magic announced the sign-and-trade deal sending Ryan Anderson to New Orleans was approved by the NBA on Wednesday, the end of the league’s signing moratorium.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The Magic have officially completed a sign-and trade deal that sends restricted free agent Ryan Anderson to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for fellow forward Gustavo Ayon.