Tuesday Bolts – 7.1.14
Jeff Caplan of NBA.com: “The 37-year-old Carter arguably stands as the most intriguing of the three, a reformed skywalker as he beats back Father Time and now a dead-eye 3-point shooter who has been called the league’s best bargain and most underpaid player during his three seasons with Dallas. Carter, who has hit 40 percent of his 3s in the last two seasons with Dallas, and averaged 11.9 ppg last season, has stated his desire to remain with the Mavs, and Dallas wants him back. But Carter will also be pursued by a handful of contenders and teams on the verge of contending. A league source indicated that Oklahoma City, Miami, Toronto and Portland will give Dallas competition for Carter’s services.”
Sam Vecenie of Upside and Motor on Huestis: “Huestis’s problems is on offense. Basically, we’re talking about a negative, non-factor on that end. His shot is pretty inconsistent, he doesn’t have a great handle, doesn’t have a good first step, and had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio over the past two seasons. Huestis doesn’t have enough of a jumper yet to be a threat from the outside. Defenses are going to be able to throw Huestis’s defender at Kevin Durant every time that he’s on the floor, which could cause problems for the Thunder offense. The problem here isn’t fit. Huestis definitely has a shot to stick with the Thunder and be useful. The problem is that there were pretty clearly superior players on the board, especially in K.J. McDaniels out of Clemson. McDaniels is basically Huestis on athletic steroids with the same zeal for defense. Huestis might work out, but this may have been a case of Presti getting slightly too cute.”
Zach Lowe of Grantland: “The Thunder are indeed paying into the revenue-sharing system, rare for such a tiny market, but they’re slated to make nearly $29 million in profit when everything is netted out. That’s the fifth-best projection in the league, trailing only the Lakers ($100.1 million), Bulls ($61 million), Rockets ($40.7 million), and Celtics ($33.1 million). Again: This memo does not capture the complete financial picture for any organization, but between this estimated profit and the general escalating value of all NBA franchises, it’s fair to take these numbers into account when debating the Thunder’s decision to trade James Harden and duck the luxury tax.”
Mike Miller says he wants to stay in Memphis.
Ben Golliver of SI.com ranks Vince Carter the 21st best free agent: “That play served as a reminder that Carter has successfully reinvented himself as a reliable complementary player after years as an alpha dog. He has missed just seven games over the last three seasons, and he’s shot around 40 percent from deep for each of the last two years. The fit in Dallas isn’t broken, and a return is a possibility if the Mavericks strike out again on big-name wings. If a contender comes calling, Carter should consider hopping along for the ride, much like his cousin Tracy McGrady tried to do with the Spurs in 2013. A first ring would be the perfect way to cap an impressive career.”
