Player Notes

Stephenson is expected to play a role off the Pacers' bench next season if Danny Granger (knee) returns to full health, the Indianapolis Star reports. Indiana coach Frank Vogel anticipates a healthy Granger being a starter, which knocks Stephenson back to the bench.
Recommendation: Stephenson enjoyed his finest season as a pro in 2012-13, taking advantage of increased playing time because of Granger's knee injury. He was a key cog in the Pacers' playoff run, when he averaged 7.6 rebounds. Can he be as effective in shorter minutes off the bench? What will be asked of him as a reserve? The Pacers had a pretty weak bench for much of the season and could really use a reliable scorer. We're not sure Stephenson's ready for that.

Miller is the logical candidate to be moved to the bench, if Miami changes up its starting lineup, Yahoo! Sports reports. When asked about it, coach Erik Spoelstra said, "We'll find out."
Recommendation: Considering the Spurs were able to counter punch effectively in Game 5 with a small starting five featuring Manu Ginobili, perhaps the Heat are contemplating a more traditional lineup, with Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen experiencing a modest bump in playing time. After getting blanked, scoring-wise, in his two starts, Miller could move back to the bench, from which he knocked down 10-of-11 three-pointers during the first three contests of the finals.

Mills played 58 games during the regular season, averaging 11 minutes per game.
Recommendation: Mills played in a limited role for the deep Spurs' bench. He was behind fellow guards Nando De Colo and Cory Joseph for playing time. For the season, he averaged 5.1 points (on 46.9 percent shooting) and 1.1 assists. He's a contributor for three-pointers when given minutes but is often overlooked due to the Spurs' depth. Mills has a player option for the 2013-14 season that he's likely to accept to remain in San Antonio.

Green may not find as much daylight from three-point range during Tuesday's Game 6 in Miami, ESPN.com reports. The Heat's Chris Bosh said, "...he won't be open tonight. We'll see how he shoots with somebody always on him."
Recommendation: Instead of focusing on Tony Parker, whose crisp passes and deft drives generally spur a series of events that lead to open looks, Miami will now keep a defender on Green, seemingly at all times. The Heat's previous scheme allowed numerous open looks from deep, and Green took advantage, hitting an NBA-record 25 treys in 38 attempts. With more attention paid to Green, time will tell who prospers on the Spurs, but the entire backcourt -- Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Gary Neal -- figures to pick up the slack.

Mack appeared in 31 NBA games in 2012-13, spending time with the Wizards, 76ers and Hawks.
Recommendation: Mack, who played last season for the Wizards, was cut by the team at the end of the preseason and subsequently spent the next two months in the D-League. He was re-signed by the Wizards in December and started a couple games in the absence of John Wall and A.J. Price. The Wizards released Mack on Jan. 7, one day before his contract would have become guaranteed. He then signed a pair of 10-day deals with the 76ers before eventually landing with the Hawks in early March, where he would remain for the rest of the season. The former Butler star was not overly effective, but his shooting percentages (46.0 percent FG, 36.7 percent 3Pt) in limited minutes were encouraging. He's a free agent once again this summer and will likely have a few teams interested in his services as a third point guard.

Jenkins averaged 6.1 points on 44.6 percent shooting in his first NBA season.
Recommendation: Jenkins, the 23rd overall selection in the 2012 draft, was brought in primarily for his shooting prowess. In college, he led the SEC in scoring twice and shot nearly 44 percent from beyond the arc in his career. He appeared in 61 games for the Hawks and saw his playing time increase following a season-ending ACL injury to the newly-acquired Lou Williams in January. However, with established marksman Kyle Korver already on the roster, Jenkins was never able to emerge as the primary shooter. He played well in a short, mid-season D-League stint (51 points in two games) and will likely be a member of the team's summer league squad this offseason. As per his rookie deal, Jenkins is under contract for next season and the Hawks hold club options for 2014-15 and 2015-16. The team's roster could look very different next season but expect Jenkins to once again contribu! te as a shooter off the bench.

Stevenson averaged 5.1 points and 2.2 rebounds in 20.7 minutes per game in 2012-13.
Recommendation: Suiting up for his sixth NBA team (fourth in the last four seasons), Stevenson appeared in 56 games (starting 31) but was hampered by chronic knee and back issues for much of the season and often did not suit up for the second game of back-to-backs. He's clearly deteriorated offensively over the past few years, as he's shot under 40 percent from the field in each season since 2007-08. Stevenson signed a three-year deal with the Hawks last offseason, but the team is likely waive him this summer to clear cap room, as his contract is non-guaranteed.

Bazemore appeared in 61 games but averaged just 4.4 minutes per game as a rookie in 2012-13.
Recommendation: The former Old Dominion standout rarely saw meaningful minutes for the Warriors this season but could often be seen as the de facto cheerleading captain at the end of Golden State's animated bench. He averaged 2.0 points on 37.1 percent shooting and - though he signed a two-year deal - his contract is non-guaranteed for next season. The Warriors will likely keep him around, but a strong summer league and pre-season showing could go a long way toward solidifying his spot as a reserve combo guard.

The Rockets have told Garcia that they will not be exercising his $6.4 million option for 2013-14, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Recommendation: Garcia did some nice things off the bench for the Rockets after coming over in a trade in February, but the $6.4 million was too much to pay for a player of his caliber. Garcia still hopes to re-sign with the Rockets, but he'll be forced to settle for a more team-friendly salary if he does so.

Rush (knee) exercised his $4 million player option and will remain with the Warriors for the 2013-14 season, CSN reports.
Recommendation: Rush suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the second game of the season and was forced to undergo surgery and miss the rest of the 2012-13 season. The Warriors should welcome his return to their bench next season as Rush has developed into one of the best three-point shooting wings in the NBA when healthy.

Brooks has been told by the Rockets that the team will not pick up his $2.5 million contract option for the 2013-14 season at the end of the month, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Recommendation: The Rockets are trying to clear some cap room to have more financial flexibility to target a top free agent, making Brooks undesirable at that salary figure after playing only a minor role for the Rockets last season. Brooks figures to look for a backup point guard job elsewhere around the league.