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.

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.

Hill finished the 2012-13 season averaging 14.2 points (44.3/36.8/81.7) with 4.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in a career-high 34.5 minutes.
Recommendation: When the Pacers were a .500 team early in the season, Hill and David West carried the Pacers. Hill was never supposed to be the team's third leading scorer, but Danny Granger's knee injury and Roy Hibbert's offensive malaise forced him to look for his shot more often. With a healthy Granger in 2013-14 and perhaps a more confident Hibbert, Hill won't be asked to carry as heavy a scoring load. But he's still more of a combo guard, so we're not expecting 7-to-8 assists per game.

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.

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.

Korver continued to show he's one of the top 3-point marksmen in the league, as he shot an NBA-best 45.7 percent from beyond the arc in 2012-13.
Recommendation: While Korver knows his role as a shooter, he turned in perhaps his best overall season, averaging 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists to go along with 10.9 points per game. He started a career-high 60 contests and, while still a poor defender and prone to fouling, compensated with his unbelievably efficient shooting. Korver set an NBA record this season by making at least one 3-pointer in a ridiculous 77 consecutive games. His contract expires this offseason and he should receive plenty of interest around the league. Atlanta is sure to want him back but could opt to save some cash and instead go with second-year man John Jenkins as their primary perimeter shooter.

Ellis will opt out of the final year of his contract with the Bucks, which will make him an unrestricted free agent, ESPN reports.
Recommendation: The decision has been expected for some time, but Ellis has apparently informed Milwaukee management what his intentions will be once July 1 hits. The Bucks will likely still engage in talks with him during free agency, but the scoring guard seems eager to move on to a new organization. With averages of 19.2 points (on 41.6 percent shooting), 6.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 1.1 three-pointers in 37.5 minutes last season, he should have numerous suitors for the upcoming campaign.

Mayo averaged 15.3 points, 4.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds in his first season with the Mavericks.
Recommendation: After spending the past two seasons with the Grizzlies as the team's sixth man, Mayo signed with the Mavericks this offseason and started all 82 games. He got off to a very hot start, averaging 20.9 points per game in the month of November and making two or more 3-pointers in 12 of his first 13 games. However, his numbers curtailed as the season progressed and the return of Dirk Nowitzki reduced his shot attempts. Mayo recently announced he would exercise his player option and become a free agent this offseason. While both he and the Mavericks are believed to be interested in a long-term deal, the team's financial situation is murky at this point. Mayo will undoubtedly draw interest from a number of teams - potentially Minnesota, Phoenix or Milwaukee - looking for a shooting 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.

Delfino's (foot) $3 million guaranteed option for 2013-14 won't be picked up by the Rockets, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Recommendation: Delfino was a key cog in the Rockets' explosive three-point attack, but with the team having aspirations of signing a marquee free agent, the money has to come from somewhere. The 30-year-old is recovering from right foot surgery but was expected to be ready for training camp.

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.

Allen had 21 points (7-10 FG, 4-4 3Pt, 3-3 FT), four rebounds and one assist in 30 minutes off the bench for the Heat on Sunday in their Game 5 loss to the Spurs.
Recommendation: He was really the only player to show up besides the Big Three for Miami, and a big part of it was his perfect shooting from three-point range. It's hard to predict which role players for the Heat will show up from game to game, but we'd expect Allen to continue to see significant run and shots off the bench as the series shifts back to Miami for Game 6 on Tuesday.

Terry's knee was a concern the entire 2012-13 season, as it limited him and forced cautious play, the Boston Herald reports.
Recommendation: Terry further mentioned that the Celtics' team physician recommended surgery during the regular season, but he ultimately delayed the procedure in order to play out the year. As a result, his production suffered across the board, with averages of 10.1 points (on 43.4 percent shooting), 2.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.6 three-pointers in 26.9 minutes. Nevertheless, he intends to be 100 percent by the time training camp begins in late September.

New Pistons head coach Maurice Cheeks envisions Knight as more of a combo guard than a pure point guard, Mlive.com reports. "Brandon has some point-guard skills, he has some two-guard skills," Cheeks said.
Recommendation: Knight began the 2012-13 season as the Pistons' starting point guard, but he slid over to the two after Jose Calderon was acquired midseason. The third-year guard's role going forward will likely be determined by Detroit's offseason moves in free agency and the draft. Keep tabs on the Pistons this summer to see if any of their moves impact Knight's fantasy value going forward.

Iguodala has decided to opt out of the final year of his contract with the Nuggets and enter free agency, Yahoo! Sports reports.
Recommendation: Rather than playing out the final year of his contract with Denver, Iguodala has decided to opt out and seek a new, long-term deal as a free agent. He was set to earn $15.9 million next season, but he can now sign elsewhere for up to four years, or he can re-up with the Nuggets for five years. Nuggets CEO Josh Kroenke was clear that re-signing Iguodala is a "huge priority" for the team, and understandably so with the 29-year-old averaging 13.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists during the regular season and leading his team to the playoffs. However, there will likely be plenty of teams vying for Iguodala's services.