Mavericks Don’t Intend To Add Guard
With a strained quad nagging Jason Terry and a fractured and dislocated finger expected to sideline Delonte West for the forseeable future, the Mavericks find themselves thin in the backcourt. However, the team doesn't expect to add a veteran guard for depth, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
With 15 players under contract, the Mavericks have a full roster and would have to waive someone to clear a spot for any additions. There are number of notable free agents available, and the Mavs also have three trade exceptions worth more than $2MM+ that could be used to acquire a player, but for now Dallas plans to move forward with its current roster.
"We'll just have to make it work," said coach Rick Carlisle. "With [Jason] Kidd, we’re going to have to keep his minutes reasonable. Dominique Jones is going to have to play some. Vince [Carter] is going to have to get more minutes at the 2 position. We had Odom handling the ball a lot tonight. Look, we may have to be creative with our rotation."
If the Mavs decide to change course and sign a free agent, the club could only offer potential signees a 10-day contract or the veteran's minimum.
Kyler’s Latest: Brand, Love, Lin, Anthony
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld fielded questions from his followers on Twitter this morning, focusing on everyone's favorite topics — Jeremy Lin and Dwight Howard. In addition to his morning tweets, Kyler also has an NBA AM piece up at HoopsWorld that includes a few interesting tidbits. Here are some of the highlights:
- 76ers forward Elton Brand has an early termination option for 2012/13 worth about $18.16MM which will almost certainly be picked up. He intends to keep playing well past next season though, if his body allows it: "Everything hurts now but I still love playing the game and it's a joy coming out and competing against the best guys every night and having some success with the team, it feels good."
- Kevin Love says the presence of Rick Adelman is a big reason why he signed a long-term extension with the Timberwolves: "He's allowed me to play with a lot of confidence and he's a coach that I enjoy playing for and I think everyone will say that in this locker room."
- Addressing some Knicks trade speculation that has arisen since Lin's emergence, Kyler says it's way too early to talk about trading either Lin or Carmelo Anthony. While Kyler acknowledges that Carmelo is a tradable asset, he says the Knicks need to see the two players on the court together before jumping to any conclusions. I think this goes without saying — I don't expect we'll see Anthony leaving the Knicks anytime soon. I'm betting he and Lin will co-exist better that people are anticipating.
Clippers, Knicks Frontrunners for J.R. Smith
While J.R. Smith has been linked to practically half the teams in the NBA at this point, the Clippers and Knicks are the frontrunners for his services, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Magic GM Otis Smith tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that his team isn't considering Smith.
Smith recently listed the Clippers, Knicks, Magic on his Twitter profile along with the Lakers, Bulls, and Pacers, leading to speculation that he could be choosing between those six teams. Currently, however, only the Clips, Knicks, and Lakers remain mentioned on his page.
The Clippers have been actively recruiting Smith, with Chris Paul confident about the team's chances and Vinny Del Negro saying a phone call with Smith yesterday went "very, very well." The Knicks, however, could offer Smith more money this season, along with a player option for next year. Both L.A. teams could only guarantee Smith the pro-rated veteran's minimum for the remainder of the season. According to Shelburne, the security of having a 2012/13 option with the Knicks could factor into Smith's decision.
Having just returned from his season in China, Smith still requires a FIBA letter of clearance before he's free to sign with an NBA team.
Timberwolves Pursuing Pau Gasol
The Rockets aren't the only club still trying to pry Pau Gasol from the Lakers. The Timberwolves are pursuing a deal for Gasol, dangling rookie Derrick Williams and draft picks, a source tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.
According to Tomasson, the Timberwolves view Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio as their only untouchable players, and would be willing to part with their second overall pick from the 2011 draft if it meant pairing Gasol with fellow Spaniard Rubio. Given the difference in salaries between Gasol ($18.71MM) and Williams ($4.6MM), the T-Wolves would have to include other pieces as well. While Minnesota could build an intriguing package, it's hard to imagine the Lakers moving Gasol unless it nets them a starting point guard or a star at another position, like Dwight Howard.
In December, the Lakers thought they had finalized a deal that would send Gasol to the Rockets, but it was ultimately nixed by the league. Since then, Houston has maintained interest in Gasol, who has also been linked to trade rumors involving Howard and Rajon Rondo, among others.
Heat Interested In Chris Kaman
The Heat are interested in adding Chris Kaman to their roster, but they'll likely have to overcome a few obstacles to do it. Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida reports that Heat officials have been calling people close to Kaman to ask about him, and are hoping to sign the big man if the Hornets buy out his contract.
Kaman, 29, was acquired by the Hornets in the Chris Paul trade, and was held out of the team's lineup for some time while New Orleans tried to move him. Although Kaman is playing again, he could likely be had in the right deal, with the Pacers and Rockets said to be among the interested teams.
The Heat don't have the trade chips to be a real contender for Kaman before the March 15th trade deadline, so the team's only realistic chance at him is via a buyout. As both Tomasson and Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel point out, it seems unlikely that the league-owned Hornets would allow the deadline to pass without dealing Kaman, buy him out, and allow the Heat to sign him in a move that would solidify Miami's title hopes.
Besides that significant roadblock, getting Kaman to the Heat would also involve him agreeing to the veteran's minimum with Miami and giving up his Bird rights, which could affect his next contract. As much as the Heat would like to see Kaman bring his talents to South Beach, it looks like a long shot at this point.
Seattle Continues Courtship Of Kings
WEDNESDAY, 10:34pm: Steve Miletich and Lynn Thompson of The Seattle Times report that Christopher Hansen will reveal his proposal for building a sports arena in Seattle on Thursday.
MONDAY, 9:03pm: The project manager for Think Big Sacramento, a group tasked by mayor Kevin Johnson to come up with ways to fund a new building for the Kings, believes it's possible the city council could vote Tuesday not to proceed with arena plans, according to J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today. Such a move is not likely, said project manager Jeremiah Jackson, but it could put the prospect of the Kings remaining in California's capital in further jeopardy.
6:07pm: The battle over the fate of the Kings is heating up. A March 1 deadline looms for the city of Sacramento to come up with a plan for a new arena to replace the Power Balance Pavilion, known for years as Arco Arena. Meanwhile, a San Francisco hedge fund manager is teaming with the city government in his native Seattle to help fund a new arena and lure a team to replace the Sonics, who left for Oklahoma City in 2008.
David Aldridge examined the situation today in a column for NBA.com. He notes that Christopher Hansen, the man behind the rumored Seattle building who recently bought a prime patch of real estate downtown, intends to raise more than $375MM of private money to build an arena without using public funds. The idea of public financing, particularly at the state level, is what tripped up the Sonics when they were bidding for a new arena a few years ago.
While Aldridge points out there's skepticism in Seattle that such a plan could be pulled off, Hansen is seen as enough of a credible threat to draw attention from Sacramento arena proponents. According to Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee, the group Think Big Sacramento sent a letter to Hansen, challenging him to a debate with a Sacramento area construction worker, a Power Balance Pavilion arena employee, and a kid who's a Kings fan. Hansen probably won't be engaging in any debates in the near future, but the letter demonstrates a sense of urgency, as does Ailene Voisin's column in the Bee imploring Sacramento to keep the Kings or "be regarded as a underperforming community co-opted by petty politicians and others who couldn't get things done."
Support is one thing, and money is another. Sacramento government's latest plan is to raise $200MM by privatizing the city's parking garages, meters and enforcement, as Aldridge notes. That leaves another $200MM that will likely have to come from private sources, Aldridge says. Principal owners Joe and Gavin Maloof are one the most probable sources for that money, but there are questions whether the brothers, whose bank accounts took a hit in the most recent financial crisis, have the necessary capital.
It all adds up to what are sure to be a nervous next few weeks for both cities, just as Sacramento and Anaheim went through last year when the Kings came close to moving south.
J.R. Smith Rumors: Wednesday
9:56 p.m.: Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports (via Twitter) that Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro has reached out to Smith.
1:00 p.m.: J.R. Smith's Chinese team played its final game today, which means Smith's should be returning to America any time now. While he still needs a letter of clearance from FIBA before he can become an unrestricted free agent and sign with an NBA team, Smith figures to make his NBA debut shortly after the All-Star break at the latest. Yesterday, Chris Paul expressed confidence in the Clippers' chances of signing Smith, while Lakers coach Mike Brown confirmed he and Smith had talked. Here's the latest on the CBA's scoring champ:
- The Bulls aren't in the mix for Smith, according to Larry Coon of HoopsWorld and ESPN.com (via Twitter).
- It's anyone's guess how much we should trust Smith's Twitter feed, but for what it's worth, he tweeted yesterday that he hasn't been in contact with the Timberwolves at all.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel doesn't expect the Magic to sign Smith (Twitter link).
Trade Candidate: Devin Harris
Devin Harris has become one of the league's most enigmatic players. Only three years removed from being named as a reserve to the NBA All-Star game, he finds himself playing just 25 MPG, averaging 8.7 PPG and 4.3 APG. Those numbers are a far cry from 2009, when he shined as a promising young point guard on the Nets with 21.3 PPG, 7 APG, and 36 MPG.
Even last year, Harris produced 15.7 PPG and 7.6 APG in New Jersey before being packaged to Utah at the trade deadline.
Rotoworld noted that the Jazz' point guard looked "disengaged at times" in a loss against the Hornets on Monday, in which Harris only produced two points and three turnovers in 19 minutes on the floor. The following day against the Thunder, he committed an absurd five fouls in just 15 minutes of playing time.
At 28-years-old, the former University of Wisconsin guard should still have several years of basketball left to play, but with several erratic performances in Utah this season, a change of scenery could be best. Harris could be struggling to find continuity and rhythm, as his backup Earl Watson plays 22 minutes per game (only 3 minutes less than he does). Going into a situation where he can be the mainstay at point guard for at least 32 minutes a night may be enough to re-invigorate his career.
It should be noted that after being traded to the Jazz last season, the former lottery pick was still able to put up 15.8 PPG and 5.4 APG when given 31.2 MPG.
With the Lakers struggling to find a niche at the point guard position, they could certainly be in play if they showed interest. It would not be the first time that a player would be given the opportunity to redeem his career in the purple and gold, as Lamar Odom and Metta World Peace can attest. The Trail Blazers, who are beginning to struggle with Raymond Felton, could also be on the radar if the Jazz came calling.
Harris is under contract throughout the end of next season and will make 8.5 MM in 2012/2013. If the 6'3 guard can return close to his All-Star form, he will be a bargain at that salary. Right now, the Jazz could be willing to sell low.
Minor Moves: Devin Ebanks
We'll update todays news about the D-League here.
- The Lakers' official Twitter account announced today that 6'9 forward Devin Ebanks will be assigned to the Los Angeles Defenders. After beginning the season in the starting lineup, Ebanks gradually fell out of the rotation and had not seen action since January 31 in a game against the Bobcats.
Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Carmelo, Sixers, Celtics
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News mentioned (via Twitter) a possible return of Nets center Brook Lopez before the All-Star break. Also, Colin Stephenson of The Star-Ledger tweeted that Jordan Farmar did not suit up for tonight's game due to a strained right groin.
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York writes that Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony could return as early as Friday's game against the Hornets.
- Bob Cooney of Philly.com discusses the uncertainty of how active the Sixers will be in the trade market before the deadline.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com touches upon the durability of Kevin Garnett, the trade value of Jermaine O'Neal, and the current state of the Celtics.
- Linas Kleiza is out of the Raptors lineup after injuring himself during Tuesday's game against the Knicks, according to a tweet by Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.