Pacific Notes: Smith, Brown, Arenas, Howard
Chris Paul is confident about the Clippers' chances of landing J.R. Smith when the former Nugget returns from China, but Smith's Twitter profile suggests a number of teams are in play, including one he hasn't been linked to yet. Smith's Twitter bio simple reads: "NYK? LAL? LAC? CHI? ORL? iNDI?" While there's no guarantee the 26-year-old is deciding between just those six teams, the Magic are an interesting inclusion, given the uncertainty surrounding Dwight Howard. Hoops Rumors readers voted the Clippers as the frontrunner for Smith yesterday.
Here are a few more items out of the Pacific Division:
- Lakers coach Mike Brown confirmed that he spoke with free agent guard J.R. Smith today over the phone, tweets J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today.
- Shannon Brown signed a one-year deal with the Suns prior to the season because he thought he'd get a chance to play and increase his value, but it hasn't been working out that way, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- In a series of tweets, Ramona Sherburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com explains why she thinks the Lakers should sign Gilbert Arenas, assuming he's healthy.
- Looking at a few realistic trade destinations for Dwight Howard, ESPN.com's John Hollinger (Insider link) evaluated how Howard's potential teammates would complement the star center. Hollinger determined that the Clippers' Chris Paul would be the best partner for Howard, while the Lakers' Andrew Bynum would be the worst.
Trade Candidate: Leandro Barbosa
While he's not putting up the same overall numbers he did during his years under Mike D'Antoni in Phoenix, Leandro Barbosa has produced solidly and consistently during the last two seasons with the Raptors. In 86 total games in Toronto, Barbosa has provided the Raps with a scoring spark off the bench, recording 12.8 points and 14.9 PER in 23.3 minutes per game.
With Barbosa playing for a non-contending Raptors team in the final year of his contract, it stands to reason that a playoff team in need of bench scoring could have interest in acquiring him. Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo confirmed as much during a team broadcast earlier this month, admitting he's "had a few calls" inquiring on the 29-year-old.
Colangelo stressed that for the club to consider a deal involving Barbosa, it would need to maintain its cap flexibility going forward. So, like most rebuilding teams, the Raptors will likely be seeking some combination of draft picks, expiring contracts, and young, inexpensive talent.
A few of the teams who miss out on signing J.R. Smith when he returns from China may decide to turn their attentions to Barbosa as the trade deadline approaches. Barbosa lacks Smith's size, but both players are capable of scoring baskets in bunches, and stretching the floor with their outside shooting.
The Lakers have a pair of first-round picks and a trade exception that could be used to absorb Barbosa's contract, though there are likely a handful of cheaper players they're considering, including Gilbert Arenas. The Pacers are well below the cap and could acquire Barbosa without compromising their long-term plans. Barbosa could also be a fit with the Timberwolves, Knicks, Clippers, Spurs, or Bulls, among others.
Colangelo will continue to receive calls on Barbosa over the next month, but shouldn't feel pressured to move the 6'3" guard. With Barbosa's $7.6MM salary set to be wiped off the books this summer, the Raptors can afford to hang on to him and clear some cap space if they don't receive a trade offer they like.
Bulls Sign Mike James To 10-Day Contract
With Derrick Rose's back continuing to plague him, the Bulls announced today via a team release that they've signed Mike James to a 10-day contract.
Rose's nagging injuries prompted the Bulls to sign James once already this season. The 36-year-old appeared in three games, including a nine-point, 10-assist outburst in just 16.5 minutes against the Bobcats. He was waived on January 28th.
ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter links) first reported that the two sides had agreed to a 10-day contract.
Minor Moves: Freeland, Lee, May
We'll track the day's D-League and international transactions of note right here….
- Former Trail Blazers draft pick Joel Freeland has agreed to a contract extension with his Spanish team, according to La Opinion de Malaga (hat tip to Sportando). The report suggests Freeland would have to pay a hefty buyout to Unicaja Malaga if he wanted to get out of the contract to pursue an NBA career. However, Portland's acting GM Chad Buchanan told Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge (Twitter link) that the Blazers still hope to have Freeland next year, and that nothing is finalized between Freeland and Malaga.
- The Timberwolves have recalled Malcolm Lee from their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Rehabbing following early-season knee surgery, Lee played in three games for the Skyforce after being assigned by Minnesota last week.
- North Carolina basketball fans will remember Sean May, who was drafted 13th overall in 2005 by the Bobcats after graduating from UNC. May, who saw his last NBA action in 2010, has signed with Italy's Sutor Montegranaro, according to the team's official site (hat tip to Sportando).
Trade Exceptions Due To Expire Next Week
In certain NBA trade scenarios, a team can acquire a traded player exception, which is worth a specific amount of money and can be used at any time over the next year. These trade exceptions allow teams to acquire one or more players without sending any salary back. However, if a team has obtained multiple trade exceptions, it can't combine them to acquire a more expensive player.
For more details on how trade exceptions can be obtained, check out our glossary of salary cap exceptions and Larry Coon's CBA FAQ, but here's a practical example:
When the Mavericks worked out a sign-and-trade deal to send Tyson Chandler to the Knicks prior to the season, the Mavs acquired a traded player exception worth about $13.11MM — Chandler's 2011/12 cap figure. The Mavs used most of that exception to absorb Lamar Odom's salary in a trade with the Lakers, who in turn received a trade exception worth Odom's $8.9MM cap figure. Now, the Mavs have about $4.21MM of their exception remaining, while the Lakers have yet to use their $8.9MM exception.
A number of trade exceptions were obtained leading up to last season's February 24th trade deadline, and are set to expire within the next ten days. Teams aren't obligated to use their exceptions — the amounts of some exceptions aren't substantial enough to be useful, and most will simply expire quietly. But they're worth keeping an eye on over the next week and a half.
Here's the complete list of trade exceptions due to expire by next Friday:
Feb. 22nd
- Nuggets: $4,640,536 (Carmelo Anthony), $1,675,000 (Renaldo Balkman), $854,389 (Shelden Williams)
Feb. 23rd
- Hawks: $1,042,320 (Jordan Crawford)
- Hornets: $762,195 (Marcus Thornton)
- Jazz: $1,815,873 (Deron Williams)
Feb. 24th
- Bobcats: $1,486,330 (Gerald Wallace)
- Celtics: $473,604 (Semih Erden), $473,604 (Luke Harangody)
Storytellers Contracts was used in the creation of this list.
Hornets Notes: Kaman, Gordon, Sale
Led by Chris Kaman's 27-point, 13-rebound showing last night, the Hornets topped the Jazz 86-80 for their first win in February and just their third victory of 2012. As the Hornets head to Milwaukee hoping to continue their winning ways Wednesday against the Bucks, let's check out some New Orleans notes…
- Kaman, who sat out the Hornets' last game with an ankle sprain, likely impressed potential suitors with his performance vs. the Jazz. His 27 points and six offensive rebounds were easily season highs. Kaman talked to reporters after the game about pushing himself to play through the injury (New Orleans Times-Picayune link).
- Eric Gordon underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his knee today, the team announced. With Gordon set to miss another six weeks, the Hornets' decision not to extend him last month looks a little sounder. Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star speculates (via Twitter) that Gordon's injury issues could temper the Pacers' interest when the 23-year-old becomes a restricted free agent this summer.
- The list of potential buyers for the Hornets has been "whittled from a half-dozen or so," reports Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune. Hornets chairman Jac Sperling spoke positively about the team's current roster and its future: "They play hard every night…. You look at that, plus three, four, five players any given night who could be playing but aren’t. You add that with a couple of (2012) draft choices, you add that with a new owner coming in next year and I’m really optimistic about what this team could be like if we were at full strength with two new draft choices and a new owner."
Nets Sign Andre Emmett To 10-Day Contract
The Nets have signed Andre Emmett to a 10-day contract, the team announced today (Twitter link). Keith Bogans, who underwent season-ending surgery yesterday, was waived to clear a roster spot.
Emmett, 29, had been playing for the D-League's Reno Bighorns this year, posting 23.7 PPG and 6.0 RPG in 24 games this season. Those numbers, along with his strong FG% (.531) and 3PT% (.459), made him an obvious candidate for a 10-day contract, despite not seeing NBA action since 2004/05. The Nets, meanwhile, having suffered a number of injuries, including Bogans' season-ender, will add another healthy body to their rotation.
Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside first reported that the Nets were expected to sign Emmett.
Latest On Allen Iverson
While the Lakers reportedly had some level of interest in Allen Iverson, it appears the 11-time All-Star could be headed out of the country rather than to an NBA roster. According to Primera Hora (via Sportando), Puerto Rico's Indios de Mayaguez is close to offering a contract to Iverson, who has also received offers from Venezuela, Iran, and the Philippines.
We heard last week that Iverson was drawing interest from the Venezuelan and Puerto Rican professional basketball leagues, and that Venezuela's Guaros de Lara had made him a formal offer. Indios de Mayaguez is waiting to determine the availability of one or two of the team's other players before deciding whether to extend an offer to Iverson, according to manager Luis Vargas.
Paul: Clips’ Chances Of Signing Smith “Very High”
The Clippers may not be able to offer J.R. Smith as much money as most NBA clubs can, but Chris Paul likes his team's chances anyway. Paul told ESPN.com's Marc Stein he thinks the Clips' chances of landing Smith are "very high."
Smith, 26, is set to return from China this week, with Paul one of the NBA players said to be recruiting him before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Joining the Clippers would reunite Smith with three former teammates, in Paul, Kenyon Martin, and the injured Chauncey Billups. However, the Clips aren't the only club interested.
Stein reported on Friday that the Knicks were still thought to be the frontrunner for Smith, though perhaps that's changed over the last few days. While Stein adds the Timberwolves and Pacers to the list of interested clubs, Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star says Indiana's early interest has died down (Twitter link).
Yesterday, Hoops Rumors readers narrowly picked the Clippers (29%) as the favorite to sign Smith over the Knicks (26%).
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Kaman, Lin
D.J. White, whom the Bobcats acquired from the Thunder nearly a year ago, isn't seeing much playing time, and that's because of a glut of power forwards, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. If the Bobcats are overloaded with quality players, it isn't showing up in their record, now 3-25 after a loss to the Sixers tonight. Justin Kubatko of The New York Times examines the ineptitude of the team and deems it a black mark on owner Michael Jordan's reputation. Sixers coach Doug Collins, who coached Jordan with the Bulls and Wizards, wonders how the ultra-competitive Jordan can take it, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports.
More notes from around the NBA on Monday night:
- Pistons center Ben Wallace, 37, is not reconsidering his decision to retire after this season, notes Eric Lacy of the Detroit News.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is upset with the NBA over the Chris Paul trade this year, believing the league-owned Hornets would have been better off having Paul leave via free agency, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area tweets that Hornets center Chris Kaman could be a trade target of the Warriors.
- Warriors GM Larry Riley is one of the many who underestimated Jeremy Lin, predicting he would be a backup at best, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Lin is having a tangible effect on the financial value of his team. Shares of the Madison Square Garden Company, which owns the Knicks, the arena and the TV network that shows the team's games locally, have hit a record high, Ken Belson of The New York Times reports.
- Ben Uzoh, recently signed to a 10-day contract, is impressing Cavs coach Byron Scott, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- Jerry Reinsdorf's son Michael has been taking a more active role with the Bulls lately, but don't assume that means he'll eventually succeed his father as owner, writes Melissa Isaacson of ESPN Chicago.
- The Heat took a flyer on Eddy Curry before the season, and so far he has contributed little. Still, his slow progress doesn't disturb coach Erik Spoelstra, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.