J.R. Smith To Return This Week
Ben Golliver of CBSsports.com reports that J.R. Smith will be returning to the United States this week after a several month tenure with the Zhejiang Wanma Cyclones of the Chinese Basketball Association. This news comes a day after we learned that Zheijiang was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, which therefore allows Smith to return to the NBA.
The 26-year-old shooting guard boasted averages of 35.1 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 4.3 APG in 37.2 minutes per game for Zhejiang while shooting 48.6% from three point range and nearly 51% from the field overall.
Smith (via Twitter) announced that he will be arriving back this Wednesday, February 15th, the same day that marks the end of the CBA's regular season.
Pacific Notes: Fisher, Bryant, Martin
The Lakers have been seeking a point guard in the trade market this season, as 37-year-old Derek Fisher, whose 5.2 PPG is his lowest since his rookie season, appears to be in decline. Fisher's role as head of the players union during the lockout has drained him, says Patrick Ewing, who went through the same experience in 1999, as Mitch Lawrence examines for the New York Daily News.
Here are a few more notes from the Pacific Division:
- The Kamenetzky brothers of ESPNLosAngeles.com wonder whether Kobe Bryant, who recently told ESPN's Stephen A. Smith he doesn't want to play at a diminished capacity, will retire when his contract ends in 2014.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes, in the fifth item of this story, how recent free-agency signee Kenyon Martin is already getting comfortable with the Clippers.
Central Notes: Varejao, West, Pistons
Despite inquiries from a few teams, the Cavs insisted earlier this week they're not trying to trade Anderson Varejao, and a right wrist fracture reduces the chances of a deal even further. There's no official timetable, but Sam Amico of Fox Sports tweets that he'll be gone at least a week, and he could be out for longer, tweets Bob Finnan of The News-Herald of northern Ohio. Reed Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said he doubts the Cavs will sign anyone to replace Varejao while he's out. (Twitter link)
Here's what going on elsewhere in the Central Division:
- Free-agent signee David West enjoys playing with a post threat like Roy Hibbert and has been surprised by the Pacers' commitment to defense, he tells Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld in this video.
- Rookie Brandon Knight has fueled the transformation of the Pistons, who've won four straight, from a plodding pace to an up-tempo attack, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
Latest On Jeremy Lin
It's safe to say the Knicks' acquisition of Jeremy Lin is the most successful waiver claim the NBA has seen in some time. Lin has scored 89 points in his first three NBA starts, the most for any player since the NBA-ABA merger in 1976, as Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld points out. Statistician Nate Silver looks at the numbers to compare Lin to several players in a piece for The New York Times. Here are a few more notes on the second-year sensation:
- Phil Taylor of Sports Illustrated wonders whether Mark Jackson did his due diligence in evaluating Lin before the Warriors let him go. (Twitter link)
- There's confusion over how much money Lin can make on his next contract. Salary cap guru Larry Coon said in a stream of tweets that he's not sure if Lin qualifies as an "Early Bird" free agent. Howard Beck of The New York times reported earlier that Lin does. If he does have Early Bird rights, the Knicks could re-sign him for up to 175% of his previous salary or th e average player salary, whichever is greater. There have also been reports that Lin will be limited to receiving the full mid-level exception. What is clear is that he will be a restricted free agent, meaning he can sign a deal with any team, but the Knicks would have three days to match the offer.
- Count Tyson Chandler as one who doesn't think Lin will soon fade back into obscurity. He believes Lin's performance is "not a fluke," as Tom Pedulla and Rachel Shuster of USA Today report. The story also notes how Lin believes the difference between his production in New York this year and Golden State last year is all about opportunity.
- Lin's popularity may force Time Warner cable, in a carriage battle with the MSG network, to put the channel that shows Knicks games back in the lineup, writes Bob Raissman of the New York Daily News.
Poll: When Will Dwight Howard Leave Orlando?
This week's Jeremy Lin mania aside, Dwight Howard's impending free agency has been the dominant storyline of the NBA season so far. The Nets, Lakers and Mavs are the leading contenders for his services, along with his current team, the Magic. The Magic are considering fulfilling his request to be traded this season so they can get assets back in return, but may be hesistant to do so before the All-Star game, which is on Feb. 26 in Orlando this year. That leaves about a two-week window before the March 15 trade deadline to get a deal done. If that doesn't happen, and the saga continues into the summer, Howard could invoke a player option of more than $19.5MM to stay with the Magic for one more season before committing anywhere for multiple seasons.
So, with so much attention surrounding where Howard will go, the question of when is just as relevant.
Trade Candidate: Chris Kaman
It has been a strange year for Hornets center Chris Kaman. The club seemed set on moving the big man in late January and excused him from team activities as General Manager Dell Demps combed the league for a trade. To his surprise, finding a quality haul for the one-time All-Star proved to be difficult. After a little more than a week, the Hornets brought Kaman back from hiatus and reportedly shut down trade talks.
However, as we've heard all week, New Orleans still hopes to find a suitor for Kaman and will showcase him in order to drum up interest. The Pacers and Rockets have been linked to the 29-year-old and appear to have the most interest.
Houston seems like a solid fit for Kaman as they would like to add more size to their lineup. Trouble is, the young pieces that they would be willing to part with aren't terribly exciting. Former top eight picks in the 2009 draft Hasheem Thabeet and Jordan Hill would give the Hornets flexibility with expiring contracts but are still extremely raw. Guard Jonny Flynn could also be in play but the Syracuse product hasn't looked like the same player since undergoing hip surgery prior to last season.
Demps & Co. are said to be looking for one solid young player or a quality draft pick for Kaman but his $14MM salary (though expiring) makes finding such a deal difficult. The Hornets also want to avoid taking back cumbersome deals that extend beyond 2011/12.
Will the Hornets find the deal that they're in search of? That's likely up to Kaman himself. The center saw action in two games since returning to the team before sitting out last night's loss to the Blazers with a tweaked ankle. For the Hornets to land a first-round pick or a talent with upside, Kaman has to show that he's ready to regain some of his 2009/10 form.
One team to keep an eye on is the Cavs, who have three extra future first-round picks and a lack of depth at the center position behind Anderson Varejao, who suffered a wrist injury on Friday. Antawn Jamison's expiring $15MM contract would make the numbers work, but the 35-year-old has looked especially sharp as of late.
If he can produce and stay healthy, the Hornets might be able to finagle an expiring contract and first-round pick from a center-starved team. If he can't, New Orleans just might opt to hang on to Kaman and put that extra cap room to use over the summer.
Knicks Notes: Lin, James
Here's a look at some Knicks-related items as New York succumbs to Linsanity..
- The Knicks are in position to keep Jeremy Lin beyond this season and almost certainly will, writes Howard Beck of the New York Times. The guard will be a restricted free agent and will be limited to receiving the full mid-level exception under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- As the deadline for guaranteeing contracts approached, the Knicks were learning towards releasing Lin and had begun targeting other guards, including veteran Mike James, sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com. James has been back with the club's D-League affiliate since being waived by the Bulls earlier this month.
- We've heard that Lin slipped through the Lakers' fingers earlier this season, but the guard was also very close to signing overseas before the NBA lockout ended. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando Basket (via Twitter) writes that Lin was near a deal with Italy's Banca Tercas Teramo.
- As the Knicks waffled on whether or not to keep Lin beyond the deadline, team exec Mark Warkentien began calling associates in the D-League to gather more background info on the guard, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Iverson Drawing Interest From Venezuela, PR
SATURDAY, 8:52am: Today could be the crucial day in negotiations for Iverson, according to a report from Sportando. Venezuela's Guaros de Lara and Puerto Rico's Indios de Mayaguez are in competition for the former All-Star's services, with the Venezuelan team having made an offer.
THURSDAY, 12:56pm: Iverson may be heading to Venezuela rather than Puerto Rico, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando, who says Venezuela's Guaros de Lara made Iverson an offer (Twitter links). A decision could be made within the next 24 hours.
WEDNESDAY, 12:06pm: According to a Sportando report, Mets de Guaynabo of the Puerto Rican league turned down a proposal that would have brought Iverson to the team for the maximum salary allowed ($5,000 per week). However, other Puerto Rican teams, including Indios de Mayaguez, maintain interest in signing Iverson.
MONDAY, 2:32pm: NBA teams may not be fighting for Allen Iverson's services these days, but non-NBA clubs are still showing interest in the longtime 76ers star. Iverson has engaged in discussions with Puerto Rico's professional basketball league about a possible deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
According to Wojnarowski, the league's commissioner is attempting to sell Puerto Rico to Iverson as a way of working his way back to the NBA. The league hopes to convince Iverson to fly down to take a closer look at the possibility of playing on the island.
Iverson has been out of the NBA since he appeared in 28 games for the Grizzlies and Sixers in 2009/10. After playing in Turkey in 2010/11, the 36-year-old returned to America and has been working out in hopes of making an NBA comeback. A former MVP and 11-time All-Star, Iverson ranks 17th on the Association's all-time scoring list.
Odds & Ends: Jennings, Deng, Spurs
On this date last year, Jerry Sloan stepped down after 23 seasons as coach of the Jazz. Earlier today we passed along the news that at least six teams are trying to convince Sloan to come back to the bench. Here are some more tidbits from around the league today:
- Bucks GM John Hammond told Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he was caught off guard by what Brandon Jennings said about possibly leaving the team for a larger market. While Jennings is under team control until the summer of 2014, Ersan Ilyasova will be an unrestricted free-agent at the end of this season. There's a strong possibility Ilyasova, from Turkey, may favor a return to Europe, as HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston examines.
- Luol Deng's selection as an All-Star reserve vindicates the Bulls for hanging on to him amidst many trade rumors over the years, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Manu Ginobili's return, set for Saturday against the Nets, creates a rotation puzzle for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to figure out, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
- When Tyson Chandler went to the Knicks, the Mavs championship defense supposedly went with him, writes Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News. But, Gosselin opines that the team's ability to play defense even without last year's shot-blocking center will help them defend their title. (Subscription link)
- DeMarre Carroll, who was picked up Wednesday by the Jazz, was close to signing with Utah before the season started, Salt Lake Tribune writer Brian T. Smith tweets. Carroll signed instead with the Nuggets, who waived him Feb. 4.
- Chicago, the hometown of Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade, has also produced Anthony Davis, who is projected as the top overall pick this June, and Jabari Parker, the consensus No. 1 high school player. That makes the Windy City the center of the hoops universe, opines ESPN's Scoop Jackson.
- Dirk Nowitzki, who watched Ricky Rubio in Europe, didn't think the Wolves rookie sensation would have quite the impact he's having in the NBA, notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Stevenson, Bargnani
Jeremy Lin's bandwagon is getting mighty crowded after the Harvard grad outscored Kobe Bryant 38-34 in a 92-85 win for the Knicks over the Lakers tonight. HoopsWorld writer Alex Kennedy tweets that the locker room chatter suggests Lin, a restricted free-agent at season's end, could get a contract on par with Wesley Matthews, who inked a five-year, $34MM contract with the Blazers after his impressive rookie season in Utah. But as Brian Cronin of KnickerBlogger.net points out, Lin will be limited to receiving the full mid-level exception. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the mid-level exception is four years, starting at $5MM a year with annual raises of 4.5%.
Notes from elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:
- Peter Vecsey of the New York Post delved into the past to reveal how the Nets nearly drafted Bryant in 1996.
- Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni believes Lin and Carmelo Anthony will fit together just fine when Melo returns from injury, reports Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday. The coach believes it will be similar to the way Chauncey Billups and Anthony meshed with both the Nuggets and the Knicks.
- The Nets made a $12,000 investment in DeShawn Stevenson's knees. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports that the team paid for Stevenson to get the same blood-spinning treatment Kobe Bryant received. Stephenson, who paid for the other half of the $24,000 procedure, says his arthritic knees feel as healthy as they have since 2004. Stephenson also said that Knicks point guard Baron Davis had the same treatment as well.
- Brook Lopez, who's been out since training camp with a broken foot, is on his way back for the Nets. He's set to practice this week, Andy Vasquez writes on NorthJersey.com.
- James Johnson tells Raptors announcer Matt Devlin that the absense of Andrea Bargnani, who could be out until after the All-Star Break, is affecting the play of the rest of the team. His comments are at the four-minute mark of this video on Raptors.com.