Odds & Ends: Nash, Knicks, Blake, Durant
The 18 rookies and sophomores who will compete in All-Star weekend's Rising Stars Challenge were announced today. Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, and John Wall will all participate in the premier event, with teams being selected by Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal on February 16th.
- With a 23-point, 10-assist performance in the Knicks win over the Wizards tonight, Jeremy Lin remains one of the league's most interesting story lines, says the New York Daily News' Frank Isola. Lin will have to keep it going without teammates Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, who according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone are scheduled to miss at least two more games. Where Baron Davis fits in with all of this is anybody's guess.
- ESPN recently deemed Kevin Durant as the league's best player under the age of 25. ESPNChicago.com responded by asking whether the correct answer might be Derrick Rose instead.
- As reported by ESPNLA's Dave McMenamin, Laker guard Steve Blake returned to practice today and will be a game time decision for tomorrow night's showdown against the Celtics. His return would bring a calming influence to one of the league's shakier back courts. The addition would also allow rookie Andrew Goudelock to focus more on creating shots for himself as opposed to faciliating for others as the team's backup point guard.
- Bob Young of the Arizona Republic presents a detailed case as to why Steve Nash deserves to be an All-Star now more than ever before. With his numbers still teetering on excellent at the age of 38, wherever Nash chooses to go after his days in Phoenix are up should shift the odds for next year's championship race.
Central Notes: Sessions, Rose, Irving, Pistons
Rookie sensation Kyrie Irving sustained a concussion against Miami on Tuesday, according to Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He is not playing tonight, and there's no timeline for his return. With averages of 18.0 PPG and 5.1 APG, Cleveland's point guard was seen by many as the front runner for Rookie of the Year before suffering this injury.
Here are some more stories from around the Central Division:
- Before tonight's game against the Nets, Detroit head coach Lawrence Frank had nothing but good things to say about guard Walker D. Russell, according to MLive.com's David Mayo. "I think his mindset is that he doesn't want this to be for just one year," he said. "So now he just has to put forth the effort and the film work and the study to stay.” Russell's contract was guaranteed yesterday afternoon.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly want a first round pick for Ramon Sessions, according to The News-Herald's Bob Finnan. With Irving out from his concussion, and there being no timetable for his return, it's likely that instead of moving him, the Cavs hang on to Sessions for the time being.
- After falling to the Miami Heat in last year's Eastern Conference Finals, Derrick Rose sought the advice of former Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas, according to Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com. Rose has played through pain this season, with notable injuries to his toe and back. The two spoke about what it takes to be the premier player on your team from the point guard position.
Jazz Sign DeMarre Carroll
Former first round pick DeMarre Carroll has signed with the Jazz, according to an official team press release. Carroll began the season in Denver, where he averaged 3.0 PPG in just four games. He was waived by the team on February 4th.
After being drafted by Memphis with the 27th overall pick in 2009, the 6' 8" Carroll has yet to find a comfortable place in the league. Last year he was traded to the Rockets (scoring 0 points in 11 minutes), splitting time between Houston and the D-League's Dakota Wizards.
During a radio interview Wednesday afternoon, Jazz president Randy Rigby said Carroll was an "insurance policy." He's the Jazz's 14th player under contract.
Terms of the deal were not released.
Magic Owner Addresses Howard Rumors
Earlier tonight, Magic owner Rich DeVos sat down for a rare interview with Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Naturally, Dwight Howard and his pending free agency were among the few topics discussed, with DeVos asserting his dedication to keeping the All-Star center in a Magic uniform for the foreseeable future. The 85-year-old owner has told Howard that leaving Orlando would be leaving behind a fan base that truly cares about him.
"You have to move in life, but the loyalty you develop in a community is always remembered. But if you leave, you don't pick it up in the next town," he said. "It's not an add-on, you know, because you lose what you had. Maybe you gain some new [loyalty], but maybe you don't. Maybe the net gain isn't as good you think."
When asked if he would veto any deal to the Los Angeles Lakers due to the bitter parallels Howard shares with Shaquille O'Neal, DeVos said he had no emotion on the decision and that he doesn't talk about where his best player will go because he doesn't want him to leave.
The 26-year-old Howard is averaging 20.9 PPG and a league-leading 15.1 RPG in 25 games so far this season.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Warriors, Kings, Martin
Each of the three Pacific Division teams in action last night went down to the wire, with no game decided by more than three points. The Suns edged the Bucks, while the Kings and Warriors fell to the Timberwolves and Thunder, respectively. The Clippers are the only Pacific team in action tonight, but we've got a few links to round up….
- Kobe Bryant told 710 ESPN in L.A. that he expects the Lakers' brass to make a move in the coming weeks: "They'll tweak something. I don't know what. But I'm sure they'll do something" (ESPNLosAngeles link).
- Sam Amick has a pair of new Warriors-heavy pieces up at SI.com, including a Q&A with Jerry West. Both are must-reads for Warriors fans, as members of the front office discuss the team's future and the challenges they've faced acquiring talent.
- The city of Sacramento is thought to be seeking approximately $80MM from the Kings and the NBA for its new arena, reports James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom.
- Recently-signed forward Kenyon Martin will make his Clippers debut, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link).
- D-League star Blake Ahearn would be a good fit for the Clippers, opines Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside (on Twitter). Ahearn is averaging 24.1 PPG and 5.6 APG at Reno this season.
Lakers Open To Looking At Gilbert Arenas
Consider at least one team interested in Gilbert Arenas' Los Angeles workout this week. Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak is awaiting details on Arenas' workout and is open to attending, reports Ken Berger of CBS Sports. One source tells Berger that the Lakers "are going to take a look" at Arenas.
Arenas has been a free agent since being amnestied by the Magic. It's unclear which teams besides the Lakers may be in attendance at his open workout, though we heard yesterday that the Clippers, the other local club, aren't interested.
If the Lakers were to offer a contract to Arenas, it could only be worth the veteran's minimum salary.
Odds & Ends: Billups, Alston, Prince, Mavs
On this day seven years ago, Smush Parker was waived by the Suns, and it looked like his NBA career may be nearing an end. Parker bounced back though, signing with the Lakers and starting nearly every game for Los Angeles in 2005/06 and '06/07. Parker has been out of the NBA since 2008, but he's still playing professional basketball, having signed today with Venezuelan team Guaros de Lara (hat tip to Sportando). Here are a few more of today's odds and ends…
- Following his season-ending achilles injury, Chauncey Billups told Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times that he'd like to return to the Clippers next season to take care of "unfinished business."
- Rafer Alston, who recently signed with the NBA's D-League, spoke to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv about his comeback attempt. Alston on the possibility of playing for his hometown Knicks: "If it happens, trust me, I’ll be like a kid in a candy story. I’ll feel like I won the lottery if I get an chance to play at home."
- Tayshaun Prince has no regrets about signing a long-term deal to stay with the Pistons, says Terry Foster of the Detroit News.
- Don't expect the Grizzlies to sign or trade for anyone in the next few weeks, says Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, noting that the team still needs to get below the tax line.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News would be surprised to see the Mavericks make a move at the trade deadline, but says they'll have plenty of money to spend this summer.
- Greg Stiemsma, whose contract was guaranteed yesterday by the Celtics, has taken an unusual road to Boston, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explains the Heat's decisions on players with non-guaranteed contracts.
D-League Moves: Hobson, Thomas
Earlier today, we learned Jerome James signed with the D-League in an attempt to make an NBA comeback. We'll track the rest of the day's D-League assignments, recalls, and notable signings here:
- Darington Hobson has signed with the D-League, according to Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside (via Twitter). Hobson was waived by the Bucks last Friday.
- Malcolm Thomas will re-join the D-League's Los Angeles D-Fenders, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Thomas, who was cut yesterday by the Spurs, averaged 14.3 PPG and 8.3 RPG with a .673 FG% in six games for the D-Fenders earlier this season.
Possible Fits For J.R. Smith
Led by J.R. Smith, the CBA's Zhejiang Golden Bulls are currently fighting to qualify for the postseason. Smith's squad wouldn't make the playoffs if the regular season ended today, but with a week of action remaining, the Golden Bulls are still in contention.
For Smith, a playoff berth would delay his return to the NBA, potentially extending his team's season into March. Regardless of when he arrives, we can be fairly certain the CBA's leading scorer will play in the NBA this season, so let's examine a few possible fits for him.
Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv reported last week that Smith was considering five NBA teams — the Bulls, Clippers, Knicks, Lakers, and Thunder. Let's run through those clubs:
- Bulls: They could offer Smith their $1.9MM bi-annual exception, but there's not a clear fit here. Assuming he's healthy, Richard Hamilton is Chicago's primary two-guard, and the Bulls may not to be able to offer Smith the minutes he's seeking in a rotation that also includes Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer.
- Clippers: They could definitely use Smith, particularly following Chauncey Billups' season-ending injury, but could only offer the veteran's minimum salary.
- Knicks: Their $2.5MM mini mid-level is available and, even taking into account Jeremy Lin's recent emergence, a backcourt acquisition would help. If Smith hopes to play for a contender, the Knicks' 10-15 record doesn't inspire much confidence, but they are only a half-game out of the playoffs in the East.
- Lakers: They could only offer the veteran's minimum, and likely would prefer to add a point guard rather than another perimeter scorer.
- Thunder: They could offer Smith most of their mid-level exception, as I outlined yesterday, but it seems unlikely they'd be interested with Kevin Durant, James Harden, Thabo Sefolosha, and Daequan Cook already on board.
While there are plenty of other teams that could offer Smith significant playing time, significant money, or a chance to contend for a title, there aren't many that could offer a combination of all three. If Smith is looking for the best possible fit on all three fronts, he might consider two other clubs:
- Spurs: They're thought to have interest, and they have their full $3MM taxpayer mid-level remaining. Manu Ginobli should be back in action soon, but adding Smith to lighten the load on the Spurs' veteran backcourt in this season of back-to-backs could be huge.
- Timberwolves: They have their $2.5MM mini MLE and room for improvement at shooting guard. While the T-Wolves may not be ready to make a deep playoff run, they're in the playoff hunt, a game back of Dallas for the eighth spot in the West.
Ultimately, Smith's decision will come down to a matter of preference. Does he want to make as much money as he can, play as many minutes as he can, or compete for a championship? I won't try to guess what he's thinking, but it seems to me the Clippers, Spurs, or Timberwolves would give him the best chance to showcase his talents and earn a larger free agent contract this summer.
Diogu, McCants Sign In Puerto Rico
Caciques de Humacao of the Puerto Rican basketball league has signed former NBA players Ike Diogu and Rashad McCants, the team officially announced this week (hat tip to Sportando). The league will get underway in March, with Diogu and McCants expected to arrive later this month.
Diogu, the ninth overall pick in the 2005 draft, played briefly for the Spurs earlier this season before being released. Over the course of his NBA career, the 28-year-old has posted 6.0 PPG, 3.1 RPG, and a 15.6 PER in 225 games.
McCants, 27, was selected just five picks after Diogu in 2005, going 14th overall to the Timberwolves. The former UNC star hasn't played in the NBA since he was waived by the Kings in January 2010. McCants averaged 10.0 PPG on 43.1% shooting in 249 career NBA games.
The signings of Diogu and McCants were mentioned by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports earlier this week when he discussed the Puerto Rican league's interest in Allen Iverson.