Cavs Notes: Harangody, Trades, Varejao
Let's check out the latest Cavaliers updates, as the team heads south to Orlando for a Friday contest against Dwight Howard and the Magic….
- The Cavs officially recalled Luke Harangody from the D-League today, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer beat writers (via Twitter). Harangody, who was assigned to the Canton Charge last week, played in three games before being recalled.
- Tom Reed of the Plain Dealer believes Cleveland will be a seller prior to the trade deadline, predicting the team will try to move Antawn Jamison and Ramon Sessions (Twitter links). Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld suggested on Monday that if the Cavs have a shot at making the postseason, they may be reluctant to sell.
- In a piece for the Plain Dealer, Reed wonders if Cleveland would consider moving Anderson Varejao, as his value continues to grow.
Joel Przybilla To Decide Between Bulls, Heat
Kenyon Martin isn't the only player expected to decide on a team by this weekend. Joel Przybilla's agent, Bill Duffy, tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link) that Przybilla will choose between the Bulls and the Heat by the end of the week. Duffy adds that the proximity of Chicago to Przybilla's family in Wisconsin won't be a factor in his decision (Twitter link).
Limited by knee injuries a year ago, Przybilla played in 36 games for the Trail Blazers and Bobcats. The 32-year-old's 2010/11 rates of 4.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per 36 minutes were down slightly from his career averages of 7.2 and 11.3. Przybilla reportedly considered retiring in the offseason, but ultimately decided against it. Last Thursday, Duffy said his client probably wouldn't sign for "a few more weeks," so it appears that timetable has been moved up a little.
The Heat have no exceptions or cap space available, so they'd only be able to offer Przybilla the veteran's minimum. The Bulls, on the other hand, could use their bi-annual exception on the former ninth overall pick, if they so choose. I'm guessing they're also offering the minimum and will save their BAE for next season.
The Celtics, Bucks, and Blazers also had interest in Przybilla, but are now out of the running, tweets Deveney.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday
According to GM Otis Smith, Dwight Howard's camp has yet to inform the Magic of any preferred destinations besides the Lakers, Mavericks, and Nets, despite rumblings of Chicago. That was one of the many updates we heard yesterday in the roundup of Howard links. What will today bring? We'll recap the latest on D12 right here:
- ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (Insider link) thinks it's time for Howard to force a trade, preferably to the Nets, since the center's previous "request" left too much room for interpretation. Broussard argues Howard is worried too much about his brand and hurting the city's feelings, even though the Magic superstar knows he won't be in Orlando much longer.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld fielded a number of Howard-related questions via his Twitter feed today. Among the higlights: Kyler views the Nets as the frontrunner, and thinks there's less than a 25% chance that Howard stays in Orlando (Twitter links). I'm in agreement on both counts.
Lakers Links: Brooks, Bynum, Free Agents
The Lakers pulled to within a game of the first-place Clippers in the Pacific division standings last night, trouncing the Bobcats at the Staples Center. The Pacific looks like it'll be a two-team race all season, as the Warriors, Suns, and Kings are a combined 20-40 so far. As the Clippers prepare to face the Jazz in Utah tonight, here are some updates on their L.A. rivals:
- Plenty of talk recently has centered around Kenyon Martin and when he'll be available to sign with an NBA team. However, SI.com's Chris Mannix (via Twitter) warns not to forget about Aaron Brooks, who is also under contract in China. Mannix thinks Brooks could be an impact addition for the Lakers, though he notes that inquiring teams would need to be creative since Brooks would be a restricted free agent for the Suns (Twitter link).
- Andrew Bynum on the team's upcoming six-game road trip: "These are big games for us coming up. We need to prove that we’re able to win, or else they’re going to start doing things." Dave McMenanim has the full story at ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- ESPN.com's J.A. Adande agrees that a slide over the next couple weeks would prompt the Lakers to make more dramatic moves than signing a low-cost veteran like Gilbert Arenas.
- Earlier today, we heard that the Lakers could be interested in signing retired forward Rasheed Wallace.
Nets Sign Keith Bogans
The Nets have signed Keith Bogans, waiving Larry Owens to clear a spot on their roster, the team announced (via Twitter).
Prior to the season, the Bulls declined their $1.73MM option on Bogans, making the 31-year-old a free agent. The former Kentucky Wildcat started all 82 games for Chicago last season, averaging 4.4 points and 17.8 minutes per game. Known as a three-point shooter and defensive specialist, Bogans will provide the Nets some backcourt depth while MarShon Brooks recovers from a broken toe.
Owens, 29, saw limited action for the Nets after signing with the team in mid-January. He appeared in seven games, and set a career-high by playing 28.7 minutes against the Bulls on January 23rd. Owens will become a free agent after he clears waivers.
Five European Teams Pursuing Ilyasova
Ersan Ilyasova is poised to hit unrestricted free agency this offseason, but there are a few non-NBA clubs that would like to get ahold of him before then. Ilyasova told Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times that five European teams have made him offers, and are trying to buy out his Bucks contract.
Given Ilyasova's recent performance, it makes sense that the Bucks have turned down any and all offers to date. With injuries plaguing Milwaukee's front-court, the 6'10" forward has been dominant on the boards over his last eight contests, averaging 9.1 rebounds in just under 23 minutes per game.
Ilyasova figures to remain a Buck for the rest of this season, but he hasn't made any decisions yet when it comes to his free agency.
"It's hard to say where I'll be next season," said the 24-year-old. "It's going to be about the money difference (whether he remains in the NBA or goes overseas). It's always business. I don't want to think about it because I don't want it to affect my game. We'll see what happens."
Sixers Don’t Intend To Pursue Chris Kaman
Despite recent injuries to big men Spencer Hawes and Nikola Vucevic, the 76ers don't intend to pursue a trade for Chris Kaman, tweets SI.com's Zach Lowe.
Hawes' left achilles has kept him out of action for the last eight games and Vucevic hasn't played since January 21st due to a strained quad. The rookie appears to be ready to go though after suiting up Monday, and while Hawes probably won't play tonight, he doesn't seem far off. Since neither injury seems to be very serious, it's no surprise the Sixers won't try to make a play for Kaman, whose $14MM salary would make for a tricky acquisition.
With their payroll sitting about $4MM below the luxury tax line, I expect the Sixers to look into smaller moves, perhaps making use of the $2.7MM trade exception they received when they dealt Marreese Speights. Meanwhile, the Jazz, Grizzlies, Spurs, Rockets, Bobcats, Pistons, Pacers, and Cavs are among the teams thought to have some level of interest in Kaman.
Kenyon Martin Decision Expected This Week
Kenyon Martin is expected to make a decision on where he'll sign by this weekend, reports Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports. Spears mentions that the Lakers, Clippers, Heat, Spurs, Hawks, and Knicks have expressed interest in adding Martin, though it's not clear if Martin's choices are limited to those teams or if others could get involved. For his part, the former first overall pick would like to sign with a winning team that can offer him consistent minutes.
Martin signed with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China during the lockout, but reached an agreement on a buyout in December. Although the 34-year-old was bought out before the American season got underway, he can't officially sign with an NBA team until the Flying Tigers' season ends, which could happen as soon as February 16th. If the Tigers make the CBA postseason, however, Martin would be in for a longer wait. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com points out (via Twitter) that Xinjiang is currently a half-game out of the playoff race.
While the Clippers, Spurs, Hawks, and Knicks all retain some form of exception they could put toward Martin, none of those teams appear to have the full MLE, a pro-rated portion of $5MM, available. Still, they can offer more than the Lakers or Heat, who have already used their mini MLEs, as I outlined yesterday. The Lakers acquired an $8.9MM trade exception when they dealt Lamar Odom to Dallas, but it can't be used on a free agent signing. If Martin were to sign with the Lakers or Heat, it would have to be for the veteran's minimum.
If Martin decides to sign elsewhere, the Lakers may have some interest in Rasheed Wallace, according to Spears. Wallace, who officially retired in 2010, is said to be considering a comeback.