Month: March 2024

Odds & Ends: Amare, White, Gee, Beasley

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Thursday evening:

Gay Trade Notes: Grizzlies, Trades, Vujacic, Lowry

On Wednesday, the first major trade of the season was consummated as the Grizzlies shipped Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi to the Raptors for Jose Calderon to Ed Davis, then sent Calderon to the Pistons for Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye. Here are the latest updates on the involved teams in light of the blockbuster deal:

Timberwolves Notes: Roy, Rubio, Gasol, Williams

The latest news and notes around the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday evening:

  • Jon Krawczynski of the Associated Press tweets that Brandon Roy had another setback in his rehab as he attempts to recover from arthroscopic knee surgery.
  • Ricky Rubio defended Pau Gasol against criticism he's faced this season, saying he would welcome the opportunity to play with him (AP link via USA Today).
  • Krawczynski also writes that Derrick Williams, the second overall pick in the 2011 draft, wants to separate himself from some other players picked in his slot that haven't worked out.

Danny Ainge Discusses Pierce, Trades, Grizzlies

Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge appeared on WEEI on Thursday and gave a radio interview in which he covered a variety of topics relating to the Celtics' handling of Rajon Rondo's knee injury and the team's plans for the trading headline. Brian Robb of CelticsHub.com has a transcript of some of Ainge's comments.

On the likelihood of a trade:

“I think whether we win every game or whether we struggle, I think it all depends on what opportunties are presented, so we are open and listening and are having discussions regarding a lot of different possibilities, but we don’t feel pressure to do anything. We want to make some change to help improve our team, but we don’t feel pressure.”

On the possibility of trading Paul Pierce:

Nothing is close to being done. I too, would like to see Paul Pierce retire as a Celtic. That would be great. We are all attached to Paul. He’s been great for the city, the franchise, each of us individually, he’s been a true pro. Having said that, if something came up I would talk to Paul, but my job is do what’s best for the Boston fans, and what’s best for the Boston Celtic team, regardless of my personal ties and personal relationships with players.”

On discussions with the Grizzlies prior to the Rudy Gay trade:

“Memphis with new management has been pretty active. We’ve had discussions but nothing that ever got close. It’s been well documented what they were trying to accomplish, to get under the tax and get for Rudy. They got some good players though, and time will tell.”

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript

Click below for this week's chat transcript:

D-League Moves: Miles Plumlee, Kevin Jones

Here are Thursday's D-League assignments and recalls, with the latest moves at the top of the page:

  • The Pacers have re-assigned Miles Plumlee to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced today in a press release. Plumlee has averaged a double-double for Indiana's D-League affiliate in 11 games with the Mad Ants this year, posting 12.8 PPG and 11.2 RPG.
  • A day after assigning him to the D-League, the Cavaliers have recalled Kevin Jones, the team announced in a press release. Jones recorded 18 points and 14 rebounds in the Canton Charge's loss to the Erie BayHawks last night, and will rejoin the Cavs for their game tomorrow in Detroit.

Kings/Seattle Updates: Thursday

We're likely a ways off from any sort of resolution on the future of the Kings franchise, but in the meantime, each day seems to bring some sort of development on the sale of the team. Here's Thursday's latest:

  • Attorney Donald Fitzgerald and trustee David Flemmer, who is handling the sale of Bob Cook's 7% share of the Kings, are negotiating with the Maloofs in the hopes of gaining access to the details of the Seattle sale, according to Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. Fitzgerald and Flemmer believe minority owners should have the first right of refusal to match the Seattle offer, and say they need the Seattle documents to pursue their claim.
  • If Fitzgerald and Flemmer are successful in their claim, one of the existing limited partners or whoever buys Cook's 7% share could have the opportunity to block the sale to the Seattle group, says Kasler.
  • According to Kasler, the NBA expects to make a ruling on the Seattle purchase during the NBA's Board of Governors meeting in mid-April. Cook's share of the team is supposed to be auctioned off on the same day.
  • Sacramento's City Hall has launched a feasibility analysis of Downtown Plaza as a spot for a new arena, according to Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. Ron Burkle, who is reportedly putting together a counter-proposal for the Kings, has advocated directly to NBA commissioner David Stern for building an arena at Sacramento's Downtown Plaza.

Odds & Ends: Mavs, Van Gundy, Howard, Barbosa

Shorthanded following the completion of the Rudy Gay trade, the Pistons and Raptors were both beaten in their respective games on Wednesday night. Tonight, in the first game of the post-Gay era in Memphis, the Grizzlies will be tasked with what would be a tough matchup under normal circumstances, as they travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder. While we look forward to that game, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

Trade Exceptions Set To Expire At Deadline

As our list of outstanding traded player exceptions shows, there are a number of trade exceptions that could be in play as this season's deadline approaches. A trade exception allows a team to absorb a salary without sending any salary out in return. For instance, with the $4.2MM exception the Grizzlies obtained when they traded Marreese Speights to Cleveland, Memphis could acquire one or more players who are earning $4.3MM this season ($4.2MM + $100K).

Trade exceptions, which cannot be combined, expire a year after they're initially acquired, so the TPEs that were created at last year's March trade deadline will expire if they go unused on or before February 21st. While the exceptions don't expire until March, teams obviously won't have the opportunity to use them during the few weeks after the deadline passes.

Most notable among those exceptions set to expire in March is the $13MM TPE the Nuggets obtained when they dealt Nene to Washington at the 2012 deadline. The Nuggets are very unlikely to use that entire exception, but it certainly gives them some added flexibility as they weigh their options over the next three weeks.

Here's the complete list of traded player exceptions that will expire if they go unused at the trade deadline:

  • Denver Nuggets: $13,000,000
  • Golden State Warriors: $3,294,960
  • Milwaukee Bucks: $2,506,500
  • Brooklyn Nets: $1,390,000
  • Brooklyn Nets: $1,377,383
  • Los Angeles Clippers: $1,223,166
  • Memphis Grizzlies: $1,184,750
  • Los Angeles Lakers: $854,389(*)
  • San Antonio Spurs: $854,389
  • Los Angeles Lakers: $544,340

(* This TPE was initially listed as $1,422,027 and had since been corrected.)

Warriors Unlikely To Make Move Before Deadline

The Warriors will be adding one potential impact player to their rotation for the season's second half, but he'll be returning from an injury rather than arriving via trade. According to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, while Golden State is welcoming Andrew Bogut back to the lineup, it's highly unlikely that the team acquires another player via trade. One team source told Thompson that the odds of a Warriors move are "remote."

The Warriors wouldn't mind adding a big man, and Thompson mentions names like Timofey Mozgov and DeJuan Blair as potential fits. The club could also use a backup shooting guard or an athletic wing. However, acquiring anyone that fits that bill would likely require Golden State to give up a player it likes, in which case the team would prefer to stand pat.

The Warriors are also slightly above the luxury-tax threshold, so if anything compelled the team to make a move, it might be a desire to get out of tax territory. Still, Thompson believes the Warriors would have to shed a big contract like Richard Jefferson's or Andris Biedrins' to get below the tax line, which is extremely unlikely.

Even without Bogut for most of the season, the Warriors are exceeding expectations, having recorded a 28-17 record so far, good for fifth in the Western Conference.