Knicks Fear Wallace Could Be Out For Season
THURSDAY, 8:36am: Wallace says he isn't letting a "little sore foot" derail his comeback season, indicating that he doesn't plan to be out for the rest of the year, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post.
WEDNESDAY, 4:54pm: Rasheed Wallace hasn't appeared in a Knicks game in over a month, and some members of the organization are starting to worry that he'll be out for an extended period of time, if not the season, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Wallace, 38, is sidelined with what the Knicks are calling a "stress reaction" in his left foot. While Mike Woodson previously expressed optimism that the big man could start running this week, the Knicks coach told reporters in London that it'll be a little longer before that happens.
With the Knicks in a holding pattern while they wait for Wallace to get healthy, some members of the organization want to immediately pursue a replacement, according to Begley, who notes that Kenyon Martin has been discussed internally. Other members of the Knicks, such as Woodson, would rather give Wallace more time to heal and see if he's able to return to the court.
Because Wallace's and Chris Copeland's contracts became guaranteed last week, the Knicks now have 15 guaranteed deals on their roster. So if New York were to sign a free agent, the team would have to cut someone, likely Wallace, and eat his salary.
J.J. Hickson Drawing Trade Interest
A handful of teams have expressed exploratory interest in Trail Blazers power forward/center J.J Hickson, a source close to the situation tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. However, these clubs haven't made contact witb GM Neil Olshey. Instead, they've been reaching out to Hickson's agent Andy Miller, according to the source.
Teams are checking in with Miller first because Hickson is a Bird Rights player on a one-year, $4MM deal and he has the power to veto any trade that is proposed. The big man will lose his Bird Rights if he signs off on any deal, meaning that it would have to be the right team and situation for him to give the green light.
For his part, Hickson sounds enthusiastic about what the next few weeks might hold, regardless of how it shakes out.
“Yeah, I'll be lying if I said it wasn't an exciting time in my life,” Hickson said. “It's also exciting to play on this team that everybody counted us out at the start. We're making a lot of noise in the Western Conference. I'm trying to make this playoff run if I'm here after the trade deadline. Obviously, I'll be happy either way because I can veto any trade.”'
The 24-year-old has played well thus far in 2012/13, averaging 12.2 PPG and a career-high 11.0 RPG in 29.4 minutes per contest. Now that he has played at a high level for 39 games this season versus a strong 19 games to close out last season, his stock is higher than it was when he hit the open market last summer.
Player Reps Never Approved Hunter’s Contract
7:15pm: Hunter has issued a statement in response to the report, defending himself against the allegations and promising to work with NBPA officials to move forward (transcript via Ken Berger of CBSSports.com),
1:38pm: According to Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg News (Twitter link), the Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison report on the NBA union has concluded that Hunter didn't engage in criminal acts. However, he put his own interests ahead of the union's, and the NBPA should consider whether he ought to remain the executive director.
11:36am: The player representatives for the 30 NBA teams never formally approved a $15MM contract extension for NBPA executive director Billy Hunter, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The five-year deal, which was signed in 2010, is in possible violation of the NBPA's constitution, raising questions about Hunter's future with the union.
Hunter signed the contract extension at an executive committee meeting in June of 2010, but never brought it for a vote to the 30 team player representatives. appearing to violate a section of the NBPA's consitution that Wojnarowski passes along:
"The appointment of an Executive Director, and the terms of his employment contract, must be approved by two-thirds (2/3) of the combined total of all Board of Player Representatives and Executive Committee members."
As Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported earlier today, the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison has been investigating how the Players' Association has spent its money and conducted its business, and is on the verge of releasing the results. Berger suggested that many players believe it's time for a change in union leadership, and noted that several prominent agents have already begun reaching out to potential replacements for Hunter in the event that he steps down. Ronald Schechtman, the managing partner and chairman for the Pryor Cashman firm's Labor and Employment Group in New York, told Wojnarowski that the decision may not even be up to Hunter.
"They may have grounds to terminate his employment because he has no legal agreement," Shechtman said. "Even if he does have a binding agreement, he may have breached that agreement, and there may be cause to terminate him…. It's up to the leadership of the union to take whatever action is appropriate."
Odds & Ends: Europe, Draft, Harden, Blatche
Recently, NBA commissioner David Stern said that he could see a franchise in Europe sometime in the next couple of decades. While the idea of a team on the other side of the pond, perhaps in England, remains a possibility, it won't happen right away, writes Oliver Holt of the Daily Mirror. “We have more intensity,” Stern said. “We play 82 games in 171 days. For us, it would not work unless we had multiple teams in Europe who could play against each other regularly…There are long-term strategic issues that mean it will not be happening any time soon. But the UK remains a very intriguing market to us.” Here's tonight's look around the league..
- Chad Ford of ESPN.com revealed his first big board for the 2013 NBA Draft and placed Kentucky's Nerlens Noel at the top of the list. Maryland center Alex Len, who some have speculated could be the No. 1 pick in the draft, checks in at No. 4 on Ford's list.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld runs down the best moves so far as we approach the midway point of the season. The best trade acquisition of the year goes to the Rockets for the James Harden trade while the Nets get the nod for best free agent pickup for big man Andray Blatche.
- Count former NBA big man Shaquille O'Neal amongst those who is against the current "one-and-done" system in college basketball for players ascending to the pros, writes the Associated Press. If it were up to O'Neal, there would be a "three-and-done" mandate in place before college players could enter the NBA.
Ford On Cousins, Gortat, Gay, Celtics
Damian Lillard is the odds on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award right now, but there's still plenty of games to be played, said Chad Ford of ESPN.com in today's chat. The Hornets' Anthony Davis is back in action and very much in the picutre while Andre Drummond can't be ruled out either. Here's more from Ford..
- There is a lot of interest around the league in DeMarcus Cousins, but from what Ford can gather, no GMs have had any success in making progress with the Kings on trade talks so far. The Kings appear to want to hold onto him, though plenty can change in the next five weeks.
- Even though the Suns are eager to make a move, Ford sees Marcin Gortat remaining with Phoenix beyond the February 21st trade deadline. It's more likely that the club parlays their draft picks into pieces that are ready to contribute more immediately.
- Ford believes that Rudy Gay is as good as gone in Memphis. The new ownership group is looking for ways to tighten their belt and moving the forward is the quickest way to accomplish that. Recent comments by coach Lionel Hollins against analytics would appear to be a shot at recent hire John Hollinger and, by extension, the thinking of the Memphis front office.
- The Suns, Wizards, Magic, and Mavericks could all be trading away their lottery picks this summer as they'll look to win sooner rather than later. However, this isn't a terribly strong draft and it's far from a seller's market.
- Danny Ainge is downplaying the trade talk surrounding the Celtics but Ford doesn't seem to be buying it. If there's a great deal out there for Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, or anyone else, Ford expects him to pull the trigger.
Kings/Seattle Rumors: Wednesday
The Kings have been rumored to be Seattle-bound for some time now, but the deal still has a ways to go before it is 100% finalized. Here's the latest on the Kings..
- Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson will appear in front of the NBA's board of governors to present a competing bid that would prevent the Maloof family from selling the Kings to a group from Seattle, write Ryan Lillis, Dale Kasler, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. Johnson acknowledges that any plan he brings forth has to include a new arena for the Kings.
- Meanwhile, a new lawsuit has been filed in Seattle attempting to block construction of an arena that could house the Kings, writes Lillis. The suit cites a 2006 voter-approved initiative that requires the city of Seattle to profit from public investments in sports facilities.
- The NBA needs to take the long view when it comes to relocating teams from good basketball markets, opines Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Ziller instead suggests that the league should look into an expansion team for Seattle, but that seems far-fetched to me given the current economic climate.
- The Maloofs could save their legacy in Sacramento by selling the team to a local group interested in keeping the team where they are instead of owners who want to move them up the west coast, writes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
Hawks Have Participated In Josh Smith Trade Talks
For most of the season, we've been hearing that Josh Smith is happy with the job Danny Ferry has done so far in Atlanta, and that he's pleased with the Hawks' direction. However, the team's recent struggles appear to be taking a toll on the veteran forward. The Hawks announced today that they've fined and suspended Smith for one game for "conduct detrimental to the team."
While Smith and Ferry talked about moving past the issue in the team's press release, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that it may not be quite that easy. According to Berger, Smith's agent, Wallace Prather, met with Ferry to discuss what Prather described as "a lot of frustration" with Atlanta's recent play. However, Smith and his agent stopped short of making a trade request.
"I want to be clear that I'm not pushing a trade," Prather said. "This is not a trade request or anything, but there are frustrations in Atlanta."
Prather added that he does know "teams are interested" in his client, and Berger hears from rival executives that the Hawks have participated in trade talks with several clubs involving Smith. The 27-year-old is in the final year of his contract and will hit unrestricted free agency this summer, so if Atlanta feels as if Smith could walk in July, it may make sense to entertain offers him before the trade deadline.
The Grizzlies, despite looking to clear long-term salary from their books, have not contacted the Hawks about Smith, and the Mavericks haven't expressed interest either, according to Berger. However, the CBSSports.com scribe hears that both Memphis and Dallas, as well as Houston, would appeal to Smith.
Western Notes: Brewer, Suns, Bledsoe, Rush
Among the highlights on tonight's NBA schedule: A pair of Western Conference showdowns, as the Spurs host the Grizzlies and the Thunder look to extend their Conference lead with a win against the Nuggets. While we wait for those games to get underway, here are a few links from around the West:
- Corey Brewer tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that he'd like to re-sign with the Nuggets in July when his contract expires. "Yeah, I’d like to be here," Brewer said. "I like the fans, I like the city, I like the system, I like George Karl’s system, I like my teammates. So it’s a good situation for me."
- Given the Suns' current record and place in the standings, coach Alvin Gentry acknowledges that it may be time to look to the future and give his younger players more minutes, as Bob Young of USA Today writes.
- Eric Bledsoe wants to be a starting point guard in the NBA at some point, but for now he's happy to learn from Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups on the Clippers, says Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
- Agent Mark Bartelstein tells Ken Berger of CBS Sports that his client Brandon Rush underwent successful knee surgery today and is expected to make a full recovery (Twitter links).. With his health not a given this summer, I'd imagine Rush will exercise his $4MM player option for 2013/14 and remain with the Warriors.
- Mavericks guard Mike James spoke to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram about the challenge of making an impression while playing on a 10-day contract.
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld recognized the Trail Blazers multiple times in his picks for the NBA's best offseason moves, giving Portland the nod for best first-round pick (Damian Lillard) and best coaching hire (Terry Stotts).
D-League Moves: Pittman, Jones, Plumlee
We'll keep track of today's D-League assignments and recalls right here, with any additional moves posted to the top of the list throughout the day:
- The Heat will recall Dexter Pittman from their D-League affiliate in time for tomorrow's game, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. When I examined potential solutions for Miami's rebounding woes earlier today, I noted that giving Pittman and other internal frontcourt options more minutes could be a short-term approach for the club.
- Terrence Jones has been re-assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets announced today in a press release. Jones was recalled from the D-League on Monday, but wasn't active for Houston's game against the Clippers last night.
- The Pacers have re-assigned Miles Plumlee to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. It's already the fifth time this season that Plumlee has been assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. While he's barely seen the court for the Pacers, the 2012 first-round pick has averaged a double-double in eight games with Fort Wayne, posting 13.4 PPG and 11.5 RPG.
Armstrong, Butler, Boone Join D-League
Three more former NBA players are headed to the D-League as they attempt to work their way back into the NBA, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Stein reports (via Twitter) that Hilton Armstrong will join the Santa Cruz Warriors, Rasual Butler will join the Tulsa 66ers, and Josh Boone will join the Iowa Energy.
Armstrong, 28, was drafted 12th overall in 2006 and played in parts of five NBA seasons for the Hornets, Kings, Rockets, Wizards, and Hawks. The big man averaged 3.1 PPG and 2.6 RPG in 277 career contests, last playing in the NBA during the 2010/11 season. He'll join a Santa Cruz team that's fully owned and operated by Golden State.
Butler, who began his NBA career with the Heat in 2002/03, has averaged double-digit points three times and played in 638 NBA games, but was waived by the Raptors last season after appearing in 34 games for Toronto. The 33-year-old is headed for a 66ers squad that's owned and operated by the Thunder.
Boone, the Nets' 23rd overall pick in 2006, played four seasons with New Jersey, but hasn't played in an NBA game since his rookie scale contract expired in 2010. The former UConn big man averaged 5.2 PPG and 4.9 RPG in his career, and will join an Iowa Energy team that's shared as an affiliate by four NBA teams.
All three veterans will remain NBA free agents, free to sign with any team if they impress in the D-League.