Bucks Assign Doron Lamb To D-League
The Milwaukee Bucks have assigned rookie guard Doron Lamb to the NBA D-League's Fort Wayne Mad Ants, reports Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Lamb, drafted by the Bucks in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft, has played in 23 games and averaged 3.4 PPG for Milwaukee this season.
Luke Walton Considering Retirement
Luke Walton is set to face off against his former team when his Cavs take on the Lakers at the Staples Center on Sunday night. As he returns to his first NBA home arena, Walton tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports that he may call it quits at the end of the year.
“If my back feels good, I want to keep playing,” said Walton. “If my back goes out again, I’ll have to re-evaluate it at the end of the season and contemplate calling it a career. But right now the back is feeling good, so I’m just kind of enjoying playing again (and) being able to play basketball without pain for the first time in a long time.“
Walton is seeing just 14 minutes per contest for the Cavs this season and averaging 2.7 PPG. The Arizona product saw his minutes fluctuate in Los Angeles, but he was a key role player at times and put up 11.4 PPG in 33 minutes a night in 2006/07.
The forward is earning $6.091MM this year in the final season of a six-year, $30MM contract.
Wizards Interested In Rudy Gay
There's no shortage of suitors for Grizzlies small forward Rudy Gay and the field just got even larger. The Wizards are now in the mix of teams that are interested in the services of the Memphis standout, one league source tells Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter).
It's unclear what the Wizards' offer might be but the source says that it is "a good one." Bucher opines that the Grizzlies should stick with the squad that they have as it has the talent and experience to make a serious run at the title. Regardless, the Grizzlies seem open to the idea of trading their star. All indications are they're aggressively looking for a deal, Bucher writes.
The Raptors are reportedly making the hardest push for Gay of any team. The Warriors, Suns, and Kings have also shown a great deal of interest in making a trade for the seven-year veteran.
Atlantic Notes: Martin, Knicks, Nets, Brooks
Yesterday, we learned that the Lakers have lost big man Jordan Hill for the season, leaving many to speculate that they could be interested in the services of Kenyon Martin. However, another signature franchise on the opposite end of the country could beat them to the punch. Here’s more on that and other news out of the Atlantic..
- With Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace out, it might be time for Knicks to check in on Kenyon Martin or another available power forward/center, tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday. However, a league source said the Knicks haven’t called about Martin at this point and coach Mike Woodson says they’ll probably stand pat for now. It’s also worth noting that Tyson Chandler is still banged up and Amare Stoudemire is on a minutes limit.
- The Nets‘ new-look bench, anchored by standout Andray Blatche, has given the Nets an extra boost during their current hot streak, writes Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of the New York Post. MarShon Brooks has also shined under new head man P.J. Carlisemo, which should silence any trade speculation for the time being. Brooks averaged just 11 minutes per contest under Avery Johnson.
- Jared Sullinger may be in his first year with the Celtics, but he is defying the rookie label, writes CSNNE.com’s A. Sherrod Blakely. Sullinger has impressed as of late and will be an even greater asset for Boston if he can stay out of foul trouble.
Hoops Links: Celtics, Kings, Spurs, Pistons
On this date in 1984, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 15 points to become the first player in NBA history to surpass 32,000 career points, as the Lakers topped the Warriors, 131-107. Kareem would keep that mantle as he continued playing until 1989 and amassed 38,387 in total. Will we see anyone approach that number anytime soon? Kobe Bryant is fifth on the all-time list with more than 30,500 points, but the Lakers guard has made it clear that he wants to leave the Association on a high note, before his high-mileage catches up with him. LeBron James has nearly 20,000 points to his credit and a lot of basketball in front of him, but he still has a tall mountain to climb.
If you have a great blog piece that you think we should feature next week, then send it to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the blogosphere..
- Bleed Green likes what they're seeing out of the Celtics.
- Kingdome Of Seattle Sports has a checklist for the Kings.
- The Basketball Post likes the Spurs' latest pickup.
- The NBA Geek looks at Detroit's youngsters.
- Utah Sports Net talks life without Mo Williams.
- Truth About It asks if the Wizards are ready.
- The Brooklyn Game examines the Nets' coaching bump.
- Long Distance Jayhawk ranks the Big XII.
- Red94 doesn't see the Rockets swinging for the fences.
- 3 Shades Of Blue goes behind the arc with the Grizzlies.
- Hoops Addict likes the edge that Kevin Durant is showing.
- Blazer's Edge educates us on Damian Lillard's Oakland roots.
- NBA247365 had a tough time doling out Thursday's award.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Wall, Pacers, Rose
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Friday evening:
- Nuggets coach George Karl told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida that he wouldn't be surprised to see LeBron James return to the Cavaliers in the future.
- John Wall will return to action for the Wizards on Saturday.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes that chemistry has trumped star power for the Pacers this season.
- Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune reports that Derrick Rose is not rushing his rehab from knee surgery and doesn't know when he will return to the Bulls.
- Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune talks to Hawks teammates Devin Harris and Kyle Korver about their time playing for the Jazz.
Hill To Have Surgery, Lakers Considering Martin?
Mike Trudell of Lakers.com reports (via Twitter) that Jordan Hill will need surgery on his hip and is expected to miss the rest of the regular season. This injury does not come at an ideal time for the Lakers, who are also without Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol due to injuries, and are lacking in frontcourt depth.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com speculates that the injury to Hill could lead the Lakers to consider signing Kenyon Martin. Martin has not signed with a team in 2012/13 and last played last season for the Clippers.
Kings/Seattle Rumors: Friday
Since Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported on Wednesday that the Maloof family was "finalizing an agreement" to sell the Kings to a Seattle-based investment group, plenty of reports have suggested it's premature to say that a deal is on the verge of completion. Still, talks definitely appear to be taking place. Here's the latest on the Kings and a potential move to Seattle:
- Sam Amick of USA Today tweets that Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson does not believe the city's window for keeping the Kings has closed.
- Amick adds that Johnson is rounding up sources of money to put together an offer comparable to the one the Maloofs have on the table from the Seattle group.
Earlier updates:
- Magic Johnson, who was part of Mark Mastrov's bid to buy the Warriors, won't be involved in Mastrov's play for the Kings, according to Scott-Howard Cooper of NBA.com (via Sulia).
- Besides Mastrov, Sleep Train CEO Dale Carlsen may also be interesting in bidding on the Kings to help keep them in Sacramento, tweets Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.
- Mark Mastrov, who lost out to Joe Lacob and Peter Guber in the bidding for the Warriors, is interested in buying the Kings and keeping them in Sacramento, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. "Definitely, there've been conversations," said Mastrov, the founder of 24-Hour Fitness. "Definitely there's interest in acquiring the team and keeping it in Sacramento."
- Berger hears from sources that Mastrov has made the Maloofs a formal offer, though the CBSSports.com scribe notes that Mastrov, who has a net worth estimated at $350MM, likely wouldn't be able to match the Seattle group dollar for dollar.
- Sam Amick of USA Today reports that Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has spent much of the last month attempting to identify potential buyers that would keep the Kings in Sacramento. According to Amick, the only publicly-known interested party is Ron Burkle, supermarket magnate and part-owner of the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins. A Sacramento-based is very unlikely to beat the Seattle group in a bidding war, says Amick.
- The Kings aren't commenting on a report that suggests a sale to the Seattle group is a "done deal," according to the Sacramento Bee. The Bee report notes that Richard Benvenuti, a limited partner of the franchise, hasn't been informed of any sale — as we heard earlier this week, minority partners must be told before any agreement is finalized. It was Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com (via Sulia) that said the deal was "done" with a price tag of $525MM.
- According to Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times, the Maloofs still want to have a say in how the franchise is run, even if they sell it to Chris Hansen's Seattle group. Wojnarowski's initial report indicated that the Maloofs would likely retain a small percentage of the team in any sale, but Woj suggested it wouldn't be enough to allow them a say in how the club is run.
- Condotta's source tells him that a sale decision would go beyond pure dollars and cents for the Maloofs, since being involved in the NBA has been very important to the family.
- Ryan Lillis, Dale Kasler, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee hear from a source close to the Maloofs that talks between Kings ownership and the Seattle group are in the "early stages." A formal offer has not yet been made, though the Bee's sources expect that one is forthcoming.
- Sacramento fans and players, including Aaron Brooks, Isaiah Thomas, and Jason Thompson weighed in on the possibility of the Kings leaving town in an Associated Press report (link via USA Today).
Dirk Nowitzki Discusses Future, Deron, Dwight
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports has a new interview with Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki, in which the 2011 NBA Finals MVP discusses his career, his future with the Mavericks, various free agents that have been linked to Dallas, and more.
On the possibility that he may be traded:
“That is a tough question. You have to ask that to [owner] Mark [Cuban] and [general manager] Donnie [Nelson] if that's something they would consider. As far as I'm concerned, I think I am going to finish my career in Dallas. I really only have this year and next year left on my contract for big money and then we will see what happens."
On his hopes for the Mavericks' rebuilding efforts:
The good thing is we have [salary] cap space for the first time in my career. We've always been over the cap. We've never been able to sign someone flat-out. We always had to do different deals to get somebody in.
“The good thing with cap space is you can turn your situation around pretty quick. It might look a little ugly at times this year, but you can take chances on a contract and be a player in free agency this year.”
On his relationship with Deron Williams, who considered signing in Dallas before ultimately returning to Brooklyn:
“I talked to him actually. We partied at one of the All-Star Games a long time ago. I've had his number. We've been talking. He's from Dallas, I know that. But he made the decision that was best for him and for his family. I wasn't mad at that. It is what it is. I have to move on.
On the possibility that the Mavs will pursue Chris Paul or Dwight Howard this summer:
“We're not that close. It's going to be tough. Dwight is in L.A. Obviously, CP3 [Chris Paul] is with the Clippers and they're both in great situations. So, we will have to wait and see what the summer brings. Maybe we can still do something at the trade deadline. We still got a couple weeks to get better and you know Mark and Donnie are always working something to make the franchise better.”
On the Mavs' decision not to bring back Tyson Chandler and Jose Barea following the team's 2011 title:
“Great question. What Mark didn't want to do, especially now with the new CBA, was lock himself in where he has a bunch of older guys with big deals. And then when we get too old, you're basically locked in for another two to three years and you can't do any moves. As I understood the CBA more, how the taxes are going to be, I understood his point of view on it.
“But us as players, we would have loved to have kept Tyson, Caron [Butler], J.J., all those guys who really would have had another shot last year. But it is what it is and you have to make tough decisions in this league, and Cuban thought it would be better to have the [salary] cap space for the future.”
Greg Oden Rumors: Friday
8:13pm: Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reports that several other teams in addition to the Mavericks are interested in possibly signing Oden. The Cavs, Hawks, and Grizzlies are rumored to have already conducted workouts with Oden, while the Bucks, Bulls, Spurs, and Warriors are also said to have interest.
3:15pm: When we heard yesterday that Greg Oden was aiming to return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season, the Heat were the only one of the big man's potential suitors identified. We can add another club to that list, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reports the Mavericks have been in touch with agent Mike Conley Sr. to inquire on Oden.
Oden, who is taking classes at Ohio State, continues to recover from his third microfracture surgery, and isn't expected to be ready to return to action until the fall. However, yesterday's report suggested that there may be teams interested in signing the former first overall pick to a multiyear deal this season, to allow him to rehab under an NBA club's supervision. The Mavs could make a strong case to Oden, writes MacMahon, though he's unsure what sort of financial commitment the team would be willing to make to the oft-injured seven-footer.
As we heard this morning, Conley hinted that the Heat aren't necessarily the frontrunners for his client, and didn't rule out any clubs except for the Trail Blazers.