Odds & Ends: Millsap, Blair, Pistons, Cavs
As we wait to hear the next development in the Sacramento Kings/Seattle investment group story, let's check in on a few other odds and ends from around the NBA….
- It's a transition year for Paul Millsap, who has been the subject of trade rumors and faces unrestricted free agency in July. As he tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com, Millsap hopes to stay put, but will understand if the Jazz trade him next month: "At least somebody wants you, so you can't really be hurt about that. I don't have a problem with change if that's the case. I feel like I'm a guy that can adjust to whatever situation is thrown in front of him. For me, I hope it's here [in Utah]. But if not, you know, I've got to go.''
- Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld suggests the Spurs may lower their asking price in DeJuan Blair trade talks now that the club appears close to signing big man Aron Baynes.
- The Pistons might not make a major move before the trade deadline, but they have more assets of value than expected, says David Mayo of MLive.com.
- Grantland's Zach Lowe examines how Anderson Varejao's leg surgery will affect the Cavaliers, and what the team's roster-building strategy may look like going forward.
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey views his team's roster as "stable" and doesn't expect to add anyone he sees at the D-League showcase in Reno, but he's in attendance anyway, as Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld writes.
- There's no quick fix out there for the Kings, who are more than just one or two moves away from contending, opines Brian Blomster of the Sacramento Bee.
- Mike James doesn't figure to be a difference-maker for the Mavericks, but the team is hoping he can offer what Derek Fisher was supposed to, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
10-Day Contract Tracker
The 10-day contract signing period began earlier this week, and a number of teams have already taken advantage of their newfound ability to hand out 10-day deals. Some clubs have used them to bring back a player that had previously been cut, while others have use them to add a little depth at a thin position.
Teams figure to hand out 10-day contracts fairly frequently over the rest of the season, and we'll be tracking all of them. Hoops Rumors has created a database to keep track the 10-day deals signed this year and in previous seasons (dating back to 2007). A number of search filters make it easy to find 10-day information sorted by team, player, year, or contract type.
For instance, if you want to find out which players signed rest-of-season deals in 2011/12 after playing out two 10-day contracts with their teams, you can find that info here. If you want to see the 10-day deals signed only by the Hornets over the past few years, you can view those here.
A link to our 10-day contract tracker can be found at any time in the Tools menu at the top of the page, or in the right sidebar. We'll be keeping it up to date for the rest of the season, so be sure to check back to keep tabs on the latest signings.
Kevin Love Breaks Hand, Out 8-10 Weeks
WEDNESDAY, 2:26pm: Love is expected to undergo surgery on his broken hand next week and then miss an additional eight to ten weeks, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
SATURDAY, 4:23pm: According to a tweet from the Star Tribune's Jerry Zgoda, Kevin Love has re-fractured the third metacarpal in his right hand. Love will see a hand specialist in New York City this week, and his return to action is pending whether or not the doctor decides surgery is needed, tweets CBSSports.com's Ken Berger.
The injury occurred Thursday night against Denver. It's the same hand he infamously broke before the season while doing knuckle push-ups. Minnesota is currently 15-14 fighting for their first playoff appearance in nine seasons. Already rumored to be an active team before the trade deadline, Love's injury could have a major impact on whether or not they become sellers or buyers.
Blazers Recall Smith, Barton From D-League
Here are Wednesday's D-League assignments and recalls, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- Nolan Smith and Will Barton were recalled from the D-League by the Trail Blazers, the team announced today (Twitter link). The backcourt duo had been assigned to the Idaho Stampede on Sunday. In a pair of Stampede losses during their assignments, Smith averaged 22.5 PPG and 5.5 APG, while Barton posted 14.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 4.0 APG.
Spurs Working To Sign Aron Baynes
Earlier today, we passed along overseas reports suggesting that the Spurs were close to signing Australian big man Aron Baynes to a multiyear deal. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter links), no deal is done yet, but San Antonio is indeed working to complete a buyout for Baynes and sign him.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com reports (via Twitter links) that the contract will be for four years, with the first two years worth about $750K each, and the last two (both team options) worth $2MM each. It's not exactly clear how such a deal would be constructed, since the Spurs have no cap space, and only $500K left in mid-level money. We'll have to wait until a contract is finalized before learning the exact financial breakdown.
Baynes spent four years at Washington State before graduating in 2009. He has spent the last few seasons playing overseas and is currently the Euroleague's top rebounder, according to Givony (via Twitter). The 26-year-old is a project, but represents an inexpensive option with upside for the Spurs.
A Baynes signing would signal the end of the road for DeJuan Blair in San Antonio, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Blair is in the last year of his deal with the Spurs, and the team has been exploring potential trades involving him since June. Still, the Spurs have an open roster spot at the moment, so a corresponding roster move wouldn't be necessary if and when the club signs Baynes.
Raptors Seriously Interested In Rudy Gay
A flurry of Rudy Gay rumors on Tuesday suggested that the Suns and Grizzlies were discussing a possible deal for Gay that could include Jared Dudley, and that the Warriors, Kings, and Celtics were among the other teams that had at least preliminary talks with Memphis. With six weeks still to go before this season's trade deadline, it's unlikely that the Grizzlies make a move this early, but the reports continue to pour in, so we'll round up today's Gay-related rumors right here, with the latest added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- The Nuggets also spoke to the Grizzlies about Gay, but those discussions appear to be fruitless, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick adds that the Mavericks aren't currently pursuing Gay.
Earlier updates:
- The Raptors are seriously interested in making a run at Gay and are believed to be dangling young big man Ed Davis and Jose Calderon's expiring contract, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Toronto previously made a run at Gay, offering packages headlined by Calderon and their No. 8 pick in last year's draft, which eventually became Terrence Ross.
- The Grizzlies haven't made a decision one way or the other yet on whether they'll trade Gay, says Stein, who adds that some rival GMs believe Memphis could wait until the summer to make a move. According to Stein, the Grizzlies don't intend to just move Gay's salary if it significantly weakens the team in the process.
- Responding to Stein's report, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun expresses uneasiness about the Raptors parting ways with Davis, and suggests that Ross may make more sense as a target for the Grizzlies (all Twitter links).
- At least eight teams have expressed some interest in Gay, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Kyler adds in a second tweet that the Grizzlies are "geniunely torn" on whether or not to move the veteran forward.
- If the Grizzlies have contacted the Timberwolves about Gay, it was a very casual conversation, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Finding a big man is the more pressing concern for Minnesota, according to Wolfson.
Varejao To Undergo Surgery, Miss 6-8 Weeks
Anderson Varejao will undergo surgery on his right leg and is expected to miss six to eight more weeks, the Cavaliers announced today in a press release. The injury, initially diagnosed as a knee contusion, is now believed to require surgical intervention, as detailed by the Cavs in the release:
An MRI revealed the contused area included a small longitudinal split in the vastus medialis. Despite continued, gradual recovery of the contusion, symptoms also continued in the specific area of the split. Another MRI revealed an increase in the split and symptoms persisted. Dynamic ultrasound imaging also revealed tissue from underneath the split was herniating and pinching with knee flexion.
The extent of the injury is not only a blow to the Cavs on the court, but will also affect the team's ability to explore trades for Varejao this season. The February 21st trade deadline is only six weeks away as of tomorrow, which is when Varejao is scheduled to undergo the procedure. As such, it's very possible that the big man won't return to the lineup in time to show that he's healthy, making it hard for Cleveland to extract fair value in any deal.
Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined Varejao as a trade candidate back in December, noting at the end of the piece that the 30-year-old's health figured to be the biggest factor affecting his trade value.
International Notes: Eyenga, Balkman, Baynes
It's already been a busy day of basketball news and rumors overseas, so let's check in on some of today's international stories relating to former or future NBA players….
- Jon Pastuszek of NiuBBall.com writes that former Cav and Laker Christian Eyenga has been formally announced as the newest addition for China's Shanxi Brave Dragons. Eyenga was bought out of his D-League contract to clear a path to China last week.
- Within the same piece, Pastuszek provides a couple more CBA updates, noting that Rashad McCants may be released soon by the Foshan Dralions and that Blake Ahearn is off to a good start with the DongGuan Leopards.
- Back in December, we heard that ex-Knick Renaldo Balkman was likely on his way to the Philippines. Now, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando confirms (via Twitter) that Balkman has officially joined Philippines' Petron Blaze Boosters.
- Following up on a tweet by Djordje Matic, Sportando reports that Australian big man Aron Baynes is close to signing a multiyear deal with the Spurs. However, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld tweets that it may happen next year instead. I'd be a little surprised if the Spurs used their final roster spot on Baynes now rather than maintaining some flexibility, but we did hear a month ago that a pair of Western Conference clubs were keeping tabs on the Euroleague standout — it appears one of those teams was the Spurs.
- Despite recent rumors that he could be on his way to the NBA this season, Bobby Brown tells La Gazzetta Dello Sport (English link via Sportando) that he's committed to remaining with Siena.
- Solomon Jones, who was cut in October by the Suns, is drawing interest from a Chinese team, according to a Hupu.com report (passed along by HoopsWorld).
Heat Sign Jarvis Varnado
WEDNESDAY, 7:51am: The Heat signed Varnado to a 10-day contract late last night, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). It appears Miami waited until Wednesday to officially complete the move, which will allow them to keep Varnado around for an extra day next weekend.
TUESDAY, 11:20am: Jarvis Varnado was waived two days ago by the Celtics, meaning he's on track to clear waivers later this afternoon. When that happens, Varnado is expected to sign a 10-day contract with the Heat, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Varnado, who was drafted 41st overall by the Heat in 2010, spent two seasons overseas before joining Miami's camp this fall. However, he was cut by the team before the regular season began. The former Mississippi State product signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Celtics in December and appeared briefly in five games for Boston before being released in advance of this week's guarantee deadline.
The Heat are also working out Chris Andersen today, and signing Varnado wouldn't necessarily preclude adding the Birdman as well. After waiving Terrel Harris and Josh Harrellson this week, the Heat have two open roster spots.
Injury Updates: Rose, Gasol, Varejao, Shumpert
While injury news may not be part of our main scope at Hoops Rumors, we have a handful of updates to share this evening:
- Kevin Love will travel to New York on Wednesday in order to determine whether or not he'll need surgery on his broken right hand, according to Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
- Derrick Rose should be cleared for full-contact practice within the next two weeks, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Subscribers only). Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times provided another look at the superstar's return to practice today, noting that Rose looked good in "predictable contact" drills.
- Kevin Ding of the OC Register (via Twitter) notes that Dwight Howard's injury is actually a separated shoulder (not a torn labrum) and that he hopes to return after a week of recovery. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets that Dwight's injury will not require surgery.