Celtics Close To Signing Terrence Williams
11:01am: Williams is close to signing with the Celtics, according to Washburn (via Twitter). He is expected to join the team and finalize a deal once he receives a clearance letter from his former Chinese team.
10:19am: In search of depth, the Celtics are "strongly considering" signing free agent swingman Terrence Williams to a 10-day contract, reports Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
Discussing potential roster moves for the Celtics in the wake of a handful of season-ending injuries, president Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers have both indicated that adding a player on a 10-day deal is likely as the team looks for a short-term fix. Rivers specifically noted that the Chinese Basketball Association's season was coming to an end soon, which was where Williams spent the majority of the year. Mark Deeks of ShamSports reported last week that Williams had returned stateside due to a death in the family.
Williams, 25, averaged 17.9 PPG in 29 games for the Guangdong Southern Tigers this season, according to Asia-Basket.com. The Louisville product has yet to deliver on the promise that got him picked 11th overall in the 2009 draft, but has shown flashes of potential in stints with the Nets, Rockets, and Kings. In 129 career NBA games, he has recorded 7.6 PPG and an 11.4 PER.
Raptors May Not Move Bargnani Until Summer
The Raptors haven't made a secret of their desire to move Andrea Bargnani and his sizable contract by this week's trade deadline, having been linked to potential deals with the Bulls and Bobcats, among others. However, a source tells Doug Smith of the Toronto Star that it seems as if Toronto may ultimately not trade Bargnani until the summer.
According to Smith, there isn't a ton of trade talk ongoing for the Raptors, though he cautions that can change quickly. The Toronto Star scribe wouldn't be surprised if Bryan Colangelo and the Raptors pulled off a smaller deal by Thursday, but says there's nothing serious in the works at the moment.
Bargnani wouldn't be on an expiring deal next season, since he has a player option worth $11.5MM for 2014/15. Still, the closer his contract gets to ending, the more palatable it will be in a trade. If the Raptors fail to find an acceptable deal at the deadline or this summer, amnestying Bargnani in July to clear his cap hit from the books would also be an option. Of the three Raptors still eligible to be amnestied though, Linas Kleiza would appear to be a likelier candidate.
Los Angeles Rumors: Paul, Clips, Howard, Lakers
Clippers and Lakers stars led the way for the Western Conference last night in Houston, as Chris Paul's 20 points and 15 assists earned him MVP honors, while Kobe Bryant's late-game defense helped secure the West's victory. But with All-Star weekend behind us and the trade deadline looming, there's plenty of off-court intrigue to follow in Los Angeles, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has the latest updates on the city's two teams….
- Paul is "planning to re-sign" with the Clippers this summer, according to Wojnarowski.
- The All-Star point guard is also expected to continue to have final say about any move the franchise makes. As one of Wojnarowski's sources puts it: "If Chris wants Vinny [Del Negro], he'll be the coach. If Chris wants [Kevin Garnett], they'll push harder for it."
- Rival teams are still calling the Lakers about Dwight Howard, despite Mitch Kupchak's public and private insistences that D12 won't be moved. When rumors surfaced recently suggesting that the club could be engaged in talks, Kupchak told Howard to pay them no mind.
- One rival GM on the Lakers' stance with Howard: "They're too arrogant to move him now, even if Dwight asked for it. They're the Lakers, and they'll dare you to walk away in July. And if I was them, I would, too."
- Asked about Howard's situation at All-Star weekend, Bryant was fairly indifferent, telling reporters, "I don't know what [the Lakers' front office is] going to do. At this point, it doesn't matter."
- According to Wojnarowski, Howard has come to realize that winning needs to be his top priority in free agency, rather than marketing potential or geography. He'll weigh all his options thoroughly in July.
Knicks Open To Trading Iman Shumpert
MONDAY, 7:53am: Although Sheridan indicated that people close to Shumpert "prefer Iman in another situation," agent Happy Walters took to Twitter to call that report "totally false," adding that no one in Shumpert's camp has asked for a trade.
That doesn't necessarily mean that a deal involving Shumpert won't happen, but Walters seems to suggest the second-year guard is happy in New York.
SATURDAY, 12:43pm: The New York Knicks are open to the idea of trading Iman Shumpert, Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com reports. A source tells Sheridan that the second-year guard is unhappy with being played out of position at small forward, and wants to either see his developmental situation resolved or be moved.
In recent weeks, Shumpert has been linked to the Phoenix Suns, possibly in a trade that would include Jared Dudley. Coming off a torn ACL suffered in the 2012 playoffs, Shumpert is averaging 5.3 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 13 games for the Knicks this season.
Poll: Should The Suns Trade Jared Dudley?
The All-Star game is in progress and if you take a look at the Western Conference team, you’ll notice that the Suns are not among the teams represented. Phoenix is 17-36 and their splash page of their website invites fans to come and get acquainted with the Suns players, which is a great idea in October, but says quite a bit about the state of the team in February. There are bright spots for the Suns, however, and Jared Dudley is among them.
Dudley’s contract is a solid value as he’ll earn $4.25MM per season through 2014/15 with a player option for the same amount in the following year. His game may be unspectacular, but he brings hard-nosed play and quality outside shooting at a reasonable price, making him an attractive bench piece for several teams. The Knicks, Jazz, and Grizzlies are all said to have varying degrees of interest and it makes perfect sense for the rebuilding Suns to listen on offers.
However, as a rebuilding team, its not always easy to find quality players that, you know, actually want to be there. While many players in Dudley’s position would probably be pushing hard for a mid-season trade, the forward said this weekend that he wants to help turn things around in Phoenix.
“I don’t care what anyone tells you. If you’re on a team that’s losing the way we are, people should be frustrated, annoyed, but still upbeat at practice to want to get better…I am frustrated that we’re losing. I’m tired of seeing the same mistakes. But I’m willing to put the work in to make those mistakes be very limited, if not at all,” said the 27-year-old.
As a quality, reasonably-compensated complementary piece, Dudley holds a good amount of trade value. At the same time, he’s exactly the kind of player (and contract) that a rebuilding club would probably like to keep around. Should the Suns trade him this week?
Should The Suns Move Dudley?
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Yes 69% (595)
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No 31% (268)
Total votes: 863
Week In Review: 2/11/13 – 2/17/13
If you're not caught up on everything going on in the NBA as we approach the trade deadline, here's your crash course..
- The Bucks, Nets, Celtics, 76ers, and Wizards are among the many involved in talks for Hawks forward Josh Smith. The Suns, however, aren't in on the high flyer.
- The Nuggets have opportunities, but don't expect them to do much.
- There's mutual interest between the Clippers and Jazz in a deal that would send Eric Bledsoe to Utah and power forward Paul Millsap to L.A. However, some sources say that the Clippers will stand pat before the deadline and Gary Sacks says the team is not actively shopping DeAndre Jordan, Bledsoe, or anyone else.
- Meanwhile, the Clips have also talked with the Celtics about Kevin Garnett. KG might not be willing to waive his no-trade clause.
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak told Dwight Howard he's staying put in wake of rumors that the club was discussing a deal with the Celtics for Rajon Rondo. It doesn't appear that the DH-Rondo deal is a reality.
- The Bobcats are anxious to move Ben Gordon and are showing heavy interest in Andrea Bargnani.
- Mired by scandal, NBPA executive director Billy Hunter was shown the door. The vote to oust Hunter was 24-0, with six player representatives apparently absent from the meeting.
- Brandon Jennings is said to be frustrated with the Bucks but the guard denied the story.
- It doesn't look like the rumored Bargnani-Carlos Boozer swap will go down.
- The Knicks are open to trading Iman Shumpert and have expressed interest in Luke Ridnour.
- The Wizards have made Jordan Crawford available.
- The Suns have shown interest in Al Jefferson and Gordon Hayward.
- The Heat aren't likely to make a move.
- The Rockets will extend GM Daryl Morey, who isn't expecting a busy week.
- The Nets may or may not be interested in J.J. Hickson.
- The Knicks are considering a pair of free agent bigs.
- Greg Oden is leaning towards leaning towards the Cavs.
- The Spurs offered DeJuan Blair to the Pistons and discussed a deal involving him with the Raptors, but nothing has come of those talks yet.
- Another tough break for the Celtics after they lost Leandro Barbosa for the season.
- Anderson Varejao wants to stay in Cleveland.
- The Magic told J.J. Redick that they're not shopping him, but that doesn't mean he's staying put.
Hoops Links: Raptors, Celtics, All-Star Weekend
The 2013 NBA All-Star game gets underway in just a little bit, but the premier event of the weekend went down last night. No, not the event where Jeff Teague chucked basketballs through garbage cans or where Brook Lopez had a shootaround with WNBA players. I'm talking, of course, about the Slam Dunk contest, where some of the most iconic moments in the sports' recent history have been made.
Last night's throwdown, however, lacked the punch and high drama that we have seen in most years. James White had an entire Flight Crew to back him up on his attempt at a two-handed foul line dunk, but like many before him, was about a step too close to the basket. Terrence Ross' behind-the-back maneuver was pretty sweet, if not original, but required what seemed like ten missed attempts before being completed. (For what it's worth, I thought Jeremy Evans' dunk over his own painting stole the show.)
Every year, there's a lot of talk about how to fix the slam dunk contest. Some people call for the game's biggest stars to enter, but that ultimately wouldn't up the ante for anyone except the most casual of fans. In 2002, the league attempted to shake things up by introducing the dunk wheel (if you're in the mood to cringe, you can check out the YouTube video here). So what's the solution? Perhaps the best answer is to accept that not every slam dunk contest will be worthy of texting all of your friends or telling your children about and realizing that some years will be stronger than others. Oh, and lose Nick Cannon. That would probably help too.
Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the web..
- Singh Sports News looks at Bryan Colangelo's gutsiest moves.
- Bleed Green updates us on the state of the Celtics at the break.
- Forum Blue and Gold gives us a retrospective on the Lakers and All-Star Saturday.
- Blog A Bull wishes a happy 50th birthday to Michael Jordan.
- Buckets Over Broadway grades the Knicks.
- The Basketball Post has taken notice of the Spurs' improved defensive play.
- Hoops Addict asks if the C's should trade their vets.
- Hardwood Paroxysm profiles Brook Lopez.
- Red94 wants to know the real James Harden.
- Always Miller Time wonders if the All-Star game should be held the same city each year.
- The Sixer Sense has some fun with the trade machine.
- Hardwood Houdini wonders if Jeff Green could save Boston's season.
- Bucksketball is frustrated with Milwaukee's inconsistency.
- The Brooklyn Game hands out their report card for the Nets.
- Utah Sports Net ranks the top 30 one-guard in the Association.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Jared Dudley Wants To Stay With Suns
Phoenix forward Jared Dudley has seen his name come up in connection with several teams as the trade deadline approaches and it would make sense for the lottery-bound club to explore a deal. However, Dudley told Jim Coughenour and Kris Habbas of SB Nation that if he had his way, he says he'd stay with the 17-36 Suns.
If push comes to shove, the 27-year-old says that he'd rather go to a contender than another losing ballclub. But, in Dudley's mind, staying put after the trade deadline would be the best outcome possible.
"It's easy to be in a good mood when you're winning," he said. "When you're losing, you need to stay in the gym, stay on guys. You never want to leave. I'll be the first one to tell you that if I had to leave, I don't want to go to a team that's bad…Phoenix, city-wise, is one of the top five destinations to go to, so why not just stay here and just get better?"
Dudley has averaged 11.5 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 29.3 minutes per contest this season. Last week, Chuck Myron examined the Boston College product as a trade candidate. The Knicks and Jazz are among the teams that have been linked to Dudley.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 2/11/13 – 2/17/13
Here's a look at the stellar original work produced this week by the Hoops Rumors staff..
- Chuck Myron looked at the teams close to the tax line.
- With the deadline approaching, be sure to review our Trade Candidate series.
- We brought you the (tentative) 2013 NBA Draft order.
- If you missed this week's chat with Luke Adams, you can check out the transcript here.
- Luke updated us on this year's 10-day contracts.
- Most Hoops Rumors readers that weighed in on Alex Lee's poll don't think that Brandon Jennings wants to stay with the Bucks.
- The Nets have been linked to several big names and readers are divided on what they might do before the deadline.
- Jared Dudley may not be a game changer but Chuck explained why he is a trade candidate.
Eastern Rumors: Jerebko, Stuckey, Ellington
Jonas Jerebko and Rodney Stuckey are the two Pistons players other teams ask about most, and sources tell Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that while Detroit is likely to wait to make another major move until summer, a smaller deal isn't out of the question. "You have already had the main course. You aren't getting seconds," a source told Ellis, referencing the Jose Calderon/ Tayshaun Prince swap before adding, "You might get dessert."
While we wait to bite into the sweet spot of trade deadline chatter in the days to come, here's more of what we're hearing from the Eastern Conference:
- Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer checks in with Wayne Ellington, who's enjoying his expanded role with the Cavaliers and would like to stay with the team as he eyes restricted free agency this summer.
- Cavs owner Dan Gilbert risks alientating Kyrie Irving if he doesn't get over his frustration from 2010 and make a push for LeBron James in 2014, opines fellow Plain Dealer columnist Bud Shaw.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel gives his thoughts on why James hasn't put an end to talk about whether he'd return to the Cavs, surmising that James would be wise not to box himself in with more than 16 months to go before he can hit free agency.
- Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com looks at a few questions the Sixers will face heading into the second half regarding trades, Doug Collins and Andrew Bynum.
- Nets center Brook Lopez is angling for a spot on Team USA, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post observes.