Brigham On Humphries, Gordon, Lucas, Oden, Leonard
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld.com has a new column touching on a few trade rumors as well as some other topics from around the NBA on Saturday morning:
- Brigham writes that the rumored swap of Kris Humphries for Ben Gordon is a move that makes sense for both the Nets and Bobcats, given the needs each player fills on their roster.
- John Lucas enjoys playing for the Raptors, but he misses the Bulls.
- Following yesterday's report that the Cavaliers are preparing a multiyear offer for Greg Oden, Brigham writes that they are the frontrunners to land him.
- Brigham talks to Trail Blazers rookie center Meyers Leonard about his adjustment to the NBA lifestyle and the difference between the college and pro games.
Knicks Eyeing Jared Dudley
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports (via Twitter) that the New York Knicks are interested in trading for Suns swingman Jared Dudley before the February 21 trade deadline. It is unclear what sort of package the Knicks could offer.
Dudley was previously rumored to be part of a package the Suns were offering to the Grizzlies for Rudy Gay. Gay was ultimately dealt to the Toronto Raptors in January. Dudley is making $4.25MM this season, which would make it difficult for New York to put together an attractive enough package to land Dudley. It is doubtful Phoenix would be interested in veterans such as Steve Novak or Marcus Camby, and the Knicks have already traded away many of their future first-round draft picks.
Eastern Rumors: Drummond, Nets, Collins, Bulls
Pistons center Andre Drummond will miss four to six weeks with a stress fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra in his back, as first reported by MLive's David Mayo (Twitter link), and confirmed by the team, via press release. Since Detroit has only faint hope of a playoff spot and has been limiting the rookie's minutes this year, it seems unlikely the injury will prompt a move, but the Pistons do have pro-rated portions of their mid-level and biannual exceptions available. While Detroit fans endure another test to their patience, here's more on a handful of squads they'd like their team to someday surpass in the Eastern Conference:
- With a pair of rumors surfacing today that link the Nets to Josh Smith and Ben Gordon, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News shares responses from Joe Johnson (via Sulia), Kris Humphries and coach P.J. Carlesimo that suggest the team may be open to a move (Twitter links).
- In the midst of a frustrating season for the Sixers, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders whether coach Doug Collins will return next season.
- In an Insider piece, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com shares insight from executives who believe the Bulls, with a healthy Derrick Rose, will be the Heat's most significant threat in the East.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times runs down a list of reasons the Bulls should keep Carlos Boozer, opining that Andrea Bargnani, the centerpiece of a proposed deal with the Raptors, wouldn't be a fit in coach Tom Thibodeau's system. I looked at Boozer's trade candidacy earlier tonight.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com gives his take on Boozer and other issues surrounding Chicago and the rest of the league as part of a lengthy mailbag piece.
Stein’s Latest: Clippers, Josh Smith, Randolph
Marc Stein's Weekend Dime at ESPN.com is usually full of juicy rumors year-round, and with the trade deadline less than two weeks away, this week's edition is especially jam-packed. Let's dig in:
- The Clippers went fishing for Kevin Garnett, and while the Celtics seem uninterested in such a swap, Stein expects Clippers to keep looking for deals as the trade deadline draws near. L.A. might like to send out DeAndre Jordan, who's eager for more playing time and whose lack of production has frustrated coach Vinny Del Negro, but the more likely trade chip is third-year point guard Eric Bledsoe. Stein hears there's a 99.5% chance Chris Paul re-signs this summer, but if the Clippers endure an early playoff exit, Paul's future, as well as Del Negro's job, could hang in the balance.
- If the Hawks trade Josh Smith, they'll be looking for "a quality young center" in return.
- The Grizzlies have told Zach Randolph they won't trade him, and Memphis is unlikely to make another move involving Randolph or anyone else. Still, despite coach Lionel Hollins' insistence that he and management are on the same page, the coach's dim view of the Rudy Gay trade has cast a pall on the locker room, as Stein writes.
- Reports that the Rockets have interest in Danny Granger are inaccurate, according to Stein.
- Denver isn't biting on an offer for Timofey Mozgov unless the Nuggets get one that's "crazy good."
- The Sixers, open to a shakeup as they wait for Andrew Bynum to make his Philadelphia debut, are shopping Evan Turner.
- Samuel Dalembert was on the market even before he did his best to showcase his value with a career-best 35-point game against the Nuggets this week, and he's not the only player Milwaukee might trade. Monta Ellis and Beno Udrih are among the Bucks who could be on the move.
- Boston isn't better with Rajon Rondo out for the season, but Stein believes the Celtics' six-game winning streak can be at least partially explained by the team's improved attitude without the moody Rondo around.
Wolves Links: Pekovic, Taylor, Johnson, Trades
We rounded up several items on the Timberwolves this morning, but after a day when the team inked Chris Johnson and Mickael Gelabale for the rest of the season, letting Louis Amundson go at the same time, there's plenty more to report from Minnesota. Here's the latest:
- Nikola Pekovic is set to hit restricted free agency this summer, but he's talking like he'd welcome a return to the Wolves, as Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press documents. "I like everything about Minnesota," the 27-year-old center said. "First of all, I like the team. I think we can do a lot when we're healthy. I like the coaching staff."
- Walters also notes that commissioner David Stern and Wolves owner Glen Taylor met to discuss Taylor's potential successor. Negotiations with the unnamed investor are going slowly, Taylor said.
- GM David Kahn says Johnson has the edge on Gelabale to stick with the team next season, the Star Tribune's Kent Youngblood notes. That makes sense, since we heard earlier today that Kahn and Johnson had discussed adding 2013/14 to the rest-of-season deal the big man signed today.
- Rick Adelman hints that the team isn't done after today's moves, as Youngblood details in the same piece. "We felt these guys were young, they came in and did a good job, and they give us bodies at the spots we need," the coach said. "[But] we'd better be hoping to do something. We have to improve this team."
Pacific Notes: Hill, Frye, Kings, Lakers
Whether or not the Lakers have what it takes to come close to fulfilling their promise this season, they've already outstripped all expectations for drama. Tonight was no exception, as they bounced back from last night's blowout loss, erasing a 20-point deficit in Charlotte to defeat the Bobcats. The win assures they'll finish better than .500 on their seven-game road trip, which finishes up Sunday with a visit to the defending champion Heat. We've got more on the Lakers and their Pacific brethren right here:
- Clippers reserve Grant Hill has been hinting at retirement, but told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida "there's definitely a chance" he returns for the final season of his deal next year.
- USA Today's Sam Amick checks in one of Hill's former Suns teammates, Channing Frye. The sharpshooting big man said he's 95% sure he'll be able to make it back next season from the heart ailment that's kept him out all of this year.
- A hearing has been scheduled for later this month in a lawsuit brought by a Seattle longshoremen's union that contends the arena plan at the centerpiece of a potential Kings move violates Washington state environmental laws. The suit seeks to nullify the agreement on the building between local governments and investor Chris Hansen. Tony Bizjak, Dale Kasler and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee have the details.
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post examines the conflicting goals of Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard.
Trade Candidate: Carlos Boozer
The Bulls have been one of the elite teams in the NBA since the summer of 2010, when they missed out on LeBron James and instead added Carlos Boozer and coach Tom Thibodeau. They seem poised to once more make a move toward the top of the Eastern Conference with the impending return of Derrick Rose from injury. Several executives believe they, more than any other team in the Eastern Conference, could have what it takes to knock off the Heat, according to Grantland's Zach Lowe (Twitter link).
So, it's somewhat surprising that they apparently initiated discussions last week with the Raptors about swapping Boozer for Andrea Bargnani. Chicago fans have peppered Bulls.com scribe Sam Smith with potential Boozer trade scenarios nearly as long as Boozer has been in town, and while the 31-year-old power forward hasn't lived up to his five-year, $75MM contract, he has been playing some of his best basketball of late. He averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in January, well above the 15.3 PPG and 8.9 RPG he's posted over the past two years as a whole. Not coincidentally, the Bulls went 12-4 last month and rekindled talk of title contention.
If the Bulls are serious about the Bargnani deal, they wouldn't appear to be entirely motivated by finances. As Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors noted when he wrote about the rumor this afternoon, the Raptors don't have an expiring contract to aggregate with Bargnani's deal to make the salaries match in such a swap, meaning Chicago would have to take on at least one more player on a multi-year deal. Plus, the trade would short-circuit any chance either team could seek salary relief by amnestying Boozer or Bargnani, as traded players aren't eligible for the amnesty clause.
Bargnani's deal, which has $32.25MM left on it including this year, ends in 2015, the same year Boozer's does. Bargnani also comes with a 5% trade kicker the Bulls would have to pay. Still, he's due about $5MM less per season that Boozer is, and depending on whom the Raptors add to the deal, the Bulls could at least lower their tax bill this season. Chicago is close to $4MM over the tax line, and owner Jerry Reinsdorf has never been a taxpayer, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports documented.
Perhaps the Bulls simply want to sell high on Boozer, believing that he'll revert back to the norm following his recent hot streak. If so, his contract makes it difficult, meaning they'd likely have to take back another sizeable deal that another team doesn't want. Only the Magic have a trade exception large enough to absorb Boozer's $15MM salary this season, but Orlando doesn't make much sense for him. The Nets appear willing to dangle Kris Humphries and his $12MM salary, but I don't think two teams that entered Friday in a tie for fourth place in the Eastern Conference would be motivated to help each other out. That's part of the problem with teams that might have interest in Boozer from a basketball standpoint, as Eastern contenders like the Heat and Celtics would like to boost their front lines, but probably not in any way that enhances Chicago's title chances.
If the Bulls do trade Boozer this year, it would have to be with a team that's not afraid to take on long-term commitments. With so many franchises trying to clear cap space for either this summer or 2014, when King James could hit the market, there aren't a ton of options. In an injury-plagued season, the Timberwolves are looking toward the future and it seems like they're ready to make a move, so maybe they'd be willing to consider a core of Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio and Boozer, but I doubt it. Unless the Bulls get something done with the Raptors, I think Boozer stays put, at least until the summer, when Chicago might have a field of trading partners wider than the one out there now.
Southwest Rumors: Hollins, White, Ingles
Four of the five Southwest Division teams are in action tonight, including the Rockets, who have a key clash with the Blazers, the team sitting just one game behind them for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Rockets could be getting a boost from one of their lottery picks soon, as we examine along with other news from the Southwest:
- The Associated Press provides more of Hollins' comments, noting that the coach would have preferred the Grizzlies keep their core together (link via HoopsWorld). Ron Higgins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal adds even more. "Was I disappointed? Of course I was disappointed. … But that doesn’t mean I love Rudy Gay more than I love Zach Randolph. It doesn’t mean that I can’t go on without Rudy Gay."
Earlier updates:
- Royce White has passed a physical with the Rockets, and everything is set for him to join the team's D-League affiliate next week, reports Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston. White said there's no timetable for how long he'll stay with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, but added that he believes the Rockets want to make it a short stint.
- In a series of dispatches on his Twitter account, Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal shared remarks from Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, who insists he's on board with the front office and wants to return to coach the team next season. "I hope everything I say isn't taken as I hate management," said Hollins, who made earlier comments that appeared to indicate he opposed the Rudy Gay deal. "Am I emotional about the trade? Yes. But it is the business of basketball and i understand it."
- Australian big man Joe Ingles, currently playing in Spain, drew interest from the Grizzlies in the wake of last month's three-for-one trade. While a signing didn't materialize, the 25-year-old has long dreamed of joining the NBA, as HoopsHype's Jorge Sierra examines. Ingles' deal with FC Barcelona is up at the end of the season.
Nets, Bobcats Discussing Gordon, Humphries
5:53pm: The teams have discussed the deal, but it's on the back burner for now, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
4:01pm: The Gordon/Humphries proposal came from the Bobcats' side, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times (via Twitter), so it's up to the Nets to decide whether to make the deal.
3:29pm: The Nets and Bobcats have engaged in discussions about a deal that would send Ben Gordon to Brooklyn and Kris Humphries to Charlotte, reports ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. According to Broussard, talks between the two teams are ongoing, but nothing is imminent.
The two players match up well from a salary perspective, as Humphries is earning $12MM this season and has one more year on his deal worth $12MM. Gordon, meanwhile, is making $12.4MM in 2012/13 and has a 2013/14 player option worth $13.2MM.
Additionally, neither player appears to be part of his respective team's long-term plan. Gordon was acquired by the Bobcats last summer for salary purposes in a trade with the Pistons that netted Charlotte a first-round pick. Although he's played well for the Bobcats, the team can get plenty of backcourt scoring from Kemba Walker, Ramon Sessions, and Gerald Henderson, and is targeting a frontcourt addition.
Humphries, who was pursued by the Bobcats in free agency last July, eventually re-signed with the Nets. But as I noted in my examination of the big man's trade candidacy, Brooklyn was likely motivated by the fact that it held Humphries' Bird Rights and could potentially use him as a trade chip, rather than by a strong fondness for his on-court contributions. According to Broussard, the Nets are interested in Gordon as a potential floor-spacer that could help improve the club's three-point shooting.
Hawks Entertaining Trade Offers For Josh Smith
5:41pm: There's a 60 percent chance the Hawks trade Smith before the deadline, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, who hears the Nets are among several teams interested.
5:27pm: Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears there have been no talks about a new contract between Smith and the Hawks, including the team's refusal to give him a max deal (Twitter link). It's unclear whether Vivlamore means the team hasn't refused to make Smith a max offer, or if that refusal is what's stymied further discussion.
3:38pm: The Hawks met with Josh Smith's representatives this week and indicated that the team wasn't interested in signing Smith to a maximum-salary contract this summer, reports David Aldridge at NBA.com. As such, Atlanta is now entertaining trade offers for the free-agent-to-be, though the club has yet to decide whether Smith will be moved, according to Aldridge.
Aldridge writes that the Hawks and GM Danny Ferry are still in "fact-finding" mode when it comes to exploring the market for Smith, though the player himself is prepared to move on. We heard recently that Smith considers himself worthy of a max deal in unrestricted free agency this summer, but the Hawks are unwilling to commit that kind of money at the expense of future cap flexibility. If Smith is removed from the books this summer, Atlanta could have room for two maximum-salary free agents.
The Suns, Rockets, and Bobcats are among the teams that reportedly have some level of interest in acquiring Smith, while the 27-year-old has been said to have interest in joining the Mavericks or Grizzlies as well. While Smith unquestionably has a ton of talent, he'd be a risky acquisition for any team, given the uncertainty on whether or not he'd re-sign this summer. He also has a 15% trade kicker, meaning he'd get a modest raise on his $13.2MM salary if he were moved, a bonus his new team would have to pay.
Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined Smith as a trade candidate last weekend.