Celtics Assign Fab Melo To D-League
We'll keep track of Friday's D-League assignments and recalls here, with the latest updates at the top of the page:
- The Celtics are sending rookie center Fab Melo back to the D-League, the team announced via press release. The Syracuse product and 22nd pick in the 2012 draft scored his first two NBA points in just his second game with Boston last night. Now he's headed back to the Maine Red Claws, for whom he's averaged 11.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.6 blocks in 19 games.
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Marion Wouldn’t Report If Traded To Bad Team
If a non-contender is thinking about acquiring Shawn Marion in a deal with the Mavericks, that team may want to reconsider, according to Marion. The Mavs forward told reporters, including Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, that he'd refuse to report if Dallas trades him to a bad team.
"If I’m going to get traded, they’re going to tell me what’s going on and where I’m going," Marion said, matter-of-factly. "Because if I’m going to a (expletive) situation, I’m not going. It’s just that simple."
According to MacMahon, Marion would be open to the possibility of joining a contender, but considers himself "too old" to enter a situation where he wouldn't be playing for anything.
"That’s the only way I’m going, yeah," Marion said of being traded to a contender. "Yeah, that’s it. That’s the only possibility that could come out of that. Other than that, it ain’t happening."
Given Marion's contract situation, which reduces his trade value, he probably doesn't have a whole lot to worry about — he's earning about $8.4MM this season and has a player option for about $9.07MM next season, along with a 15% trade kicker. If a lottery-bound team were to acquire him, it would likely only be for salary-matching purposes, in which case perhaps a buyout could be negotiated.
The more likely scenario for Marion involves him remaining in Dallas beyond February 21st. Of course, it's also worth pointing out that the Mavs aren't exactly title contenders themselves, five games out of a playoff spot with a 21-28 record.
Hornets Willing To Engage In Eric Gordon Talks
Last summer, when he signed a four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet with the Suns, Eric Gordon released a statement saying that his heart was in Phoenix, rather than New Orleans. The Hornets matched the Suns' offer and retained Gordon, and while there's been uncertainty about the relationship between the player and team, the 24-year-old has told Hornets officials he's content in New Orleans, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.
Even though Gordon hasn't requested a trade and the Hornets haven't actively explored a deal, New Orleans has been willing to engage in trade discussions about Gordon, a rival executive tells Amick. Agent Rob Pelinka has also been open to the idea of his client being moved, according to Amick. However, any deal this season would require Gordon's approval, and no discussions about where he may want to go have taken place between him and the team.
Speaking to Amick, Gordon expressed a commitment to the Hornets, though he stopped short of saying he envisioned himself in New Orleans long-term.
"You never know what could happen," Gordon said. "The main thing right now is to really focus on this team. After thinking about my injuries and everything, everything is year by year with me. I have to focus on this year. I don't know what's going to happen. You never know what's going to happen."
Looking back on the offer sheet he signed with the Suns last summer, Gordon also questioned whether the Hornets are 100% committed to him long-term, since GM Dell Demps didn't share his vision for the club with Gordon and the team wasn't interested in offering him a five-year deal.
"At the end of the day it was all about what's the best situation for me," Gordon said. "I knew the Hornets were going to go through a rebuild, and Phoenix was also going through somewhat of a rebuild, but they were going to have more older guys. I just focused on what I felt was going to be best for me and it was very mind-boggling when the Hornets were talking about having me very, very long-term and then you have to sign with another team.
"You can say one thing and do another, but at the end of the day I don't get into it," Gordon continued. "With the things that I've been in with GMs, where I had one GM (former Clippers GM Neil Olshey) say that you'll never get traded and the next thing you know that ends up happening a few days later. And now you have another GM who says you're going to be here long-term, so you would expect that to be the longest term that you can for being a part of this team (contractually). And I am here long-term, but I could've had an opportunity to have five (years) instead of four."
For now, Gordon is simply happy to be healthy and back on the court, and is focused on the Hornets' success in the short-term, even if his long-term future isn't entirely clear.
Cavs Preparing Multiyear Offer For Greg Oden
Greg Oden's agent Mike Conley said earlier this week that the odds of his client signing a contract before season's end were decreasing, but it sounds as if at least one team is still interested in making that happen. According to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal (via Sulia), the Cavaliers are preparing a two-year offer for Oden that would include a third-year team option for 2014/15.
Lloyd reports that the Cavs are waiting until after the trade deadline to make a formal offer to Oden, which makes sense, as the team could still use its cap space for trades. Other potential suitors for the former first overall pick, such as the Heat, could only currently offer a minimum-salary contract, but Cleveland has about $4MM in cap room — if the team doesn't take on salary at the deadline, it could use a portion of that space to offer Oden more than the minimum.
The Cavs' willingness to offer a contract this season could also give them a leg up on rival suitors for Oden. The Heat, rumored to be the other frontrunner for the 25-year-old, officially signed Chris Andersen to a rest-of-season deal today, giving Miami 15 players on guaranteed contracts. The Cavs, like the Heat, have 15 players under contract, but appear open to trading or releasing a player to clear a roster spot. For Miami, waiving a guaranteed contract and aborbing the cap hit would make for a pricier transaction, since the club is well into the luxury tax.
Regardless of when he signs, Oden isn't expected to see the court until 2013/14. If he reaches an agreement with a club before season's end, it will simply allow him to continue his rehab with NBA doctors as he gets adjusted to the team's system. The Celtics, Bobcats, Spurs, Pacers, Hornets, and Mavericks have also been mentioned as potential destinations for the big man.
Nuggets Have No Plans To Trade Andre Miller
Earlier this afternoon, we passed along comments made this week by Andre Miller, in which the veteran point guard expressed some dissatisfaction with his role in Denver.
"I don't know how much longer they want me here. I definitely would like to contribute more," Miller said, when asked if he wanted to finish his career in Denver. "I’m not just going to sit back and settle in and be a backup and let my career just fade away. I’m competitive in that way."
Despite Miller's suggestion that the Nuggets may be looking to move him, GM Masai Ujiri insists that's not something the team is considering, according to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
"Andre is not going anywhere," Ujiri said. "We want to win."
Miller's agent, Andy Miller, also spoke to Hochman and said his client is committed to the Nuggets, and that all is well in Denver. While the 36-year-old might like to play a few more minutes, he hopes to continue contributing to the the team off the bench and to help the Nuggets make a deep playoff run, according to his agent.
Western Notes: Nuggets, Miller, Lakers, D12, Mavs
The Nuggets were firing on all cylinders in last night's victory over the Bulls, putting up 128 points against one of the league's best defenses en route to their eighth straight win. But even with the team on a roll, not everything is perfect in Denver, as Paul Klee of the Colorado Springs Gazette writes (hat tip to Matt Moore of CBSSports.com). Here are the highlights from Klee's piece along with a few more notes from around the Western Conference:
- Andre Miller would like to see more playing time in Denver, as he tells Klee. While he says he'd "really be complaining" if the Nuggets were losing, Miller still doesn't seem satisfied with the current arrangement. "I don't know how much longer they want me here. I definitely would like to contribute more," Miller said, when asked if he wanted to finish his career in Denver. "I’m not just going to sit back and settle in and be a backup and let my career just fade away. I’m competitive in that way."
- Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post isn't convinced that offseason acquisition Andre Iguodala has been a worthwhile investment for the Nuggets.
- The future of the Lakers could depend on whether Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard are committed to getting on the same page, says Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Hakeem Olajuwon, who is close with Howard and has worked with him in the past, still believes D12 will re-sign with the Lakers this summer, according to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.
- With the trade deadline approaching, the Mavericks must make another tough call and decide whether they're going to be buyers or sellers, writes Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com.
Jason Richardson To Miss Rest Of Season
FRIDAY, 11:28am: Richardson confirmed to reporters, including Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News (Twitter link), that he'll undergo surgery next week and could be out as long as 9-12 months.
WEDNESDAY, 8:06pm: Spears provides more detail on Richardson's injury, which is a cartilage tear on his kneecap.
7:49pm: Sixers shooting guard Jason Richardson will have left knee surgery and miss the rest of the season, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports, via Twitter. The recovery will take six to nine months, Spears adds, and that could put his return for the start of next season in jeopardy as well (Twitter link). It's unclear exactly what kind of injury Richardson suffered, but he's been out since January 19th with fluid in that knee.
It's frustrating news for Sixers fans, who've yet to see Andrew Bynum play a game for Philadelphia. Richardson was the only other player acquired in the blockbuster four-team summer deal that brought in Bynum for Andre Iguodala, Nikola Vucevic, Maurice Harkless and a first-round pick. It's also a blow to the team's playoff hopes, as Philly stands three games behind the similarly banged-up Celtics for the last Eastern Conference playoff spot entering tonight.
It's past the deadline to file for a disabled player exception, but the Sixers some have room to maneuver, since they still have a prorated portion of their $2.575MM room exception available, plus they have an open roster spot. It's unlikely they'd find a player of Richardson's caliber unless they made a trade, but his impact on the team was muted this year as the 32-year-old struggled to career worsts in shooting percentage (40.2%) and points per game (10.5). Richardson is making $5.8MM in the second season of a four-year deal, so the Sixers probably wouldn't have much luck dangling his contract in a trade, especially given his decline in production.
While Bynum may return around the All-Star break, the Sixers are also without Thaddeus Young for at least three weeks with a hamstring injury. Before the news about Richardson broke, GM Tony DiLeo told reporters, including John Finger of CSNPhilly.com, that the team would emphasize a forward-looking approach with any deadline deals, as opposed to a quick fix. That isn't likely to change with Richardson out.
"We’re talking to every team in the league and if there is something we think that will improve the team, and not just in the short-term, we’ll see what we can do," DiLeo said. "We’re looking to build."
Wolves Re-Sign Johnson, Gelabale, Cut Amundson
The Timberwolves have re-signed Chris Johnson and Mickael Gelabale to rest-of-season deals, and have released Louis Amundson to make room on the roster, according to Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The T-Wolves had been carrying all three players for a total of 16, thanks to an injury exception, but were now required to reduce the roster to 15.
Johnson and Gelabale had both received a pair of 10-day contracts from the Timberwolves, so the team needed to either sign them for the remainder of the season or lose them. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reported earlier today that the club had been discussing a deal with Johnson that would keep him under contract for the 2013/14 season as well.
Unlike some players on 10-day deals, both Johnson and Gelabale have seen a good deal of playing time since joining the Wolves. Johnson, 27, has averaged 8.6 PPG and 3.6 RPG while shooting 75.0% from the floor in seven games with the team, while Gelabale has appeared in each of the Wolves' 10 games since he first signed with Minnesota, averaging 6.5 PPG on 54.3% shooting.
As for Amundson, he hadn't been a huge part of the T-Wolves' rotation this season, appearing in just 20 games. He was on a one-year, minimum-salary contract, so even though Minnesota will be on the hook for his remaining salary, the cap hit won't be excessive.
Grizzlies Tell Randolph He Won’t Be Moved
Earlier today, we heard from Ric Bucher that the Grizzlies may not be done dealing, but they're looking to add a piece rather than shed more salary. Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal backs up that report, tweeting that the Grizzlies have informed Zach Randolph he won't be moved this season.
The Grizzlies' activity within the last few weeks suggested strongly that the new ownership group was looking to cut long-term costs, making Randolph, who is owed $17.8MM next season and $16.5MM in 2014/15, a prime trade candidate. But while teams continue to call about Randolph, the Grizzlies are telling clubs that they're not interested in moving the All-Star forward, according to Tillery (via Twitter).
Bucher reported overnight that, in their search to add wing help using their $7.49MM trade exception, the Grizzlies discussed pursuing Courtney Lee. Tillery doesn't confirm the team's interest in Lee, but does indicate that using that exception to add a big man or a shooter is a possibility. Still, the likelihood of that sort of deal is only about 50/50, says Tillery (via Twitter).