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Brandon Jennings To Hire Jeff Schwartz As Agent
Earlier today, we heard that Brandon Jennings had parted ways with agent Bill Duffy. Now, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports that the Bucks guard will be represented by Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management. Jennings will sign with Schwartz once the 10-day waiting period for switching agents expires, according to Berger.
Schwartz is known for being a proponent of the added endorsement income and opportunities that big-market cities can provide, writes Berger, noting that Jennings' decision "could be ominous for the Bucks."
Of course, even if Jennings would prefer to sign with a team besides Milwaukee this summer, he'll be a restricted free agent, so the Bucks will have a chance to match any offer sheet he signs. Last summer, we saw players like Eric Gordon and Nicolas Batum express a desire to switch teams, only to have their offer sheets matched by the Hornets and Trail Blazers, respectively.
Deron Williams, Paul Pierce, Blake Griffin, Tyson Chandler, and Arron Afflalo are among the other notable NBA players represented by Excel.
Odds & Ends: Jennings, Pekovic, Flynn, Draft
Perhaps the most accomplished fourth-year player not to receive a contract extension before the season, it appears Brandon Jennings is preparing for restricted free agency this summer. According to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter link), Jennings has parted ways with agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management. It's not clear yet who will be representing Jennings as he approaches free agency, but Duffy indicated that he wishes the Bucks guard "nothing but the best" (Twitter link). Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:
- Past reports have suggested the Trail Blazers have interest in Nikola Pekovic, and Pekovic considers that a compliment, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. "That's really nice when you hear that other teams like Portland really want to bring you in," Pekovic said. "That means that I'm doing a good job and they like what I'm doing. That's something nice."
- Productive players on rookie deals are among the league's most valuable commodities, but sometimes maximizing their value means trading them at the right time, says Tom Ziller of SBNation.com.
- Jonny Flynn's All-Star season in Australia may put him back on the NBA radar, writes Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside.
- In his weekly Morning Tip piece at NBA.com, TNT's David Aldridge explores the Grizzlies' decision to trade Rudy Gay and speculates on who might be the next executive director of the NBPA.
- In their latest look at this June's potential draft class, Jay Bilas and Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) examine the nation's best big-men prospects.
Kupchak: Lakers Won’t Trade Dwight Howard
With the Lakers struggling through the 2012/13 season and Dwight Howard facing free agency at this summer, there's been some speculation recently that general manager Mitch Kupchak could look to move the All-Star center before this month's trade deadline. Speaking to Newsday's Steven Marcus, however, Kupchak says the team doesn't intend to deal Howard.
"We will not make a trade," Kupchak said. "We will not trade Dwight Howard. We have no intention of making a trade. It's unlikely that we'll make any trade with any of our principal players. To make another change at this time of the year being behind the eight-ball like we are, I think that would just make it more difficult. The talent is there. We have to find our way."
The Lakers have been playing better ball lately, having won five of their last six games. But even that stretch hasn't been smooth sailing, as it included a pair of near-collapses against the Hornets and Pistons, and a loss to the 16-32 Suns in Phoenix. Still, while he acknowledges that it's taken some time for everyone to get on the same page, Kupchak is confident in the current roster, and doesn't think it's too old to be a contender.
"Old? If you're looking to make excuses, I suppose," Kupchak said. "I put this team together with Jim Buss. We don't think they're too old. We have great experience. When I look at our team and I make a list of things that may contribute to our record to date, age is not one of them. I think seven or eight games from now we'll have more answers. We're trying to get into the playoffs and make a run."
Besides Howard, Pau Gasol has also been mentioned as a potential trade candidate for the Lakers. Kupchak didn't specifically name Gasol as someone who absolutely won't be moved, but his comments suggest the Lakers don't plan to seriously explore that possibility.
D-League Moves: Aron Baynes, Miles Plumlee
Here are Monday's D-League assignments and recalls, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- Aron Baynes has been recalled from the Austin Toros, the Spurs announced in a press release. Baynes played in a pair of Toros' losses over the weekend, excelling in his first D-League contest on Friday, with 30 points and 10 boards.
- The Pacers have re-assigned Miles Plumlee to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. It's the sixth time this season that the 2012 first-round pick has been assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In his previous five stints, Plumlee has appeared in 12 games for the team, averaging 12.7 PPG and 11.1 RPG.
Amico On Josh Smith, Cavs, Blatche, Granger
Water-cooler conversation this morning may be dominated by talk of Super Bowl XLVII, but at Hoops Rumors, we're still focused on the NBA, including the latest trade rumors from around the league. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has a few updates on players and teams that could be in the mix as the February 21st deadline approaches, so let's round up the highlights from his piece….
- Amico names the Mavericks, Bobcats, Rockets, Hornets, and Kings as potential suitors for Josh Smith. Many recent reports have suggested the Kings likely won't be too active at the deadline, but Amico notes that expiring contracts typically appeal to new ownership groups.
- Cavaliers GM Chris Grant wouldn't mind making another move before the deadline. Nothing concrete is in the works yet, but Grant is still working with some cap space and a few expiring contracts (Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi).
- Amico hears from multiple sources that the Nets have made Andray Blatche available in hopes of landing a draft pick. The Trail Blazers may have some interest, according to Amico.
- The Rockets are keeping a "keen eye" on Danny Granger, who has missed the entire season with a knee injury. The Pacers aren't actively shopping Granger, but could be more open to moving him given the emergence of Paul George.
- The Mavericks figure to be more active in trade talks as the deadline nears, as plenty of clubs are interested in Chris Kaman's expiring contract.
Earl Clark Wants To Stay With Lakers
The Lakers have been struggling mightily this season, but big man Earl Clark has been a bright spot for the 22-26 club. Clark is positioning himself for a considerable raise in his next contract, but the impending free agent says that he would like to stay in Los Angeles, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
“This is my first team that gave me an opportunity. I love the guys here,” the 25-year-old said. “The organization and the style of play fits me. I really want to stay here.“
In eleven starts over the last three weeks, Clark has averaged 10.4 PPG with 8.4 RPG and nearly one block per contest. Clark gave the Lakers 17 points and 10 boards agains the Pistons today and helped lead his team to a 98-97 win despite missing two crucial free throws down the stretch. The Louisville product is making just $1.2MM this season and where ever he winds up next, he figures to see a considerable raise.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Garnett, Pierce, Oden, Gay
We've heard speculation about the Celtics potentially breaking up their core for a long time now, but it's starting to sound more and more like a real possibility. Earlier today, we learned that the Clippers have reached out to the Celtics about trading for Kevin Garnett, and they could certainly put together an attractive offer for Danny Ainge & Co. KG, however, is one of four players in the Association with a no-trade clause in his contract, so he'd have to give the green light to any deal that would give him a non-green uniform. More on the C's and the rest of the Atlantic..
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld asks if it's time for the Celtics to trade Paul Pierce. While there are good arguments for selling on Pierce before the deadline, Brotherston argues that it would be easier to find trading partners able to work deals around Jeff Green ($8.4MM), Brandon Bass ($6MM), Courtney Lee ($5MM), or Jason Terry ($5MM).
- The Celtics met with Greg Oden yesterday, but coach Doc Rivers says that he isn't dwelling on whether they will sign the big man, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. "I said hi to him," Rivers said. "We reminisced about high school days when I watched him in AAU. But other than that, I thought far more about the guys we're playing (today) than next year."
- Now that he's a member of the Raptors, forward Rudy Gay has been reunited with former teammate Kyle Lowry, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Gay put up 29 points against the Heat earlier today but it wasn't enough as Toronto lost 100-85 at home.
Northwest Notes: T’Wolves, Jazz, Nuggets
Last night in Minnesota, the Timberwolves cruised to a 115-86 victory over the Hornets behind a season high 18 points from Dante Cunningham. However, the T’Wolves are eight games under .500 and are 2-8 in their last ten outings. Could a move be on the horizon? Here’s more on that and other news out of the Northwest Division..
- All is quiet on the Timberwolves for the time being but the front office will reassess things after their current six-game homestand, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. Recently, club president David Kahn stopped short of calling Nikola Pekovic “untouchable” as he did with Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love, but he did say that he hopes the big man will be part of the club for “years to come”.
- With the trade deadline right around the corner, Jazz head scout David Fredman attended Saturday night’s aforementioned T’Wolves–Hornets game, according to Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune (on Twitter).
- A lack of playing time has turned Timofey Mozgov into a trade candidate, but Nuggets coach George Karl wishes he could find more minutes for the soon-to-be restricted free agent, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 1/28/13 – 2/3/13
A look back at the original content produced by the Hoops Rumors staff over the past week..
- Luke Adams gave us all the financial details of the Rudy Gay trade.
- Chuck Myron examined Josh Smith as a trade candidate.
- Speaking of Smith, Hoops Rumors readers believe that he is more likely to be traded than Pau Gasol, Paul Pierce, Tyreke Evans, and J.J. Redick according to Michael Pina's poll.
- Luke explained why Timofey Mozgov is a trade candidate, even if he's not the most exciting one.
- Chuck revisited the 2012 trade deadline and crowned a first-year winner for each swap.
- Here is a complete list of trade exceptions set to expire at the deadline.
- If you missed out on Luke's weekly chat, you can check out the transcript here.
- Nearly 64% of Hoops Rumors readers say that we have seen the last of Allen Iverson in the NBA.
- Play nice, everyone. Here's a refresher on our commenting policy.