Delonte West Yet To Report To D-League
Delonte West has yet to report to the Texas Legends, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com reports. It is unclear at this time whether he plans to play for them or not.
West signed with the Dallas Mavericks-affiliated D-League squad in January to attempt to revive his NBA career, although Mavs owner Mark Cuban immediately ruled out the possibility of a West return to the Mavs. The Legends are reportedly open to having West return to the team, but are awaiting word from his camp.
Hawks Re-Sign Jannero Pargo
The Atlanta Hawks have re-signed guard Jannero Pargo to a second 10-day contract, the team announced Saturday in a press release. In his first deal, Pargo averaged 5.2 PPG and 2.6 APG, appearing in five games.
With Pargo playing well and Louis Williams out for the season with a torn ACL, it would appear likely that, following this second 10-day contract, the Hawks will guarantee Pargo for the rest of the 2012/13 season, although there has been no indication of that.
Stein’s Latest: Gasol, Celtics, Smith, Jazz
ESPN.com's Marc Stein has posted his latest Weekend Dime column, featuring updates on several prominent players whose names have been featured in trade rumors ahead of the February 21 deadline. Here are the highlights of Stein's report:
- Stein doesn't believe the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol before the deadline, although the Raptors are making a push to acquire him with a package built around Andrea Bargnani.
- Although the Clippers have shown no indication of wanting to trade Eric Bledsoe, a swap of the third-year guard to the Celtics for Paul Pierce could make the most sense for both sides, Stein writes.
- Celtics GM Danny Ainge recognizes that Pierce and Kevin Garnett don't have the value that would likely make it worth trading then, so he may instead look to move Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, or Jeff Green to get the team under the luxury tax threshold.
- The Hawks have been gauging trade interest in Josh Smith, Stein reports. Although they are very open to moving the forward, there is hesitance because other teams don't want to risk him walking in free agency and Atlanta doesn't want to take on long-term salary.
- Executives around the league don't expect the Jazz to trade Al Jefferson, saying they will either move Paul Millsap instead or stand pat.
- Given their ownership situation, the Kings will likely not make any moves before the deadline. There has been interest in Tyreke Evans, although DeMarcus Cousins remains untouchable.
- The Trail Blazers are not looking to make any moves that will help them in the short term, preferring to preserve their flexibility.
- Teams expect the Magic to trade J.J. Redick, but executives tell Stein that GM Rob Hennigan is asking for young talent or draft picks for the veteran sharpshooter.
Odds & Ends: West, Moore, Durant
With the last of the late games of the evening close to being in the books, let's catch up on the latest news and stories from around the league…
- Delonte West will not be joining the Texas Legends of the D-League as the oft-troubled veteran looks to return to the NBA, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. The decision may lead to a severing of ties between the player and his representation.
- E'Twaun Moore has demonstrated growth in his all-around game after being traded by the Celtics this past offseason as he's become a steady contributor for the Magic, says Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com.
- Much issue has been made about Kevin Durant's height around the Thunder locker room as the player himself swears he's no taller than 6-foot-9, writes Caplan. While he's not exactly Hasheem Thabeet's size, many players on the team believed Durant to be taller than his listed height.
D-League Moves: Machado, Jones, Baynes
We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls here along with signings, with the latest transactions added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- Scott Machado has signed with the Rockets' D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, writes Keith Schosser of Ridiculous Upside. The former Iona point guard played for the Vipers earlier in the season where he averaged 12 PPG and 7.1 APG in 11 contests.
- Terrence Jones has been re-assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers by the Rockets, the team announced today in a press release. In 12 games with the Vipers this season, Jones ranks among the D-League leaders in PPG (19.1) and RPG (9.8).
- The Spurs have assigned the newest member of the team, Aron Baynes, to the D-League, according to a press release. The Australian big man had appeared in two games for San Antonio since signing with the club last week. He'll join the Austin Toros in time for the team's game against the Bakersfield Jam tonight.
Eastern Notes: Trade Rumors, Calderon, Bobcats
LeBron James began the month of February by learning he had won Eastern Conference Player of the Month for January. James has earned the honor each month this season. Here's the latest news and stories making headlines around the conference.
- With the first major trade in the books, it's time to consider who else will be changing teams before the trade deadline, write Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports. Both writers point to Josh Smith as the top candidate to be moved in the coming weeks.
- Pistons GM Joe Dumars says his team would be interested in retaining newly-acquired Jose Calderon's services beyond this season, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. Calderon, 31, will become a free agent this summer.
- The Bobcats may enter the summer $20MM under the salary cap and in search of max-level free agents, says Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Look for Charlotte to address depth at the power forward and center positions with its financial flexibility after the season.
Teams Inquiring On Jason Terry
Rajon Rondo and Jared Sullinger have both been ruled out for the season within the last few days, inspiring rival executives to inquire on whether the Celtics are willing to deal. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports (via Twitter) that clubs have been calling Danny Ainge to see if the C's are interested in trading Jason Terry to get under the luxury tax line.
If the Celtics decide to build for the future at the expense of the short-term, trading Terry could make sense. However, it's unclear how much the C's could get for the veteran guard if they decided to make him available. Terry's 10.0 PPG and .429 FG% are well below his career averages, and his 11.9 PER is a career-worst mark.
If Boston had to attach a future first-rounder to Terry to move him and get out of the tax, like the Grizzlies did with Marreese Speights last week, I'm skeptical that Ainge would be interested. According to Berger (via Twitter), the Celtics haven't indicated a strong desire to make a move, as they remain in wait-and-see mode with the deadline less than three weeks away. Ainge said today that he expects the club to add a couple more players before the deadline, but he's in no rush to do it right away (Twitter link via Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald).
Terry's three-year contract pays him $5MM this year, $5.225MM in 2013/14, and $5.45MM in 2014/15.
Western Notes: Howard, Grizzlies, Roy, Kings
As we look forward to an evening schedule that includes a Lakers/Timberwolves contest in Minnesota, Dwight Howard, who will miss tonight's game, is heading back to Los Angeles to undergo a platelet rich plasma procedure, the Lakers announced today in a press release. Here's the latest from around the Western Conference on D12 and a number of other topics:
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com spoke to both Howard and Kobe Bryant about the All-Star center's impending free agency and future in Los Angeles.
- ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton (Insider link) thinks it's worth keeping an eye on J.J. Redick as a potential Grizzlies target, since his salary would fit in the team's new $7.49MM trade exception. However, Pelton notes that a swap would likely have to include Ed Davis, and it's not clear whether Memphis would flip Davis or if the team views him as Zach Randolph's eventual replacement.
- Grizzlies owner Robert Pera believes the team's two recent trades have made Memphis a "far more dangerous playoff team," as Kyle Veazey of the Memphis Commercial Appeal documents.
- Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins wasn't quite as bullish on the club's latest moves, as he weighed in on the Rudy Gay trade after last night's game: "When you have champagne taste, you can't be on a beer budget," Hollins said, according to John Rohde of the Oklahoman. "It's a small market and I understand the economics of being in a small market."
- In speaking to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, Brandon Roy suggested that coaching may be in his future if he has to end his playing career prematurely again. Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com cautions Roy that the development process of a coach involves a lot of drudgery, and wonders if Roy is the sort of "special, driven person" that could succeed as an NBA coach.
- Potential Kings bidder Ron Burkle is part of a group that's in the running to buy Anschutz Entertainment Group, according to Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. However, the bid for AEG shouldn't affect his ability to make an offer for the Kings.
Wolves Rumors: Rubio, Love, Pekovic, Amundson
On Wednesday, when the Raptors and Grizzlies were on their way to finalizing the Rudy Gay deal, the Pistons, Celtics, and Mavericks were all mentioned as the potential third team involved, with Detroit eventually helping to facilitate the trade. According to Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com, the Timberwolves were never in the mix as the potential third team in the trade, but the Hawks were in play. Here's more from Wolfson on the T-Wolves:
- While club president David Kahn recently called Ricky Rubio and Kevin Love "untouchable" in trade talks, he didn't say the same about Nikola Pekovic, though he said he hopes the big man is "part of us for many years to come."
- According to Wolfson, there's still a difference of opinion in the front office about whether Pekovic is worth a big, long-term deal. Still, he's likely not going anywhere this month — Wolfson says that if a trade comes, it's more likely to be a sign-and-trade deal over the summer.
- Minnesota doesn't have interest in trying to trade for Josh Smith, and also hasn't inquired on Greg Oden yet.
- Wolfson hears from multiple sources that Andrea Bargnani is an unlikely fit for the T-Wolves. While one source "scoffed" at the idea, another didn't rule it out entirely, says Wolfson.
- The Knicks and Sixers are believed to have some interest in Louis Amundson, who is expected to be the odd man out once the Wolves lose their ability to carry 16 players. This is my speculation, but I'd imagine both teams would be more inclined to wait for the Wolves to waive him, rather than giving up any real assets in a trade.
NBPA Places Billy Hunter On Indefinite Leave
4:02pm: Hunter's attorney, Thomas Ashley, has issued a statement on behalf of his client, as Ken Berger passes along (in a handful of Twitter links). Ashley called the interim committee's authority "highly questionable," writing that the decision to place Hunter on indefinite leave "is not supported in either the constitution or bylaws of the NBPA."
2:00pm: Hunter is expected to challenge the authority of the five-man interim executive committee that placed him on indefinite leave, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. However, Berger suggests that the move adhered to the NBPA's constitution and bylaws (all Twitter links).
12:48pm: Jared Dudley, the Suns' alternate player representative, tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that he believes Hunter's "shady" actions mean it's time for the players to take action.
"I think it's time for a vote," Dudley said. "I think before there was never a chance. I think because of what's going on, it's time now. It's like when we had to decide do we take the deal during the lockout or not take it? We voted on that and we had options…. I think now it's come to the point where guys, after taking a look at this information, should have an opportunity to vote: in or out."
10:34am: Derek Fisher sent a memo to NBA players on Friday morning announcing the decision, according to Wojnarowski.
"Unfortunately, it appears that Union management has lost sight of the NBPA’s only task, to serve the best interests of their membership," Fisher wrote. "This is the reason I called for a review almost a year ago. The findings of that review confirm this unfortunate truth and we must now move forward as Players. Immediate change is necessary and I, along with the Committee Members, are committed to driving the process as difficult as it may be."
Fisher will head an interim executive committee and advisory committee that will meet during All-Star weekend to work on reorganizing the union.
10:08am: The NBPA has placed union chief Billy Hunter on an indefinite leave of absence, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter), the move represents the first step in the process to have Hunter removed from the position on a permanent basis. NBPA counsel Ron Klempner has been named the union's interim executive director, tweets Wojnarowski.
An independent audit of the NBPA conducted by a law firm recently released its findings, concluding that while Hunter had not engaged in any criminal acts, he had acted in his own best interests, and the player's union ought to consider whether he should stay in the role. Shortly thereafter, prominent agent Arn Tellem penned a letter urging his clients to oust Hunter from his position.
For his part, Hunter has seemingly been putting on a full-court press to keep his job lately, firing his daughter and daughter-in-law, who had roles in the organization. He also announced new anti-nepotism and conflict of interest policies for the NBPA. However, as Zach Lowe of Grantland notes (on Twitter), it seems as if Hunter's reforms are too "transparently timed" and may be too little, too late.
The players' association is scheduled to conduct its next series of meetings during this month's All-Star weekend.