Trade Candidate: Jason Thompson
The Kings have been the most active team on the trade market so far this NBA season, having been involved in the only two deals consummated since opening night. Even after acquiring Derrick Williams from the Timberwolves and Rudy Gay from the Raptors, Sacramento may not be done making moves, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the franchise’s tumultuous 2013. After avoiding a move to Seattle, the Kings introduced a new coach, GM, and owner, and the club’s new leadership group is eager to give its loyal fans a winner on the court.
Typically, when a team’s front office undergoes changes, the new general manager and his basketball operations staff look forward to bringing in players they like, which might mean a change of scenery for favorites of the old regime. That’s what happened in Toronto, where new team president Masai Ujiri traded Gay to the Kings just a few months after former GM Bryan Colangelo had acquired him. And it looks like that’s what we’re seeing in Sacramento, where Pete D’Alessandro has already moved several players from the Geoff Petrie era, including pricey veterans John Salmons and Chuck Hayes. Next on the list of Petrie-era players to go may be Jason Thompson. Following the Kings’ trade with the Raptors, a report surfaced suggesting that Thompson was on the trade block.
Coming into the season, power forward looked like a position of depth for the Kings, and a spot where the team potentially had a trade chip or two. After acquiring Patrick Patterson late last season, the team went out and signed Carl Landry to a four-year contract, creating a logjam of power forwards that included Patterson, Landry, Hayes, and Thompson.
Landry suffered a hip injury that figures to keep him sidelined until January or February, and Patterson and Hayes are now Raptors, but even so, Thompson remains expendable. With the Kings employing more small-ball lineups that include Gay or Williams at the four, and Landry eventually on his way back, Thompson likely won’t receive enough playing time for Sacramento to justify paying him an annual salary in the neighborhood of $6MM.
When examining Thompson’s trade value, that contract is an important place to start. In the last two offseasons, only six free agents have signed five-year deals, and that group includes stars like Chris Paul and Deron Williams. Also among that group of six: Thompson, who inked a five-year, $30MM+ contract in July of 2012. While the final year of his deal is only partially guaranteed, he’s currently slated to remain under contract through 2017, which is a lifetime under the league’s new CBA.
Although that long-term contract may make Thompson tricky to trade, his yearly salaries are in the $5-7MM range over the life of the deal, so his price isn’t exorbitant. The 27-year-old’s upside also may be somewhat limited, but for a team that already has solid starters at the four and five, Thompson would make a solid third big man. Throwing out the numbers he’s accumulated in a reduced role and reduced minutes this season, the longtime King has career averages of 10.5 PPG and 7.1 RPG in 27.4 minutes per contest, to go along with 49.9% shooting. He’s also been extremely durable, only playing in fewer than 75 games once, when he appeared in 64 of 66 during the strike-shortened 2011/12 season.
Thompson’s skill-set and agency (CAA) would appeal to the Knicks, who have reportedly inquired. It’s hard not to mention the Rockets when a power forward hits the trade block, but Thompson isn’t quite the sort of stretch four Houston is seeking. Golden State could be a fit, if Marreese Speights continues to struggle, and the Clippers could use another reliable big. I could see the Heat, Nets, and Bobcats kicking the tires as well. And there are another handful of teams that are one frontcourt injury away from potentially having interest in a guy like Thompson.
Still, Thompson’s contract can’t be overlooked, and neither can his slow start this season. While he could be a useful piece on a contender, the former 12th overall pick doesn’t have a ton of trade value at the moment, which means that if the Kings want to a decent asset in return, they may need to pair him with a young player (perhaps Ray McCallum or Quincy Acy) or a future draft pick.
Having already completed a pair of noteworthy deals this season, the Kings likely aren’t done, and Thompson represents one of the team’s most logical remaining trade chips, along with Jimmer Fredette and Marcus Thornton. Despite being on a long-term contract, Thompson doesn’t look to be a part of the long-term plans for the new regime in Sacramento, so if the club can find a way to extract some value for him in a trade, it may benefit everyone involved.
Lakers Sign Kendall Marshall
2:00pm: Marshall’s deal with the Lakers is a two-year pact, tweets Pincus. That doesn’t necessarily mean Marshall will have a multiyear stint in Los Angeles, since the contract is non-guaranteed, but it gives the team the flexibility to keep him around if he impresses.
FRIDAY, 12:58pm: The Lakers have officially signed Marshall, who inked his contract after shootaround today, says Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (via Twitter).
THURSDAY, 9:00pm: As expected, Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times reports the deal is non-guaranteed.
7:54pm: Marshall’s agent Jeff Austin has confirmed the signing via text message, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
7:37pm: The Lakers have agreed to sign former Suns point guard Kendall Marshall, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. This signing comes following news that Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash both expect to miss extended time for a team that was already without guards Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar.
Marshall, 22, has yet to see NBA action this season. He was acquired by the Wizards in October as part of the deal that sent Marcin Gortat to Washington, but he was promptly waived and signed on with Delaware 87ers of the D-League. Mike D’Antoni acknowledged earlier today that the club would need to sign a point guard, and the Lakers opted to take a flier on the former lottery pick out of the University of North Carolina.
In seven games for the 87ers this season, Marshall posted 19.4 PPG and 9.6 APG in 37.6 MPG. The deal figures to be non-guaranteed, as Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak suggested might be the case earlier today. The Lakers will have the option to waive Marshall’s contract before it becomes fully guaranteed, but in the meantime, his presence will help aid the ailing backcourt in Los Angeles.
Lakers Notes: Kobe, Gasol, Meeks
Kobe Bryant‘s knee injury doesn’t affect the Lakers’ short- or long-term picture, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who writes that the team wasn’t going to make the playoffs this season either way and was already locked into Kobe’s two-year extension. In his latest Lakers-centric piece, Lowe writes that he’s talked to “dozens” of GMs, execs, coaches, and scouts around the league about Kobe’s new deal, and while some acknowledge that it makes business sense, none have been willing to call it a good contract. Here’s more on the Lakers:
- While it makes sense for the Lakers to gauge Pau Gasol‘s market value, Lowe notes that there are plenty of roadblocks to finding a logical trade partner, including Pau’s $19MM+ salary and L.A.’s desire not to take on long-term money. Lowe mentions the Cavaliers, Bobcats, Suns as potential players for Gasol, though it sounds like he’s speculating about the possible fit rather than reporting any actual discussions. Ultimately, the Lakers may be better off holding on to Pau and re-signing him to a two-year contract, says Lowe.
- As he faces another six weeks of recovery time, Bryant tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that “only an idiot” would doubt his ability to return from his latest injury.
- Jodie Meeks will draw interest in free agency next summer and figures to earn a raise on this year’s $1.55MM salary if he continues to play well. However, if it’s up to him, the 26-year-old guard would “love to be a Laker for a long time,” as he says to Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
- Faced with a scarcity of options at the point, the Lakers reached an agreement with 2012 lottery pick Kendall Marshall and made the signing official today.
Omer Asik Leftovers: Rockets, C’s, Sixers, Bucks
There’s still technically a little time left for the Rockets to trade Omer Asik and still be able to regain full flexibility to flip any new players in time for February’s trade deadline. However, it appears the team’s talks are all dead for now, which means Asik figures to remain in Houston at least into the new year. After several reports expressed confidence that the Rockets would move their backup center this week, it was a little disappointing to see Houston’s self-imposed deadline come and go without a deal, but we certainly haven’t heard the last of the Asik rumors this season. Here’s a roundup of a few leftovers from this week’s drama:
- Rockets coach Kevin McHale didn’t seem at all disappointed to see Asik staying put, and sounds like he’s looking forward to getting the seven-footer back into the lineup, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. As Feigen points out, if Asik is willing to make the best of the situation, his defense and rebounding could help the Rockets more than perhaps any other player who was mentioned in recent rumors.
- A Celtics source who spoke to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald was curious about how reports of Boston’s involvement in the Asik sweepstakes gained so much traction this week, considering the two sides had little recent contact and a deal was never particularly close, according to the source.
- For the Celtics, adding Asik could’ve helped against established Eastern big men like Roy Hibbert and Brook Lopez, but the fact that talks died should have little fallout for the team, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. As Forsberg notes, Boston’s interest in Asik showed that the club is willing to consider any deal that would improve the roster without significantly compromising the franchise’s long-term flexibility.
- While Spencer Hawes was frequently cited this week as the Rockets‘ primary target in talks with the Sixers, Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers (link via Philly.com) suggests Houston had interest in Thaddeus Young as well.
- Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times reported yesterday that the Bucks will not pursue Asik in a deal. Since Woelfel’s tweet came well after news broke that this week’s talks had ended, that seems to indicate that Milwaukee won’t be in the mix even if and when discussions reopen.
Thaddeus Young Denies Requesting Trade
FRIDAY, 10:27am: Young said today that he did not ask the Sixers to trade him, according to Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com (via Twitter). However, he acknowledged that he knows his name has come up in rumors and confirmed that his agent has been in contact with GM Sam Hinkie, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
THURSDAY, 4:27pm: Teammates Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes may have surfaced in more trade rumors as of late, but Thaddeus Young has asked the 76ers to deal him, a source tells Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers. According to Fischer, Young and agent Jim Tanner submitted a formal trade request to the Sixers “weeks ago.”
“Thad is ready to leave Philly,” the source said. “He isn’t with the whole tanking thing…. He just wants them to do the trade if they are. He hates waiting. [Playing for a contender] would be great because the Sixers definitely aren’t making the playoffs this year.”
Young, 25, is averaging a career-high 15.8 PPG so far this season, though his efficiency numbers (.487 FG%, 16.0 PER) aren’t quite where they’ve been over the previous three seasons (.528 FG%, 18.4 PER). The 6’8″ forward made comments yesterday suggesting that he was growing a little frustrated with the inexperience on the Sixers’ roster.
Turner, Hawes, and Young have all been mentioned in trade rumors throughout the season due to their presence as the only real productive veterans on a rebuilding Sixers squad. Turner and Hawes are on expiring contracts, which might make them easier to move, while Young has multiple guaranteed seasons and a player option left on his deal, which runs through 2016. All three players are being “heavily shopped” by Philadelphia, according to a report from ESPN.com’s Chad Ford earlier this week.
There was speculation that Young could be a target for the Rockets in talks involving Omer Asik, but even though the Sixers were linked to Asik, Houston was said to be focusing on Hawes rather than Young.
Minor Moves: McNeal, Oriakhi, Landry
NBA teams aren’t making a whole lot of changes to their rosters these days, but plenty of recognizable names are on the move overseas and in the D-League. Here are the latest international and D-League transactions worth tracking:
- Jerel McNeal was released by the Jazz just before the regular season began because he received a lucrative offer from China’s Zhejiang Chouzhou Golden Bulls. However, McNeal may be returning stateside, as Zhejiang is prepared to cut him, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- Suns 2013 draftee Alex Oriakhi has landed with the Erie BayHawks in the NBA D-League, tweets Sportando contributor David Pick. The Knicks‘ affiliate now holds Oriakhi’s D-League rights, but the Suns are the only NBA team eligible to sign him.
- Marcus Landry, who was waived by the Lakers in October, has signed in Spain with Cajasol Sevilla, the team announced today (hat tip to Sportando). Carl Landry‘s younger brother last played an NBA regular season game back in 2009/10.
Western Notes: Asik, Thunder, Spurs, Jefferson
It turned out to be Kendall Marshall making headlines tonight and not the much-discussed Omer Asik. Marshall agreed to terms with the Lakers this evening after being linked to the Grizzlies and Jazz in recent weeks. Here are some notes from around the Western Conference:
- Players on the Rockets roster are glad that Asik wasn’t dealt to another club today, according to Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. Several players expressed their appreciation of the center’s talents, including James Harden: “He’s one of the best big men in the NBA, defensively as well. He complements our team so well. We’re fortunate to have him on our team.“
- Speaking of the Rockets, Jeremy Lin sat down with Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld and discussed how he deals with trade rumors: “I still remember what it was like being on the edge of my seat and wondering if I was even going to be on a roster tomorrow… I’ve seen the whole Linsanity thing and I’ve seen the D-League and getting cut… I think having that wide scope of perspective helps me stay more balanced and stay more even keel through ups and downs.“
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com opines that a large reason for the success of the Thunder and Spurs comes from how responsibly the two clubs have handled their assets. Rather than trading future draft picks for quick fixes, Berger notes that the two squads have focused on player development and have set themselves up for years of winning basketball.
- Richard Jefferson spoke with SiriusXM NBA Radio hosts Kenny Smith and Jason Goff and made it clear he wanted to play for a championship team, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News passes along. “If I get an opportunity to play for a championship team, I’m going to go hunting for them… I have no loyalty… I’m a gun for hire.” Jefferson is on an expiring contract but is set to make $11MM this year.
- Paul Coro of AZ Central Sports examines how Jeff Hornacek‘s use of Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe gives the Suns a legitimate playmaker on the floor at all times.
- With so many injury problems and an overall lack of talent, Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated suggests that this might be the best time for the Lakers to blow up their roster and fully involve themselves in the rebuilding process.
Poll: How Many Games Will The Lakers Win?
The Lakers are 25 games into their season and sit just one contest below the .500 mark. Kobe Bryant, the face of their franchise, started out the year sidelined, recovering from a torn Achilles. Upon his return, he played in just 6 games before going down with another season ending injury. The team was just 2-4 with him in the lineup, but his recent injury has still caused a great deal of panic in Los Angeles. Sam Amick of USA Today went so far as to write that the club’s entire future is in jeopardy as a result of the future Hall of Famer going down.
It doesn’t help that fellow guards Steve Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Farmar have had their own share of injury woes. Nash is at least a month away from returning. Blake will be sidelined a minimum of six more weeks. Farmar is set to return soon, but the team still felt it was necessary to add some backcourt depth, so tonight they agreed to terms with former lottery pick Kendall Marshall.
So the question: how many games will the Lakers end up winning this year? It’s true that they’re lacking depth right now, but it might be too early to completely give up on the season. Xavier Henry, Jordan Hill, Wesley Johnson, and Nick Young have all played surprisingly well, although you won’t find many people who believe those four along with Pau Gasol can lead a team to the playoffs. The Lakers have managed to play close to .500 basketball without much star power, but can they continue to succeed without Bryant?
Let’s hear your thoughts. Vote in the poll below, and leave a comment to share your thoughts!
Lakers May Soon Acquire Point Guard
7:06pm: Pincus reveals in his full story that Mike D’Antoni has acknowledged the Lakers will probably need to add a point guard: “We’ll talk with [GM Mitch Kupchak]” said D’Antoni after practice on Thursday. “We’re looking but we don’t want to just get anybody.” Pincus notes that free agents Darius Morris and Chris Duhon played for D’Antoni in LA last season, but the writer also sees Jamaal Tinsley, Sebastian Telfair, and Shannon Brown as potential targets (among others).
More than likely, the Lakers will use their open roster spot to add a player on a non-guaranteed deal. “That’s what you [probably] do,” said Kupchak. “It’s actually more flexibility [than a 10-day contract].” Regardless, players can’t sign 10-day deals until January 6th, and the Lakers can’t afford to wait that long with Bryant, Blake, Farmar, and Nash all sidelined.
3:30pm: The Lakers are considering adding a guard, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
3:01pm: The Lakers’ backcourt took two more devastating hits today, as the team announced that Kobe Bryant will miss the next six weeks, while Steve Nash won’t return to action for at least four more weeks. According to the Lakers (Twitter link), Bryant suffered a fracture of the lateral tibial plateau in his left knee.
Steve Blake was already expected to miss another several weeks while he recovers from a torn UCL, and Jordan Farmar will be out for at least a few more days before being reevaluated next Tuesday. A report yesterday indicated that L.A. wasn’t in the market for a point guard, but as the injuries continue to pile up, you have to wonder how long the club can go without adding a healthy body to its backcourt, if only for insurance purposes. Coach Mike D’Antoni suggested Xavier Henry would take over point guard duties for the Lakers for now (Twitter link).
As our list of roster counts shows, the Lakers have an open 15th spot, and also have three players on non-guaranteed contracts, so the team has the flexibility to add a free agent. Contracts don’t become fully guaranteed for about another three weeks, so the Lakers could add a short-term replacement with the intention of waiving that player by January 7th.
Eastern Notes: Lowry, Bobcats, Cavs, Woodson
The Bulls are the only team from the East that will see any action on the hardwood tonight, but that doesn’t mean other clubs from around the conference aren’t making some noise off of the court. Let’s take a look at a few notes from around the Eastern Conference..
- The Raptors aren’t urgently trying to move Kyle Lowry, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reports (via Twitter). This report comes as a bit of a surprise since we heard yesterday that the club was working hard to move the veteran guard. It seems likely that Lowry will be moved before the trade deadline, but how soon remains unclear.
- Nate Duncan of HoopsWorld examines the rosters of the Bobcats and Cavaliers and reveals who he thinks could be franchise players for each club.
- The Knicks have won five out of their last ten games, but Marc Stein of ESPNNewYork.com reports that Mike Woodson is still on the hot seat and being evaluated on a “game-by-game basis” by upper management. Stein notes that if the Knicks had lost to the Bucks last night, it might have marked the end of Woodson’s tenure in New York.
- Chauncey Billups has no desire to coach after his playing days, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald notes in his latest piece. He wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a front office gig, however.
- The Bucks will not attempt to deal for Omer Asik, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. It’s not completely clear, but Woelfel might be talking about a trade in the long term since we’ve heard that Asik will remain in a Rockets uniform for the time being.
- Danny Granger is returning to the Pacers’ lineup, but it’s a much different squad than the one he left, notes Candace Buckner of USA Today Sports. Buckner still sees Granger as a valuable asset to the team but suggests he will have a different role than the one he had before his injury.