Celtics Not Interested In Rajon Rondo Trade
The Celtics are making no movements toward a Rajon Rondo trade even as they look to acquire Omer Asik, and if the C’s deal Rondo, it’s not likely to happen until around draft time in June, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Rondo hasn’t requested a trade, nor has he suggested that he’d be open to one, Deveney adds.
Boston is waiting to see how Rondo performs when he returns from his torn ACL, and a source tells Deveney that it would take an “exceptional” offer to get the Celtics to budge from their position. Coach Brad Stevens has been making an effort to develop a relationship with Rondo and wants to have him on the team for a long time to come, Deveney writes.
Rondo has been in trade rumors ever since the deal that sent Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets, but the point guard would like to take over as the on-court leader of the Celtics now that Pierce and Garnett are gone, Deveney writes. Rondo wants to demonstrate his value as a franchise player before his contract is up after next season.
World Peace Wants To Play Five More Seasons
Metta World Peace at 34 years old might not be the player he used to be, but the Knicks forward has no intention of retiring soon, telling Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times that he wants his career to continue for five seasons after this one (Twitter link). World Peace is in his 15th year in the league, so he’d make it an even 20 if he sticks for as long as he hopes.
The former Ron Artest is known for his outlandish statements and sense of humor, so it’s hard to take him at his word. Still, he remains a believer in his worth to NBA teams, recently suggesting that if he were traded to the Raptors, as had been rumored, he’d inject the rebuilding Toronto club with a “championship mentality.” World Peace also said he’d signed his two-year deal with the Knicks in hopes of winning a title in his native New York, and he said in September that the Thunder and Clippers were among the teams interested in him before he committed to the Knicks.
The Lakers amnestied World Peace in spite of a 2012/13 season that had been something of a renaissance for him, as he averaged 12.4 points and 5.0 rebounds with a 40.3% field-goal percentage, his best marks in three years. He’s nowhere near those figures this season, and the Knicks are giving him just 15.7 minutes per game, by far the least amount of playing time he’s seen in his career. World Peace has a player option worth about $1.66MM for next season, and it would appear as though he’s likely to exercise it, given his level of play and intention of remaining in the league, though that’s just my speculation.
Southwest Notes: Diaw, Ajinca, Williams
There is news coming out of the Southwest Division that doesn’t involve Omer Asik, believe it or not. Houston’s effort to trade its backup center has dominated headlines for the past few days, and will likely continue to do so until the Rockets strike a deal. In the meantime, here’s the latest from elsewhere in the Southwest:
- Boris Diaw tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that it was an easy decision to exercise his more than $4.7MM player option to return to the Spurs this summer. “In the Finals, we were so close,” Diaw said. “I wanted to go again and come back with this team. It’s been a great season this year, and we play a good style of basketball and we’ll get another shot together.”
- The Bobcats, Mavs and Raptors didn’t make the proper investment of time and effort into Alexis Ajinca‘s development during his first stint in the NBA, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports opines in a piece for the Score. That’s left the Pelicans in a position to benefit now that Ajinca is headed to New Orleans, Deeks writes, comparing it to the Spurs‘ acquisition of Aron Baynes last season.
- Reggie Williams is set to join the D-League, according to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. The four-year NBA veteran is on the Rockets‘ books for about $474K after Houston cut him in a numbers crunch before the start of the regular season. He was among those scheduled to work out for the Grizzlies recently before the team switched gears.
Lakers Not Open To Pau Gasol Trade
The Lakers aren’t interested in trading Pau Gasol for now, having been encouraged by Gasol’s play in the last three games and his fence-mending efforts with coach Mike D’Antoni, who criticized his performance, report Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Lakers have reportedly fielded offers for Gasol, and they engaged in exploratory talks with several teams, according to Shelburne and Stein, but they didn’t get too far.
The Rockets are one of the teams the Lakers spoke to about Gasol, but those talks never got serious, the ESPN scribes say. Stein thinks that the Lakers might be better off trading Gasol for Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin, but says such a deal would likely have to involve a third team and cautions that such talk is merely speculation (Twitter link).
The Lakers remain interested in Tyson Chandler and they’ve made exploratory calls on Iman Shumpert, but it doesn’t sound like the Knicks are biting. Gasol is set to hit free agency at season’s end, and the Lakers are apparently open to re-signing him.
Lakers Aren’t Seeking Point Guard
The Lakers have been playing without a true point guard for the past week, and despite discouraging news on Jordan Farmar today, the team remains hesitant to make a roster move, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Farmar will be out at least another week as he continues to mend a torn left hamstring, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (Twitter link).
Farmar had been optimistic about returning as early as Friday, but an examination today wasn’t as promising as he’d hoped, and it’s unlikely he’ll return until after Christmas, Medina notes. Steve Nash is still out, and Steve Blake won’t be back for at least five more weeks, leaving the point guard position to Kobe Bryant, Xavier Henry and Nick Young.
The Lakers are a tax team, but they have plenty of flexibility, with an open roster spot and three players on non-guaranteed contracts. Still, the Lakers don’t expect to add anyone via signing or a trade. GM Mitch Kupchak last week acknowledged interest in Leandro Barbosa, Chris Duhon and Darius Morris, but Kupchak said then that he didn’t expect there was anyone worth signing. Other recent rumors suggest the team could be involved in trades to address other parts of the roster, as the Lakers are apparently fielding offers for Pau Gasol and have spoken to the Knicks about Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert.
Celtics Moving Closer To Deal For Omer Asik
We’ve already passed along a series of Omer Asik rumors today, but this morning’s round-up was so extensive that we’re separating the rest of the day’s Asik rumblings in a new post so they don’t get lost in the shuffle. You can follow the latest rumors right here, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:
- There’s no third team involved in the latest proposal involving Houston and the Celtics, Wojnarowski tweets. That means the Cavs are done with the talks, at least for today, Amico notes via Twitter. Cleveland feels like it’s moving in the right direction and is disinclined to shake up its roster, according to Amico (Twitter link).
Earlier updates:
- The Celtics are moving closer to landing Asik, but are reluctant to part with a 2014 first-rounder, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports provides a similar update, tweeting that the C’s and Rockets are still haggling over which first-rounder would change hands.
- The Sixers remain in play to be a facilitator in a three-way Asik deal with the Rockets and Celtics, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. According to Berger, the Hawks also aren’t entirely out of the picture, but GM Danny Ferry is wary of the Rockets’ attempts to overvalue Asik and create a “false market.” Berger adds that the Cavs and Rockets haven’t engaged in serious talks since Houston asked for Anderson Varejao and Cleveland isn’t interested in giving him up in an Asik deal.
- A league source tells Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe that there’s “nothing going on” right now when it comes to the Celtics landing Asik (Twitter link).
- If the Rockets do end up working out a deal with the Celtics that involves Brandon Bass and Courtney Lee, Houston shouldn’t expect to flip either of those players before the deadline, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link), who hears from one exec that “no one wants them.”
- The Cavs and Hawks have fallen back significantly in discussions for Asik, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. It’s not clear if this means Cleveland is simply unlikely to land Asik, or also unlikely to be involved at all in a three-team deal.
- Two sources briefed on Asik negotiations tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) that a deal is unlikely to be consummated until tomorrow.
- Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) hears that the Blazers are “not even remotely involved” in talks for Asik, while Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld tweets that the Bucks aren’t interested in acquiring the center.
- The Celtics are “gaining traction” in discussions to acquire Asik, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Wojnarowski adds (via Twitter) that the “serious talks” between the two sides have included Brandon Bass, Courtney Lee, and a first-round pick, though it’s not clear if Lee would go to the Rockets or a third team in that scenario (Twitter links). For what it’s worth, both Bass and Lee played with Howard in Orlando.
- Meanwhile, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald (Twitter link) hears that the Celtics are open to trade discussions, particularly on Asik, but are “sitting tight” and not pursuing anything.
- A league source tells Andrew Perna of RealGM.com that the “wild card” team cited last night by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is the Trail Blazers. It’s not 100% clear if Portland was the specific club referred to by Wojnarowski, but the club would make a logical suitor for Asik. We’ll have to wait and see if Daryl Morey is willing to send the big man to a Western Conference contender, however.
- The Rockets, Cavaliers, and Celtics have had discussions about a three-way trade involving Asik, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. A possible three-way scenario that included the Sixers rather than the Cavs was mentioned in this morning’s installment of Asik rumors.
- The Hawks are “barely involved” in Asik talks, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), though he cautions that that could always change.
Raptors Working To Move Lowry, DeRozan
The Raptors are working “hard” to move not only Kyle Lowry, but DeMar DeRozan as well, according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). A source tells Ingram that the price tags on the two Raptors are “surprisingly high.”
While Lowry has been the subject of several recent trade rumors, DeRozan hasn’t been mentioned as frequently, though ESPN.com’s Chad Ford reported on Monday that Toronto seemed open to discussing him in deals. Lowry is on an expiring contract, so moving him wouldn’t necessarily signal an all-out rebuild. However, the same can’t be said of DeRozan, whose contract runs through 2017.
DeRozan’s four-year, $38MM extension was panned when it was signed, but it doesn’t look too bad now, considering how well the 24-year-old is playing this season. Although he and Rudy Gay were often grouped together when fans and pundits criticized an inefficient Raptors offense, DeRozan has been more effective than his former teammate, averaging 21.4 PPG with a career-high 17.4 PER.
Since he’s locked up through 2017 at a reasonable price, DeRozan could conceivably be part of the franchise’s next contending roster, so there’s no real pressure for the Raptors to move him. But it was former GM Bryan Colangelo, not Masai Ujiri, who extended the swingman, and it’s not clear whether Ujiri feels DeRozan is part of the team’s long-term plans. If dealing him could land the Raptors a couple assets and improve the team’s odds of landing a top 2014 pick, Ujiri may opt to go that route.
As for Lowry, the Knicks continue to look like the most logical fit for the veteran point guard, particularly after Pablo Prigioni was sidelined with a broken toe. However, negotiations between Toronto and New York weren’t believed to be active as of this week.
Poll: Will Woodson Be First Coach Replaced?
In a Tuesday article, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein examined the possibility of coaching changes around the NBA, noting that each and every one of the last 20 NBA seasons has seen at least one in-season change, often before Christmas. A league-record 13 new coaches were hired over the offseason, so teams may be more reluctant than usual to make any quick changes this season, since many of those new coaches are still getting their bearings.
Still, in Stein’s view, at least one NBA coach is in a tenuous position: Mike Woodson. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes a home loss to the Bucks tonight could be the last straw for Woodson in New York, and as Stein notes in his piece, betting site Bovada.lv believes Woodson is the NBA coach most likely to be fired next, giving him 5/4 odds as of Monday morning (Jason Kidd was second at 5/2).
On the other hand, Stein’s colleague at ESPNNewYork.com, Ian Begley, hears from a source that the Knicks plan to give Woodson a chance to turn the team around now that Tyson Chandler is set to return to action. And Woodson himself isn’t worried about being replaced, telling Marc Berman of the New York Post that he has the support of GM Steve Mills.
As we’ve seen in the past, the situation in New York could quickly head in one direction or the other. Another disastrous loss or two might push Woodson out the door, while a three- or four-game winning streak would likely cool off his hot seat considerably.
Where do you see the Knicks’ situation heading? Will Woodson be the first NBA coach replaced this season, or will another team make a change first?
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Waiters, Nene, Pistons
After losing in Indiana last Tuesday, the Heat will get another shot at the Pacers tonight, this time in Miami. As we look forward to the evening’s showdown between the only two Eastern teams that look like title contenders, let’s round up a few notes from around the conference….
- The Bulls are considering their options with Marquis Teague and D.J. Augustin, and could ultimately end up trading the former or waiving the latter. If that happens, the team may re-sign the recently waived Mike James, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link).
- Dion Waiters moved quickly to shoot down yesterday’s report that he wanted to be traded from the Cavs to the 76ers, and Michael Kaskey-Blomain of the Philadelphia Inquirer hears from a source that the Sixers are unlikely to land Waiters anyway.
- Addressing the trade rumors surrounding Waiters and Anderson Varejao, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown suggested those reports were laughable, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- While he has said in the past that he may retire before the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, Wizards big man Nene acknowledged in a Q&A with Grantland’s Zach Lowe that he’d be open to playing beyond that date, health permitting.
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com fields Pistons-related questions from readers in his latest mailbag, including inquiries on the futures of Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey in Detroit.
Wesley Johnson Hopes For Long-Term Stay With Lakers
The Lakers lead the NBA with 10 players on expiring deals, and Wesley Johnson is one of those 10, meaning he doesn’t necessarily have a future in Los Angeles beyond 2014. However, as he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld, Johnson is hoping this isn’t his only season as a Laker.
“This is definitely a place I want to be,” Johnson said. “I love Los Angeles. I love the organization. I love the people that I’ve been around since I’ve been there. I definitely think this could be a long-term thing. We just have to wait and see.”
Much has been made of the Lakers’ desire to preserve cap space for next summer. Even after extending Kobe Bryant, the team should have more than enough room to fit either a max free agent, or multiple second- or third-tier free agents. Still, Johnson is earning the minimum salary this season, and if he’s content with signing for that amount again next year, the club’s cap space wouldn’t be compromised. L.A. will also hold Johnson’s Non-Bird rights at year’s end, which would allow the club to pay him slightly more than the minimum on a contract up to four years.
Johnson, 26, is off to the best start of his four-year NBA career this season, averaging 8.3 PPG and shooting 40.5% on threes in 25 contests for the Lakers. The former fourth overall pick attributes his relative success in the early going to Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni, as he tells Greene.
“He told me to just worry about playing basketball,” Johnson said. “He said if you play aggressive and play hard you can pretty much do what you want out there as long as you play hard. So I definitely feel a lot more comfortable out there than I have the last few years.”