Kyle Lowry Rumors: Friday
An overnight report suggested that Knicks owner James Dolan had blocked a potential acquisition of Kyle Lowry, but Marc Berman of the New York Post provides another possible explanation for talks between the Knicks and Raptors breaking down. We have more details on that below, along with the rest of the day’s Lowry-related updates:
- The Nets have “zero intention of surrendering Bogdanovic or a first-rounder for Lowry, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, who can’t envision Brooklyn landing the point guard, given Toronto’s insistence on a first-round pick and a young asset. The Nets are enamored with Bogdanovic and don’t have many first-rounders to trade (All Twitter links).
Earlier updates:
- Sam Amick of USA Today hears from two people with knowledge of the Nets‘ dealings that the team won’t acquire Lowry if the Raptors insist on getting a 2020 first-rounder from Brooklyn. As for the Warriors, Amick says that as of late Friday, they view the asking price for Lowry as too high and appear to be moving on.
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri was in Turkey yesterday and saw Bogdanovic in action, according to Halil Can Pelister SuperBasket.org (Twitter link). Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes (via Twitter) that the trip had been prearranged, so it’s not necessarily a signal that the Raps are serious about a deal with the Nets.
- Wojnarowski’s latest update on the Lowry talks is consistent with Frank Isola’s report, indicating that Dolan bailed on a deal that would have sent Felton, World Peace, and a 2018 first-rounder to Toronto. The Knicks‘ front office would like to re-enter negotiations, and is working to convince Dolan to ignore public criticism, but it’s unclear if the Knicks would put that same offer on the table or whether they’d need to upgrade it.
- The Nets and Raptors have exchanged ideas on packages that include Mirza Teletovic, Tyshawn Taylor, and Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Wojnarowski. Jason Terry has also been discussed for salary-matching purposes, but the Nets so far seem unwilling to include Mason Plumlee or a future first-round pick.
- The Warriors have also remained involved in Lowry talks, says Wojnarowski.
- Lowry told reporters, including Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun, that he anticipates being moved at some point, but has never asked the Raptors for a trade.
- According to Berman, after the Knicks thought they had a deal in place, Toronto’s asking price went up. Rather than accepting Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first-round pick, Toronto wants to include Tim Hardaway Jr. in place of World Peace, says Berman.
- Within Berman’s piece, he notes that Felton isn’t giving too much thought to the latest reports. “I laughed at that trade stuff,’’ Felton said. “I don’t talk about. I’ve been in the league for nine years. That stuff is going to happen when you have a good season. I have nothing to do with it. I don’t deal with it. That’s why we have general managers.”
- As the Knicks‘ front office works with Dolan to regroup on the Lowry front, the Nets are gaining traction as a possible destination for the Raptors‘ point guard, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- Wojnarowski adds in a second tweet that Toronto continues to talk to several teams about Lowry, so nothing is imminent.
Suns Willing To Trade 2014 Picks For Star
The unexpected success the Suns have enjoyed this year has prompted them to let other front offices know they’re willing to give up one or more of their four potential 2014 first-round picks in return for a star who can help them win now, reports Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The team might not wait until the deadline to do a deal, GM Ryan McDonough tells Howard-Cooper (Twitter link). Phoenix is 12-9 and tied in the loss column with the Clippers for first place in the Pacific Division.
“I think one of the things that’s important for people to realize is that we may not draft four players even if we have four picks,” McDonough said. “Our preference would probably be to maybe package a few of them. We’re obviously all looking for stars and we feel like we can put together a package as good, if not better, than any other team in the league if and when a star becomes available. That’s kind of generally what we’ve wanted to do, not only with our draft-pick situation but also with the cap space that we’ve acquired.”
The Suns could receive first-round picks from the Timberwolves, Wizards and Pacers for 2014, depending on where those selections wind up in the order. Phoenix is currently in line for all but Minnesota’s pick, as our Reverse Standings show. Still, that would leave the Suns without a lottery pick, and Phoenix’s own selection would be at No. 22.
Phoenix also has a 2015 first-rounder from the Lakers, and any of the first-round picks that other teams owe the Suns for 2014 would roll over to 2015 if they’re not conveyed this coming spring.
The Suns would almost certainly want attach protection to their own 2014 pick if they were to trade it, Howard-Cooper writes, with the level of star they’d be able to acquire in a swap determining the sort of protection the pick would carry.
Amick’s Latest: Randolph, Anderson, Asik
We already passed along news about Kyle Lowry from Sam Amick’s latest NBA A to Z post, but the USA Today scribe included plenty more from around the league amid a busy week of trade talks. We’ll hit the highlights here:
- Amick hears strong denials from sources close to the Grizzlies and Pelicans about a rumored swap of Zach Randolph for Ryan Anderson. Neither team has discussed the deal, according to Amick. The chatter nonetheless irked Randolph, as he tells Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. “But yeah, it bothers me,” Randolph said in part. “It hurts a little bit. I can’t deny that. But it goes to show you that there ain’t no loyalty in this game. It seems like you only get loyalty in certain organizations. You see it in winning organizations like the Spurs, the Lakers, the Heat.”
- The Pelicans and Bucks are no longer a part of trade discussions for Omer Asik, according to Amick. That’s no surprise for New Orleans, which has been reluctant to acquiesce to the Rockets‘ demands for Anderson, and Milwaukee always seemed to be on the fringe of the Asik picture.
- The Clippers filled their final roster spot when they signed Stephen Jackson this week, but Lamar Odom remains in the team’s plans, Amick says. Odom appears to be a few weeks shy of being ready to play, and the team’s injuries prompted the Clippers to act swiftly.
- Seth Curry went through his scheduled workout with the Grizzlies, and he shot well, but Memphis isn’t expected to add him or the other three guards they were set to audition earlier this week, Amick writes. The Grizzlies have indeed changed their priorities in light of Quincy Pondexter‘s season-ending injury, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reported Thursday.
Pelicans Waive Josh Childress
The Pelicans have released swingman Josh Childress, the team announced today in a press release. The move opens up a spot on the roster, bringing the team’s total count to 14 players.
Childress, 30, spent almost exactly a month on the Pelicans’ roster, having been signed on November 12th. He barely saw any action during his stint with the club, playing a total of 24 minutes in four games, and failing to record a single point. It’s the latest in a string of failed auditions for Childress, who has seen his overall production decline in each of the last four seasons, in increasingly reduced roles.
Childress had been on a non-guaranteed contract, so while the Pelicans paid him about a month’s worth of salary, the team won’t be on the hook for his full cap hit. The former sixth overall pick had been earning the minimum.
Southwest Notes: Asik, Casspi, Mavs, Thomas
On the heels of last night’s loss in Portland, the Rockets will face another tough test tonight, as they travel to Golden State to face the Warriors. Houston is one of four Southwest teams in action tonight, as the Spurs host the Timberwolves while the Grizzlies play the Pelicans in New Orleans. Here’s the latest out of the division:
- The Rockets will almost certainly move Omer Asik within the next week, and Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle expects it to be a three-team deal (Twitter link).
- Omri Casspi spoke to Feigen about how a summer voice mail from coach Kevin McHale boosted Casspi’s confidence and acted as a catalyst for his signing with the Rockets.
- According to GM Donnie Nelson, the Mavericks have no plans to add a veteran guard to the roster while they wait for Devin Harris to continue his recovery from toe surgery, writes Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News.
- The Spurs have recalled Malcolm Thomas from the D-League, the club announced today in a press release. In his two-game stint with the Austin Toros, Thomas averaged a double-double (19.5 PPG, 10.5 RPG).
Odds & Ends: Gay, Pau, Fisher, Jenkins
Rudy Gay spoke to Sam Amick of USA Today about being traded for the second time in the calendar year, and indicated that he had yet made up his mind about his 2014/15 player option. Gay suggested he’ll make his decision with championship contention in mind, adding, “It’s really not as much about the money as you’d think.” If that’s truly the case, his decision to opt into the final year of his contract won’t be the lock that many expect.
Here’s more from around the NBA, as another week nears its end:
- I appeared on the latest episode of The Baseline podcast to discuss the Kings‘ acquisition of Gay, along with a handful of other topics, including the Raptors‘ next move, Omer Asik trade rumors, and the Clippers‘ signing of Stephen Jackson. You can listen right here.
- We heard earlier that the Lakers have been listening to offers for Pau Gasol, in part because he and coach Mike D’Antoni aren’t seeing eye-to-eye, and D’Antoni’s remarks today likely didn’t help mend any fences. Responding to Pau’s recent comments about being frustrated by his role, D’Antoni said, “That’s a classic, ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.’ Well, you don’t have trouble getting up to the paystub line. You know what you need to do to get your check. You know what to do. They will. They’ll figure it out.”
- Derek Fisher is planning to retire at season’s end, and isn’t sure what his post-playing career will bring, as he tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News: “I’m not going to want to necessarily just sit around the house, but I’ll take a step back from the grind of the NBA schedule and see where my heart and passion takes me.”
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports explains in a piece for SBNation.com why the window between December 15th and 19th could result in high trade activity.
- In a separate piece for The Score, Deeks examines a number of intriguing unsigned forwards who could help NBA teams this season. Deeks previously looked at guards and bigs.
- The Hawks recalled John Jenkins from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Since being assigned to the Bakersfield Jam a week ago, Jenkins appeared in four games, averaging 21.5 PPG and 6.3 RPG. He’ll be in uniform for Atlanta tonight against the Wizards.
Eastern Notes: Heat, Pistons, Bradley, Bulls
Thursday night was a rarity for this NBA season, as Eastern teams went undefeated in their inter-conference games against Western opponents. To be fair, there was only one of those games on last night’s schedule, but the Nets‘ win over the Clippers increased the East’s winning percentage against the West to .300 (33-77). Eastern teams will have to wait another day to attempt to bump that percentage up a few more points, since all of tonight’s games are intra-conference matchups.
Here’s the latest out of the East:
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel suggests that the Heat could use another defensive wing player on their roster, but questions whether the team has the cap and roster flexibility to add one.
- Because Andre Drummond is still a few years away from a big payday, David Mayo of MLive.com believes the Pistons can afford to add to their core of Josh Smith, Greg Monroe, and Drummond, rather than splitting up that trio.
- In light of a report that Avery Bradley turned down a four-year, $24MM extension offer, Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com explores Bradley’s worth to the Celtics.
- By moving from the perennially contending Spurs to the rebuilding Bucks, Gary Neal has had to adjust to a different climate both literally and figuratively, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
- In his latest mailbag, Sam Smith of Bulls.com fields questions about Marquis Teague, tanking, and possible roster moves for the Bulls.
Lakers Fielding Offers For Pau Gasol
The Lakers have been fielding trade offers for Pau Gasol for “a while,” sources tell Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, who reports that the team may be moving toward finding a new home for the big man. According to Deveney, tensions between Gasol and coach Mike D’Antoni have been “simmering” for the last year.
“I don’t think there is anything personal between the two guys,” one of Deveney’s sources said of D’Antoni and Gasol. “They’re both professionals. I don’t think they’re buddies or anything. But on the court, it is just not working out.”
Gasol has been the subject of plenty of trade rumors in the past couple years, but has always been considered a tough player to move. The fact that he’s on an expiring contract helps, but his $19MM+ salary will make it difficult to find a taker, especially considering the Lakers are reluctant to take on multiyear contracts that would compromise the team’s projected cap space for 2014 and/or 2015.
Additionally, Gasol’s play on the court this season hasn’t increased his trade value at all. The Lakers expected the 33-year-old to return to All-Star form following the departure of Dwight Howard, with whom Gasol never quite meshed. Instead, his .417 FG% and 15.4 PER are the worst marks of his 13-year career.
If the Lakers were to seriously consider a trade involving Pau, they would likely need to get at least one big man in return to bolster a thin frontcourt, says Deveney. L.A. would also like to get younger, so landing at least one draft pick would be a key, according to Deveney’s source. Given that asking price, I wouldn’t be surprised if Gasol simply stayed put, forcing the Lakers to make a decision next summer on whether or not the Spaniard will be a part of their future.
Lowe On Asik, Bobcats, Hibbert, Thunder
With two days remaining until most NBA players become trade-eligible and less than a week until the Rockets‘ self-imposed deadline for an Omer Asik trade, rumors about Houston’s backup center are heating up. We’ve already heard multiple reports on Asik today, and the latest piece from Grantland’s Zach Lowe also focuses on the 27-year-old. Here are Lowe’s updates on Asik and a couple other related topics:
- Lowe echoes what TNT’s David Aldridge and ESPN.com’s Marc Stein have already reported today: By all accounts, the Rockets intend to adhere to that December 19th deadline and move Asik by then.
- Asik’s third-year balloon payment has been a “meaningful obstacle” in trade talks, even though his cap hit will be nearly $7MM less than his actual salary. The Pelicans have never been all that interested in trading Ryan Anderson for Asik, but that $15MM salary for 2014/15 was an additional deterrent for New Orleans, according to Lowe.
- A report earlier in December suggested the Rockets had asked a team for two first-rounders for Asik, but Lowe suggests Houston had been seeking an even greater return. According to Lowe, the Rockets asked the Bobcats for two first-rounders and the right to swap first-round picks in a third draft.
- Lowe reports that, among potential suitors, there are some concerns about Asik’s attitude and about the fact that GM Daryl Morey is trying to subvert the spirit of CBA rules by moving Asik before his third-year “poison pill” kicks in. However, neither factor should be the difference in whether or not Houston finds a taker.
- In discussing Asik’s trade value, Lowe notes that advanced metrics and analytics have resulted in defensive specialists like Asik, Derrick Favors, Larry Sanders, and Roy Hibbert becoming more properly valued by teams around the NBA. Analytics-oriented sources who have spoken to Lowe generally agree that Hibbert is significantly undervalued at $14.5MM annually, suggesting that his contributions are worth more like $25-30MM per year.
- If they haven’t already, expect the Thunder to start putting out feelers for what the return would be if they paired Kendrick Perkins with Jeremy Lamb or a first-round pick, says Lowe. That doesn’t mean OKC will make a move, but it sounds like the team wants to get an idea of how much a first-round pick (or a first-round talent like Lamb) would be worth when combined with a negative asset like Perkins, considering how carefully teams are hoarding first-rounders.
- It’s not clear whether the Thunder have much interest in Asik, but even if they do, Lowe confirms Houston would rather deal with an Eastern Conference team, as we’ve heard before.
Bulls Sign D.J. Augustin
FRIDAY: The Bulls have officially signed Augustin, according to a press release from the team. I’d guess it will be a non-guaranteed pact, but terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.
WEDNESDAY: The Bulls and D.J. Augustin have a reached a deal, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. We had heard earlier that Chicago was the clear favorite to sign the recently waived Augustin, and Wojnarowski reports that the two sides have reached an agreement, pending a Thursday morning physical.
The Raptors waived Augustin in order to make room on an overcrowded roster that came about as a result of the seven-player blockbuster that sent Rudy Gay to the Kings. The Bulls were seeking some much-needed depth in their backcourt after losing Derrick Rose to a season-ending injury. Augustin has played limited minutes this year; he’s averaging 8.2 MPG in 10 contests. Still, the four-year veteran will help supplement an ailing cast of guards in Chicago.