Kyler’s Latest: Asik, Randolph, Anderson, Lakers
In his NBA AM column for HoopsWorld this morning, Steve Kyler weighs in with new tidbits on several trade possibilities, so let’s dive right in and round up the highlights from the piece….
- The Rockets no longer appear to be holding out for multiple first-round picks in talks for Omer Asik, as they reportedly were at the start of the month.
- The Hawks and 76ers are among the clubs who have been linked to Asik in recent weeks, but Kyler hears that Atlanta currently has no interest in moving Paul Millsap, while Philadelphia wouldn’t include a draft pick in any offer for Asik.
- Although the Sixers are resistant to parting with a first-round pick for Asik, they don’t have a problem with next season’s balloon payment, since it wouldn’t have a huge effect on the team’s cap space. A one-for-one trade of Asik for Thaddeus Young would work under CBA rules, though the Rockets may be seeking a more significant return.
- A report yesterday suggested the Grizzlies are shopping Zach Randolph with an eye on Ryan Anderson, but according to Kyler, both teams are denying interest in such a deal. Pointing out that teams are making calls and listening to calls a little more seriously than they were a couple weeks ago, Kyler writes that both the Grizzlies and Pelicans are probably just being open-minded about their options. It’s unlikely that either Randolph or Anderson is traded, says Kyler.
- Despite their injury woes at the point, the Lakers aren’t likely to be active on the trade market unless they can land the kind of player they’d be targeting anyway in 2014 free agency, according to Kyler.
Dolan Blocks Knicks’ Trade For Kyle Lowry
The Knicks reached a decision on Wednesday to acquire Kyle Lowry from the Raptors, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. However, Knicks owner James Dolan had second thoughts about the trade on Thursday and has vetoed it for now, Isola says. In addition to second-guessing the move, Dolan was “enraged” that details of the proposed swap had been leaked to the media, according to the Daily News report.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported on Thursday that the Knicks and Raptors had discussed a package of Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first-round pick for Lowry. Assuming that was the deal the Knicks were prepared to make, the club couldn’t have finalized it until Sunday, when World Peace becomes trade-eligible. That means Dolan could reconsider the move by then, and eventually approve it if the Raptors are on board, but for now he has “cold feet about trading a future asset,” according to Isola.
“There are two problems,” said Isola’s source. “Dolan didn’t like that someone from his group leaked it to the media, and the other problem is the Knicks seem to have too many (people) involved with making decisions.”
The source added that while the two sides had a deal ready to go, Dolan “didn’t want to get fleeced again by Masai [Ujiri],” which echoes what we heard from Wojnarowski. The Yahoo! scribe wrote that Dolan is sensitive to the public perception that Ujiri has gotten the best of the Knicks in trades that sent Carmelo Anthony and Andrea Bargnani to New York — the current Raptors GM was the top decision-maker for the Nuggets when Denver traded Carmelo to the Knicks in 2011.
The Raptors are said to be seeking either Iman Shumpert or Tim Hardaway Jr. if New York is unwilling to include a future first-round pick in its offer. Assuming Dolan and the Knicks don’t decide to move forward with a trade for Lowry, it could open the door for the crosstown Nets to land him. However, Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that Brooklyn has resisted offering a first-rounder or Mason Plumlee for the Raptors’ point guard so far.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Pierce, Austin
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak directly addressed questions about the team’s point guard situation and didn’t seem too confident about finding anyone on the free agent market who could play big rotation minutes immediately (Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles):
“I think for the time being we’re going to roll with what we’ve got…To find a player that doesn’t belong to somebody right now that can come in and play in front of (Kobe Bryant), in front of Xavier Henry), in front of (Jodie Meeks), it’s unlikely…But maybe there’s a player out there that we can take a look at…It’s a good time to perhaps look at a player, but I don’t think there’s somebody that we’re going to bring in and we’re going to start or is going to play big minutes.”
As it stands, the team doesn’t appear to have any immediate plans to add a point guard via trade, free agency, or D-League call up. Here’s more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes, including more from McMenamin’s piece:
- Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee reports that mayor Kevin Johnson has launched a political campaign aimed at defeating a June ballot measure in Sacramento that would require voter approval of subsidies to sports arenas. The Kings are expected to play a role in the effort along with Johnson, although team president Chris Granger said the role hasn’t been decided yet.
- When specifically asked about Leandro Barbosa, as well as former Lakers Darius Morris and Chris Duhon, Kupchak said that they’re “all on the list” of players being considered.
- Whether or not the Lakers decide to make a move to address their backcourt issues, ESPN LA’s Ramona Shelburne gets the sense that they’ll look for the best available point guard and not necessarily put a priority on those with past familiarity of Mike D’Antoni’s system. She also makes note that the team still has luxury tax considerations to factor into their decision-making (All Twitter links).
- Clippers coach Doc Rivers weighed in on the Nets, saying he was disappointed in how the situation between Jason Kidd and Lawrence Frank developed, endorsed the idea that Paul Pierce would be willing to come off the bench, and suggested that Pierce still has plenty of basketball left in the tank beyond this season (All Twitter links).
- RealGM’s Jonathan Tjarks examines how Baylor center Isaiah Austin helped his draft stock after his 13-point/5-block performance against a highly touted Kentucky frontline that included Julius Randle, Willie Cauley-Stein, and Alex Poythress last week.
- ESPN’s J.A. Adande and Israel Gutierrez discuss ideas on how to correct competitive imbalance in the NBA.
Atlantic Links: Noel, Celtics, Vasquez
76ers prospect Nerlens Noel hasn’t let his knee rehab prevent him from working on other parts of his game, as Dei Lynam of CSN Philly reports that head coach Brett Brown has been tutoring the young big man on defensive principles in addition to working with him on his shooting form. As per Brown:
“I am thrilled [with] what he has done with his shot…We said from the very beginning that this is an opportunity and one that I hope he never has again…There is far more fluid to his shot and I think the carryover from this year will be significant if we can get it right for his future.”
Here are a few more minor notes to pass along out of the Atlantic Division:
- In his latest Celtics mailbag, Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston answers questions about Jordan Crawford‘s emergence, what happens to the rotation once Rajon Rondo is cleared to play, and which players have improved their trade value since the start of the season.
- According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is taking a cautious approach with the team’s Atlantic Division-leading 10-14 start to the season (Subscribers only).
- Eric Koreen of the National Post writes about how Greivis Vasquez‘s affinity for playing for playing pick-and-roll basketball on a Raptors team that welcomes plenty of those opportunities will be an important development as the team looks to move on from Kyle Lowry.
- Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops explores the Knicks and Nets’ proposed deals with Toronto for Lowry and discusses whether or not they make sense.
Latest On Kyle Lowry
8:36pm: According to Wojnarowski, Knicks owner James Dolan is sensitive to the public perception that GM Masai Ujiri “bamboozled” him in the Carmelo Anthony trade, and the chance of getting criticized for giving up too much in a deal for Lowry has become a hurdle in these talks. Toronto is said to be discussing deals for Lowry with an ever-growing list of teams.
Wojnarwoski adds that New York doesn’t want to include either Shumpert or Hardaway Jr. in discussions (they reportedly refused a proposal involving the former along with Felton), and without Shumpert or a draft pick going to Toronto, there isn’t any traction to a deal. Also, the Knicks are believed to still be hesitant about trading a future first round draft choice to the Raptors, and there seems to be doubt over how long they’ll keep that option on the table.
As for the Nets’ interest, Wojnarowski says the team isn’t willing to include either a 2020 first-round pick or one of its young players – including Mason Plumlee – in a trade package.
4:03pm: Toronto is insisting on a first-rounder from the Knicks in part because taking on Felton would leave the Raptors with more long-term money, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Felton’s deal runs through 2015/16, which is a player option year, while Lowry is on an expiring contract. The Knicks would like to save Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr. for another deal, Stein adds (Twitter links). The Raptors are seeking two out of three assets from the Knicks: Shumpert, Hardaway, or a first-rounder, Stein tweets.
3:46pm: The Knicks are refusing to give up a first-round pick, and that’s gumming up the talks between the two teams, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
3:24pm: The Nets represent the strongest competition to the Knicks for Kyle Lowry among an “ever-growing list of teams” going after the Raptors point guard, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. New York’s latest offer includes Metta World Peace and a 2018 first-round draft pick to go with Raymond Felton, according to Wojnarowski, who indicates that the Knicks are wavering on their willingness to include the pick.
The Raptors are reportedly asking for a quality young player or a first-round pick, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who says the price could be too high for Brooklyn’s tastes (Twitter link). Still, Brooklyn’s interest is legitimate, Mannix writes, and Wojnarowski hears the Raptors are investigating Bojan Bogdanovic, a former second-round pick whose rights the Nets hold.
Lowry is apparently interested in heading to New York, and Wojnarowski says he’s spent most of the season hoping for a trade out of Toronto. The Warriors are another team with interest in Lowry, but the odds that the Warriors land him are “very very slim,” according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, who doesn’t think Golden State has much to offer the Raptors (Twitter links). Lowry has fans in the Timberwolves front office, but the team doesn’t have enough assets or financial flexibility, and isn’t in the mix for the point guard, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (on Twitter).
The Knicks can’t trade World Peace until Sunday, since he signed a contract this past offseason. The Raptors would probably buy him out of his two-year, approximately $3.5MM deal if they traded for him, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
Elias Harris Signs With German Team
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that former Lakers rookie Elias Harris has reached an agreement to play with Germany-based Bamberg of the Euroleague. Though the deal is reportedly set to run through the 2014/15 season, the 24-year-old forward will have the option to return to the NBA this upcoming summer (Twitter links).
Harris – who has dual U.S. and German citizenship – went undrafted out of Gonzaga this past June, but caught on with the Lakers after making an impression during summer league and eventually survived training camp cuts. While the team decided to waive Harris late last month, head coach Mike D’Antoni – who found the move difficult – gave the rookie a public vote of confidence upon his departure:
“I think he has a chance…I think he has a chance to be a good player — not this year, it’s going to take a little bit — but if he continues to develop, he’s somebody we should watch and hope the best for him. He was great and I think he’s got a future in this league.”
Eastern Notes: MKG/CDR, Teague, Kidd, Raptors
According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is ecstatic about the team’s recent addition of Chris Douglas-Roberts, a player who Kidd-Gilchrist idolized while growing up: “It’s so good to have (Douglas-Roberts) here, a dream-come-true for me and him to be on the same team…I never would have thought that in a million years. He’s my favorite player.”
Bonnell also relays what Douglas-Roberts is sharing with the former Kentucky Wildcat:
“(Kidd-Gilchrist) always been a student of the game since he was a little kid…(But) one thing you can’t prepare for is the business of this. I tell him, ‘You’re a basketball player – a good basketball player. Just have a thicker skin…“I told him you have to embrace all the pressure (of being the No. 2 overall pick). Never shy away from it…You want people criticizing you. You want the media talking about you, positively or negatively.”
With that aside, here are some more noteworthy links to pass along out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains why Jeff Teague has been the answer the Hawks have long been looking for at point guard and says it’s no coincidence that he’s flourishing without Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Marvin Williams on the team anymore (Subscribers only).
- ESPN’s Chris Broussard asked two NBA executives and a scout to weigh in on Jason Kidd’s struggles as a rookie head coach with the Nets (Insiders only).
- Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun reports that recently-acquired Chuck Hayes, who is known to have a previous heart issue, won’t receive approval to play from team doctors until he undergoes baseline testing with the Cleveland Clinic. Regardless, this isn’t expected to hold up anyone else involved in the Raptors’ deal with the Kings.
- In another piece, Ganter notes Greivis Vasquez‘s excitement at a fresh start as well as his desire to remain in Toronto for the rest of his career.
Western Notes: Lakers, O’Neal, Rush
As we noted earlier, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant – who has started at the shooting guard and small forward position over his first two games back, respectively – will now be expected to handle point guard duties while the team’s whole rotation at point guard deals with injuries. His first test will come against Thunder guard Russell Westbrook on Friday, and while Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times isn’t so sure if Bryant will be up to that type of challenge this soon into his return, the team doesn’t seem to have much of a choice.
Here’s more out of the Western Conference:
- Although he listed some names expected to be on the Lakers’ radar earlier, Pincus also tweeted that as of now, the front office hasn’t decided on a course of action yet and will “tough it out” for the time being.
- While it’s not within our scope to focus on injury rumors, it’s still worth noting that Warriors big man Jermaine O’Neal is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery on Friday to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist, and a timetable for his return will be determined after the surgery, the team announced (Twitter links). However, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group tweets that the procedure would likely end the 35-year-old veteran’s season and career.
- Jazz guard Brandon Rush recently met with head coach Tyrone Corbin to hash out some of his frustrations about a lack of playing time, writes Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune: “It’s been really frustrating because I’ve worked hard…I wanted to be able to get some minutes and help the team out… (but) I had a good talk with Coach…He let me know what the deal was.” Corbin later told the media that he’s just trying to get Rush to play without apprehension.
- In another piece, Falk describes how Marvin Williams has been an invaluable role player for Utah when he’s been able to find court time.
Central Notes: Neal, Teague, Cavs
This past offseason, the Spurs extended then-restricted free agent Gary Neal a qualifying offer worth about $1.1MM, which was significantly below the two-year, $7.5MM agreement he eventually reached with the Bucks. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio-Express News, Neal believes he got a fair shake from Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford and understood that he wouldn’t be retained if he wanted more than what San Antonio was initially offering:
“I figured after three years, the Spurs benefitted me, and I benefitted the Spurs…But it’s a business. I kind of knew after Game 7 in the Finals, unless I signed a qualifying offer, I wouldn’t be back…I have no complaints…If (they didn’t give me the opportunity), they could have found another guy one of those summers to shoot 40 percent from three,..I thank Coach Pop a thousand times for that.”
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- The rest of the league is confused why the Bulls aren’t willing to give Marquis Teague more playing time, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Chicago reportedly dangled Teague in trade talks during the preseason.
- The Cavaliers have recalled Carrick Felix, Sergey Karasev, and Henry Sims from the D-League, as per the team’s official website.
- Pistons forward Gigi Datome is determined to play for the Italian national team next summer, whether it’d be during the FIBA World Cup or the Eurobasket Qualifying Round, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (hat tip to Tuttosport).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Salmons, Bobcats
The Knicks were bent on injecting youth into their team, and they brought Josh Powell and Ike Diogu to camp with no intention of retaining them for opening night, no matter how well the two veterans played in preseason, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. For now, New York seems engaged in a pursuit of Kyle Lowry as it tries to unload Raymond Felton, who made Ben Golliver of SI.com‘s “All-Atrocious Team.” Here’s more from around the league:
- New Raptors small forward John Salmons is a “prime candidate” to be dealt again before the trade deadline, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, pointing to his de-facto expiring contract. No Raptors appear off-limits for a trade.
- The Bobcats released James Southerland on Wednesday, but not because the organization was disappointed with him, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “He was brought in as a developmental player. We like him a lot,” coach Steve Clifford said. “Nothing he did he could have done better. We just needed someone more ready to play.” Charlotte signed veteran Chris Douglas-Roberts to replace Southerland.
- Pau Gasol hinted that there’s a chance he could sign an extension with the Lakers, during his recent interview with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The possibility of an in-season agreement has seemed like a long shot.
- A Prim Capital investor was found guilty of obstructing a grand jury investigation into the firm’s ties to the players union, reports Nate Raymond of Reuters. The son of former union executive director Billy Hunter has served as a Prim executive.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports profiles freelance trainer Rob McClanaghan, who works with some of the NBA’s top players and has exerted influence on front office decision-making.
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports examines several free agents and D-Leaguers who could be on the radar of NBA teams in a piece for the Score, calling Drew Gooden perhaps the most talented among available big men. Deeks looked at guards on Wednesday.