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Knicks May Cut Chris Smith

December 30th, 2013 at 8:25am CST by Zachary Links

MONDAY, 8:25am: Smith is the player expected to be released if and when the Knicks sign Tyler, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post, who says the Knicks could announce the roster moves as soon as today.

SUNDAY, 2:29pm: The benefits of nepotism can only get you so far sometimes.  If the Knicks go ahead and sign Jeremy Tyler, as they’ve been discussing, they are seriously considering cutting Chris Smith to free up a roster spot rather than center Cole Aldrich, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.

Aldrich is on a non-guaranteed deal while Smith’s pact is fully guaranteed for the rookie minimum salary.  The guard has seen just two minutes of total court time and while Aldrich hasn’t gotten that much more burn, it doesn’t make sense for the team to shed a big man when frontcourt depth is their issue.

The signing of Smith, the younger brother of J.R. Smith, was a controversial move for the Knicks over the offseason.  Despite Chris’ assertion that he earned his place on the roster, many speculated that the Knicks added him as a sweetener to get J.R. to re-sign over the summer.

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Warriors Waive Hilton Armstrong

December 30th, 2013 at 7:54am CST by Luke Adams

Less than three weeks after adding him to the roster, the Warriors have released Hilton Armstrong, the team announced overnight in a press release. Armstrong had been on a non-guaranteed contract, so Golden State won’t be on the hook for his full-season salary.

Armstrong, 29, played sparingly in seven games for the Warriors this month, compiling six points and 16 rebounds overall in about 28 total minutes. It was the big man’s first NBA action since the 2010/11, but he held his own, recording a PER of 18.0 in the limited sample size.

The move reduces the Warriors’ roster count to 14 players, leaving them with an opening to add another player at some point. Teams can begin signing 10-day contracts next Monday, so perhaps the team will bring Armstrong back on a 10-day deal or two later in the season.

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Odds & Ends: Spurs, De Colo, Suns, Lottery

December 29th, 2013 at 9:30pm CST by Zachary Links

The NBA is thinking about doing away with divisions and it doesn’t sound like Cavs coach Mike Brown would be too upset if that happens.  “I don’t necessarily look at a division foe as any more important than anybody else,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said, according to Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer. “I think it’s natural that you look at just your conference teams a little bit more than you do the other conference. You try not to, but I think it’s natural that you do.”  More from around the Association..

  • The Spurs announced that they have assigned guard Nando De Colo and forward Malcolm Thomas to the Austin Toros.  Both players have had multiple trips to the D-League affiliate.  In three games in Austin, De Colo has averaged 30.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 4.33 steals in 38.0 minutes.  In his three games with the Toros, Thomas has averaged 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4.33 blocks in 37.3 minutes.  Keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments with Hoops Rumors’ running list.
  • Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks denies that he’s at odds with offseason pickup Josh Smith, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
  • The Suns are catching teams off-guard under first-year head coach Jeff Hornacek, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
  • Marc J. Spears and Evan Doherty of Yahoo Sports (video link) discuss the pros of the NBA potentially getting rid of the draft lottery.  The league is reportedly considering a wheel system.
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Eastern Notes: Celtics, Williams, Cunningham

December 29th, 2013 at 8:38pm CST by Zachary Links

It’s been a fascinating year for the Celtics following their blockbuster deal with the Nets.  The C’s hit the reset button by shipping Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn and while they’re anxiously awaiting Rajon Rondo‘s return, there’s plenty of reason to believe that the future in Boston is bright.  GM Danny Ainge reflected on 2013 with the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett.  “It was tough because we had so many injuries during the course of the year,” said Ainge. “I thought that our team was actually better than it ended up showing in the playoffs — without Rondo, without Sullinger, without (Leandro) Barbosa, who was playing really well for us (before be tore his left ACL in February). That was tough to overcome. I think our guys did as good as could be expected with what we had.”  More from the East..

  • Terrence Williams has no plan to return to the Nets‘ D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor, a source tells Shams Charania of RealGM.  The guard, who signed with Turk Telekom in October before parting ways after just two games, is talking to other teams.  Williams finished the 2012/13 season with the Celtics.
  • The Hawks announced that they recalled guard Jared Cunningham from the Bakersfield Jam of the D-League.  Cunningham, who was re-assigned to Bakersfield on December 16, has averaged 18.1 points, 5.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 33.1 minutes in eight games (all starts) in two stints with the Jam this season.
  • Arron Afflalo‘s NBA journey has taken him from the Pistons to the Nuggets to the Magic but he says that all of the movement hasn’t affected his development, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
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Hoops Links: Holiday, Bennett, Bynum

December 29th, 2013 at 7:20pm CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 1999, the late Wilt Chamberlain became the first player to have his number retired by three teams when the Warriors retired his No. 13 jersey at halftime of their game against the 76ers.  The No. 13 jersey was presented to Barbara Lewis and Yvonne Chamberlain, Wilt’s sisters, and Oliver Chamberlain, his brother.  Chamberlain’s number had already been retired by the Philadelphia 76ers, where he was part of the 1967 NBA championship team, and the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was part of the 1972 title team. Chamberlain spent six years with the Warriors organization, averaging 41.5 points and 25.1 rebounds in 429 games.

Got a great blog post that you want featured on Hoops Links?  Send the link to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.  This week’s look around the blogosphere..

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Hoops Rumors Originals

December 29th, 2013 at 6:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s a look back at the original reporting and analysis produced by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..

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Week In Review: 12/23/13 – 12/29/13

December 29th, 2013 at 4:51pm CST by Zachary Links

The Cavs’ gamble on Andrew Bynum isn’t exactly paying off.  The big man started off the year by saying that he isn’t the same player that he used to be and it was evident in his output.  Lately, Bynum’s motivation has been called into question and the Cavs opted to suspend him indefinitely.  His suspension technically only held him out of Saturday’s game against the Celtics and he’ll continue to get paid, but he has been excused from all team activities until he’s released or traded.  Bynum reportedly wants to go to a contender and it seems possible that playing for a winner could restore his fire.  Here’s more from the week that was..

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Northwest Notes: Jazz, Garrett, Koufos, Jefferson

December 29th, 2013 at 4:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s look at the Northwest Division..

  • Jazz guards Diante Garrett and Ian Clark along with forward Mike Harris have January 10th -the date that non-guaranteed deals become guaranteed – circled on their calendars, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.  Of the three, Garrett has logged the most serious minutes, though they’ve been in shorter supply of late.
  • As he plies his craft with the Grizzlies, Kosta Koufos says he’s not thinking about what could have been with the Nuggets, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.  “It’s a business,” Koufos said. “I understand that. It’s a new chapter in my life. I was very fortunate to be a Denver Nugget at the time. I enjoyed my experience there. At the same time, move on with a new team, the Memphis Grizzlies, and I’m here 100 percent to try to help them win games.”  Koufos became the Nuggets’ starting center last year, averaging 8.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game.  He has similar averages for the Grizzlies this season: 7.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per contest.
  • Al Jefferson also moved on from the Northwest Division this year.  After anchoring the Jazz, Jefferson is now the veteran big man in Charlotte, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.
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Central Notes: Pistons, Copeland, Hill

December 29th, 2013 at 12:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

The failure of Cleveland’s Andrew Bynum experiment has dominated headlines this weekend across the NBA, but while the Cavs have their share of problems, so do most of their rivals in the Central Division. Only the Pacers, with a 24-5 record that’s tied for the league’s best, are any better than four games beneath .500. We’ll pass along a couple of takes on Bynum here amid a larger look at the Central:

  • The tension between Josh Smith and Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks that led to Smith’s benching for the second half last night is an ominous sign for the team, as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News examines.
  • Chris Copeland sought the counsel of his then-Knicks teammates as he contemplated his free agency last summer, and Jason Kidd was particularly helpful, Copeland tells Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. The Pacers forward is confident that Kidd, who’s struggling in his first year as coach of the Nets, has the leadership ability to do the job.
  • The Pacers have assigned Solomon Hill to the D-League, the team announced. Hill says via Twitter that he asked for the assignment (hat tip to Buckner). Coach Frank Vogel has said that the team didn’t have plans to send Hill down, but the rookie guard has been on the inactive list since Danny Granger returned from injury, Buckner notes (All Twitter links).
  • None of the moves the Cavaliers made this past offseason have worked out, including the Bynum signing, and that doesn’t bode well for the franchise after one of the most important summers in its history, opines Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding argues that Bynum’s free-spirited personality will keep him from once more overcoming his creaky knees and becoming the All-Star he once was, and Ding imparts some of the blame on coach Mike Brown.
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Andrew Bynum Rumors: Sunday Morning

December 29th, 2013 at 12:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

Cavs coaches and players grew angry during practice Friday as they watched a disinterested Andrew Bynum hurl wild shots at the basket, and that was apparently the tipping point that led the team to suspend him indefinitely, as Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer explains. The Cavs are seeking to trade Bynum as time ticks away toward January 7th, the last day Bynum can be waived before the $6MM partial guarantee on his contract turns into a full assurance of his $12.25MM salary. We rounded up yesterday’s Bynum rumors in a pair of posts, and we’ll keep track of at least the first several dispatches on the former All-Star center here:

  • Bynum was technically suspended only for yesterday’s game against the Celtics, and he’s now simply excused from all team activities, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com clarifies. The suspension cost Bynum his salary for one game, worth about $111K, and he’ll now be away from the team until the Cavs release him or trade him, neither of which may happen until July, according to Windhorst (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

  • Bynum has no desire to play on a non-guaranteed deal for the Cavs, since they’re rebuilding, and wants to wind up with a contender, a source tells Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
  • The Cavs organization had seen Bynum’s suspension as a possibility for a while, perhaps as early as the first week of the season, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
  • The Clippers and Heat are reportedly Bynum’s favored destinations, and those teams would indeed have mutual interest if Bynum were to become a free agent, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times confirms.
  • If the Heat were to add Bynum, it would put the team’s commitment to Greg Oden into question, suggests Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
  • Bynum’s attitude has worsened in recent weeks, and the Cavs decided they didn’t want that adding to off-the-court drama that’s included a players-only meeting and trade rumors surrounding Dion Waiters so far this season, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd’s piece analyzes the organization’s emphasis on locker room culture that dates back to its decision to amnesty Baron Davis in 2011.
  • Phil Jackson, Bynum’s former coach with the Lakers, took to Twitter to dispute the notion that Bynum has never been committed to the game. “I am reluctant to judge ABynum’s [basketball] intent. He is a man of many interests and has a life outside of [basketball], but he does like to compete,” Jackson wrote.
  • Most Hoops Rumors readers don’t think the Cavs will find a trade partner, and a plurality believe he’ll end up becoming a free agent and signing with a team other than the Clippers and the Heat. Bynum’s also rumored to be open to joining the Celtics.
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