Atlantic Notes: Noel, Kidd, Knicks, Woodson
Today’s look at the Atlantic Division..
- Nerlens Noel is steadily progressing in his rehabilitation from a torn ACL, a source told Shams Charania of RealGM. The Kentucky product has added muscle and weighed in at 223 pounds late last week. However, there doesn’t’ appear to be any urgency to get Noel onto the court this season within the 76ers organization. It wouldn’t make sense to rush Noel back given the club’s current position and the upside that the big man has.
- Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record wonders if the Nets‘ victory over the Bucks was a product of coach Jason Kidd‘s message finally getting through or the Bucks just being a weaker opponent. Yesterday, it was reported that Kidd is losing the locker room as Brooklyn continues to struggle. If Kidd can’t right the ship, he might be ousted before the February All-Star break.
- Kidd’s not the only New York coach in trouble, of course. Mike Woodson needs to save the Knicks‘ season to save his job, writes Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News. Tyson Chandler points to team fatigue, but Knicks’ management might not give Woodson the benefit of the doubt.
Thaddeus Young Made “Soft” Trade Request
While Thaddeus Young has denied making a trade request to Sixers brass, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports hears that’s not exactly the case. The forward has made a “soft request” to get moved before the upcoming February trade deadline.
Young hasn’t really “pushed the button” for a trade demand, Spears says, which could explain the 25-year-old denying that he has asked out of Philadelphia. Young isn’t overly enthused about the Sixers’ rebuilding process and while he plans to play hard and be respectful, he would like to elsewhere and play for a winner. In Spears’ view, Young is as good as gone.
The 6’8″ forward is averaging a career high 16.8 PPG with 6.7 RPG in 33.1 minutes per contest. His PER of 17.2 is down slightly from his previous three seasons, but the former No. 12 overall pick is still a strong athlete and a capable scorer that most contenders would love to add.
Young might not be the only one on the move, of course. Evan Turner could also be moved before the trade deadline and while he seems like the type of player a young club would like to build around, the Philly front office might have different ideas for how they want to move forward.
Al Horford Suffers Torn Pectoral Muscle
10:14pm: In a text message to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link), Horford said he will “probably not” return for the postseason.
5:33pm: Al Horford has suffered a complete tear of his right pectoral muscle, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com first reported that the Hawks were concerned that Horford had torn his pectoral muscle.
While it’s not clear yet how long the veteran big man will be sidelined, Horford tore his left pectoral muscle early in January of 2012, and didn’t return to the court until the playoffs, nearly four months later. If we assume a similar recovery period this time around, it seems likely that the 27-year-old will miss most, if not all, of the regular season. For now, the Hawks have announced in a press release that Horford is out indefinitely.
In addition to being terrible news for Horford and the Hawks, the injury further diminishes the level of talent in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta is currently the only team besides the Pacers and Heat above .500 in the East, and looked like the top contender for the No. 3 seed. The Hawks should still have enough talent to earn a playoff spot, but Horford’s injury could affect the club’s plans as February’s trade deadline approaches.
The Hawks have 15 players under contract, but three (Mike Scott, Cartier Martin, and Shelvin Mack) are on non-guaranteed deals, and could be waived if the team wants to add another frontcourt player.
Odds & Ends: Thomas, Karasev, McGary
Isaiah Thomas’ continued improvement is likely why the Kings felt comfortable parting with Greivis Vasquez in their trade for Rudy Gay, Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling writes in an in-depth look at the Sacramento point guard. Zwerling also spoke to a source who said there have been no contract talks yet between Thomas and the Kings, but he believes the 24-year-old could land a starting salary of $5MM+. The lack of contract discussions is no surprise at this point, since Thomas isn’t eligible for an extension.
Here’s more from around the NBA:
- The Cavaliers have assigned Sergey Karasev to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. It’s the second time Karasev has been sent to the Canton Charge this season, though his first assignment lasted just one day.
- Michigan prospect Mitch McGary will have back surgery, which figures to end his season, as ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman details. McGary’s decision to return to school for his sophomore year surprised some, and looks like it may backfire. One NBA GM tells Goodman that McGary will be a “borderline first-rounder” in 2014, whereas he would’ve been a lock in 2013, and a couple more of Goodman’s NBA sources echoed that sentiment (Twitter link).
- In his NBA PM piece for HoopsWorld, Yannis Koutroupis explores whether the Thunder and Knicks ought to make a move or stand pat.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Williams, Brown
Knicks owner James Dolan told his team Thursday that no drastic moves are in the offing, but management apparently didn’t get the message, since the front office is reportedly still involved in trade talks and planning for a potential coaching change. Regardless of whether the Knicks pull off any moves, they seem destined to continue to make headlines all season long. There’s more news on another team that could be active at the trade deadline as we check the latest from the Atlantic Division:
- None of the Raptors appear to be off-limits for a trade, and Kyle Lowry might be the most likely to go. Still, he says he and his teammates aren’t letting the talk get to them, notes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Lowry tells Wolstat that he was flattered to hear Knicks fans in New York chanting his name on Christmas Day, but he remains committed to the Raptors.
- Terrence Williams is headed to the D-League, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. Williams left his Turkish team last month to deal with a family matter. Williams has bounced around since the Nets made him the 11th overall pick in 2009 and spent part of last season with the Celtics.
- Williams also has experience playing in China, where Bobby Brown scored 74 points in his last outing for the Dongguan Leopards. Brown, who saw summer league action with the Raptors this year, seems destined to return to the NBA later this season when his Chinese deal is up, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Earlier tonight, we passed along a report that suggested head coach Jason Kidd may be losing support from the Nets.
Nets’ Patience With Jason Kidd Running Low?
Patience is running low within the Nets organization on the belief that Jason Kidd can deliver the structure and organization the team needs, writes Adrian Wojnarowski in his latest piece for Yahoo! Sports. According to Wojnarowski, Kidd has “increasingly isolated himself within the locker room and organization” and hasn’t exhibited the ability to handle crises and keep his players’ respect.
While it doesn’t appear Kidd’s job is in imminent danger, he won’t survive until the All-Star break if he doesn’t restore order to the Nets, according to Wojnarowski, who says that players have told Kidd they don’t understand their roles on the team. The Yahoo! scribe also suggests that the removal of Lawrence Frank from his role as Kidd’s top assistant was the result of the first-time head coach wanting to surround himself with “yes men.” The club’s other assistant coaches pleaded with Kidd not to demote Frank, writes Wojnarowski.
The Nets are heavily invested in Kidd, and would certainly rather see him turn things around than have to consider replacing him, but the club is off to a 9-19 start, and the 40-year-old seems to be losing the locker room, according to Wojnarowski.
In a series of tweets, Grantland’s Bill Simmons says players like Deron Williams, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett should shoulder some of the blame for the Nets’ struggles (Twitter links). However, he adds that he keeps hearing that Kidd isn’t working hard, which is a sticking point for the Nets’ veteran players (link). Simmons also says Pierce could soon ask for a trade or buyout, and that Brooklyn would likely replace GM Billy King before firing Kidd (Twitter links). It’s not clear whether all that info is coming directly from sources, but if Simmons is simply speculating, we can assume it’s at least informed speculation.
Several Teams Interested In Luol Deng
6:06pm: Sam clarifies in a pair of tweets that the teams mentioned in his story are more interested in Deng as a free agent than a trade target, since they wouldn’t want to give up assets to rent him for a half-season.
4:59pm: The Cavaliers, Mavericks, Lakers, Raptors, Spurs, Grizzlies and Nets are among the teams interested in Luol Deng, sources tell Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com. It’s not clear whether those teams are looking to trade for Deng this season or sign him in the summer, when he’ll be a free agent. The Bulls, while reportedly determined not to trade Deng, would apparently do so if they receive the right offer, and according to Sam, such an offer would involve a productive young player and a first-round pick.
Deng and the Bulls had extension talks this summer, but agent Ron Shade, who represents Deng along with Herb Rudoy, tells Sam that the Bulls never even made an extension offer to his client and says that many were “shocked” that Chicago wouldn’t do so.
“Honestly, I wanted something to be done,” Deng said. “I wanted to be here. I really felt we were going to. I don’t know how the money works. I don’t know what needed to be done. I really don’t know any of that stuff. But after the spinal tap, I went away and everything, I think I was waiting to hear from the Bulls. I was waiting to hear from [GM] Gar [Forman], and I really thought there would be weeks, maybe months of going back and forth, and trying to get it done. I felt like I’ve been here since I was 18. I’ve worked hard. They’ve seen me come in and do everything. But for whatever reason, Gar felt like it wasn’t the time yet.”
Still, Deng insists Forman “didn’t do anything wrong,” and remains open to staying with the team. The Bulls could have plenty of competition if they don’t deal him, Sam writes, believing that Deng could become the most sought-after free agent of the summer if marquee stars like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony decide not to opt out of their deals.
Westbrook Injury Could Prompt Roster Move
Thunder GM Sam Presti told Hoops Rumors and other reporters on a conference call today that he and his staff haven’t had an opportunity to discuss potential roster moves in the wake of an injury that will keep Russell Westbrook out until after the All-Star break. Still, Presti left the door open to the notion that he’ll fill the Thunder’s vacant roster spot now that the team has announced that Westbrook has undergone arthroscopic injury on the same knee that knocked him out of the playoffs last year.
“We never rule anything out,” he said. “We always look for ways to improve.”
Oklahoma City has 27 games left before the All-Star break, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out via Twitter, meaning Westbrook will miss a significant chunk of the season. Westbrook won’t necessarily return for the first game after the All-Star break, as Presti noted, and the GM adds that the injury is one that will require management for an indefinite time even after Westbrook makes it back to game action.
The Thunder are less than $1.5MM shy of the luxury tax line, but they can create additional flexibility if they let go of Ryan Gomes or Hasheem Thabeet, neither of whom have fully guaranteed contracts. The leaguewide guarantee date is January 10th, so Oklahoma City would have to make its decisions on Gomes and Thabeet by January 7th in order for them to clear waivers in time. Teams will be able to sign players to 10-day contracts starting January 6th, so perhaps Presti will go that route.
No move is imminent, and Presti said the team has a lot of confidence in Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb, both of whom have taken on significantly larger roles already this season. Still, Lamb doesn’t play point guard, and it’s unclear if the team expects him to take on more ball-handling duties in Westbrook’s absence. Derek Fisher, at age 39, is the only true point guard the team has aside from Jackson and Westbrook.
Upcoming Contract Guarantee Decisions
Less than two weeks remain before teams have to make decisions about whether to pick up the full-season salaries for players on non-guaranteed contracts. The leaguewide guarantee date is January 10th, but those players would have to be released no later than January 7th to clear waivers in time. That leaves four dozen players in jeopardy of losing their jobs, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com points out.
Of course, not every player on a non-guaranteed deal is at risk. Stein identifies a few as slam-dunks to keep their roster spots, and a handful of others he didn’t mention seem unlikely to hit the waiver wire. The Lakers aren’t letting go of rotation pieces like Xavier Henry and Shawne Williams, and the Bobcats, without Jeff Taylor for the season, probably intend to keep newly signed Chris Douglas-Roberts. By contrast, the Magic are almost certain to part ways with Hedo Turkoglu, who hasn’t played a minute this season after the team told him before training camp to stay home. He could have his full $12MM salary guaranteed if the Magic find a trade partner, but that possibility is looking slimmer by the day.
There are some players, like Kendall Marshall and James Johnson, who’ve been signed too recently to accurately gauge whether their teams intend to keep them for long. We won’t include those guys here, but everyone else on a non-guaranteed contract who hasn’t been seeing much playing time and doesn’t fill an obvious need is below. I’ve ranked them in descending order of minutes per game, with a comment assessing their chances of staying in their jobs.
- Andrew Bynum, Cavaliers (20.0 MPG): Stein figures there’s no chance the Cavs will let him go, and the only reason he’s on my list is because the Cavs would have to lay out an extra $6.25MM for the big man if he stays on the roster past the guarantee date. He’s shown glimpses of his former All-Star form, but as his 0-for-11 performance against the Pistons this week demonstrates, he hasn’t necessarily played like someone worth his full $12.25MM salary.
- Cartier Martin, Hawks (18.2 MPG): The 29-year-old started and played 31 minutes on the last night of November, but he’s only seen 46 minutes of action spread over five appearances since then, in part because of a sprained ankle he suffered in practice.
- Matthew Dellavedova, Cavaliers (15.6 MPG): His playing time has bounced up and down since three starts last month when the team was shorthanded, but his 44.1% three-point shooting is one reason he’s probably safe.
- Diante Garrett, Jazz (14.2 MPG): His minutes have been inconsistent, but the Jazz may be inclined to give the 25-year-old an extended look in a player development year.
- Mike Scott, Hawks (13.4 MPG): He’s had more appearances of less than 10 minutes than he has games in which he’s played more than 20. Still, he put up a 16.3 PER last year and he isn’t far off with a 16.0 PER this time around, so he’s been efficient when on the floor.
- Jeff Adrien, Bobcats (12.6 MPG): The power forward’s minutes have fluctuated all season, and he hasn’t played in two weeks. Still, he’s been efficient in his limited time, posting a better-than-average 16.2 PER.
- Robbie Hummel, Timberwolves (12.2 MPG): Shorthanded Minnesota gave him his first career start on December 16th, but Hummel followed it up with a pair of DNPs. His minutes have been up and down all season, so it’s hard to gauge how the team feels about him.
- Brandon Davies, 76ers (12.0 MPG) His minutes have been inconsistent, and a 35.9% field goal percentage and his 5.9 PER don’t bode well for his chances of sticking around.
- Mike Harris, Jazz (11.3 MPG): The 30-year-old journeyman saw regular playing time at the start of the season, but that’s dropped off since, and there doesn’t appear to be a compelling reason for him to stick.
- Roger Mason Jr., Heat (11.9 MPG): His appearances have ranged from a season-high of 23 on December 8th to a season-low two in his next outing. There was talk over the summer of the Heat carrying only 13 players in the regular season, and while that hasn’t come true so far, there’s no strong indication that Mason will remain the team’s 15th man.
- Lorenzo Brown, 76ers (10.9 MPG): Like teammate Elliot Williams, he saw his longest periods of action in a pair of mid-month blowouts, but he hasn’t played since, and the Sixers assigned him to the D-League on Thursday.
- Daniel Orton, 76ers (10.9 MPG): He started four games in late November, but he hasn’t seen as many as 10 minutes in a single contest since.
- Elliot Williams, 76ers (10.8 MPG): It’s been three weeks since he played more than 10 minutes in a game decided by a margin of fewer than 10 points. Still, the Sixers have to keep at least 13 guys, so unless they want to bring in free agents or 10-day signees, they’ll have to keep at least two of Williams, Orton, Brown and Davies.
- Lou Amundson, Pelicans (10.5 MPG): Three of his four longest outings came in the 10 days leading up to the return of Anthony Davis, but Amundson has only played five minutes since.
- Josh Harrellson, Pistons (9.2 MPG): “Jorts” helped the Pistons last week with his two longest stretches of playing time all season, but he’s disappeared from the rotation again this week.
- Ian Clark, Jazz (8.8 MPG): The summer league star has yet to reproduce the magic with Utah, appearing for just 70 minutes so far this season, and he’s put up pedestrian numbers in three D-League games.
- Greg Smith, Rockets (8.4 MPG): A sprained knee has limited him to just eight games so far this season, though with uncertainty surrounding the power forward position in Houston and the future of Omer Asik, there doesn’t seem to be much motivation to drop Smith.
- Solomon Jones, Magic (8.2 MPG): The 29-year-old hasn’t played since December 6th and is seemingly only around in case too many big men go down. The Magic, with little to play for this season, probably don’t need to spend a full season’s salary on such a player.
- Hasheem Thabeet, Thunder (8.0 MPG): His $500K partial guarantee covers his salary right up until the day Oklahoma City would have to waive him to avoid paying him his full $1.2MM salary. With rookie Steven Adams having beaten him out for the backup center job, Thabeet may not be long for OKC.
- Julyan Stone, Raptors (7.3 MPG): If GM Masai Ujiri was going to let go of Stone, who’s played for Ujiri in Denver as well as Toronto, he’d probably have done so earlier this month when he waived D.J. Augustin instead.
- Ryan Gomes, Thunder (7.0 MPG): The veteran swingman has only appeared in four games this season, making him tantamount to an insurance policy Oklahoma City hasn’t needed to exercise. The Thunder are less than $1.5MM away from luxury tax territory, so not having to pay Gomes for the entire season could give the team more breathing room.
- Ryan Kelly, Lakers (7.0 MPG): Mike D’Antoni hadn’t found much use for this year’s 48th overall pick all season until Christmas Day, when his 17 minutes nearly doubled his previous high. He appears to have played his way into the rotation for now, and given the Lakers’ investment of a draft pick, it seems he’ll stick around.
- Dionte Christmas, Suns (6.9 MPG): The 27-year-old rookie is a favorite of GM Ryan McDonough, but he hasn’t played as many as 10 minutes in a game in more than a month.
- Rasual Butler, Pacers (6.5 MPG): The 34-year-old entered the rotation this week for the first time all season, but Friday he saw just six minutes in Danny Granger’s return from injury. If Granger can prove himself fully healthy in the next couple of weeks, the cost-conscious Pacers might unload Butler.
- Kent Bazemore, Warriors (6.3 MPG): The second-year shooting guard hasn’t grabbed a rotation spot even with other Golden State wings missing time with injury, though I’d be surprised if the Warriors gave up on the 24-year-old so soon, especially if they feel he’d be attractive to other teams in a trade.
- Peyton Siva, Pistons (5.8 MPG): His $150K partial guarantee became irrelevant a week ago, and if Detroit opts to keep this year’s 56th overall pick, it will represent an investment in the future rather than the present, given his almost non-existent playing time. The Pistons sent him to the D-League on Thursday.
- Toure’ Murry, Knicks (5.7 MPG): The Knicks wanted to keep some younger players coming out of camp, but they haven’t given Murry much chance to show what he can do in the regular season.
- Hamady N’Diaye, Kings (5.3 MPG): Apart from a 25-minute appearance in November, he hasn’t recorded double-digit minutes in any game. The 26-year-old probably doesn’t have much upside, and with DeMarcus Cousins locked up long-term, there’s little call for journeyman centers in Sacramento.
- Henry Sims, Cavaliers (5.3 MPG): The 6’10” center has played more minutes in the D-League than he has in the NBA this year, even though he’s only appeared in three D-League games.
- Ronnie Brewer, Rockets (4.8 MPG): The seven-year NBA veteran was a part of a vaunted Bulls bench that helped the club to back-to-back top playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference in recent years, and he started 34 games for the Knicks last season. He’s curiously become an afterthought following a midseason trade to the Thunder a year ago, and he’s seen the fewest minutes of his career this season with the Rockets.
- Cole Aldrich, Knicks (3.5 MPG): He, like Murry, is part of the team’s commitment to young players, but the Knicks didn’t find much use for him with Tyson Chandler out, and he may be the one to go if the team signs Jeremy Tyler.
- Erik Murphy, Bulls (2.4 MPG): He’s seen just 36 total minutes all season, and the Bulls might want to reduce their luxury tax bill now that they don’t have realistic title hopes. Still, I’d be surprised if they gave up so soon on this year’s second-round pick, especially since more than half of his rookie minimum salary is guaranteed.
- Malcolm Thomas, Spurs (0.0 MPG): The power forward has yet to make his debut in San Antonio after the Spurs signed him December 3rd, but he’s already been on a pair of D-League assignments. Thomas seems like a long shot to remain on the roster unless the Spurs value him as a long-term asset.
No Trades Or Coaching Changes for Knicks?
1:35pm: The Knicks front office remains in active pursuit of trades and is making contingency plans in the event Woodson is fired, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Isola figures Dolan felt compelled to meet with the team to quell internal speculation about potential changes ahead. In any case, the future of the Knicks appears to remain shrouded in mystery.
11:15am: Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that Knicks chairman James Dolan told players yesterday morning that there will be no trades or changes in the coaching staff. Stein says the meeting was held by Dolan to convince the players to come together behind head coach Mike Woodson and his plan to “win [the Atlantic Division]”.
The Knicks have started the season 9-19 which has created many rumors that Woodson would be the first NBA coach fired this season and be without a job as early as this weekend. They have also been included in many trade rumors including a trade for Toronto’s Kyle Lowry, and a trade for Boston’s Rajon Rondo. Knicks players considered to be trade candidates so far this season included Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, and Metta World Peace.
Time, and the Knicks’ place in the standings, will tell whether Dolan sticks with this plan. The trade deadline which would force the Knicks to stick to this plan is Thursday, February 20th.