Poll: Will Rajon Rondo Be Traded To The Knicks?
Earlier today, Hoops Rumors revealed that the Knicks were interested in acquiring Rajon Rondo from the Celtics. Rondo isn’t a free agent until the end of the 2014/15 season, so the veteran guard would probably need to request a trade to New York in order for the Knicks’ alleged wish to come true.
Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com opines that there are a few problems with the Knicks’ thinking and suggests a theoretical blockbuster trade that would pair up Rondo with Carmelo Anthony in New York is highly unlikely. Forsberg notes that Celtics GM Danny Ainge wants to see how the current team fares with Rondo at the point when the injured guard makes his return, which is reportedly going to be some time in January or February. The little amount of space between then and the trade deadline won’t give Ainge enough time to determine the direction he wants to move with the team. If Ainge does decide he’s interested in trading Rondo, the Knicks probably wouldn’t be able to come up with as good of a package as other interested clubs could.
It might seem more realistic that Rondo would sign with the Knicks in free agency, but it’s worth observing that the Knicks have been in a similar situation before, successfully getting the player they wanted during the 2010/2011 season when they acquired Anthony from the Nuggets. Regardless of how flat the team is currently performing, there will inevitably be players who are intrigued by the notion of playing in New York City. Only time will tell if Rondo perceives the Knicks’ interest as real and decides he wants to request a trade.
Vote in the poll to let us know what you think!
Bulls Send Marquis Teague To D-League
The Bulls announced this morning via press release that Marquis Teague has been assigned to the D-League’s Iowa Energy. Teague has seen limited minutes for Chicago this season and figures to get more playing time as a member of the Energy. This is Teague’s second D-League assignment this season. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that efforts to trade the 20-year-old Kentucky product have yielded little interest from around the league. However, Nick Friedell from ESPNChicago.com notes that Bulls GM Gar Forman spoke on ESPN Chicago 1000’s “Waddle & Silvy Show” and revealed he hasn’t lost faith in Teague:
“He’s 20 now. And I think we’ve seen potential; he’s a talented kid, he had a really good summer… And our thought was let’s get him to our D-League affiliate and give him some time on the floor. But in our minds, it’s not a long-term thing. And it’s something we may do several times throughout the season.”
Meanwhile, Bob Cooney from the Daily News tweets that a source tells him the 76ers have plans to assign Lorenzo Brown to the Delaware 87ers of the D-League. Brown hasn’t been seeing much playing time in Philadelphia, and with Michael Carter-Williams returning from his injury, there’s not much of a spot for him in the 76ers’ rotation. Brown, a product of North Carolina State, was selected 52nd overall by the Timberwolves last June but was waived and eventually signed on with in Philly during the season.
Grizzlies Seeking Wing Upgrade Via Trade
The Grizzlies are actively seeking trades that would add athleticism on the wing and improve the team in the short term, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger also hears from sources who expect Zach Randolph to turn down his more than $16.9MM player option for next season in search of a long-term deal this summer.
Memphis, just 12-15, has lost starting wings Tony Allen and Tayshaun Prince to injuries for stretches this season, while backup wing Quincy Pondexter is out for the year with a broken foot. A report earlier this week indicated the team is looking to shake up its roster and offered Jerryd Bayless to the Lakers for a package that would have included Jodie Meeks.
Berger indicates that Memphis wants to see how far its core of Allen, Randolph, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley can take it for now and build around Gasol and Conley for the future. The Grizzlies would be in the mix to retain Randolph if he opts out, according to Berger. The team doesn’t want to lose Randolph without compensation, but unless he tells Grizzlies management that he intends to leave, it doesn’t appear there’s a pressing need to trade him this season, Berger writes.
The Grizzlies have several trade exceptions at their disposal, the largest of which is worth a little more than $2MM. Memphis is about $3.5MM clear of luxury tax territory, so there should be enough flexibility for the team to strengthen its bench, if nothing else.
Draft Notes: LaVine, Parker, Eligibility
Christmas was yesterday for most, but for NBA draft enthusiasts, it’s six months and one day away. June 27th is the date for this year’s selection meeting, and with so much attention focused on the 2014 draft class, we’ll be hearing plenty about it between now and then. Here’s the latest:
- Athleticism, size, scoring touch and an ability to play both guard spots have made Zach LaVine the fastest riser among this year’s draft class, as Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv examines. The UCLA freshman is No. 39 among the DraftExpress top 100 prospects, but he’s No. 10 on the ESPN Insider draft board and No. 6 at NBADraft.net. Still, LaVine’s production has slipped in his latest performances, as ESPN’s Joe Kaiser points out in an Insider piece.
- HoopsWorld’s Steve Kyler unveils his latest mock, with Jabari Parker at the top. LaVine checks in at No. 28.
- Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe joins those calling for a rules change that would bar college freshmen like Parker and LaVine from entering the draft. Washburn points to the career of Lakers forward Shawne Williams, the first true freshman taken under the “one-and-done” rule, as an example of what can go wrong.
Atlantic Rumors: Zarren, Udrih, Woodson
The Atlantic Division is dreadful this year, and while that may be a matter of happenstance, it could lead to an unbalanced playoff bracket, as SB Nation’s Tom Ziller examines. The Atlantic-leading Raptors have a record that’s worse than the Pistons, but Toronto would draw the Bobcats in the first round while Detroit would have to face the Heat if the postseason began today. Of course, there’s plenty of season left, so while we wait to see if such disorder comes to fruition, here’s the latest from the NBA’s worst division:
- The “wheel” proposal for assigning NBA draft picks is the brainchild of Celtics assistant GM Mike Zarren, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald points out. GM Danny Ainge supports the idea as well, though Hoops Rumors readers aren’t quite as receptive.
- Beno Udrih has been the subject of public criticism from Mike Woodson of late, and while the point guard isn’t calling his coach out by name, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com thinks it’s clear that Udrih is frustrated with Woodson. “I’ve always been pretty good with not turning over the ball and this year it’s totally different. I don’t know what happened [last] summer. I don’t think I forgot [how] to play basketball. So there’s a lot of factors,” Udrih said. “You can point fingers at me as much as you can but if things don’t work it’s not one person’s fault … It’s a team sport.”
- Former Nets, Knicks and Celtics guard Stephon Marbury recently signed a long-term deal to remain in China with the Beijing Ducks, and tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that there’s no chance he’ll play in the NBA again. The 36-year-old Marbury, who hasn’t appeared in the Association since the 2008/09 season, made similar comments about his future this past June.
- We passed along news on the Knicks‘ interest in Rajon Rondo earlier this morning.
Carlos Morais To Play In Angola
Raptors training camp invitee Carlos Morais will play for Recreativo Libolo in his native Angola, agent Adão Costa tells Angola’s Radio 5, according to Desporto (translation via Sportando). The deal is for two years, Costa said, though it’s not clear whether it includes an NBA out.
The 6’3″ guard appeared in three preseason games for Toronto and scored six points in a total of 21 minutes before the Raptors cut him prior to the start of the regular season. NBA teams passed him over when he was eligible for the draft in 2007, and Morais had never played in an NBA summer league, so it was surprising to see the Raptors bring him to camp. He led Angola to the gold medal in the FIBA Africa Championship this past summer.
It may not have worked out with Morais this fall, but his presence on the Raptors camp roster could signal a willingness on the part of Nigerian-born GM Masai Ujiri to tap the African market for talent. Morais played for Petroleos in Angola last season, as our International Player Movement Tracker shows.
Knicks Want To Trade For Rajon Rondo
Knicks management is confident it can attract the stars necessary to pull the team out of its malaise, and its first target will be Rajon Rondo, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The Knicks hope Rondo will become discontent with the Celtics and attempt to force them to trade him to New York sometime between now and 2015, when his contract ends. If they come up short on trading for Rondo, the Knicks think they’ll sign him in free agency or land one or two of the following potential 2015 free agents: LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, Roy Hibbert, Kevin Love and Tony Parker.
The notion of Rondo joining the Knicks isn’t new, since the point guard’s high school coach claimed earlier this month that fellow former pupil Carmelo Anthony has been trying to recruit Rondo. Anthony pointed out that any such talk could constitute tampering, and both he and Rondo denied that they were discussing the idea of teaming up. It’s not clear how the Knicks could sell Rondo on the notion of pushing for a trade to New York, as Anthony did in 2011, without violating tampering rules. Still, much of the Knicks’ confidence in their future comes from the built-in lure of star-making capital New York, Windhorst writes.
Anthony could leave in free agency himself this summer, and there’s talk that the Knicks may attempt to trade him by the upcoming February 20th deadline if they don’t feel as though they can retain him. Windhorst seems to suggest there’s little chance of that happening, given how certain the Knicks seem about the road ahead. An executive from another team says the Knicks expect to re-sign Anthony and have another star player with him in a year’s time, adding that, “They’re so sure about it you’d think they already know what will happen.”
The same attitude explains why Mike Woodson is still coaching the team, according to Windhorst. The Knicks don’t feel there’s an adequate replacement available during the season, but plenty of intriguing candidates may exist in the summer, Windhorst writes. Having traded their potential lottery pick for 2014, the Knicks may be better off trying to make the playoffs this year with Woodson as coach, the ESPN scribe opines.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Udrih, Trade Candidates, Wizards
According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com, 87.5% of the teams at the top of their division on Christmas Day in the past four years have ended the season still in first place. These odds of making the playoffs shouldn’t come as a surprise to the fans of the Heat, Pacers, Spurs, Thunder, or Clippers but may be odds Trail Blazer or Raptor fans want to hold onto.
A few notes in the Eastern Conference regarding teams that don’t have very good playoff odds.
- It was no Christmas surprise that the Knicks are quickly unraveling this season. Following a double digit blowout to the Thunder, Brian Windhorst of ESPN compared the Knicks continuous offseason mistakes to those of the Thunder’s offseason successes. The Knicks address their transactions with a “think big” mentality which has caused them to whiff big by chasing, and missing, expensive free agents. On the contrary, the Thunder have thought small and invested in young talent through the draft. Windhorst claims the Knicks aren’t planning to stop this cycle anytime soon either as they are now looking at expensive names in their near future such as Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Roy Hibbert, Marc Gasol, Tony Parker or re-signing Carmelo Anthony,
- Speaking of Knicks unraveling, what sold Beno Udrih on signing as a free agent with the Knicks was the opportunity to play in a two point guard lineup with Raymond Felton. Udrih told The Wall Street Journal’s Chris Herring (Twitter link) this selling point has yet to come to fruition with the Knicks even when Felton was healthy.
- Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.com looked forward to the six NBA players who are most likely to move teams in 2014. The list includes Omer Asik, Kyle Lowry, Jimmer Fredette, Dion Waiters, Iman Shumpert and an assortment of Sixers players.
- Emir Preldzic, whose NBA rights are held by the Wizards, has extended his contract with Turkey’s Fenerbache Ulker through the 2016/17 season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
Western Notes: Lakers, Young, Ellis
Since the NBA’s inception, only one trade and four other NBA transactions have occurred on Christmas Day. Thus, a slower evening of transaction news can be expected. However, a few notes in the Western Conference.
- Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News explains how the Lakers‘ commitment to re-signing Kobe Bryant and having max flexibility in next summer’s free agent market has allowed for the breakout performances of players such as Xavier Henry, Wesley Johnson, and Nick Young. Medina also speculates what big free agent(s) the Lakers may pursue next summer as well as how they adjust to life beyond Kobe.
- Speaking of breakouts, Nick Young is hoping this season’s performance with the Lakers will provide his future with more financial stability like his former teammate John Wall was given this offseason. Young has played for 4 teams in the 3 years since he signed the Wizards’ qualifying offer on his rookie deal but hopes a team will provide him more security in the near future. He is currently playing for the veteran minimum and has a player option at the end of this season. Young told Michael Lee of The Washington Post that although this is not the security he hoped for, he is embracing playing for his hometown team and learning from one of basketball’s greatest – Kobe Bryant.
- Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram claims the jury is still out on the Mavericks three-year, $25MM free agent Monta Ellis but that early returns are encouraging. The NBA’s most improved player in 2007 signed with the Mavericks this past summer. Ellis is averaging 20.6 PPG and 5.9 APG this season.
Proposal For New Arena And NBA Team In Las Vegas
Former NBA player Jackie Robinson proposed a plan earlier this week for a $1.3 billion new arena on the Las Vegas Strip, according to The Associated Press.
The proposed arena would seat 22,000, which is 76 seats shy of the largest NBA arena, The Palace of Auburn Hills. Robinson is hoping the arena will be completed by 2016 and claims the entire project will be privately funded.
Along with his hopes for completion, Robinson hopes his NBA experience and relationship with his old general manager and current NBA head of basketball operations, Kiki Vandeweghe, will attract an NBA team to this proposed arena. David Stern has previously hinted that Seattle and Las Vegas could be the next cities to be considered for NBA expansion teams.
Neil deMause of Field of Schemes points out that this exact location was the same site another group of investors unsuccessfully proposed an NBA and MLS stadium on back in 2011. While Clark County claims they have not received any submissions for land use approval, the arena is scheduled to break ground in the spring of 2014.