Latest On Hedo Turkoglu
The Magic decided to waive Hedo Turkoglu today after failing to find a trade that would net them either a young player or a draft pick, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Robbins also confirms that the Magic couldn’t convince the 34-year-old to accept a buyout and reduce his salary. The Magic fielded calls from both the Lakers and the Hawks about Turkoglu, a source told USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, but neither was appetizing for the Magic. The deal with the Lakers would have resulted in more salary long term, and the Hawks proposal had no value, the source said.
Turkoglu is generating interest from several NBA teams, according to Can Pelister of Super Basket, a media outlet based in Turkoglu’s native Turkey (Twitter link). The small forward’s appeal apparently doesn’t carry over to the international market, since a Euroleague team has rejected Turkoglu’s entreaties, Pelister adds. It’s not clear how serious Turkoglu might be about joining a team overseas anyway, since a report earlier this week indicated that he’s intent on remaining in the NBA.
Turkoglu tweeted today that Orlando will always be his “second home,” and had plenty of kind words for the Magic and their fans, as Robbins conveys, so while a return to the Magic is out of the question, it seems he’s doing his best not to burn any NBA bridges. He’ll make $6MM from his partially guaranteed contract this season, but he’ll likely have to scrap for minimum-salary opportunities going forward if he is to find NBA work again.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Garrett, Jackson, McCollum
Jazz guard Diante Garrett is trying not to think about his non-guaranteed contract and the pending decision coming up on it, tweets Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). “I’ve just been … trying to play good so I can stay here,” said Garrett, who had ten points, four rebounds, and two dimes in last night’s contest against the Bucks. More out of the Western Conference..
- The Pelicans‘ recent release of veteran Lou Amundson is already adding early fuel to the fire that Idaho Stampede young gun Pierre Jackson may receive an NBA call-up by New Orleans in the near future, writes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
- C.J. McCollum‘s D-League stint will last for just a pair of games, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com notes via Twitter, and the lottery pick is expected to make his NBA debut on Tuesday for the Trail Blazers, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Sacramento City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to file an eminent domain lawsuit against the owners of a parcel of land where a new arena for the Kings is to be built, report Ryan Lillis and Tony Bizjak of The Sacramento Bee. It seems likely that a judge would rule in the city’s favor, allowing it to seize the land, if it came to that, as Lillis and Bizjak explain.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Nuggets Suspend Andre Miller
FRIDAY, 6:25pm: The Nuggets announced that they have rescinded Miller’s suspension. The veteran will return to the team on Monday, January 6th and will be excused from all team activities for personal reasons until then.
THURSDAY, 4:30pm: The Nuggets have suspended Andre Miller two games for conduct detrimental to the team, the club announced today in a press release. Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post, who first tweeted word of the suspension, noted in a story on last night’s game that Miller yelled at coach Brian Shaw about the disrespect he felt he was being shown by sitting.
Last night’s contest against the Sixers represented a low point for the Nuggets, who lost their eight straight game, and for Miller, who received the first DNP-CD of his long career. The veteran point guard has averaged just 19.0 minutes per game this season, by far his lowest mark since he entered the league in 1999.
While no reports yet have indicated that the Nuggets are shopping Miller, I have to imagine the team is at least weighing its options. Even before last night’s incident and the subsequent suspension, Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote that rival teams expected Denver to trade Miller before the deadline.
Miller was the subject of a handful of trade rumors in the offseason as well, as the Nuggets’ front office and coaching staff underwent some turnover. While Lowe suggested last month that the team still “adores” Miller, it’s fair to wonder based on his current role in Denver if he was valued higher by the old regime than the new group.
D-League Notes: Muhammad, N’Diaye, De Colo
Here’s today’s D-League assignments and recalls..
- The T’Wolves informed rookie Shabazz Muhammad that he’s being assigned to their D-League affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “He can play more minutes in those four or five games down there than he might play here all year,” team president Flip Saunders said. The 14th overall pick has played sparingly in just 11 of 32 games so far this season. Meanwhile, Saunders says he hasn’t considered asking Robbie Hummel and rookie center Gorgui Dieng to do the same because both have been part of coach Rick Adelman‘s rotation.
- The Kings announced that they have assigned center Hamady N’Diaye to the team’s D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns. The 7-foot Rutgers product is averaging 0.4 points (3-9 FG, 0-1 FT), 1.3 rebounds and 5.3 minutes per game in 14 appearances this season for the Kings. He will be in the Bighorns lineup tonight when Reno faces the Santa Cruz Warriors.
- The Spurs announced that they have assigned guard Nando De Colo and forward Malcolm Thomas to the Austin Toros of the D-League. This will mark De Colo’s fifth assignment to the Toros this season and Thomas’ fourth. In four games in Austin, De Colo has averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.25 steals in 38.8 minutes. In his four games with the Toros, Thomas has averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 3.25 blocks in 30.3 minutes.
- The Raptors announced that they have assigned guard Dwight Buycks to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Buycks will continue to be included on the Raptors’ roster and will be placed on the team’s inactive list. Buycks has appeared in 12 games for the Raptors this season recording a total of 41 points, 10 assists, 20 rebounds and six steals in 121 minutes. He posted a season-best ten points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals December 10th versus San Antonio.
- To keep up with all of this season’s D-League assignments and recalls, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
Contract Details: Wayns, Curry, Price
Here’s an update on a handful of contracts from around the league, courtesy of The Score’s Mark Deeks..
- The guarantee date on the contract of Clippers guard Maalik Wayns‘ was pushed back from December 1st after his injury, meaning that he’s still on a non-guaranteed deal. He’s unlikely to make the cut on Tuesday, January 7th when contracts become guaranteed.
- There’s a good chance Seth Curry will be waived by the Grizzlies before Tuesday as his deal is non-guaranteed. Terms of the guard’s contract were previously unknown.
- A.J. Price‘s deal with the Timberwolves still appears to be non-guaranteed, despite previous reports indicating that he would be locked in after December 8th. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities tweets that Price’s Player’s Association record seems to be at odds with the T-Wolves’ PR, which says Price remains non-guaranteed. In any case, the 27-year-old may survive decision day, as point guards are in hot demand around the league.
- The terms of Jeremy Tyler‘s deal with the Knicks (whether he is guaranteed or not) are still unknown.
Magic Waive Hedo Turkoglu
4:03pm: The Magic officially announced that Turkoglu has been waived.
12:30pm: The Magic will waive Hedo Turkoglu today at 4pm CT, according to John Denton of NBA.com (on Twitter). The move has been long expected for the veteran, who is on a $12MM contract that is only partially guaranteed for $6MM.
There was some speculation that Turkoglu could serve as a trade chip for the Magic, not unlike Andrew Bynum and the Cavs. However, unlike the Cavs, the Magic were mostly unwilling to take on salary in a trade and, of course, Turkoglu offers much less upside than Bynum.
According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, the 34-year-old badly wants to return to the NBA and prove himself once again. Back in the fall, the Wolves were said to have interest in Turkoglu if he was cut loose by Orlando. If the interest is still there and the former offensive standout wants to come aboard, Minnesota can cut Robbie Hummel loose to make room. Hummel’s contract doesn’t become guaranteed until January 10th (next Friday).
The small forward, who turns 35 in March, played in only eleven games last season because of injury and a 10-game suspension that stemmed from a positive test for methenolone. He’s spent seven and a half seasons with the Magic over two separate stints. Across 13 seasons with the Kings, Spurs, Magic, Raptors, and Suns, the native of Turkey owns averages of 11.9 PPG and 4.2 RPG with a 42.6% field goal percentage. He also boasts a career 38.1% rate of success from downtown and if he can find his stroke once again, he could find himself with multiple suitors in the New Year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Berger On Asik, Lakers, Clippers, Lowry
Word is the Rockets now expect to keep center Omer Asik past next month’s deadline and beyond, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Houston worked hard to find a deal last month but the market for the big man right now isn’t so great. “Teams that are tanking don’t want him to make them better and winning teams want to steal him,” one rival GM said. On top of that, the teams with room in 2015 can sign him anyway as a free agent on a more reasonable contract. More from Berger’s column..
- For now, the Lakers intend to keep Pau Gasol and ride it out with the current group. In fact, league sources say the Lakers even inquired on Raptors guard Kyle Lowry to help patch up at the one spot, though the talks didn’t go anywhere. Things could change, however, as the temptation to dump salary and avert a date with the dreaded repeater tax will remain given their current position
- Doc Rivers is realizing the Clippers‘ roster has more holes than he initially thought and league sources say he’s is looking for frontcourt help on the trade market. It would help matters if they still had Eric Bledsoe to dangle but he went in the three-team deal that yielded J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley.
- Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are also after frontcourt help in the form of an athletic rim protector.
- League sources say the pairing of Bledsoe and Goran Dragic in the Suns backcourt isn’t expected to be a long-term solution for the Suns. Execs believe Dragic will opt out of his contract following the 2014/15 season, putting pressure on GM Ryan McDonough to make a trade. Jazz standout Gordon Hayward has put his team in a similar spot as his price may prove too high for Utah when he hits restricted free agency this summer.
- The Cavaliers and Kings have been among the most aggressive teams in pursuit of trades, league sources say. On the heels of acquiring Rudy Gay from Toronto, the Kings are “swinging for the fences” on the trade market, one rival executive said. Sacramento wants to shore up the point guard position, but Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro‘s true long-term target is said to be Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson.
- In addition to the Lakers, Knicks, and Nets, the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Celtics are among the teams that have inquired about a deal with the Raptors for Lowry, league sources say. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is said to have multiple deals he could do for Lowry that would involve receiving an expiring contract in return or slotting him into another team’s trade exception. For Toronto take on future salary, they’d probably demand a first-round draft choice.
- The reception to the proposed “wheel system” to determine NBA draft placement has been mixed. Meanwhile, it has sparked other ideas, including a straight lottery with all 14 non-playoff teams getting an equal shot at the No. 1 pick.
Cavs Mulling Bynum Offers, Could Choose By Monday
The Cavaliers are mulling a few trade scenarios for Andrew Bynum, with a target of Monday to choose one, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Wojnarowski adds that it is unlikely that the Cavs will send out significant asset with Bynum in a deal.
The Cavs have been talking with the Lakers about a potential swap centered around Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, but those discussions have reportedly stalled. The Lakers don’t believe the Cavs have many other viable alternatives for Bynum, and feel as if they can afford to wait on a potential deal, but today’s report would indicate that there are multiple options for Cleveland to choose from.
Of course, Bynum’s market is largely in place because he can be waived on or before next Tuesday without a team having to pay his salary for the entire season, meaning that the club can cut him loose and save on its payroll and luxury tax bill. Luke Adams recently examined the big man as a trade candidate and noted that the Lakers and Bulls – two teams that have seen their title hopes vanish – aren’t the only clubs that could make sense for Bynum. The Celtics, Hawks, and Grizzlies are among the clubs that could be a fit, but they may also want a significant piece from the Cavs, which apparently isn’t in the cards.
Following Specific Players On Hoops Rumors
As we’ve outlined before, there are a number of different ways to follow Hoops Rumors via Facebook, Twitter, and RSS. If you don’t want to follow all the site’s updates, you can subscribe to team-specific or transaction-only Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds. Although we don’t have Facebook pages or Twitter feeds for specific players, you can also easily follow all our updates on your favorite player.
If, for instance, you want to keep track of all the latest news and rumors on Carmelo Anthony as he plays a potential contract year, you can visit this page. If you’re interested in keeping tabs on the latest trade rumors involving Andrew Bynum, you can find Bynum’s page right here.
Every player we’ve written about has his own rumors page. You can find your player of choice by using our search box (located in the right sidebar); by clicking his tag at the bottom of a post where he’s discussed; or, by simply typing his name in your address bar after hoopsrumors.com, substituting dashes for spaces. For example, Carmelo’s page is located at hoopsrumors.com/carmelo-anthony.
In addition to players and teams, there are a number of other subjects you can track by clicking on the tags we use at the bottom of posts. Items related to the NBA D-League, for instance, can be found on this rumors page. If you want to follow updates on the 2014 NBA draft, those are all available here.
Central Links: West, Pistons, Bucks
No Central teams are in action tonight, but that doesn’t mean none of them are in the news. Let’s round up a few Friday updates from out of the division….
- In a conversation with Grantland’s Zach Lowe, David West reveals that another team contacted him on the first day of free agency last summer before he re-signed with the Pacers, but West doesn’t identify which team made that call.
- Despite the team’s recent slump, David Mayo of MLive.com doesn’t think the Pistons will trade Greg Monroe anytime soon, since they’ve set up their cap so that they can afford to keep Monroe, Andre Drummond, and Josh Smith for at least a couple more seasons.
- The Bucks weren’t sure if Giannis Antetokounmpo would average more than three or four minutes a game this season, and yet the 15th overall pick from this past June is in Milwaukee’s starting lineup, observes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Jazz forward Marvin Williams has a fan in Bucks coach Larry Drew, who previously coached Williams in Atlanta. While Williams isn’t likely to be traded to Milwaukee, it sounds like Drew would love to coach the former No. 2 pick again, as he tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: “He’s my guy. I love that kid. He’s just a good basketball player, but he’s (also) a terrific kid…. He was one of my favorites while we were in Atlanta.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.