Sixers To Audition Scott Suggs, Johnson-Odom
2:32pm: Sixers coach Brett Brown is “thrilled” with Varnado and would like to keep him around, notes Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com, suggesting that it’s no certainty that anyone set to work out for the team will receive a contract. Brown has had a say in each of the moves the team has made since the start of the season, according to Lynam.
8:08am: The Sixers will bring in Scott Suggs and Darius Johnson-Odom on Tuesday to audition for the team, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. They also have workouts lined up for James Nunnally and Kevin Murphy, as we passed along Sunday night. Philadelphia has 14 guaranteed contracts and Jarvis Varnado on a 10-day deal, so their pursuit of another signee indicates that Varnado’s time in Philadelphia will be short. His deal expires at the end of the day today.
Suggs is a 6’6″ shooting guard who went undrafted out of Washington this past June. He’s been playing for the D-League affiliate of the Knicks, averaging 17.6 points and 41.4% three-point shooting in 36.0 minutes per game. He saw summer league action with the Bucks, but the 24-year-old wasn’t in camp with any NBA team. Johnson-Odom is a more familiar name, having seen four games of NBA action with the Lakers last season. He joined the Lakers again for camp in the fall and split the season between China and the Nets D-League affiliate. Jorge Gutierrez recently edged out Johnson-Odom for a 10-day contract with Brooklyn.
Sixers coach Brett Brown suggested late last month that the team would be cycling through several players at the end of the season, and it appears they’re indeed planning on giving at least a handful of guys a look. Varnado has scored 2.5 points and 3.8 rebounds on 12.5 minutes per game in his time with Philadelphia. If no one impresses during the workouts, it seems reasonable to think that the team would consider signing Varnado to a second 10-day contract.
Eastern Rumors: Knicks, Gortat, Pacers, Rondo
Carmelo Anthony‘s camp leaked the information about Joakim Noah‘s All-Star break recruiting pitch, and the Knicks have been open about their pursuit of Phil Jackson, observes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Deveney concludes the whispers from both sides are intended as posturing for ‘Melo’s free agency decision this summer. While we wait to see how the latest ‘Melo-drama will play out, here’s the latest from the rest of the Eastern Conference:
- Marcin Gortat says the strength of a team’s point guard and its coaching staff will be two qualities he’ll consider when he assesses suitors in free agency this summer, as he tells Kyle Weidie of ESPN.com. Gortat is high on re-signing with the Wizards, though his comments suggest he isn’t interested in signing an extension, reportedly one of Washington’s goals.
- The Pacers were concerned that Danny Granger had slacked off on the daily rehab regimen that was to help him regain his form after he missed almost all of last season with injuries, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. That helped precipitate the deadline deal that brought Evan Turner and Lavoy Allen to Indiana, but Kyler wonders if the departure of the longtime Pacer did irreparable damage to the team’s chemistry.
- Danny Ainge embraces Rajon Rondo, stubbornness and all, as the Celtics president of basketball operations tells Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe for a piece that examines Rondo’s nuanced personality.
D-League To Expand, Knicks To Own New Team
The Knicks officially announced today that they’re going to own a D-League team in White Plains, New York starting next season. The expansion squad will be the D-League’s 18th franchise. The Knicks on Friday confirmed a report from late last month that they were ending their relationship with the Erie BayHawks and planning to set up a team in Westchester County, where White Plains is located.
The Magic may replace the Knicks in Erie, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel suggests, noting that the Magic are seeking a one-to-one affiliation in which they would run the basketball operations of a D-League club but leave the business side to local ownership (Twitter links). Orlando is sharing the Fort Wayne Mad Ants with five other NBA teams this year.
The Knicks become the seventh NBA team to own a D-League affiliate outright, while several others have the sort of “hybrid” partnerships the Magic want to arrange for next season. The Timberwolves are investigating the possibility of buying a D-League team, too, notes Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link).
Knicks assistant GM Allan Houston will serve as the White Plains D-League club’s GM, so it appears he’ll remain with the organization regardless of whether Phil Jackson joins the Knicks as an executive.
The new affiliate of the Knicks will play at the Westchester County Center, about 30 miles north of New York City. The Knicks also have their training and practice facility in Westchester County, so it appears the Knicks plan to make heavy use of D-League assignments in the future. This year, they’ve only made five, as our D-League assignment/recall log shows.
Josh Smith Envisions Pairing With Rajon Rondo
Pistons forward Josh Smith acknowledges the idea that he’ll join prep school teammate Rajon Rondo on the same NBA team anytime soon is far-fetched, but he’s optimistic that it will happen sometime, as he tells Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. The two have spoken about the possibility multiple times, Smith says.
“He’s my best friend, especially in the NBA,” Smith said. “We definitely connect. We take family vacations together.”
Smith added that Kevin Garnett joined them for those trips. There was trade talk surrounding Rondo and Smith prior to the deadline, but neither ever appeared close to changing teams. Smith says he’s content playing with the Pistons, who last month reportedly shopped him. A pair of reports this summer from fellow Globe scribe Gary Washburn indicated that Detroit was interested in acquiring Rondo via trade. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge insisted he wasn’t looking to deal the four-time All-Star, and set a steep price tag on him as the deadline approached.
Smith is under contract through 2016/17, while Rondo is set to become a free agent after next season. The Pistons, at this point, have enough cap flexibility for the summer of 2015 to sign Rondo for up to the max if both sides would be willing, but the BDA Sports Management client will surely have plenty of other suitors.
Rondo didn’t speak to Holmes about his relationship with Smith, who was the point guard’s roommate at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. Oak Hill coach Steve Smith invoked Rondo’s connection to the school earlier this season when he claimed that Carmelo Anthony, another Oak Hill alum, was attempting to recruit Rondo to the Knicks, but Anthony and Rondo denied those talks.
And-Ones: Harris, Murphy, Edwin, Dirk
With the D-League trade deadline in the rear view mirror, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest looks back at the biggest transactions of the year. The L.A. D-Fenders’ acquisition of Manny Harris tops the list. The Lakers‘ affiliate got Harris from the Canton Charge in exchange for a 2014 second round draft pick and the guard currently leads the NBA D-League in scoring average and even earned a call-up after a month in L.A. Here’s more from around the Association..
- The 76ers plan to workout D-League guard Kevin Murphy, an audition that could lead to 10-day deal, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Murphy is averaging ~26 PPG for the Idaho Stampede.
- James Nunnally will also get a workout with the 76ers, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Nunnally had two 10-day contracts earlier this season with the Hawks.
- Seton Hall standout Fuquan Edwin hasn’t seen a whole lot of Ws during his collegiate career but he’s still happy with his time in South Orange, New Jersey. “It’s definitely been a pleasure playing at the university with the great coaching staff that we have,” Edwin told Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders. “I think coach helped me tremendously in developing my game. We haven’t really won games or got far in my career, but it has definitely been a blast overall playing these last four years.” Barring a surprise run in the Big East tournament, Edwin’s collegiate career is on the verge of coming to an end. The small forward is currently projected to be taken late in the second round by DraftExpress.
- Stars who stick with one franchise are getting increasingly rare, but Mavericks
big man Dirk Nowitzki is an exception, writes Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer. “I basically grew up in Dallas,” Dirk said. “I came over here at 19 or 20 and now I’m 35. I’ve spent half of my life here. It is important for me to be a Maverick because I have deep connections with this franchise. The fans supported me through disappointing playoff losses. They were always by my side as I grew as a player. I can’t see myself playing for another franchise.” - Suns coach Jeff Hornacek is targeting Wednesday’s game versus Washington for a return of injured guard Eric Bledsoe, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Bledsoe will initially be coming off of the bench.
- Earl “The Pearl” Monroe threw his support behind former teammate Phil Jackson who could be taking over the Knicks front office, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Eastern Notes: Bradley, Bynum, Liggins
Celtics guard Avery Bradley missed 32 games last season recovering from shoulder surgery and 16 this season with an ankle injury, but he’s not worried about that affecting his value as he nears restricted free agency, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “I think I’ve [proven my worth] throughout this year because you can’t really control something like [the ankle],” he said. “But the last 16 games or whatever that I come back, I am going to go out there and play hard. This is a game I love to play. We need to go out there and prove to our fans and to ourselves we’re going to fight no matter what.” More out of the East..
- Pacers big man Andrew Bynum says he’s “probably at 80% but good enough to go,” tweets Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. Even if Bynum isn’t 100%, it sounds like he’ll be making his Pacers debut sometime soon.
- DeAndre Liggins played for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the D-League today and will rejoin the Heat in time for Miami game Monday night, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Liggins who was signed to a second 10-day contract on March 8th, has appeared in one game for Miami, scoring two points and grabbing one rebound. The Heat confirmed the news via press release.
- The Raptors announced that they have recalled rookie Dwight Buycks from the Bakersfield Jam. The guard is averaging 15.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 28.8 minutes in eight games (two starts) with the Jam. Buycks has appeared in 13 games for the Raptors this season recording 41 points, 10 assists, 20 rebounds and six steals in 124 minutes.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Cavs Believe They Can Land LeBron
It may seem like a long shot, but the 24-40 Cavaliers believe that they can still lure LeBron James back to Cleveland, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal. The Cavs made sure to schedule Zydrunas Ilgauskas‘ retirement on a night that the Heat had off and the club used the event as a chance to try and pluck at LeBron’s heartstrings.
Lloyd notes that the Cavs still have the assets to pull off a mammoth trade this summer at the draft and get another star to entice James. Kevin Love and LaMarcus Aldridge will be entering the final years of their contracts and if the Timberwolves or Trail Blazers come to the conclusion they can’t re-sign their stars, this summer is the time to move them. If they’re available, the Cavs will be at the front of the line with young players and future draft picks. It all sounds like fantasy, but as Lloyd rightfully notes, the fact James could listen to a speech from Dan Gilbert in person just three-and-a-half years after The Decision and its aftermath is remarkable.
Meanwhile, Ilgauskas could be on his way out of Cleveland. It’s an open secret that Ilgauskas is unhappy with his role in the front office and while he’s technically an assistant to the General Manager, the GM who he was working under is no longer with the club.
Hoops Links: Smith, Carmelo, Lakers
On this date in 1994, Chicago’s Scottie Pippen and Pete Myers became the first set of teammates in NBA history to convert four-point plays in the same game, with both turning the trick in the fourth quarter of the Bulls’ 116-95 win over the visiting Hawks.
Got a great basketball blog post that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send the link over to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s look around the basketball blogosphere..
- Six Championship Drive wants Josh Smith to check out his shot chart.
- UTN Sports looks at the race in the West.
- Sean Mason’s Sports Blog looks at different scenarios for Carmelo Anthony.
- Hardwood Paroxysm says this is the worst Lakers team ever.
- Bucksketball says Julius Randle could be the answer in Milwaukee.
- The Brooklyn Game discusses Jason Collins‘ social impact.
If you have a suggestion for Hoops Links, send it to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Hoops Rumors Originals
A look back at the original work generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Chuck Myron rolled out his first edition of the 2014 Free Agent Power Rankings. You’ll never guess who No. 1 is! (No, just kidding, you know who it is.)
- Charlie Adams looked at Chris Bosh‘s stock as he heads into the open market this summer.
- Chuck updates us on the protected 2014 first-round picks.
- We rounded up the best comments Hoops Rumors readers had to offer.
- Should the Lakers hang on to MarShon Brooks? Most of you say yes.
- Carmelo Anthony may be No. 2 on the Free Agent Power Rankings list, but no one has generated as much chatter as he has, Chuck writes.
- Here are the clubs who have yet to issue a 10-day deal.
- Eddie Scarito asked Hoops Rumors readers if the Knicks and Phil Jackson are a good match.
- If you missed out on Monday’s chat, check out the transcript here.
- Is your team lottery bound? You can keep track of the race to the bottom with Hoops Rumors’ Reverse Standings.
Week In Review: 3/3/14 – 3/9/14
Knicks GM Steve Mills met with Phil Jackson a couple of weeks ago to offer up the team’s head coaching position, but the Hall of Famer said that he wasn’t interested in returning to the sidelines. Now, it appears the Knicks have offered him a job in their front office and Jackson is expected to make his decision in the coming days. The 68-year-old would reportedly be “handsomely compensated” if he said yes, but Jackson certainly isn’t hard up for money. More from the week that was..
- The Knicks are reportedly keeping Mike Woodson around so that they can use him as a scapegoat in their pitch to Carmelo Anthony. In addition to pinning the blame on Woodson, Dolan plans to sell Anthony on his financial incentive to re-sign with the Knicks, promise to bring in another superstar no later than 2015, and vow that he’ll hire a marquee coach this summer.
- Joakim Noah pitched Anthony on joining the Bulls at All-Star Weekend. For his part, Melo denied that such talk took place.
- Execs and agents are worried that we’re headed for a lockout in 2017.
- The Bulls’ pursuit of Melo hinges on Nikola Mirotic.
- Mike D’Antoni‘s future with the Lakers seems questionable.
- Nate Robinson will opt in for 2014/15.
- Notable draft prospect Dario Saric is considering a multi-year deal in Turkey.
- Andrew Bogut‘s bonus could push the Warriors into tax territory.
- The Wizards gave Drew Gooden another 10-day deal.
- Steve Nash is probably done for the year.
- The Kings gave Royce White a 10-day.
- The Bobcats signed Justin Hamilton to a 10-day.
- The Knicks’ D-League affiliate waived Chris Smith.
- The Nets signed Jorge Gutierrez to a 10-day. They also gave Jason Collins a second 10-day.
- The Thunder inked Reggie Williams to a 10-day pact.
- The Bucks signed Tony Mitchell to a 10-day deal.
- Arinze Onuaku got another 10-day from the Cavs.
- The Magic gave Dewayne Dedmon another 10-day. Ditto for Adonis Thomas.
- The Kings will probably keep the hard-working Orlando Johnson for the year.
- Vitor Faverani is done for the year.
- Chris Bosh says he’ll play until he’s 36.