Central Notes: Blatt, Sanders, Cavs
There are some insiders around the league who believe that the Cavs‘ David Blatt is coaching for his job this month, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio writes. Amico opines that Blatt could be fired by mid-January if the team takes a nosedive without LeBron James in the lineup the next two weeks. Cleveland is also missing Anderson Varejao, who is out for the season with a torn Achilles.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- With Larry Sanders out indefinitely for personal reasons, Zaza Pachulia says that the Bucks need to move on without him, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel writes. “It’s a very important time of the season, so we should concentrate on the team, to play the right way and win as many games as possible,” Pachulia said. “That’s our job and we’re going to continue to work hard. Whenver Larry comes … obviously his locker is still here …he’s going to address it. It’s up to him. But we know it’s a personal reason. That’s all we heard.“
- With speculation beginning to grow that Blatt is on the hot seat in Cleveland, Terry Pluto of The Northeast Ohio Media Group believes that adding a big man would do more to help the Cavs improve than bringing in a new coach would.
- Tristan Thompson is taking all the talk about the Cavs needing a rim protector to heart, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Thompson is determined to up his game and quell the criticisms of Cleveland’s interior defense, Haynes notes. “I know I can block shots and I’ve got to do it,” Thompson said. “That’s part of my job as a big. That’s one of the reasons I was drafted because I blocked three shots a game in college so I got to continue doing that in the NBA. So I was disappointed in myself that I wasn’t being called a rim protector. I just got to do my job.”
Emeka Okafor To Delay Return Until 2015/16?
With numerous teams around the league seeking frontcourt help, the pool of available players may just get a tad thinner. Veteran center Emeka Okafor is giving strong consideration to delaying his comeback from a neck injury until next season, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. Stein’s sources say that Okafor, who missed the entire 2013/14 campaign after he suffered a herniated disk in his neck, could wait until this summer before inking a deal with a new team in order to give himself more time to continue strength and conditioning work.
According to Stein, numerous teams with a need for a rim protecting big man, including the Cavs, Mavs, and the Heat, have interest in signing Okafor if he decided to play this year. Prior to the season, nearly half of the teams in the league reportedly had interest in the services of the 32-year-old veteran out of Connecticut. Okafor had reportedly auditioned for the Clippers back in August, but the two sides did not reach a contract arrangement.
Okafor’s last action came during the 2012/13 season when he averaged 9.7 points and 8.8 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per contest for the Wizards. Prior to the beginning of the 2013/14 season, the Wizards dealt Okafor to the Suns for Marcin Gortat. Both sides were aware that Okafor was likely to miss the entire season with his injury, but Phoenix was interested in Okafor’s expiring $14.5MM contract to use as a potential trade chip, though no deal involving Okafor ever came to fruition for the Suns.
In nine seasons, Okafor’s career numbers are 12.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. His career slash line is .512/.000/.584.
And-Ones: LeBron, Thunder, Fisher
LeBron James is expected to miss the next two weeks of action thanks to injuries to his back and left knee, the Cavaliers have announced. Coupled with the season-ending injury to Anderson Varejao, Cleveland suddenly finds itself a bit short-handed. The league has approved the franchise’s request for a disabled player exception, but with the league maximum 15 players already on their roster the Cavs would need to waive or deal a player to be able to utilize it.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Thunder are edging closer toward the summer of 2016, which is when Kevin Durant can elect to depart Oklahoma City as a free agent, and the speculation is that it will take an NBA title to keep him in town beyond then. The team’s play as of late has gotten it back on track for the season after enduring a multitude of injuries, Jeff Caplan of FOX Sports Southwest writes. “I’m excited. Obviously we need everybody healthy,” coach Scott Brooks said. “But I like the fact that our guys compete regardless of who’s on the floor. They get out there and compete. We haven’t had as many wins as we would like, but we’re competing every night. We put ourselves in a position to win games and we have a no-excuse mentality.”
- Derek Fisher said that the Lakers never reached out to him after last season, and the Knicks were the only offer he had to become a head coach, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “I never had any conversations with the Lakers of coaching the team,’’ Fisher said. “This was the only one. It doesn’t disappoint me in any way. I never pretended to run the Lakers or make decisions for them. I did the best I could when I played. They don’t owe me anything. I don’t owe them anything.’
- Brandon Jennings has emerged as a leader since the Pistons released Josh Smith, Brendan Savage of MLive.com writes. “Brandon has noticeably gotten back to probably what is his natural personality,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “He’s really having fun. He’s talking a lot, joking with guys, things like that. I think he had been suffering. He hadn’t been playing real well, we hadn’t been winning. He had gotten really quiet.” There were conflicting reports regarding Detroit shopping the veteran point guard prior to Smith being released.
- The Raptors have recalled Bruno Caboclo from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, the team announced in a press release. This was Caboclo’s first D-League assignment of the season.
Eastern Notes: Cavaliers, Henson, Wade
The Cavaliers have some roster flexibility after being granted a disabled player exception on Wednesday, and Nick Borges of ESPN.com [Insider subscription required] suggests a number of players it could be used to acquire. In recent weeks, there have been rumors linking the team to Timofey Mozgov of the Nuggets, Kosta Koufos of the Grizzlies and Robert Sacre of the Lakers. Borges also suggests Brandan Wright of the Celtics, Jerome Jordan of the Nets, Joel Anthony of the Pistons, Ekpe Udoh of the Clippers, Jeff Withey of the Pelicans, Cole Aldrich and Samuel Dalembert of the Knicks, Dewayne Dedmon of the Magic, Joel Freeland of the Blazers and Ryan Hollins of the Kings. The DPE gives Cleveland an extra $4,852,273 to use for a trade, free agent signing or waiver claim through March 10th.
There’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- LeBron James understood what he was getting into when he opted to return to Cleveland, opines Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Kyler notes that James said “I’m not promising a championship” when he announced his decision in July. With a massively overturned roster and James’ problems with a sore back and aching knees, he was realistic about what his first season back with the Cavaliers might look like.
- A rash of injuries has given the Bucks‘ John Henson a chance to show off his skills, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. With Jabari Parker, Ersan Ilyasova and Larry Sanders out of action, Henson has responded with 10 blocks in his last two games. “He brings another dimension to our team and it’s not just defensively,” said teammate Kendall Marshall. “He’s very good offensively, making plays, being in the right spots at the right times.” Henson is under the Bucks’ control through the 2016/17 season.
- Dwyane Wade gave up approximately $10MM in salary by opting out of his deal and then re-signing with the Heat, but despite Miami’s struggles this season it isn’t something he laments over, Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press writes. “I’ll be all right,” Wade said. “It cost me a lot. But it wasn’t ‘The Decision’ [James’ return to the Cavs] that cost me. It was my decision. I opted out for the better of the team, not for any individual. I opted out for the better of the team and it cost me some money. I’m not concerned about it. Not overly concerned, anyway.”
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Cavaliers Notes: James, Irving, Blatt
“Outlandish” was the word LeBron James used Wednesday to dismiss rumors that he might be leaving the Cavaliers again, reports Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “I’m here to build, build something great in the present and the future, and that’s the reason I’m back,” said the four-time MVP. “I’ve got no other reason to have to continue to talk about things that’s so outlandish. So, I’m here, this is where I’ll be, and this is where I’m comfortable.” Rumors of unrest in Cleveland have accompanied a disappointing 18-14 start and have fueled reports that James is looking elsewhere. He has a two-year, $42.1MM contract with a player option after this season, but he has stated many times that he signed the short deal to maximize his market value.
There’s a lot more from Cleveland:
- Some of those rumors stemmed from a video of a conversation between James and former Heat teammate Dwyane Wade after their Christmas Day game, but Wade tells Shandel Richardson of the Sun Sentinel that they weren’t talking about basketball. “It had nothing to do with [reuniting],” Wade said. “It was about bigger and better things later.”
- Despite the dysfunction in Cleveland, Kyrie Irving says it’s still better than not being in contention, according to Chris Fedor of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “I’d rather be in this position right now than [where] I was last year,” he said. “We’re just in a great mental place and I’m in a great mental place.” Irving signed a five-year, maximum-salary extension in July.
- It’s up to owner Dan Gilbert to settle the team’s coaching situation, opines Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein contends the Cavaliers made a mistake by hiring David Blatt, who had no experience as an NBA head coach, before they knew if James was returning. He says Gilbert needs to either fire Blatt and take the heat for the move or demand that James throw his full support behind the coach, although he admits the second option is hard to picture considering James’ immense power in the organization.
And-Ones: Richardson, Mekel, Jenkins
Sixers guard Jason Richardson said that he expects to return to the court in late January after being sidelined for nearly two years, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports. Richardson last played in an NBA game on January 18th, 2013 before knee and ankle maladies sidelined him. “It will mean a lot to come back,” Richardson said. “I thought I was done playing. I really did. But seeing my son play AAU over the summertime, seeing his love for the game, it made me get the love back for the game. My thing is to always walk away on my own terms. I understand that things happen. Me having this knee injury, fading away like that is not the way I wanted to go out. Retirement is three or four years away from now.”
Here’s more from around the league and abroad:
- Michael Jenkins has signed a deal with the Turkish club Istanbul BSB, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Jenkins was in training camp this season with the Thunder prior to being waived.
- NBA scouts and executives are essentially in agreement that Tyler Ulis and Devin Booker are better pro prospects than fellow Kentucky backcourt studs Andrew Harrison and brother Aaron Harrison, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who writes in his weekly chat. Booker is No. 35, Ulis is No. 48, Andrew is No. 65 and Aaron is No. 67 in Ford’s prospect rankings.
- Gal Mekel is still hoping to land with an NBA team after being released by the Pelicans earlier this month, Allon Sinai of The Jerusalem Post writes. “After I was released by New Orleans I received several offers from Europe and Israel,” Mekel said. “I wanted to give them the respect they deserve and listen to them all. It is no secret that I really want to remain in the NBA and I believe with all my heart that I can succeed in this league. But I also really want to play, lead and realize my potential.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Cavs Granted Disabled Player Exception
The NBA has granted the Cavaliers a disabled player exception in response to the season-ending injury suffered by Anderson Varejao, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The exception will be valued at approximately $4.85MM, or half of Varejao’s $9,704,545 salary for the 2014/15 season. Cleveland has until March 10th to use this exception on a player whose price tag fits into that allotment, whether it be through free agency or trade.
The Cavs were reportedly seeking a rim protecting big man prior to Varejao suffering a torn Achilles. Cleveland currently has the league maximum 15 players on their roster, including 12 players with fully guaranteed deals. This means that the Cavs would need to deal or release a player prior to signing or acquiring another body via trade. Cleveland has been in talks with the Celtics in recent days about Boston’s willingness to participate in a trade as a third team, though no deal appears to be imminent.
Varejao had started 26 games this season, averaging 9.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while playing 24.5 minutes per contest. His slash line was .555/.000/.733.
Bucks Work Out Kenyon Martin; Cavs Eye Him
WEDNESDAY, 10:34am: Kidd acknowledged today that Martin worked out in front of him and Bucks assistant coaches Tuesday, Gardner notes (Twitter links). “He looked good,” Kidd said. “There’s nothing, just a workout. Just to talk to him. We’ll see what happens.” Kidd acknowledged that it’s questionable whether Martin can still perform, but the coach praised Martin’s intelligence and says he believes that a team will sign him at some point, as Gardner shares in a full story.
TUESDAY, 10:11am: Martin will work out in front of Kidd today, Spears writes in a full story, so evidently the Bucks are indeed interested in him for a playing role. The Cavs also have some interest in Martin, Spears adds, so it appears that feeling is mutual, though Cleveland isn’t rushing to replace the injured Anderson Varejao, according to Spears.
9:20am: The discussions are “preliminary,” a source tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
9:05am: Milwaukee has yet to make any offer to Martin, Spears clarifies (on Twitter).
8:57am: Bucks coach Jason Kidd will meet with free agent big man Kenyon Martin today, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Martin, who turns 37 today, is traveling to Cleveland, where Milwaukee is preparing for Wednesday’s game against the Cavs. Martin recently expressed interest in joining the Cavs, but it’s unclear if he’ll be speaking with anyone in the Cleveland organization while he’s in town. Kidd and Martin have a relationship that dates back to their time as teammates on the Nets in the early 2000s, when they made back-to-back Finals appearances together, Spears notes (on Twitter).
Martin met with the Grizzlies last month and with the Rockets in October, though in each case there were conflicting reports about whether the visits were about coaching positions or playing roles. Spears doesn’t specify what Martin and Kidd will discuss. The Bucks have a full 15-man roster, and every player is fully guaranteed, as our roster counts show. Still, No. 2 overall pick Jabari Parker is expected to miss the season with a torn ACL, Ersan Ilyasova is recovering from a concussion, and center Larry Sanders has been out with flu-like symptoms, leaving the team thin up front.
The Knicks put Martin in the starting lineup 15 times last season, and he averaged 4.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game across 32 appearances. Still, the former No. 1 overall pick has only played in 50 NBA games since the end of the 2011/12 season.
Coaching Rumors: Jackson, Corbin, Van Gundy
There’s been only one coaching change in the NBA so far this season, but stability has never been a hallmark of the coaching profession. The Cavaliers are reportedly concerned about David Blatt, and while there’s no sign that his job is truly in jeopardy, the rumors have already begun. Here’s more from around coaching circles:
- Several GMs around the league believe that the Cavs coaching job is the one that Mark Jackson would like to have, as those execs have told Chris Mannix of SI.com, who passes along the tidbit in a video report. People around the league reportedly believe that LeBron James wouldn’t want Jackson to coach the team, though they are both clients of agent Rich Paul. Jackson over the summer denied reports that the Cavs had spoken to him about the job before they hired Blatt, and more recently Jackson said that a meeting he had with Kings brass didn’t have to do with coaching that team, either.
- Tyrone Corbin has signed a new contract that calls for him to be the head coach of the Kings through the end of the season, a source tells James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom. Corbin had been on a two-year deal as an assistant coach for the team. He took over head coaching duties earlier this month when the Kings fired Michael Malone.
- Stan Van Gundy says the Pistons job will be his last coaching position and that he promised his wife he’ll retire at age 60, tweets John Denton of Magic.com. Still, the 55-year-old Van Gundy said he’s leaving the door open to coaching beyond his current contract, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link). His deal with the Pistons runs through the 2018/19 season, and Van Gundy, who runs basketball operations for the team in addition to his coaching duties, will turn 60 in August 2019. Van Gundy also promised his wife that he won’t relocate again, Robbins adds (on Twitter). Still, he thought his job with the Magic would be his last, Denton notes (Twitter link).
LeBron James Won’t Rule Out Leaving Cavs?
LeBron James is intent on making the “appropriate business decision” as he approaches his next chance at free agency, even if that means leaving the Cavs, as Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group hears. There would no doubt be harsh public criticism were he to leave Cleveland a second time, but he’s willing to act if his hand is forced, Haynes writes. James, who celebrates his 30th birthday today, has a player option worth more than $21.573MM for next season, though he’s said on multiple occasions that he inked a short-term contract simply to maximize his earnings and without the intention of signing with any other team.
James gave conflicting statements Monday about his feelings regarding coach David Blatt, but the four-time MVP hasn’t gone to Cavs management to request that Blatt be fired, nor will he at any point this season, a league source tells Haynes. James said that his relationship with Blatt improves by the day and that Blatt has the attention of his players, in response to rumors that Cavs management is concerned about the way the roster has taken to Blatt, notes fellow Northeast Ohio Media Group scribe Joe Vardon. Still, when Vardon asked James whether he felt Blatt was the right coach for the team, James simply said, “Yeah, he’s our coach, I mean, what other coach do we have?” as Vardon passes along via Twitter.
The Cavs have reportedly been a “little uncomfortable” with the ability James has to hit free agency again so soon, and he has no desire to play for a “sputtering organization,” Haynes writes. The Cavs, at 18-12, have struggled to establish themselves as the elite team they were roundly expected to be this season. Still, it’s similar to what played out for years ago in Miami, when James was also with a team having difficulty blending the talents on a revamped, superstar-laden roster. The Heat nonetheless made the Finals all four years that James was with the club.