Odds & Ends: Bryant, Cap, Allen
Today's matinee between the Clippers and Spurs, two of the top teams in the Western Conference, highlights a light NBA schedule. Here's what's up around the league:
- Pau Gasol is averaging a career-low 16.6 PPG, and Kobe Bryant believes trade talk is one reason for the uncharacteristic performance, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times notes.
- HoopsWorld's Jason Fleming has a rundown on the available cap space for each team. He notes the Grizzlies, who stand just over the tax line, could get under by making a deal before the March 15th trading deadline. The Kings, meanwhile, must either take on salary to get up to 85% of the cap or distribute that money to their existing players. Fleming has the Pacers in the same boat as the Kings, but James Posey's amnestied $7.6MM salary pushes them above the 85% line.
- Salary cap guru Larry Coon sees J.R. Smith declining his $2.5MM option for next season and heading to another team with more money available. Smith already took the more lucrative option on the table this week when he picked the Knicks for this season over the Clippers. (Twitter links)
- Coon tweets the Clippers may covet Ray Allen, one of the Celtics cornerstones GM Danny Ainge may be willing to trade, but doubts L.A. has enough assets to get a deal done.
- We examined Tyson Chandler's impact as a free-agent signing earlier today. Justin Kubatko of The New York Times takes a closer look at the Knicks center playing in the shadow of Jeremy Lin.
- Fellow Times writer Benjamin Hoffman looks at Brandan Wright, who is one of the centers charged with replacing Chandler in Dallas. The scant $1MM investment is paying off for the Mavs, Hoffman writes.
- Mark Cuban and James Dolan are owners who like to spend money and meddle with their teams, but the similarities end there, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, who believes the Knicks' Dolan should try to further emulate his Dallas counterpart.
- Omri Casspi's numbers are down since the Cavs acquired him via trade last summer, yet Casspi and coach Byron Scott aren't too concerned, notes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets that the team feels it got the better of the deal, which sent J.J. Hickson to the Kings for Casspi and a first-round pick.
LeBron Stresses Commitment To Heat
LeBron James sparked controversy earlier this week with comments that he would be open to a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he played the first seven seasons of his career. However, on Friday, he clarified these comments, as reported by the Associated Press (via The New York Times):
"I love the fans of Miami. I'm here," he said following Friday's shootaround as the Heat prepared to play the Cavs. "The question was asked of me, could I see myself playing back here. I said yeah, in the sense of I don't know what my future holds and I don't want to take that out. I love the fans of Miami.
"I've got everything thing invested with this team. I'm looking forward to the years to come."
These latest comments are intended to diffuse the firestorm caused by some earlier comments that hinted at a return to the Cavs for James in the future. He signed a six-year deal with the Heat worth $110MM in July 2010 and can opt out after the fourth year, giving him the ability to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2013/14 season.
LeBron Laying Groundwork For Return To Cavs?
With the Heat set to face the Cavaliers in Cleveland tonight, the focus is on LeBron James, who yesterday expressed an openness to eventually play in Cleveland again before telling Heat fans not to worry today. While both remarks struck me as attempts by James to make everyone happy, Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo Sports says LeBron came to Cleveland on a mission this week, and that his comments were no accident.
According to Wojnarowski, James delivered the same message he expressed publicly yesterday to Cavs owner Dan Gilbert months ago via "an emissary or two." Wojnarowski says LeBron is legitimately interested in the possibility of returning to Cleveland when he can opt out of his current contract (2014) and is already putting out feelers. Says one source to Yahoo: "[LeBron] has started to lay the groundwork, and he’s waiting to see what Dan Gilbert’s reaction to it is."
Under NBA tampering rules, Gilbert can't reply to James' comments, so we shouldn't to expect to hear anything out of the Cavs' camp. And with over two years until he even has the chance to opt out of his current deal, the two-time MVP could easily change his mind a few more times before he even hits free agency again. However, according to the Yahoo report, LeBron has nagging doubts about Miami.
Wojnarowski is blunt in his assessment of LeBron's motives, writing that the former Cavalier "lives for the recruitment, lives to be wanted elsewhere," and rightly pointing out that the Heat and president Pat Riley must be "livid" about James discussing free agency already.
Whether or not James is serious about a potential return to Cleveland, this week has made one thing clear: The road to The Decision: Part II could be even longer and more winding than the first time around.
Cavs Notes: LeBron, Varejao, Jamison
With LeBron James stirring up a hornet's nest with his surprising comments about potentially wanting to return to play for the Cavaliers, let us take a look at some other recent news in Cleveland:
- The announcement that Anderson Varejao will officially miss 4 to 6 weeks while he recovers from a broken wrist likely ends any lingering trade talk involving the Cleveland center. With Varejao out for at least a month the Cavs are unlikely to make a run at the 8-seed in East, and may be more likely to be active at the trade deadline.
- Luke Adams examined Antawn Jamison as a trade candidate yesterday, concluding they won't get an offer more valuable than having Jamison's $15MM come off the books in the offseason. John Hollinger agreed in an ESPN.com chat today, saying that a post-deadline buyout is looking more and more likely.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Chandler, Lin, Barnes
LeBron James raised some eyebrows earlier today when he told reporters, including Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, that he wouldn't rule out eventually returning to Cleveland:
"It would be fun to play in front of these fans again," said James. "I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. You can't predict the future, and hopefully I continue to stay healthy. I'm here as a Miami Heat player, and I'm happy where I am now, but I don't rule that out in no sense…. And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me."
While James sounded contrite about the way he left the Cavaliers, I can't bring myself to put much stock into his comments about potentially returning. It strikes me as an attempt to mend fences and shed the villainous reputation he earned in Ohio following "The Decision."
Here are a few more links from around the league:
- While J.R. Smith seemed anxious to leave China as soon as possible, Wilson Chandler had nothing but positive things to Sun Xiaochen of China Daily about his experience in the CBA: "It has been a very good learning curve and experience for me and has helped me mature in some ways and develop parts of my game that I hadn't worked on in a while."
- The latest "We could have had Jeremy Lin!" story comes out of Boston, as Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports the Celtics twice hoped to claim Lin on waivers, but lost out to the Rockets and Knicks.
- Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle doesn't blame Rockets GM Daryl Morey for letting Lin go.
- Sophomore Harrison Barnes tells Chris Thomasson of FOX Sports Florida that it'd be a "no-brainer" to declare for this year's draft if UNC wins the national championship this year. I'm betting Barnes, who figures to be a top-five pick, will be entering the draft even if the Tar Heels are bounced from March Madness early.
Trade Candidate: Antawn Jamison
With a month remaining until March 15th, it's not clear yet how the Cavaliers plan to approach the NBA's trade deadline. The Cavs, currently 2.5 games out of the eighth spot in the East, have enough young talent and potential trade chips that it makes sense for the team to become deadline sellers, stocking up the future.
However, comments made by coach Byron Scott today echoed multiple reports from the past few weeks. The Cavs weren't shopping Anderson Varejao prior to his wrist injury, and may be reluctant to sell off pieces if they're in position to make the playoffs.
"Once a team gets a taste of the playoffs like (the Pacers) did last year, even though they lost in the first round, you come back hungrier the next year," Scott said. "That’s why I don’t understand why people say we should lose games."
Even if the Cavs are reluctant to compromise their postseason chances by making moves, it may be a moot point by March 15th. If Cleveland continues to slip further out of the playoff picture, I expect them to listen closely to offers they receive on players like Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison. We've covered Sessions as a trade candidate already, so let's take a closer look at Jamison.
At age 35, Jamison is approaching 1000 career games and 35,000 career minutes, but his production doesn't seem to be slipping. His 19.0 points per 36 minutes and 17.7 PER this season are just slightly off his career averages of 19.4 and 18.5, and he's still rebounding at a respectable rate. The 6'8" forward wouldn't be a top scoring option for a title contender like he is for the Cavs, but he could be a useful frontcourt piece on a team with championship aspirations.
While those are Jamison's pros, there's one big con standing in the way of a potential deal — a salary that exceeds $15MM. No NBA team has the cap space to take on such a figure, meaning any trade partner would likely have to send at least $10MM in salary back to the Cavs, if not more. Cleveland wouldn't want to move Jamison unless it improved the club in the long-term, but there aren't many teams out there that could put together a package of expiring contracts and long-term assests worth giving up for Jamison.
One potential match is the Rockets, who have a number of former lottery picks on expiring deals. Hasheem Thabeet, Jonny Flynn, Jordan Hill, and Terrence Williams aren't getting much playing time in Houston, so perhaps they could figure into an offer for Jamison. The Cavs, meanwhile, would maintain their cap flexibility while also getting a chance to look at some young players over the season's final few weeks.
Ultimately, I don't expect Jamison to be traded. The $15MM+ coming off Cleveland's books is too valuable for the Cavs to move him unless they receive a great offer, and there just won't be great offers out there for a 35-year-old scorer off the bench.
Cavs Notes: Erden, Irving, Parker, Varejao
Three-day rests don't come along often in this lockout-shortened season, so the Cavaliers likely took full advantage of the time off they received this week. As the Cavs prepare to host Indiana tonight in their first game since Saturday, let's round up a few items out of Cleveland…
- Anderson Varejao's injury has given Semih Erden a "golden opportunity" to show what he can do, coach Byron Scott tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Erden will be eligible for restricted free agency after the season.
- Scott doesn't understand why people think Cleveland should lose games, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. The Cavs' coach would prefer to earn a postseason berth, even if it meant a quick first-round exit, because he feels his young players would benefit from the playoff experience.
- Amico fielded Cavs-related questions, including plenty on possible trades, in a chat earlier today.
- Kyrie Irving has been cleared by the team to return to action tonight after missing three games with a concussion, tweets Joe Gabriele of Cavs.com. Anthony Parker is also progressing and could return next week, but there's still no timetable for Varejao (Beacon Journal link).
Odds & Ends: Bobcats, Kaman, Lin
D.J. White, whom the Bobcats acquired from the Thunder nearly a year ago, isn't seeing much playing time, and that's because of a glut of power forwards, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. If the Bobcats are overloaded with quality players, it isn't showing up in their record, now 3-25 after a loss to the Sixers tonight. Justin Kubatko of The New York Times examines the ineptitude of the team and deems it a black mark on owner Michael Jordan's reputation. Sixers coach Doug Collins, who coached Jordan with the Bulls and Wizards, wonders how the ultra-competitive Jordan can take it, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports.
More notes from around the NBA on Monday night:
- Pistons center Ben Wallace, 37, is not reconsidering his decision to retire after this season, notes Eric Lacy of the Detroit News.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is upset with the NBA over the Chris Paul trade this year, believing the league-owned Hornets would have been better off having Paul leave via free agency, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas.
- Matt Steinmetz of CSN Bay Area tweets that Hornets center Chris Kaman could be a trade target of the Warriors.
- Warriors GM Larry Riley is one of the many who underestimated Jeremy Lin, predicting he would be a backup at best, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Lin is having a tangible effect on the financial value of his team. Shares of the Madison Square Garden Company, which owns the Knicks, the arena and the TV network that shows the team's games locally, have hit a record high, Ken Belson of The New York Times reports.
- Ben Uzoh, recently signed to a 10-day contract, is impressing Cavs coach Byron Scott, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- Jerry Reinsdorf's son Michael has been taking a more active role with the Bulls lately, but don't assume that means he'll eventually succeed his father as owner, writes Melissa Isaacson of ESPN Chicago.
- The Heat took a flyer on Eddy Curry before the season, and so far he has contributed little. Still, his slow progress doesn't disturb coach Erik Spoelstra, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Assessing Stocks: Cleveland Cavaliers
Portfolio Review: The Cleveland Cavaliers were dealt a blow to their season with news that center Anderson Varejao is out indefinitely with a broken wrist. While the injury probably drops the Cavaliers out of contention for the Eastern Conference’s 8th playoff seed, it likely is in their best long-term interest for that very reason.
The Cavaliers are a rebuilding project. And a much better one than originally thought due to rookie Kyrie Irving outplaying all expectations. But building around a point guard like Irving can be a double-edged sword.
Point guards like Irving (see Paul, Chris) are good enough to get a team into playoff contention fairly quickly because they mask so many deficiencies. However, those deficiencies still exist and pushing forward too fast (see the New Orleans Hornets with Chris Paul) without addressing them can have serious repercussions as the team begins to reach its potential. In a way, this was part of the problem the Cavaliers had when building around LeBron James.
Instead, this team should be stockpiling as many assets as possible while developing young players to try and acquire the type of elite talent that is generally only found with top-ten draft picks.
Prime Assets: Previously the Cavaliers were not attempting to trade Varejao, though his injury might make them more willing. Varejao is the type of player that is desirable for a number of contenders and those sitting in the bottom half of playoff brackets looking to take a step up.
Ideally Varejao would return a younger, legitimate rotation player to grow with Irving and Tristan Thompson–a player who mirrors some of the same strengths and weaknesses of Varejao–or a first round pick in the 15-20 range.
Barring a Varejao trade, point guard Ramon Sessions has been a steady backup point guard for most of his career and remains the only other player on the Cavaliers likely to return a viable rotation player. For a team like the Cavaliers that needs help everywhere, they cannot afford the luxury of redundant skill sets among their best players.
Worthless stock: Tempting as it is to throw Antawn Jamison‘s name into this slot, there is always a team out there somewhere willing to take a shot at a scorer off the bench on an expiring contract. These contracts are ultimately movable, however, generally only bring back other bad or expiring contracts. Still, there is value for moving a contributing veteran to free up developmental minutes for players that might have a future with the team.
The rest: The rest of the teams is young enough to have some redeeming value (i.e. potential), but too young and too unproven to bring back anything in return. This should be an evaluation season for the young guys, and to do so they need as many minutes as possible.
Odds & Ends: Camby, Maggette, Irving, Future Draft Prospects
- Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby suffered a right ankle injury during tonight's game against the Mavericks, as reported by Ben Golliver on BlazersEdge.com.
- Corey Maggette returned to the Bobcats' starting lineup tonight, just one day after returning to action against the Bulls. He replaces Tyrus Thomas, who had been struggling to find a niche in Paul Silas' rotation after an 18 game stint as a starter.
- Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, who has been out indefinitely due to a concussion, began the process of reinstatement by riding an exercise bike today (according to Jason Lloyd of Ohio.com). While Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer reports that there are several steps to take before Irving can be cleared to play, there is hope that the rookie can return to action soon barring any setbacks.
- Less than a month away from March Madness, there is a buzz surrounding a few heralded high school seniors who have yet to make a decision regarding which college program they will join next year. Adam Zagoria of SheridanHoops.com takes a closer look at a few players who could make waves in the NCAA next year and possibly headline the 2013 NBA draft.