Heat Eye Goran Dragic, Reggie Jackson
The Heat are especially high on Goran Dragic, and they also find Reggie Jackson intriguing, as Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald hears. Jackson writes about Dragic in the context of free agency this summer, noting that Miami is unlikely to have the cap room necessary to sign the 28-year-old guard, who plans to opt out at season’s end, though Dragic is a trade candidate in advance of Thursday’s deadline. Jackson is poised for restricted free agency, but he, too, is a trade candidate and several GMs peg him as one of the three biggest names likely to move within the next week.
Miami is one of the few teams in the league without a strong performer at point guard, while the Suns have a glut at the position and Phoenix GM Ryan McDonough this week acknowledged his club is overloaded in the backcourt. McDonough said he would like to have “a little more frontcourt scoring and rebounding.” The Heat probably aren’t going to part with Chris Bosh or Hassan Whiteside, but they reportedly made a proposal involving big men Chris Andersen, Josh McRoberts and point guard Norris Cole to the Nets for Brook Lopez. Team president Pat Riley denied that report, however, and McRoberts would be of no immediate help to Phoenix, since he’s likely out for the year.
Reports have also linked the Rockets and the Lakers to Dragic, for trades as well as free agency, and the Suns are reportedly seeking a first-round pick in exchange if they’re to relinquish him before the deadline. The Heat owe their first-round pick to the Sixers this year as long as it’s not a top-10 selection.
Jackson’s days in Oklahoma City have appeared numbered since he and the club failed to come to terms on an extension this past fall, and perhaps before then, when he made it clear that he envisions becoming a starting point guard, an opportunity he won’t have teaming with Russell Westbrook. The Knicks seem to have strong interest in Jackson for a trade or in free agency, but the Thunder have reportedly found the trade market for him weaker than they expected. The Heat would have Jackson’s Bird rights and the right to match offers for him this summer if they trade for him before the deadline and tender a qualifying offer by the end of June. As with Dragic, the Heat probably couldn’t afford him otherwise in free agency, since the team is likely to be over the cap come July unless either Dwyane Wade or Luol Deng opt out.
Wizards, Heat, Cavs Interested In Jameer Nelson
FRIDAY, 7:46am: The Cavs have also targeted Nelson as they’ve made contact with several teams as they seek an upgrade at backup point guard, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. They’ve been offering Brendan Haywood and his subtly valuable contract to other teams amid their search, Windhorst writes, seconding an earlier report from Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. Still, the ESPN scribe doesn’t specify whether they’ve offered Haywood to Denver.
THURSDAY, 4:50pm: The Wizards and the Heat have had discussions with the Nuggets regarding Jameer Nelson, Shams Charania of RealGM.com reports (Twitter link). The Cavs had previously expressed interest in the veteran point guard when Nelson was a member of the Celtics, but there has been no contact since, Charania adds. Nelson is currently nursing a sore Achilles, and has missed Denver’s last three games as a result. The 33-year-old is making $2,732,000 this season, and he owns a player option for 2015/16 worth $2,854,940.
Nelson is already on his third team of the season, having began the year in Dallas. But he was dealt to the Celtics along with Brandan Wright and Jae Crowder in the trade for Rajon Rondo back in December. The Celtics and Nelson had discussed a potential buyout arrangement, but the point guard was instead dealt to the Nuggets for Nate Robinson back in January.
Miami is badly in need of an upgrade at the point, with Norris Cole averaging only 6.3 points per game, and rookie Shabazz Napier struggling as well, logging 5.1 points on 36.8% shooting. Cole is reportedly on the trading block, and has been mentioned in connection with the Hornets, Pistons, and Nets. Our own Chuck Myron examined Cole’s trade candidacy last month.
The Wizards could be looking to add backcourt depth in the event that Bradley Beal‘s stress reaction in his right leg will keep him out for a prolonged period of time. Beal is set to be reevaluated by the team after the All-Star break. The Wizards have All-Star John Wall and veteran Andre Miller on their depth chart at the one spot.
Nelson’s career stats over 10 years and 691 contests are 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. His career slash line is .439/.372/.815. He has appeared in 11 games for the Nuggets, and has logged 9.4 points and 4.5 assists in 21.7 minutes per contest.
Byron Mullens To Play For Heat’s D-League Team
THURSDAY, 11:35pm: Mullens has been acquired off of waivers by the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the Heat’s D-League affiliate, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest reports (Twitter link)..
TUESDAY, 6:50pm: Veteran center Byron Mullens will join the NBA D-League, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest reports (Twitter link). Mullens will be subject to the D-League’s waiver process to determine which team he will play for. The 25-year-old had changed agents last month, and is now represented by Todd Ramasar of Stealth Sports.
The seven-footer had elected to turn down his minimum salary player option for the 2014/15 campaign to seek a more lucrative deal on the open market, but was unable to cash in this past offseason. Mullens’ last NBA action came during the 2013/14 campaign when he appeared in a combined 45 games for the Clippers and Sixers.
Mullens had played briefly in China this season before being waived by the Shanxi Brave Dragons. The big man is likely using the D-League as a springboard to make his return to the NBA. With the demand for floor-spacing centers around the league, Mullens should garner consideration for a 10-day contract if he provides teams with a strong showing once he hits the D-League hardwood.
In 189 career games over parts of five seasons, Mullens has averaged 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.8 assists. His career slash line is .408/.319/.706.
Eastern Notes: Williams, Nets, Wizards
Mo Williams was traded to the Hornets on Tuesday but their interest in the veteran point guard dated back to last summer when he was on the free-agent market, according to Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. The Hornets were shopping for a backup to Kemba Walker but ultimately settled on Brian Roberts, Bonnell adds. Their interest in Williams was rekindled when Walker suffered a knee injury that will sideline him until at least early March, Bonnell notes.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Nets coach Lionel Hollins expects to have the same roster after the trade deadline, according to Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Any move by the Nets would likely involve Deron Williams, Joe Johnson or Brook Lopez but the market for them is underwhelming because of their salaries and, particularly in Williams’ case, a lack of production, Bontemps adds. The fact that the Nets must swap first-round picks with the Eastern Conference-leading Hawks, courtesy of their acquisition of Johnson in 2012, leaves them no incentive to strip the roster to increase their chances of moving into the lottery, Bontemps notes.
- John Wall feels the Wizards need to add another play-making guard or wing player to the second unit, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post reports. Rather than making a deal, the Wizards could wait to fill that spot with a free agent bought out of his contract after the trade deadline or an overseas pickup, Castillo notes. Former Pistons point guard Will Bynum, who is currently playing in China for the Guangdong Southern Tigers, could fill the void when the CBA playoffs end, Castillo adds. Wall told Castillo that he endorses Bynum’s skill set and competitive nature.
- Brandon Bass and Marcus Thornton could be moved before the trade deadline as the Celtics continue their quest to shed salary and stockpile draft picks, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Both will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season. Bass, who is averaging 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds, is making $6.9MM this season. Thornton, who is averaging 8.9 PPG, has a $8.575MM salary.
- The Hawks will have to give All-Star Paul Millsap a substantial raise to retain him, according to Paul Newberry of the Associated Press. That’s just what Millsap planned when he left the Jazz to sign with Atlanta for what turned out to be a bargain rate of two years and $19MM, Newberry adds. He will be an unrestricted free agent after the season.
Cavs Notes: James, Harris, Allen
LeBron James‘ decision last summer to sign a two-year contract with a player option after this season was not only motivated by the ability to take advantage of the rising salary cap and make a higher salary but also to give him maximum leverage, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com writes. Shelburne adds that James and NBPA president Chris Paul will encourage their membership to fight for more flexible contract structures and a greater piece of the league revenue pie when the players union can opt out of the current CBA in 2017. Here’s more from Cleveland:
- The Cavaliers have re-assigned Joe Harris to the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This is the sixth trek of the season to Canton for Harris, who has appeared in six games for the Charge this season, averaging 18.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in 33.2 minutes per game.
- Cleveland has been in contact with free agent Ray Allen‘s representatives in recent days, but the veteran guard has still not made a decision on where, or if, he will play this season, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal reports.
- James feels a sense of urgency to win a championship this season even though he and Kevin Love, who can opt out of his deal after the season, are expected to remain with the club long-term, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.com. The facts that James has hit the age of 30 and has logged more than 41,500 minutes in his career also figure into his thinking.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Dudley, Kerr
Jared Dudley said that he played the entire 2013/14 season with a fracture in his right knee, and he did so at the request of Clippers coach and executive Doc Rivers, Arash Markazi of ESPN.com writes. Dudley also relayed that he played through the injury with the understanding he would be able to return to the team healthy for the 2014/15 season, but instead he was traded to the Bucks this past offseason, Markazi notes. Dudley is extremely thankful that he was dealt to Milwaukee, the ESPN scribe relays. “The trade [to Milwaukee] was the best thing for my career, where I got with a training staff that got me healthy and when I’m healthy, I’m the player you see now and the player you saw in Phoenix.”
Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- In an interview with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, Suns GM Ryan McDonough acknowledged that Phoenix’s roster composition is uneven, Adam Green of RealGM.com relays. “I think our roster balance is a little off, and that’s my fault,” McDonough said. “We are a little too backcourt heavy, especially in terms of guys who, you know, I think you’d define primarily as scorers in the backcourt. So I think at some point we’ll need to balance that out, try to get a little more size, a little more frontcourt scoring and rebounding.”
- Kings owner Vivek Ranadive wasn’t necessarily the driving force behind the early season firing of Michael Malone, Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com writes (Twitter links). Bruski was addressing an earlier report by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that asserted Sacramento’s owner was the one who insisted that Malone be let go, though Bruski didn’t elaborate further on who was the impetus behind the coaching change.
- Despite coaching the Warriors to the best overall record in the league thus far, Steve Kerr says that he still has a lot of work to do in figuring out how to be an NBA coach, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. “The biggest thing for me is learning on the job, feeling the job, feeling the routine and the rhythm of it, staying in tune with the players and making sure we’re moving the ship forward,” Kerr said. “You learn all the time. There’s a lot going on, and you have to constantly be on your toes.“
Enes Kanter Desires Trade
FEBRUARY 16TH, 6:28pm: The Jazz plan to hang on to Kanter, barring an amazing offer, sources tell Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Jones adds that Kanter is still valued highly by the franchise and is still very much in its long-term plans.
FEBRUARY 12TH, 7:58am: Kanter and his agents believe he’s an elite player, and while it’s common for a player’s camp to tout his worth, some around the league have concerns about the people surrounding the Jazz center, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter links).
FEBRUARY 11TH, 11:52pm: Disgruntled center Enes Kanter hopes that he is dealt by the Jazz prior to the February 19th NBA trade deadline, Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune reports. Kanter has been frustrated by his role with the team the past three seasons, though it apparently reached its breaking point during Wednesday night’s 87-82 loss to the Mavericks, notes Falk. The big man exited the game with an eye injury and never returned despite claiming that he was healthy enough to play, The Tribune scribe adds. “It was not my eye at all. I don’t know what it was, but it was not my eye at all. So we’ll see what’s going to happen,” Kanter said after the game. Kanter had previously grown tired of empty promises of playing time during his tenure under former coach Tyrone Corbin and remains frustrated by the inconsistency of his role, Falk notes.
Kanter’s desire for an exodus from Utah is not a new development, Jody Genessy of The Deseret News tweets. The 22-year-old’s agent Max Ergul has been requesting that his client be traded for years, and he has turned up the heat on the Jazz front office recently regarding the matter, Genessy notes. Ergul has denied making such claims in response to Genessy’s report (Twitter link). The market for Kanter could increase prior to the trade deadline, but there is little to no interest in the big man currently around the league, Genessy notes (Twitter links). Tony Jones of The Salt Lake City Tribune disputes that notion, tweeting that Utah has been fielding trade calls regarding Kanter for some time.
Kanter is in the final season of his rookie scale contract, and will become a restricted free agent this summer after he and the team were unable to come to terms on an extension this past October. Ergul had sung a different tune at the time regarding Kanter’s feelings about playing in Utah, saying, “We have mutually agreed with Utah to concentrate on the season and look at our options again in the summer. Enes likes Utah and the organization very much, and now he can concentrate on continuing to grow as a player and helping them win.”
The fourth year big man from Switzerland has started in 47 of his 48 appearances this season, after being on the court for the opening tip for just 39 of his previous 216 contests dating back to the 2011/12 campaign. Kanter has been sharing the pivot duties with second year center Rudy Gobert, who is a far superior defender. Him having to split time with Gobert is likely contributing to Kanter’s frustration, though that is just my speculation. Kanter is logging 27.3 minutes per contest compared with Gobert’s 21.8 per game.
Since being selected with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, Kanter’s career averages are 9.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists. His career slash line is .502/.318/.746. Kanter’s numbers this season are a career-high 14.0 PPG and 7.8 RPG, and he is shooting a respectable 49.2% from the field.
Northwest Notes: Chandler, Afflalo, Jackson
Denver’s demands for Wilson Chandler are higher than they are for Arron Afflalo, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears, and some believe that he’s among the few Nuggets the team isn’t shopping, Stein writes. There are conflicting reports about whether Denver has been shopping Chandler, though the general belief has been that GM Tim Connelly and company are seeking a first-round pick in exchange, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reported. Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post reported that a first-rounder is the Nuggets’ asking price for Afflalo, too, so there may be a more nuanced difference between what they’re asking for each. In any case, the Nuggets appear to be active, as Stein writes, and there’s more from his piece amid the latest from the Northwest Division:
- Afflalo and Reggie Jackson are two of the three players whom GMs mentioned most frequently when Stein asked about the biggest names likely to move at the deadline. Brook Lopez, whom the Nuggets and Thunder have reportedly sought, is the other.
- Adreian Payne went from the best team in the Eastern Conference to the worst team in the West in Tuesday’s trade that sent him from the Hawks to the Timberwolves, but he doesn’t mind that, as Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes. Instead, last year’s No. 15 overall pick is excited about the chance to play after going on four D-League assignments and appearing in only three NBA games with Atlanta.
- Minnesota’s futile attempts to surround a young Kevin Garnett with veterans during Flip Saunders‘ first stint at Wolves coach gave Saunders, now both coach and president of basketball operations, a lesson about what not to do, argues Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. Tuesday’s pair of trades were further indication that Saunders intends to follow a different path with Andrew Wiggins and surround him with young talent, Rand believes.
Trade Candidate: Deron Williams
Two and a half years ago, Deron Williams was the single most sought-after free agent in the NBA. It’s almost unfathomable to think of Williams in that context now, but Williams came away with the most lucrative deal in a weak class. Williams, teammate Brook Lopez, who’s now also a trade candidate, Eric Gordon, Roy Hibbert, Nicolas Batum and JaVale McGee came away with the six most lucrative contracts that summer, as our free agent tracker shows. Times have changed not only for Williams but for the market, too.
That’s particularly so at the position Williams plays. George Hill and Goran Dragic were the point guards who received the next most lucrative contracts after Williams that summer, but it seems Dragic’s value has seemingly leapfrogged that of Williams. Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Jeff Teague, Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry, Mike Conley, Ty Lawson, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Jennings, Brandon Knight and Jrue Holiday are others who’ve improved their games since Williams signed his contract. That lengthy list only encompasses players who were in the NBA the season before Williams signed, so it doesn’t include Damian Lillard, whom the Blazers drafted in 2012 using a pick they acquired from the Nets in exchange for Gerald Wallace.
It isn’t just that Williams is in his third straight season of averaging few points than the year before, as his scoring average has dipped from 21.0 points per game the season before he signed the contract to 12.9 PPG this year. The quality of point guards around the league has risen to unprecedented heights, and Williams, once in the conversation with Chris Paul as the league’s best at his position, is merely a run-of-the-mill producer at this point. His PER of 15.4, the lowest he’s put up since his rookie season, suggests that he’s above average at best.
He’s not even starting for the Nets at this point, although a slow recovery from injuries, which have largely been behind his decline, seems to be the chief reason why he’s been unable to take his job back from Jarrett Jack. Still, it’s surely disheartening for Nets GM Billy King to see Williams, who’s making more than $19.754MM this season and almost $21.043MM next year with a player option for a whopping $22.331MM-plus in 2016/17, come off the bench and play just 23.5 minutes per game when he does so. He’s appeared in only nine games since New Year’s Day, only furthering the decline in his trade value.
The notion of a Williams trade has been a legitimate one since at least this past May, when Howard Beck of Bleacher Report wrote that the Nets wouldn’t rule out a deal. Multiple reports followed in December indicating that the Nets are prepared to move on from Williams, as well as Lopez and Joe Johnson, with conflicting information about whether the team was initiating trade talks about the trio or merely open to the idea of parting with them. The most substantive recent discussions, by far, seemed to be with the Kings in December, but Sacramento’s insistence on taking back Mason Plumlee in such a deal put the kibosh on that. Brooklyn’s reluctance to part with Plumlee, whom the Kings were apparently demanding, shows that the team isn’t willing to take just any deal to move off Williams and his bloated contract, at least not yet. A source predicted to Marc Stein of ESPN.com that Williams would stay put, given the lack of attractive offers, as Stein wrote last month. Still, deadlines drive deals, as always, and so it’s conceivable that the Nets will revisit the Sacramento talks as next week’s trade deadline draws ever closer.
Brooklyn would like to trade two of Williams, Lopez and Johnson, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports wrote. Lopez seems easiest to trade, given his somewhat cheaper salary and the shorter length of his deal, which could be over at season’s end thanks to a player option. Johnson is locked in through next season at salaries between $3MM and $4MM more than Williams makes each year, but that deal is assured of ending a year before Williams’ might, and Williams is owed the most money of the trio.
Williams and Lopez both reportedly drew mention when the Nets and Celtics talked about a deal involving Rajon Rondo, before Boston sent Rondo to the Mavs instead. The Hornets, predictably, appeared to have no interest in Williams when they spoke with the Nets about Lance Stephenson in December, given the presence of Walker. Charlotte’s point guard has since gone down with injury, but Walker’s short-term absence probably won’t change the equation for the Hornets. The Rockets reportedly made preliminary inquiries about Williams a year ago, but the Nets were unwilling to give him up at that point. Now, it’s debatable whether the Rockets would be better off with Williams or incumbent Houston point guard Patrick Beverley regardless of the profound gap between what Williams is making and Beverley’s minimum salary. The Lakers and Knicks are in need of point guards and have cap flexibility to burn, but there have been no indications that either of them would want to forfeit that flexibility for Williams.
It’s tough to envision much of a market for Williams, particularly given his recent production. He went scoreless Monday, his third straight outing of five points or less.
“I have no idea [what’s wrong with Williams],” coach Lionel Hollins said after the game to reporters, including Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “I feel bad for the kid because he’s trying and it’s just not happening.”
Williams, at 30, is a “kid” compared to the 61-year-old Hollins, and while he’s certainly not young for an NBA player, he’s not especially old, either. The possibility exists that Williams will regain some of what he seems to have lost, but it seems out of the realm of possibility that he’ll ever be the player he was when he last put pen to paper on a contract. The market may well force the Nets to attach a first-round pick or an intriguing young player like Plumlee to a Williams deal if they’re to part ways with their highly paid point guard, and the Nets seem prepared to keeping paying Williams’ salary for a while longer if it comes to that. Deadlines often inspire moves that teams otherwise wouldn’t make, but Hollins doesn’t expect the team will swing a deal, and at least as far as Williams goes, the coach is probably right.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
And-Ones: Buyouts, Dragic, Stauskas, Magic
Andrea Bargnani, Brandon Bass, Marcus Thornton, Andrei Kirilenko, Willie Green, Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur are all likely buyout candidates if they’re not traded before the deadline, league sources tell Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Beck also mentions Tayshaun Prince, who’ll probably strike a buyout deal with the Celtics if he’s not traded, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported last month. The Bleacher Report scribe also reiterates that Kevin Garnett isn’t seeking a buyout, seconding an earlier report from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Here’s more from around the NBA:
- The Suns want a first-round pick if they’re to give up Goran Dragic in a trade, as Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times hears (Twitter link). Woelfel suggests that opposing teams will be willing to pay that price and believes the Rockets, who’ve reportedly tried to trade for Dragic this season, will consider going after him again.
- There are rumors connecting the Bucks to Kings rookie Nik Stauskas, according to Woelfel (Twitter link). Still, it’s unclear if there’s truly interest from Milwaukee’s end.
- James Borrego says the Magic haven’t told him whether or not he’ll be the head coach for the rest of the season, and he takes it as a signal that he’ll remain in place, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. The timing of the situation and the Magic’s track record don’t suggest they’ll make a move before season’s end, though “it’s widely believed” the team will eventually replace Borrego with a proven coaching veteran, Schmitz writes. Rumored coaching candidate Scott Skiles indeed has interest in the job, but the Magic’s players seem to be supporting Borrego, Schmitz adds.
- Blazers GM Neil Olshey is exploring possible trades to help shore up the team’s depth, The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman writes, noting that Thomas Robinson and Will Barton seem unsure if they’ll remain on the team past the deadline. Olshey declared earlier this week that he wouldn’t trade any of the team’s starters and also talked up the value of his bench players in an interview during a game broadcast, as Mike Richman of The Oregonian transcribes.
- Former Mavs guard Dominique Jones is drawing renewed NBA interest following an impressive showing in China, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Jones, who last played in the league in 2012/13, averaged an eye-popping 36.8 points per game over 41 appearances in China this season.