And-Ones: Salary Cap, Munford, Christmas, Barber
James Johnson and Taurean Prince have been fined $25K each after getting into a shoving match in Thursday’s match-up between the Hawks and Heat. According to the league’s official website, Prince was assessed the fine for “forcefully pulling down” Hassan Whiteside, and Johnson was penalized for escalating the situation by throwing an elbow at Prince. In a show of appreciation for his teammate’s loyalty, Whiteside told Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald he would pay Johnson’s $25K fine.
Other notes from around the league…
- The NBA has reduced its salary cap estimate from $103MM to $102MM for the 2017/18 season, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports. Additionally, the luxury line is projected for $122MM; an increase from this season’s $113.287MM.
- Xavier Munford agreed to terms with FC Barcelona, according to Fersu Yahyabeyoglou of Euro Basket. After starting 2016/17 with the D-League’s Greensboro Swarm, Munford will spend the rest of the season in Barcelona. Munford averaged 5.7 points through 14 games with the Grizzlies last year.
- Italian professional basketball team Vuelle Pesaro is targeting Dionte Christmas, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. A former Temple Owls standout, Christmas made NBA appearances with the Pelicans and Suns in 2013/14.
- Sacramento’s D-League affiliate, The Reno Bighorns, claimed Jaleel Cousins out of the available player pool, according to the team’s official website. Jaleel is the brother of Kings center DeMarcus Cousins. This will be Cousins’ second D-League team in 2016/17, having played in 15 games for the Texas Legends earlier this season.
- The Delaware 87ers acquired Aaron Harrison from the Greensboro Swarm for Anthony “Cat” Barber and the rights to Sam Thompson, according to Keith Porter of Philly.com. While Barber has yet to make his NBA debut, Harrison has appeared in five games with the Hornets this season.
Wilson Chandler, Michael Malone Discuss Trade Rumors
Wilson Chandler and Nuggets head coach Michael Malone addressed recent trade rumors, offering different takes on Chandler’s status in Denver.
“I laugh at that report, because Wilson Chandler is having a career year. So if a guy is not happy with his role when he’s having a career year, that doesn’t add up to me,” Malone said, per ESPN. “Obviously, there’s a lot of noise. Not just Wilson — different things this time of year for all NBA teams. The trade deadline is right around the corner. I think agents are behind a lot of that stuff, but Wilson has never said anything close to that.”
Chandler was hardly dismissive of trade rumors when speaking with Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post, however.
“I would definitely like to be in something more consistent. I wouldn’t say unhappy. It’s a tough situation. Our job is to play through rumors, and through whatever the situation is that may be tough. So I’m just focused on the task at hand, and whatever happens, happens,” Chandler said. “It’s not necessarily about starting. It’s just about being more consistent. If it’s 20 minutes, it’s 20 minutes and that’s cool. If it’s 35 minutes, if it’s 30 minutes; if it’s six shots, it’s 12 shots. If it’s this group, it’s that group.”
If these quotes are of any indication, Chandler and Malone appear to have conflicting views of the 29-year-old’s role on the Nuggets. While Chandler didn’t rule out staying in Denver, a report from Sam Amick of USA Today indicated his frustration without a defined role on the team.
While Malone issued a firm dismissal to rumors surrounding Emmanuel Mudiay (“Emmanuel’s a big part of our future”) he was unable to offer the same assurance to Chandler.
Kevin Love Expects To Be With Cavs ‘For A Long Time’
Kevin Love‘s name has surfaced once again in trade rumors this season, but after the big man played a key role in helping the team secure a championship, the Cavaliers don’t appear too interested in moving him. For his part, Love told reporters on Friday that he expects to remain in Cleveland “for a long time” (Associated Press report via ESPN.com).
[RELATED: Knicks haven’t given up pursuit of Kevin Love]
This year’s round of rumors involving Love has centered on the Knicks, with a report last week suggesting that Cleveland had rebuffed New York’s efforts to work out a swap involving Love and Carmelo Anthony.
“I predicted that,” Love said with a laugh when he was asked about the Knicks’ reported interest. “I said it doesn’t matter if I have an All-Star year or its one start or the other, it’s always going to be there, right?”
Although it doesn’t appear the Knicks have given up on the idea of landing Love, multiple sources tell Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that the Cavs don’t have a whole lot of interest in Anthony, and that they have even less interest in trading Love for him. While acquiring Anthony isn’t totally out of the question for the Cavs, it’s “mostly” out of the question, per Vardon.
Meanwhile, Love was indeed named an NBA All-Star for the fourth time overall and the first time since he became a Cavalier. The 28-year-old is averaging 19.9 PPG, 11.0 RPG, and 2.6 3PG in 41 games so far this season. Those marks are his best since his days with the Timberwolves.
Still, the Cavs won’t entirely rule out the possibility of moving Love, since the only truly untouchable player on their roster is LeBron James, says Vardon. But any Love deal would have to make the team better this season, and there aren’t many scenarios that fit that bill. Both the Cavs and Love himself view a deal this month as highly unlikely, sources tell Vardon.
Love, who has been sidelined this week due to a back injury, is expected to return to Cleveland’s lineup on Saturday.
Hornets Sign Ray McCallum To 10-Day Deal
2:07pm: The Hornets have officially signed McCallum, the team announced today in a press release.
9:57am: The Hornets will sign point guard Ray McCallum to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical.
McCallum, who has played for the Kings, Spurs and Grizzlies in his three-year NBA career, has spent this season with Grand Rapids in the D-League, where he is averaging 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game.
The 25-year-old was waived by the Pistons just before the start of the season. He appeared to have a roster spot won, but was let go when the organization decided to claim Beno Udrih off waviers.
The Hornets had an opening after Thursday’s trade that sent Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes to the Bucks in exchange for Miles Plumlee. Charlotte also signed center Mike Tobey to a 10-day contract on Thursday.
Heat Notes: Williams, White, Johnson, Dragic
Heat forward Derrick Williams expects to travel with the team for Monday’s game at Milwaukee, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Miami must make a roster decision when rookie forward Okaro White‘s second 10-day contract expires Sunday, and trading or waiving Williams has been discussed. White was added as a 16th player when the NBA approved a hardship exception. That exception remains in effect, but league rules prevent teams from signing an extra player for the rest of the season without opening a roster spot.
Coach Erik Spoelstra said no decision has been made on White, and it’s possible that the Heat may release him on Sunday and hope to re-sign him later (Twitter link). White has been getting about 15 minutes a night in his eight games with Miami and is averaging 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds. Williams has fallen out of the team’s rotation, even with its injury problems. He signed a one-year, $4.598MM deal over the summer, so waiving him wouldn’t create a significant financial burden.
There’s more today from South Florida:
- Josh Richardson could be with the team when the road trip starts Monday, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Richardson’s ankle sprain was part of the reason the Heat were awarded the hardship exception, so a roster move will be necessary when he returns.
- James Johnson is moving into consideration for the Most Improved and Sixth Man awards, Winderman writes in a mailbag column. His stellar play this year and Miami’s recent success will also serve to drive up his price in free agency. The 29-year-old forward signed a one-year, $4MM deal last summer.
- As Miami climbs back into the playoff chase, Goran Dragic seems less likely to be moved before the February 23rd deadline, Winderman contends in a separate piece. There was once talk that the Heat would try to find a taker for Dragic and the more than $54MM he has left on his contract over the next three seasons. However, he has averaged nearly 22 points per game since returning from back spasms in early January and the Heat have started winning.
Lakers Notes: Magic, Jim Buss, Walton, Draft
Magic Johnson will have the freedom to do whatever he wants in his new role as an advisor to the Lakers, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. A news release issued by the team listed Johnson’s duties as “advising ownership on all business and basketball matters,” and Bontemps believes he will have a significant role in crafting the team’s future. That could include an ouster of executive vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss, whom Johnson has frequently criticized in the past. Johnson offered an olive branch to Buss on Thursday, saying, “Jim is calling the shots, and I want him to understand, I’m just here to lend advice,” but Bontemps says no one in the organization believes that.
There’s more news from Los Angeles:
- Johnson’s hiring signals a major shakeup and the likely end of Jim Buss’ time with the team, according to Bill Plaschke of The Los Angeles Times. Plaschke predicts the Lakers will become more attractive to free agents as Johnson brings in someone new to run the organization. The writer also expects Luke Walton to be kept as head coach and Mitch Kupchak to be replaced as general manager, but remain with the team as an advisor.
- Walton hopes to build the Lakers in the image of a team that was once their greatest rival, relays Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. Growing up, the first-year head coach was greatly influenced by the 1985/86 champion Celtics that his father Bill was part of. “Everything that I’ve seen of basketball I thought should be played the way that Celtics team played,” Luke Walton said. “That was the standard of how basketball should be played — fast-paced, free-flowing, passing, high-scoring type of basketball. It was beautiful and historic.”
- The Lakers shouldn’t hesitate to take an elite point guard in this year’s draft even though they already have D’Angelo Russell, according to Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com [Insider account]. Ford sees either Washington’s Markelle Fultz or UCLA’s Lonzo Ball as an upgrade, while Pelton notes Russell’s ability as a shooter and suggests that he could be moved to the two guard position.
Knicks Notes: Anthony, Porzingis, Hernangomez
Carmelo Anthony may have more trade value during the summer than he does now, states Bobby Marks of The Vertical. In an interview with Chris Mannix, the former NBA executive suggests that teams that get eliminated in the later rounds of this year’s playoffs might see Anthony as the missing piece and would be willing to offer more than the Knicks could get now. Marks adds that deals involving star players are difficult to pull off at the deadline and said he believes Anthony will remain in New York for the rest of the season.
There’s more today out of New York:
- ESPN broadcaster and former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy thinks Anthony could prosper in a sixth-man role with the Clippers, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. L.A. is reportedly one of the teams that has had trade discussions with the Knicks, offering Austin Rivers, Jamal Crawford and possibly Wesley Johnson in return. “Great players can adjust to anything,’’ Van Gundy said. “… It’s not that he’s not one of their five best players. It’s trying to fit into the rotation that keeps enough firepower on the court.”
- Count Kristaps Porzingis among those wanting Anthony to stay with the Knicks, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. The second-year big man, who led New York to a comeback win over the Nets with Anthony on the sidelines Wednesday, says having another star on the roster helps his game. “I think it would make life harder for me on the court [if Anthony was traded],” Porzingis told the Daily News. “He makes stuff easier for me.”
- Rookie center Willy Hernangomez, who was acquired along with Porzingis in the 2015 draft, is getting an expanded role, according to Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Hernangomez posted back-to-back double-doubles this week, getting 16 points and 16 rebounds in Wednesday’s game. “We always said as he goes on through this year he’s going to get better and better once he sees guys a second and a third time,” said Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek. “He’s improving every day.”
Hornets Sign Mike Tobey To 10-Day Deal
FEBRUARY 3rd, 10:34am: The signing is official, according to a tweet from the team.
FEBRUARY 2nd, 2:06pm: The Hornets are set to open up a roster spot after agreeing to a two-for-one trade with the Bucks, and Charlotte plans to use that roster opening to bring back a player they waived in the preseason. According to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter), the Hornets will sign D-League center Mike Tobey to a 10-day contract.
[RELATED: Hornets to acquire Miles Plumlee from Bucks]
Tobey, a 7’1″ center out of Virginia, averaged 7.3 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 15.7 minutes per contest during his senior year in 2015/16. The 22-year-old joined the Hornets for Summer League action in Orlando last year, then inked a training camp deal with Charlotte that featured a $75K guarantee. However, he didn’t earn a spot on the team’s regular season roster, and landed with the Hornets’ D-League affiliate instead. In 28 games this season with the Greensboro Swarm, Tobey has averaged 11.0 PPG, 8.8 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in 25.9 minutes per contest.
When he officially joins the Hornets, Tobey will provide some depth up front for a club that just agreed to send two big men – Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes – to Milwaukee. Tobey will join Miles Plumlee, who will be acquired in that deal with the Bucks, as the newest members of the Hornets.
Tobey’s 10-day deal with Charlotte will count for $31,969 toward the team’s salary cap.
Southwest Notes: Howard, Rockets, Sanders, Gasol
Hawks center Dwight Howard doesn’t take any extra satisfaction from Thursday’s victory in Houston, writes Fran Blinebury of NBA.com. Howard posted 24 points and 23 rebounds as Atlanta rallied from a big fourth quarter deficit. Afterward, he said he “just wanted to win” and believes things have worked out better for both him and the Rockets since he signed with Atlanta last summer. “I chose this city in free agency and I chose it for a reason,” Howard said of his decision to come to Houston in 2013. “I thought Houston was a great place and I still do think it’s a great place. But the business of basketball, you’ve always got to do what’s best for you and I felt coming home would have been great for my career, being coached by a great coach in Bud [Mike Budenholzer] and playing with certain players on this team. But also just being at home is something I’ve always wanted to do all my life is play in Atlanta. I have that opportunity, so I’ll try to make the best of it.”
There’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Howard’s departure has turned the Rockets into a happier team, Blinebury notes in a separate story. He and James Harden both wanted to be the team leader during his three years in Houston, Blinebury states, and they had different visions of what the Rockets should do. He adds that Howard was just “marking time” last season and was looking forward to opting out.
- Three Southwest Division teams are possible destinations for former Bucks center Larry Sanders, according to Gery Woelfel of Woelfel’sPressBox. Sanders, who hasn’t played in the NBA since 2014/15, has hired an agent and will meet with teams next week in Miami. A source told Woelfel that the five clubs with the best shot at landing Sanders are the Rockets, Mavericks, Pelicans, Celtics and Timberwolves. Several teams have contacted the Bucks to get more information on Sanders, who is expected to receive about $300K for the rest of the season if he does sign somewhere.
- The Spurs could have Pau Gasol back in the lineup after the All-Star break, posts Michael C. Wright on ESPN Now. The veteran center underwent surgery January 20th after breaking a finger on his left hand.
Bulls Contact Sixers About Jahlil Okafor
The Bulls have reached out to the Sixers about a possible trade involving Jahlil Okafor, reports Vince Goodwill of Chicago.com.
Chicago is more interested in a deal than Philadelphia, sources tell Goodwill, and the Sixers may not be enamored with any of the Bulls’ young players. A third team could be needed to complete any trade, as the author states that Chicago hasn’t ruled out a complete rebuild and probably wants to hold on to its draft picks. The Bulls have their own pick this year, along with a top-10 protected choice from the Kings.
Goodwill adds that talks aren’t really heating up yet, but the Bulls definitely would like to acquire the second-year center. They need more low-post scoring with Robin Lopez and Cristiano Felicio currently manning the center spot.
Okafor has been in and out of Philadelphia’s rotation this season as he competes for playing time with Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel. He has appeared in 34 games so far, averaging 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in about 23 minutes per night. Those numbers are way down from 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds a year ago.