Lowe’s Latest: Bledsoe, Knight, Nuggets, Mudiay
Eric Bledsoe is enjoying the best season of his NBA career so far in 2016/17, putting up career-best marks in PPG (21.6), APG (6.2), and several other categories. As Zach Lowe of ESPN.com writes, Bledsoe’s impressive season raises the question of whether the Suns should sell high on the veteran point guard or commit to him a part of the team’s long-term future.
Phoenix projects to have a top pick in a 2017 draft that will be loaded with point guards, and Bledsoe has undergone three knee surgeries already, so there’s a case to be made that the Suns would be wise to sell high on him. However, don’t count head coach Earl Watson among those who feels that way. “I can almost guarantee Devin [Booker] and Eric will be on the same team next year,” Watson said, per Lowe.
Here’s more from Lowe’s latest piece:
- As a parenthetical aside in his discussion of Bledsoe, Lowe writes that “nobody wants” Suns guard Brandon Knight. Knight has been mentioned more frequently than Bledsoe as a trade candidate, but if Phoenix hopes to secure a substantial return, it doesn’t sound like moving Knight will accomplish that.
- The Nuggets are “quietly exploring” what sort of return they could get for a package of Emmanuel Mudiay and multiple picks, sources tell Lowe. The ESPN analyst isn’t sure the Suns would be a logical trade partner for Denver though, since Phoenix will have the opportunity to draft a point guard in the summer. Lowe adds that Denver is in no rush to move Mudiay.
- The Suns would have to consider moving Bledsoe if the right team were to offer a “good wing or center, plus a high first-round pick,” according to Lowe. However, he adds that most teams are reluctant to move probable lottery picks at this time of year, when it’s still not clear where they’ll land in the draft.
- Although there’s no indication that the two teams are discussing such a deal, and he acknowledges that there would be roadblocks, Lowe offers his favorite hypothetical Bledsoe deal, involving the Magic: Lowe’s proposal would see Nikola Vucevic, Mario Hezonja, and Orlando’s 2017 pick go to the Suns in exchange for Bledsoe and Alex Len. Per Lowe, the Magic front office remains “divided” on whether or not Elfrid Payton is the club’s long-term solution at point guard.
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Pacific Notes: Suns, Pachulia, West, Calderon
It wasn’t long ago that Earl Watson was in an NBA locker room as a player rather than a coach, so he knows how to help his young Suns team deal with the trade rumors that will surface this month, writes Doug Haller of AZCentral.com.
“Communication is key,” the Suns head coach said. “And it’s not communication (as far as) who’s going to get traded and who’s not going to get traded, it’s more of transparency (regarding) how much we appreciate you now. All we can control is this moment and our actions and our attitude. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Meanwhile, in the wake of a report that the Suns and Kings had trade discussions about DeMarcus Cousins, Suns general manager Ryan McDonough appeared this week on Arizona Sports 620. While McDonough stopped short of confirming any interest in Cousins, he acknowledged that he’s doing due diligence on any opportunity that may be available.
“What I will say, generally, is that we have conversations with every other team in the league about every elite player in the league,” the Suns GM said. “Our interest level, obviously, differs on those players. … This time of year I think some of the rumors get a little bit out of control. Some of them, there is a shred of truth to them. Some of them, there’s no truth to them. And obviously, from the team side, it’s not great when your own players are mentioned in a deal either individually or in a package, but that’s part of the business.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- The Warriors‘ frontcourt remains banged up, with Zaza Pachulia joining David West on the injury report. According to Anthony Slater of The Bay Area News Group (Twitter link), Pachulia will miss at least a week due to a right rotator cuff strain. Meanwhile, West will miss at least two more games with a thumb injury, and is expected to be re-evaluated next week, tweets Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com.
- After a recent Spanish report suggested that Lakers point guard Jose Calderon could return to Europe and play for Real Madrid later this season, Calderon shot down that notion, suggesting that the writer ought to get new sources (English link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Calderon, 35, has seen his minutes significantly reduced this season and is a free agent this summer, so he may be a buyout candidate, but he intends to finish the season in Los Angeles.
- Among our Pacific-related items from Wednesday: Kings guard Garrett Temple is expected to miss two to three weeks, and former Suns guard John Jenkins is headed to the D-League.
Pistons Exploring Trade Market For Baynes, Boban
FEBRUARY 2: Asked about Wednesday’s report, Baynes suggested that he hasn’t yet decided to opt out of his contract with the Pistons this summer, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.
“I definitely haven’t thought about anything yet,” Baynes said. “It’s not even All-Star break. There’s a long way left in this season. I’m just trying to go out there and make the most of it.”
While Baynes may not be considering his offseason decision, his representatives have likely thought about it, and an opt-out would certainly make sense. Last summer, only three veterans with player options actually exercised them, and none of those three players – Mo Williams, Tim Duncan, and Caron Butler – have appeared in an NBA game this season.
FEBRUARY 1: The Pistons are exploring the trade market for possible deals involving Aron Baynes and Boban Marjanovic, league sources tell Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders. It’s not clear what sort of return the team would be seeking for its bigs.
Baynes, 30, joined the Pistons as a free agent in 2015 after spending the first three seasons of his NBA career in San Antonio. The Washington State alum has been a key part of Detroit’s rotation during the last two seasons, averaging 5.6 PPG and 4.4 RPG in 126 games (15.2 MPG). Baynes has a $6.5MM player option on his contract for the 2017/18 season, but league sources tell Scotto that the big man intends to turn that option down and become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Marjanovic, meanwhile, also came to the Pistons as a Spurs free agent, inking a three-year, $21MM deal with Detroit last summer. In his first season with the club though, Marjanovic has played sparingly, appearing in just 20 games and averaging only 7.3 MPG. He saw his most extensive playing time in January when Baynes only played 17 minutes in a five-game span.
Baynes’ value on the trade market will likely be limited, since he can become a free agent this summer. Marjanovic is under contract through 2018/19, but has yet to show he can be a consistent and productive rotation player, which may make teams hesitant to pursue him. Neither player figures to produce a significant return for Detroit, but we’ll see if the Pistons end up moving one or the other in the coming weeks.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 2/1/17
Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:
- The Pistons sent Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije to their Grand Rapids affiliate, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Shooting guard Darrun Hilliard, who has appeared in just 26 games this season, was also sent down after requesting the move as a way to see game action (Twitter link). “He just wanted to play,” said coach Stan Van Gundy.
Central Notes: Cavaliers, Chalmers, Stuckey, McHale
The Cavaliers were happy with what they saw at today’s playmaker auditions, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Mario Chalmers, Kirk Hinrich, Jordan Farmar and Lance Stephenson all participated in a workout as the Cavs search for a reliable backup to Kyrie Irving. Several sources told Vardon that the session went very well and that one or more could be signed by March 1.
There’s more tonight from the Central Divsion:
- Veteran swingman James Jones thinks Chalmers, his former teammate in Miami, would be a good addition to the roster, relays Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Chalmers teamed with Jones and LeBron James on Heat teams that reached four straight NBA Finals. A torn Achilles last March has kept Chalmers out of the league, but he was medically cleared for basketball activities in August and Jones has kept in touch with him throughout rehab. “Coming back from an injury is a lonely process,” Jones said. “What I mean is that you spend a lot of time alone and learn a lot about yourself, but he’s doing well. He pushed hard, he worked hard to come back from that and he’s feeling well and moving well. I’m just glad that he’s back and doing what he loves, which is playing basketball.”
- Rodney Stuckey returned to the Pacers tonight after a 15-game absence with a hamstring injury, write Jordan J. Wilson and Nate Taylor of the Lafayette Journal and Courier. Stuckey had been participating in practice and said he felt “back to normal” since last Monday, but team trainers remained cautious. Stuckey suffered a right hamstring strain during the second game of the season and sat out the next 10. He came back November 18th, but it started hurting again less than a month later. “Coming into the season, my body felt great,” Stuckey said. “It felt like I was in great shape. Mentally I was ready and then all of the sudden, boom, a hamstring. Then boom, another hamstring. I’ve never had hamstring problems in my career.”
- Celtics legend Kevin McHale is backing up Rajon Rondo, who criticized Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler for going to the media with complaints about teammates last week. In an interview on Sam Amick’s A to Z podcast, McHale said success and failure in the NBA is determined by star players. “You don’t lose because your eighth man’s in a slump,” McHale said. “It’s the top players who’ve got to drive your team to win.”
Mavericks Notes: Ferrell, Bogut, Acy
The Mavericks couldn’t be happier with the first half of Yogi Ferrell‘s 10-day contract, writes Dwain Price of The Star-Telegram. Signed out of the D-League after an injury to Pierre Jackson, Ferrell was immediately inserted into the starting lineup in tough matchups against the Spurs and Cavaliers. He scored nine points against San Antonio, then played Kyrie Irving to a standoff as Dallas won both games. “He’s on pace to have one of the greatest 10 days of all time,” said teammate Harrison Barnes. “He’s just playing with so much heart. And offensively and defensively, he’s had some tough match-ups. But he’s brought it every single night and the guy is giving us a chance.”
There’s more tonight out of Dallas:
- Ferrell is almost certain to remain with the team after his 10-day deal expires, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Dallas has the option of giving him a second 10-day contract, then must either waive him or sign him for the rest of the season. With the rash of injuries to Mavericks point guards this season, Sefko believes Ferrell will stay around, at least for insurance purposes.
- The Mavericks should be able to find a serviceable center for next season if Andrew Bogut is either traded or leaves as a free agent, Sefko states in a separate story. Over the past few seasons, they have used Tyson Chandler, Samuel Dalembert, Chris Kaman and Elton Brand, and Sefko is confident that someone like that will be available this summer, particularly as teams move to smaller lineups.
- Quincy Acy‘s new two-year deal with the Nets will save the Mavericks some money, tweets Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Dallas signed Acy in July, but waived him in November with $1,050,961 in guaranteed salary. The contract he signed Monday with Brooklyn will bring that amount down to $593K.
Kings’ Temple Out Two To Three Weeks
Kings guard Garrett Temple will miss two to three weeks with a partially torn hamstring, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com. Temple suffered the injury in Tuesday’s loss at Houston.
The 30-year-old swingman has been a reliable bench player for Sacramento for most of the season and moved into the starting lineup after Rudy Gay‘s Achilles tear last month. Temple is averaging 7.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 49 games.
“I got a strip on James [Harden] and pushed off to go grab it and felt it right away,” Temple told Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. “I knew it wasn’t a cramp. I knew what it was right away.”
Temple has experience with hamstring tears, and says this one isn’t as severe as one he suffered a couple of seasons ago when he played for the Wizards. That kept him out of action for about a month, as he aggravated it in his first practice when trying to return.
The Kings are already shorthanded at the wing position with injuries to Gay and Omri Casspi, so until Temple recovers, they will have to rely on rookie Malachi Richardson along with Ben McLemore, who played Tuesday for the first time in six games.
“Guys are going to step up,” Temple said. “I have a lot of faith in Malachi, Ben, and when Omri gets back, we can still bounce back and hopefully I’ll be back sooner than later.”
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Nuggets, Turner, Murray
The Trail Blazers will probably wait until the offseason to start making trades to decrease salary, writes Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Portland is looking at the highest payroll in the league next season and has gotten limited production in return, a half game out of the West’s final playoff spot entering tonight’s action. The Blazers have their own draft pick as well as Cleveland’s to offer, but Marks believes those will be more valuable in a possible June deal than they are now. Portland can also deal the contract of Festus Ezeli, who hasn’t played this season and has a $7.733MM salary for next year with just a $1MM guarantee through June 30. However, Marks warns that luxury tax concerns should make the team think twice about taking back any long-term deals.
There’s more news out of the Northwest Division:
- History suggests that Nuggets GM Tim Connelly will be active at the trade deadline, Marks writes in the same piece. Since taking over in 2013, Connelly has been involved in five deadline deals, along with the trade of Timofey Mozgov to the Cavaliers in January of 2015. Marks also notes that Denver is $7.6MM below the cap floor and could be active on the waiver wire to try to reach that figure.
- Former Blazer Nicolas Batum believes the team needs to be patient with Evan Turner, relays Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Turner has been going through a rocky transition since signing a four-year, $70MM deal over the summer. Batum, who was traded to the Hornets in 2015, says Turner gives Portland many of the same attributes that he used to. “He’s one of the best playmakers in this league,” Batum said. “I really appreciate his game. He showed that in Boston the last two years. He just needs time. This is a new team for him.”
- Veteran point guard Jameer Nelson is teaching the position to Nuggets rookie Jamal Murray, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. “I don’t like to talk about too much of what’s going on in the locker room, but I just encourage him,” Nelson said. “I don’t know what it is to be his age [19] in the NBA. But I can just tell him or help him out with plays or certain situations. And he’s real receptive of it. He’s a great kid. That’s why I’m able to get through to him, because he’s such a great kid.”
Central Notes: Rondo, Middleton, Ellenson, S. Johnson
Rajon Rondo gained respect by standing up for his “rank-and-file” teammates and is unlikely to be traded before the Feb. 23rd deadline, writes Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report. Discord in the Bulls‘ locker room was aired publicly last week when Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler both went to the media with complaints that some players don’t care enough. Rondo responded on Instagram with a post saying that the veteran leaders on his former Celtics teams never would have done that. Rondo not only improved his standing in the locker room, he has also been productive in his role with the second unit, creating shots for younger players rather than fighting Wade and Butler for the ball.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- Bucks swingman Khris Middleton is getting closer to making his season debut, tweets Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He has been participating in contract drills and is expected to be ready soon, although not during the team’s current road trip. Middleton had surgery for a torn hamstring in September.
- Henry Ellenson has only played in 14 NBA games, but the rookie big man has performed well enough in the D-League to the keep the Pistons optimistic about his future, according to Keith Langlois of NBA.com. Ellenson averaged 20 points and nine rebounds per game during his most recent trip to Grand Rapids. Langlois notes that he was taken with the pick that Detroit traded last year for Donatas Motiejunas then regained when the deal was rescinded. “I think the guy is a really, really talented offensive guy and I have great confidence in his work ethic, that he’ll work at it and get better,” said coach/executive Stan Van Gundy.
- Pistons second-year swingman Stanley Johnson credits weight loss for his increased playing time, relays Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Johnson has dropped about 15 pounds and has become a reliable backup to shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. “The two things to me are he’s gotten in shape — which he wasn’t to start the year — and he’s gotten much more coachable,” Van Gundy said.