Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Still Plan To Trade Asik Next Week

December 13th, 2013 at 7:50pm CST by Luke Adams

7:50pm: The Cavs could get involved in an Asik deal if the Rockets need a third team to facilitate a trade, Lloyd writes, adding that it’s not clear what the Cavs would ask for in that scenario. Executives around the league believe the Rockets already have an Asik trade in place, and that GM Daryl Morey and company are seeing if they can find a better offer before they commit to a deal, tweets USA Today’s Sam Amick.

5:27pm: The Cavs don’t have interest in Asik, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd doesn’t say for certain whether Houston’s demands of more than just Anderson Varejao have put Cleveland off, or if Asik never intrigued the Cavs that much in the first place.

9:53am: Following up on Aldridge’s report, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein says that while the Rockets have had interest in Varejao in previous years, they wouldn’t be inclined to move Asik straight-up for him. As for the Cavs, it’s not clear whether they’d be willing to include additional assets in a swap, particularly since Cleveland would still rather acquire a small forward than a center.

Stein adds that league insiders continue to believe Paul Millsap is Houston’s top target, but as we heard already today, the Hawks don’t seem overly enthusiastic about moving him.

8:36am: A report last week suggested that the Rockets intended to move Omer Asik by December 19th, and the team still appears to be aiming for that self-imposed deadline. TNT’s David Aldridge reports (via Twitter) that the Rockets will trade Asik by Wednesday or Thursday of next week, adding that the Cavaliers should not be discounted, since Anderson Varejao would be a fit in Houston.

December 19th is significant because it gives the team a two-month cushion before this season’s February 20th deadline. Over-the-cap clubs like the Rockets are prohibited from including a recently-acquired player in a trade package within two months of acquiring him, so completing a deal by next Thursday would give Houston the flexibility to flip pieces acquired for Asik at the deadline.

As for Aldridge’s assertion that the Cavs are worth keeping an eye on, Varejao would probably mesh nicely with Dwight Howard in Houston, but I’m not sure it would make sense for Cleveland to pair Asik with Andrew Bynum. Additionally, while Varejao’s cap hit for next season is slightly larger than Asik’s, only $4MM of Varejao’s 2014/15 salary is guaranteed, whereas Asik will be owed a balloon payment of about $15MM. Up until this point, the Cavs have maintained enough 2014 cap space to make a run at a maximum-salary player like LeBron James, so it’s not clear if the team is willing to give up that flexibility.

Whether or not the Cavs are a serious suitor for Asik, it seems as if the Rockets should have plenty of options. The Pelicans, Hawks, Bucks, Celtics, Mavericks, and Sixers are among the other clubs who have been mentioned as potential fits at some point, though some of those destinations look more viable than others. Houston is said to be seeking a quality forward and/or first-round picks in any deal.

Odds & Ends: Gay, Pau, Fisher, Jenkins

December 13th, 2013 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Rudy Gay spoke to Sam Amick of USA Today about being traded for the second time in the calendar year, and indicated that he had yet made up his mind about his 2014/15 player option. Gay suggested he’ll make his decision with championship contention in mind, adding, “It’s really not as much about the money as you’d think.” If that’s truly the case, his decision to opt into the final year of his contract won’t be the lock that many expect.

Here’s more from around the NBA, as another week nears its end:

I appeared on the latest episode of The Baseline podcast to discuss the Kings‘ acquisition of Gay, along with a handful of other topics, including the Raptors‘ next move, Omer Asik trade rumors, and the Clippers‘ signing of Stephen Jackson. You can listen right here.
We heard earlier that the Lakers have been listening to offers for Pau Gasol, in part because he and coach Mike D’Antoni aren’t seeing eye-to-eye, and D’Antoni’s remarks today likely didn’t help mend any fences. Responding to Pau’s recent comments about being frustrated by his role, D’Antoni said, “That’s a classic, ‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.’ Well, you don’t have trouble getting up to the paystub line. You know what you need to do to get your check. You know what to do. They will. They’ll figure it out.”
Derek Fisher is planning to retire at season’s end, and isn’t sure what his post-playing career will bring, as he tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News: “I’m not going to want to necessarily just sit around the house, but I’ll take a step back from the grind of the NBA schedule and see where my heart and passion takes me.”
Mark Deeks of ShamSports explains in a piece for SBNation.com why the window between December 15th and 19th could result in high trade activity.
In a separate piece for The Score, Deeks examines a number of intriguing unsigned forwards who could help NBA teams this season. Deeks previously looked at guards and bigs.
The Hawks recalled John Jenkins from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Since being assigned to the Bakersfield Jam a week ago, Jenkins appeared in four games, averaging 21.5 PPG and 6.3 RPG. He’ll be in uniform for Atlanta tonight against the Wizards.

Kyler’s Latest: Asik, Randolph, Anderson, Lakers

December 13th, 2013 at 9:41am CST by Luke Adams

In his NBA AM column for HoopsWorld this morning, Steve Kyler weighs in with new tidbits on several trade possibilities, so let’s dive right in and round up the highlights from the piece….

The Rockets no longer appear to be holding out for multiple first-round picks in talks for Omer Asik, as they reportedly were at the start of the month.
The Hawks and 76ers are among the clubs who have been linked to Asik in recent weeks, but Kyler hears that Atlanta currently has no interest in moving Paul Millsap, while Philadelphia wouldn’t include a draft pick in any offer for Asik.
Although the Sixers are resistant to parting with a first-round pick for Asik, they don’t have a problem with next season’s balloon payment, since it wouldn’t have a huge effect on the team’s cap space. A one-for-one trade of Asik for Thaddeus Young would work under CBA rules, though the Rockets may be seeking a more significant return.
A report yesterday suggested the Grizzlies are shopping Zach Randolph with an eye on Ryan Anderson, but according to Kyler, both teams are denying interest in such a deal. Pointing out that teams are making calls and listening to calls a little more seriously than they were a couple weeks ago, Kyler writes that both the Grizzlies and Pelicans are probably just being open-minded about their options. It’s unlikely that either Randolph or Anderson is traded, says Kyler.
Despite their injury woes at the point, the Lakers aren’t likely to be active on the trade market unless they can land the kind of player they’d be targeting anyway in 2014 free agency, according to Kyler.

Eastern Notes: MKG/CDR, Teague, Kidd, Raptors

December 12th, 2013 at 7:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque

According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is ecstatic about the team’s recent addition of Chris Douglas-Roberts, a player who Kidd-Gilchrist idolized while growing up: “It’s so good to have (Douglas-Roberts) here, a dream-come-true for me and him to be on the same team…I never would have thought that in a million years. He’s my favorite player.”

Bonnell also relays what Douglas-Roberts is sharing with the former Kentucky Wildcat:

“(Kidd-Gilchrist) always been a student of the game since he was a little kid…(But) one thing you can’t prepare for is the business of this. I tell him, ‘You’re a basketball player – a good basketball player. Just have a thicker skin…“I told him you have to embrace all the pressure (of being the No. 2 overall pick). Never shy away from it…You want people criticizing you. You want the media talking about you, positively or negatively.”

With that aside, here are some more noteworthy links to pass along out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution explains why Jeff Teague has been the answer the Hawks have long been looking for at point guard and says it’s no coincidence that he’s flourishing without Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Marvin Williams on the team anymore (Subscribers only).
ESPN’s Chris Broussard asked two NBA executives and a scout to weigh in on Jason Kidd’s struggles as a rookie head coach with the Nets (Insiders only).
Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun reports that recently-acquired Chuck Hayes, who is known to have a previous heart issue, won’t receive approval to play from team doctors until he undergoes baseline testing with the Cleveland Clinic. Regardless, this isn’t expected to hold up anyone else involved in the Raptors’ deal with the Kings.
In another piece, Ganter notes Greivis Vasquez‘s excitement at a fresh start as well as his desire to remain in Toronto for the rest of his career.

Atlantic Rumors: Thibodeau, Rivers, Iguodala

December 12th, 2013 at 8:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The idea that Tom Thibodeau could become the next coach of the Knicks is centered around the notion that friction between Thibodeau and Bulls management would prompt a parting of ways, but such tension has cooled, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Thibodeau, GM Gar Forman and executive vice president John Paxson cleared the air during several meetings early in the offseason, and while they may not be the best of friends, the relationship is “more than just workable,” Cowley writes. Thibodeau had no comment on the Knicks rumor, and with New York beating Chicago last night, it seems Mike Woodson‘s job is safe for at least another day. Here’s the latest on the Knicks’ rivals in the Atlantic Division:

Amid a return to Boston as coach of the Clippers, Doc Rivers said taking the Celtics job in 2004 was “the best decision I ever made,” HoopsWorld’s Jessica Camerato notes.
Andre Iguodala was shocked when the Sixers traded him to the Nuggets as part of last year’s four-team Dwight Howard blockbuster, and tells Grantland’s Jonathan Abrams that he wishes the deal hadn’t come while he was competing in the Olympics. Iguodala also shares his frustrations about playing in front of Philly’s notoriously critical fans and says the constant changes to the Sixers during his tenure with the team hurt his game.
Nerlens Noel might be done for the season, but he and the Sixers are working diligently on improving his shot, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer details.
Nets GM Billy King admits that he was involved in the decision to demote former lead assistant Lawrence Frank, notes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Kyle Korver told HoopsHype’s Jorge Sierra that his ties to King, who as Sixers GM 10 years ago swung a deal to acquire him on draft night, were part of the reason he nearly signed with the Nets this summer. Ultimately, Korver says he and his wife decided to stay in Atlanta.

Odds & Ends: Collins, Augustin, Mavs, Cavs

December 11th, 2013 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Jannero Pargo‘s contract with the Bobcats became fully guaranteed when the team didn’t waive him yesterday, and A.J. Price passed his contract guarantee threshold with the Timberwolves this weekend. That means the rest of the players with non-guaranteed contracts won’t have their deals fully guaranteed unless they remain on their teams until the leaguewide guarantee date of January 10th. We’ll continue to track non-guaranteed contracts here until that date. Here’s more from around the league:

Free agent center Jason Collins told Michael K. Lavers of the Washington Blade that he doesn’t pin the reluctance of NBA teams to sign him on his sexual orientation. Collins, who hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since publicly revealing last spring that he is homosexual, says he hopes a team will sign him by March 1st.
The Bulls are zeroing in on D.J. Augustin, and the move would give them four point guards, not including the injured Derrick Rose. They probably won’t be carrying all four by the end of the season, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
With Devin Harris suffering a setback in his rehab, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News wonders if the Mavericks will go after Augustin.
The Cavs have assigned Carrick Felix, Sergey Karasev and Henry Sims to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. It’s the first assignment for Karasev, while Felix and Sims are making return trips to the Canton Charge.
Other teams reportedly expect the Nuggets will soon trade Jordan Hamilton for little in return, but the third-year small forward has earned the trust of coach Brian Shaw, according to Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com.
Shelvin Mack is making the most of his non-guaranteed contract with the Hawks, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution examines (subscription required).

Minor Moves: Diogu, Nogueira, Kennedy

December 10th, 2013 at 2:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s been an active past couple of days in the Association, and there are plenty of rumblings on other circuits, too. Here’s the latest on players with NBA ties:

Knicks training camp invitee Ike Diogu will join the D-League, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. Diogu, the ninth overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft, last appeared in an NBA regular season game with the Spurs in 2011/12, though the Knicks reportedly considered bringing him back last month after Tyson Chandler‘s injury.
Lucas Nogueira has exercised a provision in his contract with Spanish club Estudiantes to suspend the deal while he seeks outside medical opinion on his ailing knees, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The Hawks retain the NBA rights to Nogueira, the 16th pick in the draft this June.
D.J. Kennedy has left Gravelines of France and is on the radar of Italy’s Reggio Emilia, reports Prima Pagina (translation via Carchia). The Italian team may view him as a replacement for Coby Karl, who appears to be on the outs with the club. Kennedy was in camp with the Mavs this fall.
Kevin Murphy and French team SIG Strasbourg are in negotiations about a split, according to a L’Équipe report passed along by Catch-and-Shoot (translation via Carchia). Murphy signed with the club in August, shortly after the Warriors let him go.

Sixers, Hawks, Bucks In Mix For Omer Asik

December 8th, 2013 at 8:38am CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets prefer to trade Omer Asik to an Eastern Conference team, and the Sixers, Hawks and Bucks are three clubs that appear to be strong candidates to land the 7’0″ center, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Portland had seemed to be an aggressive suitor based on the team’s reported discussions with Houston, but the Trail Blazers are enamored with what Robin Lopez has given them, and they aren’t planning to make a run at Asik, Stein writes.

Sixers GM Sam Hinkie was with the Rockets front office when they signed Asik in 2012, and his affinity for the 27-year-old from Turkey is one reason Stein believes many around the league are mentioning Philadelphia as a viable destination for Asik. Sixers power forward Thaddeus Young could fit together with Dwight Howard, Stein points out, adding that Philly isn’t likely to be able to find a player like Asik in the 2014 draft.

The Bucks are about to start looking for trades in the wake of a disappointing 4-16 start, Stein hears, concluding that Milwaukee could be Asik’s next home. That would seem to suggest the Bucks would be willing to trade Larry Sanders, whom they signed to a four-year, $44MM extension this past offseason, but that’s just my speculation.

Houston is no doubt one of many teams eyeing Paul Millsap‘s two-year, $19MM contract as an attractive bargain, so Stein figures the Rockets and Hawks could hook up on an Asik trade. Grantland’s Zach Lowe discussed the possibility of such a swap a few weeks ago, writing that it would work well for both teams and that Hawks GM Danny Ferry might take flak from Western Conference executives for giving such a significant boost to the contending Rockets.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey is also concerned about strengthening his Western Conference competitors, and that’s why he wants to send Asik to the East. Stein doesn’t think Morey will be doctrinaire about the idea, but the ESPN scribe points out that Asik is just the sort of defensive force who could cause Dwight Howard trouble in the playoffs.

D-League Moves: Westbrook, N’Diaye, Hawks

December 6th, 2013 at 3:53pm CST by Charlie Adams

Let’s take a look at today’s D-League moves from around the NBA:

Charlie Westbrook has been claimed by the Heat‘s D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. We heard Wednesday night that Westbrook had entered the D-League’s waiver process.
Kings center Hamady N’Diaye has been assigned to the club’s D-League affiliate in Reno, the team announced today in an official press release. Ndiaye has played 52 minutes in nine games for Sacramento his season.
The Hawks have swapped out two shooting guards today, assigning John Jenkins to the Bakersfield Jam of the D-League while subsequently recalling Jared Cunningham. A press release earlier today revealed the pair of moves.

Odds & Ends: Mozgov, Hawks, Garnett, Draft

December 4th, 2013 at 9:25pm CST by Zachary Links

Timofey Mozgov might be the hottest player in the NBA right now and that can be largely attributed to assistant coach Melvin Hunt, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. “All the Russian I know can’t be repeated,” Hunt explained, “because when he gets frustrated and says them, I know they’re bad words.” More from around the Association..

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer doesn’t expect Dennis Schröder to stay in the D-League for long. “My guess is he’ll be back sooner but we’ll see how it’s going down there and how it’s going up there,” Budenholzer said, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter). Atlanta assigned the rookie guard earlier today.
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News attempts to fix the Eastern Conference for all the teams not named the Heat or Pacers. The list, unsurprisingly, starts with the Nets and the struggles of offseason addition Kevin Garnett.
A few league executives and scouts indicated to Adam Zagoria of SNY (on Twitter) that Glenn Robinson III‘s stock is falling. The Michigan standout is currently slotted to go No. 17 on DraftExpress’ mock draft.
The Nets and Knicks better hope that they can turn things around this season because they can’t hope to build through the draft, notes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Both NYC teams have mortgaged their futures in an effort to contend in the present.