Odds & Ends: Harkless, Clark, Bynum, Oladipo
With only five games on the NBA schedule for Tuesday night, let's round up some odds and ends from around the league here:
- Now getting extended minutes, Magic rookie Maurice Harkless – acquired from Philadelphia in the Dwight Howard trade – has begun to show the skills that made him the 15th overall selecton last June, writes Josh Robbins of Orlando Sentinel. Coupled with the pleasant surprise that is Nikola Vucevic, Harkless' development makes the haul that Orlando received for Howard look better and better, especially considering past deals involving a departing superstar.
- Another forgotten piece of the Howard deal, Earl Clark has thrived since joining the Lakers, writes Josh Newman of Zags Blog. Now in his fourth year out of Lousiville, Clark has seen his minutes double in Los Angeles.
- Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops calls the Pistons' Will Bynum a prime trade target, mentioning the Thunder as an ideal candidates for a match. With James Harden in Houston and Eric Maynor and Reggie Jackson unlikely solutions to spelling Russell Westbrook, Sheridan says Bynum would be a better pick up for Oklahoma City than Derek Fisher was a year ago.
- Scheduled for June 27, the NBA Draft is just less than five months away. But as the NCAA calendar moves towards March, draft talk should start to heat up. Jeff Goodman, CBS Sports' NCAA guru, provides his updated prospect rankings as well as a mock draft.
- Three days following Indiana's thrilling win over No. 1 Michigan, Draft Express publishes a scouting report on Hoosiers' guard Victor Oladipo. Previously thought to be a defensive specialist, the ultra-athletic Oladipo has nearly ensured himself a first round grade with a breakout offensive performance as a junior.
Grizzlies, Raptors Discussing Rudy Gay
TUESDAY, 9:57pm: Wojnarowski reports that the final hurdle for a deal that would send Gay to Toronto hinges on finding a third team to take Calderon's contract. He adds that within the deal's current framework, the Grizzlies are likely to receive another young Raptors player along with a future draft pick. Terrence Ross is not one of the names being considered, as the Raptors have reportedly deemed the rookie untouchable.
8:11pm: Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun says that the Raptors have little interest in taking additional salary in the form of Darrell Arthur's contract, and thus a third team would be needed if he were included into discussions.
12:46pm: As they try to find a way to land Gay, the Raptors are engaging teams about a possible three-team deal, but are having trouble finding a taker for Calderon, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 7:00pm: The Grizzlies are engaged in active trade discussions with the Raptors centering on Rudy Gay, reports Marc Stein of ESPN. Stein says that while the Raptors are Gay's most active suitor, no initial framework for a deal has been agreed upon. Stein confirms that, due to last week's trade, the Grizzlies feel that they no longer must trade Gay and can instead wait and consider more fair value offers.
The Raptors have been determined in their pursuit of Gay and also are interested in Grizzlies forward Darrell Arthur. Toronto is offering up Jose Calderon and third-year forward Ed Davis as two of the main pieces in a potential deal.
Stein says that the Celtics have also inquired on Gay's availability, but was told that they balked at the prospect at giving up Paul Pierce in the deal. In light of Rajon Rondo's injury, Stein was also told that Boston would be more likely to pursue Kyle Lowry and his cap friendly deal than Gay and his bulky contract. As talks heat up, Stein says, more teams could become involved in a potential deal.
Grizzlies' coach Lionel Hollins, as well as several of the team's players, have reportedly lobbied management for a chance to play the season out as currently constructed. But the Memphis front office is worried about its ability to improve the roster in future years, Stein says, and is subsequently seeking first round picks in any deal.
Odds & Ends: Rondo, Dragic, Speights, Rumors
With seven NBA games on the docket for Monday night, here are some odds and ends from around the Association:
- J.J. Redick has made Orlando his home and hopes to stay, he told Michael Scotto of RealGM. But Redick also realizes that trade speculation is inevitable and therefore has stayed in close contact with his agent and the Magic general manager Rob Hennigan.
- Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge provides a transcript of an interview of Neil Olshey in which the Blazers GM discusses his team's roster and potential future moves.
- Andrei Kirilenko handpicked Minnesota as his destination this offseason because he found the roster intriguing as well as conducive to his game. Unfortunately, due to the Timberwolves' long list of injuries, Kirilenko has yet to find out if his vision was as good as it seemed this offseason, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
- Danny Ainge said that he fully expect Rajon Rondo to be ready for training camp come October, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. How realistic that truly is will go a long way in determining the Celtics' next move.
- Despite sitting at 15-30 and in last place in the Pacific division, the Suns have a reason for optimism in Goran Dragic, writes Derek Page of HoopsWorld. Dragic, Page says, is the most important piece of Phoenix's rebuilding plans.
- We've already heard that Marreese Speights could be moved before the trade deadline despite rumors that the Cavaliers have coveted him for years. The Plain Dealer rounds up some Speights-related buzz, linking to a Sam Amico article that says whether the team keeps Speights depends on whether it can do so without sacrificing its financial flexibility. Amico, of Fox Sports Ohio, says that Speights will likely opt out of his deal after the season and seek a payday.
- Sean Deveney of Sporting News addresses several popular rumors that are floating around the NBA of late, the most notable of which include Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce and Pau Gasol.
Pau Gasol Won’t Request Trade
It has been about a week since Mike D’Antoni opted to move Pau Gasol to the Lakers’ bench in favor of Earl Clark. Gasol’s unhappiness with the move has been well-documented and only has ramped up speculation that he could be moved before the trade deadline.
Gasol told Ken Berger of CBS Sports on Monday that while he maintains his unhappiness, he will not directly or indirectly request a trade from the team with which he has won two titles since his arrival in 2008. Gasol is “all in” for the remainder of the season:
“It’s hard for anybody who considers himself one of the top players in the world to say, ‘OK, I’m OK with coming off the bench. It’s a difficult situation that we’ve been dealing with here. The last few games have been great, and we’re staying positive and we look forward to that to continue. But at the same time, we don’t need any other distractions, any more negativity. We need positive embracing, we need focus, we need to support each other. That’s where we’re at and that’s where I’m at, too,” he said.
However, Gasol has $19.3MM left on his contract for next year, and told Berger that he can’t envision a scenario where he would be comfortable returning to the Lakers next year as a bench player.
“I’ve been on this team, in this city, for six years. It’s very hard to stick around on this team, and I take pride in that. I think I’m a valuable asset and I want my role to be as big as it can be, within the well being of the team. But I don’t know if being a player that comes off the bench will be something that I’ll be able to accept long term,” Gasol said.
Kings/Seattle Rumors: Monday
With the Kings in D.C. tonight to play the middling Wizards, the future of their franchise is still uncertain. As the news and rumors continue to pour in, let's keep all the Monday updates in this post with the latest up top:
- Mastrov bid $420MM to buy the Warriors in 2010, tweets Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. The 20 Sacramento business leaders that Mastrov met with have pledged $1MM apiece in support of the bid to keep the Kings in town, Lillis adds in a separate story.
Earlier updates:
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports provides some helpful information via Twitter. Berger says that prospective Kings buyer Mark Mastrov met today with 20 local investors that are committed to keeping the team in Sacramento. We got confirmation yesterday that Mastrov would be teaming up with Ron Burkle to make a bid on the team.
- A league source described the Mastrov's interaction with the investors as an "informal meeting," Berger tweets, also adding that its purpose was to explain his vision for the team and a new arena in Sacramento.
- Confirming much of what we know, Berger adds that the Seattle-based Hansen-Ballmer group has an "executed purchase agreement" for the Kings that is under consideration with the NBA and assuming its approval, would move to the team to Seattle next year. Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson hopes that the city will have a chance to present an alternative option to the NBA Board of Governors in April (Twitter links here).
Mavs Sign Mike James For Rest Of Season
MONDAY, 11:07am: The Mavs officially announced, via press release, that they have signed James for the rest of the season.
SUNDAY, 9:14pm: The Mavericks have guaranteed the contract of Mike James for the remainder of the 2012/13 season, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Telegram. James' second 10-day deal, signed January 18, was set to expire on Sunday night. The Mavericks made no secret of their plan to sign James for the rest of the year. The veteran point guard has averaged 3.3 points and 11 minutes in 9 games in Dallas.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News wrote earlier today that the decision on James was expected to come down tonight, and that the perception of Rodrigue Beaubois would likely play a part in the decision. Marc Stein of ESPN confirms the deal, via Twitter, and says that the Celtics would have had interest if the Mavs passed.
Celtics Links: Rajon Rondo Reaction
In light of news that Rajon Rondo has a torn ACL, it looks like most readers think the Celtics would be smart to move Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. It is a question that basketball writers around the league will be tackling for weeks leading up to the trading deadline. Let's round up all of the media fallout from the Rondo injury here:
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England considers adding Delonte West the most likely scenario for the Celtics, adding that a league source told him earlier this season that the Celtics would only consider bringing back West if one of their guards went down with a long-term injury. Blakely also mentions Andre Barrett, the current D-League assists leader, as a possibility.
- The Celtics' television broadcast team takes a shot at answering the question of how the Celtics can replace Rondo, via CSN New England.
- Blowing up the Celtics' roster is way better in theory than it is in reality, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. He says that there simply aren't teams out there with young talent and draft picks that are willing to give them up for Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett. With this in mind, Wojnarowski opines that it would be a mistake for the C's to do anything drastic.
Earlier updates:
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders whether the Celtics will look to the D-League to fill the void created by Rondo's injury. Schlosser specifically mentions Delonte West, Courtney Fortson, Chris Wright, Donald Sloan, Sean Singletary and Scott Machado as potential solutions.
- Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also tweets that West and the Celtics seem like a match.
- Danny Ainge and the Celtics have some big decisions to make in the near future as a result of Rondo's injury, writes Matt Moore of CBS Sports. Moore says the Celts were already contemplating blowing up their roster this season, and the Rondo news certainly makes it more likely.
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports says that Pierce's contract – with only $4MM guaranteed next year – is "as tradeable as it gets." Berger adds that rival executives expect the Grizzlies to have interest in Pierce. He also speculates that a team like the Nets could be interested in Garnett. Should they decide to become buyers rather than sellers, Berger says Jose Calderon or Kyle Lowry are two possible targets for Boston.
- Jessica Camerato of CSN New England writes that the Celtics locker room was stunned to hear the news about their floor general after their double overtime win against the Heat. Camerato's colleague, A. Sherrod Blakely, provides more reactions from the Celtics as well as from Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
- Blakely adds, via Twitter, that he doesn't expect a trade soon. Instead, Blakely thinks that the Celtics will add a point guard via a 10-day contract, if they choose to do anything.
West Notes: Kings, Howard, Gay, Blazers
Here are some notes from around the Western Conference on Sunday night:
- The uncertainty surrounding the sale of the Kings comes at an unfortunate time for a front office that has some important decisions to make, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- Dwight Howard is currently operating with the mindset that the Lakers' roster, himself included, will stay intact for the remainder of the season, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. It's clear Howard is waffling once again and if the Lakers don't straighten this season out soon, the Howard situation could escalate. "My mind-set? Nobody's going anywhere," Howard told Amick.
- Stan Van Gundy, talking on an Orlando radio show, said that he had suspicions from the start that Howard may not fit in right away in Los Angeles, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. Van Gundy says that because Kobe Bryant probably isn't willing to adjust his game, that obligation falls completely on Howard. If they don't win and Howard remains an afterthought in the Lakers offense, Van Gundy says, there isn't much reason to expect Howard to remain in Los Angeles.
- Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien says that despite the constant trade speculation, the team is more than likely not going to make a trade before the February 21 deadline, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Despite Levien's words, Tillery says that the team believes it will start to get better offers for Rudy Gay in light of Tuesday's trade.
- Heading into tonight's home-and-home finale with the Clippers, Blazers' GM Neil Olshey sees some positive parallels between his current and former teams, writes Jason Quick of the Oregonian.
Smith, Hawks To Discuss Future This Week
There has been no shortage of updates on the Josh Smith situation of late, as just yesterday we learned that Smith expects a max deal. Earlier this week, Hoops Rumors' Luke Adams asked readers whether the Hawks will trade Smith and in more than 800 votes, it is almost exactly split down the middle.
Fortunately, as Chris Broussard tweets, it looks like we may be able to find out more at some point this week. Broussard says that, according to sources, Smith's representatives will speak with Hawks GM Danny Ferry this week about Smith's future in Atlanta. This situation promises to be a hot topic leading up to the trade deadline, as Smith will surely be one of the more high profile players to be dealt in season in recent memory if it happens.
Poll: What Should The Celtics Do Now?
With Rajon Rondo's torn ACL likely to derail at least this season for the Celtics, speculation has already begun as to where the team should go from here. Rondo is soon to be 27 and it is difficult to predict what Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett will have left in the tank once he is back to full strength. While the Celts have plenty of financial commitments beyond their two aging stars, Pierce and Garnett are likely their most tradeable commodities.
So should the Celtics blow up their roster? Rondo is the team's best player and has been for a few years now. They couldn't get through the Heat with him and may be hard pressed to even make the playoffs without him. If they were to get a decent haul for Pierce and/or Garnett, it could yield critical pieces to help Rondo begin the next era of Celtics basketball. What should they do? Feel free to provide details beyond the poll in the comments section.