Atlantic Rumors: ‘Melo, Woodson, Knicks, Sixers
Carmelo Anthony assured reporters that both he and Mike Woodson would be present at the Knicks’ Monday morning’s practice after the All-Star break, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Woodson has been on the hot seat seemingly all season, and trade rumors involving Anthony have started circulating in recent months. For the time being, it looks like both Woodson and Anthony will remain in New York. Here’s more on the Knicks and the Atlantic Divsion:
- The Knicks roster looks to be set for now, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports (via Twitter) that no trades appear imminent in New York.
- By contrast, the Sixers are looking for potential deals, passes along Kyler (via Twitter). We heard last Tuesday that Philly was set to be “super active” in the days leading up to the trade deadline.
- Strong seasons by Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk prove that the Celtics are able to make the most out of their drafts, regardless of the position they’re picking from, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Sullinger was taken with the 21st pick in 2012, and Olynyk was taken 13th overall last summer.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Kupchak, Silver
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak told reporters, including Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, that if Los Angeles makes a deal, it’ll be one that address issues in “2014/15 and beyond” (Twitter link). Another tweet from Trudell explains that the club won’t be dealing for a player that can make an immediate impact, and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com hears from Kupchak that it’s actually been pretty quiet around the office as far as trade talks go (Twitter link). Let’s round up a few more tidbits in our nightly look around the league..
- Adam Zagoria of Sheridan Hoops looks toward the 2020 Summer Olympics and sees Canada’s potential team as a formidable force. Zagoria hears that college studs Andrew Wiggins and Tyler Ennis are expected to join forces with current NBA players Anthony Bennett, Andrew Nicholson, Kelly Olynyk, Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph. It’s possible a similar team could assemble for the 2015 Olympic qualifiers, but Zagoria thinks 2020 is when the expected Canadian roster will be able to reach its full potential.
- Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu revealed he is interested in a potential NBA expansion into Europe. “Adam Silver, the new commissioner, is a great contributor to the sport,” said Bertomeu. “We have met and I think that we have a future together. We want to increase our cooperation and we want to see things realistically.” Lefteris Moutis of EuroHoops.net has the full story.
- Silver looks even beyond Europe and sees opportunity for the NBA in markets all over the world, he tells Sam Amick of USA Today in an exclusive interview. “To me, the U.S. is less than 5% of the world’s population. So when I look at markets like the billion people in Africa, the over billion people that live in India, the (1.3 billion) that live in China, just those markets alone where we’re just barely scratching the surface, there is so much opportunity out there for us.”
- Amick’s piece sees Silver address a variety of hot-button issues, including the lottery, the minimum age for draft eligibility, and the latest CBA.
Western Rumors: Udrih, Clippers, Gordon, Jazz
Beno Udrih played three seasons for the Spurs, and Marc Berman of the New York Post thinks the veteran journeyman might end up back in San Antonio before the deadline passes. The Knicks have been trying to find suitors for Udrih, and former New York GM Scott Layden, now in the front office of San Antonio, was at attendance for Wednesday’s Knicks game. It might be too early to make assumptions, but it’s certainly possible Udrih might be on the move some time soon. Here’s more out of the Western Conference..
- Chris Paul wasn’t necessarily a fan of the Hornets franchise, but his love for the city of New Orleans made for a difficult move to the Clippers. Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports recaps the blockbuster deal that paired Paul with Blake Griffin in Los Angeles.
- A well placed source tells Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders that the Bucks aren’t interested in Pelicans guard Eric Gordon (Twitter link). Ingram hears Milwuakee doesn’t have any interest in dealing for oft-discussed guard.
- The Jazz would be wise to find a suitor for Gordon Hayward, suggests Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders in his weekly chat. Kennedy thinks Hayward might command max dollars from a rival team as a restricted free agent, but there’s still some doubt whether he’s worth that kind of money.
- Kennedy also believes the Lakers would be better off trading Pau Gasol for some assets that could help the team down the road. At this stage in his career, Kennedy thinks Gasol would like to play for a winner, so he might be likely to leave LA in free agency.
Atlantic Notes: ‘Melo, DeRozan, Ross, MCW
Carmelo Anthony will likely be a free agent next summer, and Justin Terranova of the New York Post reveals that Grant Hill thinks the Knicks’ unimpressive season might dissuade Melo from re-signing in the Big Apple:
“I think it could. He’s getting older and you want to be in a situation where you are going to win. And he came to New York, he got in the playoffs and now it’s almost like they are regressing. To go through a potential season with no playoff opportunity, it could play a role.”
Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Raptors swingman DeMar DeRozan is proving he’s worth every penny of the $38MM extension he signed last season, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post. DeRozan was mentioned in a few trade rumors earlier this year, but we recently heard Toronto would like to retain the first-time All-Star through the deadline.
- Andrew Perna of RealGM.com examines Terrence Ross‘ progression from a one-dimensional dunker to a complete basketball player for the Raptors.
- Midway through the season, the Sixers’ Michael Carter-Williams looks like the front runner to win the Rookie of the Year award. Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune recaps how Utah almost prevented Philly from landing MCW but ended up with Trey Burke instead.
- Speaking of draft choices that might have been, Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald revisits the 1997 draft, where the Celtics missed out on number one pick Tim Duncan despite having the best odds at landing the future MVP.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Deadline, Tax
Despite a surprising 13-13 start to the season, the Lakers find themselves limping into their last game before the All-Star break, having lost eight of their last 10 contests. With a tough matchup against the Thunder tonight, the Lakers are surely looking forward to a week long vacation. Let’s round up the latest notes out of Lakerland..
- Pau Gasol still feels the Lakers want him, even amid the specter of a potential trade to the Suns. Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times has the details.
- Unlike years past, this season’s trade deadline might feature a major move by the Lakers, opines Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. McMenamin observes that this is the first time in quite awhile that Los Angeles has been this far out of playoff contention, and he suggests their strategy at the deadline might change as a result.
- In the same piece, McMenamin notes the repeater tax set to be instated this summer could push the Lakers to make one or more trades that would land them underneath luxury tax threshold. Along with Gasol, McMenamin sees Steve Blake, Chris Kaman, and Jordan Hill as players that could be moved to help the team shed salary.
- Earlier today, we passed along news and notes on both Los Angeles teams.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Johan Petro Signs With French Team
MONDAY, 7:50am: Petro has announced his signing with the team via Twitter (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
SATURDAY, 2:10pm: Johan Petro is likely to sign with the French club Limoges CSP, reports Gwenola Beriou of Limousin (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). There’s no official deal in place, but Carchia says the center is “close to signing.” Petro most recently played for the Guangsha Lions of China, but he parted ways with the club in January.
Petro played on four different NBA teams after being drafted in the first round in 2005. The big man didn’t see much success during his NBA tenure, putting up just 4.7 PPG in 473 career contests. He played in 31 games for the Hawks last season, but the club renounced his rights last summer, and he wasn’t able to secure a deal with another NBA squad.
Since the signing isn’t official yet, it’s not clear whether or not the contract will contain any sort of NBA opt-out clause. Hoops Rumors’ agency database lists Petro as a client of Excel Sports Management.
Eastern Notes: World Peace, Sixers, Bobcats
Giannis Antetokounmpo is having a strong rookie campaign, but the Bucks sit at 9-40 and hold the worst record in the NBA. Tony Kalkavouras of Sheridan Hoops sat down with Antetokounmpo and the young forward admitted he was tired of losing, though he’s trying to remain optimistic. It’s been a tough season for Milwaukee, but a high draft pick this summer paired with some young talent already present on the roster could help turn the team’s fortunes around down the road. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Metta World Peace has discredited any reports suggesting he wants to be traded (Twitter link). We heard yesterday that World Peace is allegedly frustrated with his role in the Knicks rotation, but apparently it’s nothing serious.
- Marc Zumoff of CSNPhilly.com opines that Brett Brown‘s desire to helm a strong defensive team will affect the way that the Sixers approach free agency and the draft in the future. Brown became Philadelphia’s head coach last August.
- Steve Clifford of the Bobcats is another first year coach helping change the perception of his team. Matt Moore of CBSSports.com profiles Clifford and observes that despite a very similar roster to last year’s squad, Charlotte has been able to redefine themselves and become a potential playoff unit.
- The Cavaliers’ decision to fire GM Chris Grant might have been too harsh, suggests Bud Shaw of the Plain Dealer. Shaw thinks Grant made some impressive moves during his time in Cleveland and that his presence will be missed around the trade deadline.
Draft Notes: Ennis, Embiid, Wiggins
Let’s have a look at the latest on the 2014 NBA draft..
- Tyler Ennis didn’t start his season as a projected lottery pick, but his stock has risen over the course of the year and the latest 2014 mock draft from Draft Express predicts that the Syracuse guard will be selected 9th overall. Eric Koreen of the National Post profiles Ennis and explains why he has NBA teams “salivating” over his potential.
- One scout tells Adam Zagoria of The Knicks Blog that if Ennis was in the NBA today, he would be a better point guard than Raymond Felton.
- Cole Aldrich thinks Joel Embiid would benefit from staying another year at Kansas, but he acknowledges that doing so might harm his draft stock. Zagoria has the full story at ZagsBlog.
- In the same piece, Zagoria passes along that Aldrich believes both Embiid and Andrew Wiggins have the potential to be effective in the NBA next year, should they choose to enter the draft.
Odds & Ends: Cavaliers, Nelson, Afflalo, Melo
Tonight might have been the low point of the season for the Cavaliers. Cleveland fell by double digits at home to an ice-cold Lakers squad that ended the contest with only five available players. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio writes that the Cavs are in desperate need of an immediate change, even if it means making a difficult personnel decision. Here’s a look at some other notable tidbits from the NBA’s Wednesday night:
- Jameer Nelson has been mentioned in various trade rumors, but the longest tenured Magic player says he hasn’t had any discussions with management about the possibility of being shipped away from Orlando, reveals Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Schmitz also passes along in the same piece that he hears Magic GM Rob Hennigan would be “comfortable” retaining both Nelson and the often discussed Arron Afflalo through the deadline.
- Add Carmelo Anthony‘s former college coach Jim Boeheim to the list of those in favor of Melo leaving the Knicks in free agency this summer. “The problem in the NBA, you’re judged on winning championships,” Boeheim said to ESPN Radio. “He’s got to try to go and play where they can win a championship or else he’s going to be a failure. That’s the bottom line.” Al Iannazzone of Newsday has the full story.
- Rudy Gay is enjoying his time as a member of the Kings and harbors no hard feelings against the Raptors and their decision to deal him to Sacramento, according to Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. In another piece, Gatner breaks down his take as to why Gay is playing better since leaving Toronto.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com takes a look at how second-round picks can be turned into valuable assets, either through crafty trades or focused player development.
Texas Rumors: Asik, Knicks, Mavericks, Ellis
Here’s the latest set of rumors out of the Lone Star state..
- In his newest Insider piece for ESPN, David Thorpe suggests that it would make sense for the Knicks to target Omer Asik, but he notes New York will need to put together a very impressive package for the Rockets to bite on anything. A Houston/New York swap seems a little far fetched since we’ve heard the Rockets are seeking a stretch four, and the Knicks don’t have one to offer.
- One reader asks Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders about the likelihood of a three team deal happening involving the Rockets, Mavericks, and Pistons. In the proposed deal, the Mavs would land Asik, the Rockets would acquire Josh Smith, and the Pistons would obtain Shawn Marion. Greene doesn’t see the deal working since Smith wouldn’t stretch the floor for Dwight Howard, and his expensive contract would be a huge turnoff for Houston.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes that a big second half of the season from Monta Ellis could eventually push the Mavericks to become “next-level contenders” next year by allowing the team to attract big name free agents who might not otherwise see Dallas as a team that can compete for a title.