Sixers Notes: Noel, Young, Mbah a Moute
Michael Carter-Williams has three triple-doubles on the season, which ties Rajon Rondo for the most in the league. The Syracuse product had a triple-double in Friday’s win over the Wolves and nearly had another one in Wednesday’s win over the Pistons as he accumulated 14 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds. Earlier in the week, I examined the point guard’s trade value as well as the future plans for the Sixers.
Here’s more from Philadelphia:
- Giving up on Nerlens Noel would be an unwise move for the Sixers, opines Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Pompey acknowledges that if the team gets the first pick in the 2015 draft, center Jahlil Okafor should be the selection and it might be difficult to find heavy minutes for both players. Still, Pompey believes Noel is rapidly improving and compares a potential Noel trade to the 2012 trade that sent Nikola Vucevic to the Magic, which should be a lesson for the franchise about giving up on a young talent too early.
- Thaddeus Young had nothing but praise for the Sixers when he returned to Philadelphia to play the team on Friday night, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “I gave my blood, sweat and tears literally to this franchise for seven years,” Young said. “It’s great to have these fans behind you because sometimes they can be pretty brutal, but they always stuck behind me, no matter what. … It was a great seven years, amazing seven years. It’s a business and you have to move on, but definitely I miss this place.” Young was sent to the Wolves in a three-way trade last offseason.
- Although Luc Mbah a Moute has been valuable to the Sixers as a player and as a mentor to their young players, the forward may find himself in Philadelphia for only one season, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The team should have a handful of young, talented players next season and the 28-year-old could find himself in a limited role. If he is going to be the eighth or ninth man on a team, in terms of minutes played, it may be more beneficial for him to be in that role on a winning team, which Philadelphia doesn’t project to be. Mbah a Moute will be a free agent at the end of this season.
Lakers Notes: Clarkson, Hill, Melo, Bryant
The Lakers believe they have a contributor in rookie Jordan Clarkson, writes Jovan Buha of ESPNLosAngeles.com. “I think we have a pretty good basketball player in this young kid,” coach Byron Scott said. “When he falls on his face, he gets right back up. He wants to get better; he works his butt off every single day. If you look at his first game [starting] against San Antonio, and his last game last night, he’s shown improvement.” Clarkson is averaging 13.8 points per game while shooting 40.4% from the field during his four games as the team’s starting point guard.
Here’s more from Los Angeles:
- Jordan Hill and Jeremy Lin are among the players whom Jabari Davis of Basketball Insiders believes could be dealt before the trade deadline. Hill would probably garner the most in a trade but the center has a de-facto no trade clause in his contract, which might make a deal difficult. Kennedy lists the Clippers and the Blazers as potential destinations for Hill based on their need for frontcourt depth.
- Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant decided they wouldn’t work as teammates last summer when Anthony was a free agent, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. “It was a great visit. The conversations I had with Kobe was just man to man. We both had to come to reality and say, ‘Is this what we really want?’ And it didn’t happen,” Anthony said. The forward also added that he believes Bryant will not retire at the end of the season. “I know him, and this is not the way he wants to go out,’’ Anthony said. “I’m pretty sure he’ll do whatever he has to do to get back on the court one more time before he hangs them shoes up.’’
- Some people doubt that Kobe Bryant will be able return to the NBA from his latest injury, but Fran Blinebury of NBA.com is optimistic that the 36-year-old will silence his doubters. Blinebury compares Bryant to other former stars, such as Charles Barkley and Hakeem Olajuwon, who were injured late in their careers yet continued to play, just not at the level than people were used to seeing.
Thabo Sefolosha To Miss Six To Eight Weeks
Thabo Sefolosha is expected to miss 6-8 weeks due to a calf strain, according to the Hawks’ twitter feed. The 30-year-old injured his calf in the win over the Blazers on Friday night.
Sefolosha is only averaging 19.0 minutes per game and while the team is also without the services of forward DeMarre Carroll due to an Achilles injury, the Hawks most likely won’t need to make a move in order to maintain their position in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta has a full 15-man roster, so an addition would have to come at the expense of someone on the roster.
The Hawks sit atop the conference with a record of 39-8, seven games ahead of the second place Raptors. With that kind of lead, the team can afford to see what it has on its roster before making any kind of move. I would speculate that Atlanta will give extended minutes to reserve Kent Bazemore and perhaps John Jenkins during Sefolosha’s absense.
Trade Candidate: Michael Carter-Williams
Usually, when players in the early years of their rookie deals find themselves in trade discussions, it’s typically because there’s a lack of production or the player is a poor fit on his team. Michael Carter-Williams doesn’t go into either of those categories but the Sixers aren’t operating like a typical NBA franchise. The team’s plans to obtain superstar-caliber players via high lottery picks are well-documented, and Philadelphia seems in no rush to assemble a winning team that doesn’t have a few of these sorts of players on it.
It’s unclear whether the Sixers view Carter-Williams as a rising superstar. Some team officials reportedly don’t view him as part of the club’s long-term plan. The point guard has impressed during his first season and a half, but there are major concerns about whether he can lead a contending team. Carter-Williams owns a .381/.250/.642 slash line this season, which ranks 71st, 71st, and 79th respectively among all point guards in the league. His shooting has been historically poor for a player getting starter’s minutes, and that kind of production can seriously hinder a team’s ability to win games.
Philadelphia is on a mission to win championships in the long run, but it’s going to take more than improved shooting from MCW to get there. While the team’s strategy to aim for superstars in order to win titles seems foolproof, only one team per year actually comes away with the Larry O’Brien trophy. Only once every few years does a team come away with a transcendent talent in the top of the draft. For every LeBron James or Anthony Davis, there are several players whose ceilings aren’t in that ballpark.
The Magic are a prime example of what can happen when a franchise accumulates high draft picks without obtaining a transcendent talent. Orlando had a top five pick in the last two drafts and traded up to get another top 10 pick last June. Those selections have netted the team Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, and Elfrid Payton. Those are nice players and the Magic have a good nucleus, but they lack a game-changer who will keep them dispatched as a perennial contender. Without some good luck, Orlando won’t be able to grab a elite prospect in this year’s draft, and they won’t sniff the postseason this year, either. MCW isn’t that much better than most of the players on Orlando’s roster and the Sixers want to avoid being stuck with that fate.
By trading Carter-Williams, the Sixers can dwell in the very bottom of the league’s cellar and prolong their rebuilding project, thus increasing the chances of obtaining a transcendent talent. The team plan appears to be lather, rinse, repeat until that special talent becomes available or ownership decides it wants to put a competent team on the floor. There has never been an ownership group willing to oversee this kind of rebuild in NBA history, but as long as attendance in Philadelphia continues to show a slight year over year rise, I would suspect that executives stay on course with the franchise’s current plan.
Finding the right trade partner could be a tricky obstacle, because Philly is apparently holding out for a high return. There were rumors that the Lakers were interested in giving up the No. 7 overall pick in last summer’s draft as well as Steve Nash’s expiring contract for Carter-Williams and Thaddeus Young. The Sixers didn’t believe that was enough for the reigning Rookie of the Year and they might be hard pressed to find a team with a better offer. MCW’s value comes from his play being worth more than his contract during the next few seasons. The point guard will make roughly $2.3MM this season and slightly less than $5.6MM combined over the next two years.
Production at that cost is a real asset in the NBA, but most of the teams that are set to have the sort of high draft pick that Philly covets, like the Wolves and the Celtics, won’t be inclined to trade those picks. They’re pursuing their own rebuilding efforts that most likely won’t come to fruition over the next two years. Teams that are pressing harder to win now, like the Knicks and the Lakers, don’t have the enough desirable assets to spare in order to make a trade worthwhile for both parties. Carter-Williams would be a great fit on a few contending teams, including the Clippers or Cavs. These teams would love the opportunity to upgrade their backup point guard situations with starter talent without paying a starter’s contract. However, these teams probably lack the willingness to give up assets that the Sixers would demand.
A franchise with the right elements to be a trade partner for Carter-Williams might be the Kings. They are currently eighth overall in our Reverse Standings, meaning if the season ended today, they would likely have a top 10 pick. They also have an owner who wants to win now, and while the team hasn’t traded any top draft picks during its quest to contend, no player whom Sacramento acquired over the last several years possesses quite the trade value that Carter-Williams has. Rudy Gay might be a better player but because of his oversized contract, the Kings only had to give up multiple role players to acquire him. Carter-Williams’ contract is very team friendly and I would speculate that it would take the Kings dangling their 2015 first-round pick plus someone like Derrick Williams, who apparently is on the trade block, to intrigue the Sixers.
Indiana makes another logical destination for the point guard. The Pacers may not be in position to qualify for the playoffs this season, but with a healthy Paul George on the court next year, the team will be a contender again. The Pacers currently have the sixth worst record, and without some luck, they will not have a top-five draft pick. History suggests that players who are drafted outside the top five are much less likely to become star-caliber players than those who are drafted in the top five. With the Pacers’ current situation, they might be more inclined to trade their pick for an established, above-average talent rather than gambling for a star and ending up without a player who can contribute.
The Sixers are more than willing to gamble on obtaining a superstar. Carter-Williams has established that he belongs in an NBA rotation and he can contribute right now if put in the right situation. Many teams could use an above-average player, but it’s easier for those would-be trade partners of the Sixers to find those players than it is for them to find superstars. MCW could certainly improve his shooting and start showing more consistent flashes of being a star player, similar to how Jason Kidd improved as his career progressed. Yet if the Sixers don’t believe that is going to happen, now is the time to deal Carter-Williams, while his trade value remains at its highest.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Latest On Knicks, Langston Galloway
TUESDAY, 9:59am: Galloway and the Knicks are making progress in negotiations this morning, a source tells Berman.
MONDAY, 5:38pm: The Knicks and Langston Galloway are still apart on negotiations for a new contract, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks are willing to sign Galloway for the rest of this season but the reason for the hold up is the proposed non-guaranteed pact for next season. Galloway is a client of Michael Siegel, as our Agency Database shows.
Team president Phil Jackson has been very frugal with his cap space for next season, already declining Shane Larkin‘s team option, with the intent on remaining as flexible as possible. If Jackson doesn’t decide to guarantee Galloway the roughly $845K minimum for the 2015/16 season, Berman speculates that other teams could come into the fold if the Knicks and Galloway don’t quickly strike another agreement when the point guard becomes a free agent on Tuesday. Multiple NBA teams are indeed poised to chase him should he make himself available, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.
The Knicks only have slightly more than $32.4MM in guaranteed money on the books for the 2015/16 season. With the lack of draft picks over the next couple years and the amount of cap space available, it would be surprising if the Knicks and Galloway don’t come to some sort of arrangement that gives the 23-year-old at least some guaranteed money for next season and gives New York another asset to help build its future team.
Central Notes: Bucks’ Arena, Pistons’ Guards
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is expected to announce on Tuesday that he is putting together a financing plan to help build multipurpose arena in downtown Milwaukee, according to Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel. A new arena is expected to cost between $400MM and $500MM. The Bucks‘ ownership group has pledged as much as $150MM towards it and former Bucks owner Herb Kohl has pledged $100MM of his own money as well. It’s unclear how much the state’s plan will allocate towards the facility but the franchise is under mandate by the NBA to build a new arena in the city by November 2017 or the league has the right to buy back the team. Such a move would mean the possibility of relocating the Bucks would be back on the table, so the latest development is good news for the city of Milwaukee.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- After the season ending injury to Brandon Jennings, the Pistons are seeking help at the point guard position, but they are not the only team looking for reinforcements, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Amico cites the Cavs as another team exploring the market for a point guard. Cleveland’s current back up at the position, Matthew Dellavedova, has struggled this season and the team could use someone with more consistency in that role. Amico adds that both teams are likely to go the free agent route if they do make acquisitions.
- Jordan Farmar, Marquis Teague and Peyton Siva are some of the players whom the Pistons could target to fill the void in their lineup, writes Amico in the same piece. Siva and Teague are currently playing in the D-League and earlier in the month, Farmar agreed to a buyout arrangement with the Clippers, making him a free agent. Siva and Teague would probably only warrant 10-day contracts from the team, while Farmar might require a contract that runs at least the remainder of the season, although that is just my speculation. Detroit has also been linked to Pablo Prigioni of the Knicks and Lorenzo Brown, who is playing for the team’s D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive.
- An internal option for the Pistons would be Spencer Dinwiddie and the team is hoping his play improves by getting regular minutes, writes Brandan Savage of Mlive.com. “I think he’ll do well,” new starting point guard D.J. Augustin said. “Spence is big guard. He played great defense on [Greivis] Vasquez. I think he’s going to get better the more he plays.”
Rival Teams Interested In Moe Harkless
Teams are calling the Magic to inquire about the availability of Maurice Harkless, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Kennedy adds that GM Rob Hennigan’s asking price is high and speculates that it would take a first-rounder to acquire the forward.
Some believe Orlando will keep Harkless as well as Andrew Nicholson and move on from coach Jacque Vaughn to see if a new coach could get more out the pair of young players, Kennedy adds in another tweet. Recently, Harkless has played sparingly and Vaughn has publicly criticized the 22-year-old’s motor.
These rumors might signify that Hennigan views Harkless differently than the coaching staff does, as Kennedy speculates on Twitter. Harkless is averaging 8.3 points per 36 minutes this season.
D-League Notes: Jerrett, Canaan, Adams
The NBA D-League has given players a chance to shine and few have benefited more this season than Langston Galloway and Larry Drew II. Galloway’s strong play in the D-League led to the Knicks making their first ever call-up in team history on January 7th. The point guard has impressed to the extent that the team may have to guarantee his contract for next season to keep him on the roster when his 10-day contract expires on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Drew has also performed admirably in the D-League, where during his time, he led all players in assists. Drew earned his second 10-day contract with the Sixers earlier today and will get the start tonight against the Pelicans, in place of Michael Carter-Williams, who is out because of an illness.
Here’s some more news from the D-League:
- The Thunder have recalled Grant Jerrett from their D-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the team’s website. The Thunder will be without the services of Kevin Durant against the Wolves tonight, which could lead to some unexpected minutes for the inexperienced power forward.
- The Rockets have recalled Isaiah Canaan from their D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to the team’s twitter feed. Canaan averaged 21 points and 8.5 assist while on his D-League assignment.
- The Grizzlies have recalled Jordan Adams from the Iowa Energy, their D-League affiliate, according to the team’s website. Adams averaged 23 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 steals in three games during his latest stint.
Northwest Notes: Blazers, Wolves, Nuggets
LaMarcus Aldridge‘s surprise decision to play through an injured thumb, that was reportedly going to sideline the power forward for six to eight weeks, was partially made with the team in mind, as he tells Mike Richman of The Oregonian. “With me not being out there and not having [Nicolas Batum] definitely hurts us even more. So I just wanted to do some things today. Things went well. And I did some things yesterday late and it felt decent so we feel like we have a little plan to wrap it and strap it in and we’ll see, ” Aldridge told Richman. Aldridge played 36 minutes in his first game back from the injury and accumulated 26 points, nine rebounds and two steals in the victory over the Wizards on Saturday night.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The time has come for the Wolves to start looking to next season and maintain their good lottery odds, opines Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Zgoda takes a look at the top prospects in the upcoming draft including Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns Jr. Minnesota is 7-35 on the season, which puts the team atop our reverse order rankings. If the season ended today, the Wolves would be guaranteed a top four pick in the 2015 draft.
- Ty Lawson remains in the Nuggets‘ future plans at the present time, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Lawson will return to the court after sitting out Friday’s game against the Celtics because of his arrest for suspicion of drinking and driving. The Nuggets sit at 18-25 on the season and remain a long shot, at best, to make the playoffs. Some of the Denver’s key players have been discussed in trade conversations with an eye on the future, including Wilson Chandler, who our own Chuck Myron looked at as a trade candidate.
- Kendrick Perkins is an advocate of his new Thunder teammate Dion Waiters, writes Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders. “It doesn’t matter what you heard [in the media],” Perkins said of Waiters. “I’ve been impressed with his ability on the defensive end. The way he gets physical on the defensive end. The way he locks in. I have been more impressed with that. We already know he can score the ball. But I have been impressed with the commitment he’s shown on the defensive end.” Oklahoma City is 5-3 since Waiters’ arrival and in my latest poll, Hoops Rumors readers believe the move was the least impactful of the major Western Conference trades this season.
Bucks Notes: Knight, Bench Unit, Sanders
Everyone assumes Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo will fill two of the spots on the Bucks‘ future core, but Brandon Knight may have put himself in the team’s long-term plans with his spectacular play this season, writes Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com (insider piece). “You hear this cliché about guys always being the first one on and [last] off the court,” said Bucks GM John Hammond. “Brandon really is like that.” Knight has become the leader on the court late in games. During the last five minutes of games this season, the point guard sports a 37.1% usage rate, which is the best on the team. The Kentucky product understands the progress he made this year but he is more concerned with the team’s 22-21 record this season. “You have to learn from [mistakes],” Knight said. “We still have a long way to go in the season and a lot of home games. I don’t think we can be frustrated. The main thing is to learn from it and get better at it.”
Here’s more out of Milwaukee:
- Knight’s play might warrant him a maximum value contract this offseason, speculates Bill Simmons of Grantland.com. Simmons cites the anticipated rise of the salary cap as well as the point guard’s exceptional shooting as reason for Knight’s expected raise in salary. The 23-year-old is shooting 51.1% from the field and 40.2% from behind the arc, which ranks in the top 20 of all players in the league. Knight will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season.
- The bench unit of the Bucks deserves more recognition for the team’s improvement this season, opines John Zitzler of Basketball Insiders. The unit, led by new additions Jared Dudley and Jerryd Bayless, tops the league in many statistical categories. They rank first in the league in minutes played, averaging 22.3; assists, averaging 10.9; and steals, averaging 4.0 per game.
- Former NBA player Vin Baker believes the Bucks have a good mix of young talent, write Charles F. Gardner and Todd Rosaik of the Journal Sentinel. Baker, who was a first round draft pick of the Bucks in 1993, spoke to the team this weekend. Baker told the team “to take every day as a blessing” and to not take the opportunity for granted. Baker offered simple advice for Larry Sanders, who was absent from the team’s facilities and hasn’t played in a game in over a month. “I think the most important thing is to take life as the priority,” Baker said. “Take that first. Everything falls into place when you put life as the priority. Sanders was originally out for personal reasons but now is serving a 10-game suspension for his fourth violation of the league’s anti-drug policy of his career.