Wolves, Wizards In Lead For Andre Miller
The Wolves and Wizards are the favorites to land Andre Miller, though there’s nothing close yet, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. The Wolves would be Miller’s top choice, though that might not be a factor in Denver’s decision-making. The Nuggets have received mostly low-ball offers, given their clear desire to unload the veteran point guard, as Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post explains.
The Wizards have made no secret of their search for a backup point guard, and are reportedly offering Eric Maynor, Chris Singleton and Trevor Booker, among others. Denver would be short on point guards without Miller, and Washington appears to be competing with Denver for Beno Udrih. The Nuggets are in talks with the Knicks about a swap of Jordan Hamilton for Udrih, but that deal could depend on whether Denver can unload Miller.
The Timberwolves have been working multiple fronts as well, having engaged in talks with Memphis that appear to have reached a dead end. A report yesterday indicated that Minnesota preferred Jameer Nelson to Miller, but only if the Wolves could work a deal with the Grizzlies.
Cavs Consider Deal For Spencer Hawes
The Cavaliers are eyeing Spencer Hawes, among many potential targets, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Hawes is among a trio of veterans for whom Philadelphia has been demanding a first-round pick. The Cavs have their own 2014 first-rounder, and a pair of extra first round picks that could come their way for 2015.
The Rockets have also shown interest in Hawes in connection to talks surrounding Omer Asik. Hawes, who’s making $6.6MM this year, will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end
The Cavs already have Anderson Varejao, Tristan Thompson, Tyler Zeller and Anthony Bennett, among others, competing for time on the interior. That would make Hawes, a 7’0″ center, a tough squeeze onto the roster. The 25-year-old is nonetheless having a career year, putting up his best-ever numbers in points, rebounds, assists and three-point shooting.
Wizards Show Interest In Udrih, Miller
THURSDAY. 8:20am: The Wizards have offered Maynor, Singleton and Trevor Booker, among others, in their search for a backup point guard, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Their interest in Udrih makes sense, since they offered him the same deal they wound up giving Maynor this past summer, Kennedy observes (Twitter links). Washington also made an identical offer to Mo Williams, Kennedy says, but he’s clearly not in the trade conversation.
FEBRUARY 19TH: The Wizards maintain their interest in Miller, tweets Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report, who suggests Chris Singleton and Eric Maynor as possible trade bait for the Nuggets. It’s not clear whether the Wizards are thinking of including those guys in a deal, or if Zwerling is merely speculating.
FEBRUARY 11TH: Multiple reports in the past few days have indicated Washington’s interest in acquiring a backup point guard, and one of their primary targets is Beno Udrih, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Washington also covets Andre Miller, Stein tweets, but the Wizards have been unable to find a workable deal with the Nuggets.
Udrih quickly backed away last month from a report that he asked the Knicks to trade him. Still, New York didn’t seem averse to the idea at the time, and apparently the Knicks wouldn’t have minded receiving a second-rounder in return for Udrih, whom they believed was siphoning playing time from Toure’ Murry. Udrih hasn’t played since January 24th, while Murry has made five appearances in that span.
Though Nuggets GM Tim Connelly says the team has nothing “definitive” in the works for Miller, the Timberwolves still have an eye on the point guard, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Similarly, the Kings continue to express interest in Miller, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. I predicted that offers for Miller would improve closer to the deadline when I examined his trade candidacy last month.
Washington has been going with minimum-salary signee Garrett Temple as the backup to John Wall instead of Eric Maynor, whom the club used its biannual exception to sign this past summer.
Knicks, Nuggets Talk Udrih, Jordan Hamilton
THURSDAY, 7:09am: The swap of Udrih for Hamilton could depend on whether the Nuggets are able to unload Andre Miller, according to Begley and Stein’s latest piece.
WEDNESDAY, 8:02pm: The deal appears to be Udrih for Hamilton right now, with the Knicks yet to convince Denver to part with Faried, write ESPN’s Begley and Stein. In a separate tweet, Stein indicates that the Wizards are still interested in Udrih’s services and are lobbying the Knicks to switch trade partners.
FEBRUARY 19TH, 1:09pm: The Knicks are still making an effort to acquire Faried for Shumpert, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, who also confirms that Hamilton and Udrih remain a part of the talks (Twitter links).
FEBRUARY 11TH, 5:02pm: According to Stein, a source close to the situation says that if talks were to progress into a serious stage, one likely scenario would involve Shumpert and Beno Udrih in exchange for Faried and swingman Jordan Hamilton. The issue, however, is that New York hasn’t been able to persuade Denver to consider the idea.
Faried’s $1.4M salary for 2013/14 makes it difficult to find a deal that would yield equal value, leading Stein to presume that Denver would require any potential trade partner to additionally take back a long-term contract. The Knicks are wary of making any moves that would hinder their cap flexibility in 2015, especially one that would involve taking back long-term money for short-term gain.
2:38pm: The Knicks are once more trying to pry Kenneth Faried from the Nuggets in exchange for Iman Shumpert after their initial push for such a trade failed in November, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Those talks fell through when Denver asked New York to include multiple draft picks, presumably including a first-rounder. The Knicks already owe this year’s first-round pick to the Nuggets from the Carmelo Anthony trade, and they can’t trade their 2015, 2016 or 2017 first-rounders, either.
A pair of reports from the last two days say the Nuggets are open to trading Faried, even though they deny it. Shumpert has largely remained out of rumors since a late-December meeting in which Knicks owner James Dolan told the team’s players that there would be no trades or coaching changes. Nevertheless, a report soon thereafter noted that New York’s front office was continuing to pursue deals.
The Knicks have also reportedly thrown Shumpert into a proposal to the Celtics for Rajon Rondo, but they were cool on talks to send him to the Raptors for Kyle Lowry. The Cavs and Lakers are among the teams that also have been linked to the defensive-minded wing. Ryan Raroque of Hoops Rumors examined Shumpert as a trade candidate in late November.
There’s been less chatter about Faried, but opposing GMs still expect the Nuggets to move him. He, like Shumpert, will be up for a rookie scale extension this summer, though Denver is reluctant to shell out significant money for the power forward.
Knicks, Clippers Discuss Iman Shumpert Deal
THURSDAY, 7:02am: The Knicks are pushing to revive the talks, Stein and Begley write. New York attempted to interest the Clippers in a compromise proposal that would have sent Barnes, instead of Bullock, along with Collison to New York for Shumpert and Felton, but the Clippers continue to be reluctant to take on Felton.
WEDNESDAY, 8:29pm: Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports confirms Aldridge’s report, tweeting that the talks between the Knicks and Clippers have “broken down and concluded.”
7:28pm: The proposed deal involving Shumpert, Felton and Collison is “not happening,” tweets David Aldridge of TNT, who adds that it’s unclear if talks can be revived before tomorrow. ESPN’s Marc Stein, also on Twitter, adds that Shumpert is only available in exchange for a first round pick or alongside Felton.
2:16pm: Jared Dudley is also in the conversation, according to Chris Broussard and Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
12:37pm: Two sources involved with the talks tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com that a deal is unlikely (Twitter link).
12:17pm: The Knicks are most interested in the Felton-for-Bullock part of the exchange, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who believes the Clippers would prefer to substitute Matt Barnes for Bullock, and would also want Beno Udrih rather than Felton.
11:35am: The Knicks and Clippers are in talks on a deal that would send Darren Collison to New York for Iman Shumpert and Raymond Felton, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. A deal isn’t close and the proposal is fluid, but the Clippers are interested in Shumpert, Wojnarowski writes. Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers has expressed affection for Collison on several occasions this season, notes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link), so perhaps his inclusion could become a stumbling block. Reggie Bullock is also a part of the talks, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (on Twitter).
Such a deal would help the Knicks upgrade their point guard position and the Clippers get better on the wing, both goals the teams have sought to achieve. The return of Chris Paul makes Collison somewhat expendable, Wojnarowski notes, in spite of Rivers’ affection for his backup point guard. The trade would also help the Clippers offset the loss of J.J. Redick, who’s out indefinitely with back trouble.
Presuming it’s a two-for-two proposal at this point of Bullock and Collison for Felton and Shumpert, the Clippers would have to include another player to make the salaries match. Unless it’s someone on a long-term deal, the trade would appear to help New York’s plans for the summer of 2015, as none of the players who would head to the Knicks have guaranteed salary beyond 2014/15. Felton’s contract includes an approximately $3.95MM player option for 2015/16.
Multiple Teams Pursue Shabazz Muhammad
The Wolves have received calls from multiple teams about rookie Shabazz Muhammad, reports Christopher Reina of RealGM.com. The 14th overall pick in the 2013 draft has yet to make a significant impact in Minnesota, and spent about a week in the D-League last month. The Wolves acquired him in a draft-night deal that sent Rookie of the Year candidate Trey Burke to the Jazz.
Muhammad was once a top-tier prospect, but he had a disappointing one-year stint at UCLA last season and dropped on many team’s draft boards. He’s only seen 81 total minutes of action in the NBA so far.
He makes a shade more than $1.887MM this year on his rookie deal, and that figure rises to about $1.972MM next season. The final two years of rookie scale contracts are team options, and the deadline to decide on the first one is October 31st this year. That means Muhammad is running out of chances to make an impression before the Wolves, or another team, might decide to end his contract early.
Pelicans Shop Morrow, Bobcats Interested
4:44pm: Morrow is the most likely trade candidate among the Pelicans guards rumored to be on the block, Deveney tweets.
WEDNESDAY, 2:07pm: The Bobcats are eyeing Morrow, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, who seconds an earlier report that Charlotte is also in on Arron Afflalo. Deveney adds that Morrow is expected to opt out of his deal this summer.
TUESDAY, 8:56am: The Pelicans are looking to unload Anthony Morrow for a draft pick, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). New Orleans has been busy in trade chatter of the last week or two, as reports have indicated the team is looking for upgrades and wants to find a big man, while Eric Gordon, Austin Rivers and Pierre Jackson appear to be the block.
Morrow is on the fringe of the Pelicans’ rotation, averaging 15.6 minutes per game, but the career 42.9% three-point shooter is exceeding even that impressive mark this season, knocking down 48% of his long-range attempts. He signed a two-year minimum-salary deal this past summer that includes a player option for next season.
Pelicans coach Monty Williams insists the team isn’t looking to trade either Gordon or Tyreke Evans, as he told reporters yesterday. John Reid of The Times Picayune shares Williams’ remarks.
”I don’t know where all that stuff comes from man,’’ Williams said. ”It’s silly to me to put guys names out there like that. I don’t know how to answer that. I’m focused on tomorrow’s practice. As far as I know, those guys are going to be here. All the trade stuff, I guess there is nothing else to talk about. It’s not something we put a lot of stock into as coaches.’’
Kings Trade Thornton To Nets For Terry, Evans
The Kings and Nets have announced the first trade of the 2014 deadline season, a deal to send Marcus Thornton to Brooklyn for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans. David Aldridge of TNT first reported the agreement, via Twitter. The deal came together over the last 24 hours or so, with Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports the first to report that negotiations had become serious. No picks or cash are involved in the transaction, according to Aldridge, though Wojnarowski reported that the teams were discussing making a conditional pick that would go to the Nets a part of the trade. Both teams had room beneath the 15-man roster limit, so no one will have to be released before the trade can become official.
The Nets take on less than $1MM in extra salary as a part of the trade, but that’s compounded because they’re deep into tax territory. The Nets are also willing to take back Jordan Hill from the Lakers, and that would mean the Nets would be in line for a luxury tax payment of about $105MM, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link), and that’s money that would be distributed to non-taxpayers at season’s end. Together with Brooklyn’s roughly $100MM payroll, Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov appears willing to spend more than $200MM on this year’s team.
Both teams were also in talks with the Cavs about Jarrett Jack, but it appears they instead decided to make a trade of their own. All three players are on guaranteed deals that run through 2014/15. Thornton, the highest-paid player in the deal, earns $8MM this year and is set to receive close to $8.6MM next season. Terry makes about $5.6MM this season and $5.85MM in 2014/15. Evans will get roughly $1.7MM this year and $1.8MM next season.
The Kings have shown eagerness this season to trade Thornton, their leading scorer from 2011/12. He was involved in multiple reported proposals, including ones to the Cavs and Nuggets. He’s averaging just 8.3 points in 24.4 minutes per game this season, but that includes a 42-point outburst against the Pacers on January 24th.
“Marcus is a proven scorer in this league,” Nets GM Billy King said of the 26-year-old Thornton, in the team’s release. “He is a young talent who will help us in the backcourt.”
Terry, 36, has slumped after signing a three-year contract in 2012 with the Celtics, who traded him to the Nets in the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster this past summer. He’s averaging 4.5 PPG and 16.3 MPG this season, both career lows. Evans, long one of the best per-minute rebounders in the league, is excelling in that category again this season, grabbing 13.4 boards every 36 minutes. He’s nonetheless seen a more than 50% cut in playing time this year for Brooklyn, thanks in part to the presence of Garnett.
“Adding Jason and Reggie provides our roster with toughness and veteran leadership that will help this team continue to grow,” Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro said, in Sacramento’s press release. “They bring a wealth of NBA experience to Sacramento that will undoubtedly make a positive impact on our younger players. We also thank Marcus for his contributions and wish him great success going forward.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Celtics Eyeing Gordon Hayward
WEDNESDAY, 3:49pm: The Jazz aren’t interested in trading Hayward, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. League executives feel as though he’s in Utah’s long-term plans, unless the team lands a top-flight small forward in the draft this summer. Then, the Jazz may look for sign-and-trade offers for the soon-to-be restricted free agent. The lack of an agreement on an extension this fall isn’t a signal of waning affection on Utah’s part, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
TUESDAY, 4:18pm: The Celtics have shown interest in acquiring Gordon Hayward, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Such a deal would reunited Hayward with college coach Brad Stevens, but it would be cumbersome to pull off, as Blakely explains. The Jazz don’t have interest in Rajon Rondo, because they don’t feel like they could re-sign him, and they’re not high on trading for Jeff Green, either. Utah would like at least one first-round draft pick, but Blakely hears the Celtics are “very reluctant” to give one up.
Boston is instead focused on acquiring more picks, according to Blakely, though the Celtics are also on the lookout for someone who can be a major part of the team’s rotation. Hayward, averaging 16.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists, would probably fit that bill.
Hayward will be a restricted free agent at season’s end after he and the Jazz failed to reach agreement on an extension this past fall. He makes $3.45MM in the final season of his rookie deal this year, but he’s in line for a significant raise. Still, a report from Chad Ford of ESPN.com earlier today noted that Utah is unlikely to trade Hayward, and the Jazz have plenty of cap flexibility to retain him.
Pelicans Receive Disabled Player Exception
WEDNESDAY, 3:40pm: The Pelicans have officially received the exception, according to Stein and Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who notes that it will expire March 10th (Twitter links).
TUESDAY, 12:54pm: The league is about to grant the Pelicans a disabled player exception for Ryan Anderson, who’s likely out for the season, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It would be worth $4,154,250, or half of Anderson’s $8,308,500 salary. New Orleans could use it to sign no more than one player to a contract for the rest of the season, or trade for a single player on an expiring contract who makes up to the full amount of the exception, plus $100K.
It’s not clear whether the Pelicans will receive the exception in time for Thursday’s trade deadline, when it would be of greatest use. The Nets, Hawks and Bucks are other teams armed with DPEs. Brooklyn and Atlanta have exceptions worth $5.15MM for Brook Lopez and Al Horford, respectively, while Milwaukee’s is $1.63MM in compensation for the loss of Carlos Delfino.
The Pelicans appear to be one of the most active teams as the deadline approaches, with Eric Gordon, Anthony Morrow, Austin Rivers and Pierre Jackson all on the block. GM Dell Demps and company are reportedly seeking a big man who could offset the loss of Anderson and Jason Smith.