Clippers Looking For Frontcourt Help
The Clippers are dangling Jared Dudley, Antawn Jamison and Byron Mullens in search of a frontcourt upgrade, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Matt Barnes may also be on the block as well, Berger says. Marc Stein of ESPN.com first reported the Clippers were shopping Dudley a couple of weeks ago. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports last night tweeted overnight that the Clips were seeking backup bigs.
Jamison and Mullens were two players the team signed this past summer to serve as frontcourt reserves, but neither is having much impact. Both are on minimum-salary deals, though Jamison’s pact covers just this season while Mullens has a player option for next year.
Dudley is signed through 2015/16, making $4.25MM each year. His production is down after coming over from the Suns last summer via trade, and Doc Rivers recently yanked him from the starting lineup. Barnes is posting a career-worst 38.5% field goal percentage after inking a three-year deal for nearly $10.2MM in the offseason.
No Trade Talk Surrounding Omer Asik
The Rockets have no ongoing discussions about trading Omer Asik, reports Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). GM Daryl Morey said last month that it’s likely the team will keep Asik through next season, and it appears he’s keeping his word. Morey indicated the team would trade Asik in December, but no deal came about.
Houston also isn’t making much traction toward acquiring Bulls swingman Mike Dunleavy, Amick tweets. The Bulls appear unwilling to move him, according to Amick, in spite of his $3.183MM salary this season and $3.326MM pay for 2014/15.
The Rockets would love to move Asik, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports wrote last night, but the nearly $15MM balloon payment Asik will receive next season, in contrast to an $8.37MM cap figure, appears to be scaring off suitors. A January report indicated Houston was targeting Dunleavy, though not necessarily for a deal involving Asik.
Southeast Notes: LeBron, Magic, Hawks
LeBron James offered a rare glimpse into his long-term plans in an interview that aired on NBA TV Monday night. James can opt out of his deal this summer, and while he says that he can’t picture himself leaving the Heat, he’s putting off his decision until after the season, as The Associated Press notes.
“At this point, I can’t,” James said to interviewer Steve Smith. “At this point, I can’t. We don’t know what can happen from now to July, so what I’ve been able to do this whole season to this point is just worry about what’s at hand and that’s winning another championship. And hopefully at the end of this year I can put myself in a position where I can hold that Larry O’Brien Trophy up once again and then I will assess what I have to do with my future after that.”
While we wait to see what the No. 1 free agent will do, here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Agents and executives around the league think the Magic have a strong chance to attract a second star via free agency if they could just find a first star, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe. The Magic are prepared to spend up to the tax line if need be and go into the tax when executives feel the team is “one piece away” from a title, CEO Alex Martins tells Lowe. Still, the club senses no urgency to make a push next season, Lowe writes, believing that the easiest way, by far, for the club to find that first star is through the draft. Lowe also notes that the Magic are more wary than most teams of taking on any players with character issues.
- The Magic are unlikely to make a run at Lance Stephenson in the summer, as there’s fear around the league that he won’t be quite as team-oriented if he’s not around the strong structure of the Pacers, according to Lowe.
- The Hawks are seeking a small forward, as Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News writes in a story on the Knicks’ pursuit of Jeff Teague, which appears to have cooled.
Celtics Rumors: Rondo, Bradley, Sullinger
Other teams around the NBA appear to have joined the Knicks in their belief that Danny Ainge is more willing to move Rajon Rondo than he’s letting on. The Kings have reportedly made an offer for Rondo, while the Raptors have their eyes on him, too. The C’s appear to be demanding a pair of unprotected first-round picks for their All-Star point guard. Sources tell Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald that those picks would have to be virtually guaranteed to come within the top few selections, even though Boston wouldn’t insist that both picks come in the same year. Here’s more on the C’s:
- Bulpett hears that teams around the league have called the Celtics about Rondo, Avery Bradley, Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk, Jeff Green and Kris Humphries, as the Herald scribe writes in the same piece. While none of those talks are ongoing, the Celtics would like to make some kind of deal this week, according to Bulpett.
- The C’s are open to acquiring a major player, Bulpett notes, and they’ll go into the tax if necessary, as Ainge explains to Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. “We would go over the cap for the right deal,” Ainge said. “We’re not going to go over the cap just for the cap’s sake, just because we’re not a playoff team this year, most likely, unless we turn things around quickly. I think that it would not be prudent to be a tax-paying team this year. But if we needed to be a tax-paying team to make a certain acquisition, we certainly would. We have the support of ownership and I think we have the best ownership in basketball. And they would certainly be willing to spend the money. It’s not that; it’s just the competitive advantage to stay under the tax for future years and to allocate our money the best that we can.”
- Ainge tells Holmes that there are “a lot of different directions we could go,” and that the team could either make an upgrade or do a deal that furthers the rebuilding process. Ainge is also keeping an open mind regarding the team’s store of draft picks, of which there could be as many as 17 in the next five years. “You know what, I look at them as 17 opportunities to draft some really good players,” Ainge said. “Or maybe 12 opportunities to draft and five to trade, or five to draft and 12 to trade. It depends on the players.”
Southeast Rumors: LeBron, Bosh, Beaubois
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert still believes strongly that LeBron James will entertain the idea of signing with the Cavs either this summer or next if the Heat‘s run of titles ends, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. There are plenty of hypotheticals in that statement, but if James does return, Kyrie Irving‘s development means the move would more closely resemble James’ decision to hook up with other stars in Miami than a simple homecoming, Berger opines. Here’s more from another of the Heat’s trio of big names:
- Chris Bosh won’t pester LeBron about where he’ll choose to play next, but Bosh offered up a hint about his own free agency, explaining to Sam Amick of USA Today that he’s moved past the idea of being a team’s No. 1 option. “I’m over it,” Bosh said. “It’s just all about winning at the end of the day. It’s about being in the game. I mean everybody isn’t meant to take the last shot. Everybody isn’t going to be the MVP. It’s only for a very, very small percentage, for a small percentage of guys. I understand that, and I’m just lucky enough to be in this situation I am now, just competing at the highest level in the league. That’s good enough for me.”
- There’s no chance Rodrigue Beaubois will work out for the Wizards, two sources tell J. Michael of CSNWashington.com, contradicting a weekend report that indicated Beaubois would audition for the Wizards and Grizzlies.
- Gerald Wallace is still upset with the Bobcats for what he says happened when they traded him at the 2011 deadline, as he tells Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders. Wallace says the Bobcats told him they wouldn’t trade him, then dealt him anyway without giving him an explanation.
Deveney’s Latest: Gordon, Sixers, Rockets
There are plenty of trade rumors flying around the NBA, even if no superstars seem on the verge of being dealt by Thursday’s deadline. Sean Deveney of The Sporting News shares the latest from his notebook, as we highlight here:
- The Pelicans have been trying to trade Eric Gordon all season, Deveney hears, which contradicts what Gordon says the team told him. New Orleans would be willing to add salary in a deal that sends Gordon away, Deveney notes. The Sporting News scribe also seconds an earlier report that the Pelicans are looking for a big man.
- The Sixers are asking for more in return for Thaddeus Young than they are for Evan Turner or Spencer Hawes, Deveney writes, though it’s not clear exactly what the price difference is.
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey has been as active as any executive around the league, Deveney notes, which is no surprise given Morey’s history. Houston remains keen on upgrading at power forward, according to Deveney, though Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle wrote Friday that the team’s desire for perimeter help had grown stronger than its longing for a four man.
Masai Ujiri On Lowry, Casey, Hayes
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri‘s phone isn’t making much noise, but he’s not turning it off, either. Ujiri tells Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun that he’ll be listening to trade offers that come in between now and Thursday’s deadline. The Raptors are 28-24, good for third place in the Eastern Conference, but the team’s performance hasn’t altered Ujiri’s timetable for putting the club in title contention, Ganter notes. Ujiri also spoke with Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, and we’ll pass along the best of both pieces here:
On whether he’s open to trading Kyle Lowry or any other player:
“I hate to comment about any player in that way, but I think we are not good enough so you have to keep it open. That’s the honest answer. These guys have done pretty good. I know we’ve won a couple of games but we haven’t done anything yet. We’ll keep trying to grow.”
On coach Dwane Casey, whom Ujiri says has done “an excellent job”:
“When we talked about it with Casey when I came on, it was something like where I said we are going to assess the whole season and for me, my evaluation was not wins and losses at all. For me, you almost put a coach under pressure where he’s trying to do things. It wasn’t only the growth of the players. It was the growth of the coaches and the growth of us working together as a front office … I don’t just mean, ‘How did Terrence (Ross) grow or Jonas (Valanciunas) grow?’. How did we all grow working together? How are we all growing together? How do we interact, how do we communicate with front office, coaches, players? That’s our job here. We’re not always going to agree but we have to find a way to communicate and make a decision on things.”
On whether he sensed the December trade that shipped Rudy Gay to the Kings would be so beneficial to the Raptors:
“When we did the trade, we honestly didn’t know which way it would go so we were preparing for either way. Obviously, you do background, you check on attitude, you check on good teammate, you check on off-the-court habits and that stuff. Even some of that information, you can only get so much that’s accurate and so much that’s not but we tried to just do our homework, due diligence like everyone does. You bring in someone like (Greivis) Vasquez who can maybe (play) as a starter in the pinch. I think (Patrick) Patterson is a young big in the league and you’re intrigued by some of the little things he does. I think (John) Salmons is older but brings a steady calm and, you know what? Chuck Hayes? I didn’t know what Chuck Hayes had left but (as) a post-defender and leader and anchor type in pinch minutes on defense, I think he’s shown us he can be (of) some help.”
Celtics Seek Two Unprotected Picks For Rondo?
12:26pm: Grantland’s Zach Lowe has also heard that the Celtics are demanding a pair of unprotected first-rounders for Rondo (Twitter link).
11:21am: The Celtics asking price for Rajon Rondo is “said to be” two unprotected first-round picks, as Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes in his weekly leaguewide roundup. That would be quite a hefty ransom for the four-time All-Star whom Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has consistently maintained is off-limits for a trade.
Few NBA teams surrender so much as one unprotected first-round pick via trade these days, never mind two, so it seems unlikely any team would match that price. The Knicks have consistently made Rondo a target, and they reportedly believe that Ainge is more amenable to a Rondo trade than he’s let on. The Knicks can’t give up a first-rounder for a draft earlier than 2018. Ainge served up his latest dismissal of Rondo trade talk this weekend, calling it “all a little crazy.”
The Suns, Rockets and Mavericks were also linked to Rondo last month, though there’s been little chatter connecting the point guard to those teams since. Rondo is set to become an unrestricted free agent after next season, but he’s expressed a desire for a long-term future in Boston.
Trade Deadline Primer
Months of speculation around the NBA will culminate this week. The trade deadline is just three days away, and teams are gearing up for one of the busiest days on the NBA calendar. Hoops Rumors has prepared several resources to guide you as we count down the hours until 2:00pm Central on Thursday:
- We’ve profiled a number of players we consider to be trade candidates, including Kyle Lowry, Danny Granger and Thaddeus Young. You can find all those pieces linked right here.
- Not every NBA player is eligible to be traded this week. We listed the players ineligible to be dealt, and also rounded up the guys who have the ability to veto trades.
- A number of traded player exceptions are set to expire at the deadline. The list of expiring exceptions is here, while the complete list of outstanding trade exceptions is here. If you’re unclear on how exactly these exceptions work, you can read our glossary entry.
- Players on expiring contracts are generally more likely to be moved than guys with another year or two left on their deals. Our list of 2014/15 free agents includes all the players currently on expiring contracts, plus those who have some form of option for next season.
- Some players will receive a bonus if they’re traded, and that could complicate potential deals. Our list of players with trade kickers includes nearly three dozen names.
- Future first-round draft picks are precious commodities this time of year, but several teams are without first-rounders they can trade for 2014 and beyond.
- Given the possibility that a few first-round picks could change hands this week, be sure to keep tabs on our tentative 2014 draft order to see where those draft picks might land.
- If you’re looking to keep up with rumors on a particular player, check out our instructions on how to follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
Kings Owner On Malone, Front Office, Cousins
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive tells Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee that he expects the team will lose money this year, but he says he’s “not that concerned” about it. Ranadive has officially been in control of the franchise for just eight and a half months, but he’s already made a significant impact. He’s signed off on a max extension for DeMarcus Cousins, hired a new coach, overhauled the front office and kept pushing for a new arena against local opponents and a 2017 NBA-imposed deadline. The software magnate shared a range of thoughts on the team and other subjects with Voisin, and we’ll pass along a few highlights from their Q&A here:
On coach Michael Malone:
I think Michael Malone is going to be a great coach. He was thrown into a situation where there was a lot of dysfunction, and we said the first year is not going to be measured on wins and losses. Do we have a culture? Do we have a system? Are we developing our players? I believe we’re moving in the right direction.
On the philosophical differences between Malone and the front office:
Look, I know people talk about that my coach is always focusing on defense, while guys like Mullie (Chris Mullin, adviser) and Petey (D’Alessandro, general manager) are offense-oriented. And that we have offensive players. It’s no secret the game has become an offensive game, with three-point shots, layups, the rule changes. We all see it. So we have to reconcile that. And I think it’s good. If I had everyone who agreed, why would I want them?
On the team’s player personnel moves since he bought the team:
I’m very pleased with those decisions. When I bought the team, everybody told me the first thing you should do is get rid of DeMarcus, including the previous management. But I just kept an open mind, and I interacted with the young man. And what I saw was a young man who wanted to win and had experienced nothing but chaos during his time with the Kings. Throughout the season he has proven that he wants to win, and he is maturing. I can’t fault him because he wants to win so much.
On whether the notion that the current collective bargaining agreement is more small-market friendly than the one before it influenced his decision to buy the team:
It was a factor when I asked some smart money people to join me. I did explain to them we were at an important point in the evolution of the business. And, yes, in the past, most teams lost money. But with the new TV contract and all the things that were happening, this (NBA) was going to become more like the NFL.
On his accomplishments so far as Kings owner:
“Just kind of stepping back, when I took over, we started from scratch. There is no other word for it than a turnaround. We just paid $535MM for something that had no revenue, no ticket sales, an arena that is falling apart, that had chaos in the locker room, leadership that was falling apart, and so I had to just quickly stabilize everything. And kind of keeping with my philosophy of surrounding myself with people smarter than me, I think I’ve done that. (Team president) Chris Granger is one of the top guys in the NBA.”