Pistons Turning Away Calls About Greg Monroe
The Pistons have informed teams with interest in trading for Greg Monroe that the big man isn’t available, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. That echoes a Monday report that Detroit is strident in its position that it won’t trade Monroe to the Wizards, who apparently covet the soon-to-be restricted free agent.
Stein suggests there’s a strong chance the Pistons and president of basketball operations Joe Dumars will come around to the idea of trading Monroe before the February 20th trade deadline. The team will otherwise face a conundrum in the summer, when the 6’11” Monroe will be an appealing prize for other teams on the free agent market. The Pistons have the right to match offers, but as Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News surmised this fall, Monroe and agent David Falk could command a deal in line with the four-year, $48MM extension that Derrick Favors signed with the Jazz.
The Pistons had postseason aspirations after acquiring Josh Smith in the offseason, but they’re 18-27 so far, tied with the Knicks for ninth place in the Eastern Conference and a half game behind the Bobcats for the final playoff spot. The addition of Smith, plus the promotion of Andre Drummond to the starting lineup, has given Detroit a front line that lacks shooting touch, helping lead to speculation that a shakeup could be coming. Hoops Rumors readers who voted in a recent poll identified Monroe as the Piston most likely to be traded by a wide margin.
Draft Rumors: Exum, Parker, Embiid, Wiggins
The latest significant rumble regarding this year’s draft happened this morning, when news broke that Australian point guard Dante Exum will enter the draft this June. He can’t officially declare for the draft until April, but even before today’s report, it seemed quite a long shot that he would choose to attend college instead. There’s plenty more on Exum, as we pass along in our latest look at the draft:
- Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress believes that Rob Pelinka, whom Exum has chosen as his agent, will shroud the point guard come draft time, limiting his exposure in workouts as he did with Dion Waiters in 2012 (Twitter link).
- A number of GMs have told Chad Ford of ESPN.com Insider that they would be comfortable taking Exum No. 1, even though reliable data on his performance is hard to come by. That echoes the comments of an NBA executive who tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Exum will ultimately be “in the mix” to go first overall.
- Still, a Western Conference GM tells Chris Mannix of SI.com that Jabari Parker, Joel Embiid and Andrew Wiggins are “a cut above everyone else” likely to be in the draft this summer. Parker, Embiid and Wiggins make up the top three, in that order, in Mannix’s rankings. Exum is fourth.
Trade Candidate: Kyle Lowry
Kyle Lowry‘s season has followed a most unusual script. The point guard of a team that seemed to be disintegrating in the immediate wake of the Rudy Gay trade, when nearly every Raptor was on the block, Lowry was on the verge of heading to the Knicks before James Dolan vetoed his acquisition. The Nets and Warriors were among an “ever-growing” list of trade suitors for the soon-to-be free agent just as Toronto neared a deal with New York, but GM Masai Ujiri set a high price for Lowry even as he aggressively tried to move him. That ransom began to prove wise beginning with a stretch of three straight late December games in which Lowry scored 20 points or more. Those performances were at the start of a run of seven wins in eight games for the Raptors, who took control of the Atlantic Division.
The Raptors are 23-21 after Monday night’s win at second-place Brooklyn, and they’re tied with the Hawks for the third playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Lowry has averaged 18.6 points, 8.3 assists and just 2.0 turnovers per contest since December 20th, the night of the first of those three consecutive 20-point performances. Lowry, who’s never made more than 37.6% of his attempts from beyond the arc in a single season, is draining 44.8% of his three-pointers during this hot streak. Virtually all of his numbers are up over the past month or so, giving the eighth-year veteran a realistic chance to make his first All-Star Game.
It adds up to a dilemma for Ujiri. Lowry is 27, so his sudden leap may be a function of having entered his prime. He may also be in line for a regression. Ujiri has to gauge how much of Lowry’s improved play will persist, and what it means for his value on the trade market as well as in free agency.
Most around the league feel as though the Raptors are more likely to keep Lowry than trade him, but that could have more to do with the unwillingness of other teams to meet Ujiri’s price than Toronto’s eagerness to deal him away, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported this week. Lowry’s impending free agency complicates matters, particularly since it’s difficult to gauge what he’ll be worth on the open market this summer. Eric Koreen of the National Post recently suggested bidding could start at $8MM a year, quite a sum for a guy whose $6.21MM salary for this season didn’t seem like a bargain before his torrid play of late.
Concern about his locker room presence apparently helped dissuade the Warriors from going after him too hard last month. I think that’s more a reflection of a tight-knit W’s team not wanting to mess with its chemistry than an indictment of Lowry’s character, but it nonetheless suggests an up-and-coming club with plenty of young players might hesitate to bring him on.
That could be the case for the rebuilding Magic, one of the teams that’s drawn mention as a Lowry suitor in the past several weeks. Orlando’s interest would seemingly center on a feeling that Lowry is a better long-term option at the point than Victor Oladipo, a natural shooting guard, and the Magic would bank on the notion that they could re-sign Lowry this summer. The Magic have plenty of youth and draft picks they could offer Ujiri, but little that would help the team hold on to a high playoff seed this season.
The Pelicans, whom Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio identified as a Lowry suitor in the same report, are a curious inclusion in the race, particularly since the report came out before Jrue Holiday went down with a stress fracture in his leg. Holiday’s salaries are in the $10MM range for the rest of his contract, which runs through 2016/17, so maybe New Orleans sees Lowry as a someone who could provide similar production and, at worst, re-sign for about the same money. Ujiri might want Holiday, who’s four years younger and can’t bolt Toronto this summer, but there’s no indication that New Orleans has been considering a one-for-one swap of point guards.
Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote about the Heat’s desire to add Lowry, but Miami doesn’t have the assets Toronto would want in return, as Lowe notes. Any move that strengthens Miami would lessen the chance that the Raptors could pull an upset if they were to meet in the playoffs, and if Ujiri is optimistic about this season, that might be in the back of his mind.
Ujiri came to a team at a crossroads when he joined the Raptors this summer, and his assignment has only become more complicated since. What the team does with Lowry, and, just as importantly, what the Raptors sense Lowry wants to do regarding them in the summer, figures to have a lasting effect on the franchise. Ujiri has plenty of options with Lowry, and if he wants to add another Executive of the Year trophy to his mantle, making the right choice in the next three weeks will go a long way toward that end.
Odds & Ends: Dragic, Jefferson, Carmelo
The summer of 2010 shows why teams would be unwise to make compromising moves at next month’s trade deadline just to clear cap space for the coming offseason, SB Nation’s Tom Ziller writes. Few clubs land true superstars in free agency, but many more have success with cheaper additions, as Ziller explains. While we wait to see how teams position themselves for the summer ahead, here’s the latest from around the NBA:
- Goran Dragic has a realistic chance to earn a spot in next month’s All-Star Game, and if he does, he’ll receive a $1MM bonus, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Al Jefferson thought Kemba Walker was joking this summer when he suggested the big man should join the Bobcats, but agent Jeff Schwartz persuaded Jefferson to travel to Charlotte, where Steve Clifford helped convince the 6’10” free agent to sign. Steve Aschburner of NBA.com has more from one of 2013’s most surprising moves.
- Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times hears Carmelo Anthony wouldn’t mind joining Chris Paul and Blake Griffin (Twitter link). Rumors have linked Anthony to the Clippers, but most such reports suggest Griffin would go to the Knicks in return for Anthony.
- The Sixers have again sent Lorenzo Brown to the D-League, the team announced. Philly sent Brown to the Delaware 87ers early Monday so he could play in their day game and recalled the point guard in time for him to appear in the big club’s loss to the Suns at night.
- Jimmer Fredette may not be long for the Kings, but he isn’t destined to become the sort of star he was in college no matter where he ends up in the NBA, opines Brad Rock of the Deseret News. Rock hears the Jazz would have passed on him in the 2011 draft even if he had slipped to them at the No. 12 pick.
- The United States Olympic Committee and the NCAA’s Big East Conference have shown interest in hiring incoming NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, according to USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt.
Southwest Notes: Mavs, Gordon, Ohlbrecht
Mavs executives are optimistic about the team for this season in beyond, believing they have an offense built to win in the playoffs and the flexibility to pounce on desirable free agents this summer, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe details. Execs from other teams tell Lowe that they see coach Rick Carlisle, in the second year of a four-year pact, as the Mavs’ most valuable long-term asset. They also regard the Mavs with respect, fearing the team’s advantages of an appealing owner who’s built top-notch facilities in a large market with a friendly tax environment. There’s more from Lowe’s Dallas-themed piece amid our look at the Southwest Division:
- Lowe views cap flexibility as the most effective weapon the Mavs possess, but even owner Mark Cuban acknowledges that it’s not as valuable as it used to be, now that so many teams enter offseasons with plenty of leeway to spend. “That could potentially be the case,” Cuban said. “But a lot of that depends on how you spend it, right? A lot of teams choose not to, so we’ll see.”
- Eric Gordon wishes he knew for sure whether the Pelicans were trading him or not, but he says he could be doing more for the team that matched a four-year offer sheet for more than $58MM to retain him in 2012, observes Brett Martel of The Associated Press. Coach Monty Williams believes Gordon could be doing more, too, but Williams is nonetheless pleased with what he’s seen from the shooting guard this season. Williams says Gordon’s late-game performance on Friday against the Pistons is what the team “paid the big bucks for.”
- Former Rockets center Tim Ohlbrecht has a longer resume than most in the D-League, but he explains to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest that his NBA experience helped convince him to return to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the affiliate of the Rockets. “I had so much positive feedback from NBA personnel after last season and from training camp,” the 25-year-old Ohlbrecht said. “I’m in my mid-20′s now so I figured why not? We discussed all of my offers and figured that if it doesn’t work out, I’ll have some other options. I’m glad I’m here though.”
Danny Granger, C.J. Miles Drawing Interest
A pair of wing players from Central Division teams are drawing interest from clubs around the league as the trade deadline approaches, sources tell Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Pacers small forward Danny Granger and, to a lesser extent, Cavaliers swingman C.J. Miles have become targets.
Amico also suggests that the Pacers could pursue Kyle Lowry, though it’s not entirely clear if that news comes from his own sources or other media reports. There haven’t been any legitimate rumors linking Lowry to the Pacers of late, and it’s also unclear whether the Raptors are among the teams with interest in Granger.
Granger and Miles are on expiring deals, with Granger making slightly more than $14MM this season while Miles collects $2.225MM. It would be difficult for the Pacers to re-sign Granger and Lance Stephenson this summer, and that could fuel a desire on Indiana’s part to deal away the former All-Star, as I examined when I profiled Granger’s trade candidacy a couple of weeks ago. Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said last month that he’s not seeking a deal for Granger, but he nonetheless left open the possibility that he would consider offers from other teams. The majority of Hoops Rumors readers who voted in our poll this past weekend said Indiana should trade the 30-year-old.
The rumor mill has been much quieter regarding Miles, whose contract had been fully non-guaranteed before the Cavs opted to keep him beyond the leaguewide guarantee date earlier this month. Miles is averaging 10.1 points in 20.5 minutes per game with a career-high 15.7 PER this year, and he has spent most of the season as Cleveland’s starting shooting guard. Granger is meanwhile putting up some of his lowest numbers as he recovers from nearly a season and a half lost to injury. He’s in a new role as a reserve and has put up 8.6 PPG in 22.2 MPG with a 10.4 PER this year.
Celtics Re-Sign Chris Johnson
The Celtics have officially announced the signing of Chris Johnson to a second 10-day deal. A source told Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald on Sunday that the small forward from Dayton was likely to stick with the team once his deal expired. Johnson is not to be confused with the LSU center by the same name who played for the C’s in 2010/11.
The 6’6″ 23-year-old fit right into the Boston rotation on his first 10-day contract, averaging 10.0 points in 26.8 minutes per game with a 15.7 PER. He’s already logged more minutes than he received over the course of two 10-day contracts with the Grizzlies last season. Johnson, a client of Pinnacle Management Corp., spent camp this fall with the Nets and was playing with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League when the Celtics brought him in for a workout earlier this month. Boston signed him to his first 10-day deal shortly thereafter.
When his latest 10-day contract expires, the Celtics will have to decide whether to sign Johnson for the season or let him walk. They also have Vander Blue on a 15-day deal that expires Friday night, but with just 13 guaranteed contracts, they have room to keep both for the rest of the season if they so desire.
Dante Exum To Enter 2014 NBA Draft
Top prospect Dante Exum has told Chad Ford of ESPN.com that he’ll enter the 2014 draft. The Australian point guard has chosen Rob Pelinka and Brandon Rosenthal of Landmark Sports Agency as his representatives after meeting with eight marquee agencies earlier this month. Most agents came away from their sit-downs with the sense that Exum would indeed decide to go pro rather than enter college.
“We are excited to be working with Landmark Sports,” Exum and his parents said in a statement. “Our family felt The Landmark Team represented our style and manner of treating people, and in doing businesses. We also all shared a common commitment to achieving excellence in all things. The fit is just great and we are really pleased to now begin the work.”
Exum is the No. 4 prospect in the ESPN Insider rankings, No. 5 at DraftExpress and No. 7 at NBADraft.net. He’d be a contender for the No. 1 pick if he were competing against other top prospects in college basketball this season, Ford writes. Exum has been competing on the high school level in Australia this year, but since he’s not a U.S. resident, he can enter the draft without going to college or playing professionally overseas for a year.
The 6’6″ 18-year-old’s decision is no surprise, but it’s probably a relief to many teams in line for a high draft pick this June after last week’s reports that cast uncertainty about whether top-five picks Joel Embiid and Jabari Parker will enter the draft.
Odds & Ends: Millsap, Monroe, Lakers
Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Paul Millsap is outplaying his two-year, $19MM contract, which is no surprise. Still, he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that he’s content with the Hawks.
“I hope to stay here, but we haven’t discussed [it],” Millsap said. “Now where I’m at, I feel comfortable and, hopefully, it can turn into a long-term thing. Right now, we’re focused on these two years, seeing what we can do. I felt this was the right move for me.”
Here’s more on other teams and players determined to make the right move for themselves:
- The Pistons are “aggressively” sending out signals that they’re not going to trade Greg Monroe to the Wizards, who are reportedly interested in the big man, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes in chat with readers. Kyler cautions that Detroit’s stance could change before the deadline.
- Kyler also hears that the Lakers have canvassed the entire league in search of young players and picks, but there’s little interest in what the purple-and-gold have to offer.
- DeMar DeRozan is under contract through 2016/17, but with trade rumors surrounding the Raptors, he made it clear that he prefers to stay in Toronto for the long haul, as part of an interview with BALLnROLL.com (hat tip to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News).
- With J.J. Redick returning to Milwaukee as a member of the Clippers for tonight’s game, Doc Rivers explained to reporters how Redick’s shot-making ability persuaded him to pursue the sharpshooter in free agency this past summer. Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel has the details, including input from Redick on what went wrong with the Bucks last year.
- The personal trainer for Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith has left the Knicks over differences with the coaching staff, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. The hiring of Idan Ravin was widely viewed as a favor to Anthony and Smith, and it’s unclear what role, if any, the split will play in Anthony’s decision regarding free agency this summer, Begley writes.
- Michigan shooting guard Nik Stauskas has been impressing NBA teams of late, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). The sophomore is No. 16 on the DraftExpress rankings and No. 19 on the ESPN Insider board.
Rockets Shopping Francisco Garcia
The Rockets have been offering Francisco Garcia to other teams in trade talks of late, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who passes along the news amid his weekly power rankings. Rumors about Garcia have been virtually non-existent since he re-signed with Houston in August to a two-year deal for the minimum salary, so this appears to represent a change in course for GM Daryl Morey.
The 32-year-old swingman hasn’t played over the last 10 days while suffering from left knee tendinitis, but he’s been part of the team’s rotation all year, averaging 20.3 minutes per game. His offensive production has been paltry, as he’s averaged only 5.8 points on 5.5 shot attempts per contest, with a career-low 9.5 PER. His three-point accuracy this season, at 34.2%, is off from his career mark of 36% and down even more from last year’s 37.4% rate. His lack of a long-range threat may be fueling Houston’s desire to move him, since the team relies heavily on outside shooting from its wing players.
Garcia’s deal includes a player option for next season. He’s significantly cheaper than he was last season, when he made $6.1MM. The Kings traded him to the Rockets at the 2013 deadline.