Odds & Ends: Knicks, Salmons, Bobcats
The Knicks were bent on injecting youth into their team, and they brought Josh Powell and Ike Diogu to camp with no intention of retaining them for opening night, no matter how well the two veterans played in preseason, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. For now, New York seems engaged in a pursuit of Kyle Lowry as it tries to unload Raymond Felton, who made Ben Golliver of SI.com‘s “All-Atrocious Team.” Here’s more from around the league:
- New Raptors small forward John Salmons is a “prime candidate” to be dealt again before the trade deadline, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, pointing to his de-facto expiring contract. No Raptors appear off-limits for a trade.
- The Bobcats released James Southerland on Wednesday, but not because the organization was disappointed with him, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “He was brought in as a developmental player. We like him a lot,” coach Steve Clifford said. “Nothing he did he could have done better. We just needed someone more ready to play.” Charlotte signed veteran Chris Douglas-Roberts to replace Southerland.
- Pau Gasol hinted that there’s a chance he could sign an extension with the Lakers, during his recent interview with Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. The possibility of an in-season agreement has seemed like a long shot.
- A Prim Capital investor was found guilty of obstructing a grand jury investigation into the firm’s ties to the players union, reports Nate Raymond of Reuters. The son of former union executive director Billy Hunter has served as a Prim executive.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports profiles freelance trainer Rob McClanaghan, who works with some of the NBA’s top players and has exerted influence on front office decision-making.
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports examines several free agents and D-Leaguers who could be on the radar of NBA teams in a piece for the Score, calling Drew Gooden perhaps the most talented among available big men. Deeks looked at guards on Wednesday.
Lakers To Target Leandro Barbosa, Other PGs
The Lakers announced that Steve Blake will miss at least six weeks with a torn ulnar ligament in his right elbow, and while GM Mitch Kupchak doesn’t expect to find a player worth signing, he’ll nonetheless look for one, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. Kupchak says players with ties to coach Mike D’Antoni, including Leandro Barbosa, Chris Duhon and Darius Morris, are among those the team will pursue, Pincus adds (via Twitter).
The injury to Blake leaves the Lakers without a healthy point guard, as Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar are also hurt. They plan to go with Kobe Bryant as the starter with Xavier Henry backing him up.
Barbosa is scorching the Brazilian league and appears fully recovered from his torn ACL, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com notes (Twitter link). Morris was supposed to work out with the Grizzlies this week, but Memphis appears to be looking in a different direction. There’s been little recent chatter about Duhon, who wasn’t in camp with an NBA team.
The Lakers have an open roster spot, so they wouldn’t have to waive anyone to sign a free agent. If they want to make a splashy trade, Kyle Lowry is available, but the Lakers aren’t among the teams that have reportedly been pursuing him.
Raptors, Knicks Working On Kyle Lowry Trade
2:47pm: The Raptors are sticking to their asking price of a quality young player or a first-round pick in return for Lowry, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com, tweeting that negotiations could take a while. Lowry has plenty of interest in playing for the Knicks, but Felton’s injury doesn’t help the chances of the Knicks landing Toronto’s point guard, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post, who says several teams including the Raptors have inquired about Hardaway.
1:56pm: The chances that Shumpert is part the deal are slim, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, who says the Raptors aren’t high on him and the Knicks prefer to keep him for now (on Twitter).
1:39pm: Shumpert’s name has come up in discussions between the Raptors and Knicks, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. In his piece on rumors around the league, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report wrote that Shumpert, along with Felton, would “most likely” be part of a deal for Lowry.
1:04pm: Isola can’t envision Hardaway being part of the deal, citing owner James Dolan’s affection for the rookie (Twitter link).
12:53pm: The Nets and Warriors are also interested in Lowry, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, while Stein says the Knicks may be forced to put Tim Hardaway Jr. into the deal (Twitter links).
12:47pm: The Raptors are trying to elicit more offers for Lowry, and that’s why they’re leaking the news of their talks with the Knicks, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
12:38pm: Kyle Lowry has been mentioned prominently among Raptors who could be on the move as GM Masai Ujiri aggressively reshapes the team, and he’s at the center of trade talks between Toronto and the Knicks, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The trade would likely feature Raymond Felton and at least one other Knick heading north of the border unless a third team jumps in, Stein also notes (on Twitter).
The Knicks had interest in trading with the Nuggets for Andre Miller, but they’ve shifted their focus to Lowry, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Raptors are looking for a first-round pick in the deal, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck notes (via Twitter), but the earliest first-rounder the Knicks can deal away is their 2018 pick.
Lowry is among nine Raptors with an expiring contract, as I examined earlier today, and his $6.21MM salary might make him an attractive target for teams looking for a starting point guard. The Knicks will miss Felton for the next two to three weeks as he recovers from a strained hamstring, as Newsday’s Al Iannazzone tweets. While that’s certainly not a long-term absence, New York may feel as though a quick fix is necessary to avoid falling further behind in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are 6-15, but that’s just two and a half games out of a playoff spot, given the struggles of so many Eastern teams this year.
The teams hooked up on the Andrea Bargnani trade over the summer, though that happened while former Knicks GM Glen Grunwald was still in charge in New York. New Knicks GM Steve Mills has yet to make a major move since taking over shortly before the season.
A one-for-one swap of Lowry and Felton, who’s making about $3.6MM, wouldn’t work under salary-matching rules. The Knicks would have to include about $1.5MM more in outgoing salary. They could accomplish that by throwing Iman Shumpert into the deal, and while Shumpert has been at the centerpiece of most of the trade chatter involving the Knicks this year, it’s not clear whether he’s a part of these talks.
Zwerling On Randolph, Anderson, Gordon
The latest dispatch from Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling is chock full of rumors. Let’s dive in:
- The Grizzlies are shopping Zach Randolph, with Ryan Anderson of the Pelicans as the primary target, Zwerling reports. Memphis wants to see Ed Davis continue to develop, and that may help push Randolph out the door. The Pelicans would have to add salary to such a deal to make it work, and Zwerling mentions Austin Rivers as a possibility, noting that he’s dissatisfied with his lack of playing time and is open to a trade.
- A source tells Zwerling that he believes the Pelicans will trade Eric Gordon at some point this season.
- Zwerling hears conflicting reports on whether a rumored Kenneth Faried/Iman Shumpert swap is a possibility for the Nuggets and Knicks, but he says the Knicks are currently reluctant to move Shumpert.
- It’s unlikely the Suns trade either Marcus Morris or twin brother Markieff Morris, according to Zwerling.
- The Sixers would trade Evan Turner for Dion Waiters “in a heartbeat,” a source tells Zwerling, though Cavs owner Dan Gilbert reportedly doesn’t want to trade his shooting guard. The Sixers are worried about what Turner may command in restricted free agency this summer. The Suns could be another landing spot for Waiters, Zwerling writes.
- Courtney Lee, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries are on the market in Boston. The Celtics offered Avery Bradley a four-year, $24MM extension this fall, but the guard turned it down, looking for a deal with annual salaries of $8MM.
- The Rockets “adore” D-Leaguer Troy Daniels, Zwerling writes. Daniels is displaying a three-point stroke to go with his 25.1 points per game.
Grizzlies Shift Focus In Search For Reinforcement
The Grizzlies had been scheduled to work out several players this week, but no signing is imminent, and the team has changed its priorities since the report about the auditions, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter links). The team had targeted Darius Morris, Reggie Williams, Seth Curry and Kendall Marshall with the thinking that Quincy Pondexter would miss only two weeks, but the revelation that Pondexter will be out for the season has forced a change of plans. The Grizzlies are looking to add someone who’s more of a long-term solution, Tillery says.
Memphis has just 13 players on its roster, including Pondexter and Marc Gasol, who’s out indefinitely with a sprained MCL in his left knee. The team is about $3.5MM clear of the luxury tax line, so it should have plenty of flexibility to sign one or two guys. There aren’t major upgrades available on the free agent market, but names like Richard Hamilton, Shannon Brown and DeShawn Stevenson are available if the Grizzlies are still looking for a guard. Those players may be holding out for more than the minimum salary, and while Memphis has most of its mid-level exception and all of its bi-annual exception available, in-season signings are almost always for the minimum.
It’s unclear whether the Grizzlies still plan to go through with their scheduled workouts, or if any of the players linked to the team have already completed their auditions. Memphis could also look to acquire players via trade, an avenue that might net more intriguing options. Most of the players who signed this offseason become eligible to be traded on Sunday.
Lakers Lead NBA In Expiring Contracts
Expiring contracts aren’t quite as coveted in trades as they used to be, in part because the shorter deals called for in the latest collective bargaining agreement makes them a plentiful commodity. They’re nonetheless useful trade chips as teams look to clear cap room for a star-studded 2014 free agent class.
The Lakers seem focused on pursuing free agents this summer, but if they had a change of plans and wanted to use some of their expiring contracts to trade for a player who could help them down the stretch this year, they have plenty to offer. They’re the only NBA team with as many as 10 expiring deals this year. Pau Gasol‘s nearly $19.3MM salary is the only expiring deal they have above $4MM, but they could package several of their small contracts for a trade if they wish.
The Trail Blazers are on the opposite end of the list, with just a pair of ending deals, both of which are for the minimum salary. If they start to falter after their hot start, they can’t look to expiring contracts to help them trade for an experienced hand.
This list includes de facto non-guaranteed players — those whose contracts aren’t fully guaranteed past this season — as well as players on deals that aren’t fully guaranteed this year or in subsequent seasons. It doesn’t include players who can’t be traded because they signed after November 19th, putting them within three months of the trade deadline. Teams can’t trade any player they sign for three months after the contract is finalized. Not all of the players below are immediately eligible to be traded, but all of them will become so before the deadline.
- Lakers (10): Pau Gasol, Steve Blake, Jordan Hill, Chris Kaman, Jodie Meeks, Jordan Farmar, Xavier Henry, Wesley Johnson, Shawne Williams, Ryan Kelly
- Jazz (9): Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins, Marvin Williams, Brandon Rush, Gordon Hayward, John Lucas III (de facto), Mike Harris, Ian Clark (non-guaranteed), Diante Garrett
- Raptors (9): John Salmons (de facto), Patrick Patterson, Greivis Vasquez, Amir Johnson (de facto), Kyle Lowry, Tyler Hansbrough (de facto), Austin Daye (de facto), Julyan Stone (non-guaranteed), Dwight Buycks (de facto)
- Wizards (9): Trevor Ariza, Marcin Gortat, Jan Vesely, Kevin Seraphin, Trevor Booker, Chris Singleton, Al Harrington, Garrett Temple, Glen Rice (de facto)
- Heat (8): Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, Ray Allen, James Jones, Rashard Lewis, Michael Beasley, Roger Mason Jr., Greg Oden
- Magic (8): Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson (de facto), Jason Maxiell (de facto), Ronnie Price (de facto), Solomon Jones, E’Twaun Moore, Doron Lamb (de facto), Kyle O’Quinn (de facto)
- Mavericks (8): Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, Samuel Dalembert (de facto), Vince Carter, DeJuan Blair, Devin Harris, Jae Crowder (de facto), Bernard James
- Pelicans (8): Al-Farouq Aminu, Greg Stiemsma, Jason Smith, Darius Miller, Brian Roberts, Jeff Withey (de facto), Josh Childress, Louis Amundson
- Cavaliers (7): Andrew Bynum (non-guaranteed), Anderson Varejao (de facto), Earl Clark (de facto), Alonzo Gee (de facto), C.J. Miles, Henry Sims (non-guaranteed), Matthew Dellavedova (non-guaranteed)
- Hawks (7): Elton Brand, Gustavo Ayon, Jared Cunningham, Pero Antic (de facto), Shelvin Mack, Cartier Martin, Mike Scott
- Rockets (7): Ronnie Brewer (non-guaranteed), Omri Casspi (de facto), Chandler Parsons (de facto), Aaron Brooks, Greg Smith, Patrick Beverley (non-guaranteed), Robert Covington (de facto)
- 76ers (7): Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, Lavoy Allen, James Anderson (de facto), Daniel Orton (non-guaranteed), Brandon Davies (non-guaranteed), Hollis Thompson (non-guaranteed)
- Bobcats (6): Ben Gordon, Ramon Sessions, Jeff Adrien, Jannero Pargo, Anthony Tolliver, Jeff Taylor (de facto)
- Celtics (6): Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans (de facto), Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, MarShon Brooks, Phil Pressey (de facto)
- Pacers (6): Danny Granger, Luis Scola (de facto), Lance Stephenson, Rasual Butler, Donald Sloan (de facto), Orlando Johnson (de facto)
- Pistons (6): Charlie Villanueva, Rodney Stuckey, Greg Monroe, Chauney Billups (de facto), Josh Harrellson (non-guaranteed), Peyton Siva (non-guaranteed)
- Suns (6): Emeka Okafor, Eric Bledsoe, Viacheslav Kravtsov, Ish Smith (de facto), P.J. Tucker, Dionte Christmas (non-guaranteed)
- Spurs (6): Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner, Nando De Colo, Patrick Mills, Aron Baynes
- Bulls (5): Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Mike James, Nazr Mohammed, Erik Murphy (non-guaranteed)
- Clippers (5): Jamal Crawford (de facto), Willie Green (de facto), Ryan Hollins, Antawn Jamison, Maalik Wayns
- Grizzlies (5): Ed Davis, Jerryd Bayless, Kosta Koufos (de facto), Mike Miller, Nick Calathes (de facto)
- Kings (5): Jimmer Fredette, Hamady N’Diaye, Isaiah Thomas, Aaron Gray, Quincy Acy (de facto)
- Knicks (5): Cole Aldrich, Kenyon Martin, Beno Udrih, Toure’ Murry, Chris Smith (de facto)
- Warriors (4): Jermaine O’Neal, Toney Douglas, Draymond Green (de facto), Kent Bazemore,
- Bucks (4): Caron Butler, Ekpe Udoh, Luke Ridnour, Khris Middleton (de facto)
- Nets (4): Paul Pierce, Shaun Livingston, Tornike Shengelia, Tyshawn Taylor
- Thunder (4): Thabo Sefolosha, Hasheem Thabeet (non-guaranteed), Derek Fisher, Ryan Gomes
- Nuggets (3): Andre Miller (de facto), Jordan Hamilton, Quincy Miller (de facto)
- Timberwolves (3): Dante Cunningham, A.J. Price, Robbie Hummel
- Trail Blazers (2): Earl Watson, Will Barton (de facto)
ShamSports was used in the creation of this post.
Atlantic Rumors: Thibodeau, Rivers, Iguodala
The idea that Tom Thibodeau could become the next coach of the Knicks is centered around the notion that friction between Thibodeau and Bulls management would prompt a parting of ways, but such tension has cooled, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Thibodeau, GM Gar Forman and executive vice president John Paxson cleared the air during several meetings early in the offseason, and while they may not be the best of friends, the relationship is “more than just workable,” Cowley writes. Thibodeau had no comment on the Knicks rumor, and with New York beating Chicago last night, it seems Mike Woodson‘s job is safe for at least another day. Here’s the latest on the Knicks’ rivals in the Atlantic Division:
- Amid a return to Boston as coach of the Clippers, Doc Rivers said taking the Celtics job in 2004 was “the best decision I ever made,” HoopsWorld’s Jessica Camerato notes.
- Andre Iguodala was shocked when the Sixers traded him to the Nuggets as part of last year’s four-team Dwight Howard blockbuster, and tells Grantland’s Jonathan Abrams that he wishes the deal hadn’t come while he was competing in the Olympics. Iguodala also shares his frustrations about playing in front of Philly’s notoriously critical fans and says the constant changes to the Sixers during his tenure with the team hurt his game.
- Nerlens Noel might be done for the season, but he and the Sixers are working diligently on improving his shot, as Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer details.
- Nets GM Billy King admits that he was involved in the decision to demote former lead assistant Lawrence Frank, notes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- Kyle Korver told HoopsHype’s Jorge Sierra that his ties to King, who as Sixers GM 10 years ago swung a deal to acquire him on draft night, were part of the reason he nearly signed with the Nets this summer. Ultimately, Korver says he and his wife decided to stay in Atlanta.
Odds & Ends: Collins, Augustin, Mavs, Cavs
Jannero Pargo‘s contract with the Bobcats became fully guaranteed when the team didn’t waive him yesterday, and A.J. Price passed his contract guarantee threshold with the Timberwolves this weekend. That means the rest of the players with non-guaranteed contracts won’t have their deals fully guaranteed unless they remain on their teams until the leaguewide guarantee date of January 10th. We’ll continue to track non-guaranteed contracts here until that date. Here’s more from around the league:
- Free agent center Jason Collins told Michael K. Lavers of the Washington Blade that he doesn’t pin the reluctance of NBA teams to sign him on his sexual orientation. Collins, who hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since publicly revealing last spring that he is homosexual, says he hopes a team will sign him by March 1st.
- The Bulls are zeroing in on D.J. Augustin, and the move would give them four point guards, not including the injured Derrick Rose. They probably won’t be carrying all four by the end of the season, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
- With Devin Harris suffering a setback in his rehab, Gerry Fraley of the Dallas Morning News wonders if the Mavericks will go after Augustin.
- The Cavs have assigned Carrick Felix, Sergey Karasev and Henry Sims to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. It’s the first assignment for Karasev, while Felix and Sims are making return trips to the Canton Charge.
- Other teams reportedly expect the Nuggets will soon trade Jordan Hamilton for little in return, but the third-year small forward has earned the trust of coach Brian Shaw, according to Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com.
- Shelvin Mack is making the most of his non-guaranteed contract with the Hawks, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution examines (subscription required).
Bulls In Lead To Sign D.J. Augustin
WEDNESDAY, 4:20pm: Augustin has cleared waivers, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 11:49am: The Bulls are the clear leaders to sign D.J. Augustin when he clears waivers Wednesday, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Augustin was a victim of a numbers crunch in Toronto, where the Raptors had to release a player to fit under the 15-man roster limit to accommodate yesterday’s Rudy Gay trade.
Augustin is on a one-year contract worth a guaranteed $1.267MM, not much more than what the minimum salary for the five-year veteran would be, so it’s conceivable a team could claim him off waivers. The capped-out Bulls can’t make a claim, so they’d likely sign him to a non-guaranteed pact for the minimum-salary if he hits free agency. Perhaps another club could resort to a waiver claim to thwart Chicago’s attempt to sign him, though that’s just my speculation.
Derrick Rose‘s injury has left the Bulls shorthanded at point guard, where the backups to Kirk Hinrich are disappointing second-year man Marquis Teague, whom the Bulls shopped in trade talks before the season, and 38-year-old journeyman Mike James. James hasn’t played in more than a week as he recovers from a sprained knee, and with two roster spots available, the team is looking to bolster its depth at the position, Wojnarowski writes. Augustin has had his own struggles the past two seasons, flaming out as a backup for the Pacers in 2012/13 before averaging just 8.2 minutes per game in 10 appearances for the Raptors this year.
The Raptors would benefit if a team claimed Augustin off waivers, since they’ll otherwise be on the hook for the contract they signed with the Thad Foucher client. They could still see some relief if he becomes a free agent and signs with the Bulls or another team, since that might allow Toronto to defray the cost of its contract with Augustin via set-off rights.
Knicks May Make Run At Tom Thibodeau
The Knicks might attempt to pry Tom Thibodeau out of his contract from the Bulls, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who gets the sense that current Knicks head coach Mike Woodson will only last until owner James Dolan can find a splashy replacement. Soon-to-be free agent Carmelo Anthony wouldn’t object to the move, Stein also hears. Thibodeau, like Anthony, is a client of the Creative Artists Agency, a firm with close ties to the Knicks.
Thibodeau has two seasons remaining on his deal with Chicago, but he’s reportedly feuding with Bulls GM Gar Forman. It would nonetheless be hard to convince the Bulls to let him go, Stein writes, but the ESPN scribe figures the Knicks stand a better chance of pulling that off than they do of landing marquee names like John Calipari, Phil Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Stan Van Gundy.
The Knicks are also apparently considering assistant GM Allan Houston as a possible replacement for Woodson. Houston played for the Knicks when Thibodeau was an assistant coach for the team. Perhaps Houston could serve as an interim if the Knicks decide to replace Woodson during the season, with a pursuit of Thibodeau happening in the summer, but that’s just my speculation.
Coaching transactions between teams are rare, but the Knicks once received compensation for letting Pat Riley go to the Heat, and this summer’s Doc Rivers swap is the most recent example. The Celtics acquired a 2015 first-round pick in exchange for letting Rivers out of his deal so the Clippers could hire him, but the earliest first-rounder the Knicks can surrender is their 2018 pick. The NBA prohibits teams from exchanging players for coaches, so it would indeed be difficult for the Knicks to bring Thibodeau back to Madison Square Garden.