Heat Sign Juwan Howard
The Heat have signed Juwan Howard to a 10-day contract, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that the Heat were considering bringing the 40-year-old big man back. The team is likely to keep him around for the rest of the season, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Twitter link).
Howard has hung around the Heat all season in an advisory role, and the team kept an open locker for him even though he wasn't invited to training camp as a player. Back in September, coach Erik Spoelstra mentioned the possibility of Howard joining the team during the season even though he wouldn't be on the camp roster. Howard's agent, David Falk, said in the offseason that his client wasn't ready to retire, but strongly preferred rejoining Miami over signing with another club. Howard spent the previous two seasons with the Heat, seeing 9.2 minutes per game over 85 regular season contests in 2010/11 and 2011/12. He's averaged 2.1 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in his limited time with Miami.
Howard is joining the team primarily for his off-court leadership skills, as Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida tweets. He slides into the roster spot vacated when the Heat traded Dexter Pittman to the Grizzlies. It seemed at the time of that swap that the Heat were creating flexibility to sign a player bought out from another team, but the lack of buyouts before last night's playoff-eligibility deadline might have prompted Miami to turn to Howard.
Cavs Won’t Buy Out Omri Casspi Before Deadline
11:59pm: The Rockets' agreement to sign Brooks scuttled Casspi's willingness to accept a buyout from the Cavs, since it took away a likely destination, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
7:55pm: The Cavs won't buy out the remainder of Omri Casspi's contract before tonight's playoff-eligibility deadline, reports Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. The forward is unpleased with his scant playing time this season, a source tells Lloyd, and his representatives have been engaged in buyout talks with the team.
Bob Finnan of The News-Herald indicated this weekend that Casspi was no longer in the team's plans, and a report from the Israeli website Walla Sport indicated Casspi wanted to wait to have an offer lined up with another team before agreeing to a buyout, just like Raja Bell of the Jazz. That report from Casspi's native Israel pointed to the Grizzlies and Rockets as potential destinations, and ESPN's Marc Stein named the Rockets as a legitimate candidate to sign him if he were released, though Houston might be reluctant to do so now that they're set to sign Aaron Brooks.
Casspi is averaging a career-low 11.4 minutes per game this year, and his numbers have declined virtually across the board in each season since his rookie campaign in 2009/10. That year he put up 10.3 points in 25.1 minutes per game for the Kings, who made him the 23rd overall pick in the 2009 draft. Casspi's currently making $2.277MM in the final year of his rookie-scale contract, but it's no certainty that the Cavs will tender him the $3.3MM qualifying offer required for the team to match offers for him this summer. Without that qualifying offer, Casspi would become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Odds & Ends: D-Will, Kenyon, Blake, Thunder
The Magic have given a higher percentage of their minutes to players who weren't on their roster last season than any other team in the league, notes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Orlando has given 66% of its minutes to newcomers, while the Rockets are second, with 64% of their minutes going to players who weren't with them in 2011/12. Both clubs made a blockbuster deal before the season, and both were involved in smaller swaps at the trade deadline, further altering their compositions. Here's more on players coming and going from around the league:
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld revists Deron Williams' choice of the Nets over the Mavericks, opining that Dallas wouldn't have been a playoff team this year even with D-Will. Ingram also caught up with J.J. Redick and Stan Van Gundy.
- Kenyon Martin didn't play in tonight's game and has only seen five minutes of action more than halfway through his 10-day contract, but as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com observes, Knicks coach Mike Woodson indicated the team is likely to keep him around after his current deal expires. "Kenyon's not going nowhere, he's here," Woodson said (Twitter link).
- Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors identified him as an amnesty candidate earlier today, but as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com chronicles, Blake has recently been playing some of his best ball as a member of the Lakers.
- The Oklahoman's Berry Tramel, with the help ofSalary Cap FAQ contributor Jon Hamm, examines the Thunder's payroll for the next few seasons and looks at how they can minimize their tax hit.
- Fellow Oklahoman scribe Darnell Mayberry praises the subtle moves the Thunder made at the deadline, and expects such tweaking to become the norm with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka occupying so much room on the payroll.
Atlantic Rumors: Rasheed, Collins, Sixers, Celtics
The top three teams in the Atlantic Division are separated by five and a half games, and with all three in action tonight, only the second-place Nets failed to keep pace, falling three games back of the Knicks. It was a busy day for Atlantic clubs off the court as well, and here's the latest:
- After undergoing surgery on his left foot yesterday, Rasheed Wallace could have called it a career, a possibility he contemplated in the past week, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. However, the eight-week timetable for his return suggests Wallace and the Knicks still hope he can return during the postseason. Still, one medical expert who spoke to Berman believes Wallace will need more than eight weeks to return to 100%. Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if the Knicks will consider cutting 'Sheed to make room for another player on the roster before season's end.
- Sixers coach Doug Collins was "shocked" that his Tuesday press conference got as much media attention as it did, as Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News details. "It was interesting,"Collins said. "I went back and I said, 'Wait a second. I didn't get that I slammed them or was being kind of hard.' I thought I was just talking about what I expected, and, as a coach, that's what you do. There was nobody called out."
- Andrew Bynum's injury, which could cost him all of this season, might have an even longer-lasting effect on the Sixers, Cooney argues.
- The Celtics signed three reinforcements to their depleted squad in the past two weeks, but coach Doc Rivers doesn't expect Terrence Williams, D.J. White or Shavlik Randolph to get a lot of minutes, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald observes.
- The Rudy Gay trade and DeMar DeRozan's growth this year have left few minutes for rookie Terrence Ross, notes Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun.
Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors contributed to this post.
Raja Bell Turns Down Buyout Offer From Jazz
8:51pm: Though no team made a commitment, several NBA clubs have spoken with Rudoy recently about signing Bell if he were to be waived by the Jazz, Charania reports.
8:43pm: The buyout offer was for the minimum, Oram notes. I believe that means it would have been for the equivalent of the minimum salary, which for a 12-year veteran like Bell would be a prorated portion of $1,352,181. Jazz senior vice president Kevin O'Connor told a team-owned radio station this week that the club offered Bell the minimum buyout before the season, but never heard back from him.
7:20pm: Raja Bell is declining a buyout offer from the Jazz, reports Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). Agent Herb Rudoy told Shams Charania of RealGM.com that it "does not look like" Bell and the Jazz will get a buyout done by tonight's 11pm Central deadline (Twitter link). Previous reports had indicated Bell wouldn't accept the buyout unless he could line up a deal with another team, and Oram and TNT's David Aldridge both tweet that he has no outstanding offer from another club. Rudoy tells Jody Genessey of the Deseret News that he'll hold out until the deadline comes, but believes his client will remain with the Jazz (Twitter link).
Players who aren't waived by tonight's deadline are ineligible to play for another team in the postseason, but Bell would still like to shake free from Utah and elsewhere this season, even if it means missing the playoffs, Rudoy tells Charania (Twitter link). Rudoy insists his client is in "fabulous shape" despite not playing all season after the Jazz asked him to stay away from training camp, Charania tweets. Bell clashed with coach Tyrone Corbin last season, leading to the shooting guard's estrangement from the club.
Bell had recently been telling people close to him that he would join the Lakers, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy reported, but Marc Stein of ESPN.com indicated L.A. wasn't necessarily his most likely destination, given the team's luxury tax situation. Still, the rest of the regular season means as much to the Lakers as anyone as they look to climb into a playoff spot, and they may be inclined to have Bell around for the stretch run, if not the playoffs, though that's just my speculation. The Jazz are one of the team's competing with the Lakers for a postseason berth, so they may be unwilling to part ways with anyone who could help the purple and gold, as senior VP Kevin O'Connor indicated this week.
Bell is making $3.48MM in the final year of his deal. It's unclear how much the buyout offer from the Jazz is worth.
Stein On Hawks, Bucks, Josh Smith, Spurs, Blair
It's more than a week after the trade deadline, but the stream of rumors is far from an end. In his Weekend Dime, Marc Stein of ESPN.com puts a bow on last week's proceedings, and provides some scuttlebutt related to tonight's buyout deadline as well. Here's what Stein has to share:
- The Hawks wanted to trade Josh Smith at the deadline, and expected they'd get a deal done. But when the Bucks refused to part with Monta Ellis, Atlanta's main target, or Ersan Ilyasova, Plan B for the Hawks, GM Danny Ferry and company walked away from a package that would have featured Beno Udrih's expiring contract and Luc Mbah a Moute, who has two years and $8.97MM remaining on his deal this season.
- DeJuan Blair has been seeking a buyout from his expiring $1.054MM contract with the Spurs, but San Antonio is reluctant to grant his wish, fearing he'd sign with another playoff team. If he's not bought out before tonight's 11pm deadline, Blair would be ineligible for the postseason if he signs elsewhere this season. Stein says it's clear that neither Blair nor the Spurs wish to continue their working relationship in 2013/14, so perhaps Blair could be a buyout candidate after tonight, but that's just my speculation.
- The Spurs were seeking a first-round pick in offers for Blair at the trade deadline, but like everyone seeking that kind of return, they were rebuffed, as Stein notes the increasing value of those picks and the rookie-scale contracts that come with them.
- According to Stein, industry standard dictates that prospective owners in the midst of a pending sale may designate two or three players they wish the team to keep, freeing current management to trade anyone else on the roster. That makes it easier to understand why the Kings shed salary, including last June's No. 5 overall pick Thomas Robinson, at the deadline, even though we heard the Chris Hansen/Howard Ballmer group from Seattle was consulted before the move was made.
- Stein sizes up the competing chances of Gregg Popovich and Doc Rivers to become the next coach of Team USA, while adding that USA Basketball executive director Jerry Colangelo wants to wait until he hears from Mike Krzyzewski after the college season to definitely rule out the Coach K's return.
- The ESPN.com scribe also checks in with new Bucks shooting guard J.J. Redick, who felt like he was going to stay with the Magic right up until they traded him.
Aaron Brooks To Sign With Rockets
Aaron Brooks and the Rockets have finalized their agreement, and the point guard will sign with Houston when he clears waivers, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski first reported earlier tonight that Brooks would likely sign with the team. Houston has a full 15-man roster, so to clear room, the Rockets will have to waive someone before the deal with Brooks becomes official.
The Kings bought out Brooks today after signing him to a two-year, $6.646MM deal this past offseason. The 28-year-old was deciding between the Kings and the Rockets this summer, tweets HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy, but Brooks and Houston were far apart in negotiations, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle noted. It's unclear how much Brooks forfeited in the buyout, but he probably had to give up at least the amount of next season's $3.396MM player option, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors surmised.
Brooks has started 20 games for the Kings this season, but averaged just 10.9 minutes per game in February as he fell behind Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette in coach Keith Smart's playing rotation. As a result, his scoring (8.0 PPG) and assists (2.3) averages are at their lowest since his rookie season. Brooks spent that year in Houston after the Rockets made him the 26th pick in the 2007 draft, and in his third season he averaged 19.6 PPG and 5.3 APG for the team.
Houston traded him to Phoenix midway through the 2010/11 season, and he spent last year playing in China. The Suns held his rights when he returned, but they couldn't reach a deal, and this summer, Phoenix pulled its qualifying offer to Brooks, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Hornets Looking For A Center
The Hornets are likely to add another player soon, according to Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune, and coach Monty Williams says the Hornets are looking for someone who can put in minutes at center now that backup Jason Smith is out for the season, tweets Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com. New Orleans has a 13-man roster, giving them two open spots and plenty of flexibility. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors pointed out that the team made heavy use of 10-day contracts last year, so it seems they may go that route again unless there's someone they know they'd like to keep around for the rest of the season.
The Hornets have a pro-rated portion of their room exception available, worth about $1.787MM at this point, if they want to sign someone for more than the minimum salary. That could be an option if they go after someone bought out of his contract before tonight's 11pm deadline, but it seems more likely they'll use a 10-day deal on someone. Anthony Davis will miss tonight's game with a bone bruise in his left shoulder, leaving New Orleans with 11 healthy players, none of whom is a center, aside from Robin Lopez, as Eichenhofer notes (Twitter link).
Free agent centers with NBA experience include Luke Zeller, whom the Suns let go to make room for Marcus Morris at the trade deadline, Earl Barron, who was waived by the Wizards in December, and D.J. Mbenga, who last appeared in the NBA with the Hornets in 2010/11.
Among the prospects in the D-League are Henry Sims, notching 17.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for the Erie BayHawks, and Jerome Jordan, putting up 12.9 PPG and 8.2 RPG with the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
Aaron Brooks Likely To Sign With Rockets
5:37pm: Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle adds, via Twitter, that Brooks and the Rockets were "pretty far apart" when negotiating over the summer. Still, Feigen expects them to get a deal done this time around, since Brooks "wants it to work" and the Rockets came up short in their pursuit of a veteran point guard at the trade deadline (Twitter link). Brooks has some money left over from his Kings deal, even though we've yet to hear how much he received in the buyout. Brooks must clear waivers before any signing can become official, so another team could nab him if its willing to take on the full value of his Kings contract.
5:27pm: Brooks is likely to sign with the Rockets, Wojnarowski tweets.
5:21pm: Point guard Aaron Brooks is in talks with the Rockets about a contract following his buyout from the Kings today, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy speculated earlier this afternoon that Houston could get in the mix for the 28-year-old, since they pursued him over the summer. Kennedy also heard that Brooks plans to take his time before signing, so the discussions with the Rockets might not be that far along.
The Rockets drafted Brooks 26th overall in 2007, trading him to the Suns in 2011 for Goran Dragic and a first-round pick. Brooks enjoyed a career year with Houston in 2009/10, averaging 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while draining 39.8% of his three-point attempts. He also started all 82 games for the Rockets that season, but Brooks has never started more than 35 games in any other year.
If Brooks signs with the Rockets, the team would have to waive somebody to make room. Still, he makes sense for the team, which has been going with rookie Patrick Beverley as the backup to Jeremy Lin at point guard following the trade that sent Toney Douglas to the Kings. With Brooks seemingly headed to Houston, it seems a little odd, in retrospect, that Brooks wasn't a part of that deal, but now the Rockets will likely get him at a discount, rather than absorb the two-year, $6.646MM contract he signed last summer with Sacramento.
Knicks Maintain Plans To Sign Chris Smith
A left knee injury scuttled the opportunity Chris Smith, the younger brother of J.R. Smith, had to make the Knicks out of training camp this fall, but he hasn't fallen off the team's radar. The Knicks still plan to bring Smith aboard, a source tells Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal. His original timetable for recovery from patella tendon surgery had been three to six months, and since the injury occured in October, he could be nearing a return.
The Knicks have a full 15-man roster with the addition of Kenyon Martin on a 10-day contract, so unless they waive someone, there's no room for Smith. They could let Martin's contract lapse, but GM Glen Grunwald is hopeful Martin remains on the team through the end of the season. Schlosser points out that Smith's first post-injury stop may be the Knicks' D-League affiliate. The Knicks, who run the basketball operations for the Erie Bayhawks, could have Smith sign a D-League contract with Erie and wait until next season to bring him to the big club. Of course, the Knicks wouldn't retain his NBA rights that way, and if another NBA club wanted to negotiate with and sign Smith, it could.
The Knicks have allowed Smith to hang around the team this season and rehab his knee at the team facilities, and as Schlosser notes, he's been a fixture at the team's home games, sometimes making the trip to road games as well. The 25-year-old guard went undrafted out of Louisville this past June.