Eastern Notes: Ainge, Jefferson, Wizards
The Celtics are seeking to acquire a player who is a reliable scorer, especially during crunch time, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays. “I think the one thing that we could really use is a go-to scorer,” team executive Danny Ainge said. “We have some guys that have carried us — Kelly Olynyk has carried us, Avery Bradley has carried us, Isaiah Thomas has carried us, Jared Sullinger has carried us at moments during the season, Evan Turner has carried us — but it would be nice to find another player that’s a reliable scorer at the end of games, night in and night out.”
During an appearance on the “Toucher and Rich” show, Ainge was asked if he would be leery of adding a player like DeMarcus Cousins, who has a reputation of being difficult, to which Ainge replied, “I think [disruptive personalities are] a problem in any locker room. There’s a time — first of all, we have good character on our team right now and we have some mature kids, even though we don’t have an old team. I don’t think it’s ever a good idea to have players that are disruptive to your team, on the court and off the court.”
Here’s more from the East:
- With Al Jefferson in the final year of his contract the Hornets could look to trade him prior to this season’s deadline, a prospect that will be made more challenging by team needing to recoup more than just expiring contracts in any swap, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. With Charlotte’s offseason priority likely to be re-signing Nicolas Batum, and with little desire to pay luxury tax, dealing Jefferson may be a palatable option for the franchise if it could secure some usable assets in any exchange.
- The Wizards are a team caught between wanting to compete now and trying to maintain as much cap flexibility as possible for a run at Kevin Durant next summer, which is hurting the franchise in the short term, writes Jerry Brewer of The Washington Post. Washington risks regressing significantly as a team this season, which could serve to turn off a top-tier free agent like Durant, Brewer adds.
Samuel Dalembert, Jamaal Franklin To Play In China
Former NBA center Samuel Dalembert and shooting guard Jamaal Franklin have signed with Shanxi of the Chinese Basketball Association, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter links). Dalembert’s contract will pay him approximately $200K, but the amount of Franklin’s pact has not been announced, Pick notes. It is unclear if either deal includes an NBA out clause. If their arrangements do not include such provisions, Dalembert and Franklin would be eligible to sign with an NBA team in the spring when the CBA season is complete.
Dalembert, who was in training camp with the Mavericks this year, played for the Knicks last season, appearing in 32 games and notching 4.0 points and 5.3 rebounds. The 34 year old’s career stats through 886 regular season contests are 7.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks.
Franklin, 24, made three appearances for the Nuggets during the 2014/15 campaign, averaging 1.0 point and 1.0 assist in 4.3 minutes per contest. The shooting guard had been playing for the Lakers’ D-League affiliate after being waived by the Nuggets back in July. This won’t be Franklin’s first stint playing in China, as he previously spent time with Zhejiang Guangsha.
Kings Eye Kevin Martin
The Kings are high on Timberwolves shooting guard Kevin Martin, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN reports (Twitter link). This comes on the heels of the overnight report from Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press that Minnesota has made Martin available in trade discussions. The Wolves are reportedly looking to free up more minutes to aid in the development of Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad and Zach LaVine, according to Krawczynski.
This isn’t the first time that Sacramento has shown interest in the 32-year-old shooting guard. Last winter the Kings were mentioned as part of a series of reports identifying them along with the Mavericks, Wizards, Bulls and Rockets as interested parties for Martin’s services. No deal was struck, obviously, due to late Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders‘ apparent unwillingness to trade Martin or arrange for a buyout at the time. Martin played for the Kings from 2004-2010, though his time in Sacramento ended years before owner Vivek Ranadive bought the team and later installed Vlade Divac atop the basketball operations department.
Sacramento could certainly use some help at shooting guard, with neither former lottery pick Ben McLemore nor offseason signee Marco Belinelli playing particularly well thus far in 2015/16. The Kings are currently over the salary cap and without a trade exception, so Sacramento would need to send back matching salary to Minnesota in any deal. Martin is making $7.085MM this season with a player option for nearly $7.378MM next year.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/16/15
The Heat have made a significant investment in combo guard Goran Dragic. First by giving up two future first-round picks to acquire him from the Suns, then by re-signing him to a five-year, $85MM contract as a free agent this past summer. Things haven’t quite worked out as Miami envisioned when it decided to pair Dragic alongside Dwyane Wade in the backcourt, and the team hasn’t found much consistency this season despite the strong play it is receiving from Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside. Dragic has looked remarkably tentative on the court, and the Heat’s offense has run more smoothly when Wade and Dragic haven’t shared the floor.
This brings me to the topic for today: Can the backcourt of Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic flourish, or will Miami need to make a change?
Do you think the duo are merely experiencing a temporary downturn and will pick up their play as the season progresses, or are the two players’ games not a good match? If you believe a change needs to be made, then let’s hear your best solutions to the problem. Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
And-Ones: Howard, McCallum, Payne
- The Thunder recalled Cameron Payne and Josh Huestis from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Huestis has appeared in nine games for the Blue this season, averaging 10.8 points and 5.4 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game, while Payne has made two D-League appearances, notching 23.5 points, 7.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 2.00 steals in 34.0 minutes per night.
- The Jazz have recalled center Tibor Pleiss from the Idaho Stampede, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This was the first D-League assignment of the campaign for Pleiss, who has been with the Stampede since November 30th.
- The Clippers assigned C.J. Wilcox to the D-League, the team announced via a press release. Since the team does not have its own affiliate, Wilcox will report to the Canton Charge, the Cavs‘ affiliate, as part of the flexible assignment system.
- The Spurs have assigned point guard Ray McCallum to their D-League affiliate in Austin, the team announced. The will be second stint with Austin this season. He logged 12 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds during his first D-League trip of the campaign.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Wright, Ellis, Miller
Grizzlies big man Brandan Wright says that he expects to miss six to eight weeks after a knee surgery he’s scheduled to undergo Thursday, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweets. This confirms an earlier report by Chris Vernon of 92.9 FM. Memphis GM Chris Wallace, discussing Wright’s scheduled surgery, said, “There is a need to do the procedure at this time. We tried the rest and rehab route,” Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal relays (Twitter links). Tillery also notes that the team had believed that Wright, prior to his latest diagnosis, was merely suffering from tendinitis and was “soft” for sitting out.
Here’s more from out West:
- Nuggets swingman Mike Miller had considered retirement after the 2011/12 season, but the veteran says that he feels rejuvenated and may continue his playing career for longer than expected, Chris Tomasson of The Denver Post writes. “If my body feels the way it is right now, I want to play a couple of more years for sure,“ Miller told Tomasson. “I never would have believed [in 2012] that I’d still be playing now,” Miller added.
- Despite competing with each other for minutes, Suns centers Tyson Chandler and Alex Len work well together, Matt Petersen of NBA.com writes. “Those guys have a great relationship,” GM Ryan McDonough said. “They’re two of the most unselfish guys we have on the team. I’m not really as concerned about that. It’s a nice luxury for us and the coaches that they can go with whoever’s playing better, especially if somebody is either in foul trouble or has an off night.”
- Mavs power forward Dirk Nowitzki says he wasn’t surprised that Monta Ellis opted out of his deal after last season in order to become an unrestricted free agent, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star tweets. “I mean, you figure since he had two good years for us and he’s [30 years old] now … you figure he’s going to get out and sign one more deal,” Nowitzki said. “I’m happy for him. He signed a four-year deal, got some good money, obviously. He is on a very good team in Indiana that is playing well, well-coached and well-run. I’m happy for him.“
Bulls Notes: Hoiberg, Brooks, Noah
The Bulls are still struggling to find their identity under new coach Fred Hoiberg, but the Chicago front office remains confident that Hoiberg is the right man for the job, Nick Friedell of ESPN.com writes. Power forward Taj Gibson recalled a similar situation when former coach Tom Thibodeau was hired, Friedell adds. “It didn’t come quick,” Gibson said. “But then he just started cracking the whip and everybody got in to follow suit. And then everybody just followed his lead and we just developed a killer mentality just following his lead. I think Fred’s doing a good job. We just have to play harder for him.”
Regarding the team’s early season struggles, center Joakim Noah told Friedell, “You don’t want to be on a team when you feel like we’re not giving max effort. But I think it’s a little deeper than that. But we just got to stick together and find a way as a team. It’s not about pointing fingers at anybody, it’s about jelling as a unit. Not letting frustration get in the way, not letting adversity get in the way. It’s a lot easier said than done. So I think that as a team we have to stick together through that adversity. I think sometimes we let that adversity get the best of us.”
Here’s more from the Windy City:
- Aaron Brooks didn’t expect to re-sign with the Bulls this past offseason because he believed that the team was planning to use the No. 22 overall pick this past June on a point guard, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune relays. The team had every intention of snagging a point guard in the 2015 NBA draft but changed course when power forward Bobby Portis was still available when the Bulls were set to make their selection, Johnson notes.
- In response to a reader question regarding Noah’s future in Chicago, Johnson opined that if Chicago’s offer is competitive with others in the free agent marketplace, then he expects the big man to re-sign with the team. Johnson did offer a caveat, speculating that if another team offers him a larger role or a significantly higher salary, it would make Noah’s decision extremely difficult, especially given his desire to play more than he has thus far this season.
Atlantic Notes: Prokhorov, Sixers, Scola
The NBA has approved ownership transfer of 100% of the Nets and the Barclays Center to Mikhail Prokhorov, Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg.com reports. The franchise and the arena were given a combined valuation of $1.9 billion, though the precise breakdown of that amount is unknown at this time, Soshnick adds. This arrangement will give Prokhorov full ownership of both the Nets and the Barclays Center when finalized, the Bloomberg scribe relays. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Despite all the criticism levied against the Sixers‘ rebuilding plan, one major advantage the team had when making trades was the lack of immediate urgency to win, a perk that may now be gone with the arrival of Jerry Colangelo, Derek Bodner of Phillymag.com writes. The inconsistent play of Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor played a major role in Philadelphia bringing in Colangelo as well as looking to speed up its timetable to return to respectability, Bodner adds.
- Raptors power forward Luis Scola likely wouldn’t have been allowed to leave Indiana and sign with Toronto this past summer if it had been up to Pacers coach Frank Vogel, writes Mike Ganter of The Toronto Sun. “One of my favorite players of all time,” Vogel said regarding Scola. “One of them, yeah. Just a guy who has a great approach in the locker room, did his job and it carries over to his teammates and the entire team. He’s just a winner, he plays harder than everybody on the court every time he is out there and it’s no surprise he is helping contribute to their winning culture.” When asked why Scola was allowed to depart, Vogel diplomatically responded, “You would have to talk to [team president] Larry [Bird] about that.”
- When asked if his expectations for the Nets‘ 2015/16 season have changed in light of their difficult start, Joe Johnson offered little in the way of enthusiasm, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com writes. “I didn’t really know what the expectations were. I honestly didn’t know,” Johnson said. “I didn’t know how good we would be, I didn’t know how good we would be as a team. So, I just came in and did what I was asked to do, and I’m just trying to help out.”
Kings Looking To Trade Caron Butler
The Kings have promised small forward Caron Butler that they will trade him in the near future, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter links). The impetus for a potential trade is to send Butler to a team that can offer him more playing time than he currently receives in Sacramento, Stein adds. A deal is expected to be completed within the next two weeks, and the Bucks have emerged as the likely destination for Butler, according to the ESPN scribe’s sources.
Butler played a half-season for the Bucks back in 2013/14 and was briefly on their roster following this year’s Ersan Ilyasova trade. He is earning $1,499,187 for the season, and his contract includes a player option for 2016/17 worth $1,551,659. It’s unclear who or what Milwaukee would send to Sacramento in return for Butler if a deal were to be agreed upon between the two parties. With Eric Moreland likely to miss significant time after suffering a fracture in his left foot today, the Kings could look to add some depth in the frontcourt, though that is merely my speculation.
The 35-year-old has appeared in just eight contests for Sacramento this season, including one start. He is averaging 2.5 points in 10 minutes per game on 39.1% shooting. His career numbers through 13 NBA campaigns are 14.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists. His slash line is .434/.349/.847.
Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 12/15/15
Lakers coach Byron Scott plans on continuing his strategy of limiting the minutes of the team’s younger players despite the team’s poor record, according to Robert Morales of the Long Beach Press-Telegram. Scott’s philosophy has not been met with unanimous enthusiasm by fans of the team, nor the front office, which acknowledged the conflict between Kobe Bryant’s high usage and the need for young players like D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle to see minutes and touches. Morales also noted that part of the team’s plan is to use Bryant as an example of the sort of work ethic they want their young players to adopt.
This brings me to today’s topic: What is your opinion of Byron Scott’s player usage thus far this season?
The argument could be made that Scott is paid to win basketball games, and since part of his job security is tied to his won-loss record, he should play who he believes gives him the best chance to win. Plus, with Bryant in his last season, should the team not try and milk the farewell tour for all that it’s worth? After all, he is making $25MM for the season, so Los Angeles may as well let him work for it. Of course, the other side of the debate is that the franchise needs to do all it can to develop its young assets. This will not only help in identifying areas that need to be addressed via the draft and free agency. Plus, I’m sure many Lakers fans would rather see Russell and Randle on the court as much as possible, warts and all.
Which side of the fence do you sit on? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts, opinions or rants against whomever in the Lakers organization you wish. We look forward to what you have to say.