Knicks Notes: Antetokounmpo, Calderon, Martin
Bucks swingman Giannis Antetokounmpo believes strongly that the Knicks should call up his older brother, Thanasis Antetokounmpo, from the D-League, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “He’s ready,’’ the younger Antetokounmpo said. “I don’t think the Knicks have to lose anything. They lose 15 [straight] now. Tomorrow is going to be 16. They don’t have anything to lose. My brother could bring energy to the team and [is] hard-working, and guys from the team can see that and take something from him.’’ With three players currently on their roster with 10-day contracts, the Knicks will have an available slot shortly, Berman notes.
Here’s more out of New York:
- Kenyon Martin, who is currently with the Bucks on a 10-day deal, was asked why the Knicks didn’t show any interest in his services this season, Berman writes in a separate piece. Martin’s response was, “You got to ask them that, boss. You know that. They made that decision. It is what it is. I moved on. I went and got my surgery and did most of [the rehab] on my own. I don’t hold no grudges. I thought it would’ve been a little different. It is what it is. I’m not bitter.’’ Milwaukee is reportedly considering signing Martin for the remainder of the season.
- Point guard Jose Calderon understands that he could be traded by the Knicks prior to February’s deadline, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. “It can happen,” Calderon said. “Why are you going to be surprised? They’re changing stuff. I don’t know what’s really on their minds right now. I have no idea what’s going to happen. It’s the NBA. It’s a business. They have a plan. They really want that cap space. That’s why they made some of the moves. It can happen again.” The Knicks appear to be shopping Calderon along with Andrea Bargnani.
- Calderon isn’t focusing on his trade status, Iannazzone adds, but rather on trying to help turn around a nightmarish Knicks season. Calderon said that until something changes he will consider himself part of New York’s future, the Newsday scribe notes. “I came here thinking I was part of it [the Knicks’ rebuilding plan],” Calderon said. “I’m still thinking about it. It’s nothing different yet. So I’m still part of it.“
Pelicans Sign Nate Wolters To 10-Day Contract
WEDNESDAY, 9:20am: The signing is official, the team announced via press release.
TUESDAY, 7:25pm: Wolters has agreed to a 10-day contract with the Pelicans and is on his way to join the team in Detroit, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link).
5:58pm: The Pelicans are targeting free agent Nate Wolters for a 10-day contract, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Wolters cleared waivers today after being waived by the Bucks earlier this week. The point guard was released by Milwaukee to clear a roster slot for Kenyon Martin, who was inked to a 10-day pact of his own.
New Orleans currently has two open roster spots, so no corresponding move will need to be made to add Wolters to the team. The Pelicans had also been considering signing Mike James or Gal Mekel prior to Wolters becoming available, Stein adds in a separate tweet.
The 23-year-old Wolters appeared in 11 contests for the Bucks this season, averaging 2.3 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists. His shooting numbers were .433/.269/.638.
Eastern Notes: McRae, Stoudemire, Kidd
There’s a possibility that 2014 second-rounder Jordan McRae could join the Sixers prior to the end of the season, Tom Moore of Calkins Media writes. McRae, whose rights the Sixers acquired from the Spurs on draft night, has been averaging 20.9 points in 18 games for Melbourne United of the Australian league this season. Philadelphia coach Brett Brown has kept a watchful eye on McRae’s progress overseas, Moore notes. “We are always paying attention to Jordan,” Brown said. “He’s in a good situation. He’s playing a lot of minutes and continuing to score. Jordan is always in the back of our minds.”
With the Sixers having an open roster spot thanks to Andrei Kirilenko being placed on the suspended list, Brown was asked about the possibility of McRae filling that slot, Moore adds. “It’s a fair question,” Brown said. “How we decide to handle Jordan will be determined — just not now. We have talked a lot about it.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Kevin Love‘s comment that he intends to opt in and remain with the Cavaliers for the 2015/16 campaign leaves the team with one less distraction this season, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders writes.
- The Knicks are reportedly not looking to deal Amar’e Stoudemire, but the team has had internal discussions about the possibility of reaching a buyout agreement with him so that Stoudemire could try and catch on with a contender, Mark Woods of ESPNNewYork.com reports.
- Jason Kidd has found a fit as the coach of the Bucks that he didn’t during his time with the Nets, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. Last year’s Brooklyn squad didn’t need a teacher in the way that Milwaukee does, and it’s a role that Kidd is more suited to, Zillgitt opines.
- Cavs coach David Blatt‘s level of comfort in Cleveland would benefit greatly from a stout endorsement from LeBron James, something that hasn’t happened yet, Sam Amick of USA Today writes.
- One of the Knicks‘ biggest issues as a franchise is their poor player development history, Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal writes. “The Knicks have always had the money to spend. But because they saw that as their advantage, it might have also become a reason to put off being patient with a rebuild,” John Nash, a former NBA GM, told Herring. “They may have felt they didn’t have the time to truly develop young players.” New York’s problem isn’t poor drafting, as the franchise has actually had three first-team All-Rookie selections the past four seasons, Herring notes. But those players have all regressed offensively in their second seasons, which is an alarming trend, the Wall Street Journal scribe adds.
Celtics Acquire Nate Robinson
8:18pm: The trade is official, both the Celtics and the Nuggets have announced. Judging by Denver GM Tim Connelly‘s statement in the press release, the Nuggets intend to keep Nelson. “We are excited to add a player of Jameer’s caliber to our roster,” said Connelly. “We have no doubt that his experience and veteran leadership will be of value to our team.”
5:05pm: The Celtics are close to acquiring guard Nate Robinson from the Nuggets, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Boston will be sending Jameer Nelson to Denver in return, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets. Nelson had been acquired from Dallas in the deal for Rajon Rondo, but didn’t fit into Boston’s long-term plans. Robinson is expected to reach a buyout arrangement with the Celtics, Spears adds (Twitter links). The Nuggets will not be sending any draft picks to the Celtics in this deal, Spears also notes.
Robinson, the diminutive point guard out of Washington University, is a potential candidate to be signed by the Clippers if he is released, Wojnarowski tweets. Denver had discussed a deal with Los Angeles for Robinson in recent weeks, though no arrangement could be agreed upon, Wojnarowski notes. Robinson is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and is making $2,106,720 this season.
The Clippers had also been reported to be in pursuit of new Celtic Austin Rivers and continue to try to acquire him even in the wake of this deal for Boston, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Los Angeles has reportedly engaged in talks to send out Jordan Farmar, so a separate deal for Rivers could still be possible. The Clippers are also looking to unload Reggie Bullock to clear cap space under their hard cap, Pincus reports (Twitter link).
In 33 games for the Nuggets this season, Robinson has averaged 5.8 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 14.1 minutes per contest. His career numbers over nine seasons in the league are 11.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, and 3.0 APG. His career slash line is .424/.360/.796.
Nelson, 32, was also reportedly in talks to reach a buyout arrangement with he Celtics, since he was unhappy with his playing time since arriving in Beantown. In 680 career games Nelson has averaged 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists. His slash line is .439/.372/.816.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Western Notes: Joseph, Jerrett, Smith
Cory Joseph, cognizant that he was an afterthought as a deep reserve on the Spurs, didn’t even ask his agent about a rookie scale extension before the October deadline because he assumed the team wouldn’t give him one, as he tells Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News. Now, amid a breakthrough year for the point guard, it seems like the Spurs will be hard-pressed to afford the raise he’ll likely merit, McDonald writes. “He always impressed me with the way he plays,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He is not blessed with the most talent in the world, but I don’t think there is anybody on the planet who gets more out of what he’s got.”
Here’s more out of the Western Conference:
- The Thunder have once again assigned Grant Jerrett to the Oklahoma City Blue, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This will be Jerrett’s seventh sojourn of the season with the Blue. The 21-year-old has only appeared in four games with the Thunder this season, and has averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 rebound in 5.9 minutes per contest.
- When the Thunder inked Ish Smith to a deal using a hardship exception back in November, he was looked at as little more than a short-term insurance policy, but Smith turned that audition into a guaranteed contract for the remainder of the season, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman writes. Smith’s work ethic impressed the coaching staff, and with Reggie Jackson‘s future with the team cloudy, Smith remains an important part of Oklahoma City’s roster, Slater adds.
- The Pelicans created a traded player exception worth $507K for Russ Smith, and the Grizzlies created one valued at $3.15MM for Quincy Pondexter, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Both players were part of the three-team deal with the Celtics for Jeff Green.
- Pondexter is overjoyed with the trade that brought him back to the Pelicans, Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com writes. “It’s unbelievable,” Pondexter said. “This game takes you full circle sometimes. To be back with [coach] Monty [Williams] and [GM] Dell [Demps] and the guys, there’s no place I’d rather be right now. [New Orleans] was always a second home in the league. I’m glad to be back.” Pondexter spent his rookie season in New Orleans and then was dealt to the Grizzlies for Greivis Vasquez.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
No Deal For Clippers, Darius Miller
WEDNESDAY, 8:32am: The team decided against signing Miller and will instead ink Dahntay Jones instead, Wojnarowski reports.
TUESDAY, 4:56pm: The Clippers will sign Darius Miller to a 10-day contract, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Los Angeles currently has 14 players on its roster, so no corresponding move will need to be made to accommodate the addition of Miller. Miller had previously appeared in five contests with the Pelicans earlier this season, but was waived back in November.
The Clippers have been mentioned to be interested in signing Nate Robinson, should he reach a buyout with the Celtics in the wake of him being dealt from Denver for Jameer Nelson. This could make Miller’s stay in Los Angeles a brief one, though with the team possibly looking to deal Reggie Bullock and Jordan Farmar, the Clippers’ roster could change markedly over the next few days.
Miller’s career averages are 3.1 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.9 assists in a total of 102 NBA appearances. His slash line is .420/.351/.841.
Tyrus Thomas To Join Grizzlies D-League Team
TUESDAY, 12:33pm: The Iowa Energy, the D-League affiliate of the Grizzlies, has claimed Thomas, sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). The club has yet to make an official announcement. Thomas will remain free to sign with any NBA team no matter the D-League club he plays for.
FRIDAY, 6:11pm: Former lottery pick Tyrus Thomas is set to enter the NBA D-League, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest reports (Twitter link). Thomas has been out of the NBA since the Hornets (then the Bobcats) put him on amnesty waivers back in July of 2013. The 28-year-old will go through the D-League’s waiver process to determine which team he will play for. The 6’10” forward out of LSU is trying to work his way back to the NBA, and had reportedly worked out for the Grizzlies and the Lakers back in November, but failed to generate a contract offer from either franchise.
Thomas has gone through some tough times since he was last in the NBA, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. In addition to losing his job in the league, Thomas also went through a divorce and what could have been a career-ending surgery to remove a cyst from his back, Kennedy notes. “I can’t begin to tell you what was going through my mind,” Thomas told Kennedy. “It all felt overwhelming – being released, going through a divorce and then the injury that led to me ultimately having to have surgery. I would wake up, pick my basketball up off the floor, bounce it around the house and say, ‘I want to play. I have something to prove to everyone who believed in me. I have something to prove to myself. I can do this. Then, I’d wake up the next day not feeling good physically and I’d think, ‘This surgery isn’t worth it.’ I had good days and I had bad days.”
The big man had his share of maturity issues during his career, something that he is eager to show is behind him, Kennedy writes. “I was 19 years old when I first entered the NBA; it’s no excuse and I’ve owned my mistakes, but whew have I grown a lot,” Thomas said. “Over the last two years, I’ve grown not only as a player but as a person. I now realize the opportunities that, at times, I took for granted. I look back now and I was just a poor kid from South Baton Rouge. I didn’t understand then what I understand now. Everything happened at once: getting amnestied, going through a divorce and making the decision if I wanted to come back and play basketball because of the severity of the surgery. Going through all of that, I definitely grew up.”
In 400 career games, Thomas has averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. His career slash line is .438/.235/.732.
Grizzlies, Celtics Close To Deal For Jeff Green
SUNDAY, 12:03pm: The Clippers are working to find a third team to help deliver Boston an expiring deal to go along with a second-rounder that the Celtics want in the Clippers/Rivers deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
6:43pm: Stein is also reporting that Smith is headed to Memphis, and adds that the Grizzlies are sending a second round pick to the Pelicans (Twitter link). Washburn says Rivers will likely be moved in a separate deal (Twitter link). Wojnarowski notes the Celtics don’t want to take back any salary beyond this season. (Twitter link).
6:00pm: Officials in the Clippers’ front office and coaching staff are pushing Doc Rivers to bring Austin to Los Angeles, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).
5:39pm: The Clippers are the likely destination for Rivers, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link).
5:21pm: The Celtics are attempting to find a trade partner for Rivers, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).
5:05pm: Salmons was originally going to be included in the trade, but Boston made a push to acquire Rivers instead, John Reid of The Times Picayune reports. This wasn’t the first time the two sides had discussed a deal for Rivers, Reid notes, as New Orleans had conversations with the Celtics last summer about a potential trade involving Rivers, but talks broke off without a deal getting done. The Pelicans, who have been struggling to get consistent play at small forward, pushed to get Pondexter in the deal, Reid adds.
4:36pm: Rivers is reportedly headed to Boston, but he may not stay with the team, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe reports (Twitter link). Whether this means the Celtics intend to waive Rivers or trade him is unclear.
2:15pm: The three sides have agreed to terms, Stein maintains (on Twitter), but it appears there are still some moving parts involved. It’s unclear if they will push the trade through today or wait until Monday when the league office reopens, Stein adds.
2:09pm: Boston would also get a future first-rounder, Stein reports (Twitter link).
1:50pm: The current deal being discussed involves Green heading to Memphis, Prince and Rivers to Boston, and Pondexter to New Orleans, Stein tweets. Stein makes no reference to Smith, who was previously reported by Wojnarowski to be involved, nor any draft picks changing hands.
SATURDAY, 1:42pm: New Orleans is going to send Austin Rivers to the Celtics as part of the proposed deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
10:04pm: Russ Smith is also heading to Memphis in the proposed deal, Wojnarowski tweets.
8:44pm: The third team involved looks to be the Pelicans, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter links). In this proposed three-way deal, Green would go to Memphis, Prince, John Salmons, and a first-rounder from Memphis to Boston, and Quincy Pondexter would head to New Orleans, Wojnarowski notes. The Grizzlies are discussing various deals involving Pondexter with other teams, Wojnarowski reports, but their focus is on including him in a trade for Green.
FRIDAY, 5:06pm: The Celtics are continuing with their rebuilding process, and the next player on the list to be dealt is Jeff Green, who is likely on his way to the Grizzlies, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Memphis is offering Boston Tayshaun Prince and a first round draft pick in return, Wojnarowski notes. There also appears to be a third team involved in the deal, Wojnarowski adds.
Memphis has been actively trying to acquire either Luol Deng from the Heat, or Green from Boston over the last few days. When the Grizzlies couldn’t make any headway on nabbing Deng, they zeroed in on Green over the last 48 hours and sold Boston on deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Boston had initially been asking for two first-rounders in return, Wojnarowski tweets. The Clippers had also inquired about Green, but they didn’t have the expiring contracts that Boston was looking for to make a trade work, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports (Twitter link).
In 33 games this season, the 28-year-old Green has averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 33.1 minutes per game. His career numbers over six seasons are 14.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.6 APG. His career slash line is .440/.340/.788.
Prince is a 12-year NBA veteran, and is averaging 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 25 appearances (9 starts) this season. The 34-year-old’s career numbers are 11.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG. His career shooting percentages are .455/.367/.758.
Central Notes: Haywood, Martin, Bulls
There are a number of executives around the league who believe that the Cavaliers aren’t finished reworking their roster, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Cleveland is most likely going to try and trade center Brendan Haywood, whose $10.5MM contract for the 2015/16 season is non-guaranteed, Kennedy notes.
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- Cleveland’s salary cap outlook has changed markedly with all of its recent additions, and Nate Duncan of Basketball Insiders took an in-depth look at how the Cavs‘ finances and cap space were altered by these deals. Duncan also notes that Haywood’s contract could be used as a trade piece, but adds that Cleveland would likely have to add another asset as a sweetener in any deal, something its previous deals have left in short supply.
- Bucks coach Jason Kidd doesn’t think it will take long for Kenyon Martin, who was recently inked to a 10-day contract, to acclimate to his new team, Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel writes. “Just in shootaround, you could see the difference in his voice, helping guys out,” Kidd said. “We want to put him in a good position so if the game presents itself where he can get a couple minutes, yes. He’s not shy, so that helps for these young guys understanding what it takes to win.”
- The Bucks would like to keep Martin for the remainder of the season, Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times reports (Twitter link). Teams can ink players to a maximum of two 10-day contracts per season before they either have to release them or sign them to a guaranteed contract that covers the rest of the season.
- One issue that the Bulls still need to address is finding a reliable backup for swingman Jimmy Butler, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes.
- The Pistons‘ sudden winning ways have altered the team’s immediate plans to give rookie Spencer Dinwiddie more NBA playing time, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. “They’re playing really well,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We’ve had to change our approach from early in the year. That was a change in approach at 5 and 23. So right now, that whole thing with Spencer has to be on hold right because of how well we’re playing. You’re always adjusting within a game and within a season. This has been sort of a crazy first half of the season, in terms of you lose 13 in a row, then you win seven in a row. It’s sort of hard to wrap your head around, quite honestly.“
Western Notes: Brooks, Clippers, Waiters
Though he’s unlikely to be fired mid-season, Thunder coach Scott Brooks‘ job is definitely on the line this year, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. Tramel cites the Thunder’s disappointing record, and how the team has regressed even after getting Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook back from injuries, as major reasons why Brooks’ days in OKC could be numbered.
Here’s the latest out of the Western Conference:
- Toure’ Murry, who was waived by the Jazz earlier this month, was acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League, the team announced. Rio Grande Valley is the D-League affiliate of the Rockets.
- The Warriors were one of the Wolves‘ most aggressive suitors for Kevin Love prior to him being dealt to Cleveland, but Love still isn’t sure how close he was to heading to Oakland, Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle writes. “I know that they were a team that was in talks,” Love said. “But that’s really as far as it got.” Love definitely appreciates just how talented a squad Golden State has, Simmons adds. “They’re a great team,” Love said. “They’re a fun team to watch. They get up and down the floor. They shoot the three ball really well. They have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things.”
- Dion Waiters said that he learned that he had been traded to the Thunder after the starting lineup had been announced and the Cavs’ game against the Sixers was just about to begin, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports notes (Twitter link). Waiters still wanted to play in the game, but wasn’t permitted to for obvious reasons, Spears adds.
- In light of president of basketball operations Neil Olshey‘s brand new contract extension, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders looks at the success that Olshey has had during his tenure with the Blazers.
- The Clippers sent $300K to the Sixers as part of the Jared Cunningham deal, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link).
- Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger isn’t happy that trade talks have leaked to the media, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal tweets. “It’s a major distraction,” Joerger said. “Things like that should be kept behind closed doors. It ticks me off.“