Atlantic Links: ‘Melo, Granger, Sixers
Last summer, Dwight Howard decided to leave $30MM in extra earnings on the table in order to find a situation that gave him the best chance to win – a situation that Carmelo Anthony faces in July if he decides to opt out of his contract. Based on the Rockets’ success this year, Sam Amick of USA Today says that there’s no better blueprint for Anthony to follow than Howard’s. Dwight, who says he spoken with Carmelo about that dynamic, offered some advice:
“I know he has just got to do what’s best for him…I’ve been through it. I’ve seen it. The same people that love you one day, if you don’t do what they want you to do, then they’re going to hate you. You’ve got to always remember that you’ve got to do what’s best for you at the end of the day. If people don’t like you, you can’t stop that.”
Here’s more of what we’ve gathered from the Atlantic Division tonight:
- Following a recent loss to the Hawks, Anthony told reporters: “It’s definitely testing me…The frustration has definitely sunk in, just from the simple fact we’re losing games the same way over and over and we’re just not learning from that.” After last night’s crushing loss to the Mavs, he told Clifton Brown of the New York TImes, “You score 40, 44, 44, 44, all losses — you kind of ask yourself is it worth it.”
- 76ers head coach Brett Brown says he isn’t annoyed that Danny Granger would rather play for a contending team instead of Philadelphia, writes Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times. Brown also discussed the team’s rebuilding situation: “This is a very different rebuild than the others…It is completely at the bare bones. It just puts a pretty definitive timeline and set of reality checks on all of us that we have a lot of work to do.”
- Brown added that he has plenty of faith in the front office: “I trust Sam Hinkie’s judgment on the process that just happened and the process that’s coming up…I can’t wait to be a part of it, with all of our draft picks. Draft night is one of my favorite nights.”
- Jimmer Fredette‘s family would be ecstatic if he could somehow find his way to the Knicks once he’s bought out by the Kings, writes Christian Red of the New York Daily News.
Kings Work Out Royce White
The Kings worked out forward Royce White and could sign him once Jimmer Fredette clears waivers, hears Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). Although the expected signing of Orlando Johnson puts Sacramento at the 15-player roster limit, the team will have another spot open if they reach a buyout agreement with Fredette.
White, selected 16th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, has yet to appear in a single regular season game. The 6’8 forward was traded to the 76ers last July but was eventually cut from the team shortly before the start of the 2013/14 season.
Knicks Interested In Shannon Brown
The Knicks are showing strong interest in free agent guard Shannon Brown, as per ESPN New York’s Ian Begley (Twitter link). Brown recently completed his second 10-day contract with the Spurs, and we noted on Saturday that New York – along with the Rockets, Heat, and Bulls – had expressed interest.
The 6’4 guard has played in 10 games this season, averaging 2.3 PPG in 10.3 MPG. Brown had been a steady rotation player in Phoenix last season, posting 10.5 PPG on 42% shooting in 59 contests.
Forsberg’s Latest: Fredette, Asik, Green
Some Celtics fans may have been upset with their team’s the lack of activity around the trade deadline, but Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston opines that acquiring Jimmer Fredette (if he reaches a buyout agreement in Sacramento) would be the perfect mea culpa, especially with the city’s ‘love’ of reclamation projects. All in all, Forsberg suggests that Fredette would be better suited to join a contender at this point, where he’d have an opportunity to jump-start his career in an offense-focused role and the expectations would be minimal.
Here’s more out of his latest Celtics mailbag:
- Forsberg wonders if the team would revisit efforts to acquire Omer Asik from the Rockets this summer, when they’ll have a $10.3MM trade exception as well as plenty of draft picks to offer.
- As with many players on the roster, Jeff Green‘s future in Boston could be tied in part to the draft and whether the Celtics end up drafting a player at his position.
- There’s always the chance that Kelly Olynyk becomes trade fodder, but Forsberg believes the more cap-effective route would be to nurture the young center and hope his game continues to evolve.
- When asked who he thinks will definitely return next year, Forsberg says that with so much hinging on the Celtics’ draft position and who they add on draft night, it’s difficult to say with any certainty. The exceptions are head coach Brad Stevens and – unless they can find a taker by giving up some assets – Gerald Wallace.
- Colton Iverson’s NBA future depends on how crowded Boston’s roster is and his development. The team currently owns his rights and has kept tabs on him overseas, and Forsberg notes that the 7’0 center can rejoin the team for summer league with a chance to compete for an official roster spot.
- As for the lack of trades around the deadline, Forsberg says the team put a high price on their talent, and as evidenced with the lack of activity around the league, few teams were willing to give up draft picks to acquire players.
Odds & Ends: Shaw, Vesely, Singleton
Nuggets coach Brian Shaw refuted the idea that he hates his roster and vice-versa, writes Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post. Dempsey says that the potentially harmful narrative arose out of a few radio interviews that the rookie head coach had done earlier this week. Shaw addressed the topic earlier today:
“I can’t remember who it was that asked me yesterday; he said ‘Would you have taken this job with the roster, if it was just the guys who are healthy and playing right now would you have taken this job?’…I said ‘Yeah, I most likely would have taken it.’ But the expectation and everything else would have been different, knowing if there wasn’t going to be (Danilo Gallinari, JaVale McGee, and Nate Robinson) for half the season and the situation be what it is…I don’t hate the roster. What I hate is having to beg guys to play. That simple. That shouldn’t be a part of what coaching should be. And circumstances are what they are. None of us asked for it.”
Here are some more miscellaneous news and notes to pass along this evening:
- Forward Jan Vesely intends to continue playing in the NBA rather than returning to Europe after his rookie scale contract runs out at season’s end, agent Alex Raskovic tweets.
- Chris Singleton will hit unrestricted free agency after the Wizards declined his fourth-year option before the season, so he knows his next contract is at stake as he attempts to fill in for an injured Nene Hilario, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com examines.
- The Thunder were prepared to give up their own 2014 first-rounder in a deadline deal, but Zach Lowe of Grantland hasn’t heard any suggestion that they were ready to part with the first-rounder the Mavericks owe them. That Dallas pick will likely come higher in the draft order.
- Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown was complimentary about Earl Clark, who is reportedly finalizing a contract to join the Knicks: “He’s a good player…He’s going to help (New York), especially in that system playing pick-and-roll and spreading the floor.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Felton, 76ers
The Nets didn’t end up taking on Jordan Hill and the $17MM tax hit he would have cost them, but their expenditure in the deal to add Marcus Thornton prompted “a lot of angry eye-rolling” from other teams, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe. Brooklyn’s lavish spending could push the league into another work stoppage in 2017 in an effort to cut off the Nets’ spending, Lowe adds.
Here’s what else we’ve gathered from around the Atlantic Division tonight.
- Attorney Michael McCann, in a piece for SI.com, lays out the Knicks’ options amid legal trouble for Raymond Felton. The 29-year-old point guard – facing two counts of weapon possession – posted bail earlier this afternoon and will be due in court next on June 2nd, tweets ESPN New York’s Ian Begley. It’s also worth noting that according to the law under which he was charged, Felton could avoid jail time even if he’s convicted of his felonies, says Scott Cacciola of the New York Times (Twitter link).
- A panel of ESPN experts weigh in on the future and current state of Knicks basketball – discussing Felton’s situation, what organizational changes need to be made, and if Carmelo Anthony should leave New York.
- 76ers head coach Brett Brown tells Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times: “You’re going to see a lot of people come in here over the last 25 games” (Twitter link).
- Brown also tells Moore (via Twitter) that 6’8″ forward Hollis Thompson is a “keeper.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Warriors Seek Bench Help Via Trade
FEBRUARY 18TH: Golden State continues to aggressively seek a bench upgrade, but they’re not expected to go into the tax to do so, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The Warriors have considered bringing in a point guard to replace earlier trade acquisition Jordan Crawford, but they’re also looking at forwards, Deveney writes.
FEBRUARY 11TH: The Warriors are looking to bolster their bench and hope to use their trade exceptions in order to facilitate a deal that would likely need to involve three teams, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. Golden State has a total of four trade exceptions, valued at roughly $9.8MM, $4MM, $762K, and $762K respectively.
If there is a deal is to be done, Amick doesn’t think the $9.8MM exception will be used considering Golden State’s already-steep payroll. At about $69.3MM committed in salary for 2013/14, the Warriors are at about $2.5MM under the league’s luxury tax threshold. If they were to consider using their largest exception in a deal, it would only be for a major impact player.
You can find a list of outstanding traded player’s exceptions along with their expiration dates here.
Knicks Target Lowry, Raptors Reluctant To Deal
4:09pm: Sources close to Lowry also tell Wojnarowski that the Raptors are unlikely to deal the point guard, as the Yahoo! scribe notes in his full story. Wojnarowski pegs the kind of deal Lowry could receive in free agency this summer at four years, $45MM.
3:21pm: A rival executive says the Raptors have told him they won’t deal Lowry away, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 2:29pm: The Raptors have shown “significant reluctance” to part with Lowry, preferring instead to keep him for a postseason run, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. That’s in contrast to what Chad Ford of ESPN.com is hearing, as he wrote today that Toronto continues to be aggressive in pursuit of a Lowry deal.
MONDAY, 5:42pm: The Knicks are once again interested in Kyle Lowry after opting not to trade for the Raptors point guard two months ago, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). The deal that had reportedly been vetoed by Knicks owner James Dolan initially involved Raymond Felton, Metta World Peace, and a 2018 first round pick in exchange for Lowry.
With Toronto leading the Atlantic Division, Isola (via Twitter) doesn’t think it’d make sense for them to trade their best player right now. However, as we noted yesterday from TNT’s David Aldridge, the Raptors aren’t currently willing to pay top dollar this summer to retain Lowry for the long-term once he hits free agency. It certainly doesn’t guarantee that they would look to trade him before the February 20 deadline, and Aldridge acknowledged a scenario in which Toronto keeps Lowry for the rest of the season and opts to part ways during the summer. By the same token, Aldridge adds that if Toronto would be overwhelmed with an offer, they’d most assuredly listen.
When talks had been heating up in December, other names reportedly tied to discussions included Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr., who were said to have been sought out by the Raptors if the Knicks were ultimately unwilling to give up a first round pick. In another report, it was said that Toronto eventually requested Hardaway Jr. and a 2018 first round pick along with Felton in exchange for Lowry. Though talks essentially fell through, it’s definitely worth wondering if the Knicks’ renewed interest is coupled with a willingness to part with a previously untouchable asset.
Western Notes: Ellington, Ellis, Warriors
Here are some miscellaneous tidbits to share out of the Western Conference tonight:
- It doesn’t seem likely that the Mavericks would part with any of their rotation players in a deal right now, according to Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW. One player who does appear to be available is Wayne Ellington, who hasn’t been able to find significant playing time and is owed $2.5MM next season.
- Sefko also doesn’t believe there’s any chance that Dallas would consider trading Monta Ellis, adding that the team thinks Ellis and Dirk Nowitzki will make a good recruiting tandem this summer for prospective free agents.
- Earlier today, the Warriors announced that they assigned Kent Bazemore, MarShon Brooks, and Ognjen Kuzmic to their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz.
- The out-of-town owners of the property needed for the new Kings arena are seeking a change of venue in the city’s eminent domain lawsuit, reports Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. City officials recognize that the Kings need swift access to the property and will fight the attempt to move the suit. Kasler adds that the new arena is expected to be completed in 2016; if the building doesn’t open by 2017, the NBA has the right to buy the team and move them out of Sacramento.
- Spurs guard Tony Parker told French website BMFT that he’d like to continue playing in the NBA for another six or seven years (hat tip to Michael Rehome of Project Spurs).
Eastern Notes: Bobcats, Turner, Celtics
Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said before tonight’s game against the Mavericks that the chances of Charlotte making a deal soon depends on who’s available and what makes sense. GM Rod Higgins couldn’t put a percentage on the likelihood that something gets done, but went so far as to say “…the thing you should know is we’re definitely shaking the tree (and hope) a trade pans out” (Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer).
You can find several links worth sharing tonight out of Eastern Conference below, including more from the above piece:
- Sorensen hears that the Bobcats are interested in 76ers guard Evan Turner and presumes that Ben Gordon and a first round pick are on the table (whether it’s the one owed to them by the Trail Blazers or Pistons is unclear).
- Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears says that in addition to Turner, Thaddeus Young is another starter who could be moved soon.
- Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW shared some of what he’s heard from around the Eastern Conference: Turner and Spencer Hawes are the most likely to be traded from Philadelphia; the Celtics are reportedly bound and determined to make moves before the deadline; the Cavaliers think pretty highly enough of their key pieces and aren’t likely to deal them for anything less for a “king’s ransom.”
- Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that tales of stars trying to make recruiting pitches during the All-Star break are blown out of proportion by the media and says it “never happens.”
- Earlier tonight, we relayed a piece from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports about the Cavs’ recent misfortune over the last few years. Another interesting thing to note is about how Anthony Bennett – who aside from his double-double performance tonight has otherwise failed to impress this season – would likely have fallen into the back end of the top 10 picks or further on draft night if Cleveland didn’t select him first overall.