Lakers Links: Kobe, Harris
Although he had been voted into his 16th All-Star Game by the fans, Kobe Bryant told Bill Oram of the OC Register among others that he has no plans of participating even if he returns to play for the Lakers before then. If the NBA chooses to make him play, Kobe said: “Back ups will be playing a lot, because I’ll go in there, do my two minutes and sit down” (Twitter links). As many relayed on Twitter, including ESPN LA’s Dave McMenamin, Kobe would like to see younger and more deserving guards get the nod to play:
“With all due respect to the fans that voted me in…you (have) to reward these young guys for the work that they’ve been putting in.”
Here’s more out of the purple-and-gold side of Los Angeles tonight:
- Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times points out that there isn’t an official rule which requires a healthy player to participate in the All-Star Game and suggests there’ll be a compromise, pointing to the event in 2008 in which Kobe played just under three minutes because of a torn ligament in his pinkie. The Lakers superstar is yet to make a return to the active list, and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports says that Kobe doesn’t plan to follow up with a doctor until the first week of February (All Twitter links).
- Head coach Mike D’Antoni says the team will wait until Saturday to make a decision on guard Manny Harris, notes Oram (via Twitter). Harris, who is currently signed to a 10-day contract, has reportedly drawn high praise from D’Antoni.
- Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles writes about why the Lakers and their fans alike shouldn’t accept tanking at all.
Odds & Ends: Stuckey, Teague, D-League
Considering his expiring contract and recent stellar play, Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey could be a hot commodity on the trade market soon, especially for teams looking to add bench scoring or create some cap flexibility this summer, writes Brendan Savage of MLive.com. Despite the likelihood of being included in discussions as we inch closer to the February trade deadline, Stuckey insists that he’s strictly focused on playing basketball:
“Nah, I don’t think about that,..Whatever happens, happens. I’m here to play basketball. I’m a Detroit Piston right now…I have no control over that. My agent will take care of that. It’s up to the organization, what they want to do and what they’re looking at. I don’t think about it at all. I just try to come out every night and compete and try to win.”
Here’s more from around the league this evening:
- Newly acquired Nets guard Marquis Teague said he wasn’t shocked about being dealt from the Bulls and admitted that he didn’t fit well with the style of former coach Tom Thibodeau: “It just wasn’t clicking with Thibs the right way… trying to figure out the system was kind of tough for me. The way they play isn’t really my style, so it’s kind of difficult for me. But I’ve got a new start now, so I’m just looking forward to the future” (Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York).
- As per the team’s official website, the Suns have assigned Archie Goodwin to the Bakersfield Jam.
- The Cavaliers recalled Carrick Felix and Sergey Karasev from the Canton Charge earlier today (Twitter link).
- According to Gino Pilato of DLeagueDigest.com, former University of Miami forward Kenny Kadji has entered the NBDL player pool and will likely receive a claim from a D-League team.
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun believes that if the Raptors sign Vince Carter as a free agent this summer, it could help the team’s perception with other free agents who may question why the franchise hasn’t honored its most decorated star.
- ESPN’s Marc Stein forecasts the makeup of the 12-man Team USA roster which will compete in this year’s FIBA World Cup. Of the 28 names listed in the USAB’s national team player pool, Stein believes that 10 of them appear to be realistic locks (barring injury), leaving an interesting race for the final two spots.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
J.R. Smith Unsure Of Future With Knicks
Although the Knicks defeated the Heat in what was arguably their most impressive win of the season, the bigger story out of New York right now seems to be head coach Mike Woodson‘s decision to completely bench J.R. Smith tonight. Smith, who thrived under Woodson’s guidance last season en route to winning the league’s Sixth Man of the Year award, reportedly kept his distance from the team throughout tonight’s game and told the media afterward that he wasn’t sure if he’s in the Knicks future anymore:
“Honestly, I don’t even know. At one point I was for sure and now…it’s rocking the boat” (Twitter links via Frank Isola of the New York Daily News).
According to Marc Berman and Fred Kerber of the New York Post, Smith’s value has hit a new low, and the team would consider trading him for a young player or draft pick. With that being said, it’s hard to imagine that another team would offer up a viable young prospect or an asset in the form of a draft choice in exchange for someone with little trade value right now, especially with Smith scheduled to make $5.98MM next season along with a $6.4MM player option in 2015/16. As we noted earlier from ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Knicks have been making an effort to shop Smith around the league but have been hard pressed to find a taker.
Though a trade may seem improbable based on Smith’s contract, it certainly wouldn’t seem impossible, as the Raptors were initially willing to take on Raymond Felton (whose contract includes a near $4MM player option for 2015/16) in exchange for Kyle Lowry, contingent upon the inclusion of a future first-round pick and/or a young talent like Iman Shumpert or Tim Hardaway Jr. This isn’t to say that New York would hastily include any of the latter in order to rid themselves of Smith, but should trade rumors surrounding the 6’6″ guard start to percolate leading up to the trade deadline, I would expect the inclusion on whatever young talent/assets the team has left as a prerequisite for taking on J.R.’s contract.
Odds & Ends: LeBron/Melo, J.R. Smith, Deng
Both Al Iannazzone of Newsday and Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News passed along some of LeBron James‘ comments on Carmelo Anthony with regards to free agency:
“You got to do whatever makes you happy…When you’re happy, the game of basketball is going to be fun for you. Strive to be great every day and live with whatever else happens. So we’ll see.”
Asked further if he’d recommend Anthony leave some money on the table when he signs his next contract, LeBron had this to say:
“I recommend it to me…It doesn’t work for everybody. The way I live my life don’t work for everybody. All I care about is winning. I came to Miami to win. Money didn’t make me happy. Winning made me happy, and it still does. That’s what matters to me.”
We’ve got more links to pass along out of the Association tonight, and you can find them below:
- Not surprisingly, George Karl deplored J.R. Smith‘s recent behavior, telling Michael Kay on 98.7 ESPN radio in New York that his former player is going to wake up one day and realize how much he’s wasted great opportunities because of this “mockery he brings to the game.” In spite of that, Karl added that Smith still has a “skill that championship teams need” and suggested that a team like the Heat or Spurs may be able to corral the erratic shooting guard: “There’s that possibility…I think right now that’s the position if I was J.R.’s agent [I would take]. I would be looking at a culture where there would be more peer pressure…I know San Antonio has always liked (J.R.) and I know they’ve thought about bringing him in…San Antonio doesn’t make a lot of mistakes” (Ian Begley of ESPN New York).
- Although Luol Deng‘s agent Herb Rudoy didn’t expand upon how far apart the numbers were with the Bulls regarding contract extension discussions, he mentioned Andre Iguodala‘s contract with the Warriors (four years, $48MM) as one that would be commensurate with Deng’s ability, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
- When asked about a potential return to Chicago for his client in the near future, Rudoy responded: “Never discussed…I have no idea. We didn’t talk about it.”
- Tom Haberstroh of ESPN explores the topic of whether or not Andrew Bynum would be a good fit with the Heat (Insiders only).
- Ian Begley and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York, Robert Silverman of Knickerblogger, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of TrueHoop, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN have a roundtable discussion on the Knicks and Nets‘ chances of making the playoffs, winning the Atlantic Division, getting to the second round of the playoffs, and which has the brighter future.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune goes in-depth about how the Deng trade presents an enormous opportunity for Bulls rookie Tony Snell (Subscribers only).
Western Notes: Bledsoe, Love, Kaman
ESPN’s Kevin Pelton wonders if the Suns can continue to play well without Eric Bledsoe, mentioning that in the ten games Bledsoe has missed, Phoenix has gone 5-5 (Insiders only). Should the 24-year-old guard be unable to return this season, Pelton doesn’t think the Suns will have trouble finding a viable backup point guard, whether it be Leandro Barbosa (recently signed to a 10-day contract) or acquiring one with an expiring deal via trade.
Here are some more links to share out of the Western Conference tonight:
- In the midst of mounting frustration in Minnesota, Ken Berger of CBS Sports wonders if the Timberwolves should consider trading Kevin Love before he hits free agency.
- Lakers center Chris Kaman is still confused about his on-again/off-again role in Mike D’Antoni’s rotation, telling Mike Bresnahan and Eric Pincus of the L.A. Times: “I honestly can’t answer that question for you without telling you a lie. I really have no clue why. I’d just be making something up…I haven’t played in six games and then all of a sudden I play [Wednesday]…I really have no rhyme or reason for it. When it’s my turn, it’s my turn and when it’s not, I just sit and be positive and try to be professional about it.”
- The city of Sacramento filed an eminent domain lawsuit in Sacramento Superior Court that seeks to take control of a former downtown Macy’s department store for the development of a new sports arena, reports Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. The Kings wired $4.3MM to the city in anticipation of the city taking the eminent domain action.
- Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune briefly mentions that at a reasonable price of $4MM this season, Brandon Rush could become one of the Jazz’s best assets leading up to the February trade deadline.
- Doug Robinson of the Deseret News discusses how Trey Burke has been one of the lone bright spots of a “bad” 2013 NBA Draft.
- Despite their continued struggles, the Lakers aren’t resorting to any finger-pointing, writes Janis Carr of the OC Register.
Stein On Bulls, Bynum, Bledsoe, J.R. Smith
During a five-and-a-half minute interview earlier tonight, ESPN’s Marc Stein offered his thoughts on the Deng-Bynum trade, Eric Bledsoe‘s latest injury, and the latest on J.R. Smith and the Knicks (ESPN Radio link). You can find some of the highlights from the interview below.
On what the Deng-Bynum trade means for the Bulls:
“I really like this deal better for Chicago because they’ve reset themselves entirely as far as finances…nobody wants to part with first-round picks, but to be able to get a first-round pick for a guy who was headed to free agency, that’s a pretty impressive feat…when you look at what’s left over in Chicago, lets assume Derrick Rose comes back, they still have Jimmy Butler, they have Joakim Noah, they’ve got some picks coming in, they’re going to try to get Nikola Mirotic – who’s considered one of the top players in Europe…there’s still some pieces there…if they can hang onto Tom Thibodeau, they still have a good platform for a team moving forward.”
On Andrew Bynum‘s free agency prospects:
“…the issue with Bynum is I think everyone’s concerned because it’s been so long since he’s been motivated…the reality is that he’s still a very big guy who takes up a lot of space and did show enough flash in Cleveland to let you know he can still be a productive player when he’s in the mood…He wants to go to a contender and somewhere where he can (make more) than the league minimum. I know Dallas is very interested in him. Miami and the Clippers are two teams that have been mentioned, but I think in both cases there’s probably some hesitation as well…Miami already has Greg Oden there, do they really want two reclamation project centers on that team?
Doc Rivers has been very vocal this week saying that our concern is on the perimeter because we lost Chris Paul for six weeks…they’re not looking for a big man. Is that smoke screen from (Rivers)? I think we’ll find out pretty soon.”
On how Eric Bledsoe’s injury affects the Suns plans:
“It’s a crusher…there’s been all kinds of talk that Phoenix would move (one or two of their stash of future first-round picks) in order to try to get another frontline player and make a playoff push now…those plans are going to have to be revised most likely because it looks like Bledsoe (could) miss a significant amount of time.”
“…they won’t know exactly how bad (the condition) and they won’t know until the surgery takes place, but this is the first depressing downer to happen to Phoenix after a fairy-tale two months.”
On J.R. Smith and the Knicks:
“The reality is that I don’t think they’ll be able to move him. Now I would not co-sign on the notion that this is purely a Knicks ‘scare tactic’…the Knicks weren’t the ones who told me or Ian Begley that J.R. Smith was being shopped…I don’t think this was some sort of thing the Knicks strategically leaked because they’re trying to light a fire under (him)…They’re undoubtedly frustrated with him, they (feel) like it’s time for a fresh start for all parties, but the reality is that (Smith) has two more years left on his contract after this one, his production has dropped considerably, and off the cour there’s been four or five flareups already that have resulted in fines or negative headlines…the Knicks are realistic, they know that chances are they’re not going to find a trade partner for him, but they’re trying. They are trying and that is legitimate.”
Andrew Bynum Clears Waivers
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter), Andrew Bynum cleared waivers as of 6PM Eastern time and is now free to sign with any team, with the exception of the Cavaliers. Technically speaking, it should be noted that if Bynum were to eventually desire playing for the Cavs again, which is highly unlikely at this point, he’d be unable to sign with them until July.
Yesterday, we passed along that as much as eight teams showed interest in signing the former All-Star, and that the Heat and Clippers were among Bynum’s top choices as potential landing spots. As ESPN’s Chris Broussard also pointed out, playing time, contending status, and salary are all factors in determining the 26-year-old center’s interest (Twitter link). Miami can offer anything up to their mini-mid level of $3.2MM, whereas the Clippers are only equipped with a $1.19MM veteran’s minimum.
Based on Doc Rivers‘ recent comments about his roster, the Clippers don’t appear to be actively scouring the free agent market for a big man. As for the Heat, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter) doesn’t get a sense of overwhelming desire from Miami’s end.
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Brooks, Nets
ESPN Chicago’s Nick Friedell is joined by fellow ESPN writers Scoop Jackson and Doug Padilla to weigh in on a few questions surrounding the Bulls, particularly the likelihood of using the amnesty clause on Carlos Boozer, who won the Andrew Bynum–Luol Deng swap, and what the team’s next move should be.
Here are a few more miscellaneous links to share out of the Eastern Conference this evening:
- The Celtics have recalled guard MarShon Brooks from the NBDL today, the team announced via press release. Brooks had been lighting up the D-League as of late, averaging 27.4 PPG, 6.0 RPG, while shooting 37.5% from long range through five games with the Maine Red Claws.
- While four games appears to be a small sample size, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes about how Jason Kidd may have found the right formula to win with the Nets by opting to utilize smaller lineups. With that being said, Brooklyn is currently riding a four-game winning streak.
- Jared Sullinger has been a starter for the majority of the 2013/14 season, though he began Wednesday night’s game against the Clippers as a reserve because of Kris Humphries‘ standout performance recently. Sullinger doesn’t have an issue with his role change, telling Mark Murphy of BostonHerald.com: “That’s absolutely fine with me…(head coach Brad Stevens) said there may be times when they change things with me coming off the bench.”
- Knicks head coach Mike Woodson wants to move past the topic of J.R. Smith‘s disciplinary issues, telling the media before tonight’s game against the Heat: “I’m not addressing anything else with JR. Just not gonna do it” (Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv via Twitter). During a local radio interview with ESPN yesterday, Woodson was critical of Smith’s recent on-court antics, which earned the nine-year-veteran a $50K fine from the league for “recurring instances of unsportsmanlike conduct” (Ian Begley of ESPN New York).
- Sam Amico of FOX Sports takes an in-depth look at the Cavaliers’ newest All-Star acquisition, Luol Deng.
King: Nets Won’t Break Up Roster At This Point
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Nets GM Billy King was asked on Tuesday if he would consider blowing up Brooklyn’s expensive roster amidst the team’s struggles and Brook Lopez‘s season-ending injury: “Not at this point…We’re not there.”
Despite King’s comments, Bondy thinks the team could still reach that point by the February trade deadline, regardless of whether or not King and/or Jason Kidd will still be around by then. There’s also the matter of Mikhail Prokhorov having the final say, and it’s worth noting from the above piece that the Nets’ billionaire owner has remained silent since sending an e-mail to the New York Times earlier this month in which he advocated patience.
Brooklyn hasn’t kept out of the spotlight this season as far as trade rumors are concerned, especially with reports about being in the running for Kyle Lowry not too long ago. Although those talks with Toronto didn’t seem to include anything other than young players, draft rights, and draft picks, the recent Nets’ discussions with the Rockets about a potential (but now defunct) trade involving Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik for Deron Williams suggests that Brooklyn has already considered being a big time seller.
The combined contracts of Williams and Joe Johnson alone account for roughly 68% of the team’s salary cap for the 2013/14 season, and considering that both are under contract with the Nets simultaneously through 2016 (as well as progressive increases in their annual salaries respectively until then), it’d arguably be in the team’s best interests to see what the market can offer this year if things don’t turn around soon.
Amick On Knicks, Lowry, Rondo
USA Today’s Sam Amick offered his New Year’s resolutions for a handful of teams who appear badly in need of help, touching base with issues currently encompassing the Knicks, Warriors, and Timberwolves. Aside from lamenting about the Eastern Conference’s shortage of winning records, Amick provides some fascinating tidbits on what’s been going on in New York, particularly with regard to their recent pursuit of Kyle Lowry and their reported interest in Rajon Rondo. Being that Amick’s discussion of Golden State and Minnesota is more-or-less tied to point differential and strength of schedule, we’ll focus on the Knicks-related topics from his piece, and you can find the highlights below:
- New York would be wise to consolidate all their efforts and assets toward acquiring Rondo and not Lowry, especially if they’re willing to discuss trading their already limited supply of draft picks, suggests Amick.
- According to a person with knowledge of the Raptors’ dealings, the Knicks had first raised the idea of sending a 2018 pick to Toronto during trade discussions for Lowry. Interestingly enough, it appears that GM Steve Mills was the one who ultimately vetoed this particular approach altogether, opting to remain patient for more worthwhile pursuits.
- Regardless of how many times Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge insists that Rondo isn’t on the trading block, the belief from rival executives remains that the star point guard can be had for the right price. With two months and change left before the NBA’s trade deadline, it doesn’t look like the rumors of New York’s pursuit of Rondo will go away anytime soon, especially if Carmelo Anthony remains part of the Knicks’ plans. Even if Rondo becomes available, the Knicks face another hurdle of being one of many teams in line looking to make a pitch to the Celtics for his services.