Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Murray, Bucks
- Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com wonders if it may be time for the 76ers to make a drastic move the way Brooklyn did in order to right their ship. Although firing Doug Collins may not be the answer, dealing Thaddeus Young might be a painful-but-necessary move worth considering.
- Several months removed from telling the Hornets that he wanted to be in Phoenix, Eric Gordon is ready and willing to take on the leadership role expected from him in New Orleans (Steve Kyler of USA Today reports).
- Ronald Murray has signed with Azovmash Mariupol of the Ukraine, according to Basket-Planet.com (credit goes to HoopsHype for the translation). The 6'3 guard's resume includes an eight-year stint in the NBA from 2002 to 2010, last playing for the Bulls and subsequently the Bobcats during the 2009-10 season.
- Zach Lowe of Grantland explains why Scott Skiles was not the Bucks' main problem and looks into the bigger decisions ahead with regards to the futures of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. Lowe mentions that if Ellis decides to opt-out this summer, Milwaukee could have max-level cap room to work with at that point.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside examines Demetris Nichols and Sean Evans, two former standouts from New York colleges who have started to make some waves in the D-League. Schlosser thinks that both have shown some characteristics of being possible contributors in the NBA.
- Emilio Carchiano from Sportando.net notes that Gary Forbes has officially signed a deal with Atleticos de San German.
Bulls Aren’t Looking To Deal Hamilton
According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago-Sun Times, Richard Hamilton is considered to be an important part of the Bulls' plans and won't initiate including him in trade talks. The former UConn product can credit his relationship with coach Tom Thibodeau's firm belief that the 6'7 veteran shooting guard will provide the requisite leadership needed during the second half of the season and in the playoffs.
Aside from a foot injury that has sidelined him for 12 of the team's 32 games played so far, the 34-year-old has put up 12.4 PPG while shooting 39.1% from three-point range and 89.4% from the line, both significant increases from his first season with the Bulls in 2011-12. Cowley adds that the team has played very well as of late, going 5-1 over the last six games since Hamilton's return to the lineup.
GM Gar Forman put the kibosh on the idea that Chicago had been looking to shed Hamilton's $5MM contract in order to avoid going over the league's hard cap, even suggesting that the team could look to add another player for cheap if needed.
Sefko On Howard, Trade Targets, Chemistry
Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW answered questions from fans on Tuesday about the current state of the Mavericks among other rumors. Here are some of the more noteworthy topics of discussion from his chat:
- Three centers that should be on the team's list of targets this summer include Al Jefferson, Andrew Bynum, and Dwight Howard. He also thinks that either Paul Millsap and/or Jefferson are destined to be dealt from the Jazz, and that the Mavericks' projected draft position at this point could garner a high enough pick to offer for one of Utah's big men.
- From the above list, the team should still have a shot at landing Howard, depending on if the Lakers continue to struggle.
- Jose Calderon will be in very high demand near the trade deadline and should be on Dallas' radar. While he hasn't heard anything with regard to Devin Harris being on the trade block in Atlanta, Sefko notes that the former Mavericks player is in the last-year of his deal and would instantly become the team's starter if they were to somehow acquire him.
- Despite the team's struggles at this point in the season, there doesn't seem to be any serious issues in the locker room. He also thinks that Rick Carlisle has the ability to keep the team from splintering.
- Considering that players picked up off of amnesty last summer can't be traded this year, it's one reason to advocate an increased role for Elton Brand.
Central Notes: Skiles, Pistons, Vogel
One day after the mutual decision to sever ties with the Bucks, Scott Skiles was quick to shoot down a rumor that he "hated his team." Charles F. Gardner of JS Online drew more comments from the former-Milwaukee coach, who also implied that his phone has been "blowing up" regarding opportunities but would like to enjoy some of the time off he has right now. Todd Rosiak (also of the Journal-Sentinel) explored Skiles' departure from his former players' perspective, namely Larry Sanders, Luc Mbah a Moute, rookie John Henson, and Brandon Jennings, who admitted he was a bit frustrated about how he found out about the news – from Skiles first and not the team. With that aside, here are more news and notes from the Central Division tonight:
- With four consecutive drafts in which the Pistons have taken five current rotation players, there is optimism that GM Joe Dumars and his scouts have the right mindset and wherewithal to continue building the team toward a return to prominence (Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports).
- Fresh off agreeing to what is most likely a multi-year contract extension yesterday, Frank Vogel expressed optimism and determination in the direction of the Pacers' franchise (ESPN report via the Associated Press).
- Mike Wells of IndyStar.com briefly explores Vogel's appreciation for the assistants on his coaching staff and mentioned Dominic McGuire's task of learning the team's offense as quickly as possible.
Phil Jackson Has No Plans Of Coaching Again
7:37pm: According to Howard Beck of the New York Times, friends close to Phil say that while they aren't sure if he'll coach again, it's not something they would rule out. They also believe that the only way to entice Jackson out of retirement would be a situation in which he sees nothing less than a "path to the championship" (Twitter links).
7:17pm: Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com reports that Phil Jackson has no interest in returning to the NBA to coach, which quells any notion of the 67-year-old replacing P.J. Carlesimo on the Nets for now. Jackson gave an exclusive statement, saying: "I have no intention of ever coaching again.” Regardless, Sheridan believes Jackson's admittance to be more of a hedge and anticipates that the 11-time champion guru will still be contacted by teams in the future.
Interestingly enough, Jackson's words had no implication on whether or not he'd be open to joining a team in another capacity. In that case, Sheridan thinks that the Nets could thrust themselves back into the radar if they were to offer a top executive job.
This season, there have been ample rumblings of a potential comeback. In November, Jackson had been strongly linked to the Lakers before being turned away in favor of Mike D'Antoni. After Avery Johnson's exit in Brooklyn, the former New York Knick player had widely been reported to be the Nets' top target. According to Sheridan, Jackson did not elaborate on nor address Brooklyn's efforts to try to lure him to their organization either. It is also mentioned that as recently as today, the Zen Master was still drawing interest and that another team had recently been in touch to inquire about his availability.
Knicks Interested In Kenyon Martin
Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports report that the Knicks are beginning to show interest in signing veteran power forward Kenyon Martin. Both credit sources that say the 6'9 big man is open to playing on a 10-day contract in order to showcase his value to the Knicks. The renewed interest in Martin comes from the need for more frontcourt help as Rasheed Wallace continues to deal with a foot injury. Wallace's injury status is considered to be the "critical piece" in New York's pursuit of Martin, writes Wojnarowski and Spears.
The former number one overall draft pick out of Cincinnati last played for the Clippers during the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season, averaging 5.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 1.0 BPG in 40 games along with 44.1% shooting from the field in 22.4 MPG.
With New York's roster currently at 15, the team would have to find a way to open up a spot in order to bring Martin on board.
Central Notes: Pacers, Thompson, Cook
While the Pacers didn't necessarily want to cut Sam Young, a recent ankle injury that required several weeks of recovery coupled with the need for more help at the wing position had forced Indiana's hand, says Mike Wells of IndyStar.com. Wells also writes that the team will likely sign someone to a 10-day contract and thinks about Dominic McGuire as a possible fit. Lastly, he believes that guard Ben Hansbrough will remain on the team for the rest of the season. Here are a few more tidbits we've heard from the Central Division tonight:
- Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer looks at how Cavaliers big man Tristan Thompson has thrived during Anderson Varejao's absence.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Subscribers only) primes his readers on the impact that sharpshooter Daequan Cook is ready to make with the Bulls.
Celtics Waive Joseph And Varnado, Blockbuster In The Works?
10:35pm: Sam Amick of USA Today says that "Cousins is not going to the Celtics" and that teams who have been asking about his availability continue to being rebuffed (Twitter link).
7:08pm: Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) says that while nothing is imminent, Boston is one team to keep an eye on around the trade deadline.
6:51pm: Blakely writes that although it's unlikely that Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, or Paul Pierce will be moved, there has been "growing" interest in Courtney Lee, who may be expendable with the return of Avery Bradley to the Celtics' lineup. Blakely also mentions forward Brandon Bass as another player who could possibly be on the move.
6:45pm: A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com tweets that the decision to waive Joseph and Varnardo may have opened the door to what could be a blockbuster deal, according to a league source. One name that has repeatedly been mentioned in speculative trade talk has been Kings' center DeMarcus Cousins (Twitter link).
5:10pm: While rounding up today's list of waived players, ESPN's Marc Stein also tweeted that forward Kris Joseph and center Jarvis Varnado had both been waived by the Celtics today.
The 6'7 Joseph had been selected by Boston as the 51st pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, appearing in six games this season and averaging 1.2 PPG in 4.0 MPG. Varnado had only played in five games, averaging 1.2 PPG in 3.6 MPG.
With the roster now at 13, ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg speculates that the Celtics could target a veteran big man and a backup ball-handling guard to fill the two newly created roster spots. Forsberg also mentions that those potential moves could depend on the big man's asking price.
Bobby Brown May Join NBA This Season, D.J. White Next?
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reports that Montepaschi Siena point guard Bobby Brown, who is currently the Euroleague's leading scorer and is in strong contention for Most Valuable Player, could become a free agent and will be available to join an NBA team this season. Although going undrafted after entering the 2007 NBA Draft, Brown found his way into opportunities with the Timberwolves, Kings, Hornets, and Clippers, playing a combined 113 games and averaging 5.1 PPG and 1.8 APG in 12.8 MPG for his career.
In Italy, Brown currently boasts averages of 21 PPG, 5.9 APG, while shooting 46.4% from two-point range, 40.2% from long-distance, and 89.3% from the charity stripe. Despite Brown's success, Siena may not have the financial ability to retain the 28-year-old former standout from Cal State Fullerton for the long-term. Wojnarowski also mentions that several NBA teams have already inquired about bringing in the 6'2 Brown as a back up point guard.
Another name that Wojnarowski says to keep in mind is 6'8 forward D.J. White, who is currently playing for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association and will be eligible to sign with an NBA team after the conclusion of the CBA's season in February. The five-year veteran has been averaging 22.6 PPG and 10.6 PPG for Shanghai and holds NBA career averages of 6.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 50.7% shooting from the field in 16.3 MPG. He last played for the Bobcats during the 2011-12 season.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Raptors, Knicks
Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston delves further into what today's roster moves meant for the Celtic green, noting that the $275K the team saved by waiving Kris Joseph is nearly the amount it will cost the team to sign a veteran-minimum player late in the season. He also points out that Boston must wait for Joseph and Jarvis Varnado to clear waivers before being able to offer 10-day contracts. As for the now-former Celtics, Forsberg writes that both will have the option of returning to the D-League while awaiting their next opportunity. Here's the rest of what we've heard out of the Atlantic Division tonight:
- ESPN New York's Jared Zwerling describes how current Celtics assistant Jay Larranaga played a pivotal role in helping Knicks forward Chris Copeland earn a shot to play in the NBA.
- With P.J. Carlesimo, Nets rookie Mirza Teletovic has another chance to make a first impression (Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News reports).
- In a Q&A with readers that covered a variety of miscellaneous topics, Doug Smith of TheStar.com said that with a full roster, the Raptors aren't currently inclined to waive anyone in order to sign someone to a 10-day contract. With regards to their point guard situation, Smith thinks that Toronto should stand pat for now and seems confident that the team will eventually have discussions next summer to try and keep Jose Calderon.