Washburn On Hunter, Rivers, Kings, Celtics
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has a new column in which he reports and comments on several topics of importance from around the NBA.
- Washburn touches on the recent controversy around NBPA director Billy Hunter's handling of the union's finances, writing that Hunter has made it clear he has no intention of resigning as union boss.
- Hornets rookie Austin Rivers has had a rough rookie season, but is trying to remain confident through his struggles, Washburn writes.
- NBA insiders tell Washburn that although the feeling around the league is that the Kings will ultimately move to Seattle, the commissioner's office has made it clear that the city of Sacramento will have a fair shot at making a competitive offer.
- The Celtics recently waived Kris Joseph and Jarvis Varnado not because of their play, but because the team was approaching the $74MM hard cap.
- The Celtics are among the teams interested in Greg Oden, although the former Trail Blazers center is not close to being healthy enough to return to the court.
Winderman On Jones, Miller, Scola, Bosh
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has a new mailbag column covering a variety of Heat-related topics. Here are the highlights:
- James Jones and Mike Miller would be the most logical trade candidates on the Heat's roster, although Jones has repeatedly said he only wants to play in Miami, and Miller's contract would prevent the Heat from getting anything of value in return.
- Winderman doesn't see Luis Scola as a viable option for the Heat, given the restrictions on trading him due to the amnesty clause, and the fact that he would have to take a buyout with the Suns in order to sign.
- Winderman isn't buying the recent talk that the Heat should trade Chris Bosh, arguing that he makes them better and they wouldn't be able to get equal value on the trade market.
HoopsRumors Originals: 1/14/13 – 1/20/13
A look back at the original content produced by the HoopsRumors.com staff over the past week:
- HoopsRumors' Trade Candidate series this week featured entries on Leandro Barbosa (link) and J.J. Redick (link).
- A list of coaches whose contracts expire after this season.
- A look at some potential rebounding help the Heat could target on the trade market.
- An in-depth look at the Grizzlies' salary cap situaiton.
- A list of players who are still ineligible to be traded.
- The weekly Hoops Links feature rounded up some of the best reads from around the blogosphere.
- A transcript of Luke Adams' weekly reader chat.
Northwest Notes: Olshey, Wolves, McGee, Jazz
The latest news and notes from around the Northwest Division on Sunday afternoon:
- The Blazers, who've lost five in a row, are hamstrung by their substandard bench, but GM Neil Olshey isn't planning to compromise the team's long-term cap flexibillity to improve its depth this season, The Oregonian's Jason Quick writes. Nonetheless, the GM regrets not adding bench strength over the summer.
- Yesterday's 10-day signees Mickael Gelabale and Chris Johnson made an instant impact for theWolves, as Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune documents.
- Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post chronicles the slow development of Nuggets center JaVale McGee, who's averaging fewer minutes than all but two other players who, like him, make at least $10MM a season. "He's got to understand that lazy and crazy isn't going to make it work," coach George Karl said. "We want solid and we want fundamental, and we want spectacular but only when it happens, not forcing the action where sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't."
- Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune is impressed with the way Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin is magaging is players' minutes.
Timberwolves Sign Mickael Gelabale
SATURDAY, 10:30am: The T'Wolves formally announced the signing.
FRIDAY, 8:25am: The T'Wolves have signed Gelabale to a 10-day contract, his agent confirmed to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). If he plays well, Gelabale will earn another 10-day contract from the Wolves, according to Charania. The Frenchman will take Lazar Hayward's roster spot, after Hayward's 10-day deal expired last night.
THURSDAY, 8:11pm: The Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to sign French swingman Mickael Gelabale, the team announced Thursday. It is unclear what the terms of the contract are, or whether it will be a 10-day contract or a deal for the rest of the season.
Gelabale played in 109 games between 2006 and 2008 for the Seattle Supersonics and has played overseas subsequently. His signing helps to shore up depth for the Timberwolves, who have battled various injuries all season.
Odds & Ends: Roy, Jones, Nene, PEDs
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Friday evening:
- Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press writes that Brandon Roy has shown no indication of thinking about retiring from the Timberwolves.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel talks to Magic rookie DeQuan Jones about his unlikely path to the NBA.
- Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com revisits the Nuggets' trade of Nene Hilario to the Wizards for JaVale McGee.
- In light of the recent steroids controversies surrounding cyclist Lance Armstrong and the Baseball Hall of Fame, HoopsHype has a new column by former D-League player Rod Benson about the relative lack of performance-enhancing drug use in the NBA.
- Larry Coon has updated his invaluable Salary Cap FAQ with a new entry on rules regarding international players and some corrections.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Blake, Payton
The starters for the All-Star game were announced on Thursday, and two members of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard, were among those selected. Here are the latest updates around the Lakers:
- Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times writes that the Lakers have been playing well with Pau Gasol sidelined.
- Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets that Steve Blake will receive a cortisone shot and get reevaluated this weekend before deciding on a return date.
- Gary Payton told Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com that the Lakers' current struggles are not comparable to those of the 2004 team that featured him and Karl Malone.
Conley, Gasol Met With Grizzlies Management
Amid speculation that the Grizzlies are looking to trade Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Flyer reports (via Twitter) that guard Mike Conley and center Marc Gasol recently met with new owner Robert Pera, where the two players reportedly urged him to keep the team's core together at least through this season.
Herrington also tweets that Grizzlies management knows it has to move either Gay or Randolph to preserve their long-term flexibility and avoid luxury tax penalties. He believes the meeting with Conley and Gasol was simply to take their pulse about the season and roster.
Celtics Monitoring Greg Oden
Earlier Thursday, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported that several teams, including the Celtics, are interested in signing center Greg Oden, the former top overall draft pick who last played in the NBA in 2009. Celtics president Danny Ainge told Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com that the Celtics are keeping tabs on Oden's progress.
"Yeah, so we're monitoring Greg, like all the NBA teams are, but we have not attempted to sign him," Ainge said Thursday. "But we are monitoring him and having (conversations) with his people just to see where he's at."
Given that Oden will likely not be ready to play this season, Ainge said the Celtics would look at him as a future investment.
"I don't think (he'd be ready to play this year)," Ainge said. "I don't know any of that for sure, but I would suspect that anybody that would sign him would have their eyes looking more towards his contribution in the future than now."
Market For Rudy Gay Dwindling?
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com reports that the interest among teams in trading for Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay is not high, and although Memphis is continuing to shop Gay, the underwhelming offers may force them to wait until the offseason to move him and Zach Randolph.
Kennedy does not expect the Grizzlies to receive a young star or a high-upside rookie in return for Gay, naming Phoenix's Jared Dudley and Orlando's J.J. Redick as two potential players they could expect to land. Although Wizards rookie guard Bradley Beal was briefly discussed as a possible centerpiece for a Gay trade, Washington no longer has any interest in trading him.
Kennedy writes that much of the reluctance of teams to trade for Gay comes from his contract, which pays him $16.4MM this season, $17.8MM in 2013/14, and $19.3MM in 2014/15.