Carmelo Denies Already Deciding On His Future
Everyone is wondering what Carmelo Anthony will do when he hits the open market in the summer of 2014, and that apparently includes Anthony himself. In response to boisterous ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith reporting that sources have told him the Knicks star has decided to skip town, Anthony issued a flat denial, tweets Rod Boone of Newsday.
Anthony went on to say that he doesn’t talk to those close to him about his future plans (link). “Anybody in my crew, anybody on my team, family, nobody.” He also asserted that if a story doesn’t come from him then it’s “not true” (link).
Anthony, who is coming up on his three-year anniversary of being traded to New York, has been vocal about his frustration over the club’s putrid start. For those who believe LeBron James is staying put in Miami, Anthony appears to be the top prize in a loaded free agent class this summer.
New York Notes: Carmelo, Prokhorov, Dolan
If you had December 5th circled on your calendar to make sure you didn’t miss the Knicks and Nets squaring off in Brooklyn…feel free to make some alternate plans instead. With the Knicks at 3-13 and the Nets not looking much better at 5-13, there are serious doubts about whether NYC’s teams will recover this season. The latest from the Big Apple..
- Knicks owner James Dolan was largely motivated to trade for Carmelo Anthony in 2011 so that he didn’t wind up in Brooklyn. “There was definitely a fear that Carmelo would wind up with the Nets if the Knicks didn’t get him,” a former Knicks employee told Harvey Araton of the New York Times. “Dolan was annoyed by the billboard [of Prokhorov and then minority owner Jay-Z near MSG] — you couldn’t blame him for that — and he was determined to make sure he got Carmelo.”
- Araton checked in with Prokhorov via email for his story and the Nets owner indicated that he’s not ready to panic. “We’re only a month into the season! Give it a little time. And have a little faith,” Prokhorov wrote.
- The Russian owner also took the opportunity to send a jab in Dolan’s direction. After the pow-wow earlier this year featuring the two owners and commissioner David Stern, Dolan quipped that he got a “free lunch” out of the meeting. Asked what he got out of it, Prokhorov wrote in his email, “As logic would dictate, the check.”
- At least one person is optimistic that the Nets and Knicks will rebound in 2013/14. “I believe New York and Brooklyn are too talented of teams to continue on the track that they’re on,” said Celtics GM Danny Ainge, according to Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Ainge’s Celtics currently occupy the top spot in the Atlantic Division, but they’re also three games from last place.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Porter, Gortat, Heat
The Hawks were the lone Southeast Division representative in action last night and they didn’t disappoint, topping the Clippers 107-97 in Atlanta. Kyle Korver went 6-9 behind the arc and scored 23 points while Paul Millsap led the way with 25 points and nine boards. Here’s today’s look at the Southeast Division..
- Wizards rookie Otto Porter Jr. won’t commit to a return date, but he feels that he’s getting closer to making his NBA debut, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Washington is currently 9-9 without the services of its No. 3 overall pick. The Georgetown product was (and is) considered by some to be the best overall talent in the 2013 draft.
- If Bradley Beal, Al Harrington, and Porter can get back on the floor, Wizards center Marcin Gortat believes that his team can shock everyone, Lee writes. “We should be really good,” Gortat said. “Maybe at the end – maybe at the end – I will be the guy who is going to laugh, from some of the people here that we won 50 games.” Gortat came to the Wizards in a late-October trade with the Suns.
- When asked if offseason pickup Michael Beasley has found his idea role in the NBA – an impressive scorer off the bench – Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel said that the Heat are still working to make him a complete player, which means bringing his defense up to speed.
Odds & Ends: Mozgov, Hawks, Garnett, Draft
Timofey Mozgov might be the hottest player in the NBA right now and that can be largely attributed to assistant coach Melvin Hunt, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. “All the Russian I know can’t be repeated,” Hunt explained, “because when he gets frustrated and says them, I know they’re bad words.” More from around the Association..
- Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer doesn’t expect Dennis Schröder to stay in the D-League for long. “My guess is he’ll be back sooner but we’ll see how it’s going down there and how it’s going up there,” Budenholzer said, according to Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (on Twitter). Atlanta assigned the rookie guard earlier today.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News attempts to fix the Eastern Conference for all the teams not named the Heat or Pacers. The list, unsurprisingly, starts with the Nets and the struggles of offseason addition Kevin Garnett.
- A few league executives and scouts indicated to Adam Zagoria of SNY (on Twitter) that Glenn Robinson III‘s stock is falling. The Michigan standout is currently slotted to go No. 17 on DraftExpress’ mock draft.
- The Nets and Knicks better hope that they can turn things around this season because they can’t hope to build through the draft, notes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Both NYC teams have mortgaged their futures in an effort to contend in the present.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Iguodala, O’Neal, Morris
Tonight’s look at the Pacific Division..
- Warriors GM Bob Myers told reporters, including Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News, that he’s not looking to make any changes at this stage, given Andre Iguodala‘s injury. “No, I think we want to see. It may be one game, two games, three games where we’ve actually been healthy. I think it’d be way too rash to start looking at something until you’ve actually seen the team for a good, extended period of time,” said Myers.
- Not much was expected from 18-year vet Jermaine O’Neal when he inked a one-year, $2MM deal with the Warriors, but he’s proven to be a pivotal part of the team, writes Marcus Thompson of the Mercury News.
- Turkish team Trabzonspor made an offer to former Lakers guard Darius Morris, according to a report from Djordje Matic passed along by Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Morris averaged 6.9 PPG in 12 games for the 76ers this season before he was waived along with Kwame Brown in November.
Charlie Westbrook To Sign In D-League
Guard Charlie Westbrook has agreed to sign a deal in the NBA Development League, a league source told Shams Charania of RealGM. Westbrook was in training camp with the Heat this summer and was said to impress, but the logjam of talented veterans was too much for him to overcome.
Westbrook had been deciding on his next professional team and he joined the D-League’s waiver process tonight to determine his franchise. The 24-year-old played four games with the Heat in preseason, with averages of 5.7 minutes and 2.5 points before being released on October 21st.
Undrafted in 2012 out of the University of South Dakota, Westbrook was on the second team all-conference as a senior, scoring over 18 points per game. He spent last season in Italy, where he averaged 16.2 points per contest.
Spurs Sign Malcolm Thomas
8:07pm: The signing is official, according to a press release from the Spurs. The team didn’t announce the terms of the deal, but it’s likely a minimum-salary contract without a guarantee. The addition of the Aaron Mintz client brings San Antonio’s roster to the 15-player limit, as our updated roster counts show.
TUESDAY, 7:43pm: The Spurs have finalized their deal with Thomas, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, though there remains no official announcement from the team. Thomas is set to join the team after it returns from Wednesday’s game against the Timberwolves in Mexico City.
SUNDAY, 7:29pm: The Spurs are set to sign power forward Malcolm Thomas, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Thomas, who has been with the D-League’s L.A. D-Fenders, was pulled from tonight’s game against the Bakersfield Jam.
The Spurs and Thomas are quite familiar at this point as Thomas has suited up for both the Spurs and their D-League affiliate in Austin. The 25-year-old has 15 career NBA games to his credit, including three with San Antonio in 2011/12. In 27 D-League contests, Thomas has averaged 13.2 PPG and 9.6 RPG in 32.7 minutes per contest. Thomas was in summer league and training camp with the Bulls this summer, but Chicago didn’t have the room to keep him despite some impressive play.
Odds & Ends: Booker, Kobe, Wade, Exum
After receiving eight DNP-Coach’s Decisions this year, Trevor Booker is none too pleased with the Wizards. A source close to the power forward said recently that if the Wizards don’t extend him a qualifying offer and let him become an unrestricted free agent, he would look elsewhere for employment based on how the season has gone, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. It’s been a strange quarter-season for Booker, who started the first three games of the season but has seen little burn since. More from around the Association..
- Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com looks at how Kobe Bryant‘s lucrative two-year extension could affect the Heat and Dwyane Wade.
- In today’s column, David Aldridge of NBA.com looks at how Kobe’s deal will affect the Lakers over the next couple of years.
- Dante Exum is a mortal lock to go top five in the 2014 Draft, but he says that he hasn’t decided whether to go pro, writes Joe Pierik of the Sydney Morning Herald. ”To be honest, I haven’t been thinking about it too much,’‘ Exum said. ”I am back home but my mum is still in Singapore, so she is going to head back soon. After that I will make my decision with my whole family. I want to get it done by February. It shouldn’t be too hard [a decision] to make. But I just want to make sure I use my time right so I make the right decision.’‘
- The Bulls might be thinking about rebuilding or retooling in the wake of Derrick Rose‘s injury, but Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com isn’t sure if coach Tom Thibodeau would be on board for that.
- Guard Jose Calderon is going out of his way to assist rookie point guards Gal Mekel and Shane Larkin with their transition to the NBA, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. While coach Rick Carlisle appreciates Calderon passing along his veteran wisdom, he says he’s more concerned with seeing him back on the hardwood. Calderon is currently dealing with a bone bruise on his right ankle.
- The Lakers announced that they have recalled Ryan Kelly back from their D-League affiliate, the L.A. D-Fenders. To keep track of all of this year’s D-Leage assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
MarShon Brooks Hasn’t Requested A Trade
As a rookie out of Providence, MarShon Brooks had a good amount of hype surrounding him for his athleticism and scoring ability. Cut to a few years later, Brooks had his fourth-year option declined after being on the opposite end of a deal that shipped Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets. Even though Brooks isn’t seeing much playing time in Boston and one has to imagine that he’s frustrated, he says that he hasn’t requested a trade, writes Jay King of MassLive.com.
“It’s too early for that. It’s way too early for that,” Brooks said after Monday’s practice. “I trust (coach) Brad Stevens. He told me I’m going to get my opportunity, so I’m just waiting on my opportunity, honestly.”
So far, Brooks has appeared in just six of Boston’s 19 games, averaging 2.2 points over 6.8 minutes per contest. After getting four points and two boards late in Saturday’s loss to the Bucks, Stevens acknowledged that Brooks could get more minutes eventually, but wouldn’t put a timetable on increasing his role.
Brooks, 25 in January, saw 29.4 minutes per contest in his rookie season for the struggling Nets, but saw his minutes drop to 12.5 per game last season. Over those two seasons with New Jersey/Brooklyn, Brooks averaged 8.5 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 1.6 APG.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Nash, Blake, Suns
The Lakers are off until Friday night, but when they return to action, they could be with the services of Kobe Bryant. At this point, it’s possible that Bryant will be playing with a limit on his minutes, though coach Mike D’Antoni isn’t certain of that yet. Here’s more on the Lakers and other notes out of the Pacific..
- The Lakers are going to wait and see what Steve Nash has to offer in practice this week before deciding on what to do, if anything, for a backup to Steve Blake, tweets Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. Ex-Lakers Darius Morris and Chris Duhon may not be sexy options, but Pincus notes that they are both free agents and could probably be inked to non-guaranteed deals (link).
- The Suns are off to a hot start despite starting the year with nine new faces, but they’re not satisfied with their 9-8 mark, writes NBA.com’s Matt Petersen.
- Nick Young has been thriving with the Lakers this season, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Young had a reputation as a chucker when he was with Washington, but he has grown up and adjusted his game to meet L.A.’s needs.