Pacific Notes: Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Seattle
Last season, Stan Van Gundy went viral when he told reporters that Dwight Howard was pushing the Magic front office to fire him before leaving the big man to face the scrum all by himself. One would assume that the outspoken coach and the Lakers star are not on speaking terms, but that's not the case, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "We never stopped communicating even if there have been times he was very angry with me," Van Gundy said. "Dwight and I may not have always seen eye to eye. But I think there is mutual respect." More on the Lakers and the rest of the Pacific..
- Maalik Wayns is looking to make the most of his time with the Clippers, writes Eric Patten of NBA.com. You can keep up with all of this year's 10-day deals with our handy 10-day contract tracker.
- Chris Hansen, the prospective owner of the Kings, is calling on fans in Seattle to sign up for a "priority ticket waitlist" as a way to show the NBA how much interest there is in bringing pro basketball back to the area, according to the Associated Press. Commissioner David Stern said last week that Hansen's group currently has a significantly larger bid on the table than the competing Sacramento group.
- Howard will return to Orlando on Tuesday night and Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun isn't sure if the Lakers star has the mental toughness to thrive in that environment.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Knicks, Wallace, Collins
Tonight in Philadelphia, the Nets are looking to close in on the Atlantic-leading Knicks. Brooklyn is currently riding a three-game winning streak including Friday night's victory over the Wizards headlined by Deron Williams' 42 points and eleven three pointers. Meanwhile, New York expects to have Carmelo Anthony back in action tonight as they take on the Warriors. Here's tonight's news out of the Atlantic..
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson said after the trip he and GM Glen Grunwald will talk about making a roster move, but it doesn't sound like they'll be releasing Rasheed Wallace, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The veteran was with the team today and Woodson says that he has a chance to bounce back strong.
- The Nets will be one of six teams paying luxury taxes after this season and interim coach P.J. Carlesimo is appreciative of that, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. “It’s one of the best things an owner can do. Giving a coach a longterm contract is more important,” quipped Carlesimo. “But other than that I think when you have an owner that’s willing to spend money and not pay lip-service. All the owners say they want to win a championship, When you have someone that is committed to winning it and is willing to expend funds to do it, give us the resources, that’s fantastic.”
- Nets veteran Jerry Stackhouse, who has played for 76ers coach Doug Collins in two cities, praised his passion for the game and said that he can even be "borderline manic" at times, tweets Tom Moore of Calkins Newspapers. There has been speculation that Collins' job is in jeopardy going forward in part because of how his style clashes with the club.
- Reflecting on his time in Philly alongside Allen Iverson, Stackhouse said, "Somebody didn't do their homework – we're both shooting guards," tweets Moore.
Aldridge On Pierce, Kings, Seattle, Hunter
In today's column, David Aldridge of NBA.com writes that the strong backcourts of the Eastern Conference's up-and-down teams are giving them hope for the future. Who's the best of the bunch? Evan Turner, who might be slightly biased, says it's him and Sixers teammate Jrue Holiday. "It's not an arrogant thing or anything like that," Turner said. "We're the best. It's not even — no disrespect to anybody else — it's not even close…Obviously, John [Wall] is a next-level-fast point guard. Bradley Beal has been great. But I just feel like we match up better. Kyrie Irving's a great player, and also Dion [Waiters] can definitely play. But the stuff that Jrue and I have been through, you can't really speed down that rock." Here's more from Aldridge..
- Paul Pierce told Aldridge that he has never gone to Celtics GM Danny Ainge and asked him not to break up the team's core. At the same time, the star guard says that he hopes to retire as a Celtic. He believes that Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Dirk Nowitzki have a 100% chance of going out with their respective clubs but he's not quite as confident about his own odds, given the amount of trade talk surrounding him over the last two years.
- There have been mixed interpretations of Commissioner David Stern's recent disclosed that the Sacramento group's bid for the Kings is well behind Seattle's. One NBA exec says that he is taking it at face value and believes that Stern sees it as a win-win since either outcome will result in a new arena.
- Meanwhile, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson still has to sell the city council on the arena plan and how to pay for it. At least two council members are strongly against it but there are three swing votes that the mayor is working hard to win. Sources believe that he will ultimately be successful in picking those votes up.
- Aldridge wonders if the NBPA could be working on a settlement with Billy Hunter. Sources indicate such talks could be picking up steam, though neither side would comment. One source with knowledge of the situation said the two sides had been talking throughout the process and didn't believe there was any new momentum toward a potential deal. A settlement would be the smart way to go for both Hunter and the union in order to avoid the continued airing of dirty laundry.
Celtics Re-Sign Shavlik Randolph
The Celtics announced that they have signed Shavlik Randolph to a second ten-day contract. Boston first inked Randolph the former Duke standout to a ten-day deal on March 1st.
Randolph, a 6’10” forward, has yet to appear in a game for the Celtics since joining the club. Prior to making his NBA return, he appeared in 28 games for the Foshan Long Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association and averaged 32.0 PPG, 14.6 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 36.5 minutes per contest while shooting 53.1% from the floor.
Prior to this stint with the C's, Randolph's last NBA action came in 2009/10 when he appeared in three games each for the Heat and Trail Blazers. The forward is still looking to see his first action in green and white and it could come tomorrow night if things get lopsided against the struggling Bobcats.
Odds & Ends: Bulls, Gasol, Nuggets, Kings
Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- The Bulls may have the best trade package for the Lakers if they try to trade for Pau Gasol, but Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) can't really see the big man playing for coach Tom Thibodeau.
- The Nuggets roster has been shaped by the club's blockbuster Carmelo Anthony deal of 2011, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. "It was a great trade," said former NBA guard Steve Kerr. "The pieces all fit really well with a coach who is renowned for player development and up-tempo basketball… In the end, it's not as if the team was winning in the playoffs with Carmelo anyway."
- There's an eight-figure gap between the bids being put up by the Sacramento group and the Seattle group for the Kings, sources close to the situation tell Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
- The Mavericks cut guard Dominique Jones over his unwillingness to go to the D-League, but Dirk Nowitzki hopes that Jones finds new work rather quickly, according to Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram (on Sulia).
- Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Sulia) hears from sources that the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is adopting an NCAA tournament-style elimination format.
Hoops Links: Celtics, Harden, Humphries, Jennings
Finally, after months of back-and-forth talks between the two sides, the Jazz finally reached agreement with Raja Bell on a buyout. The 36-year-old is now free to go wherever he wants, but he won't be able to join a team for their postseason run as he didn't sign his name on the deal prior to the March 1st deadline. Some might wonder if the big hold up was Utah being stingy, but that's reportedly not the case. The team simply stood their ground and refused to give Bell what essentially would have been a reward for his difficult behavior.
In a time when the NBA is unquestionably a player's league, its extremely refreshing to see a team put their foot down and make sure that they avoid setting a bad precedent going forward. In the Association, players always seem to get their way, whether that means getting a front office gutted, having a coach canned, or getting dealt to the team of their choice. Bell wanted to bolt for a contender rather than play out his deal in Utah. He'll eventually get to do that, but it won't be on his terms.
Got a fantastic basketball blog piece that you want featured on Hoops Rumors? Send your submissions to HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here's this week's look around the web..
- Bleed Green reminds you why you should love these Celtics.
- Red94 looks at James Harden and the pocket pass.
- The Brooklyn Game goes three-on-three to talk Kris Humphries and more.
- Bucksketball is waiting to see how Brandon Jennings' passing holds up.
- Always Miller Time says that LeBron James is about as good as it's going to get.
- Pounding The Rock evaluates the contenders at the three-quarters mark.
- Hardwood Houdini breaks down the Celtics' playoff run.
- The Basketball Post isn't sure about which direction the 76ers are headed in.
- Beale Street Bears sizes up the best in the West.
- Hoops Addict respects the play of DeMar DeRozan this year.
- Utah Sports Net feels for the Jazz's wing players.
If you have a suggestion for this feature, Zach can be reached here.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sixers, Martin, Bynum
Here's a look at the latest out of the Atlantic..
- Ten-day signee Kenyon Martin will almost assuredly remain with the Knicks for the rest of the season, and as long as he performs well in the absence of Amare Stoudemire, New York might not feel compelled to waive the injured Rasheed Wallace to pursue another healthy big man, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com surmises.
- A sign-and-trade of Andrew Bynum might be the best option for the Sixers, who probably won't be as eager as other teams to roll the dice on the big man's health once more, argues John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Former Celtics and Knicks guard Bill Walker has resurfaced in the D-League and is hoping to show that his inconsistent tendencies are behind him, writes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. Walker is with the guard-heavy Austin Toros who often have the Spurs' Cory Joseph suiting up for them, so he will have to work hard to be a regular part of their rotation.
Odds & Ends: Basketball Classic, Age Limit, Draft
Earlier today the Thunder topped the Celtics 91-79 to pick up their fifth straight win. Kevin Durant led the way with 23 points and eleven boards in a well-balanced effort at home. The C's turned in an impressive defensive effort on paper, holding Oklahoma City to their lowest output in nearly two months, but it wasn't enough to down them. Here's more from around the Association..
- In his Sunday column, the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn writes that there has been talk that commissioner David Stern would consider the idea of a World Basketball Classic, similar to baseball’s tournament. However, the challenge for Stern and FIBA would be getting American superstars to play. The major shoe companies may also have to get their taste in such a deal.
- Over at HoopsWorld, the staff debated whether players should be allowed to jump straight from high school to the NBA. Of course, there have been a number of standout players who decided to skip college and go directly to the pros from Kobe Bryant to Kevin Garnett to LeBron James. However, there have also been plenty of talented players who weren't ready for the transition like New York's Lenny Cooke.
- Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld released his latest 2013 mock draft and has Kansas' Ben McLemore going first overall to the Bobcats. After that, Marcus Smart, Cody Zeller, Shabazz Muhammad, and Nerlens Noel round out the top five.
- Virtus Roma point guard Jordan Taylor told Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport that he will likely be in the NBA Summer League, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (on Twitter). The Wisconsin product was not taken in the 2012 draft and spent time with the Hawks' summer league team before being let go.
Week In Review: 3/4/13 – 3/10/13
Our long national Dwightmare may not reach its conclusion until this summer, but we at least have one pesky NBA storyline out of the way. This week, the Jazz finally reached agreement with veteran Raja Bell on a buyout. The two sides have been at odds all season and Bell did not suit up for Utah once all year after being told not to come to training camp. Here's more on the week that was on Hoops Rumors..
- The Raptors are likely to offer an extension to Rudy Gay and are going to look to get a proven post player in return for Andrea Bargnani.
- Bucks guard Brandon Jennings is thinking about signing a qualifying offer. The club is also going to make a strong effort to re-sign J.J. Redick.
- The Nuggets are expected to target Kyle Korver this summer.
- Three teams have interest in Italian forward Gigi Datome, including the Celtics.
- The Knicks are going to be without Amare Stoudemire for six weeks and are looking for help.
- The Jazz discussed deals for Paul Millsap with the Pacers and Clippers but ultimately did not move him.
- Speaking of near deals, the Bucks almost landed Josh Smith at the deadline. Milwaukee was closer to landing the Hawks forward than the 76ers. The Celtics also came close to moving Paul Pierce in a deal for Smith.
- Manu Ginobili wants to play for two more years.
- Al Harrington hopes to play for five more years.
- GM Daryl Morey inked an extension with the Rockets.
- The Heat were high on Nikola Vucevic but didn't land him.
- The Wolves are seeking clearance to add a 16th player. No word on whether the league will let them use six players on the court at the same time though.
- Houston signed Aaron Brooks.
- The Jazz signed Travis Leslie after dumping Bell.
- Commissioner Stern says that Sacramento has to up their bid to keep the Kings.
- Greg Oden is keeping the Cavs on his wish list.
- Pablo Prigioni isn't sure about his NBA future.
- A promising Russian forward is going to wait another year before entering the draft.
Hoops Rumors Originals: 3/4/13 – 3/10/13
Here’s a look back at the original analysis provided by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Chuck Myron looked at recent non-guaranteed multi-year deals.
- Luke Adams checked the stock of free agent sharpshooter Kyle Korver.
- Luke gave us a preview of what a Rudy Gay contract extension might look like.
- I asked if the 76ers should re-sign Andrew Bynum and most of you were against the idea.
- The Wolves will go into the $12MM per year range to sign Nikola Pekovic in Chuck’s opinion.
- The Mavs and Hornets are among the Western Conference clubs expected to have cap room.
- Here’s a look at 2013 max contract scenarios.
- We asked Hoops Rumors readers which Western Conference team would miss the playoffs and almost half of you picked the Jazz over the Lakers, Rockets, and Warriors.
- Luke updated us on the traded 2013 first round picks.
- You can follow us by specific team.
- Alex Lee looked at Bynum’s free agent stock.
- If you missed out on Monday’s chat with Luke, you can check out the transcript here.
- Here’s a refresher on our commenting policy.