Kevin Martin Wants To Stay With Thunder
As one of the main pieces in the James Harden swap, Kevin Martin was asked to fill some big shoes in Oklahoma City. So far this season he’s done quite well in the former Sixth Man of the Year’s slot and it’s a role that Martin can see himself playing for years to come. The guard told Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that he wants to remain in OKC long-term.
“I get that question a lot since it’s a contract year. There are going to be teams interested over the summer, but I’m so happy right now and being with these guys has given me an extra pep in my step. It’s just fun being here. It’s a great organization and great guys. I’m happy right now,” Martin said.
Martin, 29, is averaging 15.7 PPG in 29.6 minutes while shooting 46.9% from the floor and 45.8% from beyond the arc. The guard would likely prefer to wait until the summer to discuss a new deal, as a contract extension could only cover three years while a brand new deal could go up to five years. Martin is earning $12.4MM this season.
If Monta Ellis doesn’t pull the trigger on his early termination option to leave the Bucks, Martin will be at the top prize in a soft market for shooting guards. O.J. Mayo, J.R. Smith, and Manu Ginobili are other intriguing names who could be available, as our Hoops Rumors list of 2013/14 free agents shows.
Knicks Tried To Trade Amare Stoudemire
Amare Stoudemire is set to return to action for the Knicks, but Howard Beck of the New York Times writes that the big man could have easily been shipped elsewhere prior to the start of this season. The player once viewed as one of the team’s cornerstones was offered up to nearly every team in the league and was “available for free”, according to one rival executive.
In February, the Knicks wanted to send Stoudemire to Toronto in a deal for Andrea Bargnani, according to a person briefed on the discussion. However, that proposal was vetoed by Garden chairman James Dolan before it ever reached the Raptors. Unsurprisingly, Toronto officials told Beck that the club wouldn’t have made that deal anyway. Before that, the Knicks tried to package Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler in a trade with the Magic for Dwight Howard.
The Knicks couldn’t find a taker for Stoudemire because of his diminished production, health concerns, and massive contract, which pays him $65MM through 2014/15. The deal is uninsured against a career-ending knee injury, despite the big man’s injury history.
T’Wolves To Audition Lazar Hayward
Forward Lazar Hayward is in Minnesota today for a workout with the Timberwolves, a source tells Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN (on Twitter). It’s not yet known if Hayward will be working out solo or against competition (Twitter link).
Minnesota is looking to bolster their bench after Josh Howard tore his ACL and was subsequently waived. After hearing the news of Howard’s injury, head coach Rick Adelman told reporters that the team is now in need of a back up small forward who is capable of guarding wing players. Howard gave the T’Wolves some solid production, averaging 6.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and nearly 1 steal per game in 18.8 MPG.
Whoever the Wolves sign to fill the roster spot won’t receive a guaranteed deal, according to Wolfson (on Twitter). That makes a free agent such as Michael Redd unrealistic, as he won’t sign a non-guaranteed contract (Twitter link).
Hayward, 25, was released by the Rockets prior to the start of the season. The forward has appeared in 68 total games for the Timberwolves and Thunder since being drafted 30th overall in 2010.
Odds & Ends: Wolves, Rockets, Stern, Thunder
The "Battle of the Boroughs" was all anyone wanted to talk about just a few short weeks ago, but the Nets' recent slide has taken much of the juice out of their renewed rivalry with the Knicks. Here's a glimpse around the league as the Knicks have padded their lead in the Atlantic Division..
- Team and league sources confirmed to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN that former point guard Will Conroy, who appeared in four games for the Wolves in November, will join the front office as a scout. The 30-year-old is just putting his playing career on hold for the time being and not retiring.
- Commissioner David Stern spoke with Jason Friedman of Rockets.com about the All-Star Game in Houston this year, as well as other memories of his tenure and interaction with Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon.
- The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry cautions the Thunder about sacrificing too much in a trade for the Cavaliers' Anderson Varejao. One suggested deal for the forward would likely require Kendrick Perkins, Perry Jones III, and Jeremy Lamb, which would leave OKC with a thinned out bench. Mayberry is also wary of Varejao's injury history.
- Ryan Ripley of Ridiculous Upside looks at talented D-League veterans who could be impact players for NBA teams this season.
Poll: Should Jazz Trade Millsap or Jefferson?
Utah's two premier frontcourt players, Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, are both set to hit restricted free agency next summer. Jefferson is earning $15MM in his walk year while Millsap is making a much more modest $7.2MM on the tail-end of a four-year, $32MM deal. The Jazz are doing just fine at the .500 mark, but the team they currently have in place isn't likely to be their first squad to appear in the Finals since 1998.
Earlier today, Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated asked if the Jazz should trade Jefferson, Millsap, both, or neither. Both writers were in agreement on what General Manager Dennis Lindsey should do – make every attempt to keep Millsap while working the phones to find a deal for Big Al. Jefferson, they argue, hasn't grown much defensively and figures to be the costlier option between the two. It's hard to really put a value on either player, however, and it'll be the open market that dictates each of their price tags. Sticking with Millsap would leave Utah with a more competent defensive presence and a tough rebounder that can complement Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors nicely. Of course, they could also jettison both before the trade deadline and completely overhaul the team once more. Or, Lindsey & Co. could go into this summer with their checkbooks in hand, hoping that neither player prices themselves out of Utah. What would your choice be?
What Should The Jazz Do?
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Trade Jefferson, Keep Millsap 32% (231)
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Trade Both 30% (220)
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Trade Millsap, Keep Jefferson 29% (210)
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Keep Both 9% (66)
Total votes: 727
Pacific Notes: Gasol, Kobe, Lakers, Warriors, Curry
Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio spent the first quarter of the season on the sidelines, giving him plenty of time to keep up on the latest from around the league. On a conference call yesterday, Rubio said that he took special notice of Pau Gasol‘s situation in Los Angeles, according to HoopsHype (on Sulia). “Gasol has given the Lakers a lot and I don’t feel he’s getting enough in return, especially as far as confidence,” Rubio said of his fellow Spaniard. “But he’s a pro. If he goes to another team, I think he would make a contender out of that team. Wherever he goes, he’s going to be fighting for the title.” More on the Lakers and other items out of the Pacific..
- Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Insider sub. req’d) spoke with a GM, assistant coach, and two scouts who blame Kobe Bryant‘s shooting output for the Lakers‘ woes. The Lakers are just 4-11 when Bryant takes 20 or more shots in a game but are 8-3 when he shoots less than 20 times. It’s a surprising statistic when you consider that Bryant is leading the league in scoring with 29.5 PPG clip while shooting a career-high 47.7 percent from the floor.
- Warriors owner Joe Lacob sat down with Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group to discuss a number of topics, including Stephen Curry‘s four-year, $44MM extension. Lacob explained that there was risk in giving Curry the deal given his ankle problems heading into this season, but the two parties were able to agree on a number that accounted for that risk.
- In part two of his sit down with Kawakami, Lacob explained that even though the club would like to get under the luxury tax threshold this summer, they’re not under any sort of mandate to do so. The Warriors would be willing to pay the penalty if there was an opportunity “to improve the team and to take [it] to a higher level.”
- The Lakers probably wouldn’t have been able to land Steve Nash this summer if Ramon Sessions hadn’t opted out of his $4.55MM player option, GM Mitch Kupchak told Mark Medina of the Press-Telegram. Sessions went on to sign a two-year deal with the Bobcats and says that he’s happy to have a sense of job security with his new team.
Northwest Division: Jazz, Millsap, Hornets
Hoops Rumors’s Offseason In Review series is now complete for all thirty teams, including the Northwest’s Jazz, Nuggets, Thunder, Timberwolves, and Trail Blazers. Here’s today’s news out of the division..
- Both Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated believe that the Jazz should work hard to trade Al Jefferson while making an effort to retain Paul Millsap. The two big men will be unrestricted free agents next summer and Millsap would appear to be the more affordable option at this juncture.
- Carl Landry, who expressed a desire to stay with the Warriors for years to come, said he and Jarrett Jack were especially motivated for last night’s game against the Hornets, their former team, notes Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group. “We didn’t need a 5-Hour (Energy Drink). We didn’t need a speech. We didn’t need anything like that. We were ready to play. Yesterday.”
- The Jazz are rumored to be looking at sending away one of their big men, with Millsap seemingly the most likely candidate to be traded. But right now, they’re experimenting with playing Millsap, Derrick Favors and Al Jefferson on the floor together. Grantland’s Zach Lowe sat down with Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin to discuss that lineup and other topics.
D-League Moves: Perry Jones III, Liggins, Knicks
We'll be keeping track of all of today's D-League comings and goings in this post. To keep up with the latest assignments and recalls, check out Hoops Rumors' 2012/13 list right here.
- The Thunder announced they've assigned Perry Jones III and DeAndre Liggins to the Tulsa 66ers. It's the second time they've each been sent down. Liggins has averaged 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in three games for Tulsa, while Jones has put up a total of 23 points and seven rebounds in his two D-League contests.
- Forwards Chris Copeland and James White have returned to the Knicks after being assigned yesterday to the D-League's Erie BayHawks, the BayHawks announced via Twitter (hat tip to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside). Their return was expected when they were sent down, along with Amare Stoudemire, to practice with the BayHawks. Erie is in the midst of a four-day layoff, so none of the Knicks assignees saw game action.
- The Pistons have brought back Khris Middleton and Kim English from the D-League, according to James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press. Both rookies were sent down to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants a week ago. They were in the starting lineup for three games with Fort Wayne, with English putting up 18.0 points, 5.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds per contest, while Middleton posted averages of 11.0 points and 7.7 boards. Neither of them, both second-round picks this past June, have seen significant minutes for the big club in Detroit.
- The Spurs announced that they have assigned Kawhi Leonard to the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League for a medical rehab assignment. Leonard has been sidelined with quadriceps tendinitis in his left knee since November 17th. Prior to the injury, Leonard appeared in nine games for the Spurs, averaging 10.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 2.0 SPG in 28.9 minutes. Team doctors will determine a timeline for Leonard's return after he practices with the Toros.
Odds & Ends: Williams, Celtics, Heat, Varejao
Before the Jazz came to Brooklyn to face the Nets on Tuesday, Deron Williams told reporters that he has struggled since joining the Nets in part because of coach Avery Johnson‘s offense. While it was seen as excuse-making by some, Sean Deveney of the Sporting News writes that the one-guard has a point. It remains to be seen whether Johnson will re-fashion his offensive system in order to better accomodate Williams, who seemed to thrive in former coach Jerry Sloan‘s 1-4, pick-and-roll-heavy sets. Here’s today’s look around the league..
- There are no obvious fixes for the Celtics on the trade market at present, so Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com offers up three internal solutions to their woes. One idea is for the C’s to recall Fab Melo from the D-League and play him alongside Kevin Garnett.
- The Heat amassed overall quality this summer to position themselves to trade for the right big man at the right price, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The Heat still have time to find frontcourt help either at the trading deadline or buyout deadline.
- The ESPN.com staff looked at five of the top trade candidates in the league and weighed in on whether they should be moved. Most of the ESPN scribes are in agreement that the Cavaliers should part ways with Anderson Varejao, who is playing at an All-Star level and staying healthy.
Hollinger On Grizzlies, Reaction, Hollins
Late last week, the Grizzlies made headlines when they hired ESPN’s John Hollinger as their new Vice President of Basketball Operations. The move was significant for a couple of reasons. Hollinger is making the rare leap from journalist to front office executive and is doing it thanks to his analytics background. The world of baseball has been aware of the power of analytics for quite a while, but it wasn’t until recent years that the NBA caught up. Hollinger spoke with 92.9 ESPN in Memphis to talk about the transition and Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews has the goods..
On the reaction from old-school basketball people and players:
“So far, so good. I haven’t had a chance to spend much time with the players yet because the first day of work, you spend a lot of time just filling out forms, random stuff like that, and just meeting lots of people. … So, I’m hoping in the next couple of days, to really do that. I met some of the coaches today at practice, and that was great. … It’s something I’m looking forward to over the next couple of days, but as far as how I’ve been received, so far everything’s been really great. If anyone has any grievances about it, they’ve kept it well-hidden.”
On how he’ll have to adjust his commentary on basketball:
“That’s going to be really interesting. I really want to keep up some kind of dialogue with people and use [my Twitter] account to do that, but I can’t do it in the same way that I did. The biggest thing is I just can’t really talk about players on other teams. That’s the biggest limitation. It kind of changes things, somewhat, and I’m still learning, I guess. … I’m still figuring out how that voice is going to work, but I’m still going to be out there on Twitter somehow and having that dialogue with people.”
On his notoriety in basketball:
“I would say it’s mostly coaches and executives. There are some players who do know me, and I know because they tell me. … But, I think a lot of them, you’re right, just haven’t been following me, and that’s fine. It’s not their job to follow what I’m saying. It’ll be interesting as we get into it, but I don’t know that it’s really going to affect anything. Even players that are aware of you and might be following you, their day-to-day interaction isn’t really with me, it’s with the coaching staff.”
On being a new-school guy working with a coach in Lionel Hollins that appears to be really old-school:
“I think the biggest thing to look at is that people will always want to make the strong-man argument, that you’re trying to replace the previous knowledge. That’s not the case; you’re trying to add to it. If I can add things to what they already know, then that becomes really helpful. I think the biggest thing is, you have to kind of build the relationship and build the trust and kind of start with things that are more easily grasped and then try to move on from there. I’m definitely going to be available to help them as much as I can, and we’ll just see how it goes from there. He’s had plenty of success without me, but at the same time, I think there are probably ways that I could potentially help him, and once we start really working with each other, we can figure out where that balance is.”