Lakers Targeting Ryan Anderson
Ryan Anderson is the number one target of the Lakers if they decide to trade Pau Gasol, an NBA source told Jabari Davis of SheridanHoops.com. The list of players that they would covet in a Gasol deal is a short one and they see the Hornets forward as the best fit of anyone who could realistically be had.
However, not everyone in the Lakers front office is on board with trading Gasol. General Manager Mitch Kupchak is opposed to such a move while Jim Buss, the man who made the decision to hire Mike D’Antoni instead of Phil Jackson, wants to deal him.
“The interest is coming from the Lakers, not New Orleans,” the source said. “[Kupchak] would prefer to keep Pau, as would Kobe. [Buss] would prefer to continue cleaning house, and bring in players able to fit a more fast-paced style of play."
For the Lakers to land Anderson, they'd likely have to find a third team to take Gasol and give the Hornets a replacement for Anderson at power forward plus valuable picks. Davis notes that the Bulls own a Bobcats first-round pick from their 2010 Tyrus Thomas trade. The pick is top-12 protected in the 2013 draft, top-ten protected in 2014, top-eight protected in 2015 and unprotected in 2016.
Odds & Ends: Allen, Wizards, Gasol, Blazers
Monday afternoon linkage..
- Despite their offseason additions, it's clear that the Celtics are still missing Ray Allen, Shams Charania of RealGM writes. The C's have been careful not to burden Jason Terry with the responsibility of being Allen's replacement, but it's clear that he falls short in areas where Allen would shine. “It’s obvious they miss Allen. His shooting, his scoring. Terry is not the consistent shooter Ray was," one longtime advance scout and former assistant coach said.
- Wizards owner Ted Leonsis wrote an open letter to fans expressing support for the team's young players on his personal blog. While Leonsis says the club will look into making trades in order to help the club improve, he says the team "also must develop cohesion, chemistry and structure around a system with so many new and young players in the rotation."
- One hopeful Heat fan asked Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if Miami could swing a trade for the Lakers' Pau Gasol. Such a deal would require Chris Bosh to make the number work and Bosh has proved to be far more willing to play the center position than Gasol.
- Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap offered up support for Blazers coach Terry Stotts, saying he's the perfect man for their "re-shaping" period, tweets Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The Bobcats are one game under .500 while Portland sits at 7-10.
Lakers Notes: Gasol, Blake, Howard
Pau Gasol is having one of his worst seasons in years and the problems have been ongoing since 2011, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. The Lakers are now 3-4 in the Mike D'Antoni era and the big man is being pegged by many as the team's weak link. Despite his struggles, the Lakers can certainly move Gasol and get a solid return, but they may not get a piece in return that will help improve their club. They may not have a choice in the matter, however, as Gasol is clearly not buying into the system. Here's more on Gasol and the Lakers..
- More bad news in Los Angeles as the Lakers announced that Steve Blake will have laproscopic surgery to repair a torn abdominal muscle. The injury will keep him out of action for at least 6-8 weeks and the Lakers may need to look for outside help as fellow guard Steve Nash remains sidelined.
- It's slim pickins on the one-guard front as the best available point guards are players like Mike Bibby, Earl Boykins, Walker Russell, Jonny Flynn, and Coby Karl, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. We learned earlier today that Bibby is working to stay in basketball shape and is hoping to make a return.
- Trading Gasol for a power forward who fits better next to Dwight Howard would be a great idea in theory, but the Lakers don't know that Howard will be with them beyond this season, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Trading Gasol to the Raptors for Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon is a deal that would make sense for both teams, writes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Bargnani's style is well-suited for D'Antoni's offense while Calderon would be a great backup for the aging Nash.
- Despite mounting pressure on Gasol, Howard also has to elevate his level of play, writes Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register.
Mike Bibby Eyeing NBA Return
NBA veteran Mike Bibby is still hoping to hook on with an NBA team after being left on the shelf this summer, writes Jorge Sierra of HoopsWorld. The point guard is working out in the Phoenix, Arizona area, playing pick-up games, and waiting for an opportunity to come.
"I'm getting ready for any call," Bibby said. "It's reassuring that Derek Fisher got that call. People are still getting calls right now. It can happen somewhere down the line, I'm not worried about that. I'm just keeping myself ready when that call comes."
Bibby saw his numbers plummet all across the board last season with the Knicks. The 34-year-old admitted that he wasn't in great shape last season and attributed much of it to the lockout. Bibby didn't anticipate having to play in 2011/12 and as a result he didn't get himself in peak condition in an effort to save his body for the next year.
The one-guard struggled in the regular season but saw 23.6 minutes per game in the club's first-round series against the Heat and shot 7-17 from the outside. Agent David Falk says that he is "cautiously optimistic" that his client will get signed between mid-December and mid-January and completely ruled out the possibility of a D-League stint in order to get more exposure.
Bulls Notes: Hamilton, Evans, Belinelli
The Bulls pulled out a 93-88 win over the Sixers on Saturday night but it didn't come without a price. Here's the latest out of Chicago..
- Richard Hamilton injured his left foot in the third quarter of the Bulls' win over the 76ers and an MRI revealed that he has a torn plantar fascia, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. Hamilton would actually return to the game with the trainer's green light and sank three of four free throws in the final 20 seconds to help Chicago seal the W.
- With Hamilton sidelined, the Bulls may pursue free agent Maurice Evans, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter). Chicago, he notes, has expressed interest in Evans in the past. The veteran guard had a number of offers for make-good contracts over the offseason but declined all of them as he demanded a guaranteed deal.
- If the Bulls use their open roster spot to sign another guard that player won't get the starting nod over Marco Belinelli or Jimmy Butler, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. There's no timetable for Hamilton's return yet but he could be out for a week or more.
Rockets Recall Terrence Jones
The Rockets announced today that the team has recalled forward Terrence Jones from NBA D-League partner Rio Grande Valley. Jones was assigned to the Vipers on November 30th and averaged 22.5 points and 17.5 rebounds in two starts with the team.
The 20-year-old appeared in seven contests for the Rockets so far in his rookie season, averaging 3.6 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 10.4 minutes per contest. Be sure to keep up with all of this year's D-League assignments and recalls, including today's flurry of activity, with this handy post.
Warriors Recall Jeremy Tyler
The Warriors announced that they have recalled forward/center Jeremy Tyler from the D-League’s Santa Cruz Warriors. Tyler will return to Oakland in time for tonight’s home game versus the Magic.
Tyler had a one-day assignment with Golden State’s D-League affiliate and registered five points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 29 minutes of the team’s 95-79 victory at Reno yesterday afternoon. The 21-year-old averaged 4.9 PPG with 3.3 RPG in 13.5 minutes per contest last season. This year, Tyler has seen just ten minutes of play across five games.
Spurs Recall Nando De Colo From D-League
The Spurs announced that they have re-called guard Nando De Colo from the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League. De Colo’s stint in Austin lasted approximately 24 hours as he was assigned yesterday morning.
De Colo’s one-game outing in Austin was successful as he had 14 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in the team’s 97-82 victory over Idaho last night. The rookie appeared in 13 games for the Spurs this year, averaging 2.5 PPG on just 30% shooting in 10.4 minutes per game. The 25-year-old made his first NBA start on Thursday against the Heat as the Spurs rested their core three plus Danny Green.
Thunder Assign Perry Jones To D-League
The Thunder have assigned rookie forward Perry Jones to the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Baylor product was taken with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
In ten games this season, Jones has logged 76 minutes of play with 12 points and 14 rebounds. The 6'11" forward was widely expected to be a late-lottery pick but suffered a free fall due to concerns over a potential meniscus issue.
Amico On Thunder, Burks, Varejao, Fisher
At the quarter-mark of the year, Sam Amico of FOXSports.com offers up his rookie review. The Blazers' Damian Lillard is proving that big talent can come out of small schools and figures to be a top candidate for the Rookie Of The Year award. Fourth-overall pick Dion Waiters has been streaky from the outside but has been extremely impressive at times for the Cavaliers. Not every rookie is off to a hot start, however, as Thomas Robinson of the Kings is struggling along with the rest of his team. More from today's column..
- The Thunder are loaded with young players that aren't getting a ton of burn and are also loaded with draft picks, making them very attractive trade partners. However, Sam Presti & Co. have no interest in making a trade at this time since the team is playing well, according to a team source. Oklahoma City is tied with the Spurs for the second-best record in the West (14-4) as they get set to face the Nets (11-5) tomorrow night.
- If the Jazz placed Alec Burks on the trading block, it seems he’s played his way off of it. Utah's injuries have given the second-year shooting guard increased minutes and he has made the most of them. Burks was said to be available in a trade roughly two weeks ago.
- Despite the insistence of some that the Cavaliers should trade center Anderson Varejao while his value his high, it's not likely that Cleveland will move him. The big man is off to a career start, but non-contenders with assets don’t want to trade them at this point and most contenders don’t have the assets – save for the aforementioned Thunder. More than 70% of Hoops Rumors readers said yesterday that the Cavs should trade Varejao.
- Veteran guard Derek Fisher made a positive impression in his Mavericks debut over the weekend. “Fisher solidifies the (second) unit, he keeps us tight and he’s a proven veteran,” said forward Elton Brand.