Kennedy On Clippers, Allen, Celtics, Crawford
Here's a look at some highlights from tonight's column from Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld..
- Over the next week and a half, the Clippers will make a strong push to land a starting shooting guard, according to multiple sources close to the situation. Los Angeles has been in search of a two-guard ever since losing Chauncey Billups for the year. As of right now, Randy Foye and Travis Leslie are the only true shooting guards on the roster and the club has expressed interest in Ray Allen and Jamal Crawford, according to sources.
- The Celtics aren’t actively shopping Allen but are listening to offers. It’s unclear what Boston would want in exchange for the 36-year-old, though many teams have expressed interest in him.
- Sources say that Crawford will opt-out of the final year of his contract to test free agency this summer and the Trail Blazers may look to move him before the deadline. The Clippers are expressing interest along with the Timberwolves. The Clips tried to sign-and-trade for Crawford over the offseason, but the Hawks didn’t want to take back any contracts.
- Other two-guards who could be on the move include the Grizzlies' O.J. Mayo, Courtney Lee of the Rockets, and Anthony Morrow of the Nets. If any of the three guards are made available, the Clippers can be expected to be in the mix. Recently, I broke down the case for New Jersey parting with Morrow.
- Sources believe that the Magic will hold onto Dwight Howard past the trade deadline. There are members of the organization who remain optimistic that Howard will re-sign this summer if the right moves are made. The Magic will pursue players like Steve Nash and Monta Ellis before the deadline, but it'll be an uphill battle due to their lack of trade chips outside of Howard.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Rondo, Raptors, Nets
The Celtics enter tonight's contest against Houston riding a four-game winning streak thanks in no small part to the play of Rajon Rondo. Rondo was nothing short of stellar on Sunday afternoon, finishing with 18 points, 20 assists and 17 rebounds en route to his second triple-double in three games. Here's a look at the C's and the rest of the Atlantic Division..
- Zach Lowe of Sports Illustrated took a gander at Rondo in an attempt to quantify the point guard's trade value. Rondo's performance could arguably suffer if he were without Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to spread out defenses, but Lowe wonders if he might benefit working with less shooters and more off-the-dribble help.
- With star prospect Jonas Valanciunas thriving in Lithuania, the Raptors should consider moving Andrea Bargnani prior to the trade deadline, writes AJ Mitnick of Sheridan Hoops. In Lithuanian league play the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft is leading the league in scoring with 16.1 PPG and third in the league with 7.6 RPG in just 22.8 minutes per game.
- Nets coach Avery Johnson is disappointed for Brook Lopez as the center will be out of action for at least three weeks with a sprained ankle, writes Colin Stephenson of The Star-Ledger. Lopez remains centerpiece of the team's efforts to trade for Dwight Howard but Stephenson writes that it gives Orlando something more to think about before pulling the trigger.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Saturday
After putting up 33 points and nine boards in a losing effort against the Thunder on Thursday night, Dwight Howard took questions from the press as he gets ready to take on the Bucks tonight. Here's the latest on Howard..
- RealGM columnist Jarrod Rudolph believes teams don't like what the Magic have to offer other than Howard, and that's slowing trade talk right now. If the Knicks make a play for Howard, though, Rudolph thinks they offer Orlando the best deal in return. (Twitter links)
- After hearing Howard's trade requests for months, the Magic are crazy to think they have a shot at keeping him, salary cap expert Larry Coon tweets.
- While talking with reporters, Howard seemed to leave open the door about possibly remaining with the Magic for the long term, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. At the same time, the big man was vague and wouldn't answer a question asking whether he has made a choice about his future.
Brook Lopez Hopes To Stay With Nets
There's little doubt that Brook Lopez would be a part of any deal sending Dwight Howard to the Nets. However, the Nets center hopes to remain in New Jersey on the other side of the trade deadline, writes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
“I do want to stay. It’s the only thing I’ve known and I’ve enjoyed my time here, no question,” said the 23-year-old . “I’d definitely be relieved. No question. Like I said, I like being here. I like being a Net.”
After missing the bulk of the first half of the season, Lopez has looked fantastic in recent outings. Lopez dominated with 38 points against the Mavs earlier this week and followed it up with 28 points in a losing effort against the Celtics last night.
Earlier this year, the Nets declined to extend Lopez's rookie contract in order to allow themselves flexibility this summer.
Odds & Ends: Blatche, Lakers, Nene, Odom
Saturday afternoon linkage..
- The Wizards are said to be aggressively shopping Andray Blatche but the forward isn't going to concern himself with the speculation, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. The 25-year-old is the longest tenured player on Washington.
- Over the next two weeks, the Lakers may seek out quality point guards who could be had for a reasonable price including Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Goran Dragic, and Jonny Flynn, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
- Nuggets center Nene Hilario stopped short of saying that he would have signed with the Rockets as a free agent had the Rockets’ proposed trade for Pau Gasol been completed, but the big man did speak fondly of Houston, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- This week's Sloan Sports Analytics Conference has covered a number of interesting issues in the game of basketball, writes Matt Moore of CBSSports.com. A wide range of topics were explored from the idea of a mutually beneficial trade to how a team's best players complement each other.
- In hindsight, the basketball community was too quick to criticize the Lakers for trading Lamar Odom to the Mavericks, writes J.A. Adande of ESPN.com. It's possible that Odom could have found his way out of his funk sooner in Los Angeles, but the Lakers couldn't take that chance at Odom's price.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Pierce, Nets, Green
Last night, the Celtics topped the Nets at home 107-94 for their third straight win. The C's are now one game over .500 and will look for another intra-divisional W tomorrow afternoon when they face the Knicks tomorrow afternoon. Here's more out of the Atlantic..
- After last night's win over New Jersey, Celtics guard Paul Pierce shrugged off the trade rumors that have been surrounding the team, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Yesterday, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported that the club had exploratory talks with the Hawks about Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett but also said that a Rajon Rondo deal is unlikely.
- If the Celtics do make a major move before the deadline, GM Danny Ainge will likely consult Michael Zarren, writes Christopher L. Gasper of The Boston Globe. Zarren isn't often talked about, but the assistant GM's statistical analysis has had a major impact on how Boston conducts business.
- Small forward Gerald Green is looking for a fresh start with the Nets, writes Fred Kerber of the New York Post. The 26-year-old, who signed a 10-day contract with the team, chipped in with 11 points last night.
Introducing Hoops Links
Here at Hoops Rumors, we deliver up-to-the-minute news on NBA transactions and high-quality original analysis. Now, we will feature some of the best blog articles from around the web in our new weekly feature, Hoops Links.
We're looking for interesting reads on all things basketball from blogs of all sizes. While Hoops Rumors is dedicated to player movement, Hoops Links will be open to pieces on all areas of the game. If you would like to suggest something for Hoops Links, send Zach an email with the link and a brief synopsis at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.
Mavericks Don’t Plan On Odom Buyout
Lamar Odom's recent absence from the Mavericks has some wondering about his future in Dallas and there is not yet word on when he will return to the club. However, a Mavs source told Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated (via Twitter) that the team will not exercise its $2MM buyout on Odom for next season.
The forward is set to earn $8.2MM for 2012/13 in what will be his walk year. The 32-year-old recently took a leave of absence from the club to tend to a family matter.
Odom averaged 13.7 PPG and 9.5 RPG in his seven seasons with the Lakers but has put up just 7.7 PPG and 4.5 RPG so far this season with the Mavericks. The veteran has been seeing less playing time in 2011/12 but he has been far less productive than in years past, as evidenced by his career low PER of 9.8.
Johnson: Mavs A Threat To Sign Deron Williams
8:02pm: Williams told reporters that the Mavericks' American Airlines Center is his favorite arena in the league and praised its shooting background, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).
7:09pm: As the Nets look to land Orlando center Dwight Howard, they also face the very real possibility of losing Deron Williams in free agency this summer. Head coach Avery Johnson told reporters that he expects the Mavericks to make a major play for the point guard based on his familiarity with owner Mark Cuban, tweets Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger.
Over the weekend, Williams indicated that he would be open to signing elsewhere and sacrificing earnings for an opportunity to win. The 27-year-old spent his teenage years in The Colony, Texas, just 30 miles outside of Dallas.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Paul, Aldridge, Durant
Here's a look at links from around the league as we look ahead to All-Star Saturday night..
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News doesn't like the current look of the Lakers and places the blame on the shoulders of VP Jim Buss. Goodwill writes that he doesn't seem willing or able to put the necessary resources into making them a real threat in the postseason.
- Recent All-Star weekends have been dominated by talk of where star players could be dealt, writes Peter Kerasotis of the New York Times. Last year, Carmelo Anthony was the focus just before the Nuggets sent him to the Knicks.
- Since acquiring Chris Paul, the Clippers' turnover percentage has improved dramatically, writes Justin Kubatko of the New York Times.
- Meanwhile, John Reid of the Times Picayune writes that Paul is happy in Los Angeles and confident that the club can sustain the talent level.
- Jeff McDonald of the Express-News wonders what could have been at the University of Texas if LaMarcus Aldridge hadn't declared early for the draft in 2006 and instead teamed up with incoming freshman Kevin Durant.