Knicks Notes: Lin, James
Here's a look at some Knicks-related items as New York succumbs to Linsanity..
- The Knicks are in position to keep Jeremy Lin beyond this season and almost certainly will, writes Howard Beck of the New York Times. The guard will be a restricted free agent and will be limited to receiving the full mid-level exception under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- As the deadline for guaranteeing contracts approached, the Knicks were learning towards releasing Lin and had begun targeting other guards, including veteran Mike James, sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com. James has been back with the club's D-League affiliate since being waived by the Bulls earlier this month.
- We've heard that Lin slipped through the Lakers' fingers earlier this season, but the guard was also very close to signing overseas before the NBA lockout ended. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando Basket (via Twitter) writes that Lin was near a deal with Italy's Banca Tercas Teramo.
- As the Knicks waffled on whether or not to keep Lin beyond the deadline, team exec Mark Warkentien began calling associates in the D-League to gather more background info on the guard, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Odds & Ends: Nash, Nuggets, Weems, Smith, Kidd
Congratulations to Paul Pierce, who moved past Larry Bird on the Celtics' list of all-time leading scorers in tonight's win over the Bobcats. Pierce, with 21,797 points, is now second only to John Havlicek, who retired in 1978 with 26,395 points across his 16-year career. Here's a look at tonight's links..
- Suns guard Steve Nash should seek a trade to a contender, opines Eric Koreen the National Post. Nash is a free agent at the end of the season and Phoenix could potentially lose him while getting nothing in return.
- It's possible that the Nuggets could look for some outside help as Danilo Gallinari could miss up to a month with an ankle injury. Gallinari hopes to come back sooner, writes Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post.
- If his Zalgiris Kaunas squad doesn't qualify for the Euroleague Top 8, then Sonny Weems writes (for HoopsHype) that he'll likely return to the NBA.
- Within his article regarding the Celtics' interest in Pau Gasol, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld writes that multiple sources say that the J.R. Smith is looking for an opportunity to showcase his talents and be a primary option on offense. This could make teams such as the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Pacers poor fits for the 25-year-old.
- Veteran point guards Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are going to be in high demand on the open market this summer, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- The timing of Jeff Adrien's release from the Rockets may seem odd, but it was the only way that the club could sign Greg Smith before the center was scooped up by another team, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Adrien pulled down nine rebounds in just 17 minutes of play Monday night against Denver.
Heat Notes: Curry, Przybilla, Howard
A few notes on the Heat, who topped the Cavs 107-91 tonight behind 26 points from Dwyane Wade and 24 from LeBron James..
- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said that Eddy Curry's contract was never in jeopardy in advance of tonight's deadline, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Miami waived Mickell Gladness but opted to hold on to Curry and Terrel Harris. Spoelstra stopped short of saying that Gladness could be brought back on a 10-day contract, Winderman tweets.
- More from Winderman, as Spoelstra indicated that the club isn't in a rush to fill its newly vacant roster spot. This could mean that Joel Przybilla, who is said to have offers from the Bulls and Heat, could be on the backburner.
- Juwan Howard turned 39 today and said that he wouldn't mind one day having the title of the NBA's oldest player, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. Howard is the third-oldest active player in the Association behind Kurt Thomas and Grant Hill.
Clippers Notes: Billups, Trade Exceptions, Williams
Earlier tonight, the Clippers learned that they will be without guard Chauncey Billups for the remainder of the season after the veteran suffered a torn Achilles' tendon last night against the Magic. Here's a look at the potential fallout from the injury and what's next for Billups..
- With Billups out for the year, Larry Coon of ESPN.com (via Twitter) points out that the Clippers have two trade exceptions: one for $3.831MM and the other for $2.756MM. The exceptions came from dealing Eric Gordon and Al-Farouq Aminu, respectively.
- Despite speculation that Billups might be forced to call it a career after his Achilles injury, the guard says that he still has some "good years left to play," tweets Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- This offseason the Knicks used their amnesty clause on Billups as they feared that he would be a health risk, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. The decision to reappropriate that money towards signing Tyson Chandler seems even smarter in hindsight, Berman adds.
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets that the Clippers were hearing a noise from fans and media early in the season about trading Mo Williams for a backup big man, but they're glad to have that guard depth now.
- It sounds as though Billups is determined to continue playing beyond this season and Ben Wallace says that he'll talk to his former teammate about his future tonight, tweets Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News.
Clippers Not Interested In Gilbert Arenas
The Clippers have "zero" interest in free agent Gilbert Arenas, a source tells David Aldridge of TNT (Twitter link). Los Angeles will presumably be on the lookout for guards following tonight's news of Chauncey Billups' season-ending Achilles injury.
Arenas is actively looking for work and scheduled an open workout in Los Angeles for later this week. The Lakers have been linked to the 30-year-old but it's not yet known if they'll be in attendance.
Celtics Interested In Pau Gasol
The Celtics have interest in Lakers big man Pau Gasol in a deal involving Rajon Rondo, sources tell Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. There's no indication that the two sides have discussed such a deal, however.
In an interview with Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, General Manager Mitch Kupchak indicated that he would like make a move to rejuvenate the team's aging backcourt. "Well, if there were a way for us to get a 25-year-old, All-Star, ball-handling guard we'd love to do it … but that's not likely in February. So you look at other alternatives, and see if it's better than what you have. That's all," the GM explained.
Rondo would fit the profile of a "25-year-old, All-Star, ball-handling guard" and Pincus writes that those comments could be a tell. Then again, one would be hard pressed to find a GM who wouldn't have some interest in the Kentucky product.
Gasol, would give the C's another option on the inside along Kevin Garnett, who is in the final year of his deal. Boston could have considerable cap room this summer but there hasn't been any buzz about the club luring stars such as Dwight Howard or Deron Williams.
Chauncey Billups Out For Season
6:29pm: Billups told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) that he plans to continue playing.
5:03pm: Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will miss the remainder of the season with a torn left Achilles’ tendon, coach Vinny Del Negro told T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times (report by Mike James). While history isn't on the 35-year-old's side, it's premature to assume that this will mark the end of his career, a source close to the guard told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
The guard suffered the injury midway through the fourth quarter of last night's overtime victory against the Magic. Billups had been starting in the backcourt alongside Chris Paul, averaging 15.0 PPG and 4.0 APG.
The 15-7 Clippers will promote Randy Foye to the starting two-guard spot in place of Billups, tweets J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today. General Manager Neil Olshey & Co. will likely explore outside help and could ramp up their pursuit of J.R. Smith, who will soon return to the NBA after a stint in China. Clippers officials may also take a short drive to check out Gilbert Arenas' open workout later this week or look to the trade market where guards such as Anthony Morrow could be made available.
As Luke Adams outlined earlier today, the Clippers won't be able to use their disabled player exception to replace Billups. The new CBA only allows teams to apply for the exception between July 1st and January 15th, regardless of when the injury occurs.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Saturday
Yesterday, it was reported that Dwight Howard's camp informed the Lakers that the center would opt out of his contract and test free agency if he is traded to Los Angeles. Howard, according to sources, also might be skittish about the idea of following Shaquille O'Neal's footprints with a move from Orlando to L.A. Meanwhile, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes that the Lakers are still among the center's finalists, along with the Nets and Mavericks. We'll keep track of all of today's news on Howard right here..
- Kobe Bryant told Dwight Howard he envisions the big man playing a Tyson Chandler-like third-fiddle role behind himself and Pau Gasol, a source tells Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM. Rudolph reiterated reports that Howard has told the Lakers he won't sign an extension with them if he's dealt to the team.
- A source close to Howard told Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Twitter) that Bryant is the reason why the 26-year-old is leaning away from the Lakers. "Kobe messed it up. That's all I can say for now," the source told Kennedy.
Odds & Ends: Noel, D’Antoni, Smith, Lopez, Russell
The Knicks suffered another tough loss last night as they fell to the Celtics, 91-89. Here's more on New York and other items from around the league..
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak doesn't regret trading Lamar Odom to the Mavericks in December, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
- Kyle Singler isn't sure if he'll play for the Pistons next season, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com. The Duke product, who was taken in the second round by Detroit in 2011, says he's enjoying his time with Real Madrid in Spain.
- Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star asked Andrea Bargnani if he'll consider leaving the Raptors at the end of his deal in 2015. The former No. 1 overall pick said that he has made it "pretty clear" that he wants to remain in Toronto.
- Chauncey Billups recruited Kenyon Martin heavily to join the Clippers, tweets J. Michael Falgoust of USA Today. Martin and Billups are both represented by agent Andy Miller.
- Massachusetts high school center Nerlens Noel now appears to be in line for the 2013 NBA Draft rather than 2014 after reclassification, writes Adam Zagoria for Sheridan Hoops. Earlier this week, Noel told Dave Telep of ESPN.com that he's now set to graduate with the class of '12 rather than '13. The center now projects as the top pick in the 2013 draft according to DraftExpress.com.
- Despite uncertainty surrounding his job, Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni will not be fired today despite back-to-back, last-second losses to the Bulls and Celtics, NBA sources tell Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Even though the Knicks were linked to Kenyon Martin, the guy that they've really had their eye on is J.R. Smith, writes Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops. Smith said to be considering five teams, including New York. The Clippers are also in that group but they can only make Smith a minimum offer after agreeing to sign Martin using their room exception.
- Six weeks after undergoing surgery on his right foot, Nets center Brook Lopez still isn't sure when he'll be able to return, writes Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. The Nets will likely need a healthy Lopez in order to put together a package for Orlando's Dwight Howard.
- Friday marks the league deadline for teams to either release players with non-guaranteed contracts or guarantee their deals for the rest of the season. Pistons 29-year-old rookie Walker Russell is making a strong case to stay with Detroit, writes David Mayo of MLive.com.
Nuggets Waive DeMarre Carroll
The Nuggets have waived small forward DeMarre Carroll, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Carroll joined Denver as a non-guaranteed training camp invite in December.
Carroll, 25, was drafted 27th overall by the Grizzlies in 2009 but has bounced around the league ever since. The University of Missouri product appeared in four games for the Nuggets this year for a total of 21 minutes.