Latest On Andrew Bynum
Here’s the latest on the NBA’s hottest soon-to-be free agent..
- The Knicks one of a few teams who have not at least made an inquiry into Andrew Bynum, tweets Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks may have decided that they have enough interesting personalities on their club as it is.
- Bynum’s preference would be to hook on with the Heat, with the Clippers as his second favorite, a source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
- It doesn’t sound like the Clippers will be in on Bynum however, write Arash Markazi and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. “I honestly haven’t given it a lot of thought, I can tell you that,” coach Doc Rivers said of searching for a big man. “We’ve had very few discussions about anyone big right now. We’re far more focused on the perimeter part of our team.“
Grizzlies Acquire Lee In Three-Team Trade
10:21am: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Celtics and Thunder. OKC’s release notes that the Thunder will also receive the Sixers’ 2014 second-rounder from the Grizzlies in the deal. However, that pick is heavily protected and will only be conveyed if it falls between 51 and 55. The Thunder also sent cash considerations to the C’s in the move.
TUESDAY, 10:10am: In addition to landing Lee, the Grizzlies will receive a 2016 second-round pick from the Celtics, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). The C’s will acquire Bayless and Gomes, while the Thunder will receive a conditional 2017 second-rounder from the Grizzlies, says Tillery. The deal is expected to be finalized today to give Boston the chance to waive Gomes before 4:00pm central time.
MONDAY, 7:32pm: Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Thunder will get involved in the deal with Ryan Gomes heading from Oklahoma City to Boston. This would allow OKC to get some wiggle room with regards to the luxury tax line and possibly set up another deal. The C’s, meanwhile, are expected to waive Gomes.
Stein adds (on Twitter) that there should be some second-round picks involved as well.
7:48am: The two sides have reached an agreement, according to Stein. It doesn’t sound like the trade will involve any additional pieces besides Bayless and Lee, which is a bit of a surprise. I wouldn’t have expected the Celtics to be able to move Lee for an expiring contract, since it was less than three weeks ago that a report suggested a lack of leaguewide interest in him. In any case, it appears as if the Grizzlies and C’s will finalize the deal at some point today.
SUNDAY, 4:29pm: The Celtics are in advanced discussions on a deal to acquire Jerryd Bayless from the Grizzlies, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The swap would involve Boston guard Courtney Lee.
In late December, the Grizzlies reportedly offered Bayless to the Lakers in return for Jodie Meeks. Memphis came into this season with high hopes, but their 15-18 start apparently has them wanting to make big changes. Bayless, 25, has averaged 8.0 PPG and 2.0 APG, numbers that are his lowest since his rookie year.
Lee was a client of Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien and front office exec Stu Lash when they were agents. The guard has already seen his name on Hoops Rumors quite a bit this season as he was linked to a proposed deal that would have sent him and Brandon Bass to Houston for Omer Asik. Of course, those talks fizzled. Swapping Bayless for Lee also figures to please Grizzlies exec John Hollinger as Lee boasts a career-best PER of 15.3 this season compared to Bayless’ 11.2, his worst total since 2008/09.
Lee, who appears headed to the fifth team of his professional career, finds himself stuck behind Avery Bradley in the rotation and only figures to see his role shrink further when Rajon Rondo comes back to action. While his efficiency rating has been strong, it’s happening off of a career-low 16.8 minutes per game.
Bayless is in his walk year and is earning just $3.135MM while Lee makes $5.23MM this year, $5.45 next year, and $5.675MM in his final year. It’s possible that Boston will include a draft pick in the trade if they’re getting another expiring contract or a solid talent along with Bayless in the swap since the Grizzlies are taking on a three-year deal in Lee. The Grizzlies are close to the luxury tax threshold and the Celtics are even closer, so that should play a factor in the proposed deal.
Assuming no trade exceptions are used in the swap, Memphis would have to add at least one more player for the salaries to match up, so the deal may expand beyond Bayless and Lee. However, Boston has a TPE from the Paul Pierce trade while the Grizzlies have one from the Rudy Gay swap, so it’s possible for the teams to make the move without including additional players.
Odds & Ends: Gay, Jazz, Nets, Miller
Rudy Gay has taken quite a bit of criticism lately for his lack of offensive efficiency. Some even say that the Raptors are better since Gay was shipped to Sacramento, but don’t try telling that to point guard Kyle Lowry. “He’s a hell of a scorer,” Lowry said, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. “I think he can put up 30 points, 25 points. That’s his game. He’s a scorer. I don’t blame him for anything. He shouldn’t be blamed for anything. I would never say that he should be blamed. His job is to score the ball. That’s what he was out there for. That’s what he’s paid to do.” More from around the league..
- Expect the Jazz to be active in trade talks over the next few weeks, given all the veterans on expiring contracts on the roster, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Nets announced that they have recalled Tyshawn Taylor from the D-League’s Springfield Armor after being assigned earlier in the day. In 20 games (three starts) this season, Taylor is averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 assists in 12.7 minutes per game.
- The Kings may be among the clubs in on Nuggets guard Andre Miller, but the Knicks are not in the running for him, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- The Thunder are doing research on D-League standout Manny Harris, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says that GM Gar Forman isn’t actively looking to trade anyone but that he is “always” looking for ways to improve the club, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
Clippers Considering Sasha Vujacic
In addition to the recently waived Hedo Turkoglu, the Clippers are also thinking about signing free agent guard Sasha Vujacic, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter). The club made one backcourt addition earlier this evening when they inked Darius Morris to a ten-day pact.
The 29-year-old could have returned to Europe in 2013 for a lucrative offer but held out for an NBA gig. it took a while for something to materialize, but he could finally get his wish in the form of a ten-day deal with the Clippers.
Over parts of seven seasons in the states, mostly with the Staples Center’s other tenants, Vujacic averaged 5.6 PPG and 1.3 APG in 15.9 minutes per game. He also showed that he can fill a stat sheet during a run with the Nets in 2010/11 where he put up 11.4 PPG and 3.3 RPG in 28.5 minutes per contest.
Clippers Sign Darius Morris
8:30pm: The Clippers offically announced the signing. The 23-year-old’s jersey was made in “record time,” tweets Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com, and he’ll be in action for tonight’s game against the Magic.
7:41pm: The Clippers will sign Darius Morris to a 10-day deal today, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times (on Twitter). The guard has picked up the interest of multiple clubs in recent days but Doc Rivers & Co. came out on top.
Morris was cut loose by the Sixers earlier this season along with Kwame Brown. The guard, 23 in January, has an offer in hand from Turkey but he’ll instead ply his craft in the NBA, at least for the next week and change. He auditioned for the Grizzlies along with Reggie Williams, but Seth Curry wound up getting that spot.
Southwest Notes: Camby, Rockets, Randolph
Tonight’s look at the Southwest Division..
- Marcus Camby is working to get back to the hardwood after undergoing surgery on a torn plantar fascia and tells Mark Berman of myFOX Houston that he would like to return for the Rockets. “(My) preference is to stay home,” said Camby, who lives in Pearland, Texas.
- With the Grizzlies on the verge of acquiring Courtney Lee from the Celtics, Zach Randolph tells Michael Cohen of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that the front office’s willingness to try to improve this season’s roster is “very encouraging.”
- John Reid of The Times-Picayune wonders if the Pelicans should make a deal. Eric Gordon has been linked to trade talk but they could also dangle backup one-guards Brian Roberts and Austin Rivers. Earlier tonight, we learned that they’ve given D-League prospect Pierre Jackson the greenlight to find a trade.
Pierre Jackson Has Permission To Seek Trade
One of the D-League’s top talents could finally be on the verge of breaking through to the NBA, but it may not be with the club that holds his rights. The Pelicans have granted permission to Pierre Jackson‘s representatives to seek out a trade for their client, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
Sam Amico of FOX Sports heard before the New Year that New Orleans was giving thought to moving Jackson, the 42nd pick in the 2013 draft, for “future considerations” and perhaps cash. Jackson, a 5’10″ point guard from Baylor, is averaging nearly 30 points per game and is considered by some to be the most dynamic talent in the D-League. Jackson is currently with the Trail Blazers’ affiliate, the Idaho Stampede, but only the Pelicans can bring him to the varsity squad, unless they move his rights elsewhere.
Eastern Notes: Butler, 76ers, Melo, Brand
Caron Butler seemed reasonably happy in Phoenix, but when Suns Assistant General Manager Pat Connelly approached him with the option of playing for the Bucks, the Wisconsin native was packed up and out of town within 48 hours, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. “I got an opportunity of a lifetime,” Butler said. “What man wouldn’t want to play in his home state and home city? I thought it was great for me.” More out of the East..
- The 76ers announced that they have assigned guard Elliot Williams to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League. Williams signed as a free agent with the Sixers on Nov. 20 and has appeared in 18 games with one start. To keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
- Clippers coach Doc Rivers thought the talk of a Carmelo Anthony-for-Blake Griffin trade was “so stupid” and Melo agrees. “Everybody talks about it,’’ the Knicks star said of one day playing with Paul, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Back to the USA team [in 2008]. Those three guys did it [LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh]. It happens. Everybody always says they want to play with this guy and that guy. But me and Chris have been rumored since he [came] to the NBA. There’s always been trade rumors trying to get us together. It never happened…it was stupid and silly.’’
- The Bulls chased both Elton Brand and Marcus Camby hard in free agency last summer, hoping one would sign as a fifth big man, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. When the Hawks offered a one-year, $4MM deal, Brand turned down the chance to return to where he started his career.
Western Rumors: Curry, Wayns, Dedmon
The latest out of the West…
- There’s a strong chance that the Grizzlies will try and re-sign Seth Curry to a ten-day deal if he clears waivers, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Memphis waived the guard earlier today. Clubs can start inking players to ten-day deals tomorrow.
- The Clippers might also try and re-sign Maalik Wayns to a ten-day deal after waiving him earlier today, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- Big man Dewayne Dedmon is one of the players to keep an eye on in this week’s D-League showcase, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Dedmon, who spent time with the Warriors this season, is averaging 16.1 points, 15.3 reb, 2.3 blocks, 1.7 steals per contest for the Warriors’ affiliate in Santa Cruz.
Hoops Rumors Originals
A look at the original analysis generated by the Hoops Rumors staff this week..
- Chuck Myron rounded up a list of notable NBA veterans signing in the D-League.
- Luke Adams examined Andrew Bynum as a trade candidate.
- A refresher on ten-day deals, courtesy of Chuck.
- A look at minimum salary players getting more than 20 minutes per contest.
- It’s not all about the trade deadline. Chuck looks at significant deals that went down in January in recent years.
- Here’s how you can follow specific players on Hoops Rumors.
- The D-League seems to be getting more notable names than ever. Who else could spend some time there?
- What should the Lakers do with Pau Gasol? Most of you say they should trade him for future financial flexibility.
- A glance at all of Hoops Rumors’ awesome features, including my weekly Hoops Links post. If you have a great blog post that you want featured on Hoops Rumors, email it to me at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.