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Danny Ainge Denies Discussing Rondo Trade

November 18th, 2013 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

12:12pm: Ainge also spoke to Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe, expressing in even stronger terms that no teams have inquired on Rondo and that he doesn’t expect any clubs to do so.

“Rondo is coming off an injury and I think people know how much we love Rondo, so I don’t expect anybody to inquire, quite honestly,” Ainge said. “People know that Rondo is a big part of our future and that we’re not going to trade him.”

I find it hard to believe that not one team has at least kicked the tires on Rondo, but either way, he seems to be unavailable. In Ainge’s words: “He’s going nowhere.”

11:57am: In what has become an annual ritual, Celtics GM Danny Ainge denied having trade talks about Rajon Rondo, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Previous reports have suggested that the Knicks inquired on the injured point guard, but Ainge wouldn’t confirm having talked to New York.

“I haven’t talked to any teams about Rajon Rondo,” said the Celtics GM, adding that Rondo remains very much a part of the club’s plans going forward.

I’m inclined to believe that the Knicks at least asked about Rondo, though based on the rumored package they suggested, it makes sense that the conversation wouldn’t have lasted long. So perhaps when Ainge says he hasn’t spoken to any teams about his point guard, he means he hasn’t actually entered any negotiations beyond that initial inquiry.

Rondo has been subject to trade rumors in the past, despite Ainge’s repeated public insistence that Boston isn’t looking to trade the last key member of the club’s championship core. According to Bulpett, the recent reports prompted several other teams to call Ainge and inquire about Rondo’s availability, which the C’s GM referred to as “frustrating.” I expect Ainge will be frustrated a few more times before February’s trade deadline, since the interest in Rondo should only increase as he gets healthier.

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Knicks Rumors: Shumpert, Thompson, Faried

November 18th, 2013 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

Since word broke last week that the Nuggets and Knicks discussed a potential deal centered around Kenneth Faried and Iman Shumpert, several subsequent reports have added more details related to Shumpert’s availability. There’s reportedly leaguewide interest in Shumpert, who appears more and more likely to be moved at some point, since he represents the Knicks’ best trade asset.

Yesterday, we learned that the Knicks made a run at Rajon Rondo, but were rebuffed by the Celtics, who would be open to taking on Amar’e Stoudemire‘s contract if it meant moving Gerald Wallace and Courtney Lee. Meanwhile, reports also indicated Shumpert underwent a previously unreported surgical procedure, which could have negatively affected his trade value.

After an eventful weekend of rumors and rumblings surrounding Shumpert and the Knicks, let’s round up a few Monday morning leftovers….

  • Frank Isola of the New York Daily News noted in yesterday’s piece that reports have linked the Knicks to the Kings, adding that Jason Thompson is represented by the same agency as many Knicks players. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks have indeed inquired with the Kings on Thompson.
  • The Knicks’ proposal to the Celtics for Rondo would have included both Shumpert and Stoudemire, reports Ian Begley of ESPN New York. However, such a deal probably wouldn’t work for either side — Boston isn’t eager to move Rondo, while New York would prefer not to take back contracts like Wallace’s and Lee’s, since that would affect the Knicks’ ability to create significant cap room in the summer of 2015.
  • According to Begley, the Knicks believed they had a trade completed with the Nuggets for Faried last Tuesday morning, but the deal fell through when Denver requested at least one draft pick from New York.
  • Isola’s latest column for the Daily News focuses on Mike Woodson, whose “hands are tied” when it comes to some basketball decisions, according to one Knicks player. Minutes restrictions for Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin are being dictated by James Dolan and Knicks medical director Lisa Callahan rather than Woodson, says Isola, who adds that the coach isn’t in “imminent danger” of losing his job.
  • While the Knicks are highly motivated to make a trade in the short term, most NBA teams aren’t interested in dealing until at least December 15th, when offseason signees become trade-eligible, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
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Odds & Ends: Jefferson, Mavs, Asik, George

November 17th, 2013 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Over his ten years in the league, Bobcats center Al Jefferson has been through a number of rebuilding projects with multiple teams, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.  “I have been playing [a pivotal] role since I left Boston,” Jefferson said. “Minnesota was rough. Utah, I had a little success and that’s what got me here. I like my team. We’ve got a great group of guys, guys who have been going through some trials and tribulations themselves the last couple of years. I want to help turn this thing around and I think the coaching staff is amazing and I think we have a chance to do that.”  Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..

  • One draft-conscious observer told Bob Finnan of the News-Herald there could have been as many as 13 first-round picks playing in the Champions Classic (featuring Kentucky, Kansas, Michigan St., and Duke) in Chicago on Tuesday.  Kentucky power forward Julius Randle and guards James Young and Andrew Harrison could be lottery picks along with Michigan State combo guard Gary Harris.  The second game was Duke vs. Kansas, which could have  three more lottery picks in Jayhawks small forward Andrew Wiggins, center Joel Embiid, and Duke small forward Jabari Parker.
  • Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki is glad that the club went out and signed free agents to multi-year pacts rather than last summer where they inked nine one-year deals, writes Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.  This offseason saw Dallas sign Monta Ellis to a three-year deal and Jose Calderon to a four-year contract.
  • More from Ingram, who writes that a trade of Omer Asik would be a bad move for both the Rockets and the center.  A trade demand makes it seem as though everyone hasn’t bought in to Houston’s philosophy, a bad sign for a team with championship aspirations.  Meanwhile, the trade request makes Asik look selfish since he appears to be putting himself above winning.
  • Pacers star Paul George can earn a pay hike by earning an MVP selection or making an All-NBA team, but he won’t get the maximum deal allowed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, explains HoopsWorld’s Eric Pincus.
  • Former player’s union official Joseph Lombardo faces 20 years in prison over fraud charges, according to the Associated Press.  Authorities say Lombardo used a stamp to forge the signature of a deceased general counsel for the National Basketball Players Association and another employee, a move that directed $3MM to his firm over five years.
  • The Knicks have fallen apart, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com.  Even if the Knicks could deal Shumpert for a big who plays with effort like a Kenneth Faried, it’s not going to solve all the Knicks’ problems, Youngmisuk opines.
  • Former NBA standout Grant Hill says that he’s proud of his career in retrospect and the way that he navigated through its ups-and-downs.  “I’m proud of coming back and my last [five] years in Phoenix, finding great joy and fulfillment in sort of reinventing yourself,” Hill told Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I know, in retrospect, that’s not an easy thing to do, either.”
  • Wolves president of basketball ops Flip Saunders is drawing upon his time as coaching adviser for the Celtics in 2012 as he finds his way through his new job, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.  “One of the things I really noticed is the way things worked between Danny (Ainge) and management and the coaching staff,” said Saunders. “I think it helped that Danny had been a coach, but I really like the way people there worked together.“
  • Jared Jeffries fits in well with the Nuggets front office, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.  The forward says that he’s glad to not be dealing with physical pain every day and seems content with his decision to retire and move on to a new chapter.
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Knicks Tried To Trade For Rajon Rondo

November 17th, 2013 at 5:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Knicks guard Iman Shumpert has been in trade rumors for the last few weeks and it doesn’t sound like they’ll be slowing down anytime soon.  New York has desperately been trying to package Shumpert in a number of deals, including one pitch to the Celtics for star guard Rajon Rondo, writes Frank Isola of the Daily News.  Unsurprisingly, the Knicks were rebuffed by Danny Ainge.

Isola also reports that Shumpert had a second knee surgery over the summer that was previously kept under the rug.  It’s unclear if that development has had any impact on the 23-year-old’s trade value.

As for the Rondo offer, the Celtics are highly unlikely to part with one of the top point guards in the league and even less likely to move him to a divisional rival.  The Knicks also pitched the Nuggets on a swap involving Kenneth Faried and got turned down, but the Kings are also said to have interest.   Isola notes that Kings forward Jason Thompson is represented by Leon Rose, the agent for Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Chris Smith.

Over two seasons-and-change in New York, Shumpert owns career averages of 8.3 PPG with 3.3 RPG in 26.3 minutes per contest.

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Atlantic Rumors: Celtics, Woodson, Raptors

November 17th, 2013 at 10:50am CST by Chuck Myron

Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen were a star trio for the Celtics well into their 30s, but Allen believes their longevity made it tough for the C’s to decide when to turn their focus toward the future, as Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe passes along amid his weekly roundup.

“The bad thing probably for the team was that we played so long. Being able to stay healthy and still be able to contribute and play at a high level,” Allen said. “The team at some point had to decide while we’re good and the players still have worth, we’ve got to try and still do something moving forward and build for our next 10 years.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Knicks fans chanted “Fire Woodson” at Madison Square Garden last night, but coach Mike Woodson‘s job appears to be safe, says Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who nonetheless cautions that owner James Dolan’s decision-making is difficult to predict (Twitter links).
  • Happy Walters, the agent for Iman Shumpert and Amar’e Stoudemire, took to Twitter on Saturday to give Woodson a vote of confidence (hat tip to Marc Berman of the New York Post). Walters called for an end to chatter about potential Shumpert trades and Stoudemire’s minutes restriction, and said the Knicks coach deserves some slack amid injuries to Tyson Chandler and others.
  • Doug Smith of the Toronto Star answers readers questions and writes that the pressure to take the hometown guy would more or less force the Raptors to draft Andrew Wiggins if he’s available when they’re picking.
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Kris Humphries Would Welcome Trade

November 17th, 2013 at 9:15am CST by Chuck Myron

Kris Humphries isn’t asking the Celtics to trade him, but he’s anxious for more playing time, and would like it come whether it’s with Boston or another team, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. The 28-year-old has only played in six of Boston’s 11 games so far, averaging 11.2 minutes per appearance.

“It’s been tough. I’m here so that’s what I’m focused on,” Humphries told Blakely. “I’m playing some 4 (power forward) now, which I think will help out a little bit. But nothing has ever been easy for me. I’e always had shorter-term deals, always had to prove myself.”

Humphries is in the final season of a two-year, $24MM contract he signed with the Nets in 2012, before Brooklyn traded him to the Celtics in the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce deal. Rival executives had doubts that Humphries would be long for Boston even before this summer’s blockbuster became official, and Blakely heard soon after the deal went through that the C’s might look to flip Humphries to another team. There was mutual interest between Humphries and the Knicks in case the Celtics bought him out over the summer, but Boston never cut him loose.

The nine-year veteran spoke in October about the possibility that the Celtics might trade him, though the focus then was on how the threat of a deal might serve as a distraction. Humphries is still trying to put the idea of his future on the back burner, even though it appears he’s open to heading elsewhere.

“That’s why players have agents,” Humphries said. “We just have to as players, focus on what we can control. If you sit there and say, ‘hey I want a trade,’ it’s going to take away from the team and what you’re trying do to.”

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Odds & Ends: Celtics, Tanking, Luxury Tax

November 16th, 2013 at 10:49pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

As the season continues the rumors of NBA teams “tanking” increases. Nate Duncan of Hoopsworld cannot recall a season where tanking was prevalent so early in the year as it has been this season.  Duncan also joins fellow Hoopsworld writers Jessica Camerato and Alex Kennedy to debate whether tanking is bad for the NBA. Mark Heisler of the Orange County Register argues that no teams should tank this season because this draft does not include the superstar player that years prior contained.

  • Currently playing for a team rumored to be tanking this season, Gerald Wallace of the Boston Celtics tells Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer that he has accepted his new role on NBA rosters as a mentor and trade chip.
  • Another Celtics player, Avery Bradley, recaps the Celtics off-season transactions to ESPNBoston.com’s Louise Cornetta while adding this season’s goals include “to go to the playoffs and win the championship”.
  • On the opposite end of teams that are tanking, Marc Stein of ESPN.com updates which teams are pursuing an NBA championship so aggressively that they will be paying luxury tax this season.
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Eastern Links: Cavs, Nets, Bobcats, Wallace

November 16th, 2013 at 5:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

A 3-7 record is not what the Cavaliers had in mind for a season in which they’re facing owner Dan Gilbert’s mandate to make the playoffs, and the frustration is boiling up to the surface. Cavs players had a heated exchange during a players-only meeting Wednesday, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, and Dion Waiters was one of those involved, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets. It remains to be seen whether the discord will result in a roster move, but Cleveland will probably be a team to watch when the trade deadline approaches. Here’s more on a few teams the Cavs are trying to overcome in the East:

  • The Nets have recalled Tornike Shengelia from the D-League, the team announced. Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Paul Pierce are all out for tonight’s game with the Clippers, so Brooklyn is likely making the move to shore up its depth.
  • The Bobcats are hiring Matt Carroll for an apparent non-playing gig, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The Pennsylvania native had an informal coaching role with the Sixers in training camp, and now he’ll join the team with which he spent most of his 10 seasons as a player.
  • Bonnell also checks in with one of Carroll’s former Bobcats teammates in Gerald Wallace, who’s no longer the player he once was, even though his contract with the Celtics pays him as though he were. Wallace played a key mentorship role for Gerald Henderson, who re-signed with the ‘Cats this summer on a three-year, $18MM deal.
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California Rumors: Kobe, Pierce, KG, Warriors

November 16th, 2013 at 3:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

It might be awhile before Lamar Odom is back on the court, though it sounds like he’s moving toward a reunion with the Clippers. A much bigger L.A. star is also making progress toward playing again, as we detail here:

  • Kobe Bryant returned to practice today with the Lakers, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, though there’s still no timetable for when he’ll make it into a game for the first time since tearing his left Achilles tendon in April.
  • Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett remain in regular contact with Clippers coach Doc Rivers, but at one point this summer the ex-Celtics figured they’d both be following their coach to L.A., as Pierce and Garnett tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Garnett and Pierce also expressed doubt that they would have been pleased to play in Boston without Rivers around.
  • Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber have made strides in turning the franchise into a team that didn’t have to make a sales pitch to convince Andre Iguodala to come aboard this summer, as Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle examines. Lacob and Guber may face their stiffest test yet as they seek to build an arena in San Francisco.
  • We covered more Lakers rumors earlier this morning in our roundup from the Pacific Division.
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Odds & Ends: Jennings, Rondo, Shumpert

November 15th, 2013 at 11:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings admits basketball wasn’t his primary focus during the first four years of his career, but the free agent process this summer jolted him out of complacency, as he tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

“I just wanted a new start,” Jennings said. “Seeing a bunch of my teammates leave, Monta (Ellis), J.J. (Redick), Mike Dunleavy, everybody, the coaching staff I’d been around for four years, everything was different. I felt like they were going in a different direction and I felt like I had do the same.”

Jennings considered signing his one-year qualifying offer from the Bucks to get to unrestricted free agency in 2014, but Milwaukee’s hiring of an unfamiliar coach in Larry Drew dissuaded him from that idea, Jennings says. Still, at least one beat writer doesn’t see him as Detroit’s point guard of the future, as we detail in our league-wide roundup:

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