Berger On Asik, Lakers, Clippers, Lowry
Word is the Rockets now expect to keep center Omer Asik past next month’s deadline and beyond, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Houston worked hard to find a deal last month but the market for the big man right now isn’t so great. “Teams that are tanking don’t want him to make them better and winning teams want to steal him,” one rival GM said. On top of that, the teams with room in 2015 can sign him anyway as a free agent on a more reasonable contract. More from Berger’s column..
- For now, the Lakers intend to keep Pau Gasol and ride it out with the current group. In fact, league sources say the Lakers even inquired on Raptors guard Kyle Lowry to help patch up at the one spot, though the talks didn’t go anywhere. Things could change, however, as the temptation to dump salary and avert a date with the dreaded repeater tax will remain given their current position
- Doc Rivers is realizing the Clippers‘ roster has more holes than he initially thought and league sources say he’s is looking for frontcourt help on the trade market. It would help matters if they still had Eric Bledsoe to dangle but he went in the three-team deal that yielded J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley.
- Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are also after frontcourt help in the form of an athletic rim protector.
- League sources say the pairing of Bledsoe and Goran Dragic in the Suns backcourt isn’t expected to be a long-term solution for the Suns. Execs believe Dragic will opt out of his contract following the 2014/15 season, putting pressure on GM Ryan McDonough to make a trade. Jazz standout Gordon Hayward has put his team in a similar spot as his price may prove too high for Utah when he hits restricted free agency this summer.
- The Cavaliers and Kings have been among the most aggressive teams in pursuit of trades, league sources say. On the heels of acquiring Rudy Gay from Toronto, the Kings are “swinging for the fences” on the trade market, one rival executive said. Sacramento wants to shore up the point guard position, but Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro‘s true long-term target is said to be Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson.
- In addition to the Lakers, Knicks, and Nets, the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Celtics are among the teams that have inquired about a deal with the Raptors for Lowry, league sources say. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is said to have multiple deals he could do for Lowry that would involve receiving an expiring contract in return or slotting him into another team’s trade exception. For Toronto take on future salary, they’d probably demand a first-round draft choice.
- The reception to the proposed “wheel system” to determine NBA draft placement has been mixed. Meanwhile, it has sparked other ideas, including a straight lottery with all 14 non-playoff teams getting an equal shot at the No. 1 pick.
Atlantic Notes: Stevens, Nets, Rondo, Sixers
For one night, at least, NBA basketball in New York experienced a revival. The Knicks went into San Antonio and upset the Spurs, while the Nets did the same to the Thunder in Oklahoma City. Of course, it wasn’t supposed to be such a stretch for either team to pull off such victories, but in a Murphy’s Law sort of season for both Big Apple franchises, Thursday evening provided a rare taste of success. Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- The success that Brad Stevens is having with the Celtics this year is helping change the perception that college coaches are a poor fit in the NBA, while making it harder for veteran NBA coaches to find work in the league, notes Sam Smith of Bulls.com.
- It may seem like an ideal situation for an owner to hire an experienced GM and then step out of the way, but Mikhail Prokhorov’s absence this season has added to a sense of disorganization for the Nets, opines Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Rajon Rondo told reporters yesterday, including Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, that he continues to get closer to returning to the court, and that he’s very open to the idea of a stint with the D-League’s Maine Red Claws. “I think that’s what it’s for,” Rondo said. “I’d probably be the first guy to do that, but it doesn’t make a difference. I want to make sure I’m healthy and handle it the right way. I haven’t had a preseason. I haven’t had a training camp. Right now, this is pretty much my training camp.”
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com examines the Sixers‘ accelerated rebuilding process, which could see the team make the playoffs as soon as next season.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Jordan Crawford Wants To Remain With Celtics
Jordan Crawford has become a candidate for the Most Improved Player of the Year award in his new role as point guard, and while he’s driving up his value as a restricted free agent this summer, he tells USA Today’s Sean Highkin that he’d like to stay with the Celtics.
“It’s an NBA thing,” Crawford said. “You’re supposed to think about being a free agent. It’s going to happen, so there’s nothing I can do to deny it. I definitely want to be here. But it’s the NBA. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Crawford has transformed from a reckless gunner into a playmaker this season, averaging a career-high 5.4 assists in place of the injured Rajon Rondo. It’s unclear what the Celtics plan to do with him once Rondo returns, but it’s clear that Crawford’s stock has risen since Boston acquired him at the deadline last season for Leandro Barbosa and Jason Collins, two players who are out of the league. The Celtics can match any team’s offer for the Creative Artists Agency client in the offseason if they extend him a qualifying offer of about $3.2MM. They could also simply sign him outright, which appears to be Crawford’s preference at this point.
The Hawks made Crawford the 27th overall pick in the 2010 draft and traded him to the Wizards in the middle of his rookie year. He averaged 14.7 points per game in his first full season in Washington, but he did so on just 40% shooting, and he shot 4.3 three-pointers per contest despite making only 28.9% of them. He still shoots threes at about the same rate, but his long-range accuracy has improved to 34.4% for this season.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, J.R. Smith, Rondo
The Raptors are 9-3 following the Rudy Gay trade, with impressive wins over the Thunder and the Pacers, who are tied for the best record in the NBA. It’s easy to portray last month’s trade of Gay to the Kings as addition by subtraction for Toronto, but that’s not how DeMar DeRozan sees it, as Eric Koreen of the National Post notes.
“You really can’t say that,” DeRozan said. “People will speculate and say this, that and the third about the trade. One thing: We still had a lot of talent before the trade. Things just weren’t clicking. We didn’t play a full season and figure it all out, either. This is our team now, and we’re steadily learning and growing every day.”
Koreen is skeptical that the departure of the statistically inefficient small forward hasn’t helped the team during its recent stretch, pointing to the improved play of DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas since the trade. Regardless, the Raptors have reached the .500 mark, putting them in command of a weak Atlantic Division. Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- J.R. Smith says he’s gotten over his frustration with the Knicks for waiving his brother, and that he’s “ready to go to war” with Jeremy Tyler, who replaced Chris Smith on the roster, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- It was Rajon Rondo who first proposed the idea of sending him down to the D-League, Celtics GM Danny Ainge said today on 98.5 the Sports Hub in Boston, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passes along. It’s unclear whether the point guard will play for Boston’s D-League affiliate this season, but Ainge said he supports the notion of teams sending star players on rehab assignments.
- Celtics assistant coach Ron Adams shared his bitterness about Bulls GM Gar Forman‘s decision to let him go this past offseason with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “It’s still a bit mystifying to me,” Adams said. “And I don’t understand it. And if the intent was to be hurtful to me and my family, it succeeded.” The Celtics were one of a half-dozen teams with interest in Adams when Forman elected not to renew his contract, the sort of decision that usually rests with a team’s head coach.
Eastern Notes: Bogans, Hawks, Gordon, Cavs
Keith Bogans isn’t necessarily cited as one of the NBA’s most overpaid players as often as some bigger names, but you could make the case that Bogans should top any such list. After all, the only reason he received his $5MM+ salary for 2013/14 was that it was needed to make the summer’s Celtics/Nets blockbuster work. Despite the payday though, Bogans, who hasn’t played in over a month, is frustrated with his role in Boston, writes Jessica Camerato of HoopsWorld.
“Money is good, but if you’re not happy doing what you love to do… I want to play basketball,” Bogans said of his lack of minutes. “Anybody can say yeah I’m happy, I’m getting money, but come on now.”
As Bogans waits for an opportunity to prove he can still contribute to an NBA club, let’s round up a few more items from around the East….
- The Hawks are facing some tough roster decisions since Al Horford went down with a season-ending pectoral injury, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta is currently carrying 15 players, but three of those contracts are non-guaranteed. GM Danny Ferry is considering whether or not to add a big man to replace Horford, and Ferry also likes having some roster flexibility at the trade deadline, so the team’s non-guaranteed players (Shelvin Mack, Mike Scott, Cartier Martin) aren’t necessarily guaranteed roster spots beyond next Tuesday.
- Ben Gordon is in the final year of his contract, but remains focused on helping the Bobcats earn a playoff spot this season, as he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. When Gordon does reach free agency, expect him to prioritize contenders — the veteran guard tells Greene that the opportunity to win a title “means everything” for him as he inches closer to retirement.
- The Cavaliers have reportedly balked at including any assets of value along with Andrew Bynum in an offer for Pau Gasol, but Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld thinks that a swap would make a lot of sense for both sides.
D-League Notes: McCollum, Cunningham, Brooks
At this point, 18 of the 30 NBA teams have sent players on D-League assignments this season and we have three more today. Below are the details. Don’t forget to reference our D-League assignment tracker to keep tabs of all of the moves this year.
- The Blazers have assigned C.J. McCollum to the Idaho Stampede, their D-League affiliate, the team announced today via press release. Portland selected McCollum with the No. 10 pick in June’s NBA Draft and the rookie fractured his left foot in training camp in October. He was just cleared to resume practice, and will play for the Stampede on Friday and Saturday, according to the team.
- The Hawks have assigned guard Jared Cunningham back to the Bakersfield Jam, the team announced today via news release. Cunningham, who has appeared in three games for Atlanta this season, was recalled from Bakersfield on December 29. This is the third time the team has assigned him to the Jam this season.
- We heard earlier today that the Celtics assigned MarShon Brooks to the Maine Red Claws. While many will assume the move represents a demotion, Brad Stevens and the Celtics don’t see it that way, writes Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com. Brooks hasn’t been playing much in Boston, and with a busy game schedule in the near future, the assignment will allow Brooks to get on the court somewhere.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Tyler, Celtics, Brooks
It’s a new year, and both the Knicks and the Nets will be looking for fresh starts. The two New York clubs have failed to meet expectations after being preseason favorites to compete for the Atlantic Division title. While there’s plenty of time left to make a run, the solid play from the Raptors since Rudy Gay‘s departure has many believing both NYC teams will fall short of making the postseason. Let’s take a look at some notes from the Atlantic Division..
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post discusses whether the Nets are a bad team, or just one riddled with injuries. While it’s tough to draw any definite conclusions, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich seems to believe that latter: “They’ve had everything hit them,” Popovich said. “They’ve had a gazillion new players. They’ve had injuries that are ridiculous. You can almost not even begin to deal with that. You have to have all your bodies there.”
- It’s been a turbulent professional career for the recently signed Knicks big man Jeremy Tyler, and the latest piece from Scott Cacciola of the New York Times revisits the events that led up to New York signing the once promising center.
- The Celtics will have quite a bit of financial flexibility this summer, and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com predicts that the C’s are going to have a good opportunity to beef up their already surprisingly solid roster.
- Speaking of the Celtics, the team announced via press release this morning that they’ve assigned MarShon Brooks to their D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws. Yesterday, Chuck Myron labeled Brooks as a possible candidate to see a D-League assignment.
Rajon Rondo Could Spend Time In D-League
Rajon Rondo practiced again with the Celtics on Monday and is slowly returning to basketball shape. However, he could take a pit stop elsewhere in New England before rejoining the C’s. Coach Brad Stevens says his rehabilitation may include a stint with the team’s D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
Stevens said Rondo likely wouldn’t return to the Celtics during their five-game West Coast road trip beginning on Jan. 5 and could spend time with Maine practicing and playing in D-League games before coming back to the varsity squad. Rondo has not played since Jan. 25 because of a torn right ACL.
“I would make that a decision on him and our staff,” Stevens said following today’s practice. “That is something that has been discussed, probably some positives and negatives to that, but at the end of the day, it is an option as part of his rehabilitation.”
Stevens’ former point guard at Butler, Ronald Nored, is a player development coach in Maine and he and Rondo have discussed the possibility of Rondo spending some time there. Stevens acknowledged that having Nored there to help ease Rondo back in could be a positive.
The Celtics have not used their D-League affiliate for rehabilitation over the past few years and the last regular to see a stint there was Avery Bradley during his rookie season. Stevens says that he envisions the D-League being used more for rehab assignments going forward, similar to how baseball teams use their farm system to bring players back into the fold.
Andrew Bynum Rumors: Monday
Andrew Bynum‘s suspension has been lifted by the Cavaliers, but the big man continues to be excused from team activities, at least until Cleveland figures out what to do with him. As the January 7th contract guarantee deadline approaches, the Cavs are expected to either trade or release Bynum. However, if there are no takers, the club hasn’t ruled out keeping him beyond next week, a league source tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. That’s not the day’s only Bynum update today, so let’s round up the rest….
- Despite there being a chance the Cavs could keep Bynum, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes that the club appears likely to waive him. Sources close to the Heat and Clippers, Bynum’s preferred destinations, have downplayed their interest in the center, according to Kyler, who adds that both teams would do their due diligence, but that Bynum would be unlikely to catch on with another team right away if he’s released.
- If the Cavs decide to keep Bynum and guarantee his 2013/14 salary, the club could try again to move him before the trade deadline, but the offers would probably be weaker than they are now, says ESPN.com’s Chad Ford.
- Expect Celtics GM Danny Ainge to kick the tires on Bynum to determine the Cavs’ asking price, according to Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com, who examines how a theoretical acquisition of Bynum could expedite Boston’s rebuilding process.
- Nick Friedell of ESPN.com takes a look at whether Bynum might be a realistic trade target for the Bulls.
Eastern Notes: Celtics, Williams, Cunningham
It’s been a fascinating year for the Celtics following their blockbuster deal with the Nets. The C’s hit the reset button by shipping Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn and while they’re anxiously awaiting Rajon Rondo‘s return, there’s plenty of reason to believe that the future in Boston is bright. GM Danny Ainge reflected on 2013 with the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett. “It was tough because we had so many injuries during the course of the year,” said Ainge. “I thought that our team was actually better than it ended up showing in the playoffs — without Rondo, without Sullinger, without (Leandro) Barbosa, who was playing really well for us (before be tore his left ACL in February). That was tough to overcome. I think our guys did as good as could be expected with what we had.” More from the East..
- Terrence Williams has no plan to return to the Nets‘ D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor, a source tells Shams Charania of RealGM. The guard, who signed with Turk Telekom in October before parting ways after just two games, is talking to other teams. Williams finished the 2012/13 season with the Celtics.
- The Hawks announced that they recalled guard Jared Cunningham from the Bakersfield Jam of the D-League. Cunningham, who was re-assigned to Bakersfield on December 16, has averaged 18.1 points, 5.4 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 33.1 minutes in eight games (all starts) in two stints with the Jam this season.
- Arron Afflalo‘s NBA journey has taken him from the Pistons to the Nuggets to the Magic but he says that all of the movement hasn’t affected his development, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.