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Rajon Rondo Rumors: Thursday

March 1st, 2012 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

As Rajon Rondo rumors heated up yesterday, the Celtics' point guard went out and put up a triple-double on the Bucks, en route to a 102-96 win. Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com writes that Rondo was happier about the job he did on defense, holding Brandon Jennings to six points on 2-of-11 shooting. While we wait to see if the 26-year-old continues to play at the top of his game amidst trade rumors, let's round up today's Rondo items right here (newest items on top)….

  • A Celtics source reiterated to NBA.com's David Aldridge that Rondo is not on the trading block, despite the recent surge of interest (link via Twitter).
  • Appearing on WEEI in Boston, GM Danny Ainge said of Rondo, "I've made zero calls to try to trade him, and I won't" (link via ESPN Boston).
  • Celtics coach Doc Rivers told Jackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston he's tired of hearing reports suggesting he and Rondo don't get along, or reports that the Celtics are shopping Rondo: "My relationship with Rajon is as strong as it has ever been. Our communication has never been better. I want him here. I can say with almost 100% certainty he will be here with us when the season ends."
  • Within MacMullan's piece, two GMs who were involved (as potential third teams) in trade talks involving Rondo and Chris Paul in the offseason confirmed they haven't received calls regarding Rondo since then.
  • Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are drawing more trade interest than Rondo, reports A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
  • Asked about Rondo's future, Ainge said, "I anticipate him being here for a long time," according to Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald. Ainge added that he isn't actively shopping Rondo, who Ainge says is getting along "better than ever" with Rivers.
  • Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe hears from a source that the Celtics are just listening to offers on Rondo, rather than actively trying to dump him. ESPN.com's Chris Broussard reported yesterday that the Celtics were aggressively shopping Rondo, which echoed an earlier report that suggested Boston was initiating talks involving its point guard. Either way, it's clear the Celtics are at least talking about Rondo with teams.
  • Appearing on The Dan Patrick Show, Sam Smith of Bulls.com said he thinks GM Danny Ainge will try to make a "big splash" by dealing Rondo, adding that the point guard and Rivers don't get along well (hat tip to CSNNE.com). Broussard expressed a similar sentiment on SportsCenter (via ESPNBoston.com): "[Rondo] has trouble taking constructive criticism and he does clash a lot with Doc Rivers. They know he's a great player. They're not going to just give him away. But they feel like they probably can't rebuild around him because of the problems they do have with clashing with his personality."
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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Green, Elson, Humphries

March 1st, 2012 at 4:14pm CST by Luke Adams

No Atlantic teams are in action tonight, but we have a few links from out of the division to round up….

  • The Celtics are very active in trade discussions, and HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy's sources expect the club to make a deal in the next couple weeks (Twitter link).
  • Currently playing on a 10-day contract, Gerald Green has a decent chance to stick with the Nets for the remainder of the season, says Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger. I provided an update on this season's 10-day deals earlier today.
  • While it wasn't reported at the time, Francisco Elson appears to have signed a pair of 10-day contracts with the 76ers, according to the team's game notes (PDF link). HoopsHype reported today that the team has waived Elson, but I believe it's just a matter of his second 10-day deal, signed on February 21st, expiring.
  • Tom Ziller of SB Nation explores whether or not the Celtics should trade Rajon Rondo in the next two weeks.
  • Reports of Kris Humphries having returned to agent Dan Fegan are premature, says Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter). The Nets forward is leaning toward Fegan, but is currently without representation.
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Amico On Rondo, Sessions, Watson, Warriors

March 1st, 2012 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest piece for FOX Sports Ohio, Sam Amico talks Rajon Rondo, Ramon Sessions, and other trade candidates. Here's what Amico has for us:

  • Amico hears from an NBA executive that the Celtics "hardly feel desperate" to trade Rondo, despite reports suggesting Boston is aggressively shopping its point guard. The same exec wonders if the Celtics could package Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal in the same deal.
  • A source says it would be "a miracle" if Sessions is a Cavalier past the trade deadline, even though the team "wouldn’t be against keeping him." At one point, it seemed as if the Lakers may ramp up their pursuit of Sessions, but Amico's source isn't sure if that's happened yet.
  • C.J. Watson is drawing interest, and while the Bulls are happy with his play, they'll listen to offers.
  • Amico is the latest reporter to hear that a Monta Ellis-to-Orlando deal is highly unlikely, due to the Magic's lack of non-Dwight Howard assets.
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Odds & Ends: Rondo, Curry, Lin

February 29th, 2012 at 10:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

With just about every team back in action after the All-Star break, here are a few leap day notes from around the league:

  • The Celtics have intensified their efforts to trade Rajon Rondo, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN. Broussard says sources have told him the Celtics consider Rondo to be too high maintenance, and so the team is considering a deal with the Warriors for Stephen Curry that's been percolating since December. Other players would have to be in such a deal for it to work. ESPN's Chris Forsberg also contributed to the report.
  • Shabazz Muhammad, a premier college prospect who currently sits atop the class of potential 2013 draftees according to NBADraft.net, could be in trouble with the NCAA, report Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. The NCAA has informed schools recruiting Muhammad that his amateur status is in question. According to Goodman and Parrish, there are concerns that the 6'5", 210-pound shooting guard has been receiving payments for unofficial visits to campuses, among other benefits. Since NBA draft rules prohibit Muhammad from entering the league until a year after his high school class graduates, he may be forced to head overseas next year.
  • Matt Moore of CBSSports.com doesn't see much truth in the rumored swap of Lamar Odom and Steve Nash, unless several other components are involved.
  • It seems every other day we find out about another team that came close to signing Jeremy Lin, but whiffed. Today that team is the Italian club Banca Tercas Teramo, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY. The team was "extremely close" to signing him, Lin said, but they went with Charles Jenkins instead.
  • The Chris Paul trade may have transformed the Clippers, but since amnesty claim Chauncey Billups was lost for the year with an Achilles' tear, the Clips have gone 5-5 and appear to have lost their mojo, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times examines.
  • Before handing the Spurs just their second home loss of the season, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau praised San Antonio's ability to identify and nurture the talent necessary to keep the team on top, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. Thibodeau hopes the Bulls can copy that model.
  • Jazz swingman Josh Howard, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, has responded well since Raja Bell's injury forced him into the starting lineup, notes Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune.
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Celtics Interested In Michael Beasley

February 29th, 2012 at 6:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

Michael Beasley's 27 points off the bench in a win over the Clippers last night apparently aren't swaying the Timberwolves, who are pushing hard to trade him, perhaps to the Celtics, tweets A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio reports that while the Nets, Rockets and Lakers have all had talks with the Wolves about Beasley, Boston is in the lead for his services. The deal would center around the expiring contract of Jermaine O'Neal, who's making close to $6.23MM this year.

Our Luke Adams profiled Beasley's trade candidacy yesterday. The fourth-year forward is averaging career lows in almost every major statistical category, despite his strong performance last night. Nonetheless, he was the second pick in the draft in 2008, and at only 23, his still-bright potential will make him a sought-after restricted free agent this summer.

O'Neal, averaging 5.0 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 22.8 minutes a night, is probably not in the Wolves' long-term plans. It's also hard to see where he fits in Minnesota's crowded frontcourt now, especially with the recent emergence of Nikola Pekovic. That the Wolves would ship out Beasley, whom they could simply just let go this summer, for little in return suggests that Minnesota simply doesn't want Beasley around.

 

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Broussard On Gasol, Rondo, Ellis, Beasley, Kaman

February 29th, 2012 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to providing an update on the Dwight Howard sweepstakes, Chris Broussard shares rumors about a handful of big-name trade candidates in his latest Insider-only ESPN.com column. Let's dive in….

  • The Rockets still have interest in Pau Gasol but want to build around Kyle Lowry rather than include him in any Gasol deal. The Timberwolves haven't talked to the Lakers in months about Gasol, while the Bulls have shown some interest in the Spaniard.
  • Sources tell Broussard that the Celtics have determined they're not title contenders this year and would prefer to move Rajon Rondo rather than deal with the "headaches" he brings.
  • Broussard hears that if Monta Ellis were traded, the Warriors guard would like to join the Lakers, Bulls, or Magic (alongside Dwight Howard), but none of those scenarios appear realistic.
  • The Timberwolves offered Michael Beasley to the Lakers in exchange for the higher of L.A.'s two first-round picks, but were turned down. The Lakers are torn on Beasley — because L.A. is over the tax line, the team would be adding more than just Beasley's $6.26MM cap figure. I imagine they'd also prefer to use their trade exception to acquire a point guard.
  • The Hornets' asking price for Chris Kaman has dropped since earlier in the season. They're seeking a draft pick, even just a second-rounder, for the center.
  • LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum are "virtually untouchable" but the Blazers would talk about anyone else on their roster, particularly Raymond Felton and Gerald Wallace.
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Atlantic Rumors: Williams, Chandler, Celtics

February 29th, 2012 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

Seeking to clarify comments he made on Monday, Nets coach Avery Johnson reiterated last night that, while he views the Mavericks and Mark Cuban as a threat to sign Deron Williams this summer, he still expects his point guard to return to the Nets.

"I think somebody kind of got it twisted where the focus was more on the threat and saying that I said that I think he’s going to Dallas, which I never said, never said that," Johnson told reporters, including Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record. "I said that [Cuban was a threat] because anybody that’s under the cap would be a threat to get a guy that’s a unbelievable point guard. But I said I believe he has every intention to re-sign."

Here are a few more morning rumors on Williams and the rest of the Atlantic Division:

  • Talking to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld, Williams admitted he isn't sure whether he'll be a Net next year.
  • Within the same HoopsWorld piece, Pincus says that the Nuggets have offered a multiyear deal to Wilson Chandler, but that it's not as lucrative as Chandler hoped. Still, the Raptors likely won't sign the 24-year-old to an offer sheet, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Although Toronto hasn't moved on entirely, the club is currently put off by Chandler's asking price.
  • Wolstat adds that it appears the Raptors are listening to trade inquiries made by other teams rather than actively seeking deals themselves.
  • Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski, appearing on NBC's SportsTalk, says the Celtics have been actively pursuing trades, and won't hesitate to break up their core in the right deal. Wojnarowski speculates that, of Boston's "big three," Paul Pierce may be the most likely trade candidate, since Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett have contracts that Boston could simply let expire.
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Kyler On Rondo, Diaw, Mavs, Ellis, Scola

February 28th, 2012 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Over at HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler kicks off a quick look at trade possibilities for all 30 teams, running alphabetically from Atlanta through Houston. Let's check out a few of Kyler's notes….

  • The general belief is that Rajon Rondo will remain a Celtic past March 15th unless Boston is blown away by an offer.
  • Bobcats sources say the team has received inquiries on Boris Diaw, who has an expiring contract worth $9MM.
  • Sources close to the Mavericks say the team views Rodrigue Beaubois and Dominique Jones as "possible sweeteners" in an offseason sign-and-trade deal for Dwight Howard or Deron Williams.
  • If the Warriors decide to move Monta Ellis, any deal may have to include a contract like David Lee's or Andris Biedrins' as well. According to Kyler's sources, the Warriors offered Ellis to the 76ers for Andre Iguodala at the start of the season.
  • Concerns about Luis Scola's knees may make it tough for the Rockets to find full value for him on the trade market.
  • For more on the ten teams covered in Kyler's piece, check out our Assessing Stocks series, which, coincidentally, has covered the same ten clubs.
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Ray Allen Drawing Interest

February 27th, 2012 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

The direction the Celtics will take over the next two and a half weeks is still unknown. If they decide to blow up the roster though, Ray Allen and not Rajon Rondo may be the team's most-coveted trade chip. According to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News (via Twitter), Allen has generated more interest than Rondo to date.

While Rondo is the more attractive long-term asset, Allen would require a smaller package and intrigue contenders in need of a shooter. Teams like the Clippers or Timberwolves would probably love to add Allen for a possible playoff run. Plus, the 36-year-old's $10MM salary makes his one of the largest expiring contracts in play this season.

The Celtics have a number of options as March 15th approaches, and it's possible the team hangs onto its veteran players for one more postseason run. Although the team, as constructed, likely isn't a title contender, holding onto its veterans would allow Boston to clear plenty of salary this summer. Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Jermaine O'Neal alone have expiring contracts that total about $38MM.

Daniel Seco of Hoops Rumors examined Allen as a trade candidate two weeks ago.

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Odds & Ends: Celtics, Rose, Paul

February 26th, 2012 at 3:09pm CST by Michael Pina

With the All-Star game taking place later tonight in Orlando, all eyes will be on the best players in the world. Next year's consensus number one overall draft pick, Anthony Davis, could participate in the game sooner than later. CBS Sports columnist Gregg Doyel wrote a piece on why Davis may be the most impactful college basketball player since Shaquille O'Neal. 

Here's a look into what else is happening on the last day of All-Star weekend:

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