Odds & Ends: Celtics, Gasol, Hornets
After two furious months of nights packed with basketball, the first evening of the All-Star break has given the league a chance to exhale. As usual, the celebrity game provided comic relief, and Kyrie Irving's MVP performance in the Rising Stars game provided the only mildly competitive action of the night. Here's what's up as the All-Star rumor mill gets going:
- Celtics team president Danny Ainge, who earlier this year left the door open to a major shakeup in Boston, will "only do things that help us in the long-term," he told Paul Flannery of Sportsradio WEEI. He said he won't make a trade before the March 15th deadline just to bring about change, according to the report. Elrod Enchilada of RealGM outlines a plan for if Ainge does decide to break up the team.
- The Lakers would seek significant return for Pau Gasol, and nothing appears in the works, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
- Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com rounds up the latest on possible buyers for the Hornets. The group that appears to have the inside track is led by Los Angeles businessman Raj Bhathal and includes former NBA player, coach and executive Mike Dunleavy as well as Larry J. Benson, brother of New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson.
- Tyler Zeller of North Carolina is currently the only college senior projected by NBADraft.net to be a lottery pick this year, but Pacers All-Star Roy Hibbert demonstrates why teams shouldn't overlook four-year college players, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet.
- Jason Kidd, who will be a 39-year-old free agent at season's end, is already seeing the least playing time of his career, averaging 28.3 MPG. Dirk Nowitzki tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he doubts Kidd will play in every game during a stretch of nine games in 12 days for the Mavs after the All-Star break.
- Mavs guard Delonte West will be out on the market again this summer after signing a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum with Dallas before the season. In a piece by Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News examining West's ups and downs, including his struggle with mental illness, he admits he's been affected by unsubstantiated rumors that he had an affair with LeBron James' mother two years ago. West again denies the claims.
- Ryan Anderson, a restricted free agent this summer, was overshadowed in the Vince Carter trade three years ago, is overlooked as Orlando talk centers around Dwight Howard, and is overmatched in the race for Most Improved Player against Jeremy Lin. Still, he continues his sterling play for the Magic this season, writes Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star wonders whether the lockout achieved its purpose, as players are still using their leverage to get to large markets, a culture of haves and have-nots persists, and two franchises remain in flux.
Atlantic Notes: Iguodala, Celtics, Raptors
Here are a few Friday items out of the Atlantic Division, which was home to a Guiness World Record holder for less than an hour this morning….
- The Sixers were discussing Andre Iguodala with several teams prior to last year's draft, but the team's new owner have nixed plans to trade him, says Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- Recent frontcourt injuries shouldn't prompt the Celtics to make a major splash, but they need to bring in a big man who can defend, rebound, and learn the system, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Washburn names Earl Barron and Kyrylo Fesenko as two potential options for Boston.
- After grading Raptors players on their first halves, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun runs through what the future may hold for each player, at the trade deadline and beyond.
Atlantic Notes: Calderon, Lin, Celtics
With the Knicks scorching the Hawks through three quarters thanks to strong play from Landry Fields, let's take a look around the Atlantic Division to see what else is going on:
- Hasan Alanam of Canada.com suggests five possible destinations for Raptors guard Jose Calderon to end up prior to the trade deadline. A trade to the Trail Blazers may be a good fit for both teams as Raymond Felton has struggled immensely since arriving in Portland from Denver last June. The 30-year-old Spaniard has spent his entire seven-year career with the Raptors and is currently averaging 11.2 PPG and 8.8 APG on the season.
- On the heels of becoming the first New York City athlete to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated two weeks in a row, Nike announced that they will release a shoe for Knicks guard Jeremy Lin. According to Nina Mandell of the New York Daily News, the shoe will feature the Knicks' orange and blue colors with "Lin" appearing on the back. The 23-year-old star out of Harvard joins Pistons center Ben Wallace as one of the few undrafted NBA players to score a signature sneaker deal.
- Celtics head coach Doc Rivers and team general manager Danny Ainge will discuss adding a big man over the All-Star break, says Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. The Celtics have suffered from depth issues due to injuries to Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Wilcox among others. Former Lakers forward Derrick Caracter may become an option as he is set to join the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League (via Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Gordon, Chandler, Celtics, Martin
As we look forward to a busy evening schedule highlighted by Hawks/Knicks and Mavericks/Lakers matchups, here are a few Wednesday links that we haven't covered elsewhere:
- Asked about the possibility of signing with his hometown Pacers as a restricted free agent this summer, Eric Gordon sounded intrigued by the possibility, as Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes. "Coming back here would be a lot of pressure," Gordon said. "But I think it would be good for the fans. We'll see. You never know where this summer will take me."
- Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post is curious to see how much money and how many years the Nuggets will offer Wilson Chandler, who may not be a future starter for the team. The Raptors' interest in Chandler may have an impact on his negotiations with Denver as well.
- Injuries could force the Celtics to sign or trade for a big man, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
- Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld explores what the future holds for Kevin Martin, who doesn't appreciate the way the Rockets are handling his contract situation, according to Ingram.
- If the Heat sign Mickell Gladness to a second 10-day contract, it will likely happen after the All-Star break, tweets Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. With Joel Przybilla headed to Portland, I'd be surprised if Miami didn't re-sign Gladness, whose first 10-day deal just expired.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Davis, Johnson, Knicks
The Nets are pulling out all the stops tonight with Dwight Howard in town — a pyrotechnic display is among the events lined up for the evening. Howard himself doesn't appear eager to answer questions about playing in New Jersey though, having ducked past reporters this morning without comment, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. While Howard and the Magic get ready to face a Nets team missing Kris Humphries, let's check out a few links from around the Atlantic Division….
- Paul Flannery of WEEI.com examines what the Celtics' future will look like if the team doesn't make a move before the trade deadline.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com lists a few potential trade targets for the Celtics, in slideshow form.
- Don't expect both Ed Davis and Amir Johnson to be Raptors next season, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who thinks the team will trade one of the two.
- Though signing J.R. Smith is its only significant recent roster move, the Knicks have the feeling of a team that has been totally overhauled. Marc Berman of the New York Post says the club will need some time to make all its pieces fit.
Atlantic Notes: Humphries, Celtics, Rondo, Knicks
It appears his marriage to Kim Kardashian wasn't the only recent relationship that ended prematurely for Kris Humphries. Darren Heitner at Sports Agent Blog writes that, less than a year after firing agent Dan Fegan in favor of Pinnacle Managment's Marc Cornstein, the Nets forward has parted ways with Cornstein and returned to Fegan. The Lagardere Unlimited representative will be tasked with negotiating a new contract for Humphries when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer.
Here are a few more Tuesday updates out of the Atlantic division….
- "[Celtics GM] Danny [Ainge] is always going to look for trades," Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. "You know who Danny is. But having said that, I don't think Danny is going to do anything crazy."
- The Celtics' coach also tells Blakely that he would prefer to let his injured players get healthy rather than shake up the roster at this point.
- Gerry Callahan of the Boston Herald wonders if now may be the best time for the Celtics to trade Rajon Rondo.
- The Knicks had interest in recent Cavs signee Manny Harris and may have been considering signing him to replace Jeremy Lin before Lin broke out, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- Though he appears to be healthy, the Knicks' Baron Davis isn't a threat to take too much of Lin's playing time away, says Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
Odds & Ends: Pistons, Kings, Iverson
With less than a week before the All-Star festivities begin in Orlando, here are a few other rumblings from around the league.
- According to Marc Stein's Twitter, coach Doc Rivers does not expect any big deals for the Celtics near the trade deadline.
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com chatted with fans about the current state of the team and entertains the feasibility of their trade proposal ideas. Also, Pistons coach Lawrence Frank seemed annoyed at the notion of draft talk at this point in the season, as reported by Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- Even with the possibility of the Kings re-locating to Anaheim or Seattle, the team could have the help of another billionaire in the effort to stay in Sacramento, according to Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee.
- Allen Iverson has been offered a contract to play soccer for the Rochester Lancers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. The team's official website made the announcement this past Saturday.
- Warriors coach Mark Jackson tells Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com that he's in no rush to give his young players more playing time.
- Though Tyson Chandler believed he would re-sign with the Mavericks, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning news writes about how the situation unfolded over the summer.
Atlantic Links: Smith, Nets, Celtics, Raptors
A pair of intriguing games involving Atlantic teams are on the schedule tonight — the Celtics play in Dallas, while the Nets, the first victim of Linsanity, get a rematch against Jeremy Lin and the Knicks. Here are a few Atlantic Division notes in the meantime….
- Following his Knicks debut, J.R. Smith gave Carmelo Anthony credit for bringing him to New York, as Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The godfather of one of his Smith's daughters, Carmelo "sealed the deal," according to the newest Knick.
- In light of Stephen Jackson's comments about wanting to play with Deron Williams and Dwight Howard, Fred Kerber of the New York Post explores trade scenarios that could get both Jackson and D12 to New Jersey this season.
- Although a trade is a possibility for the Celtics, coach Doc Rivers thinks the team's current roster can turn things around, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Boston has lost three straight games and five of its last six.
- The Raptors are getting healthier, but Andrea Bargnani will be out at least past the All-Star break, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Atlantic Notes: 76ers, Pietrus, Lin
The rare feat of attending two games in one day has been made possible today thanks to bizarre scheduling by the NBA. With the Knicks taking on the Mavericks in one of the early games (1:00 PM EST), a die-hard fan with deep pockets could easily make it across the Hudson in time see the Nets battle the Bucks at 7:00 PM EST. Let's take a look around the Atlantic Division to see what else is going on before the Jeremy Lin versus Jason Kidd showdown occupies the early afternoon.
- The 76ers need to find some offense if they want to continue their early season success, writes John N. Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Mitchell points to the absence of injured 76ers center Spencer Hawes as a major reason why the team has struggled to score points as of late. While the team is balanced in featuring six players averaging double figures in scoring, the team's schedule becomes more difficult as they hit the road more frequently in the second half of the season.
- A late pre-season acquisition by the Celtics has proved to be an excellent move by their front office, says ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg. Mickael Pietrus, 30, has enjoyed success on the court, but his true value to the team may be his affable personality and his ability to mesh well within the organization. As the replacement for the now-departed Glen Davis, Pietrus is averaging 7.1 PPG and 2.8 RPG on the season.
- Chris Bernucca of SheridanHoops.com wonders if NBA commissioner David Stern played a role in steering Lin to the friendly confines of Madison Square Garden.
Odds & Ends: Bryant, Cap, Allen
Today's matinee between the Clippers and Spurs, two of the top teams in the Western Conference, highlights a light NBA schedule. Here's what's up around the league:
- Pau Gasol is averaging a career-low 16.6 PPG, and Kobe Bryant believes trade talk is one reason for the uncharacteristic performance, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times notes.
- HoopsWorld's Jason Fleming has a rundown on the available cap space for each team. He notes the Grizzlies, who stand just over the tax line, could get under by making a deal before the March 15th trading deadline. The Kings, meanwhile, must either take on salary to get up to 85% of the cap or distribute that money to their existing players. Fleming has the Pacers in the same boat as the Kings, but James Posey's amnestied $7.6MM salary pushes them above the 85% line.
- Salary cap guru Larry Coon sees J.R. Smith declining his $2.5MM option for next season and heading to another team with more money available. Smith already took the more lucrative option on the table this week when he picked the Knicks for this season over the Clippers. (Twitter links)
- Coon tweets the Clippers may covet Ray Allen, one of the Celtics cornerstones GM Danny Ainge may be willing to trade, but doubts L.A. has enough assets to get a deal done.
- We examined Tyson Chandler's impact as a free-agent signing earlier today. Justin Kubatko of The New York Times takes a closer look at the Knicks center playing in the shadow of Jeremy Lin.
- Fellow Times writer Benjamin Hoffman looks at Brandan Wright, who is one of the centers charged with replacing Chandler in Dallas. The scant $1MM investment is paying off for the Mavs, Hoffman writes.
- Mark Cuban and James Dolan are owners who like to spend money and meddle with their teams, but the similarities end there, writes Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News, who believes the Knicks' Dolan should try to further emulate his Dallas counterpart.
- Omri Casspi's numbers are down since the Cavs acquired him via trade last summer, yet Casspi and coach Byron Scott aren't too concerned, notes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets that the team feels it got the better of the deal, which sent J.J. Hickson to the Kings for Casspi and a first-round pick.