Eastern Rumors: Teague, Gasol, Nets
- The Nets never wound up interviewing Wizards senior VP of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard despite asking Washington’s permission to do so, according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.
- Knicks GM Steve Mills spoke with the Timberwolves about Ricky Rubio, but the Knicks believe Minnesota won’t deal him, and while New York contacted the Rockets about Ty Lawson, neither dialogue is active, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- The Celtics have thus far been unwilling to pay a premium for Al Horford or Dwight Howard, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
- The Bucks have reached out to the Sixers about Kendall Marshall but haven’t made progress on that front, reports Wojnarowski (Twitter link).
- Pau Gasol confirmed today the Bulls are in the lead to re-sign him when he opts out, as expected, this summer, tweets K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. An earlier report indicated he preferred to join forces with Marc Gasol on the Grizzlies.
- The Pistons are still deliberating on their point guard situation, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hears (Twitter link).
- The Magic are expected to make a big push this summer for Horford, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com tweets.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Mavs, Celtics Call Nets About Thaddeus Young
12:08pm: Mavs GM Donnie Nelson told reporters, including Tim Cato of SB Nation, that Dallas will not be making any moves (link to Twitter).
11:25am: The Celtics also reached out to the Nets about Young, Fischer tweets.
10:54am: The Mavericks have spoken to the Nets to gauge the availability of Thaddeus Young, who has interest in joining a playoff team, reports Jake Fischer of SI Now (Twitter link). Several teams with interest in trading for Young have already attempted to reach Sean Marks, whom Brooklyn hired today as its new GM, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports tweets.
It was reported yesterday that Young appears the most likely member of the Nets to be traded. What’s the more, the Nets are willing to deal Young, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. The Raptors and Clippers are two other teams that reportedly have interest in Young.
Young, a ninth-year veteran, re-signed with the Nets this past summer on a four-year, $50MM deal. Young has enjoyed a solid season and is averaging 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.
Nets Hire Sean Marks As GM
The Nets have hired Sean Marks as their GM, the team announced via press release. Marks leaves his job as Spurs assistant GM. He has a four-year contract with Brooklyn, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Brooklyn had apparently been upping its offer in negotiations late Wednesday, after Marks reportedly turned down the job. The Spurs reportedly envisioned him eventually taking a greater role in their organization and wanted him to stay, but Marks instead joins the Nets on trade deadline day.
“After an exhaustive vetting process, we are delighted to have Sean as our general manager,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in Brooklyn’s statement. “His experience on the court, in coaching and management gives him a 360 degree view of the job at hand. His background helping to build one of the greatest teams in the NBA gives him an unparalleled frame of reference. And he impressed us all with his vision, his values, his personality and his enthusiasm for the club. The vote to select him from an incredible list of talent was unanimous. We welcome Sean into our Nets family and look forward to his strong leadership and independent thinking as we build our own success story.”
Marks takes the reigns from assistant GM Frank Zanin, who’d been running the front office since the team removed Billy King from the job last month. It’s unclear just how much say Marks will have in Brooklyn’s decision-making today with the 2pm Central time trade deadline only hours away.
“I am very excited to be named the general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, and to become a member of the vibrant and dynamic organization that represents Brooklyn,” Marks said, according to the Nets’ press release. “I would like to thank Nets’ ownership for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to the challenge of creating a unified culture and building a winning team.”
Prokhorov denied on Wednesday that he’d offered the job to Marks, as had been reported, joking that he’d never heard of him. The owner raised the idea of taking another week to make a hire, casting doubt on the idea that the Nets wanted to have a GM in place before the deadline.
Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina reportedly has a strong chance to fill the Nets’ head coaching vacancy now that Marks is in Brooklyn, but the Nets apparently planned on making whomever they’d hire as GM only one part of a committee that will choose the next coach. The same committee was in charge of the GM search, with Nuggets assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas reportedly next in line had Marks not agreed to take the job, with Rockets executive Gersson Rosas and former Suns and Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo also among those who had been in the final mix.
Marks, 40, had a 12-year NBA playing career that ended with the 2010/11 season. He joined the Spurs organization the next season, and he’s served them in multiple front office and coaching capacities.
And-Ones: Johnson, Celtics, Pelicans, Lee
The Cavaliers think would-be post-buyout target Joe Johnson wants to stay in Brooklyn and that he’ll seek to sign an extension with the Nets, a source told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. People around Johnson say he won’t take a buyout, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
- The Celtics are willing to trade the unprotected 2016 first-round pick they have coming their way from the Nets if it would shake Blake Griffin loose from the Clippers, sources tell Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. However, Boston wouldn’t deal the pick for either Kevin Love or Al Horford, Bulpett hears.
- The Pelicans shopped Eric Gordon and Omer Asik, but they haven’t found much interest, sources tell John Reid of The Times Picayune. New Orleans reportedly offered Gordon and Alonzo Gee to the Kings for Rudy Gay earlier this season, and the Pelicans apparently had talks with the Cavs that involved Asik after making him available in December.
- The Grizzlies shipped $542,714 cash to the Hornets as part of the Courtney Lee trade, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reveals.
- Jameer Nelson is running out of alternatives to season-ending surgery on a severely sprained left wrist, but he’ll continue to try to play for the time being after receiving an injection meant to ease the pain he’s feeling, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post details. He missed the Nuggets‘ last six games before the All-Star break.
- The Bulls were interested in Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer earlier this season, but the Rockets rebuffed their entreaties, reports Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link).
- The Pistons would love to make one more move before the trade deadline, GM Jeff Bower said today in an appearance on WDFN-AM radio, notes Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link). The team is reportedly scanning the market for veteran guards, but Bower said the Pistons are looking at the options available at every position and added that coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has confidence in Steve Blake as the team’s backup point guard, Beard also relays (on Twitter).
- The Grizzlies recalled James Ennis from the team’s D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team announced today. Ennis has appeared in 15 games with the Energy, averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per night. He has played in 10 games for Memphis, averaging 1.3 points in 3.6 minutes.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Teague, Schröder, Embiid, Knicks
The Sixers may plan a last-second attempt to acquire Jeff Teague or Dennis Schröder from the Hawks, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. A source told Pompey that Philadelphia front office could make an “11th-hour” call to the Hawks on Thursday to remind them of the Sixers’ interest. Pompey cautions that it will probably take Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel to get either of the point guards, and Philly’s front office would rather keep both until it knows the status of 2014 draftee Joel Embiid, who has yet to play an NBA game. However, a report emerged tonight that the Sixers are “gauging interest” in Okafor. “I think you always have to be aware of what the market is for acquiring something or considering a trade,” said chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo. “But we are not actively looking to do deals.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Embiid has traveled to Qatar for “a kick-start to the next phase” of his rehab process, according to Tom Moore of Calkins Media. He is working on his surgically repaired foot with doctors at Aspetar, which calls itself “the world’s leading specialized orthopedic and sports medicine hospital.” Embiid’s visit will include evaluation, consultation and meetings with specialists.
- Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis was happy to be called “untouchable” in trade talks by team president Phil Jackson, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork. Porzingis said he would like to remain in New York for his entire career.
- Interim coach Kurt Rambis said the Knicks front office hasn’t asked his opinion on any possible deals Begley also relays (Twitter link).
- The Nets won’t rush to make a deal before the deadline, owner Mikhail Prokhorov said, as NetsDaily notes. “If we have some small, good pieces, maybe we can do something,” Prokhorov said. “But we are [being] very passive because we’re not in a hurry. We have a long-term vision.”
- The Rockets asked for Jonas Valanciunas when they unsuccessfully approached the Raptors about a Dwight Howard trade, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. Such a deal would have required Toronto to relinquish much more to make the salaries match.
- The Celtics would give up more for Kevin Love than they would for Al Horford, but the Cavs and Hawks are expected to continue to demand more than Boston is willing to relinquish for either, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Latest On Nets, Sean Marks
THURSDAY, 7:11am: The Nets have ratcheted up their offer to Marks, Stein hears, with negotiations going late into Wednesday night and a decision expected within the next 24 hours, a source tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Prokhorov was kidding when he said he didn’t know Marks, Lewis writes.
10:14pm: Negotiations are continuing between Marks and the Nets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Brooklyn made a contract offer on Tuesday, and talks on contract terms and duties within the organization continued today. Sources told Wojnarowski that the Nets will turn to Nuggets assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas if Marks doesn’t accept the job.
4:40pm: Marks is still contemplating whether to take the Nets’ GM job, and the Spurs are hoping they can talk him into remaining in San Antonio, according to Mike Mazzeo and Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
2:07pm: Marks has turned down the job, multiple people around the NBA tell Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post, which further suggests that the Nets did indeed make an offer (Twitter link).
1:13pm: Prokhorov said today he hasn’t offered the job to Marks and denies even knowing Marks’ name, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com and Brian Lewis of the New York Post relay (Twitter links). The owner added might take another week to make a hire.
WEDNESDAY, 10:58am: Marks is leaning against taking the job, league sources told Mitch Lawrence of The Sporting News (Twitter link).
9:45pm: There’s no guarantee that Marks will accept the position, Wojnarowski writes in a full-length post. Spurs president/coach Gregg Popovich and Buford hold Marks in high regard, and the organization has been grooming him to eventually to take over a more significant role in the organization, the Vertical scribe relays.
TUESDAY, 9:20pm: The Nets have formally offered Spurs assistant GM Sean Marks their vacant GM position, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (via Twitter). The franchise had hoped to have its new GM in place by Thursday’s trade deadline, which could be the case if Marks formally accepts the team’s offer. If Marks does in fact join the Nets, there is an excellent chance that San Antonio assistant coach Ettore Messina will be in line for Brooklyn’s vacant head coaching slot, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News adds (on Twitter).
The news that Marks is Brooklyn’s choice comes as a bit of surprise based on previous reports which stated the general consensus around the league was that the job was Bryan Colangelo’s to lose. Other candidates interviewed by the Nets include Nuggets assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas, Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, former Cavaliers GM Chris Grant, current Pacers GM Kevin Pritchard and former Cavs and Hawks GM Danny Ferry.
Nets team owner Mikhail Prokhorov is said to be a huge fan of the Spurs organization and reportedly is enamored with San Antonio GM R.C. Buford, which may explain the team ultimately going with Marks over Colangelo. As a member of the Spurs organization, Marks is well-versed in international scouting, an area that is reportedly of prime importance to Prokhorov going forward.
Nets Notes: Prokhorov, Johnson, Young
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov admits past mistakes in an open letter he pens for Yahoo Sports, but he said he’s learned that building the right culture is more important than simply collecting talent and said that he wants players who don’t need convincing about the merits of playing in Brooklyn.
“There can be differences of vision and opinion, and everyone should be heard, but, once we have a strategy, we all need to work together to fulfill it and put our individual issues behind us,” Prokhorov wrote. “It also means we need to have the courage to say, ‘We’ll not go for that player because, as much as he’s talented, he doesn’t fit into the culture we are building.’ It takes guts to say ‘no’ as much as it does to say ‘yes.'”
The emphasis on the right atmosphere jibes with the team’s reported offer of its GM post to Sean Marks, who hails from the culture-conscious Spurs, though the latest reports have thrown cold water on the idea of Marks coming to Brooklyn. See more on the Nets:
- Joe Johnson is “not expected” to be on the buyout market, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. He’s reportedly yet to approach the team about a buyout after expressing openness to the idea earlier this month.
- The Nets are taking a “passive” approach to the trade deadline, Prokhorov told reporters, including Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link).
- Thaddeus Young appears to be the Net most likely to end up in a trade, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes within his power rankings.
Heat Notes: Dragic, Bosh, Trade Targets
The Heat not surprisingly have interest in soon-to-be free agent Mike Conley, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald passes along via Dan Le Batard of ESPN Radio, and Miami is open to hearing offers for Goran Dragic, Jackson writes. However, the Heat are in no hurry to trade their point guard. The Heat like Jeff Teague and Al Horford, but Miami would need to find a third team to involve in a deal to get Atlanta the assets it wants for them, according to Jackson. DeMarcus Cousins and Jahlil Okafor have also held appeal to Miami, at least as of earlier this season, a source who has spoken with the Heat told Jackson. Moreover, the Heat want to further reduce their luxury tax bill and add a shooter, and they’re continuing to try to make the playoffs despite the health scare for Chris Bosh, who has an encouraging prognosis for his long-term health once his latest blood clot issue is resolved, Jackson reports.
See more from Miami:
- The most likely course of action regarding Bosh’s health would probably knock him out for three months, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, though agent Henry Thomas told Winderman that it’s too soon to know what will happen.
- The Heat probably wouldn’t benefit from missing the playoffs as much as they did last year when they snagged the No. 10 pick and Justise Winslow, making Bosh’s situation potentially devastating for the franchise, contends Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Miami’s first-round pick is again top-10 protected, but lottery and draft-night luck played in the Heat’s favor last year.
- Jackson lists Mirza Teletovic, Jerryd Bayless and Wayne Ellington as “options” for the Heat as they look for a shooter, though it’s not entirely clear whether the Heat are indeed interested in them.
Atlantic Notes: Griffin, Morris, Johnson
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge doesn’t merely want a short-term upgrade, as he told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, leaving Bulpett to surmise that the Celtics don’t have interest in trading for a soon-to-be free agent they’re not confident they can re-sign. The front office objective isn’t merely to help the team grab a better playoff seed in the spring, Ainge said. The Celtics were indeed one of the many teams to inquire about Blake Griffin, a Western Conference source told Bulpett, adding that the Clips have no serious interest in moving him. While the Thursday trade deadline looms ever closer, here’s what else is happening in the Atlantic Division:
- Taking a patient approach and sitting out this trade deadline may be the Celtics’ best option despite their stash of draft picks, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com argues. While Boston should explore the possibility of landing a star player, it might be prudent to hold on to that stockpile of assets and make a big move during the offseason, Forsberg adds.
- With the Raptors reportedly seeking to upgrade their power forward position, the team is not interested in the Suns’ Markieff Morris, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports relays (on Twitter). Toronto has reportedly expressed interest in Thaddeus Young, Kenneth Faried, Ryan Anderson and Morris, according to multiple reports.
- Despite reportedly being miserable with the Nets, small forward Joe Johnson has yet to approach the team about a possible buyout arrangement, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. Johnson said recently that he wouldn’t dismiss the idea of a buyout from his contract with the Nets, which expires at season’s end, and the Heat, Cavs and Mavs reportedly want to make a run at him if he is released by Brooklyn.
- Former Knicks coach Derek Fisher‘s negative remarks regarding future unrestricted free agent Rajon Rondo may have contributed to his ouster in New York, Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Fisher, responding to comments Rondo had made regarding the triangle offense not being a good fit or him, said, “That’s your decision on whether or not he’s elite or not. You can’t ask him, when he wasn’t very successful playing against it, whether or not he wants to play in it. That’s his opinion. That’s fine. He doesn’t play for us. We’re not concerned about his opinion about us at this point.’’ The former coach was said to be a fan of Memphis’ Mike Conley, who is also set to become a free agent this offseason, Berman notes.
- Sixers small forward Robert Covington will likely have the most trade value among Philly’s bench players because of his team-friendly contract and ability to stretch defenses with his shooting, Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports opines in his deadline primer for the team.
Chuck Myron and Dana Gauruder contributed to this post.
Nets Open To Dealing Brook Lopez, Thaddeus Young
TUESDAY, 5:01pm: The Clippers are also interested in Young, Frank Isola of The New York Daily News relays (via Twitter).
MONDAY, 8:10am: Toronto and Brooklyn are talking in “basic, non-specific terms” about Young, one source told Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
8:50pm: The Raptors are interested in Young, but have yet to make a serious offer, one source tells NetsDaily.
SUNDAY, 7:49pm: The Nets are willing to deal Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young despite the franchise still being in the process of hiring a general manager, several league executives told Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
One potential deal, according to Isola, involves Young being traded to the Raptors in exchange for Patrick Patterson and Delon Wright. The Raptors own the Knicks’ 2016 first round draft pick and that may be part of the package, Isola adds. It was recently reported that Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is not 100% committed to retaining Lopez and Young. The Raptors are reportedly looking to add a power forward and Young’s name has already been attached to Toronto in that capacity.
Lopez landed a three-year deal for the max this past summer despite his history of foot problems. His contract contains only conditional guarantees for next season and 2017/18 based on the health of his right foot. Young, a ninth-year veteran, re-signed with the Nets this past summer on a four-year, $50MM deal. Young has enjoyed a solid season and is averaging 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game.