Odds & Ends: Gay, Jazz, Nets, Miller
Rudy Gay has taken quite a bit of criticism lately for his lack of offensive efficiency. Some even say that the Raptors are better since Gay was shipped to Sacramento, but don’t try telling that to point guard Kyle Lowry. “He’s a hell of a scorer,” Lowry said, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. “I think he can put up 30 points, 25 points. That’s his game. He’s a scorer. I don’t blame him for anything. He shouldn’t be blamed for anything. I would never say that he should be blamed. His job is to score the ball. That’s what he was out there for. That’s what he’s paid to do.” More from around the league..
- Expect the Jazz to be active in trade talks over the next few weeks, given all the veterans on expiring contracts on the roster, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Nets announced that they have recalled Tyshawn Taylor from the D-League’s Springfield Armor after being assigned earlier in the day. In 20 games (three starts) this season, Taylor is averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 assists in 12.7 minutes per game.
- The Kings may be among the clubs in on Nuggets guard Andre Miller, but the Knicks are not in the running for him, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- The Thunder are doing research on D-League standout Manny Harris, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says that GM Gar Forman isn’t actively looking to trade anyone but that he is “always” looking for ways to improve the club, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Nets, Raptors, C’s
Regardless of whether or not Carmelo Anthony plans to re-sign with the Knicks, the team should trade him, opines Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Beck argues that even if Carmelo stays, building a contender around him would be tricky, and that the Knicks would be better off starting the retooling process now. Multiple league executives agree with that assessment, with one suggesting that an ideal trade partner for New York would be “a team that so wants a star and so wants it now and will do anything to get it, and that thinks Carmelo is still a star.”
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- The Nets have re-assigned Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. It’s the fourth time each player has been assigned to the Springfield Armor this season, though like their first three assignments, there’s a good chance this one will be brief.
- If the Raptors acquire a player in the next few weeks, it should probably be a big man, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, who says that even having a young big at the end of the bench would help the team.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com and Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com explain the Celtics‘ motivations for swapping Courtney Lee for Jerryd Bayless, with financial considerations playing a large role. Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com also caught up with Avery Bradley and Jeff Green, who weighed in on the move, wishing Lee the best in Memphis. The deal is expected to be finalized later today.
Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Lopez, Patterson
Carmelo Anthony brushed off rumors of trade talks involving him and Blake Griffin, calling the reports “silly and stupid” to gathered media today, including Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). That doesn’t mean that he and Chris Paul wouldn’t like to join forces, Isola notes, and Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com wrote yesterday that their desire to play together hasn’t waned since Paul first raised the idea in 2010. Anthony addressed the latest talk linking him to Paul, pointing out that, “It never happens,” as Isola also tweets. Of course, there’s wiggle room with that statement, too, since Anthony didn’t say it will never happen. As cryptic messages and conflicting reports abound, here’s the latest from the Knicks and their Atlantic Division rivals:
- The Nets believe Brook Lopez will recover fully from the latest surgery on his right foot, but if the procedure designed to make the foot more resistant to injury doesn’t prove successful, the 25-year-old’s career is probably in jeopardy, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
- Patrick Patterson‘s strong play has helped fuel the resurgence of the Raptors following his acquisition as part of the Rudy Gay trade, observes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
- The Knicks and Clippers are denying that they’ve had internal discussions about an Anthony/CP3 trade, but with the Knicks far adrift from their title aspirations, Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal thinks New York’s front office should be open to such a deal.
- Tom Moore of The Intelligencer wonders how the Sixers would have fared if they hadn’t traded Jrue Holiday this past summer.
Central Notes: Bulls, Carmelo, Bynum, Dunleavy
It wouldn’t make sense for the Bulls to go out and sign Knicks star Carmelo Anthony this summer, writes Sam Smith of NBA.com in his latest mailbag. Yes, Anthony would be a tremendous scoring threat when paired with a healthy Derrick Rose, but it would probably call for Chicago to amnesty Carlos Boozer, let Luol Deng walk, and move Taj Gibson. Earlier today, we heard that the Knicks have discussed one possibility for trading Anthony internally. Here’s today’s look at the Central Division..
- No one knows where Andrew Bynum will end up, but Sam Amico of FOX Sports throws out five ideas for where the Cavaliers big man could land. One of Amico’s ideas is shipping the disgruntled big man to the Nets for Paul Pierce.
- Mike Dunleavy may be known for his long-distance shooting, but he offers much more than that on the court, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Dunleavy inked a two-year deal with Chicago worth the mid-level exception this past offseason.
- Coach Tom Thibodeau said the Bulls haven’t ruled out sending rookie Erik Murphy to the Iowa Energy of the D-League at some point, Johnson writes.
- Caron Butler pushed to be traded from the Suns to the Bucks because he didn’t want to be lost in Phoenix’s youth movement. Now, the veteran is fighting for burn in Milwaukee’s own youth push, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
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.
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.
Odds & Ends: Kidd, Parker, Dwight, Iguodala
Former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy had a lot to say about the Nets, calling them “bush league” in a recent radio interview, but Jason Kidd took the high road rather than blasting him back. “I think we have one of the best owners and so I’m confident,” said Kidd, according to Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record (Twitter links). “Everybody has their right to their opinion, but the guys in that locker room are fighting.” More from around the Association as we look ahead to 2014..
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com checked in with execs from around the league to draw up his top 30 for the June draft. Jabari Parker is in the top spot, followed by Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle. The No. 4 spot doesn’t belong to Dante Exum or Marcus Smart – it instead belongs to Cameroonian center Joel Embiid.
- USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt gives us his best and worst free agent signings of this past offseason based on what he’s seen so far. Dwight Howard and Andre Iguodala are among those thriving in their new homes while things aren’t working out quite as well for Josh Smith and Andrew Bynum.
- D-League standout Willie Reed spoke with Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside about what he can bring to an NBA team.
- We don’t know much about this Nuggets team yet, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.
- The Pistons need to do some serious introspection with many futures and the direction of the franchise on the line, writes David Mayo of MLive.com.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports has five NBA storylines to follow in the New Year.
Atlantic Rumors: Knicks, Teletovic, Blue
Thaddeus Young is playing at an All-Star level this season, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. ”I think Thaddeus’ last [four] games are off the charts,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “It’s at an all-star type of level. He’s playing with versatility and a toughness and a leadership. It’s just a real strong package that he’s showing us. I really feel, the last [four games] if that’s what he is, he’s something special.” Meanwhile, the 25-year-old continues to hear his name in trade talk. Try not to get teary-eyed on us, because this is the final Atlantic Rumors post of 2013..
- J.R. Smith, who took to Instagram to express his frustrations with the Knicks’ decision to waive his brother, didn’t speak to reporters today, but coach Mike Woodson doesn’t expect Smith to have hard feelings against Jeremy Tyler, who replaced the younger Smith on the roster. Marc Berman of the New York Post has the details. Chris Smith isn’t sure whether he’ll sign to play in the D-League and he may wait awhile before making his next move, Berman notes.
- Tyler could play a significant role for the Knicks, as Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal examines.
- Mirza Teletovic doesn’t answer a question about whether he’s asked for a trade, but he tells Emir Jesenković of the Bosnian newspaper Avaz that he’s not thinking about the possibility of a trade and that his focus remains on the Nets. Teletovic also lends his support to coach Jason Kidd (translation via NetsDaily).
- Sixers camp invitee Vander Blue is once more a free agent, as Maccabi Rishon LeZion of Israel has waived the former Marquette shooting guard, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter links).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Eastern Rumors: Deng, Knicks, Bucks, 76ers
When a report surfaced earlier in December suggesting that Luol Deng and the Bulls had been about $5-6MM per year apart in extension talks, I speculated that perhaps Deng was looking for an annual salary in line with his current $14MM+, while the Bulls may have preferred something in the $10MM range. However, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the actual figures discussed were a little lower. Cowley reports that Deng and agent Herb Rudoy were seeking $12-13MM annually, while the Bulls slotted the All-Star forward at $7-8MM per year.
With Deng still a year away from free agency when the two sides talked about an extension, perhaps the Bulls were just driving a hard bargain, knowing that they still had plenty of time to work something out. But if Chicago stays committed to something in the neighborhood of $7-8MM annually, it seems highly unlikely that the club will be able to retain Deng beyond this season.
Here’s more from around the East….
- James Dolan is right not to scapegoat coach Mike Woodson for the Knicks’ poor performance this season, since the team’s struggles are the result of years of moves overseen by the owner, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the fact that Dolan told his players there won’t be any trades simply means that the Knicks don’t have any deals imminent — it doesn’t mean the team won’t make moves before the deadline.
- The Bucks and 76ers continue to sit atop Chad Ford’s Tank Rank list at ESPN.com, though Ford says Milwaukee owner Herb Kohl hasn’t totally given up on the idea of contending for the playoffs. Ford adds that the Sixers are among the NBA’s most active teams in trade discussions.
- In his weekly Morning Tip piece at NBA.com, TNT’s David Aldridge spoke to Kohl about finding investors in the Bucks and the possibility of both private and public funding for a new Milwaukee arena. Aldridge also explored the subject of why the Knicks and Nets feel compelled to avoid undertaking a full rebuild.
- The Cavaliers have recalled rookie forward Sergey Karasev from the D-League, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer (Twitter link). During his weekend stint with the Canton Charge, Karasev averaged 14.0 PPG in two games, making six three-pointers in total.