Atlantic Notes: Nets, Smith, Celtics, Sixers, Turner
Earlier tonight, we learned that things are heating up between the Nets and the Hawks as Brooklyn eyes forward Josh Smith. The Nets may not have all the assets to get a deal done, however, and it may behoove them to get a third team involved in the trade talks. Brooklyn would reportedly part ways with Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks to bring the high-flyer further up the east coast, but it's going to take more than that to make the Hawks release him from their talons. The Hawks almost certainly would like to trade Smith rather than lose him for nothing this summer, but they can find plenty of suitors around the league. Here's more on the Nets and the rest of the Atlantic..
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov must really not care about luxury tax penalties if he is willing to take on another max deal in Smith on top of an already expensive roster, tweets Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Prokhorov has made it clear that winning is his top priority and with the highest net worth of any owner in the league, he has the resources to make that a reality.
- In a deal slightly less glamorous than the rumored Smith swap, the Nets' D-League affiliate (Springfield Armor) sent power forward James Mays to the Celtics' affiliate (Maine Red Claws) for swingman Kris Joseph, a source tells Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Both players were in camp with the respective NBA clubs and Joseph was said to impress over the summer.
- John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer warns Sixers fans not to hold their breath on an Evan Turner trade. Turner is allegedly on the block as Philly considers a shakeup.
Nets Making Serious Push For Josh Smith
9:05pm: While the two teams are engaged in discussions, nothing is close yet, a source tells Broussard. The Nets are willing to give up Kris Humphries and guard MarShon Brooks for Smith, but it almost certainly will take more to make it happen and one source said the Hawks want a first-round pick.
Broussard writes that some scenarios that have been discussed include re-acquiring Anthony Morrow, but that would not be possible. A player cannot be traded back to a team within one year of that team trading him away, according to the CBA.
The Hawks also reportedly want a young center in return for Smith so the Nets may have to get a third team involved.
7:52pm: The Nets are going hard after Hawks forward Josh Smith, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN (on Twitter). While General Manager Billy King & Co. have also discussed a deal for Bobcats guard Ben Gordon, Smith is the bigger priority at the moment.
Earlier today, a report suggested that the Hawks aren't actively shopping Smith, despite the whirlwind of trade talk surrounding him. Meanwhile, Broussard handicapped the odds of Smith being shipped out of Atlanta at 60% earlier this week. It makes sense that the Hawks would explore a deal as they met with the 27-year-old's representatives this week and let them know that they're not interested in signing him to the max deal that he is seeking.
If General Manager Danny Ferry can take Smith off of the books, then he could potentially have room for two max deal players this summer. That prospect combined with the return that Smith could net would seem to make him one of the stronger trade candidates as we approach the deadline. The Suns, Rockets, and Bobcats have been said to have interest in acquiring Smith while the forward would like a trade to the Mavericks or Grizzlies if he had his way.
Odds & Ends: CP3, Clippers, Bargnani, Hunter, Scola
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Saturday evening:
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday.com writes that Chris Paul is unlikely to ever play for the Knicks, despite proclaimations he reportedly made to the contrary at Carmelo Anthony's wedding in 2010.
- Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com breaks down the Clippers' salary-cap flexibility for upcoming seasons.
- Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun writes that Andrea Bargnani is growing increasingly irrelevant in the Raptors' long-term plan.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer looks back at Billy Hunter's rocky tenure as executive director of the NBPA.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic praises Luis Scola's hard-nosed style, saying the veteran forward is a positive influence on the team's young players.
- Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News looks back at Nets interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo's tenure with the Spurs.
- Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes that, despite getting little playing time with the Mavericks, rookie Jared Cunningham is gaining valuable experience in the D-League.
- Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer examines the impact of trade rumors on head coaches in the NBA.
Latest On Dwight Howard
This week, Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak proclaimed that the team will not trade Dwight Howard before the deadline, and while that means D12 may remain in purple and gold through the end of the season, it doesn't preclude a change of scenery before 2013 is through. Howard will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, and though the Lakers are "very confident" he'll re-sign, plenty of other teams figure to be in pursuit, notably the Rockets, Hawks and Mavs. Here's more of what we're hearing:
- Howard said he and his father talk every day — just not about basketball — and remains hesitant to address Dwight Sr.'s public comments, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News documents. Howard's father called for his son to sit down with Bryant and coach Mike D'Antoni to hash out their problems, but Bryant and D'Antoni don't think there's anything to discuss.
Earlier updates:
- The transition from being the unquestioned team leader in Orlando to Kobe Bryant's sidekick with the Lakers has worn on Howard, his father believes, but Dwight Sr. told Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution he thinks his son will still re-sign with L.A.
- Dwight Sr. rules out the Nets as a potential destination for his son, who are unlikely to have the cap space to sign him anyway, but seemed to leave the door open for the Hawks, who play in the family's hometown. "Dwight hasn’t said anything about Atlanta, either. But he likes home. I think he would love to end his career here, even though he hasn’t said that publicly," Dwight Sr. said.
- Despite last year's "Dwightmare," Howard's father isn't sure that his son truly wanted to leave the Magic, believing he received poor advice from his representatives.
- The younger Howard had little response to his father's remarks, telling reporters, including Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register, "I'm not getting into it" (Twitter link).
- Rashard Lewis, one of Howard's former teammates with the Magic, offered his prediction for the big man's summer as well, letting Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida know his "gut feeling" is that Howard will re-sign with the Lakers (Sulia link). "He most definitely likes the city, likes the organization," Lewis said. "It’s one of the first-class organizations. The Lakers have a history of winning championships, and that’s what he wants to do is win championships. So we’ll see what happens at the end of the season, but my gut feeling is I think he’ll stay there."
Brigham On Humphries, Gordon, Lucas, Oden, Leonard
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld.com has a new column touching on a few trade rumors as well as some other topics from around the NBA on Saturday morning:
- Brigham writes that the rumored swap of Kris Humphries for Ben Gordon is a move that makes sense for both the Nets and Bobcats, given the needs each player fills on their roster.
- John Lucas enjoys playing for the Raptors, but he misses the Bulls.
- Following yesterday's report that the Cavaliers are preparing a multiyear offer for Greg Oden, Brigham writes that they are the frontrunners to land him.
- Brigham talks to Trail Blazers rookie center Meyers Leonard about his adjustment to the NBA lifestyle and the difference between the college and pro games.
Eastern Rumors: Drummond, Nets, Collins, Bulls
Pistons center Andre Drummond will miss four to six weeks with a stress fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra in his back, as first reported by MLive's David Mayo (Twitter link), and confirmed by the team, via press release. Since Detroit has only faint hope of a playoff spot and has been limiting the rookie's minutes this year, it seems unlikely the injury will prompt a move, but the Pistons do have pro-rated portions of their mid-level and biannual exceptions available. While Detroit fans endure another test to their patience, here's more on a handful of squads they'd like their team to someday surpass in the Eastern Conference:
- With a pair of rumors surfacing today that link the Nets to Josh Smith and Ben Gordon, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News shares responses from Joe Johnson (via Sulia), Kris Humphries and coach P.J. Carlesimo that suggest the team may be open to a move (Twitter links).
- In the midst of a frustrating season for the Sixers, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders whether coach Doug Collins will return next season.
- In an Insider piece, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com shares insight from executives who believe the Bulls, with a healthy Derrick Rose, will be the Heat's most significant threat in the East.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times runs down a list of reasons the Bulls should keep Carlos Boozer, opining that Andrea Bargnani, the centerpiece of a proposed deal with the Raptors, wouldn't be a fit in coach Tom Thibodeau's system. I looked at Boozer's trade candidacy earlier tonight.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com gives his take on Boozer and other issues surrounding Chicago and the rest of the league as part of a lengthy mailbag piece.
Nets, Bobcats Discussing Gordon, Humphries
5:53pm: The teams have discussed the deal, but it's on the back burner for now, tweets TNT's David Aldridge.
4:01pm: The Gordon/Humphries proposal came from the Bobcats' side, according to Howard Beck of the New York Times (via Twitter), so it's up to the Nets to decide whether to make the deal.
3:29pm: The Nets and Bobcats have engaged in discussions about a deal that would send Ben Gordon to Brooklyn and Kris Humphries to Charlotte, reports ESPN.com's Chris Broussard. According to Broussard, talks between the two teams are ongoing, but nothing is imminent.
The two players match up well from a salary perspective, as Humphries is earning $12MM this season and has one more year on his deal worth $12MM. Gordon, meanwhile, is making $12.4MM in 2012/13 and has a 2013/14 player option worth $13.2MM.
Additionally, neither player appears to be part of his respective team's long-term plan. Gordon was acquired by the Bobcats last summer for salary purposes in a trade with the Pistons that netted Charlotte a first-round pick. Although he's played well for the Bobcats, the team can get plenty of backcourt scoring from Kemba Walker, Ramon Sessions, and Gerald Henderson, and is targeting a frontcourt addition.
Humphries, who was pursued by the Bobcats in free agency last July, eventually re-signed with the Nets. But as I noted in my examination of the big man's trade candidacy, Brooklyn was likely motivated by the fact that it held Humphries' Bird Rights and could potentially use him as a trade chip, rather than by a strong fondness for his on-court contributions. According to Broussard, the Nets are interested in Gordon as a potential floor-spacer that could help improve the club's three-point shooting.
Hawks Entertaining Trade Offers For Josh Smith
5:41pm: There's a 60 percent chance the Hawks trade Smith before the deadline, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, who hears the Nets are among several teams interested.
5:27pm: Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears there have been no talks about a new contract between Smith and the Hawks, including the team's refusal to give him a max deal (Twitter link). It's unclear whether Vivlamore means the team hasn't refused to make Smith a max offer, or if that refusal is what's stymied further discussion.
3:38pm: The Hawks met with Josh Smith's representatives this week and indicated that the team wasn't interested in signing Smith to a maximum-salary contract this summer, reports David Aldridge at NBA.com. As such, Atlanta is now entertaining trade offers for the free-agent-to-be, though the club has yet to decide whether Smith will be moved, according to Aldridge.
Aldridge writes that the Hawks and GM Danny Ferry are still in "fact-finding" mode when it comes to exploring the market for Smith, though the player himself is prepared to move on. We heard recently that Smith considers himself worthy of a max deal in unrestricted free agency this summer, but the Hawks are unwilling to commit that kind of money at the expense of future cap flexibility. If Smith is removed from the books this summer, Atlanta could have room for two maximum-salary free agents.
The Suns, Rockets, and Bobcats are among the teams that reportedly have some level of interest in acquiring Smith, while the 27-year-old has been said to have interest in joining the Mavericks or Grizzlies as well. While Smith unquestionably has a ton of talent, he'd be a risky acquisition for any team, given the uncertainty on whether or not he'd re-sign this summer. He also has a 15% trade kicker, meaning he'd get a modest raise on his $13.2MM salary if he were moved, a bonus his new team would have to pay.
Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors examined Smith as a trade candidate last weekend.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Amundson, Celtics, Garnett
Yesterday, we heard that Louis Amundson is bracing for a possible trade or release as the Timberwolves near a decision on whether to keep their players on 10-day contracts (Mickael Gelabale, Chris Johnson) for the rest of the season. Today, Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com wonders if the Knicks could be in play for Amundson if the T-Wolves decide to cut him loose. Here are a few more notes from around the Atlantic Division:
- Some Knicks sources remain convinced that Rasheed Wallace is done for the season, but coach Mike Woodson isn't rushing to bring in a replacement, according to Zwerling.
- Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld hears from sources that while Celtics president Danny Ainge has kicked the tires on some trade possibilities, he hasn't seriously considered moving Kevin Garnett. KG's bond with Paul Pierce and coach Doc Rivers would likely result in him blocking many possible deals anyway, writes Kyler.
- Even though Nikola Vucevic is enjoying a breakout season for the Magic and Andrew Bynum hasn't played a single game for the Sixers, John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News isn't second-guessing Philadelphia's decision to make last August's blockbuster trade.
- As the Lakers arrive in Brooklyn for tonight's game against the Nets, Deron Williams tells reporters, including Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, that he isn't spending any time thinking about what could have been if Brooklyn had acquired Dwight Howard. "We’re happy with Brook [Lopez], we’re happy with the team we have now," Williams said. "It’s not a 'shoulda, woulda, coulda' scenario."
Atlantic Notes: Blatche, Sullinger, Collins, Raps
Rajon Rondo's season-ending ACL injury was expected to leave an opening for the ninth-seeded 76ers to make a move in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers have held up their end of the bargain so far, winning three of their last four games, but the Celtics have been playing well without their All-Star point guard, winning four in a row. With Boston off tonight, the Sixers will look to gain a half-game in the standings by handing the Magic their 10th straight loss. Here are a few other updates out of the Atlantic:
- A pair of sources tell NetsDaily (Twitter link) that there's no truth to an earlier report about the Nets making Andray Blatche available.
- Agent David Falk says the Celtics recognized that his client, Jared Sullinger, would eventually require surgery on his back, but that the team and player were hoping it could be delayed until the summer. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has the details.
- ESPN.com's 5-on-5 panelists, including Sean Highkin of Hoops Rumors, put forth a number of hypothetical deals for trade candidates. Among their proposals are suggestions for how the Celtics could maximize their return on Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
- The efforts of Jason Collins, who signed with the Celtics last summer on a one-year, minimum-salary deal, aren't going unnoticed, according to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star believes it makes sense for the Raptors to explore trading Alan Anderson for a backup point guard.