Amico On Josh Smith, Cavs, Blatche, Granger
Water-cooler conversation this morning may be dominated by talk of Super Bowl XLVII, but at Hoops Rumors, we're still focused on the NBA, including the latest trade rumors from around the league. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has a few updates on players and teams that could be in the mix as the February 21st deadline approaches, so let's round up the highlights from his piece….
- Amico names the Mavericks, Bobcats, Rockets, Hornets, and Kings as potential suitors for Josh Smith. Many recent reports have suggested the Kings likely won't be too active at the deadline, but Amico notes that expiring contracts typically appeal to new ownership groups.
- Cavaliers GM Chris Grant wouldn't mind making another move before the deadline. Nothing concrete is in the works yet, but Grant is still working with some cap space and a few expiring contracts (Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi).
- Amico hears from multiple sources that the Nets have made Andray Blatche available in hopes of landing a draft pick. The Trail Blazers may have some interest, according to Amico.
- The Rockets are keeping a "keen eye" on Danny Granger, who has missed the entire season with a knee injury. The Pacers aren't actively shopping Granger, but could be more open to moving him given the emergence of Paul George.
- The Mavericks figure to be more active in trade talks as the deadline nears, as plenty of clubs are interested in Chris Kaman's expiring contract.
Eastern Rumors: Cavs, Speights, Casspi, Lowry
Much has been said about this week's three-team swap that sent Rudy Gay to the Raptors, and it's understandably overshadowed the three-for-one deal the Grizzlies and Cavaliers pulled off a couple of weeks ago. Still, the effects of that one persist, and GMs around the league believe it was a steal for the Cavs, reports Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. Finnan has more on the Cavs, and we'll round that up along with other rumors from the Eastern Conference right here:
- Most around the league believe Marreese Speights will decline his $4.5MM option for next season, Finnan hears, motivating Cleveland to entertain offers for him between now and the trade deadline.
- Omri Casspi isn't expected to re-sign with the Cavs this summer, and he may return to his native Israel to play, according to Finnan.
- While Jose Calderon's departure doesn't necessarily mean Kyle Lowry is untouchable in Toronto, the point guard tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld he isn't worried about getting traded at the deadline, even though he's finally feeling comfortable with the Raptors after coming aboard this past summer.
- Trade speculation hasn't fazed MarShon Brooks either, notes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
- Answering reader questions in his mailbag, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star doesn't think there's any chance the Raptors and Calderon would entertain a reunion in free agency this summer.
Trade Exceptions Set To Expire At Deadline
As our list of outstanding traded player exceptions shows, there are a number of trade exceptions that could be in play as this season's deadline approaches. A trade exception allows a team to absorb a salary without sending any salary out in return. For instance, with the $4.2MM exception the Grizzlies obtained when they traded Marreese Speights to Cleveland, Memphis could acquire one or more players who are earning $4.3MM this season ($4.2MM + $100K).
Trade exceptions, which cannot be combined, expire a year after they're initially acquired, so the TPEs that were created at last year's March trade deadline will expire if they go unused on or before February 21st. While the exceptions don't expire until March, teams obviously won't have the opportunity to use them during the few weeks after the deadline passes.
Most notable among those exceptions set to expire in March is the $13MM TPE the Nuggets obtained when they dealt Nene to Washington at the 2012 deadline. The Nuggets are very unlikely to use that entire exception, but it certainly gives them some added flexibility as they weigh their options over the next three weeks.
Here's the complete list of traded player exceptions that will expire if they go unused at the trade deadline:
- Denver Nuggets: $13,000,000
- Golden State Warriors: $3,294,960
- Milwaukee Bucks: $2,506,500
- Brooklyn Nets: $1,390,000
- Brooklyn Nets: $1,377,383
- Los Angeles Clippers: $1,223,166
- Memphis Grizzlies: $1,184,750
- Los Angeles Lakers: $854,389(*)
- San Antonio Spurs: $854,389
- Los Angeles Lakers: $544,340
(* This TPE was initially listed as $1,422,027 and had since been corrected.)
Atlantic Links: Bynum, Carlesimo, Rondo, Raptors
Led by Jrue Holiday, the 76ers remain three games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Significant help in the form of another all-star caliber player could be on the way within the next several weeks, as Andrew Bynum has continued to make progress toward his goal of possibly returning to practice next week, notes Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com. The 7'0 center has been plagued by bone bruises in both knees since the start of the season. With that aside, here are more news and notes from the Atlantic Division:
- Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York reports that Nets GM Billy King will meet with owner Mikhail Prokhorov on Wednesday to discuss P.J. Carlesimo and the job he's done so far as the interim head coach. While Carlesimo has done an exceptional job after replacing Avery Johnson, Prokhorov is said to still be enamored with going after big names such as Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy in the offseason.
- According to A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSNNE.com, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo will get a second opinion on his ACL injury from Dr. James Andrews, who is considered be arguably "the best orthopedic surgeon in the business."
- Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun lays out the Raptors' top five pressing issues as they inch closer to the deadline, calling their interest in Rudy Gay the "most likely to come to fruition" rumor, examining the return of both Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas from injury, Terrence Ross' progression into coach Dwane Casey's crunch-time lineup, and the continued acclimation of Landry Fields. With regard to Bargnani, Ganter thinks that Casey may have to provide a significant role at the expense of Ed Davis' minutes in order to showcase the 7-footer's health.
- Eric Koreen of the National Post doesn't think that Gay is the cure-all answer for the Raptors, who still have many other important questions to answer regardless of whether they land him or not. Among those question marks involve the franchise's commitment to GM Bryan Colangelo, the need for more significant roster moves, and the struggles of point guard Kyle Lowry.
- Doc Rivers doesn't appear too concerned about his players making an adjustment without Rondo, saying that a "no-point guard system" is something that the second unit has already found success with, writes Greg Payne of ESPN Boston.
- Mike Woodson will place a higher priority on getting Knicks three point sharpshooter Steve Novak more involved in the offense, says Ian Begley of ESPN New York.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Gay, Celtics, Sixers
The Nets pulled a little closer in the standings to the Atlantic-leading Knicks last night, cruising to a comfortable win over the Magic. The two New York teams each have 27 wins so far, though Brooklyn's busier schedule has resulted in three more losses (18) than the Knicks have (15). Here's the latest out of the Atlantic Division:
- Despite Monday's report on the Raptors' trade discussions involving Rudy Gay, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star still views a deal as unlikely to get done. According to Smith, the Grizzlies' asking price continues to be too high for Toronto. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld agrees that Memphis is in no rush to move Gay and says there's a good chance the club stands pat.
- With Rajon Rondo lost for the season, the Celtics don't figure to rush into adding another guard to their roster. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Boston is content with the four guards currently on the team — Avery Bradley, Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and Leandro Barbosa. Barbosa will likely see increased minutes with Rondo out.
- After a recent loss to the Bucks, Doug Collins was "apopletic," according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who says some league executives are wondering if the 76ers coach is reaching his breaking point. Mannix points out that in his three previous coaching positions, Collins never lasted longer than three seasons. The Philadelphia job seems to be Collins' as long as he wants it, but it will hard to be succeed without Andrew Bynum, whose return date remains up in the air.
- Deron Williams is finally playing like the $100MM man the Nets signed last offseason and coach P.J. Carlesimo thinks his point guard should be making even more, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
D-League Moves: Thunder, Mavs, Rockets, Suns
Here are today's D-League assignments and recalls, with the latest moves at the top of the page:
- Jeremy Lamb and Daniel Orton, who have been shuttled back and forth between the Thunder and the Tulsa 66ers all season, were recalled from the D-League, the club announced today in a press release.
- The Mavericks have re-assigned Jared Cunningham to the D-League, according to a team release. The move will give Cunningham a chance to play more minutes, as he'd only appeared briefly in one game for the Mavs since being recalled from the Texas Legends on December 31st.
- The Rockets have recalled rookie big man Donatas Motiejunas from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team announced in a press release. Motiejunas had been on his third assignment to the D-League, where he has averaged 20.3 PPG and 9.7 RPG for the Vipers in seven games this season.
- Diante Garrett has been recalled from the D-League by the Suns, the team announced today (Twitter link). In seven games for the Bakersfield Jam since being assigned to the team earlier this month, Garrett averaged 15.1 PPG and 7.4 APG, shooting a blistering 62.5% on three-pointers.
- The Nets have recalled Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor from the Springfield Armor, the team announced today in a press release. Both players have played extremely well in their two D-League stints this season, with Shengelia averaging 28.3 PPG, 13.7 RPG, and 7.0 APG in three games, while Taylor has recorded 26.5 PPG and 7.5 APG in four contests. However, Shengelia is currently out indefinitely with concussion symptoms.
Celtics Links: Rajon Rondo Reaction
In light of news that Rajon Rondo has a torn ACL, it looks like most readers think the Celtics would be smart to move Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. It is a question that basketball writers around the league will be tackling for weeks leading up to the trading deadline. Let's round up all of the media fallout from the Rondo injury here:
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England considers adding Delonte West the most likely scenario for the Celtics, adding that a league source told him earlier this season that the Celtics would only consider bringing back West if one of their guards went down with a long-term injury. Blakely also mentions Andre Barrett, the current D-League assists leader, as a possibility.
- The Celtics' television broadcast team takes a shot at answering the question of how the Celtics can replace Rondo, via CSN New England.
- Blowing up the Celtics' roster is way better in theory than it is in reality, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. He says that there simply aren't teams out there with young talent and draft picks that are willing to give them up for Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett. With this in mind, Wojnarowski opines that it would be a mistake for the C's to do anything drastic.
Earlier updates:
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders whether the Celtics will look to the D-League to fill the void created by Rondo's injury. Schlosser specifically mentions Delonte West, Courtney Fortson, Chris Wright, Donald Sloan, Sean Singletary and Scott Machado as potential solutions.
- Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also tweets that West and the Celtics seem like a match.
- Danny Ainge and the Celtics have some big decisions to make in the near future as a result of Rondo's injury, writes Matt Moore of CBS Sports. Moore says the Celts were already contemplating blowing up their roster this season, and the Rondo news certainly makes it more likely.
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports says that Pierce's contract – with only $4MM guaranteed next year – is "as tradeable as it gets." Berger adds that rival executives expect the Grizzlies to have interest in Pierce. He also speculates that a team like the Nets could be interested in Garnett. Should they decide to become buyers rather than sellers, Berger says Jose Calderon or Kyle Lowry are two possible targets for Boston.
- Jessica Camerato of CSN New England writes that the Celtics locker room was stunned to hear the news about their floor general after their double overtime win against the Heat. Camerato's colleague, A. Sherrod Blakely, provides more reactions from the Celtics as well as from Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
- Blakely adds, via Twitter, that he doesn't expect a trade soon. Instead, Blakely thinks that the Celtics will add a point guard via a 10-day contract, if they choose to do anything.
Atlantic Notes: Vucevic, Sixers, Shumpert, Lopez
It was a night of missed oppotunities Saturday in the Atlantic, where the Nets could have crept to within a half game of the division-leading Knicks with a win over the Rockets. The Raptors would have stood three and a half out of the last playoff spot if Kyrie Irving hadn't drained a clutch trey for the Cavs. The only team to make hay was the Sixers, who blew out the Knicks and pulled two games behind the Celtics for eighth place in the East. Here's more from the Atlantic Division:
- Nikola Vucevic is paying dividends as he develops for the Magic, but even he wouldn't have hesitated to make the deal that sent him away from the Sixers, the 22-year-old tells John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "I would have traded me for Andrew Bynum," Vucevic said.
- Iman Shumpert talked with Steve Serby of the New York Post about the effect Mike Woodson and the Knicks' offseason acquisitions have had on the team.
- Amid continuing speculation that he could be traded for Dwight Howard, Brook Lopez is establishing himself as a star, with the league's fourth-highest PER. Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger catches up with the Nets' $60.8MM center and wonders if he has become the league's best at his position, All-Star snub notwithstanding.
Eastern Notes: Lopez, Jerebko, Bobcats, Raps
Despite being the subject of trade rumors over the summer, Brook Lopez's strong play this season means he's likely to remain with the Nets at this year's trade deadline. If it were up to Deron Williams, there wouldn't even be a conversation about it.
"We’re happy with Brook," Williams told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. "Brook is our center. He’s having an All-Star year. I don’t see Brook going anywhere."
Here are a few more Wednesday links from around the Eastern Conference:
- Jonas Jerebko downplayed a story out of Sweden that suggested he was unhappy with the Pistons, as Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press writes. "I didn't read the story," Jerebko said. "So I don't know what it said. Everybody has a right to their own opinion. It's media. They probably twisted it."
- In a piece for MLive.com, David Mayo examines a few possible Pistons trade candidates, including Jerebko, Jason Maxiell, and Will Bynum.
- The Bobcats have begun conducting market research on a potential nickname change, now that the Hornets are set to become the Pelicans, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The Bobcats are sending surveys to season-ticket holders and polling the Charlotte market to see if a name change would affect buying habits, says Bonnell (Twitter links).
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun takes a look at the Raptors' looming decisions on Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon.
- In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addresses the unlikely possibility of the Heat acquiring Dwight Howard and the impact he expects Chris Andersen to have in Miami.
Odds & Ends: Redick, Crawford, James, Crowder
Just as we crossed into the final month before the trade deadline, the first deal of the new year went down today, and the action will no doubt pick up going forward. Here are a few more notes from a busy evening.
- J.J. Redick, an unrestricted free agent at season's end, wants a raise on his $6.19MM salary, but the Magic want him to take a hometown discount, reports USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt. If the team doesn't believe it can re-sign him when the trade deadline rolls around, Zillgitt won't be surprised to see the Magic trade Redick, since they don't want to lose him without any return.
- The Wizards are looking to make moves, and Jordan Crawford is drawing the most interest of any of the players they'd make available, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler reveals, noting rookie Bradley Beal isn't among the players they're dangling, Kyler adds.
- Damion James is heading back to the D-League's Bakersfield Jam, as the Nets have opted not to renew his 10-day contract, which expires tonight, tweets NetsDaily.com.
- Jae Crowder's contract with the Mavs is fully guaranteed through next season, but he doesn't want that to be the end of his tenure in Dallas, where he wants to play his entire career, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reveals.
- Elliot Williams, who tore his left Achilles tendon in September, isn't ruling out the possibility he could return at some point this season, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The league, believing he was done for the year, has already granted the Blazers a disabled player exception, but the team will get to keep it even if he makes it back.
- Ben Baroff of SheridanHoops.com believes there will be more deals similar to today's Cavs-Grizzlies trade in the years to come, as luxury tax penalties become more severe.
- Amid another round of Dwight Howard rumors, Nets brass has assured Brook Lopez he won't be traded, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.