Latest On Howard/Van Gundy
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy's revelation that Dwight Howard wants him fired was the dominant story in the NBA yesterday. Many, including a slight majority of Hoops Rumors readers, believe Van Gundy will be gone before the end of the season. Here's what's happening as the saga continues to unfold:
- Magic executives have been more open to the idea of firing Van Gundy than even Howard has as the team looks to build a cooperative relationship with its superstar, notes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
- Howard also pushed the team to fire former coach Brian Hill, according to Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Van Gundy believes he'll finish the season as the Magic coach, HoopsWorld reports. He met with GM Otis Smith and Howard yesterday, the report states.
- The coach is expected to travel with the team to Philadelphia for its game with the Sixers tomorrow night, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com tweets, so it looks like Van Gundy's job is safe for the moment. Magic CEO Alex Martins doesn't want to make a change now, Berger also notes via Twitter.
- The Magic threatened Howard with a trade to the Lakers if he didn't opt in to his deal at the trading deadline, reports Fred Kerber of the New York Post. Despite the presence of the Lakers on his list of preferred teams, the Nets were far and away Howard's top choice, Kerber writes. The Magic favored the Lakers' offer of Andrew Bynum, Devin Ebanks and Steve Blake over New Jersey's package of Brook Lopez, MarShon Brooks, Mehmet Okur and two first-round picks.
- Howard and Van Gundy tried their best to deflect the glare of yesterday's events in their comments following last night's loss to the Knicks, notes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. While Howard simply declined to comment on the matter, Van Gundy tried to shift the topic to on-court matters when asked about his future with the team. “That’s not what’s important right now,” the coach said. “It’s not. My job security is not what’s important right now. What Dwight wants is not important. What’s important is that we focus on playing better as a team. That’s what is important.”
- J.J. Redick has Van Gundy's back, Kennedy also reports.
- On ESPN.com's Daily Dime, Zach McCann says the Magic locker room might be beyond repair now, with some players frustrated with Howard's power plays and others in agreement with D12 that it's time for Van Gundy to go. McCann also mentions assistants Brendan Malone and Patrick Ewing as possible interim replacements should the Magic let Van Gundy go this season.
- Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News calls on the Nets to end their pursuit of Howard in light of how he's tried to undermine his coach.
- Tom Ziller, writing for SBNation.com, says that the Magic would have been better off trading Howard at the deadline, despite his willingness to stick around for another season.
- Lang Greene of HoopsWorld gathers a few more reactions from around the league.
Atlantic Notes: Valanciunas, Calipari, Knicks, Nets
Let's round up a few Thursday afternoon updates out of the Atlantic….
- Raptors vice president and assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini tells Aris Barkas of Europhoops.net that Toronto still intends to bring Jonas Valanciunas to North America for next season. Between last year's fifth overall pick and potentially another top-five pick in this year's draft, the Raptors appear poised to add a ton of tantalizing young talent to their roster.
- John Calipari said yesterday that he has no interest in an NBA coaching job, but Frank Isola of the New York Daily News argues that Calipari couldn't possibly say anything else at this point. Isola hears that the Knicks are still targeting the Kentucky coach for next season.
- The Knicks' current coach, Mike Woodson, would "absolutely" like to continue coaching the team next season, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
- Last night's game may have been a preview of the Nets' future if Deron Williams doesn't re-sign, says Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger.
- As Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes, it's no lock that the Nets will lose their lottery pick in May.
Kyler’s Latest: Williams, Nash, Nelson, Hibbert
Within his preview of a few of the summer's top free agents, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld shares some rumors on the potential landing spots for those players. Let's check out the highlights….
- The Deron Williams sweepstakes are the Nets' to lose. If the team can't surround Williams with satisfactory talent, expect the point guard to sign elsewhere.
- Kyler hears the Suns have "put the idea of a two-year, $20MM offer on the table" for Steve Nash. Nash is said to be seeking a three-year deal, and if Phoenix were to add an extra year, it would almost certainly be the best offer the veteran would receive. Still, Kyler points out that Nash has earned well over $100MM in his NBA career, so he won't necessarily just take the highest salary.
- Jameer Nelson has yet to decide on his player option for next season. While he's very unlikely to find a higher salary for 2012/13 on the open market, Nelson could potentially land a larger guarantee over multiple years. Declining the option would also give him more agency in determining where he plays, since he'd be a trade candidate with the Magic.
- The Nets' Gerald Wallace is also undecided on his 2012/13 player option, though opting in seems more likely at this point.
- It's very unlikely that another team poaches restricted free agent Roy Hibbert from the Pacers.
- The Nuggets will probably match any offer for JaVale McGee of $7MM or less annually, but it's unclear whether they'd go much higher than that.
Atlantic Links: Lin, Nash, Knicks, DeRozan, Nets
Here's the latest out of the Atlantic, as the division-leading Celtics prepare to host the Spurs in one of the many intriguing matchups on tonight's NBA's schedule….
- Ian Begley and Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com debate whether the Knicks would be better off re-signing Jeremy Lin or pursuing Steve Nash in the offseason. Currently, 65% of nearly 8000 ESPNNewYork.com readers have voted for Lin.
- DeMar DeRozan, who will enter the final year of his rookie contract in 2012/13, suggests to Eric Koreen of Postmedia News that he'd like to remain with the Raptors longer than that.
- Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov will make a rare appearance in New Jersey to watch his team next week, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. The Russian billionaire will also meet with commissioner David Stern and may be on hand at the NBA's Board of Governors meetings in New York, where the board will officially vote on the Nets' move to Brooklyn.
Lakers Have Interest In Gerald Green
Gerald Green is under contract with the Nets for the remainder of 2011/12, having signed a rest-of-season deal after inking a pair of 10-day contracts with the team. Before the Nets picked up Green though, the Lakers were closely tracking him, GM Mitch Kupchak told Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. However, the team didn't feel like there was room on its roster for the 26-year-old swingman.
"If you look at him as a small forward, he would have been our fifth small forward behind Metta [World Peace], at the time Luke [Walton], Matt Barnes and Devin Ebanks," Kupchak said. "So, as painful as it was to watch a kid really grow and you get to know a kid, there was just no way to bring him on the team and have him sit and justify it."
Green was playing for the Lakers' D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, prior to being called up by the Nets, making it especially tough for the Lakers to miss out on him. In 20 games for New Jersey, Green has averaged 11.6 points with a .494 FG% in 23.3 minutes per contest. When the two sides negotiated Green's deal, they decided not to extend it through next season, though the former first-round pick has talked about returning to the Nets next year. The Lakers figure to keep an eye on the situation this summer, and haven't ruled out making a play for Green.
"I’m happy for the kid," Kupchak said. "I hope he plays well for the rest of the year and based on how things play out, we’ll take it from there."
Teams Signing The Most 10-Day Contracts
Teams have different motives for bringing players in on 10-day contracts. In the case of a lottery-bound team with little to play for in the immediate future, signing a player to a 10-day deal allows for an affordable, first-hand look at a young player to determine whether or not he might be a long-term asset (think Gerald Green with the Nets). For a contender, a 10-day deal allows a team to bring in a veteran to temporarily provide bench help in case of injuries or questionable depth (ie. Mike James and the Bulls).
As our 10-day contract tracker shows, however, some teams like taking advantage of these deals more than others. While a number of clubs have yet to sign a single player to a 10-day deals, a handful have brought in multiple players on temporary contracts, renewing some and letting others expire. Here's a quick look at which teams have taken advantage of the 10-day contracts the most this season, handing them out to multiple players:
Cavaliers:
Manny Harris (two 10-day contracts followed by rest-of-season contract)
Lester Hudson
Ben Uzoh
Hornets:
Jeff Foote
Solomon Jones (two 10-day contracts)
Donald Sloan (two 10-day contracts)
Lance Thomas (two 10-day contracts followed by rest-of-season contract)
Nets:
Andre Emmett
Gerald Green (two 10-day contracts followed by rest-of-season contract)
Dennis Horner
Jerry Smith
Raptors:
Alan Anderson
Ben Uzoh
Rockets:
Earl Boykins
Courtney Fortson (10-day contract followed by rest-of-season contract)
Malcolm Thomas
Spurs:
Eric Dawson (two 10-day contracts)
Justin Dentmon
Warriors:
Keith Benson
Mickell Gladness (10-day contract followed by rest-of-season contract)
Wizards:
Cartier Martin
Edwin Ubiles
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Knicks, Calipari, Davis
It looks to be an eventful day for the Atlantic Division, both on and off the court. The 76ers and Knicks will visit Miami and Indiana, respectively, looking to gain ground on the division-leading Celtics, while off the court, Nets star Deron Williams is again discussing his impending free agency. We have a few more notes from the division to round up, so let's dive in….
- Executives and other sources around the league don't blame Celtics GM Danny Ainge for his inactivity when it comes to moving his Big Three, says Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. Said one source: "Look, I’ve had my dealings with [Ainge], and he could be pain in the butt. But if I was him, I wouldn’t have taken what we were trying to give. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing, even when it’s the right thing. We’re programmed to act, but sometimes that can be the dumbest thing you can do." Ainge's decision to stand pat is paying off now — the Celtics are 15-5 since the All-Star break, including an ongoing five-game winning streak.
- The Lakers have title aspirations and the Knicks are battling to hold on to a playoff spot, but the two teams have more in common than you'd think, argues John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider link). According to Hollinger, health is the main difference between the two teams, as Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum have yet to miss a single game due to injury while the Knicks have been hit hard by the injury big.
- Even now that Kentucky has won a National Championship, don't expect to see John Calipari jump at a chance to coach the Knicks or any other team, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Calipari's star player, Anthony Davis, is a lock to go first overall in this June's draft, prompting Reid Cherner of USA Today to ask which of the league's eight worst teams would benefit most from drafting the Kentucky big man. The Nets and Raptors are among the choices, and Raps coach Dwane Casey is among Davis' fans, according to Eric Koreen of the National Post.
Deron Williams Talks Free Agency, Howard, Nets
As he stated after the trade deadline, Deron Williams hasn't wavered on his stance to test free agency after this season rather than opting into the final year of his current contract. That doesn't preclude a return to the Nets, but Williams figures to explore all of his options before making a decision. The point guard talked to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports about his impending free agency, Dwight Howard, and his role in the Nets' decision-making. Here are the highlights:
- Williams pointed out that teams don't get called "unloyal" for trading players like free agents do for leaving teams: "If [players] leave, we are not loyal, we are ungrateful. People say stuff to me on Twitter. They already think I’m gone. They are out there bashing me, saying to me I’m a traitor…. I didn’t ask to be here. I got traded. I didn’t come here being a free agent. This is the first time that I’m a free agent in my career."
- Williams "probably" would've re-signed with the Nets if the team had managed to acquire Howard at the trade deadline: "Oh yeah, it definitely would have changed things. I’ve already made it known that if he would have come I probably would have stayed."
- A winning situation will be Williams' first priority in free agency: "At the end of the day, I'm not getting any younger. I'll be 28 when I sign this next deal. I have to look for the best situation for me."
- Nets GM Billy King thinks that having a hand in his team's decision-making process will be another draw for Williams. The point guard has worked with King and the Nets' front office on personnel decisions since December, according to King: "In training camp he was in my office after practice every day just sitting there. He calls himself, 'the assistant GM.'"
- The Mavericks have long been cited as a potential destination for Williams in free agency, a fact he acknowledges: "They’d definitely love for me to play [in Dallas]. I know that. I’ve known that my whole career. The fans on Twitter, a lot of Dallas fans on Twitter, tell me to come back home. We’ll see."
Atlantic Notes: Nets, Knicks, Woodson, Lin
We'll have to wait until next season until the Knicks and Nets are forced to play nice with each other in the same city, but for now we'll put items on both clubs in the same post and see how they get along..
- While some might be wondering if the Nets' recent slide will put them into tank mode, coach Avery Johnson said today that the team will play "to the very end," writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. The Nets, of course, only retain their first-round pick this year if it falls inside of the top three. Otherwise, it becomes property of the Trail Blazers thanks to the Gerald Wallace trade.
- Should the Knicks retain head coach Mike Woodson? Bob Knight certainly thinks so, writes Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com. "You'd have to be an absolute idiot not to see [Mike Woodson's success]. Not that the NBA is without its absolute idiots," Knight said.
- While a report claimed that the Knicks kept Jeremy Lin's knee surgery under wraps in order to sell playoff tickets, the club was quick to squash such speculation, writes Royce Young of CBSSports.com.
- After the Nets move across the river to Brooklyn, Shaquille O'Neal hopes to bring an NBA team to Newark, New Jersey, writes Mike Vorkunov of the Star-Ledger. However, the big man kept mum when pressed for details on how he would make that happen or where the financial support might come from.
Free Agent Stock Watch: Kris Humphries
A little over two years ago, the Nets traded Eduardo Najera – who never quite found his groove in New Jersey thanks to various injuries – to the Mavericks for Kris Humphries and Shawne Williams. While the trade was more about moving the final two-and-a-half years of Najera's contract than making a significant acquisition, Humphries proved to be a pleasant surprise for New Jersey.
Hump gave the Nets the edge they sorely needed on the glass in 2010/11 as Brook Lopez shied away from the paint and this summer he was handsomely rewarded with a one-year, $8MM deal. However, the former 14th overall pick didn't get to put pen-to-paper until just four days prior to the start of the NBA season as the Nets wanted flexibility to be able to pull off a trade with Orlando involving Dwight Howard. Unfortunately for Humphries, he could experience flashbacks to that once again this summer. While he is having another strong season, it seems likely that the Nets will put him on the back-burner once again as they explore a deal for Howard or another mega-star that will make Deron Williams want to join the club in Brooklyn.
Despite the extra attention that he has gotten this year, both on- and off-the-court, Humphries has delivered once again this season, putting up 13.4 PPG and 10.9 RPG. It's not exactly clear who is representing the 27-year-old at the moment but whoever his agent is will likely look to get Humphries a long-term deal. Will the Nets, who are anxious to satiate their star point guard with another "max level" player, commit upwards of $8MM to the big man over three or four years? Maybe not, but it's also possible that the club will be looking at a Deron-less future in July. Hump's blue collar style may not sell out the state-of-the-art Barclays Center, but it would help keep the club competitive during yet another rebuilding phase.
While the Nets may not be ready to prioritize Humphries, there are plenty of clubs that will. The Celtics might be in the market for a power forward if they part ways with Kevin Garnett. Teams such as the Cavaliers, Suns, and Bobcats have money to spend and could all be in the mix depending on what their short- and long-term goals are. Humphries has dominated the front pages of tabloids so far in 2012 but he could transition back over to making headlines in sports sections with a lucrative new contract this summer.