Magic Notes: Howard, Agent, Deadline
It would seem the schedule makers were plugged into the rumor mill when they set up tonight's Magic-Nets game in Orlando for a day after the trade deadline. The Nets were leading candidates to engage in a Dwight Howard deal with the Magic, but instead had to wonder what might have been as they watched D12 put up a relatively tame 18-point, six-rebound effort in an 86-70 Orlando win. Here's what's happening in the Magic Kingdom a day after a most anticipated trade deadline:
- The kinship between Howard and Deron Williams was not compelling enough to draw the big man away from his video game in time for dinner with the Nets point guard, reports Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, via Twitter. Colin Stephenson of the Newark Star Ledger points out that the two did exchange texts. (Twitter link)
- Howard confirmed what manager Kevin Samples said yesterday, and is not firing agent Dan Fegan, Bondy also tweeted. There was speculation that Fegan was influencing Howard not to opt in to the final year of the deal, since Fegan, who didn't negotiate Howard's existing contract, wouldn't get a cut. (Twitter links)
- Orlando fans were forgiving of Howard for his indecisiveness, giving him a "booming ovation" at the start of tonight's game, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
- The Magic top Washington Post writer Michael Lee's list of deadline winners for the deal they didn't make, with the Nets as the top loser.
Failed Deals: Nets, Bucks, Kaman, Pistons
Shortly after yesterday's trade deadline, we rounded up a few near-deals that didn't quite get done. Reports continue to trickle out about offers that were turned down and trades that were close, so let's cover a few more:
- Appearing on KNBR in San Francisco, Ric Bucher of ESPN.com reported that the Nets offered Brook Lopez to the Bucks for Monta Ellis shortly after Milwaukee acquired Ellis from Golden State (hat tip to RealGM.com). Unsuprisingly, the Bucks turned it down, according to Bucher.
- Bucher added that the Warriors could have acquired Chris Kaman from the Hornets in exchange for Brandon Rush, Kwame Brown's expiring contract, and a second-round pick, but chose to land Bogut instead (link via RealGM).
- The Pistons were also in on Kaman, offering the Hornets one of their big contracts along with a future first-round pick, says Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Ben Gordon is the only Piston whose contract would've worked in a one-for-one deal.
- After turning down that offer, the Hornets countered with Carl Landry for Jason Maxiell and an unprotected 2012 first-rounder, says Goodwill. The Pistons rejected that one.
Gerald Green Expects To Re-Sign With Nets
Gerald Green's second 10-day contract is set to expire this weekend, but don't expect Green and the Nets to part ways when the deal ends. Green tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that, although the paperwork isn't official yet, he plans to sign with the Nets for the remainder of the season (Twitter link).
Green, who had been playing for the D-League for most of the season, has been very impressive in his stint with the Nets, averaging 11.0 PPG on 51.3% shooting in nine games. In the last week, the 6'8" forward has been especially productive, averaging 21.0 points in just 26.2 minutes per game over his last three contests.
Nets GM Billy King told New York's WFAN this morning that the team is in talks with Green to keep him for not just this season, but for next year as well (hat tip to Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record).
Deron Williams Will Explore Free Agency
Dwight Howard opted into the final year of his deal yesterday, waiving his early termination option and ensuring that he remains under contract with the Magic for another season. Deron Williams finds himself in a situation similar to Howard's, with a player option for 2012/13, but the Nets point guard doesn't intend to exercise it.
"I will not opt in," Williams told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). "It's not monkey see, monkey do."
According to Bondy, Williams plans to explore his free agency and weigh his options this summer. The 27-year-old says the next place he plays, whether that's Brooklyn or elsewhere, is where he wants to retire (Twitter links).
While Howard changed his mind about his future a few times, Williams sounds resolute in his plans. He told reporters, including Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record (Twitter link), that he hasn't lost sleep contemplating this summer like Howard did: "I haven't flip-flopped and gone back and forth. It's not even close to the same situation."
Nets GM Billy King said today on WFAN in New York that he's very confident Williams will re-sign with the team (hat tip to Colin Stephenson of the Star-Ledger).
Nets Sign Jerry Smith To 10-Day Contract
The Nets have signed point guard Jerry Smith to a 10-day contract, the team announced (Twitter link). ESPN.com's Marc Stein tweeted last night that Smith was expected to join the Nets today.
Smith, 24, averaged 19.1 points and 4.2 assists in 34.5 minutes per game in 32 contests for the D-League's Springfield Armor this season. The Louisville product has yet to make his NBA debut.
Because the Nets traded away two players to acquire Gerald Wallace, the team has an empty roster spot and won't have to make a corresponding move to clear room for Smith.
Atlantic Notes: Lin, Carmelo, Nets, Wallace, 76ers
The Knicks' roster didn't undergo any changes at the trade deadline, but the team did make a major change in replacing coach Mike D'Antoni with Mike Woodson. Woodson's offense will de-emphasize the role of Jeremy Lin, focusing more on isolation plays, as Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. For his part, Lin appears ready to embrace the changes, even if it means a major reduction to his minutes, says the Post's Tim Bontemps. Here are a few more Friday morning notes on the Knicks and a couple other Atlantic Division squads:
- While at one point it seemed like a lock that the Knicks would use their mid-level exception to re-sign Lin this summer, that isn't such a sure thing now. Howard Beck of the New York Times and Marc Berman, in his piece linked above, both suggest that the chances of Lin remaining a Knick long-term have taken a hit with the departure of D'Antoni.
- Carmelo Anthony is ready to take the blame for D'Antoni's offense not working for the Knicks, but not for the coach's departure. "I do everything in my power to try not to get the coach fired," Anthony tells Berman, in a separate column.
- The Nets sent a top-three protected draft pick in yesterday's Gerald Wallace trade, and Chad Ford of ESPN.com explains the logic (via Twitter): There are apparently only three players the Nets love in the upcoming draft, in Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Thomas Robinson. I'm not sure about this logic — those guys aren't necessarily the consensus top three picks, for one.
- Another detail of the Wallace trade, per Mike Tokito of The Oregonian (via Twitter): the Nets put no precondition on Wallace opting in or out of the final year of his deal. Tokito called New Jersey "desperate," which is rarely an adjective you hear describe a team that just made a good trade.
- Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News likes what the 76ers did at the deadline, making only a small move to acquire Sam Young.
Hollinger On Deadline Deals
ESPN.com's John Hollinger has posted grades for every trade that took place today. The post is only available to ESPN Insider subscribers, but here are the highlights:
- The Nuggets were smart to shed Nene's contract, even if trading for JaVale McGee is a risk.
- However, Hollinger views the Wizards' acquisition of Nene is an overreaction to McGee's contract demands.
- For the Clippers, Hollinger doesn't believe Nick Young is a perfect solution, but that he's worth the risk since they didn't have to give up any significant assets.
- Hollinger praises the Blazers' rebuilding effort in the Gerald Wallace trade, although he has reservations about the players they got back from Houston for Marcus Camby.
- He doesn't think the Nets made a smart move giving up a lottery pick for short-term help when they risk losing Deron Williams at the end of the season.
- Hollinger likes the Rockets' acquisition of Camby as a short-term pick-up to help them make a playoff run.
- The Warriors' acquisition of Richard Jefferson is counterproductive to their efforts to tank for a draft pick, Hollinger writes. However, he praises the Spurs for shedding Jefferson's contract for Stephen Jackson's shorter one.
- Hollinger questions the Cavaliers for taking on Luke Walton's expensive contract while giving up Ramon Sessions, but loves the deal for the Lakers, as Sessions is a massive upgrade at point guard over Derek Fisher and Steve Blake.
- Hollinger likes the Sam Young acquisition for the 76ers, and while he doesn't believe losing him will shift the Grizzlies' playoff hopes one way or another, he questions whether it was necessary to shed him simply for cap reasons.
- He sees the Leandro Barbosa trade as a low-risk deal for both the Raptors and Pacers, giving Indiana immediate help at shooting guard while freeing up room for other players to get more minutes in Toronto.
Deadline Notes: Warriors, Nets, Mavs
A few notes in the aftermath of the trade deadline:
- Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com believes that the Warriors were willing to take on Richard Jefferson's contract because they don't believe luring a free agent with cap space is a viable option at this point.
- SI.com's Chris Mannix suggests that the Nets could target Kevin Garnett and Ryan Anderson in free agency this summer.
- Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson is happy with the team he has assembled and didn't see the need to make a move, reports Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.
Recap Of Trade Deadline Deals
Here's the complete list of trades that took place this week leading up to the trade deadline earlier today:
- On Tuesday, the Warriors sent Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh, and Kwame Brown to the Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.
- The Warriors then flipped Jackson to the Spurs for Richard Jefferson, T.J. Ford, and a first-round pick on Thursday.
- The Grizzlies traded Sam Young to the 76ers for the rights to former second-round pick Ricky Sanchez.
- The Pacers acquired Leandro Barbosa from the Raptors in exchange for a second-round draft pick and cash considerations.
- The Blazers entered rebuild mode by trading Gerald Wallace to the Nets for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a 2012 first-round draft pick with top-3 protection.
- Portland also sent Marcus Camby to the Rockets for Jonny Flynn, Hasheem Thabeet, and a second-round pick.
- The Rockets acquired Derek Fisher from the Lakers as well as the Mavericks' 2012 first-round pick (from the Lamar Odom trade) for Jordan Hill.
- The Lakers also traded for Ramon Sessions, sending Luke Walton, Jason Kapono, and a 2012 first-round pick to the Cavaliers and also receiving Christian Eyenga. The Cavs will also have the ability to swap the Heat's 2013 pick (which they own from the LeBron James sign-and-trade) with the Lakers' pick that year.
- The Nuggets, Wizards, and Clippers agreed to a three-team deal that will send Nene, Brian Cook, and a future second-round draft pick to Washington; Nick Young to the Clippers; and JaVale McGee and Ronny Turiaf to Denver.
Nets To Acquire Gerald Wallace
The Blazers and Nets have reached an agreement on a trade that will send Gerald Wallace to New Jersey, reports TNT's David Aldridge (via Twitter). The Blazers will receive Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a top-three protected 2012 pick. Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported the two sides were close, confirms the agreement (via Twitter).
After finding out Dwight Howard would not be available via free agency this summer, the Nets quickly turned to trades that would add help for Deron Williams. The price for Wallace seems awfully high though — while the Nets were able to move Okur's expiring $10.89MM contract and avoid Williams exercising his $3.1MM option for next season, the first-round pick seems to be the Nets' own selection. While New Jersey will retain the pick if it lands in the top three, it's very possible that the Blazers will receive a top-ten pick in what's expected to be a strong draft. The Nets currently have the sixth-worst record in the league (15-29).
Wallace has a $9.5MM player option for next season, which I assume the Nets will want him to exercise. Perhaps the two sides could even agree to void the player option in favor of working out a longer-team deal with a reduced 2012/13 cap figure. Even with Wallace on the books for next year, the team should have a decent amount of cap space to re-sign Brook Lopez and perhaps sign another free agent to entice Williams to stay.