Shawne Williams Out For Season
Nets forward Shawne Williams underwent left foot surgery today to repair a fracture and remove bone fragments, the team confirmed (via Twitter). Williams will miss the remainder of the 2011/12 season and will be ready for training camp in 2012/13 (Twitter link).
Williams, who turned 26 last week, had a disappointing season for the Nets, averaging just 4.5 PPG on 28.6% shooting in the 25 games he played. The 2006 first-round pick holds a $3.135MM player option for next season which he'll certainly exercise.
Williams is the latest Net to be ruled out for the season due to health issues. Damion James and Keith Bogans had already suffered season-ending injuries, while Brook Lopez and Mehmet Okur are among the other Nets to miss significant time this year.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday
The Magic will only play once in New Jersey this season, but can the same be said about Dwight Howard? Howard and the Magic arrive at Prudential Center tonight amidst speculation that Howard would like to be a Net, if not by March 15th, then perhaps by the start of next season. With New Jersey scuffling along at 10-24, the rumors surrounding Howard and Nets point guard Deron Williams figure to get more attention today than the game itself, so let's keep tabs on today's Howard updates here. As usual, the latest items will be added up top throughout the day….
- The Nets have promoted Howard's appearance in Jersey heavily, hoping to "provide an atmosphere to impress," says Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Assuming he's not traded, Howard would give up an extra year and around $30MM in guaranteed money if he signed with the Nets this summer rather than re-signing with the Magic. However, Bondy hears from a source familiar with Howard's thinking that the lost year doesn't bother D12 much, as endorsement deals in the right market could help make up the difference.
- A source tells Bondy it's not a sure thing that Williams would leave the Nets if the team can't obtain Howard.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Iverson, Beaubois, Williams
With this weekend's All-Star game serving as a major benchmark in the Dwight Howard saga, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel breaks down what could happen, and when, once the mid-season festivities are over with. One interesting thing to note: The Magic's first game after the trade deadline is againt the Nets. If Howard is dealt there, things would get interesting in a hurry.
Here are a few other notes from around the league:
- In a tweet, Sportando reporter Emiliano Carchia is reporting that a professional team in Puerto Rico has pulled its offer for Allen Iverson off the table.
- Last night, ESPN's Chris Broussard wrote that Dallas was ready to move on from French point guard prospect Rodrigue Beaubois. Alex Raskin of Hoopsworld disputes the report by saying Beaubois still has the support of several high-ranking executives in Dallas' personnel department. Raskin cites the team's possible need to replace Jason Terry next season as a prime reason as to why the Mavericks will likely keep him.
- Nets forward Shawne Williams will undergo surgery to remove a bone fragment in his left foot on Wednesday, according to the team. In his first season in New Jersey Williams has been a major disappointment, averaging just 4.5 PPG on 28.6% shooting from the three-point line after breaking out last year with the Knicks.
Atlantic Notes: Humphries, Celtics, Rondo, Knicks
It appears his marriage to Kim Kardashian wasn't the only recent relationship that ended prematurely for Kris Humphries. Darren Heitner at Sports Agent Blog writes that, less than a year after firing agent Dan Fegan in favor of Pinnacle Managment's Marc Cornstein, the Nets forward has parted ways with Cornstein and returned to Fegan. The Lagardere Unlimited representative will be tasked with negotiating a new contract for Humphries when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer.
Here are a few more Tuesday updates out of the Atlantic division….
- "[Celtics GM] Danny [Ainge] is always going to look for trades," Doc Rivers tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. "You know who Danny is. But having said that, I don't think Danny is going to do anything crazy."
- The Celtics' coach also tells Blakely that he would prefer to let his injured players get healthy rather than shake up the roster at this point.
- Gerry Callahan of the Boston Herald wonders if now may be the best time for the Celtics to trade Rajon Rondo.
- The Knicks had interest in recent Cavs signee Manny Harris and may have been considering signing him to replace Jeremy Lin before Lin broke out, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
- Though he appears to be healthy, the Knicks' Baron Davis isn't a threat to take too much of Lin's playing time away, says Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
Atlantic Links: Smith, Nets, Celtics, Raptors
A pair of intriguing games involving Atlantic teams are on the schedule tonight — the Celtics play in Dallas, while the Nets, the first victim of Linsanity, get a rematch against Jeremy Lin and the Knicks. Here are a few Atlantic Division notes in the meantime….
- Following his Knicks debut, J.R. Smith gave Carmelo Anthony credit for bringing him to New York, as Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The godfather of one of his Smith's daughters, Carmelo "sealed the deal," according to the newest Knick.
- In light of Stephen Jackson's comments about wanting to play with Deron Williams and Dwight Howard, Fred Kerber of the New York Post explores trade scenarios that could get both Jackson and D12 to New Jersey this season.
- Although a trade is a possibility for the Celtics, coach Doc Rivers thinks the team's current roster can turn things around, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Boston has lost three straight games and five of its last six.
- The Raptors are getting healthier, but Andrea Bargnani will be out at least past the All-Star break, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday
Over the weekend, we heard that the Warriors were still considering making a play for Dwight Howard, while Stephen Jackson was unconvinced that his friend would be leaving Orlando. With the All-Star Game in Orlando just six days away now, the Howard rumors could start to really heat up in a week or so. For now, here's the latest on the Magic star….
- Citing team sources, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld says the Magic will "actively explore the trade landscape" again starting on March 1st.
- The Rockets and Warriors are viewed as two teams who could try to acquire Howard, despite not being on his list of preferred destinations. Kyler says both teams feel like they'd have a chance at convincing Howard to stay if they could land him using non-core assets.
- Regardless of whether or not Howard is traded by March 15th, he intends to explore his options in free agency this summer, with both the Nets and Mavs having been promised a chance to make a sales pitch in July.
Stephen Jackson Talks Potential Destinations
It's no secret that Stephen Jackson is a trade candidate, and that the Bucks wouldn't hesitate to move him if they got an offer they liked. But just in case there was any confusion, Jackson expressed his opinion to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
"No disrespect to the guys (on the Bucks)," said Jackson. "But I’m at the stage of my career where I want to be in a different situation."
Reports have suggested that Dwight Howard and Jackson would like to play together, perhaps for the Magic or Nets. While the possibility of the pair teaming up in Orlando is likely a long shot, Jackson seemed enthusiastic about the chance to play in Brooklyn next season with Howard and Deron Williams. Williams had positive things to say about Jackson as well, telling Bondy he tried to recruit the 6'8" forward when he played for the Jazz.
"I like his game," said Williams. "I know a lot of people that knows him. I’m good friends with Baron Davis, who says (Jackson) was a great teammate. So he was just one of the guys I always wanted to play with."
Jackson says he has no desire to play for the Mavericks, another potential offseason landing spot for Williams and Howard. However, as Bondy points out in a pair of tweets, neither the Nets or the Mavs would be able to take on Jackson's $10MM+ 2012/13 salary if they signed Williams and Howard to max or near-max deals. To have a chance to team up with both players, Jackson would probably need to be amnestied by the Bucks.
Nets Interested In Renaldo Balkman
Released on Friday by the Knicks after the signing of former Nuggets shooting guard J.R. Smith, Renaldo Balkman may find himself on another NBA roster before the week is up.
According to Fred Kerber of the New York Post, the Nets are looking to upgrade their depth at small forward and have turned their attention to the 27-year-old sixth-year player out of South Carolina. The Nets have been outscored 500-188 at the small forward position on the season heading into Saturday's game against the Bulls. The Nets current starting small forward, DeShawn Stevenson, is known for his defense rather than his scoring ability, which is also true of Balkman.
The former first-round pick by the Knicks was averaging 3.0 PPG and 1.9 RPG on the season in limited action.
Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Smith, Humphries, Raptors
With Jeremy Lin stealing most of the Atlantic's headlines, let's take a look around the rest of the division to see what else is going on:
- Nets center Brook Lopez will make his season debut on Sunday against the Bucks at home after breaking his right foot during a preseason game in December, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Sentinel-Journal. The Nets had hopes at the beginning of the season of using Lopez, 23, as a trade chip to acquire Magic center Dwight Howard before Lopez suffered the injury.
- Jeremy Wagner of The New York Times holds out hope that the newest addition to the Knicks bench can prove doubters wrong with strong play on the court and proper decision-making off the court. J.R. Smith, 26, shared MVP honors of the 2004 McDonald's All-American game with Howard, and according to Wagner, was anxious to prove himself that night thanks to the presence of Carmelo Anthony, who was sitting courtside.
- One of the worst teams in the league knocked off one of the best teams on Saturday when the Nets shutdown the Bulls 97-85 in Chicago. In a performance that's bound to get other teams on the phone with the Nets to start trade talk, Kris Humphries lit up the scoreboard with 24 points and 18 rebounds in 45 minutes of play. After two consecutive 20-point and 10-rebound games, Humphries is currently averaging 13.2 PPG and 10.2 RPG on the season.
- The Raptors are struggling to construct an identity on both offense and defense, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. They aren't considering trades to shake up the roster at this point, but rather are looking at extra practice time to help the 9-23 squad make adjustments heading into All-Star Weekend.
Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Carmelo, Sixers, Celtics
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News mentioned (via Twitter) a possible return of Nets center Brook Lopez before the All-Star break. Also, Colin Stephenson of The Star-Ledger tweeted that Jordan Farmar did not suit up for tonight's game due to a strained right groin.
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York writes that Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony could return as early as Friday's game against the Hornets.
- Bob Cooney of Philly.com discusses the uncertainty of how active the Sixers will be in the trade market before the deadline.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com touches upon the durability of Kevin Garnett, the trade value of Jermaine O'Neal, and the current state of the Celtics.
- Linas Kleiza is out of the Raptors lineup after injuring himself during Tuesday's game against the Knicks, according to a tweet by Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.