Southeast Notes: Pargo, Orton, Payton
Hassan Whiteside has proven a remarkable midseason pickup, scoring 24 points and grabbing 20 rebounds Wednesday to further cement that status, but the Heat haven’t reaped much benefit in the standings. They lost Wednesday’s game to the league-worst Timberwolves and have but a half-game lead on the Nets for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets aren’t ruling out a reunion with Jannero Pargo later this season once the back injury that led to his release has healed, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). Charlotte waived Pargo on Wednesday to sign Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract.
- Magic rookie point guard Elfrid Payton has seen action in every game Orlando has played so far, but embattled coach Jacque Vaughn isn’t hesitant to sit him when he proves ineffective at the start, as Ken Hornack of Fox Sports Florida points out. In any case, Payton has shown flashes, but the transition from playing in the NCAA’s Sun Belt Conference last year to the NBA season this time around has proven a challenge, Hornack writes. The Magic gave up the rights to Dario Saric, a future first-rounder, and a second-round pick just to acquire Payton at the draft this past summer.
- Wizards camp invitee Daniel Orton is joining the Purefoods Star Hotshots of the Philippines, a team official told Richard Dy of Spin.ph. Orton confirmed to Snow Badua of Spin.ph that he’s set to play with the club as soon as a hand injury heals. The four-year NBA veteran had been with the Sichuan Blue Whales of China before their season ended this week.
Southeast Notes: Hawks, Hornets, Magic
The Hawks‘ depth took a hit with the injury to Thabo Sefolosha, and one of Atlanta’s primary concerns with making any deal to compensate for his loss is disrupting the team’s excellent chemistry, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “For us to be open to improving the group and adding more depth, with Thabo healthy or without Thabo healthy or without Thabo having this injury, it’s kind of the same mindset,” coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We really like our group. You are hesitant to do anything. There is a little more opportunity for a six-to-eight week window but I don’t think it changes much if at all.”
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Hornets couldn’t wait any longer for Jannero Pargo‘s injured back to heal, which is what prompted the team to waive the veteran in order to make room for the signing of Elliot Williams, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “He still wasn’t close to being able to play,” coach Steve Clifford said of the decision to waive Pargo. “We were playing with fire out there if Brian Roberts goes down. Lance Stephenson and Gary Neal are doing a great job, but you’ve got to have a point guard.”
- Heat assistant GM Adam Simon had been the key figure within Miami’s organization keeping up with Hassan Whiteside before the team signed the big man in November, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com.
- If the Magic had managed just five more wins during the first half of the season, it’s likely that coach Jacque Vaughn‘s job wouldn’t be in jeopardy, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Schmitz speculates that if Orlando had 20 wins, the franchise would be in the playoff hunt in the weaker Eastern Conference, and Vaughn’s employment situation would have been more stable as a result.
Deveney’s Latest: Afflalo, Jackson, Hill
The NBA trade deadline is just over two weeks away and the front office activity around the league is sure to ramp up as February 19th rapidly approaches. Sean Deveney of The Sporting News ran down a number of tidbits regarding players who are on the trading block. Here are some of the highlights:
- The Nuggets have discussed dealing Wilson Chandler but would prefer to trade Arron Afflalo instead, Deveney notes.
- The trade market for Reggie Jackson is much weaker than the Thunder expected, Deveney adds.
- Lakers center Jordan Hill remains a hot commodity despite Los Angeles informing interested teams that he isn’t available, Deveney reports. Hill is out with a quad injury that could sideline him until the deadline has passed, but the Sporting News scribe expects the interest in the big man to remain high.
- Los Angeles is willing to deal Jeremy Lin if it could nab an asset in return, but the market for the Lakers‘ point guard has been weak, Deveney notes.
- Bulls forward Taj Gibson has been linked to a number of interested teams around the league over the past few months, including the Raptors, Suns, Pistons, Trail Blazers, and an unspecified team from Los Angeles, Deveney relays.
- The Wolves are open to the idea of trading Mo Williams, but with his team friendly salary and Minnesota’s young backcourt, the franchise isn’t desperate to make a deal, Deveney adds.
- The Pistons are seeking backcourt depth in the wake of Brandon Jennings‘ injury and Jonas Jerebko is Detroit’s best available trade chip, Deveney opines. The Pistons have depth at the forward position and would like to deal Jerebko for a point guard, notes Deveney.
- The Lakers have had their eyes on Suns guard Goran Dragic all season, but Los Angeles lacks the assets needed to get a deal done, the Sporting News scribe notes.
- Kemba Walker‘s injury could change the Hornets‘ willingness to make a trade, but the team would still prefer to move Lance Stephenson, Deveney notes. There is still the possibility that talks with the Nets could start again for the mercurial guard, and the Pacers and the Knicks also remain possible destinations for Stephenson, Deveney reports.
Hornets Cut Jannero Pargo, Sign Elliot Williams
WEDNESDAY, 10:32am: The moves are official, the team announced.
TUESDAY, 5:37pm: The Hornets intend to waive Jannero Pargo in order for them them to ink Elliot Williams to a 10-day contract, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Charlotte currently has the league maximum of 15 players on its roster, which is why the team would need to release Pargo prior to inking Williams.
Williams, 25, has been playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s D-League affiliate. In 19 D-League appearances this season, Williams has averaged 20.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.6 assists in 36.3 minutes per contest. He was briefly a member of the Jazz this season, having signed a pair of 10-day contracts with Utah in early January. In five NBA appearances this season, Williams has logged 3.6 points in 8.4 minutes per contest.
Charlotte will be on the hook for the remainder of Pargo’s 2014/15 salary of $915,243 if it releases him. Pargo has missed time this season due to an ailing back, and he has been limited to just nine appearances for the Hornets, averaging 4.6 points in 8.1 minutes per night. The 35-year-old’s career numbers over 10 seasons in the NBA are 6.4 PPG, 1.4 RPG, and 2.0 APG. His career slash line is .391/.356/.864.
Amico On Nets, Lawson, Williams, Kings
With the NBA trade deadline just over two weeks away, many GMs from around the league are certain to be burning up their phone plan minutes while trying to improve their teams for a playoff run, or for others, trying to clear as much cap space as possible for the summer’s free agent signing period. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio ran down a number of rumors from around the league. Here are some of the highlights:
- The Nets have been seeking trade partners for Brook Lopez, Joe Johnson, and Deron Williams, but they are looking to receive assets in return, and not to just dump salary in the deal, Amico notes. “I’ve talked to Brook about it, I’ve talked to Joe, I’ve talked to Deron,” Brooklyn GM Billy King said. “The players all know it’s part of the business, but we’re not looking just to get rid of these guys just because they’re saying they’re gonna do that. We’re exploring things that make sense as people call, but we’re not going to be making a trade to make a trade. That’s foolish.“
- Brooklyn had originally spoken with the Kings regarding a possible deal for Williams over a month ago, but those discussions have since died out, Amico adds. The Nets had also discussed a trade with the Hornets involving Johnson and Lance Stephenson.
- The Nuggets appear to be willing to trade point guard Ty Lawson, but Denver’s asking price is currently high enough that it is scaring away inquiring teams, the FOX Sports scribe notes.
- The Timberwolves are willing to deal Mo Williams, and the Kings are interested, Amico hears. Other teams reportedly interested in the veteran guard are the Pistons, Heat, Cavs, and Clippers.
- Barring a sudden turnaround in Sacramento, the odds are against Tyrone Corbin being retained as coach for next season, Amico notes. In addition to Kings executive Chris Mullin being a potential replacement, both Tyronn Lue and Larry Drew will be considered candidates as well, Amico adds.
Hornets To Sign Elliot Williams To 10-Day
The Hornets plan to sign Elliot Williams to a 10-day deal, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Williams recently went through a pair of 10-day deals with the Jazz before returning to the D-League.
Williams appeared in five games for Utah during his time there, averaging 3.6 points and 0.6 rebounds in 8.4 minutes per contest. The 25-year-old is a former first round draft pick of the Trail Blazers and was selected No. 2 overall in this year’s D-League draft.
Over parts of three seasons with the Blazers, 76ers, and Jazz, Williams has averaged 5.3 PPG and 1.6 RPG in 14 minutes per contest. Prior to joining the Jazz this season, Williams had appeared in 16 contests for Santa Cruz, Golden State’s D-League affiliate. The 25-year-old had notched 21.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, and 7.7 APG in 37.2 minutes per game.
Utah opted against giving Williams a deal covering the rest of the season and instead used his roster spot to sign swingman Chris Johnson to a 10-day deal.
Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Lamb, Young
Nuggets GM Tim Connelly admitted that his team is “very, very aggressive” as it seeks changes to the roster, and team president Josh Kroenke hinted that it’s a matter of when, not if, Denver will make a move, as Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post details after speaking with both execs. Kroenke said he and the front office understand the problems and how to address them, as Hochman relays.
“Tim and the rest of our staff are working their tails off,” Kroenke said. “And I know exactly what they think and where everything stands with our coaches and players. From my chair, it’s just a matter of time when to make decisions [on possible moves]. A good portion of deals is timing, and unfortunately our time frame has been drawn out due to different circumstances, mostly injuries. But I must say it again, our current state is not acceptable and our fans deserve better.”
There’s more on the Nuggets amid the latest from around the Northwest Division:
- Nuggets GM Tim Connelly told Hochman for the same piece that management is “firmly behind” coach Brian Shaw. Still, Hochman argues that Shaw’s ineffective lineup choices and public criticism of players should be grounds for termination if the team doesn’t become more competitive soon.
- Jeremy Lamb would have been merely a “throw-in” if the Thunder, Hornets and Nets had emerged last month from their three-team talks regarding Brook Lopez with a deal, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Lamb wasn’t a player the Hornets necessarily wanted, Bonnell cautions, adding that the main thrust of the discussion from their end was to find a way to “gracefully” bring an end to Lance Stephenson‘s time in Charlotte (Twitter links).
- Nets GM Billy King said Monday that he’s taking calls, not making them, but the Timberwolves would contend that Brooklyn initiated talks regarding Thaddeus Young, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). Still, given the volume of routine calls that take place between executives from opposing teams, just who made the initial call isn’t necessarily an indication of the relative strength of interest that the respective teams have in doing a deal, argues Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
- The Thunder have assigned Mitch McGary to the D-League, the team announced via press release. It’s the third time the No. 21 pick from the 2014 draft has gone to the D-League, but it’s his first assignment since December, as he’s been sidelined with left tibia inflammation.
Nuggets Offer Hickson, McGee For Lopez
12:11pm: The Nets and Nuggets haven’t spoken about Lopez in a week, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
MONDAY, 7:47am: Denver’s offer included one of the 2015 first-round picks the team received in return for Timofey Mozgov last month, sources tell Stein, who writes in a full piece. The Mozgov trade gives Denver the rights to Oklahoma City’s first-round pick this year if it’s No. 19 or lower and Memphis’ first-rounder if it’s anywhere from No. 6 to No. 14.
FRIDAY, 11:20pm: The Nuggets are continuing to attempt to pry Brook Lopez away from the Nets, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Denver has been offering Brooklyn a package of JaVale McGee and J.J. Hickson for Lopez, a deal that the Nets have firmly refused, Stein adds. Chris Mannix of SI.com had reported earlier today that the Nuggets were pursuing Lopez, but were unwilling to part with Ty Lawson, Kenneth Faried, Jusuf Nurkic or Wilson Chandler in a trade. Denver had reportedly expressed interest in acquiring Lopez earlier this month as well.
Denver’s proposed swap would work under the salary cap rules without requiring any additional players to be included. Hickson is making $5,381,750 for this season and is set to earn $5,613,500 in 2015/16. McGee’s 2014/15 salary is $11.25MM, and he is due $12MM for the following season. On the Nets side of the would-be deal, Lopez is earning $15,019,762 this year, and has a player option for 2015/16 for $16,744,218.
The oft-injured McGee has only appeared in 15 games this season for the Nuggets. He is averaging 5.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per contest. His career numbers are 8.5 PPG and 5.6 RPG. His slash line is .542/.200/.586 in 374 career games. The 29-year-old Hickson has appeared in 39 games for Denver, including five as a starter. He is logging 8.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. His shooting numbers for the season are .494/.000/.618.
Lopez has been the subject of numerous trade rumors the past few weeks. The Thunder, Hornets and the Nets were reportedly close to a three-way deal for the center, but the Nets decided that they didn’t want Lance Stephenson in return. The Heat were also noted to have made a bid for Lopez, offering Brooklyn a proposal that reportedly included Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Josh McRoberts. The organization appears to be undecided on whether or not to keep Lopez, but it will likely take a more enticing package than Denver had offered in McGee and Hickson for Brooklyn to budge, though that is just my speculation.
And-Ones: Heat, D-League, Brown, Knicks
Knicks coach Derek Fisher said that it was very important for New York to sign Louis Amundson and Lance Thomas for the remainder of the season, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link). Both players are inked to 10-day deals that expire this week. In five appearances for the Knicks this season, Thomas has averaged 9.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 26.0 minutes per game. Amundson has also made five appearances for New York, and his averages are 4.6 points and 5.8 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per night.
Here’s more from around the league:
- All of the injuries that the Heat have endured this season haven’t allowed the team to see how effective its intended roster could be, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes. “The most disappointing thing is we’re not even having a chance to be at full strength, to even see what we could do,” said Miami center Chris Bosh. “Not 100%, but just at least have most of our guys. It just seems like every time we’re about to turn the corner, there’s a drawback. And it is what it is. I can’t really say anything else.”
- The Cavaliers have recalled Joe Harris from the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This was Harris’ third jaunt of the season to the D-League. Harris has played in two games for the Charge this season, averaging 18.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 39.5 minutes per game.
- The Warriors have assigned center Festus Ezeli to the Santa Cruz Warriors, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced in a press release. Ezeli has missed the last 16 games with an ankle sprain. Golden State also announced that it has recalled Ognjen Kuzmic, who concludes his fifth sojourn of the season in Santa Cruz.
- With the trade deadline rapidly approaching, Basketball Insiders’ Cody Taylor looked at some players whom the Hawks, Hornets, Heat, Magic, and Wizards could be willing to deal.
- Lorenzo Brown will earn $48K from his 10-day contract with the Wolves, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). One-year veterans, like Brown, and rookies cost their teams slightly less than other players when they sign 10-day contracts, as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors explained earlier this month.
Eastern Notes: Whiteside, Roberts, Russell
Hassan Whiteside is finally getting an opportunity to prove that he is an NBA-caliber player after toiling away overseas and in the D-League, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes. When asked how he feels about getting his chance to play for the Heat, Whiteside said, “It’s a blessing, you know. I told my teammates, man, you won’t believe how things work out in life. Three months ago, you can ask anybody in Charlotte at the downtown [YMCA], I was just there. At the downtown Y, just chillin’. Workin’ on my game. I couldn’t even get a team to pick up the phone.”
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- With starting point guard Kemba Walker expected to miss a minimum of six weeks due to a a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, Brian Roberts is the player who will be called upon to contribute more for the Hornets, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “Here’s another opportunity for me to step up and help this team win games,” Roberts said. “It’s a challenge and everybody has to step up and take a little bit more ownership. Filling that void will be a group effort.”
- The Pacers are high on Ohio State combo guard D’Angelo Russell, but even as Indiana’s lottery chances improve, Russell’s improvement will make it tough for a team without a top-five pick to nab him, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes amid a chat with readers.
- The Pacers have assigned rookie big man Shayne Whittington to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team has announced. This will be Indiana’s first utilization of the D-League this season. In 13 appearances for the Pacers this season,Whittington has averaged 2.0 points and 1.2 rebounds in 4.5 minutes per game.