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.
Hornets Eye Cole, Sessions Amid Walker Injury
WEDNESDAY, 1:02pm: Walker will miss a minimum of six weeks, the team confirmed via press release.
MONDAY, 5:21pm: Hornets coach Steve Clifford acknowledged the possibility that the Hornets would sign a player to help offset the loss of Walker, but while he said Walker has been “by far our best player,” he added that he believes the club has “more than enough” internally to maintain its performance. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer has the details, and notes that the club is without an open roster spot to accommodate a would-be signee.
5:12pm: The Hornets have Ramon Sessions and Norris Cole on their radar as they pursue trade possibilities to replace injured point guard Kemba Walker, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). Walker will have surgery to repair a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, the team announced, and while Charlotte didn’t provide a timetable for his recovery, the team hopes he’ll be back in six weeks, Wojnarowski tweets. The team isn’t looking to trade Walker, but merely to find someone to replace his production during his absence, Wojnarowski clarifies (Twitter link).
Charlotte is familiar with Sessions, having signed him in 2012, and he spent a season and a half with the club, a tenure that ended with a trade at last year’s deadline. Sacramento recently engaged in discussions regarding a swap of Sessions for Jordan Farmar before the Clippers waived Farmar, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, who at that point pegged Sessions as the King most likely to be traded. The 28-year-old makes $2.077MM this season and is in line for more than $2.17MM next year.
Cole makes roughly the same amount, drawing slightly more than $2.038MM this year in the final season of his rookie-scale contract. Heat president Pat Riley insists he hasn’t made any offers to any teams, in spite of a report that indicated Miami had proposed a deal for Brook Lopez that would have sent Cole to the Nets. Cole “pretty much knows” that the Heat are ready to trade him, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio wrote last week as reported that Miami had put the 26-year-old soon-to-be restricted free agent on the trade block.
The Hornets appear to be active in talks of late, many of them involving Lance Stephenson. Charlotte holds a half-game lead over the Nets for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and is a game and a half back of the Heat. It’d seem unlikely that Miami would want to help a team it’s competing against for a playoff spot, though that’s just my speculation.
And-Ones: Smith, Pelicans, Hornets
J.R. Smith believes that being away from the nightlife of New York will help improve his game and focus, TNT’s David Aldridge, writing in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com reports. The Cavs guard said, “I think this is the best situation for me, ’cause there’s nothing but basketball. There’s nothing you expect but basketball. There’s nothing, there’s no going out, there’s no late nights. There’s video games, basketball and basketball. So it’s a great thing, ’cause I go back to where I came from. When I grew up, I never, I wasn’t allowed to go out.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Smith also intimated that he wished things would have worked out with the Knicks, and wanted to become successful in the triangle offense, Aldridge adds. “I wanted to be one of the players that understood it, that got it,” Smith said. “The two greatest players in the world at my position played in it [Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant], and thrived in it, got all the accolades and championships and whatever else came with it. I wanted to be a part of that significant group. Not that I think I’m like those two guys in any way, but to be a part of the building process that that’s the base of, and go from there.”
- Pelicans and Saints owner Tom Benson is asking a judge to dismiss the lawsuit that his heirs have filed regarding the control of the two franchises, Brett Martel of The Associated Press writes. Benson’s legal stance is that he made a “deliberate, reasoned and difficult decision” to change his succession plan so that Gayle Benson, his wife of 10 years, inherits control of the team, Martel notes.
- The Pacers have assigned Shayne Whittington to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star reports (Twitter link). This will be Whittington’s initial D-League assignment of the season.
- Hornets GM Rich Cho isn’t willing to sacrifice any long-term assets in his search for a backup point guard, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. “I think one of the worst things you can do is lose [draft] picks and flexibility and then get caught in a corner,” Cho said. “That’s one of the challenges of this job: You’ve got to balance winning now with winning in the future.”
Pistons Eyeing Norris Cole
With point guard Brandon Jennings out for the season, the Pistons are looking into the possibility of trading for the Heat’s Norris Cole, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports. The talks between the two teams have been described as exploratory, and no deal is imminent, Haynes notes. Detroit is in search of a point guard to add to its depth, and the current plan is to acquire a short-term option and evaluate that player at the end of this season, Haynes adds. This Pistons were also reportedly interested in D-Leaguer Lorenzo Brown, who is set to ink a 10-day deal with the Timberwolves instead.
“We definitely got to get a third point guard, there’s no question,” said Detroit’s president of basketball operations and coach Stan Van Gundy. “To go out and get a guy who would be a huge difference maker, you probably have to give up something that would hurt you down the road. We’re not in panic time here. We’re not going to do that and be sitting here in the summer kicking ourselves for trying to do something short-term that would hurt us in the long-term.”
Cole would certainly fit the Pistons’ criteria, since he is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. The Heat are reportedly open to dealing the 26-year-old out of Cleveland State, and Cole was reportedly a part of a proposed deal with the Nets for Brook Lopez. Miami team president Pat Riley has denied that he made any proposals to Brooklyn, and he insists that the that Heat haven’t made any offers to any team. The Hornets have also been mentioned to have interest in Cole, with Charlotte seeking to add depth in the wake of Kemba Walker‘s injury. Walker is likely to miss at least six weeks of action.
In 39 appearances this season, including 23 as a starter, Cole is averaging 6.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 24.4 minutes per game. His slash line is .386/.239/.711. His career averages over four seasons are 6.2 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 2.5 APG.
Bucks, Hornets, Sixers Interested In Gary Talton
The Bucks, Hornets and Sixers are exploring the idea of signing D-League point guard Gary Talton, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. The second-year pro from the University of Illinois at Chicago is first among current D-League players in assists per game, with 10.2 in 26 appearances. He’s split the season between the affiliate of the Rockets and his current team, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, who share affiliation with 13 NBA teams, including the trio of clubs Charania identifies as interested parties.
Talton went undrafted in 2013, though the Grizzlies, under former CEO Jason Levien, were among the teams to work him out prior to the draft. He had a more limited role with Houston’s D-League affiliate last season, but this year, he’s seeing more minutes and has upped his three-point percentage from 31.2% to 40.6%. He was just a 29.3% shooter from behind the arc in two seasons of NCAA play.
Milwaukee waived combo guard Nate Wolters shortly before it lost Kendall Marshall for the season with a torn ACL, though the Bucks have 14 players signed for the rest of the season and reportedly plan to give Kenyon Martin a contract for the balance of 2014/15, too. Charlotte has a full roster but is seeking point guard help in the wake of Kemba Walker‘s injury, which the team hopes will allow him to return six weeks from now. The Sixers just signed point guard Larry Drew II to another 10-day contract Monday, and they, too, have a full roster.
Nets, Hornets Discuss Joe Johnson
10:12pm: A source tells Alex Raskin of The Wall Street Journal that the conversations between the Nets and Hornets have ceased. Still, the door remains open for the talks to pick back up closer to the deadline, and Charlotte has spoken to Brooklyn about Stephenson at least three times, Raskin hears.
MONDAY, 4:15pm: The Johnson talks date back to the three-way negotiations Brooklyn and Charlotte had earlier this month with Oklahoma City about Lopez, and no deal is imminent, a source tells Marc Stein and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.
SUNDAY, 7:51pm: The talks are somewhere in between exploratory and serious, according to Michael A. Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter). The Nets could also part with a smaller piece in the deal, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter).
7:45pm: The Nets and Hornets have restarted their trade talks, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. This time, the discussions are focused on Brooklyn guard Joe Johnson.
The two sides are discussing a larger package that would likely include guards Lance Stephenson and Gerald Henderson and forward Marvin Williams. The Nets have been linked to Stephenson in the past. A recent report indicated that they didn’t have much interest in the guard, but it would seem that they do in fact have an eye on him.
Hornets owner Michael Jordan has been intrigued with the possibility of acquiring Johnson, who has struggled recently with tendinitis. The Nets, meanwhile, would like to unload the 33-year-old’s lucrative contract. Johnson is set to make $23.1MM this season and $24.9MM in 2015/16, his walk year.
At the end of the day, the Nets wouldn’t appear to be saving a ton of money with this deal as Stephenson, Henderson, and Williams also have undesirable deals. Stephenson is making $9MM this season and $9MM in 2015/16. Henderson is earning $6MM this year with a $6MM player option for 2015/16. Williams, meanwhile, is scheduled to make $7MM in both 2014/15 and 2015/16.
The Nets revamp could also extend beyond Johnson as they explore deals for big man Brook Lopez. Wojnarowski hears that the Nuggets, who have long been connected to Lopez, remain an interested trade partner.
Johnson, 33, has been averaging 15.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, and 3.7 APG per game. His PER of 14.3 is well below his career average of 16.1. Overall, the numbers show that he hasn’t been as efficient in his three years in black and white as he was with the Hawks.
Eastern Notes: Pistons, Embiid, Millsap
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has shown no hesitation to make major moves, as Josh Smith‘s release made clear, and Van Gundy also pulled off a trade last month, swapping Tony Mitchell for Anthony Tolliver. The Lakers have apparently inquired about Greg Monroe and Brandon Jennings and the Pistons are reportedly shopping Luigi Datome, but Van Gundy doesn’t sound like he wants to make a move with the team having won 11 of its past 13.
“I’m really, really happy with the guys we have here right now,” Van Gundy said. “I’m really, really happy with our culture and how guys are working. We’ve got the right things going for our future.”
Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference as the Pistons clash with the first-place Hawks, who’ve won 12 in a row:
- It’s believed that the Sixers would be content with 2014 No. 3 overall pick Joel Embiid missing the entire season, just as Nerlens Noel did last year after he went sixth overall, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Some inside the Sixers organization question Embiid’s work ethic, and the former Kansas big man has clashed with a member of the Sixers’ training staff, Pompey hears. A source tells Pompey that Embiid’s weight has ballooned to 300 pounds, but Embiid denied that to Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com.
- Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick of USA Today imply that there’s mutual interest in a new deal this summer between the Hawks and soon-to-be free agent Paul Millsap. Atlanta was eyeing a longer deal than the two-year pact Millsap signed in 2013, but the power forward who turns 30 next month, wanted to engineer a shot at another payday not long into the future, Zillgitt hears (Twitter link).
- A trade that would have sent Lance Stephenson to the Nets appeared close last week until the Nets grew skittish about him, but the Brooklyn native isn’t anxious to leave the Hornets, notes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. “I want to be here,” Stephenson said. “I feel I can definitely help this squad… It’s really not up to me.”
- Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of former Apple CEO Steve Jobs, has been “sniffing around” the idea of making a run at purchasing the Nets, sources tell Robert Windrem of NetsDaily. She was part of a group that came up short in pursuit of the Clippers, as the NetsDaily scribe notes.
And-Ones: Gordon, Stephenson, Singleton
Magic rookie Aaron Gordon was back in action Sunday for the first time since foot surgery two months ago, reports Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Gordon contributed eight points and three rebounds in 12 minutes of action in a loss to the Thunder. “I just enjoy the game so much,” Gordon said. “You realize that when you’re not playing, how much you miss it. And then when I got back out there, it’s fun. I learned a lot [when I was injured]. I just move better without the ball now.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Lance Stephenson was back in the Hornets‘ lineup this week, but he may not be there long, writes Michael Lee of The Washington Post. Stephenson was part of a rumored three-team deal that would have sent him to the Nets, and he can expect to hear his name in more trade talks before the February 19th deadline. Lee notes that Charlotte began shopping Stephenson around the league in December before he suffered a pelvic strain that kept him out of action for 14 games.
- Former Wizard Chris Singleton is expected to sign with a team in the D-League, according to D-League Digest (Twitter link). Singleton spent three seasons in Washington, averaging 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 148 games. He has been playing with the Jiangsu Dragons in the Chinese Basketball Association.
- D-Leaguer Bryce Cotton has rejected several overseas offers in hopes of getting an NBA callup, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. The high-scoring Austin Spur has reportedly turned down teams in Turkey, Italy and Belgrade. The 22-year-old went undrafted out of Providence last June. He joined the Spurs‘ summer league team and was invited to training camp, but failed to make the regular season roster. After clearing waivers, he joined San Antonio’s D-League affiliate.
And-Ones: Stephenson, Thomas, Hezonja
Mario Hezonja, a projected lottery pick in the 2015 NBA draft, is still undecided if he will enter the NBA next season or play another year overseas, David Pick of Basketball Insiders reports. Hezonja, who is currently ranked No. 7 by Draft Express, and who I have slotted as the No. 12 best prospect, believes he’d be a surefire top pick if he had attended school at Kentucky, Pick notes. “If I was in college I’d probably be the No. 1 pick,” Hezonja told Pick. “I had an offer from Kentucky. I’m European and I need to work harder to break into the U.S market.”
Here’s more from around the league and abroad:
- Tyrus Thomas made his return to the court Friday night, playing in a D-League game for the Iowa Energy, Memphis’ affiliate. Thomas is attempting to catch the eyes of an NBA team, and has missed being a part of the game since he was waived using the amnesty provision by the Hornets back in 2013, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports writes. “After I was amnestied, I felt I was left for dead, as far as the NBA world was concerned,” Thomas said.
- The Hornets need to trade Lance Stephenson, but it’s more about what a poor fit his game is for the team than how Stephenson affects Charlotte’s chemistry, Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte Observer writes. The Hornets need a wing who can stretch the floor with his outside game and who doesn’t need the ball in his hands to be effective like Stephenson does, Sorensen opines.
- The Knicks had expressed interest in signing D-League big man JaMychal Green, whom the Spurs are reportedly inking to a 10-day deal, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. In the same article, Berman also notes that the Knicks are doing special research on why Andrea Bargnani has been unable to play more than two games this season due to injuries.
Northwest Notes: Lopez, Williams, Jackson
The Thunder were reportedly in the mix for Nets center Brook Lopez, both as part of a proposed three-way deal with Brooklyn and Charlotte and in two-way talks with Brooklyn. OKC star Kevin Durant doesn’t necessarily see the need to add Lopez’s offensive talents to the Thunder’s rotation, Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman reports (Twitter link). “We put up a lot of points, that’s what we do,” Durant said. “No matter where it comes from, we score a lot. Adding a good player to your team always helps, but I like what we have here. We put up points. That’s not our problem.”
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- Any trade for Lopez would almost certainly have to include Kendrick Perkins, a move that would weaken the team this season since he is the Thunder‘s best defender, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. Oklahoma City would benefit more from this deal next season, when all of the players would begin the campaign healthy, and the team could aim higher than just sneaking into the seventh or eighth playoff spot, like it hopes to do this year, Tramel opines.
- The Jazz are still undecided as to whether or not they will sign Elliot Williams to a second 10-day contract, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). In three appearances for Utah, Williams has averaged 2.7 points in 8.7 minutes of action per game.
- The arrival of Dion Waiters has cut into the playing time of Reggie Jackson, and it has also increased the uncertainty of his future with the Thunder, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman writes. Durant, when asked if he felt the need to help Jackson adjust to his new role, said, “We’re all professionals here, man. We know the nature of this game. This is not day care. We’re not babying anybody here. We all know that Reggie is such a good professional he knows that. He knows how to come to work every single day. And he knows that him and Dion are going to have to play together. And Dion knows that. So we’re not spending any of our energy on that type of stuff because this is a professional game. It’s a business at that as well. So, nah, we’re not going to do that.”