Latest On Brook Lopez Trade Talks
2:01pm: The Nets want to build more consensus within their organization before they move ahead with any trade, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com (All Twitter links). Youngmisuk suggests a split still exists over Stephenson but says Lopez talks are liable to restart at any point.
1:07pm: The Nets still want to move Lopez soon, and the Heat remain part of the talks surrounding the center, as Wojnarowski reveals in a full story.
12:51pm: Brooklyn isn’t prepared to simply dump salary, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (on Twitter). The two-team proposal involving the Thunder would have been essentially a salary dump, as Broussard wrote earlier (below).
12:34pm: The Nets are “standing pat” on Lopez discussions for now, a Nets source tells Wojnarowski, saying that there’s nothing on the market that they find appealing (Twitter links).
12:26pm: The Rockets are also looking into Lopez, Wojnarowski tweets.
10:36am: The Thunder and the Nets are making progress on their two-team talks, Wojnarowski reports (on Twitter). Lamb would go along with Perkins to Brooklyn for Lopez, Wojnarowski says, though Oklahoma City would need to add yet more salary to make it work, since the Thunder are above the tax line and can’t take in more than 125% plus $100K of the salary they give up.
9:49am: It was unwillingness on the part of the Nets to take on Stephenson that has Brooklyn considering a two-way deal with the Thunder instead of the three-teamer with the Hornets and Thunder, Wojnarowski tweets.
9:32am: The Nets continue to talk to the Thunder about a swap involving Lopez and Perkins in what would be a virtual “salary dump” for Brooklyn, according to Broussard (Twitter links).
9:05am: It was indeed the Nets who pulled away from the talks with Charlotte and Oklahoma City, but it’s still likely Brooklyn will trade Lopez, Bonnell writes in a full story.
8:44am: The potential deal between the Thunder, Hornets and Nets is “dead” for the time being, a source tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Reed Wallach of NetsDaily hears there are a lot of deals in play for the Nets (Twitter link).
FRIDAY, 8:00am: The Nets are trying to change some of the players involved in talks with the Thunder and Hornets as Brooklyn continues to resist closing on a deal, Broussard tweets. The rumors have upset Lopez, as a friend of Lopez tells Robert Windrem of Nets Daily (Twitter link). The NetsDaily scribe writes in a full story that league sources say Stephenson’s absence from the Hornets’ lineup has been because of a poor relationship with coach Steve Clifford, and not a groin injury as the team claims.
THURSDAY, 11:57pm: It’d be a surprise if the Nets, Thunder and Hornets don’t come to a deal that sends Brook Lopez to Oklahoma City, numerous league sources tell Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), who hears from one source who says such a trade is likely to happen, as Bonnell writes in a full story. The Thunder and Hornets have reportedly agreed to a framework of a trade that would involve Lopez going to the Thunder, Lance Stephenson and Kendrick Perkins going to the Nets, and Jarrett Jack and Jeremy Lamb going to the Hornets. Charlotte would also receive Grant Jerrett in that arrangement, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, though the Nets appear to be holding out as other teams pursue Lopez.
The Nuggets have spoken about a package involving JaVale McGee, but the Nets aren’t high on Denver’s injury-prone big man, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Heat came forward with a proposal involving Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Josh McRoberts, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Hornets would like to acquire Lopez for themselves, but Brooklyn prefers to send him to the Western Conference, Wojnarowski also hears. The Lakers are also reportedly interested in Lopez.
The Nets were reluctant to take on Stephenson last month, and while the front office remains cautious about him, as other teams around the league believe, Brooklyn’s ownership supports the idea of trading for him, as Wojnarowski details. Brooklyn’s talks involving Deron Williams haven’t found much footing, according to Wojnarowski. The team would like to rid itself of two of Lopez, Williams and Joe Johnson by the trade deadline, and the Nets have indicated to other teams that they want to make a Lopez deal by the weekend.
The Hornets have been “desperate” to trade Stephenson, according to Wojnarowski, though a month ago it appeared Charlotte had put an end to talks, at least temporarily. Still, there’s a strong belief that the shooting guard, a Brooklyn native, will end up back in his hometown, a move he’s hoped to make at some point, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.
Atlantic Notes: Williams, Stephenson, Wiggins
The Knicks have the league’s worst record, but commissioner Adam Silver isn’t concerned about their lack of success on the court in the league’s largest market, even with the All-Star Game coming to Madison Square Garden, as Peter Botte of the New York Daily News details. The Nets will host part of the All-Star festivities, too, but they’re 16-23 and appear ready to hit the reset button. Here’s more on the struggling Atlantic Division, where only the Raptors are above .500:
- There’s apparently plenty of interest in Brook Lopez, but the Nets have had such trouble finding a taker for Deron Williams that one source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the point guard will be staying put through the trade deadline.
- A source close to Lance Stephenson told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News a month ago that Stephenson wasn’t mentally prepared to play for his hometown Nets (Twitter link). The shooting guard would apparently like to play for Brooklyn at some point, but the Nets also reportedly have their doubts.
- The Raptors are listening to offers but not shopping, and while a minor move is conceivable, a significant change is highly unlikely, reports Cathal Kelly of The Globe and Mail. They remain poised to pursue Marc Gasol as they prepare to chase marquee big men this summer, and GM Masai Ujiri is studying what prompted Carmelo Anthony to re-sign with the Knicks this past summer to better understand the free agency process. The Raptors are already making plans for a run at Ontario native Andrew Wiggins, who can’t elect unrestricted free agency until 2019 at the earliest.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com analyzes the sum of the many moves of the Celtics, who since September have traded nine players and one second-round draft pick for 15 players and what’s likely to turn to out be nine second-rounders, Forsberg notes.
Nets Looking To Deal Brook Lopez
10:59pm: The Nets have major concerns about acquiring Stephenson, and fear that bringing him home to New York will make his personal issues even worse, Mannix reports (Twitter link)..
10:54pm: The Thunder have joined the Hornets in agreeing to the framework of a trade, but the Nets are still undecided, Broussard tweets.
10:04pm: The proposed three team deal would include Perkins heading to the Nets, Sam Amick of USA Today reports.
9:33pm: Brooklyn’s most serious conversations regarding Lopez are with Western Conference teams, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The Lakers are interested in Lopez, but likely lack the assets to get a deal done, Wojnarowski adds.
9:23pm: Charlotte is enthusiastic about getting a deal done, but Brooklyn and Oklahoma City aren’t ready to pull the trigger yet, Broussard tweets. According to Broussard’s source, the discussions are “just talk” right now.
8:49pm: The Nets are discussing a three-way trade that would send Lopez to the Thunder, Stephenson to Brooklyn, and Jeremy Lamb and Jarrett Jack to the Hornets, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). It would take more outgoing salary for Oklahoma City to make this deal work under the salary cap, with Lopez earning approximately $15.7MM this season, and Lamb’s salary only $2.2MM. Kendrick Perkins‘ expiring contract worth $9,654,342 would seem a likely candidate to be included in any deal, though that’s merely my speculation. Such a light return for a player who was deemed the missing piece when the Hornets signed him this past offseason would signal that Charlotte is in a hurry to offload Stephenson, and the chemistry issues he reportedly brings with him.
6:24pm: The Nuggets are among the teams expressing the most interest in acquiring Lopez, Chris Mannix of SI.com reports (Twitter link).
6:15pm: Brooklyn is talking to several teams, but is specifically seeking information on Lance Stephenson of the Hornets, Wojnarowski tweets.
THURSDAY, 6:10pm: The Nets have accelerated trade discussions for Lopez with the intention of moving him soon, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 5:02pm: The Nets are continuing to discuss potential deals involving center Brook Lopez with other teams, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link). The Heat have recently emerged as suitors, and according to Youngmisuk, have shown strong interest in acquiring the big man from Brooklyn. Any deal involving Lopez would be complicated by his salary, which is $15,719,062 this season, and he owns a player option for 2015/16 for $16,744,218. There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not the 26-year-old will opt in next season, which could impact the trade market for the seven-footer.
Brooklyn has reportedly discussed dealing Lopez to the Thunder for Kendrick Perkins (and his expiring contract), Perry Jones, and Lance Thomas (prior to him being dealt to the Knicks), though the Nets ultimately decided they didn’t like that return for their big man. The Celtics also reportedly checked in with the Nets regarding Lopez, but this was prior to the trade that sent Rajon Rondo to Dallas, and with Boston now in full rebuilding mode, it isn’t clear if the Celtics would still be interested in acquiring the oft-injured center.
Lopez has a wealth of talent, and he can be a dominant scorer when healthy. But injuries have cut short two of his previous three seasons, and big men don’t tend to age well in today’s NBA, which makes any deal for Lopez a gamble. His numbers are certainly impressive though. In 370 career games, Lopez has averaged 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks. His slash line is .510/.091/.791.
Tyrus Thomas To Join Grizzlies D-League Team
TUESDAY, 12:33pm: The Iowa Energy, the D-League affiliate of the Grizzlies, has claimed Thomas, sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). The club has yet to make an official announcement. Thomas will remain free to sign with any NBA team no matter the D-League club he plays for.
FRIDAY, 6:11pm: Former lottery pick Tyrus Thomas is set to enter the NBA D-League, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest reports (Twitter link). Thomas has been out of the NBA since the Hornets (then the Bobcats) put him on amnesty waivers back in July of 2013. The 28-year-old will go through the D-League’s waiver process to determine which team he will play for. The 6’10” forward out of LSU is trying to work his way back to the NBA, and had reportedly worked out for the Grizzlies and the Lakers back in November, but failed to generate a contract offer from either franchise.
Thomas has gone through some tough times since he was last in the NBA, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. In addition to losing his job in the league, Thomas also went through a divorce and what could have been a career-ending surgery to remove a cyst from his back, Kennedy notes. “I can’t begin to tell you what was going through my mind,” Thomas told Kennedy. “It all felt overwhelming – being released, going through a divorce and then the injury that led to me ultimately having to have surgery. I would wake up, pick my basketball up off the floor, bounce it around the house and say, ‘I want to play. I have something to prove to everyone who believed in me. I have something to prove to myself. I can do this. Then, I’d wake up the next day not feeling good physically and I’d think, ‘This surgery isn’t worth it.’ I had good days and I had bad days.”
The big man had his share of maturity issues during his career, something that he is eager to show is behind him, Kennedy writes. “I was 19 years old when I first entered the NBA; it’s no excuse and I’ve owned my mistakes, but whew have I grown a lot,” Thomas said. “Over the last two years, I’ve grown not only as a player but as a person. I now realize the opportunities that, at times, I took for granted. I look back now and I was just a poor kid from South Baton Rouge. I didn’t understand then what I understand now. Everything happened at once: getting amnestied, going through a divorce and making the decision if I wanted to come back and play basketball because of the severity of the surgery. Going through all of that, I definitely grew up.”
In 400 career games, Thomas has averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. His career slash line is .438/.235/.732.
Heat, Clippers, Hornets Eye Arron Afflalo
The Heat, Clippers and Hornets have all discussed Arron Afflalo as the Nuggets field numerous trade calls on Afflalo and Wilson Chandler, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). Afflalo has a player option for next season worth $7.36MM and was rumored to be interested in hitting the open market.
The Clippers were in discussions with the Celtics about acquiring shooting guard Austin Rivers. The team seems interested in adding depth at the guard position and there’s no word yet whether one move would exclude the other.
Charlotte has been linked to Afflalo since last season when he was a member of the Magic. The Hornets have won five games in a row and find themselves just two games behind the Nets for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
Miami is already in position to make the playoffs but would most likely need to add reinforcements if the team is to make any sort of deep postseason run. Mario Chalmers ($4.0MM) or Chris Andersen ($5.38MM) seem like candidates to be in a trade for Afflalo based on their salaries, although that is just my speculation.
Afflalo is having a rough season so far. He is averaging 15.5 points per game and his player efficiency rating is down to 12.75. However, based on his past history, he should have plenty of interest from teams as the trade deadline approaches.
Chris Crouse contributed to this post
Eastern Notes: Wroten, Taylor, Butler
CSNPhilly.com’s John Gonzalez took an in-depth look at the potential trade value of Tony Wroten, who was rumored to be the subject of trade discussions between the Clippers and the Sixers earlier this week. A pair of league executives told Gonzalez that Wroten could possibly net GM Sam Hinkie two second-rounders, and another said that it would be difficult to get fair value for Wroten, so it would be wiser to hang on to the guard. Philadelphia currently owns a whopping 15 second round draft picks between now and 2020.
Here’s more from the East:
- The Hornets have recalled Jeffery Taylor from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team has announced. In four games with the Spurs he averaged 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 26.2 minutes per contest. This was Taylor’s initial jaunt of the season to the D-League.
- Rasual Butler had the remainder of his contract guaranteed for the season when he remained on the Wizards’ roster past Wednesday’s deadline. The veteran swingman’s play has made him an integral part of Washington’s rotation, and Butler also has a fan in Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. Thibodeau, who briefly coached Butler in Chicago, said of his former player, “I think it’s the perfect fit for him and he’s a great pro. He’s a guy who plays year-round and stays in great shape. And I think when you look at what John Wall does and you look at what Andre Miller does, he’s the perfect fit because he creates space and his career says how well he can shoot the three. But to be doing it at this stage of his career is a real credit to him. But we always felt strongly about his professionalism, his attitude, how much he loved he game. And the shooting part, that’s never going to go away.”
- Despite all of the Knicks‘ struggles this season, first year coach Derek Fisher‘s confidence hasn’t wavered, and he believes this turbulent campaign will help him become a better coach, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes.
Bucher’s Latest: Kings, Pelicans, Cavs
It’s no secret that the Nets trio of Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson are available on the trade market, and they’re among a long list of players that GMs say teams are open to trading as the February 19th deadline approaches, according Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. Jeff Green, Brandan Wright, Lance Stephenson, Greg Monroe, Brandon Jennings, Goran Dragic, Nik Stauskas, Ben McLemore, Jason Thompson, Arron Afflalo and most of the other Nuggets are also on that list, with Bucher, in many cases, confirming earlier reports. Still, Bucher hears plenty of new rumbles, as he passes along in his piece, and we’ll hit the highlights here:
- Kings owner Vivek Ranadive unilaterally made the decision to fire former coach Michael Malone, sources tell Bucher, even though GM Pete D’Alessandro claimed the decision as his own. Most of the Kings organization was pleased with the direction the team was headed in and believed the team was overachieving, though there were doubts that Malone was the long-term solution, Bucher writes.
- Ranadive wanted to make a splash with Malone’s successor, but Kings front office executives prevailed upon him to keep Tyrone Corbin as head coach, according to Bucher. Ranadive would relish the chance to turn the screws on the Warriors, of whom he used to be a part-owner, by hiring Mark Jackson, the ex-Warriors coach, a source tells Bucher, who nonetheless believes that the team won’t hire Jackson during this season.
- Talk “circulating around the league” suggests that Pelicans owner Tom Benson is eyeing former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and former Mavs and Nets coach Avery Johnson if he decides to make changes, Bucher writes. Still, Pelicans sources tell Bucher that the club hasn’t contacted either Dumars or Johnson, and that there are no signs that Benson is definitively displeased with either GM Dell Demps or coach Monty Williams.
- Several executives from around the league don’t believe the pair of trades the Cavs made this week assure the team of any more than a second-round appearance, according to Bucher. One exec tells Bucher that the Cavs “overinflated” the market with what they gave up for Timofey Mozgov.
Berger’s Latest: Stephenson, Jackson, Crawford
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com shares eye-catching rumors from across the league in his latest must-read piece, which looks ahead to the trade deadline that’s just a month and a half away. We’ll pass along some of the highlights here:
- The Hornets continue to explore the market for Lance Stephenson, and they’re looking for frontcourt help, Berger hears. Charlotte had reportedly decided to table Stephenson talks late last month, but since that time, Al Jefferson was diagnosed with an injury that’ll keep him out most of January, if not longer.
- The Knicks tried to pry Reggie Jackson from the Thunder in talks leading up to Monday’s trade, and they’re expected to try to do so again, Berger writes. Still, the Thunder are holding the line against trading him, as Berger adds.
- Jamal Crawford is off-limits for other teams as the Clippers try to acquire a starting-caliber small forward, sources tell Berger. The Clips, up against a hard cap, have told at least one team that asked about Crawford that they don’t plan to move him.
- Execs from teams around the league believe the Knicks will be active between now and the draft, as there’s widespread doubt that New York will be able to land a major free agent this summer, Berger hears. There’s speculation that Jose Calderon will be the next Knicks player to be traded, but that’ll be more easily said than done for New York, since the 33-year-old point guard’s contract runs through 2016/17 with salaries in excess of $7MM each year, Berger writes.
Southeast Notes: Heat, Jefferson, Magic, Hawks
Doomsday predictions for the Heat in the wake of losing LeBron James are starting to come true, and Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post reports that players are searching for answers. “I just don’t even know what the point of this season — I don’t know. I have no idea,” Chris Bosh said after Wednesday’s loss to the Pacers. After four straight trips to the NBA Finals, Miami is struggling through a season beset by injuries and adjustment to life without its former superstar.
There’s more from the Southeast Division:
- Hornets coach Steve Clifford told Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer that the decision to shut down Al Jefferson came midway through Monday’s loss to the Bucks. “At halftime we spoke and agreed that we were going to sit Al down and say, ‘We appreciate you want to play, but…’” Clifford said. “It’s great that he wants to be out there and is team-first and wants to play. But he just can’t move.” Jefferson has been diagnosed with a strained adductor muscle in his left groin and is expected to be out of action for at least four weeks.
- Former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy likes Orlando’s roster but warns there will be some tough choices ahead, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. “Like everybody, you get to the point in all of these projects where then you have to make decisions on money, and that’s actually in some ways tougher than assembling a lot of guys to begin with,” said Van Gundy, now coach and president of basketball operations for the Pistons. “Who are you going to pay and how much and how are you going to put the whole thing together?” Orlando’s decisions will start in July when Tobias Harris and Kyle O’Quinn are set to become restricted free agents.
- The Magic have recalled Devyn Marble from the D-League, Robbins tweets.
- The Hawks are among the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and Adam Fromal of Bleacher Report opines that they have a chance to be in that position for a long time. Atlanta has slightly more than $41MM committed in salary for next season, with Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll, Elton Brand and John Jenkins as expiring contracts. The Hawks also can exchange first-round draft picks with the Nets as one of the lingering benefits of the Joe Johnson trade, and they have an extra second-rounder coming from the Raptors.
D-League Notes: Dinwiddie, Vonleh, Suns
The D-League is becoming an integral part of the NBA’s process of developing younger players, as well as a source for locating hidden gems to bolster rosters during the course of the season. You can easily stay on top of which players are coming and going from the D-League all season by checking out our 2014/15 D-League Assignments, Recalls tracker, which is updated daily. You can also find this page anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”
Here are the latest D-League moves:
- The Pistons have assigned Spencer Dinwiddie to the Grand Rapids Drive, their D-League affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Dinwiddie has appeared in eight games for Detroit this season, averaging 3.0 points and 12.4 minutes per game.
- The Suns have recalled Tyler Ennis, T.J. Warren, and Archie Goodwin from the Bakersfield Jam, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This was the second trip to Bakersfield of the season for Ennis and Warren, and Goodwin’s inaugural journey.
- Noah Vonleh has been recalled from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, the Hornets have announced. Vonleh saw action in two games with the Mad Ants, averaging 7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block in 13.0 minutes per game. With Al Jefferson set to miss at least a month, Vonleh will likely see increased action with Charlotte.
- Toure’ Murry has been assigned to the Idaho Stampede, the Jazz‘s D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This will be Murry’s second sojourn of the season to the D-League. In six games for the Stampede, Murry has averaged 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals in 31.5 minutes of play.