Odds & Ends: Gay, Jazz, Nets, Miller
Rudy Gay has taken quite a bit of criticism lately for his lack of offensive efficiency. Some even say that the Raptors are better since Gay was shipped to Sacramento, but don’t try telling that to point guard Kyle Lowry. “He’s a hell of a scorer,” Lowry said, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. “I think he can put up 30 points, 25 points. That’s his game. He’s a scorer. I don’t blame him for anything. He shouldn’t be blamed for anything. I would never say that he should be blamed. His job is to score the ball. That’s what he was out there for. That’s what he’s paid to do.” More from around the league..
- Expect the Jazz to be active in trade talks over the next few weeks, given all the veterans on expiring contracts on the roster, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Nets announced that they have recalled Tyshawn Taylor from the D-League’s Springfield Armor after being assigned earlier in the day. In 20 games (three starts) this season, Taylor is averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 assists in 12.7 minutes per game.
- The Kings may be among the clubs in on Nuggets guard Andre Miller, but the Knicks are not in the running for him, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- The Thunder are doing research on D-League standout Manny Harris, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
- Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says that GM Gar Forman isn’t actively looking to trade anyone but that he is “always” looking for ways to improve the club, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.
Eastern Notes: Butler, 76ers, Melo, Brand
Caron Butler seemed reasonably happy in Phoenix, but when Suns Assistant General Manager Pat Connelly approached him with the option of playing for the Bucks, the Wisconsin native was packed up and out of town within 48 hours, writes Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. “I got an opportunity of a lifetime,” Butler said. “What man wouldn’t want to play in his home state and home city? I thought it was great for me.” More out of the East..
- The 76ers announced that they have assigned guard Elliot Williams to the Delaware 87ers of the NBA Development League. Williams signed as a free agent with the Sixers on Nov. 20 and has appeared in 18 games with one start. To keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
- Clippers coach Doc Rivers thought the talk of a Carmelo Anthony-for-Blake Griffin trade was “so stupid” and Melo agrees. “Everybody talks about it,’’ the Knicks star said of one day playing with Paul, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. “Back to the USA team [in 2008]. Those three guys did it [LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh]. It happens. Everybody always says they want to play with this guy and that guy. But me and Chris have been rumored since he [came] to the NBA. There’s always been trade rumors trying to get us together. It never happened…it was stupid and silly.’’
- The Bulls chased both Elton Brand and Marcus Camby hard in free agency last summer, hoping one would sign as a fifth big man, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. When the Hawks offered a one-year, $4MM deal, Brand turned down the chance to return to where he started his career.
Andrew Bynum Rumors: Sunday
Today is the day the Cavs would like to reach agreement on an Andrew Bynum deal with the Lakers, though as we saw with the Rockets and Omer Asik, a self-imposed deadline doesn’t always spur action. Coming to terms today would allow the players involved 48 hours to complete their physicals in advance of Tuesday, the final day that whatever team left holding Bynum’s contract can waive him and save $6.25MM of his $12.25MM salary. Bynum could become more difficult to trade after that point, which helps explain Cleveland’s eagerness to deal quickly. Here’s the latest:
- The Cavs and Lakers failed to reach a deal by end of the weekend but talks are expected to continue as the Cavs weigh other deals, according to Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The Cavs are considering two deals other than the Lakers possibility, one of which is sending Bynum to Utah for Richard Jefferson.
- Some execs say the Lakers are out, the Bulls and Jazz are in, and the Grizzlies could even be in the mix on Bynum, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports.
- The Lakers were also looking to swap first round picks and inquired on Anderson Varejao but they were rebuffed, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- The Cavs also remain reluctant on sending a future first-round draft pick to the Lakers, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. L.A. could save $20MM+ on a Gasol-Bynum deal, but the Lakers’ insistence on more than salary-cap relief from the Cavaliers – such as Waiters or a draft pick – has been a significant hurdle in discussions. Meanwhile, the Cavs are willing to part with a second-round pick in a Bynum-for-Jefferson deal, which Cleveland officials believe is likely enough return to make the transaction worth the Jazz’s trouble. However, the two sides haven’t picked up talks over the weekend.
- As the Lakers push for assets in Gasol-Bynum discussions, the Cavs have refused to include Dion Waiters in talks, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).
- The only asset other than Bynum that the Cavs have offered to the Lakers is a second-round pick, and that’s not enough for L.A., as USA Today’s Sam Amick writes. The Cavs would have to include at least one other player to make a Bynum/Pau Gasol trade meet salary-matching requirements, but the teams haven’t discussed any Cavs other than Bynum. For now, the teams are in a standoff, with the Cavs aware that the deal would help the Lakers avoid the luxury tax while the Lakers feel the Cavs would prefer to receive immediate help in return for Bynum.
- The Lakers maintain their insistence that they will only trade Gasol for a valuable asset, notes Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).
- The Cavs indicate that trade talks are progressing, but while the Lakers “begrudgingly” admit the discussion has been revived, they deny that a deal is close, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link).
- Gasol’s camp is skeptical that a deal goes down today, Amick tweets.
Bulls Plan To Trade Deng, Amnesty Boozer
In his latest column for the New York Daily News, Mitch Lawrence reveals some interesting tidbits about the Bulls’ future. Lawrence hears from a source with knowledge of the club’s plans that the team wants to move Luol Deng before the trade deadline and plans to amnesty Carlos Boozer this offseason.
We’ve heard that several teams have interest in Deng. His name has been brought up in rumors as part of a potential Andrew Bynum deal, but it’s been reported that the Bulls aren’t interested in such a move. It’s worth noting that many clubs might be unwilling to part with valuable assets for Deng, since he’s on an expiring contract and set to be a big name in free agency come next summer. Earlier reports indicated that the Bulls wanted to retain the veteran forward, but Lawrence’s source says Chicago isn’t willing to pay top dollar for him.
Lawrence also hears that the Bulls plan to amnesty Boozer next summer. Boozer, 32, is set to make $16.8MM in 2014/15, and his on-court production has taken a hit across the board. He’s still playing 30 minutes per game, but his averages in points, rebounds, and field goal percentage are below his career marks. Earlier this month, we passed along a piece that depicted Boozer and Kendrick Perkins as the last players that looked like realistic candidates to be amnestied.
These potential moves, should they come to fruition, would show that the Bulls intend to rebuild the club after losing Derrick Rose to yet another season ending injury. At 13-18, Chicago would still make the postseason as the seventh seed in the weak Eastern Conference if the season ended today. However, it would appear the team is interested in building a squad that could contend for a title down the road rather than just a putting together a club that will finish as a lower-tier playoff group year after year. Lawrence hears neither Rose nor Tom Thibodeau is thrilled with the prospect of rebuilding, but it might be the only way the Bulls can craft a team with realistic title hopes.
Central Notes: Bulls, Carmelo, Bynum, Dunleavy
It wouldn’t make sense for the Bulls to go out and sign Knicks star Carmelo Anthony this summer, writes Sam Smith of NBA.com in his latest mailbag. Yes, Anthony would be a tremendous scoring threat when paired with a healthy Derrick Rose, but it would probably call for Chicago to amnesty Carlos Boozer, let Luol Deng walk, and move Taj Gibson. Earlier today, we heard that the Knicks have discussed one possibility for trading Anthony internally. Here’s today’s look at the Central Division..
- No one knows where Andrew Bynum will end up, but Sam Amico of FOX Sports throws out five ideas for where the Cavaliers big man could land. One of Amico’s ideas is shipping the disgruntled big man to the Nets for Paul Pierce.
- Mike Dunleavy may be known for his long-distance shooting, but he offers much more than that on the court, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. Dunleavy inked a two-year deal with Chicago worth the mid-level exception this past offseason.
- Coach Tom Thibodeau said the Bulls haven’t ruled out sending rookie Erik Murphy to the Iowa Energy of the D-League at some point, Johnson writes.
- Caron Butler pushed to be traded from the Suns to the Bucks because he didn’t want to be lost in Phoenix’s youth movement. Now, the veteran is fighting for burn in Milwaukee’s own youth push, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
Atlantic Notes: Raptors, J.R. Smith, Rondo
The Raptors are 9-3 following the Rudy Gay trade, with impressive wins over the Thunder and the Pacers, who are tied for the best record in the NBA. It’s easy to portray last month’s trade of Gay to the Kings as addition by subtraction for Toronto, but that’s not how DeMar DeRozan sees it, as Eric Koreen of the National Post notes.
“You really can’t say that,” DeRozan said. “People will speculate and say this, that and the third about the trade. One thing: We still had a lot of talent before the trade. Things just weren’t clicking. We didn’t play a full season and figure it all out, either. This is our team now, and we’re steadily learning and growing every day.”
Koreen is skeptical that the departure of the statistically inefficient small forward hasn’t helped the team during its recent stretch, pointing to the improved play of DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas since the trade. Regardless, the Raptors have reached the .500 mark, putting them in command of a weak Atlantic Division. Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- J.R. Smith says he’s gotten over his frustration with the Knicks for waiving his brother, and that he’s “ready to go to war” with Jeremy Tyler, who replaced Chris Smith on the roster, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- It was Rajon Rondo who first proposed the idea of sending him down to the D-League, Celtics GM Danny Ainge said today on 98.5 the Sports Hub in Boston, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passes along. It’s unclear whether the point guard will play for Boston’s D-League affiliate this season, but Ainge said he supports the notion of teams sending star players on rehab assignments.
- Celtics assistant coach Ron Adams shared his bitterness about Bulls GM Gar Forman‘s decision to let him go this past offseason with K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “It’s still a bit mystifying to me,” Adams said. “And I don’t understand it. And if the intent was to be hurtful to me and my family, it succeeded.” The Celtics were one of a half-dozen teams with interest in Adams when Forman elected not to renew his contract, the sort of decision that usually rests with a team’s head coach.
Carmelo Anthony Rumors: Thursday
With Carmelo Anthony not yet a real trade candidate, and still months from free agency, we’re not likely to have daily rumor posts about him anytime soon. However, both the New York Post and the New York Daily News have intriguing updates on the Knicks star today, so we’ll round up the highlights from the two pieces below:
- Seeing Stephon Marbury get heckled on Christmas Day during his first visit to Madison Square Garden in three years may stick with Carmelo, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. “He doesn’t want to be the next Marbury. He’s very sensitive,” the source said, referring to the fact that the former Knicks guard is viewed as the poster boy of a losing era for the team.
- Anthony not only wants to play for a winner, but also “desperately” wants to continue playing in a big market, according to Berman, who says that in addition to New York, Los Angeles (both teams) and even Chicago are on Carmelo’s short list. Berman adds that the Bulls would intrigue Anthony in part because he has a lot of respect for coach Tom Thibodeau. Still, the Knicks remain Carmelo’s top choice, assuming he sees that the club has a solid plan for the future in place, writes Berman.
- A source who has played with Anthony spoke to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, expressing a belief that his former teammate will sign elsewhere in free agency. “I think he’s leaving,” said Carmelo’s unnamed ex-teammate. “I’ve played with Melo for a long time and he knows he can’t win [in New York]. At this stage, all he wants to do is win. That’s why he’ll leave.”
- According to Isola, those comments echo the thoughts of “several people close to Anthony who believe he’s ready to leave.”
Andrew Bynum Rumors: Wednesday
Since the Cavaliers suspended Andrew Bynum last Saturday, numerous rumors have circulated about what kind of action Cleveland will take with their disgruntled center. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today breaks down three options the club has in regards to Bynum and suggests that holding on to the big man might be the best move if the Cavs can’t find a suitable trade partner. According to Zillgitt, rival executives believe waiving Bynum is the last route Cleveland should take. Let’s have a look at the latest Bynum rumors:
- TNT’s David Aldridge agrees with Kyler, tweeting that the rumored swap of Bynum and Gasol is not likely to happen.
- Zillgitt checks back in on Twitter to confirm another piece of the Kyler report: that rival executives believe the Cavs are reaching in trade discussions because of the lack of a market for Bynum.
- Meanwhile, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio cites a source that thinks the deal could still happen, but concedes that the Lakers are downplaying talks (via Twitter).
Earlier updates:
- In the same piece, Zillgitt notes that the Cavs reached out to the Bulls and inquired on a trade that would send Luol Deng to Cleveland in exchange for Bynum. However, a source confirmed that Chicago wasn’t interested.
- Zillgitt echoes earlier reports that the Clippers would have interest in Bynum if the Cavs were to release him.
- The Heat wouldn’t have interest in signing the center, despite earlier reports suggesting otherwise, Zillgitt hears from an anonymous source.
- Fittingly, Ethan Skolnick of Bleacher Report outlines reasons why Bynum wouldn’t be a good fit for the Heat. The primary reason Skolnick cites is Bynum’s lack of passion for the game, a trait which doesn’t align with Miami’s fundamental principles.
- The rumored Pau Gasol/Bynum swap that would send Bynum to the Lakers is unlikely to happen, opines Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. He believes the Cavaliers are trying to get “something for nothing” with Bynum’s contract and hears the Lakers intend on keeping Gasol for now. (Twitter links)
Eastern Notes: Wizards, Beasley, Salmons
The Wizards have won five of their last six and are fourth in the Eastern Conference, but they’re not about to get complacent. “We just got to continue to move forward . . . not get complacent with the wins,” Beal said, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “We’ve got to continue to play as a team and move forward. We’re back where we want to be, but we have to get over that hump and I think we have a great opportunity in front of us to be able to do something.” More from the East..
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if he sees offseason pickup Michael Beasley expanding his role even more this season. Ultimately, Winderman writes, it comes down to whether coach Erik Spoelstra grows confident enough to start him, which doesn’t seem that likely at the moment. Otherwise, he still sets up behind Ray Allen, Chris Andersen, Norris Cole, and possibly even Rashard Lewis in the reserve rotation.
- John Salmons is turning into quite the closer for the Raptors, even if they don’t call his number for the big shots at the big moments, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Toronto acquired Salmons in December’s Rudy Gay trade with Sacramento. Meanwhile, the forward is considered by some to be a trade candidate.
- The Bulls want to keep recent pickup D.J. Augustin in a backup role, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. He was starting at the one in place of Kirk Hinrich when he was injured, but Hinrich will continue to stay in the first rotation. The Bulls signed Augustin back in mid-December and, so far, he has impressed.
- DeMar DeRozan‘s solid play has mirrored the Raptors‘ late-season surge, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post. Meanwhile, despite Gay’s absence, DeRozan is actually averaging slightly fewer field-goal attempts per game than he was before the trade.
Cavs, Lakers Discussing Bynum, Gasol
WEDNESDAY, 8:45am: The outcome of Kyrie Irving‘s forthcoming MRI exam is likely to have a big impact on how the talks proceed from here, according to the latest update from Ramona Shelburne and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
Irving told reporters Tuesday night that he felt a “pop” in his left knee after suffering the injury during Cleveland’s loss to the Pacers and an MRI is scheduled for Wednesday. If Irving is out for a substantial length of time, it’s believed that the Cavaliers’ appetite to take on additional salary in pursuit of a playoff push would be diminished. Still, talks between the two sides continued yesterday and a deal still seems possible, provided that the Cavs’ star guard won’t miss a significant length of time.
TUESDAY, 2:37pm: Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times seems to back up Medina’s report, hearing from a source that the idea of the Lakers taking on Bynum would be a stretch.
2:25pm: Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News throws cold water on the idea of such a deal, writing that “the Lakers would never under any circumstances” accept the proposal that Windhorst and Shelburne reported overnight. The Lakers don’t want Bynum back, and they wouldn’t even be interested in acquiring his contract just so they could waive him before the deal becomes guaranteed next week, according to Medina. The Lakers are also holding out hope that Gasol will improve his play as the season goes on.
2:19pm: The Lakers are seeking a first-round pick in a Bynum-Gasol deal, but the Cavaliers are balking at that idea, according to the Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto. If they were to trade a pick, the Cavs would be more willing to give up the Heat’s 2015 first-rounder acquired through a previous trade than surrender one of their own selections. Nonetheless, both teams are serious about striking some kind of compromise, Pluto writes.
7:51am: Nearly 17 months after they sent him to the Sixers, the Lakers are mulling the possibility of reacquiring Andrew Bynum, according to Brian Windhorst and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com. The ESPN duo reports that the Lakers and Cavaliers have had discussions about a trade that would sent Bynum back to Los Angeles in a package for Pau Gasol. No deal is imminent, but the two sides are weighing their options in advance of January 7th, this season’s contract guarantee deadline.
By trading Gasol for Bynum, and subsequently waiving Bynum before his full 2013/14 salary becomes guaranteed in January, the Lakers could potentially get out of luxury-tax territory for this season, depending on what other pieces were included in the deal. At the very least, it would significantly reduce the team’s payroll and tax bill, and would give L.A. more financial flexibility going forward. Since Gasol’s full-season salary is worth about $7MM more than Bynum’s, the Cavs would have to include at least one other player in the hypothetical swap for it to work under CBA rules. Adding C.J. Miles, or any player or combination of players earning more money than Miles’ $2.25MM, would make a Gasol/Bynum trade legal.
Still, the Lakers would have a hard time parting with Gasol without receiving some assets of value in return, according to Windhorst and Sherburne. Given the club’s storied history, a simple salary dump likely isn’t in the cards, even if the ability to avoid the repeater tax would be extremely beneficial. The ESPN duo notes that there’s still a strong organizational sentiment within the Lakers to let the current group get healthy and try to contend before the front office does anything drastic.
As for the Cavs, they also pursued Gasol in the summer, conducting extensive discussions with the Lakers before Dwight Howard signed with the Rockets, according to the ESPN report. Windhorst and Shelburne also suggest that Cleveland has engaged in talks with the Bulls about a similar deal that would involve Bynum and Luol Deng. Like the Lakers, the Bulls could get out of tax territory, or at least very close to it, by swapping Deng in a package for Bynum, then cutting the big man before his $12.25MM salary becomes guaranteed. However, Chicago still doesn’t seem inclined to move Deng at this point.
Cost-cutting moves by teams like the Lakers and Bulls, who are typically perennial contenders, may not have even been considered if not for the new CBA. As Windhorst points out (via Twitter), the new luxury tax, and the repeater tax in particular, is far more punitive than it was a few years ago, so clubs with expensive, non-contending rosters may be more inclined to cut their losses. Whether or not the Lakers or Bulls opt for that route, it’ll be something to watch closely as 2014’s trade deadline approaches.