Central Notes: Augustin, Bulls, Cavs, Thompson
Tonight’s look at the Central Division as the Pistons get set to take on the Wizards and the Bulls travel to Memphis to face the Grizzlies..
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com confirms (via Twitter) that D.J. Augustin’s contract with the Bulls is fully non-guaranteed and is just a one-year deal. James Johnson’s contract with the Grizzlies is also a one-year, non-guaranteed pact worth the minimum salary.
- The Cavs nearly traded for Klay Thompson on draft night in 2011, a source tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal. Cleveland GM Chris Grant was trying frantically to add a third top ten pick in that 2011 draft to make it happen. Former coach Byron Scott told Lloyd months later it was the night he really came to believe Grant knew what he was doing and was the right man for the job.
- More from Lloyd, who adds that the Cavs talked to the Kings about a deal involving J.J. Hickson for the No. 7 pick, but the Kings ultimately dealt the pick in a different deal and the Cavs sent Hickson to the Kings after the draft for Omri Casspi and a future pick. Then the Cavs had a deal in place with the Jazz for the No. 12 pick, but the Warriors snatched Thompson at No. 11. The Jazz ultimately backed out of the deal with the Cavs and nabbed shooting guard Alec Burks.
Andrew Bynum Rumors: Monday
Andrew Bynum‘s suspension has been lifted by the Cavaliers, but the big man continues to be excused from team activities, at least until Cleveland figures out what to do with him. As the January 7th contract guarantee deadline approaches, the Cavs are expected to either trade or release Bynum. However, if there are no takers, the club hasn’t ruled out keeping him beyond next week, a league source tells Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. That’s not the day’s only Bynum update today, so let’s round up the rest….
- Despite there being a chance the Cavs could keep Bynum, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld writes that the club appears likely to waive him. Sources close to the Heat and Clippers, Bynum’s preferred destinations, have downplayed their interest in the center, according to Kyler, who adds that both teams would do their due diligence, but that Bynum would be unlikely to catch on with another team right away if he’s released.
- If the Cavs decide to keep Bynum and guarantee his 2013/14 salary, the club could try again to move him before the trade deadline, but the offers would probably be weaker than they are now, says ESPN.com’s Chad Ford.
- Expect Celtics GM Danny Ainge to kick the tires on Bynum to determine the Cavs’ asking price, according to Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com, who examines how a theoretical acquisition of Bynum could expedite Boston’s rebuilding process.
- Nick Friedell of ESPN.com takes a look at whether Bynum might be a realistic trade target for the Bulls.
Eastern Rumors: Deng, Knicks, Bucks, 76ers
When a report surfaced earlier in December suggesting that Luol Deng and the Bulls had been about $5-6MM per year apart in extension talks, I speculated that perhaps Deng was looking for an annual salary in line with his current $14MM+, while the Bulls may have preferred something in the $10MM range. However, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, the actual figures discussed were a little lower. Cowley reports that Deng and agent Herb Rudoy were seeking $12-13MM annually, while the Bulls slotted the All-Star forward at $7-8MM per year.
With Deng still a year away from free agency when the two sides talked about an extension, perhaps the Bulls were just driving a hard bargain, knowing that they still had plenty of time to work something out. But if Chicago stays committed to something in the neighborhood of $7-8MM annually, it seems highly unlikely that the club will be able to retain Deng beyond this season.
Here’s more from around the East….
- James Dolan is right not to scapegoat coach Mike Woodson for the Knicks’ poor performance this season, since the team’s struggles are the result of years of moves overseen by the owner, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the fact that Dolan told his players there won’t be any trades simply means that the Knicks don’t have any deals imminent — it doesn’t mean the team won’t make moves before the deadline.
- The Bucks and 76ers continue to sit atop Chad Ford’s Tank Rank list at ESPN.com, though Ford says Milwaukee owner Herb Kohl hasn’t totally given up on the idea of contending for the playoffs. Ford adds that the Sixers are among the NBA’s most active teams in trade discussions.
- In his weekly Morning Tip piece at NBA.com, TNT’s David Aldridge spoke to Kohl about finding investors in the Bucks and the possibility of both private and public funding for a new Milwaukee arena. Aldridge also explored the subject of why the Knicks and Nets feel compelled to avoid undertaking a full rebuild.
- The Cavaliers have recalled rookie forward Sergey Karasev from the D-League, according to the Cleveland Plain-Dealer (Twitter link). During his weekend stint with the Canton Charge, Karasev averaged 14.0 PPG in two games, making six three-pointers in total.
Eastern Links: Nets, West, Deng, Shumpert
Nets players are reportedly confused about their roles on the team amid an organizational lack of patience with Jason Kidd, but Deron Williams tells Tim Bontemps of the New York Post that he thinks the players still support their coach.
“If we were losing some close games and he was making some bad decisions, that would be one thing, but that’s not the case,” Williams said. “We got blown out [Wednesday]. He can’t make us outrebound teams, he can’t make us put the extra little bit in to get over the hump. That’s on us as players to come out and play better.”
There’s more news on the Nets amid our look at the Eastern Conference:
- Pacers power forward David West considered signing with the Nets after the lockout in 2011, but the Teaneck, N.J., native tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that the team wasn’t interested because of fears regarding his recovery from a torn ACL.
- The Bulls aren’t keen on the idea of trading Luol Deng and if they did, they’d need a piece that solidifies their future, which means they’d require someone better than Iman Shumpert of the Knicks, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
- The Raptors are looking to the future and would ideally like to build with the draft, but in a strange twist of fate, they’re winning games and they may not get that choice lottery pick, writes Howard Beck of the Bleacher Report. Part of the reason for their success could be that several players — as well as coach Dwane Casey — are in their walk years.
- The Heat are off to a strong start and so is their D-League affiliate, notes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Several Teams Interested In Luol Deng
6:06pm: Sam clarifies in a pair of tweets that the teams mentioned in his story are more interested in Deng as a free agent than a trade target, since they wouldn’t want to give up assets to rent him for a half-season.
4:59pm: The Cavaliers, Mavericks, Lakers, Raptors, Spurs, Grizzlies and Nets are among the teams interested in Luol Deng, sources tell Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com. It’s not clear whether those teams are looking to trade for Deng this season or sign him in the summer, when he’ll be a free agent. The Bulls, while reportedly determined not to trade Deng, would apparently do so if they receive the right offer, and according to Sam, such an offer would involve a productive young player and a first-round pick.
Deng and the Bulls had extension talks this summer, but agent Ron Shade, who represents Deng along with Herb Rudoy, tells Sam that the Bulls never even made an extension offer to his client and says that many were “shocked” that Chicago wouldn’t do so.
“Honestly, I wanted something to be done,” Deng said. “I wanted to be here. I really felt we were going to. I don’t know how the money works. I don’t know what needed to be done. I really don’t know any of that stuff. But after the spinal tap, I went away and everything, I think I was waiting to hear from the Bulls. I was waiting to hear from [GM] Gar [Forman], and I really thought there would be weeks, maybe months of going back and forth, and trying to get it done. I felt like I’ve been here since I was 18. I’ve worked hard. They’ve seen me come in and do everything. But for whatever reason, Gar felt like it wasn’t the time yet.”
Still, Deng insists Forman “didn’t do anything wrong,” and remains open to staying with the team. The Bulls could have plenty of competition if they don’t deal him, Sam writes, believing that Deng could become the most sought-after free agent of the summer if marquee stars like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony decide not to opt out of their deals.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Lowry, T’Wolves
Fresh off of winning the Associated Press’ 2013 Male Athlete of the Year award, LeBron James spoke in depth about being a role model off the court and having a higher calling outside of basketball in addition to how he’s continued to mature in life. With the possibility of hitting free agency once again since 2010’s “The Decision”, the Heat superstar couldn’t avoid another inquiry about what could happen this summer (Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press). Not surprisingly, LeBron didn’t elaborate on much:
“I’m so zoned in on what my task is here this year that it’s hard to think about anything else…A guy the other day asked me what I’m going to do for New Year’s, and I haven’t even thought about that.”
With that aside, here are more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes from around the league:
- Eric Koreen of the National Post examines the trade/free agent value of Kyle Lowry, especially now that the Raptors appear to be thriving since trading Rudy Gay to Sacramento. Koreen argues that talent-wise, Lowry is worth the price of a first-round pick for teams looking to acquire him. On the other hand, if he finishes the season in Toronto looking to stay, then the asking price could start around at least $8MM annually, similar to what Jeff Teague and Brandon Jennings garnered as restricted free agents last summer.
- Sitting at 13-15 through 28 games, the Timberwolves are on par with what president of basketball operations Flip Saunders had expected at this point. Saunders explained his stance to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press: “Of the record, when the season started, I thought we’d be right where we’re at, or maybe 14-14, 15-13…I thought that was a very realistic goal. But we haven’t finished games like I thought we would be able to do right now.” Saunders also pointed to the team’s road-heavy schedule early on as well as the fact that many of the core players don’t have much experience with each other as reasons why he’s optimistic about brighter days ahead this year.
- Prior to this season, Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts compiled an NBA head coaching record of 148-217 over 365 games, with just one playoff appearance and a first-round exit to boot. This year, Stotts is enjoying an .821 winning percentage in Portland in what is currently his most successful season to date thus far. In a special article for ESPN.com, Daniel Nowell discusses Stotts’ long road to becoming an NBA coach.
- Taj Gibson is repaying the Bulls’ investment in him, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Subscribers only).
Bulls Send Marquis Teague To D-League
The Bulls announced this morning via press release that Marquis Teague has been assigned to the D-League’s Iowa Energy. Teague has seen limited minutes for Chicago this season and figures to get more playing time as a member of the Energy. This is Teague’s second D-League assignment this season. K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes that efforts to trade the 20-year-old Kentucky product have yielded little interest from around the league. However, Nick Friedell from ESPNChicago.com notes that Bulls GM Gar Forman spoke on ESPN Chicago 1000’s “Waddle & Silvy Show” and revealed he hasn’t lost faith in Teague:
“He’s 20 now. And I think we’ve seen potential; he’s a talented kid, he had a really good summer… And our thought was let’s get him to our D-League affiliate and give him some time on the floor. But in our minds, it’s not a long-term thing. And it’s something we may do several times throughout the season.”
Meanwhile, Bob Cooney from the Daily News tweets that a source tells him the 76ers have plans to assign Lorenzo Brown to the Delaware 87ers of the D-League. Brown hasn’t been seeing much playing time in Philadelphia, and with Michael Carter-Williams returning from his injury, there’s not much of a spot for him in the 76ers’ rotation. Brown, a product of North Carolina State, was selected 52nd overall by the Timberwolves last June but was waived and eventually signed on with in Philly during the season.
Central Notes: Bucks, Bulls, Datome, Cavaliers
Howard Beck of Bleacher Reports writes that Monta Ellis looks like a “changed man” this season in Dallas, and Ellis acknowledges as much, telling Beck that he was frustrated last year with the Bucks:
“I think I got into a dark place where I wasn’t myself… Some games I’d come and I could be motivated to play. And some games, it was hard, because of the type of players I was around.”
Milwaukee is playing even worse now, and as Jim Paschke noted this morning (via Twitter), half of the club’s remaining games are against Western Conference teams. That might be a blessing in disguise, since it should mean the Bucks have a good shot at the number one overall pick in the draft come June. Here are some more tidbits out of the Central Division:
- The Bulls have struggled without Derrick Rose, and there have been plenty of rumbles about the club making a big move to stir things up in Chicago. Joe Cowley from the Chicago Sun-Times dissects the team’s roster and reveals the players he believes to be the most valuable on the trade market, as well as the ones he figures would be the hardest to move.
- Luigi Datome has played relatively well in the limited action he’s seen for the Pistons so far this season, and the former Italian League star figures to see an increase in minutes, reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The Pistons signed the 26-year-old small forward to a two-year, $3.5MM contract this past offseason.
- Another offseason acquisition, Andrew Bynum, has been inconsistent and flat out bad at times this season for the Cavaliers. Coming off of a game where he shot 0-11 from the floor, Bob Finnan of the News-Herald believes Bynum to be one of the biggest reasons for Cleveland’s struggles. He suggests that the club relies too much on the banged up center to generate offense.
Luke Adams contributed to this post
Blazers, Bulls Talked Aldridge, Noah Swap
There were conflicting reports this summer about whether LaMarcus Aldridge wanted to be traded, but Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher hears that there was a deal in the works that would have sent him to the Bulls for Joakim Noah. It’s not clear how close the deal came to happening or whether it was the Blazers or Bulls who initiated the talks, but Portland indeed made Aldridge available in the offseason, Bucher writes.
Rumors about Aldridge have become less frequent since the start of the season as his career-best performance has helped the Blazers to a 23-5 record that has them atop the Western Conference. He’s averaging 23.1 points and 11.0 rebounds a game, both career highs, and his 22.7 PER matches his best mark from his seven previous NBA seasons.
The Bulls drafted Aldridge second overall in 2006, but sent him to Portland in a regrettable draft-night deal that brought in a package of Tyrus Thomas and little else. Chicago might have brought Aldridge back this summer, but it would have cost the Bulls an All-Star of their own in Noah. It’s not clear if there were other players in the discussion, but a one-for-one swap of Aldridge and Noah wouldn’t have worked under salary-matching rules, since it would have added too much to Chicago’s payroll.
I’d be quite surprised if the Blazers revisited Aldridge talks with the Bulls or any other team, given Portland’s fast start, so it seems the scenario will remain a “what if?” proposition.
Bulls Rumors: Trades, Deng, Mirotic
The Bulls will kick off a full day of NBA action on Wednesday by facing the Nets in Brooklyn, but the matchup won’t be the marquee contest that the NBA was expecting and hoping for when it was scheduled for Christmas Day. The two teams have combined to go 19-33 and both currently fall outside of the East’s playoff picture. As we look forward to seeing whether either underachieving club will impress on Wednesday, let’s round up a few Bulls-related items….
- We passed along several updates from Chad Ford’s Monday chat earlier this afternoon, but Ford also tucked one notable tidbit in his weekly Tank Rank piece at ESPN.com (Insider link). According to Ford, while the Bulls don’t want to trade Luol Deng, the team also isn’t exploring any trades that would improve the team in the short-term.
- Given the lack of realistic upgrades available in the summer of 2014, Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld thinks it’s inevitable that Deng ends up re-signing with the Bulls when his current deal expires.
- The Bulls are reportedly intent on bringing Nikola Mirotic stateside in 2014, but his current club in Spain doesn’t sound totally on board with that plan. According to a Marca.com report (translation via HoopsHype), Real Madrid is already trying to extend Mirotic’s contract, which runs through 2016.