Cavs, Celtics Discuss Three-Team Trade Ideas
9:28am: Varejao’s injury “does not look good at all,” a source close to the big man told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
8:47am: The Cavaliers have spoken with the Celtics over the past few days about three-team trade scenarios as Cleveland continues to seek an inside player, report Brian Windhorst and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Cavs’ enduring quest to add to their front line will likely intensify if an MRI Wednesday reveals a torn Achilles for Anderson Varejao, a potential outcome that has Cleveland’s brass worried after he left Tuesday’s game and was unable to put any weight on his left leg, Windhorst and Stein write.
The Cavs have been looking to add a center, and specifically one who can provide rim protection, since a summer pursuit of Timofey Mozgov. Still, it’s apparently been a while since Cleveland and Denver have discussed him, and Kosta Koufos has seemingly been a more recent target. The Grizzlies have “kicked around” the idea of relinquishing Koufos, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote Tuesday, but the Cavs would reportedly have competition from the Kings, if not others, for the Memphis backup center. Koufos has an expiring contract worth $3MM this year that would fit into Cleveland’s nearly $5.286MM trade exception, just as Mozgov’s salary would, one of the reasons that the team sought them both, according to Windhorst and Stein.
Boston stands to net as many as 11 extra draft picks from 2015 through 2018 thanks to previous transactions, so they have plenty of assets to facilitate a swap. The Celtics have been aggressive recently in attempts to stockpile draft picks, Windhorst and Stein write, though it’s unclear if Boston continues to take that approach or if that’s a reference to their efforts prior to the Rajon Rondo trade, a deal in which they acquired two picks. The C’s also have frontcourt depth, bolstered by the acquisition of Brandan Wright in the Rondo trade, as the ESPN scribes point out. Wright’s $5MM salary would fit within the trade exception, which would make it somewhat easier for him to be traded, since Boston can’t aggregate his salary in a trade until February 19th, the day of the trade deadline. However, it’s unknown whether Wright’s name has come up in discussions between Cleveland and Boston. The teams appear to be talking about a three-team trade in which the Celtics would act as a facilitator, according to Windhorst and Stein, so that would seemingly indicate that Cleveland’s primary targets are not on the C’s.
The loss of Varejao to a torn Achilles, almost certainly a season-ending injury, would be devastating for the title-contending Cavs, who guaranteed Varejao’s salary of nearly $9.705MM this season when they signed him to an extension in October. He’s been the starter at center for Cleveland, which doesn’t possess another starting-caliber center on its roster.
Pacific Notes: O’Neal, Suns, Rondo, Kings
Family concerns will matter more than the relationships Jermaine O’Neal has with any city or team when the 36-year-old center decides whether to return to the NBA, and if so, which club he’ll play for, as O’Neal detailed today on his verified Twitter account (links here). O’Neal lives in Dallas and has reportedly long wanted to play close to home, and the Mavs are the apparent favorites to land him. The Warriors, for whom O’Neal played last, as well as the Clippers and Cavs are also said to be interested in the 18-year veteran. Of those teams, Golden State is the only one for which O’Neal has played previously, so it would seem that his remarks today are a harbinger that he won’t be returning to the Bay Area, though that’s just my interpretation. Here’s more news related to Pacific Division teams:
- People around the league sense that the Suns would be more willing to deal Isaiah Thomas than Eric Bledsoe or Goran Dragic, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes. Rival executives have picked up the impression that Dragic is the one among those three point guards whom Phoenix would most like to keep, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reported this weekend.
- The Mavs are “extremely confident” that Rajon Rondo will re-sign with the team, but the Lakers, among others, would love for the point guard to hit free agency, as Sam Amick of USA Today says in a video report. The Lakers were involved in trade talks with the Celtics about Rondo, and Chris Mannix of SI.com indicated last month that the Lakers are likely to pursue him in free agency.
- Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro and former Kings coach Michael Malone weren’t on speaking terms during the months leading up to Malone’s dismissal, according to Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. Tyrone Corbin knows he’s only a short-term solution, according to Voisin, though Chris Broussard of ESPN.com hears that Corbin will have a legitimate opportunity to coach the team (Twitter link), as D’Alessandro has publicly insisted. In any case, Voisin implores the team to hire George Karl.
- Miroslav Raduljica and Shandong of the Chinese Basketball Association have agreed to a buyout in which the center gave up $300K of his $1.5MM deal, reports Nick Bedard of Basketballbuddha.com. The Clippers, in a series of money-saving moves this summer, acquired Raduljica from the Bucks and quickly waived him via the stretch provision.
Kings Interested In Kosta Koufos
TUESDAY, 9:29am: The Grizzlies have “kicked around” the idea of relinquishing Koufos in a trade, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes.
MONDAY, 8:25am: The Kings are one of multiple teams to have called the Grizzlies about Kosta Koufos, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The Cavs are another, as Windhorst’s ESPN colleague Marc Stein wrote earlier this month, and Windhorst confirms Stein’s suggestion that Dion Waiters was a part of talks between Cleveland and Memphis as the Cavs make him available to other teams as part of a quest to add defense. Koufos is making $3MM this season in the final year of his contract.
Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro said earlier this season that he had paused his usual aggressive stance on the trade market, but with a coaching change already having taken place in Sacramento, it appears the Kings are ready to make some roster moves. Sacramento reportedly made the initial inquiry in talks with the Nets about Deron Williams. They continued to have interest in Rajon Rondo up until he was dealt, though they found Boston’s asking price too high for their liking, according to a report. They were also apparently interested in Ricky Rubio before the season and maintain their interest in Josh Smith. All of those players, aside from Smith, are point guards, so it appears they’re operating on a different track with Koufos, whom the Kings presumably envision as a backup to DeMarcus Cousins. Sacramento went 2-8 over a recent 10-game stretch while Cousins was out with viral meningitis.
Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger suggested recently that Memphis had no desire to make a move, which advanced an earlier report indicating that it would be surprising if the Grizzlies shook up a team that started the season as one of the NBA’s best. Memphis has lost back-to-back games to Eastern Conference heavies Chicago and Cleveland, but it’s not clear if that’s enough to spur the front office into action. Waiters’ trade value isn’t strong at current partly because teams believe he’s unwilling to accept a bench role, according to Windhorst. That would appear to indicate that the Grizzlies aren’t particularly enamored with what Cleveland has to offer, though there’s been no indication of the way Memphis, specifically, regards Waiters. The third-year guard is up for an extension to his rookie scale contract this coming summer.
Central Notes: Pistons, Love, Bucks, Stephenson
Greg Monroe and agent David Falk have made it clear that they don’t want any trade this season, though the Pistons have asked about Monroe’s willingness to approve a trade, writes Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News. Monroe has the right to block any deal because he signed his qualifying offer in the offseason, and he’d lose his Bird rights if he were to be traded. There have been conflicting reports about whether the Pistons are shopping Brandon Jennings, but Goodwill writes that he is indeed on the block. The team’s brass is setting a high price for its assets, but other front offices have yet to meet those demands, according to Goodwill, who wrote his piece before today’s Josh Smith bombshell. We’ve been tracking the latest on Smith all day, and as we continue to do so, here’s more news from the Central Division:
- Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders insists that had it not been for the offer from the Cavaliers, he wouldn’t have traded Kevin Love this year, as Saunders told reporters, including Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press (Twitter link). There were simply no other proposals he liked, despite seemingly fevered interest from half of the league’s teams.
- Saunders also seemed to confirm that Love had forced his way off the Wolves, as Krawczynski relays in a full piece. “Minnesota people are pretty loyal,” Saunders said. “When you turn on Minnesota they don’t forgive you.” Still, Saunders added that he has no hard feelings, Krawczynski tweets.
- Bucks owners Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry saw the Milwaukee franchise as a “blank slate,” Krawczynski writes in another piece, adding that the ownership duo has quickly revamped the business side of the team and is very pleased with how their roster is taking form. “It’s better than the Spurs. Those are the old guys,” Edens told Krawczynski. “Would you trade Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and Jabari [Parker] and all the rest of the young guys for them?”
- While initial reports had Edens and Lasry pledging $100MM towards a new arena in Milwaukee, the actual number the owners have agreed to commit has since grown to $150MM, reports Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Walker reminds us that former Bucks owner Herb Kohl agreed to kick in $100MM himself and that there might be additional private capital coming. Whatever amount on top of that is required to build the arena will come from public financing, Walker says, adding that the team faces an NBA-mandated deadline of fall 2017 to have the new facility in place.
- Pacers players aren’t embracing the idea of bringing Lance Stephenson back to the team, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). Indiana’s front office was reportedly cool to the idea as the Pacers engaged in preliminary talks with the Hornets about trading for the shooting guard.
Alex Lee contributed to this post.
Cavs Eye Brook Lopez, Robin Lopez
The Cavs have interest in twins Brook Lopez and Robin Lopez, but their respective salaries mean the acquisition of either is unlikely, reports Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Brook Lopez makes more than $15.719MM and has a player option worth in excess of $16.744MM for 2015/16. Robin Lopez is set for free agency this summer after he earns nearly $6.124MM this season. The Nets are reportedly willing to trade Brook Lopez, who’s also drawn interest from the Hornets, but there are no such rumors surrounding Robin Lopez, who’s set to miss several more weeks with a broken hand. Robin Lopez also recently indicated a contentment with playing in Portland.
Cleveland continues to search for help at center, as the Cavs are one of the teams in the mix for Kosta Koufos, and they tried over a period of months to pry Timofey Mozgov from the Nuggets. However, the Cavs and Nuggets haven’t spoken about Mozgov recently, a source tells Amico. Cavs GM David Griffin and company have reportedly made several passes at the Blazers for Wesley Matthews, Robin Lopez’s teammate, but Cleveland doesn’t have as much interest in the shooting guard as previously indicated, Amico writes. The Cavs have used 35-year-old backup center Brendan Haywood sparingly this season, but Amico hears that other teams have expressed their interest in him because of his contract, an unusually valuable asset, as I explained earlier.
The Cavs also had talks about acquiring Corey Brewer, though they never became serious, league sources tell Amico. Minnesota wanted draft picks and likely a player in return, Amico adds, which falls in line with what the Wolves received when they shipped Brewer to Houston instead.
And-Ones: Koufos, Brewer, Pistons, Hayward
The Cavs have reportedly expressed interested in Grizzlies reserve center Kosta Koufos, and Memphis coach Dave Joerger can understand why. “The guy’s a starting center in my mind,” Joerger told reporters, including Chris Fedor of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “I don’t want to say [for] eight teams, 10 teams. That’s not for me to say. But I believe he’s a starting center in this league. He’s absolutely the greatest teammate to be around.” Koufos has been stuck behind Marc Gasol on the Grizzlies’ depth chart this season, so while his minutes have been kept low, he’ll be an intriguing trade candidate going forward. As we wait to see if the 21-6 Grizzlies opt to move the 25-year-old or stand pat, let’s round up more from around the NBA:
- Wolves president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said he decided to trade Corey Brewer when he learned the 28-year-old was planning to turn down his 2015/16 player option, relays Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The improved play of Shabazz Muhammad was another factor that aided in Saunders’ decision to move Brewer, Greder notes.
- In wake of a disappointing 5-23 start to the season, Pistons coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy admits that focusing on the future is the highest priority for the team, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com transcribes. “The future certainly is the utmost priority at this point,” Van Gundy said. “The goals haven’t changed. We want to build a contending team. Rather than sacrifice the future to try to get to whatever number of wins is not probably the smart way to go. We’re still going to try to win as many as we can, but in terms of personnel moves, everything’s got to be aimed toward the future.“
- The Hornets offered then-restricted free agent Gordon Hayward a maximum-salary contract last summer, but the Jazz elected to match Charlotte’s offer sheet and bring the swingman back to Utah. Derrick Favors expressed relief that the Jazz re-signed Hayward and believes the new deal has helped his teammate grow as a player, as Jody Genessy of the Deseret News details.
D-League Notes: Cavs, Grizzlies, Heat
We’ll keep track of today’s D-League assignments and recalls right here. As always, you can check out our running post to keep track of all of the D-League moves for the 2014/15 season..
- Grant Jerrett has been recalled from the D-League, the Thunder announced earlier today. Jerrett has appeared in five games (four starts) for the Blue this season, averaging 11.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game.
- The Cavs announced that they have recalled center Alex Kirk from the Canton Charge. Kirk has played in 13 games (all starts) for the Charge this season with averages of 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 32.2 minutes per contest. The big man has appeared in three games for the Cavs this season.
- The Grizzlies announced that they have recalled guard Jordan Adams and forward/center Jarnell Stokes from the Iowa Energy. Both players were on their third stint with the Energy this season. Adams, 20, has averaged 18.0 points and 7.1 rebounds in across seven games for the Energy this season. Stokes, 20, has averaged 13.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in three games for Iowa.
- The Heat announced that they have recalled Andre Dawkins from the D-League. Dawkins appeared in nine games (three starts) for the Sioux Falls Skyforce and averaged 25.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists in 36 minutes per game. Just yesterday, Dawkins dropped 42 points on the Texas Legends. He’ll be available for Miami’s contest against the Celtics later today.
Central Notes: Cavs, Bucks, Bulls, Pistons
Coach David Blatt believes the mediocre play of the Cavs this season is a result of their play on the defensive end, writes Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group. “That’s the battle for consistency,” Blatt said of the defensive woes. “A lot of that is the plan and the principles and inherence to those things. A lot of that is commitment on the part of the guys to doing it. Of course you have the element of effort, which is critical. And then finally it’s the pride that you take in doing it if that is really and truly going to become part of who you are. And we’re working towards that.” The Cavs are allowing 99.7 points per game, which ranks 16th in the league.
Here’s more from the Central Division:
- The Bucks are unexpectedly in the playoff hunt at 14-14, but even after the season-ending injury to rookie Jabari Parker, the team isn’t likely to make any moves with an eye only on contention this season, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. “Nothing has changed. This is still about the future and the goals we have as we move forward, and that is to build this into a championship-caliber team,” GM John Hammond said. “We like where we’re at today, and we’re going to continue to battle throughout the season.”
- The Bulls have a fortunate problem in that they have too many high caliber players competing for playing time, opines Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald. McGraw argues that although Pau Gasol, Joakim Noah and Taj Gibson are all veterans who have earned their stripes, rookie Nikola Mirotic is playing at a level that doesn’t warrant being sent to the bench once they are all healthy. The forward is shooting 44.1% from the field and 80.9% from the foul line during his potential rookie of the year campaign.
- The Pistons are off to a rough start at 5-22, but the team isn’t making any trades with the short-term in mind, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Ellis notes that Detroit would like to trade Josh Smith, but other teams are asking for a first-rounder to take the the 29-year-old forward. The Pistons were in a similar predicament in 2012 when they sent a first-rounder to Charlotte in order to move Ben Gordon because of his player-friendly contract. Ellis adds that the team is unlikely to have a repeat of such a short-sighted move.
Eastern Notes: Rondo, Muscala, Cavs, Nelson
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that lingering uncertainty about Rajon Rondo‘s future in Boston, along with the team’s inability to immediately surround him with impact players, contributed to his decision to trade him to the Mavs, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com reports. “There was definitely uncertainty into what might happen [with Rondo as a free agent] this summer,” Ainge said. “That was a big factor. We liked the players that we got in the trade. But, listen, with his impending free agency, and the uncertainty of what might happen this summer, I think that gave us the impetus of wanting to do a deal.”
Here’s more out of the East:
- Ainge also discussed how difficult it was to trade away a player like Rondo, Forsberg adds. “It was hard. Yeah, it was very difficult to move Rajon,” Ainge said. “I know it’s a business in professional sports, but you really develop a lot of close relationships and I loved watching Rajon, I loved visiting with him, our one-on-one conversations were fun, entertaining, frustrating sometimes. And always a surprise. The guy was a very unique person. But watching him grow and watching him develop as a man and as a person and as a basketball player, I just enjoyed my interactions with him. It was an emotional time as we met last night. It was not an easy thing to do. But I believe it was the right thing to do.“
- The Hawks have recalled Mike Muscala from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter link). This was Muscala’s second jaunt of the season to Fort Wayne, and in three D-League games, he has averaged 15 points and 9.7 rebounds.
- Cavs GM David Griffin considered trading for Corey Brewer, but decided that he wanted to hang on to Cleveland’s $5.3MM trade exception, Terry Pluto of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports. Griffin has decided to wait instead, with his primary goal being to add a big man who can protect the rim and rebound, Pluto notes.
- The Celtics and Jameer Nelson have had preliminary discussions on his future role with the team and “what if” possibilities before the February trade deadline, but buyout negotiations have not taken place yet, Shams Charania of RealGM reports.
Mavs Front-Runners To Sign Jermaine O’Neal
DECEMBER 19TH: Dallas has an “undeniable edge” in the competition to sign O’Neal, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Mavs’ acquisition of Rajon Rondo has intensified O’Neal’s interest in joining the team, Stein indicates, noting that the 36-year-old O’Neal lives in the Dallas area and has long hoped to play close to his home. Dallas has an open roster spot following Thursday’s trade, one that left the club thin at center.
DECEMBER 12TH: Free agent Jermaine O’Neal has been has been weighing his options on whether to return to the court this season or simply call it a career, in a situation similar to that of Ray Allen. Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link) reports that O’Neal is likely to make his decision in January. If O’Neal does indeed decide to return to the hardwood for his 19th season in the league, he’ll have no shortage of suitors, Stein reports in a separate tweet. According to Stein, numerous contending teams would be interested in adding O’Neal to their rosters, including the Warriors, Cavs, Clippers, and Mavericks.
O’Neal had a solid season in Golden State last year, averaging 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in a little over 20 minutes per contest, which was good for a respectable 15.3 PER rating. His career averages are 13.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 1.8 BPG.
Golden State would seemingly have a leg up on the competition for O’Neal’s services, since the team has been in regular contact with O’Neal since the 2013/14 campaign came to a close. Although, back in September, GM Bob Myers intimated that his team would be content to stick with Andrew Bogut, Festus Ezeli, and Ognjen Kuzmic at the pivot. But with Golden State out to a blistering 19-2 start to the season, which is tops in the NBA, returning to Oakland would seemingly be more appealing than ever for O’Neal. It would also be a wise move on the franchise’s part given Bogut’s injury history. Golden State also happens to have an available roster slot, so the team wouldn’t need to release a player to accommodate signing O’Neal.
Out of the rest of the contending teams mentioned in Stein’s tweet, Cleveland could also be an intriguing proposition for O’Neal, though the Cavs would need to release a player to be able to sign him. With the Cavs gunning for a title this season, as well as badly needing interior help, O’Neal may look at the easier path to the NBA Finals in the East as a viable alternative to returning to Golden State.