Omer Asik Rumors: Wednesday Morning
The Rockets‘ self-imposed deadline for an Omer Asik deal is right around the corner, which means we should expect to hear plenty of rumors about the big man today. Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld even suggested last night that a trade could be agreed upon today, though nothing is imminent quite yet. Here’s the latest on Asik, who appears almost certain to be on the move by week’s end:
- The Celtics are “increasingly active” in Asik talks and are viewed as the Sixers‘ strongest rivals for the center’s services, according to Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The ESPN duo reports that neither Boston nor Philadelphia is scared off by the $15MM balloon payment owed to Asik in 2014/15.
- According to Stein and Windhorst, many league sources believe one reason Rockets GM Daryl Morey imposed the December 19th deadline in the first place was a belief that he could get a deal done by then with Sixers GM (and former Rockets assistant GM) Sam Hinkie. The Rockets would want to do a deal involving Spencer Hawes and at least one first-round pick.
- The Cavaliers are more likely to act as a third-team facilitator than to acquire Asik directly, according to the ESPN.com report. Stein and Windhorst detail one scenario in which the Celtics would land Asik and send Jeff Green to the Cavs, though Chris Mannix of SI.com hears there’s “no way” Boston will include Green in an Asik deal (Twitter link).
- Although Green and Thaddeus Young have frequently been cited as potential targets for Houston, Stein and Windhorst say the Rockets would be reluctant to take on the long-term contract of either player, since it would negatively impact the team’s ability to lock up Chandler Parsons.
- Stein and Windhorst, as well as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, report that while the Rockets would love to acquire Paul Millsap, the Hawks‘ interest in Asik is “lukewarm” at best.
- Within Berger’s piece, the CBSSports.com scribe writes that multiple league executives have told him the Rockets are open to packaging Jeremy Lin with Asik. However, considering Lin also has a big salary bump coming next season, sending the two players to the same team is unlikely.
- One scenario that has emerged is the possibility of a three-team deal involving the Celtics and Sixers, with Asik going to Boston, says Berger. However, one league source called it a long shot, describing it as a “weird deal.”
- The Knicks attempted to get involved in the Asik sweepstakes, discussing a potential deal with the Rockets and a third team, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Despite their efforts though, the Knicks are on the outside looking in, and are very unlikely to land the seven-footer.
- We heard last night from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that the Hawks, Celtics, Cavs, and Sixers are squarely in the mix for Asik, with a “wild card” team in play as well.
Odds & Ends: Asik, Gasol, Wolves, Mirotic
With December 15th in our rearview and the trade deadline two months ahead of us, things should start to heat up quickly, as our Luke Adams noted in his Trade Season Primer. Here are some trade-related rumors as well as some odds and ends from around the league on Tuesday night:
- With two days remaining until the Rockets self-imposed December 19th deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets that there is a consensus expectation that Omer Asik will be moved in a three-team deal in which he ends up in Boston or Philly.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports adds the Cavs and the Hawks to Stein’s list and says that there is a fifth mystery team in the mix for the center’s services. (Twitter links)
- Meanwhile, Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld tweets that he is hearing that an Asik deal may go down on Wednesday, though he cautions that nothing is definite.
- Kennedy also writes about the possibility of the Lakers finally pulling the trigger on a deal to send the disgruntled Pau Gasol out of Los Angeles, opining that while the team has overvalued the Spaniard in the past, the combination of his contract, his struggles this season and his issues with Mike D’Antoni may finally be enough for the Lakers to move him.
- As Tim Faklis of Canis Hoopus writes, the Timberwolves don’t have the assets to complete another significant trade this season. Faklis concludes that any deal could only involve some combination of Dante Cunningham, Luc Mbah a Moute, Alexey Shved and/or Shabazz Muhammad. Referencing Faklis’ story, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets that the Wolves are limited in their flexibility and that he is told to expect “status quo” in Minnesota for now.
- We know that not only have the Bulls met with Nikola Mirotic, but that they’re aggressively trying to bring him over from Spain for next season. Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago tweets that the Bulls “love” Mirotic and that if they get him stateside this summer that it should be considered their big offseason move. To put that into context, Friedell adds that the Bulls consider Mirotic more valuable than the top-10 protected first round pick of the Bobcats that they own. (Twitter links)
Latest On Dion Waiters
In the latest addition to the Dion Waiters saga, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report reports that the Cavaliers guard “wants out” of Cleveland and that the Sixers and the Bulls have emerged as his top two suitors, with Waiters preferring his hometown presumably in hopes of being the go-to guy in Philly. Zwerling, who has been dialed into the situation, cites a source close to Waiters who adds that the guard is unhappy coming off the bench and playing second fiddle to Kyrie Irving. Zwerling speculates that Evan Turner of the Sixers or Luol Deng of the Bulls could be dangled for Waiters, opining that both potential destinations are good fits for the shoot-first guard out of Syracuse.
With the Cavaliers hosting Portland tonight, reporters were able to catch up with Waiters in the locker room prior to the game. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio writes that Waiters reiterated that he is happy in Cleveland and that he denied expressing any desire to be traded. Waiters, who said he is growing tired of being the center of trade speculation, again made comments that imply he thinks the media is reaching with these reports. This is a tough one to call right now, as we have conflicting reports as to whether or not Waiters is happy in Cleveland as well as whether or not the Cavs are shopping him.
Eastern Links: Knicks, Woodson, Waiters, Sixers
Tonight’s NBA schedule is heavy on Western Conference action, but two Eastern teams in the playoff hunt will host Western opponents tonight, as the Cavs play the Blazers and the Bobcats face the Kings. Cleveland and Charlotte are just 9-14 and 10-14 respectively, but would each rank among the conference’s top eight teams with wins tonight. Here’s more from around the East:
- In the wake of injuries to Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni, the Knicks have recalled Chris Smith from the D-League, the club announced today (Twitter link).
- Mike Woodson‘s mismanagement at the end of last night’s loss to the Wizards gave the Knicks a credible reason to fire him, opines Ian O’Connor of ESPNNewYork.com.
- While Woodson may be on the hot seat, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein says there aren’t really any other head coaches whose jobs are in jeopardy. Eastern coaches like Jason Kidd (Nets), Randy Wittman (Wizards), Mike Brown (Cavaliers), and Dwane Casey (Raptors) rank among the most likely to be fired next, according to Bovada.lv, but none are in any danger for now, Stein writes.
- Within his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler writes that the Cavaliers aren’t eager to trade Dion Waiters, but would listen if the right offer came along. Kyler also explores the possibility of an Omer Asik trade involving the Sixers, eventually concluding that a deal with Philadelphia may be one of the Rockets’ less desirable options.
- Eric Griffin, who played for the Heat in summer league action and in camp, has reached an agreement to sign with a team in Puerto Rico, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com.
Bulls Notes: Waiters, Mirotic, James
Unsurprisingly, the Bulls have struggled without their star player, losing eight of 11 games since Derrick Rose suffered a meniscus injury that figures to end his season. Chicago came into tonight’s game against the Magic with a 9-13 record, which, believe it or not, would be good enough for a playoff spot in the East if the season had ended yesterday. Here’s the latest on the Bulls:
- Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) is hearing chatter about the possibility of the Bulls or Sixers landing Dion Waiters from the Cavs.
- Sources close to the situation tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the Bulls are doing everything they can on the buyout front to be able to bring Nikola Mirotic to the NBA next season. We learned earlier this week that Chicago, which holds Mirotic’s draft rights from 2011, met with the Real Madrid forward with the hope of bringing him stateside. Now, Stein wonders if the Bulls, after cutting Mike James today, will see their forward-thinking plan through and move Luol Deng and/or Carlos Boozer before the deadline.
- Speaking of James, Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if the veteran guard might return to the D-League to audition for NBA teams again.
- The Bulls held steady at No. 10 in Chad Ford’s latest Tank Rank piece at ESPN.com (Insider link), with Ford writing that coach Tom Thibodeau would “throw a fit” if the Bulls started trading players like Deng and Boozer.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Ford’s Latest: Bucks, Raptors, Kings, MKG
ESPN.com’s Chad Ford latest Tank Rank feature focuses on the teams that have the best chance of landing an impact player in the 2014 draft, but those clubs could also end up being the most intriguing sellers leading up to the ’14 trade deadline. As such, Ford’s piece includes a handful of notable tidbits on some of the 10 clubs on his list. Here are the highlights:
- The Bucks have been “steadfastly rejecting” trade offers for players who could help them in the short-term, such as Rudy Gay and Omer Asik. Ford interprets that as a sign that Milwaukee could be embracing the idea that “one bad season could lead to many, many good ones.”
- While Raptors GM Masai Ujiri seems open to moving Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, rival GMs are even more interested in trying to pry away Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson. According to Ford, Valanciunas is “virtually untouchable,” and it would take a high draft pick to land Johnson.
- The Kings are in the market for a pass-first point guard, sources tell Ford. Sacramento just traded Greivis Vasquez to the Raptors in last week’s Rudy Gay deal, so presumably the team would like to replace Vasquez’s production at the point.
- The Cavaliers continue to be active in discussions on trades that would improve the current roster, while the Bobcats also appear to favor deals that improve the team’s 2013/14 outlook. Ford hears that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could be made available when he gets healthy.
- Rival GMs are split on what Danny Ainge intends to do, and Ford suggests we may not know the Celtics‘ plans until February.
Central Notes: Granger, Cavs, Leuer, Rose
Josh Smith enjoyed his best game as a member of the Pistons last night but it was all for naught as Detroit fell to the Trail Blazers in overtime. Smith had 31 points and seven rebounds, but he was a non-factor in the fourth quarter and OT as the Pistons collapsed in a 111-109 loss. Here’s today’s look at the Central Division..
- The Pacers are targeting next Friday as a return date for Danny Granger, tweets Candace D. Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. Granger, a pending free agent, could become a trade chip for Indiana if he proves to be both healthy and redundant for the Pacers over the next few months.
- As of today, the Cavs-Grizzlies trade involving Jon Leuer, Mo Speights, Wayne Ellington, and a draft pick favors the Grizzlies based on the way Leuer is playing, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. The big man is averaging 9.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 14 games for Memphis this season.
- Sam Smith of NBA.com argues that coming into the NBA as a teenager, for the most part, stunts your development because you have not had as much chance to develop as a player and have your body develop to play against men. In his view, it’s one possible reason why recent No. 1 overall picks, like Bulls star Derrick Rose, have had injury troubles.
- Earlier today, I rounded up the latest on the Cavs.
Cavs Notes: Waiters, Varejao, Dellavedova
The Cavs aren’t looking to deal but they’re always willing to listen, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Cleveland isn’t working hard to make any sort of trade, especially any involving big man Anderson Varejao or guard Dion Waiters. The Cavs have won five of seven since their 4-12 start and both players have had a significant role in that. Here’s more out of Cleveland..
- In this week’s Twitter mailbag, a reader asks Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal if Waiters is on his way out of Cleveland. While Cavs officials continue to say that they want to hang on to the guard, Lloyd gets the feeling that they will move him based on the conversations that he has had lately. The Cavs will stand pat if they don’t get an offer that they like, but it would seem that plenty of teams from around the league are fans.
- If the Cavs are set on dealing Varejao now is the time to do it, writes Bob Finnan of The Morning Journal. The big man is healthy and playing well and some think it’s only a matter of time before he is injured. Varejao played a total of 81 games in the previous three seasons.
- Rookie Matthew Dellavedova is a mini-Varejao who has had a major impact on the Cavs, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer.
Latest On Omer Asik
While there are strong rumbles that the Sixers, led by former Houston exec Sam Hinkie, will be the team to land Omer Asik, Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears that the Celtics are worth keeping an eye on as well. The Celtics have two players in Jeff Green and Brandon Bass that at different salary ranges could fit next to Dwight Howard.
Boston also has a spare first-round draft pick or two to plug into any trade equation to sweeten the deal for the Rockets, a big deal considering that GM Daryl Morey wants to come away with at least one future first. It also helps that the Morey and coach Kevin McHale have longstanding relationships with Celts president Danny Ainge.
Stein wonders openly if the Rockets can afford to take on someone like Green ($18.4MM over two seasons after this one) or Philly’s Thaddeus Young ($19.4MM over same span) when they know they’ll have to give an extension bump to Chandler Parsons when he becomes eligible. That means it’s likely that a third team will get involved in an Asik swap.
Meanwhile, it’s believed that the Cavs like the thought of keeping Anderson Varejao better than the prospect of trading him for Asik. Word is the Cavs would prefer to join in as a third-team facilitator that helps Asik land in a different city. The Hawks also have an attractive frontcourt piece in Paul Millsap, but it’s believed that GM Danny Ferry is holding on to him for a better prize than the disgruntled Houston center.
Eastern Notes: Irving, Rondo, Augustin, Nets
WIll Kyrie Irving stay or go? It’s probably too early to say considering he’s still on his rookie deal with the Cavs, but this is a fanbase that has been burned before. If the yahoo who ran on to the court with a shirt imploring Kyrie not to leave is any indication, Cleveland fans will continue biting their nails until 2016. Scott Cacciola of the New York Times looked at the road ahead for the star guard and the attention that will be around his decision (with a lower case “d”) over the next few years. More from the Eastern Conference..
- Celtics coach Brad Stevens says Rajon Rondo was cleared for contact practice today but he won’t play until the New Year, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPNBoston.com. Rondo was all over Hoops Rumors earlier this month when it was reported that Carmelo Anthony was working to woo him to New York for the summer of 2015. Both players have denied that ever happening, however.
- D.J. Augustin passed on NBA interest from elsewhere to sign on with the Bulls, writes Shams Charania of RealGM. “My agent and I both felt this would be the best opportunity,” Augustin said. “I just couldn’t pass it up.”
- The win-now approach of the Nets and Knicks is more about seeing who can spend the most money than actually vying for a title, writes Tomas Rios of Sports On Earth.