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.
Rockets Still Plan To Trade Asik Next Week
7:50pm: The Cavs could get involved in an Asik deal if the Rockets need a third team to facilitate a trade, Lloyd writes, adding that it’s not clear what the Cavs would ask for in that scenario. Executives around the league believe the Rockets already have an Asik trade in place, and that GM Daryl Morey and company are seeing if they can find a better offer before they commit to a deal, tweets USA Today’s Sam Amick.
5:27pm: The Cavs don’t have interest in Asik, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Lloyd doesn’t say for certain whether Houston’s demands of more than just Anderson Varejao have put Cleveland off, or if Asik never intrigued the Cavs that much in the first place.
9:53am: Following up on Aldridge’s report, ESPN.com’s Marc Stein says that while the Rockets have had interest in Varejao in previous years, they wouldn’t be inclined to move Asik straight-up for him. As for the Cavs, it’s not clear whether they’d be willing to include additional assets in a swap, particularly since Cleveland would still rather acquire a small forward than a center.
Stein adds that league insiders continue to believe Paul Millsap is Houston’s top target, but as we heard already today, the Hawks don’t seem overly enthusiastic about moving him.
8:36am: A report last week suggested that the Rockets intended to move Omer Asik by December 19th, and the team still appears to be aiming for that self-imposed deadline. TNT’s David Aldridge reports (via Twitter) that the Rockets will trade Asik by Wednesday or Thursday of next week, adding that the Cavaliers should not be discounted, since Anderson Varejao would be a fit in Houston.
December 19th is significant because it gives the team a two-month cushion before this season’s February 20th deadline. Over-the-cap clubs like the Rockets are prohibited from including a recently-acquired player in a trade package within two months of acquiring him, so completing a deal by next Thursday would give Houston the flexibility to flip pieces acquired for Asik at the deadline.
As for Aldridge’s assertion that the Cavs are worth keeping an eye on, Varejao would probably mesh nicely with Dwight Howard in Houston, but I’m not sure it would make sense for Cleveland to pair Asik with Andrew Bynum. Additionally, while Varejao’s cap hit for next season is slightly larger than Asik’s, only $4MM of Varejao’s 2014/15 salary is guaranteed, whereas Asik will be owed a balloon payment of about $15MM. Up until this point, the Cavs have maintained enough 2014 cap space to make a run at a maximum-salary player like LeBron James, so it’s not clear if the team is willing to give up that flexibility.
Whether or not the Cavs are a serious suitor for Asik, it seems as if the Rockets should have plenty of options. The Pelicans, Hawks, Bucks, Celtics, Mavericks, and Sixers are among the other clubs who have been mentioned as potential fits at some point, though some of those destinations look more viable than others. Houston is said to be seeking a quality forward and/or first-round picks in any deal.
Central Notes: Neal, Teague, Cavs
This past offseason, the Spurs extended then-restricted free agent Gary Neal a qualifying offer worth about $1.1MM, which was significantly below the two-year, $7.5MM agreement he eventually reached with the Bucks. According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio-Express News, Neal believes he got a fair shake from Gregg Popovich and R.C. Buford and understood that he wouldn’t be retained if he wanted more than what San Antonio was initially offering:
“I figured after three years, the Spurs benefitted me, and I benefitted the Spurs…But it’s a business. I kind of knew after Game 7 in the Finals, unless I signed a qualifying offer, I wouldn’t be back…I have no complaints…If (they didn’t give me the opportunity), they could have found another guy one of those summers to shoot 40 percent from three,..I thank Coach Pop a thousand times for that.”
Here’s more out of the Central Division:
- The rest of the league is confused why the Bulls aren’t willing to give Marquis Teague more playing time, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Chicago reportedly dangled Teague in trade talks during the preseason.
- The Cavaliers have recalled Carrick Felix, Sergey Karasev, and Henry Sims from the D-League, as per the team’s official website.
- Pistons forward Gigi Datome is determined to play for the Italian national team next summer, whether it’d be during the FIBA World Cup or the Eurobasket Qualifying Round, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (hat tip to Tuttosport).
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.