Eastern Notes: George, Wade, Shumpert, LBJ
The Nets will look to snap a five-game losing streak tonight when they take on the Atlantic Division leaders in Toronto. As we look forward to that game and the three others on Tuesday’s slate, let’s check in on a few items from around the Eastern Conference….
- Grantland’s Zach Lowe provides a couple interesting details on Paul George‘s extension with the Pacers. Because he signed a max deal, George would be eligible for up to 30% (rather than 25%) of the salary cap if he earns All-NBA honors this season, thanks to the Derrick Rose rule. However, if he does meet the Rose criteria, George’s salary will be just 27% of the cap, according to Lowe. In exchange for that concession, the Pacers forward received a player option on the fifth year of his new deal.
- Seeing Kobe Bryant sign an extension that will likely assure he finishes his career as a Laker has strengthened Dwyane Wade‘s own desire to spend the rest of his career with the Heat, as he tells Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Wade will be eligible to opt out of his deal next summer, but isn’t expected to go anywhere.
- Iman Shumpert didn’t record a single point, rebound, or assist in more than 23 minutes of action last night, but insisted trade rumors weren’t the reason for his poor outing, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News spoke to league executives about the possibility of LeBron James returning to the Cavs, and the consensus was that it may happen eventually, but likely not as soon as next summer.
- Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Insider link) identifies six potential trade targets for the Bulls as they look to fill their hole at point guard.
Amico On Aldridge, Turner, Bulls, Thornton
Sam Amico of FOX Sports has tons of great stuff in his latest column, let’s dive in and check out some of the highlights..
- LaMarcus Aldridge was all over Hoops Rumors this summer with talk of dissatisfaction with the Blazers and trade demands, but it sounds like we can finally put that to rest. Aldridge, who looks like the best power forward in the league so far this season, appears to be content with his 12-2 club.
- There is some relevance to a suggested potential trade involving the 76ers and Cavs, according to league sources. Philly is likely to shop small forward Evan Turner, an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and the Cleveland is exploring the idea of landing a starting-caliber small forward. It could be a good match, depending on the Cavs’ desire to gamble on the uncertainty of Turner’s contract. The possibility also exists the Sixers will hold on to Turner and re-sign him in the summer as he has played well and been a team leader under new coach Brett Brown.
- However, Cavs GM Chris Grant is not actively trying to make a deal, even though he likes to make trades and is always willing to listen.
- League sources believe Kings swingman Marcus Thornton is available. Thornton is a talented scorer, but a less-than-stellar defender and has fallen out of Michael Malone‘s rotation.
- The Derrick Rose-less Bulls could shake things up. Chicago still wants to win and get into the playoffs, sources say, but if things head south quickly, they could gut the roster and aim for a high lottery pick to pair with Rose when he returns. A team source says if the Bulls trade Luol Deng, they would have to get what they consider a steal (a young player and picks) to move him within the Eastern Conference. The asking price from a Western team wouldn’t be as high.
- One league source said that as of today, the Bulls won’t even think about what to do with Deng until the trade deadline nears.
- Guards Richard Hamilton, Shannon Brown, and Kendall Marshall remain unsigned, but they’re all drawing interest from several teams. League sources expect Brown and Marshall to sign somewhere by the New Year, and Hamilton perhaps not long after that.
Central Notes: Pistons, Cavs, Rose, Bulls
Pistons big man Josh Harrellson is without a guaranteed contract and he’s making a case for his deal to get locked in with his recent play, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. With the Pistons looking for an extra power forward and Jonas Jerebko, Tony Mitchell ,and Charlie Villanueva not stepping up to the plate, Harrellson became next man up in two games against the Hawks last week. Here’s the latest out of the Central..
- Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer looks at the issues plaguing the woeful Cavaliers, including the absence of any real low-post offense thanks to Andrew Bynum‘s struggles. Right now he’s shooting .359 (18-of-49) as his knees continue to trouble him.
- Paul Flannery of SBNation.com looks at the meteoric rise of Pacers star Paul George. George agreed to a five-year, $90MM with Indiana this offseason.
- If the Bulls decide to shop Luol Deng, the Kings might be a match, tweets Tom Ziller of SBNation. Options for them include Greivis Vasquez, John Salmons‘ expiring deal, Luc Mbah a Moute, Patrick Patterson, Jimmer Fredette.
- Matt Moore of CBSSports.com asks where the Bulls go from here without the services of Derrick Rose.
- Should the Bulls blow it all up or wait it out? Ziller believes that he has a Plan C for Chicago. Trading Deng would get Chicago out of luxury tax trouble and could leave them enough talent to still compete in a conference where there are questions about the top teams.
Eastern Notes: Garnett, LeBron, Cavs
Prior to last night’s 111-81 loss to the T’Wolves, Nets forward Kevin Garnett told reporters that he’s not ready to discuss his future beyond this season. “I focus on what’s happening [now],” Garnett said after the Nets’ shootaround. “There is a lot of emotions that come with this building. … But, obviously, different time, different personnel, different times.” Last night, coach Jason Kidd said he wouldn’t be surprised if it was KG’s last time on the hardwood in Minnesota. Here’s more out of the East..
- The other potential summer suitors for Heat star LeBron James aren’t looking so hot right now, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. The Cavs have been atrocious to start the year and things aren’t much better with the Knicks, who are perpetually linked to James despite not having the cap flexibility necessary. The Lakers should have the cash needed to make a run at LeBron and the other top free agents in the class, but things are pretty dysfunctional in L.A. as well.
- Nate Duncan of HoopsWorld isn’t sure what to make of the Cavs‘ situation. Nearly everyone on the Cleveland roster has disappointed offensively, including banged-up offseason-acquisition Andrew Bynum and first overall pick Anthony Bennett.
- Pacers center Roy Hibbert is confident that Jeff Green can be the Celtics‘ go-to guy, despite his inconsistencies, writes Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. Hibbert added that with Danny Ainge at the helm, the C’s are sure to put quality talent around Green in the years to come.
- in today’s mailbag, Winderman writes that the Heat are working on grooming Quincy Douby, currently with the Sioux Falls SkyForce, strengthening his point guard skills. The Rutgers product is known for his tremendous range and scoring ability, but has never been much of a passer.
Coach/GM Rumors: Jazz, Wizards, Raps, Cavs
It may seem a little early in the season for any NBA teams to make a coaching change, but it’s worth noting that each of the league’s 30 coaches have already survived twice as long this year as Mike Brown did with the Lakers a year ago. While there may not be any coaching or front office shake-ups right around the corner, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com examines situations of potential unrest around the league, offering up a few tidbits along the way. Let’s round them up….
- Despite leading the Jazz to a 1-12 start, coach Tyrone Corbin doesn’t appear to be in any danger, since the focus in Utah is on player development rather than wins and losses. Berger adds that there’s also no logical in-house candidate to serve as an interim coach now that former assistant Jeff Hornacek is in Phoenix.
- League sources question how much longer Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld “can remain in self-preservation mode,” says Berger.
- If the Wizards and Raptors continue losing, Randy Wittman and Dwane Casey could be in a dead heat for the first coach to be replaced. According to Berger, the feeling around the league is that new Toronto president Masai Ujiri would be quick to make a change and start putting his own stamp on the franchise if things go south for Casey and the Raptors.
- Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is on “shaky ground,” sources tell Berger. While coach Mike Brown may have pushed for the drafting of Anthony Bennett, Brown just signed a four-year contract with the team, so Grant’s seat is much hotter than his coach’s.
- Pelicans GM Dell Demps and Pistons GM Joe Dumars are among the other executives who could be in danger of losing their jobs if their respective teams aren’t in the playoff hunt, writes Berger.
Odds & Ends: Nash, Bennett, Cavs, Pacers
A report earlier this week suggested that Steve Nash might be considering retirement after being diagnosed with nerve root irritation. However, Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni quickly refuted the notion that Nash was debating ending his career, and the point guard himself echoed that stance today. Asked if he had thought about retiring, Nash replied, “No, not at all,” according to Bill Oram of the O.C. Register (Twitter link). The 39-year-old’s plans don’t seem to have changed since two weeks ago, when he announced his intentions to play out his current contract.
Here’s more from around the NBA:
- Despite Anthony Bennett‘s poor start, the Cavaliers have ruled out the possibility of assigning him to the D-League’s Canton Charge, a source tells Bob Finnan of the News-Herald. According to Finnan, the Cavs feel like the first overall pick is best served practicing and playing against NBA talent.
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com explores the Cavaliers‘ disappointing first month, wondering if GM Chris Grant could be on the hot seat.
- Phil Richards of the Indianapolis Star takes an extended look at how Larry Bird has built the Pacers into a title contender.
- With the Nets set to play in Minnesota tonight, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune observes that Andrei Kirilenko‘s decision to turn down his $10MM player option has greatly benefited the Timberwolves.
- The last time he was playing on an expiring contract, Spencer Hawes believes he psyched himself out by consciously trying to improve his stock for free agency. As he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld, Hawes isn’t thinking about his expiring deal as much this time around, opting to focus only on what he can control as he approaches free agency.
Odds & Ends: Price, Bennett, Warriors
The Knicks and Celtics were among the losing teams on a five-game Tuesday in the NBA, and while those clubs fall farther beneath .500, it sounds like they’re thinking about helping each other out via trade, as Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling detailed tonight. Zwerling has a ton of news from New York and Boston, as well as a couple other NBA teams, in the piece we linked to earlier tonight, and there are still more noteworthy items as a busier-than-usual November continues:
- A.J. Price tells Michael Lee of the Washington Post that the Wizards never made contact with him while he was a free agent this offseason (Twitter link). The point guard had been confident he’d return to the Wizards, according to Lee, but Price signed with the Timberwolves instead.
- Jim Ingraham of The News-Herald worries that the Cavs‘ selection of Anthony Bennett first overall is on its way to becoming a “colossal, franchise-rattling whiff” and believes Cleveland should send Bennett on a D-League assignment.
- Cavs coach Mike Brown remains confident that Bennett will hit his stride in time, observes fellow News-Herald scribe Bob Finnan.
- The Warriors assigned Nemanja Nedovic, Ognjen Kuzmic and the newly signed Dewayne Dedmon to their D-League affiliate today, the team announced.
Ford’s Latest: Raptors, Kings, Cavs, Bucks
Before fielding questions on the NCAA and the 2014 draft, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford addressed a number of NBA inquiries in his latest chat. Let’s dive in and round up a few of the highlights from ESPN’s draft guru….
- Rival general managers tell Ford that Raptors president Masai Ujiri has been active on the phones. However, Ford has heard “mixed responses” from those GMs on whether Ujiri is looking to blow up his roster or trying to improve in the short term.
- The Kings have “a lot of interest” in Derrick Williams, and could be a logical trade partner for the Timberwolves. Ford cites Chuck Hayes and “Jason Williams” as possible trade candidates, though presumably he means Jason Thompson.
- There are “rumblings” that Dion Waiters has been a source of chemistry issues in the Cavs‘ locker room. Still, even if Cleveland were to shop the second-year guard, Ford isn’t convinced the return would be great.
- In Ford’s view, the Cavs will likely need to make a roster move soon to either attempt a playoff push or a run at another high lottery pick.
- When the Rockets explore Omer Asik trades, they’ll likely be targeting a player such as Ryan Anderson or Ersan Ilyasova. says Ford, adding that both of those guys might be available. Asik may not be the right fit for either the Pelicans or Bucks though, according to Ford, so a third team might have to get involved.
- Even though Bucks owner Herb Kohl is known to be anti-tanking, Ford suggests John Hammond should be sending Kohl video of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, and Jabari Parker every day until he reconsiders. The insinuation there, of course, is that a poor finish this season will be the Bucks’ best chance to land a star.
Eastern Links: Cavs, Nets, Bobcats, Wallace
A 3-7 record is not what the Cavaliers had in mind for a season in which they’re facing owner Dan Gilbert’s mandate to make the playoffs, and the frustration is boiling up to the surface. Cavs players had a heated exchange during a players-only meeting Wednesday, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, and Dion Waiters was one of those involved, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio tweets. It remains to be seen whether the discord will result in a roster move, but Cleveland will probably be a team to watch when the trade deadline approaches. Here’s more on a few teams the Cavs are trying to overcome in the East:
- The Nets have recalled Tornike Shengelia from the D-League, the team announced. Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Paul Pierce are all out for tonight’s game with the Clippers, so Brooklyn is likely making the move to shore up its depth.
- The Bobcats are hiring Matt Carroll for an apparent non-playing gig, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The Pennsylvania native had an informal coaching role with the Sixers in training camp, and now he’ll join the team with which he spent most of his 10 seasons as a player.
- Bonnell also checks in with one of Carroll’s former Bobcats teammates in Gerald Wallace, who’s no longer the player he once was, even though his contract with the Celtics pays him as though he were. Wallace played a key mentorship role for Gerald Henderson, who re-signed with the ‘Cats this summer on a three-year, $18MM deal.
Odds & Ends: Nets, McHale, Felix
Shortly after the Nets’ 21-point loss in Sacramento on Wednesday night, Brooklyn GM Billy King had a closed-door meeting with head coach Jason Kidd and Kevin Garnett to presumably discuss (as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News surmises) why almost nothing seems to be going according to plan in Brooklyn right now. In another Nets-related piece, Lenn Robbins of NBA.com writes that the current roster hasn’t shown they deserve a player’s coach like Kidd.
Here’s more of the miscellaneous links to pass along tonight:
- When asked further about why Omer Asik didn’t play during tonight’s game in New York, Rockets coach Kevin McHale said that Asik told him that he wasn’t feeling well earlier (Sean Deveney of the Sporting News via Twitter). It should be noted that this was Asik’s first DNP-CD of his NBA career.
- Cavaliers shooting guard Carrick Felix recently returned to the practice floor after being out with a sports hernia, but head coach Mike Brown made it clear that the 23-year-old rookie would find his minutes in the D-League once he’s ready to play (Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal).
- Zach Harper of CBS Sports details why Andre Iguodala may be the ultimate role player.
- Although Michael Beasley may be a ways away from being a contributor with consistent playing time on the Heat, NBA.com’s Couper Moorhead tells us how the former second-overall pick continues to work hard and has taken a significant step forward to improve his overall game.
- Joseph Lombardo, who founded the investment firm Prim Capital (which previously handled the investments and finances of the NBPA), has been charged with fraud, according to the Associated Press. Authorities say that Lombardo used a signature stamp to forge the signature of a deceased general counsel for the NBPA and another employee that awarded Prim Capital a $3MM fee over five years.
- Nate Duncan of Hoopsworld goes in depth about what to make out of the Timberwolves’ and Pacers’ hot starts this season.