D-League Moves: Leuer, Plumlee, Johnson
We'll track all of Thursday's D-League assignments and recalls right here:
- Jon Leuer has been assigned to the Canton Charge by the Cavaliers, the team announced today in a press release. Leuer has appeared in limited minutes for the Cavs, but has averaged a double-double (20.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG) in the D-League this season in six games with Canton.
- The Pacers have again assigned Miles Plumlee and Orlando Johnson to the D-League, according to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (via Twitter). It's the fourth assignment of the year for Plumlee and the third for Johnson. The two rookies have barely managed to see the floor in Indiana, but have been productive in the handful of D-League games they've played for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Plumlee has posted 14.7 PPG and 11.2 RPG in six contests, while Johnson has averaged 23.0 PPG and 6.7 RPG in three games.
Central Notes: Pistons, Cousins, Livingston
The only game involving a Central Division team tonight features two clubs that have been linked in trade rumors of late, as the Pistons play host to the Kings. Detroit has drawn mention as a possible landing spot for DeMarcus Cousins, but there's been some doubt about whether GM Joe Dumars would pull the trigger on such a deal. We've got more on that and other news from the Central right here:
- The Pistons consider Andre Drummond "untouchable" and view Greg Monroe almost as highly, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, writing for USA Today. Ellis, who thinks the Kings "would be laughed out of the league" if they traded Cousins to Detroit without getting either Drummond or Monroe in return, hears from Pistons officials who confirmed the team has changed its stance on Cousins since 2010, when Detroit tried to move up in the draft to acquire him.
- Even if such a deal isn't going to happen, Cousins doesn't mind his name coming up in the same breath Monroe's, as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News reveals via Twitter. "I don't like being compared to anybody but it's no disrespect being compared to Greg," Cousins said. "Very underrated player."
- Shaun Livingston wasn't caught off guard when the Cavs claimed him off waivers on Christmas, and now that he has a couple of practices under his belt, coach Byron Scott is ready to insert him into the rotation, as Bob Finnan of The News-Herald details. "I know (coach) Byron (Scott) has been interested in me for the last couple years," Livingston said. When they called, I wasn't totally shocked."
D-League Moves: Warriors, Wroten, Samuels
Today's D-League assignments and recalls:
- Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Tyler continue to bounce back and forth between Golden State and Santa Cruz, having been re-assigned to the D-League by the Warriors. The team announced the move in a press release.
- The Grizzlies have recalled Tony Wroten from their D-League affiliate, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). The rookie guard had just been sent to the Reno Bighorns last Wednesday.
- The Cavs announced that they have recalled Samardo Samuels from the D-League's Canton Charge. Samuels, who turns 24 in January, has seen time in 18 games for Cleveland so far this year.
- The Mavericks announced today that they have recalled Jared Cunningham from the Texas Legends of the D-League. During his seven game stint with the Legends he averaged 18.1 points, 3.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in 37 minutes per contest.
- The Hornets announced that they have assigned forward Darius Miller to the D-League's Iowa Energy. Miller has appeared in 23 games this season for the Hornets, averaging 2.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game. New Orleans drafted the 6'8" Kentucky product with the 46th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
Kyler On Bargnani, Gasol, Jamison, Hamilton
In this morning’s column, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld looks at the top trade candidates in the league. Let’s dive in..
- League sources say it would be almost impossible for the Raptors to move Andrea Bargnani and the three years and $32.25MM remaining on his deal until he returns and proves his elbow isn’t going to be a problem. Toronto hopes that he can return sometime in early February so teams can get a good look at him before the February 21st trade deadline and won’t seek much in return. However, club sources say they don’t want a ton of long-term salary unless they’re getting exactly the right player.
- The stance from the Lakers is that they are not looking at deals for Pau Gasol and word is that they’re not looking at deals at all. The Lakers have taken stock of the marketplace for the big man and have found it to be somewhat disappointing. There are deals for Gasol, but all of them either have the Lakers taking back multiple assets, which they cannot do without eating some contracts or taking on bad deals. Team sources say the goal is to compete for a championship this year and that Gasol, at this point, gives them the best chance for that.
- On January 7th, the Lakers will need to decide on guaranteeing the non-guaranteed contracts of rookies Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom. The Lakers could opt to cut one or both and open roster spots for free agents, other cut players with non-guaranteed deals, or 10-day contracts (which begin on January 10th).
- There has been speculation that Antawn Jamison wants off of the Lakers because of his decreased playing time, but the forward and sources close to him say that’s not the case.
- League sources say Anderson Varejao is one of the more talked about trade targets in the league, but the Cavs are asking the moon for the big man. If they cling to their evaluation of Varejao as an All-Star type talent, they may not find many buyers.
- League sources openly question if there is a marketplace for Richard Hamilton, who has had a lot of injuries since joining the Bulls and question whether or not he’ll be anything more than a role player on another team.
Eastern Notes: Cousins, Nets, Hibbert
The Pistons reportedly have plenty of interest in DeMarcus Cousins, but Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News believes GM Joe Dumars has cooled on Cousins as Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond have developed (Twitter link). In another tweet, Goodwill asserts that Detroit won't be dealing any picks and thinks that the Celtics could offer Rajon Rondo in what would be the most attractive trade package for Sacramento. With that aside, here are a few more links we've gathered up out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun believes the Raptors would have to bite if the Kings offered Cousins for Andrea Bargnani, but he's not optimistic Cousins can overcome his volatile personality (Twitter links).
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post dissects Mikhail Prokhorov's remarks to reporters on Friday, concluding that the Nets owner is sold on Phil Jackson and would entertain keeping P.J. Carlesimo for the rest of the season if he can't get the Zen Master of Jeff Van Gundy immediately.
- Roy Hibbert got off to a disconcerting start this season after signing a four-year deal for the maximum in the offseason, but his play has picked up of late, as HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham chronicles.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes the Magic, at 12-16, have little chance of landing a high lottery pick, and writes that the team should set its sights on making the playoffs instead. Schmitz also speculates that Stan Van Gundy's next coaching job will be on the West Coast, and doesn't foresee Phil Jackson taking the Nets job.
- In a Q&A with The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer, Cavaliers guard Shaun Livingston discusses the career-altering injury he suffered six years ago, being cut by the Rockets, and playing alongside Kyrie Irving.
Trade Candidate: Anderson Varejao
On the surface, it's hard to imagine why the Cavaliers would trade Anderson Varejao. He's having the best season of his career, is in the middle of a deal that keeps him on the books for less than $10MM a year through 2015, and provides an inside complement to star point guard Kyrie Irving. Still, the 7-24 Cavs are a long way from contention, and there's motivation to sell high, particularly with a player who's 30 years old and has a history of injury such that he's missed 97 of his team's 179 games since 2009/10. One league executive told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal that he believes Anderson Varejao will be the top target on the market this year if Cleveland puts him on the block, so it's reasonable to suspect that Varejao's trade value will never be higher.
Even if he is the best player who'll be made available, Varejao doesn't fit the profile of the No. 1 trade candidates from years past, like Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard. Varejao's 14.1 points per game this season have him on track to smash the career high of 10.8 PPG he set last year. He's shooting just 47.8%, his lowest mark since 2007/08. This year's 0.6 blocks per game is right in line with his career number of 0.7, despite the fact he stands 6'10" and plays near the basket. His only elite skill appears to be rebounding, as he leads the league with 14.4 boards per contest, which is significantly more than the 12.6 RPG of the league's second-leading rebounder, Zach Randolph.
The Thunder have been frequently mentioned as a potential partner in a Varejao deal. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reported that the teams have discussed a proposal that would send Perry Jones III, Jeremy Lamb and the Raptors' 2013 first-rounder that Oklahoma City owns to Cleveland for Varejao. The Thunder would have to give up more to make the salaries match for that deal, though. They could accomplish that by throwing in Hasheem Thabeet, Eric Maynor and DeAndre Liggins, but a five-for-one trade would seriously compromise the Thunder's depth if anyone got hurt, and I don't think such a package would be intriguing enough for Cleveland to bite. Lloyd wrote earlier in the month that the Cavs could have their eyes on Serge Ibaka, and Marc Stein of ESPN.com said two weeks ago that rival executives are skeptical Varejao will be dealt because Cleveland's price for Varejao keeps going up.
More recently, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy said the consensus around the league is that Varejao will be dealt, and Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio pegged Cleveland's asking price as a big man and multiple first-round draft picks. That suggests a three- or four-team deal may be most likely, since a single club may be unable to part with too many first-rounders.
It also points again to the Thunder, since they're owed first-rounders from the Raptors and Mavs and still possess all their own first-round picks. I don't think they'd be willing to part with Ibaka, but GM Sam Presti might try to talk Chris Grant, his Cleveland counterpart, into Kendrick Perkins. If the Cavs are truly focused on the future, they wouldn't mind enduring Perkins' nonexistant offense for the time being if it meant getting the multiple first-rounders they covet. In the short term, Perkins would provide a defensive force to offset the shortcomings Irving and Dion Waiters have on that end, and also serve as a championship-tested mentor to the team's youngsters. Perkins and Varejao have nearly identical contracts, with the most significant difference being that the final year of Varejao's deal is only guaranteed for $4MM, while Perkins' $9.654MM in 2014/15 is fully guaranteed.
The Cavs would stand to gain plenty of cap space when Perkins' deal comes off the books, but that wouldn't be until a year after 2014, the first time LeBron James can get out of his contract with the Heat. A league executive speculated to Aldridge that the Cavs might want to hang on to Varejao to make a more attractive pitch to James that summer, and keeping Varejao would also give Cleveland the option of waiving him and absorbing the $4MM partial guarantee if they need more cap space in 2014.
If the Cavs want to trade Varejao, Oklahoma City is far from their only option. The Wolves and Spurs have recently been reported to have interest, and there are probably many other teams who would welcome the high-energy big man. The key is just how willing the Cavs are to move him. A small complication is that Varejao has a 5% trade kicker on his deal, and since the contract was signed before the current CBA took effect, the team that takes on Varejao would have to come up with the small measure of extra cash. Of greater concern is likely Varejao's health, as he's currently on the shelf for a week with a bruised right knee. If he sustains a more significant injury, the Cavs probably wouldn't be able to move him, and his value could take a hit for future seasons. Given Varejao's fragility, the looming specter of injury is probably the greatest motivation Cleveland has to sell high, and sell soon.
D-League Moves: Pacers, Warriors, Cavaliers
Here are Friday's D-League assignments and recalls:
- Miles Plumlee is headed to the D-League, while fellow rookie Orlando Johnson has been recalled to the Pacers, the team announced. It's the third assignment to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for Plumlee this year, who's averaged 14.4 points and 10.4 rebounds in five D-League contests so far. Johnson led the Mad Ants to victory tonight with a game-high 24 points.
- The Warriors have recalled Kent Bazemore and Jeremy Tyler to the D-League after being assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors yesterday, the team announced today in a press release. The duo combined for 49 points in Santa Cruz's 113-101 win last night.
- The Cavaliers have assigned Samardo Samuels to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Samuels will join the Canton Charge in time for tonight's game against the Tulsa 66ers. Samuels, 23, has seen his playing time in Cleveland reduced this season, as he's averaging career-lows in MPG (10.9), PPG (3.2), and PER (6.4), among other categories.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Balkman, Magic, Millsap
The teams with the best records in the NBA are hosting the only two games on the schedule tonight, as the 21-6 Thunder, facing the Mavericks, will look to bounce back from a Christmas Day loss, while the 22-6 Clippers set sights on their 15th straight win with the Celtics in town. As we look forward to those contests, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:
- While many people around the NBA believe that LeBron James is considering an eventual return to the Cavaliers, SI.com's Ian Thomsen doesn't think that would necessarily be the best move for LeBron's career.
- Ex-Knick Renaldo Balkman appears on his way to play in the Philippines in the new year, according to agent Sheryl Reyes (link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando).
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel looks back on 12 months of drastic change for the Magic.
- Within his preview of a few 2013 NBA storylines, Tom Ziller of SBNation.com focuses on the big decisions coming in Los Angeles and David Stern's last full year as NBA commissioner.
- Michael Scotto of RealGM.com talks to Paul Millsap about his contract situation, and speculates about possible suitors for the power forward next summer in free agency.
- Russell Westbrook's five-year extension kicks in this season, and The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson argues that his ability to overcome lapses is the key to the future for the Thunder.
- Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game takes to Sulia to explore why GMs like the Rockets' Daryl Morey receive more praise than less media-friendly GMs with comparable track records like David Kahn of the Timberwolves.
- Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com warns Trail Blazers fans not to get too attached to J.J. Hickson, suggesting the team's best move may involve moving him before the trade deadline. We rounded up a few rumors relating to Hickson and the Blazers this morning.
Odds & Ends: Varejao, Asik, Pistons, Mavs, Mack
After a busy Christmas Day in the NBA, there's no let-up on Boxing Day, with all but six teams in action later tonight — the Bulls and the Pacers will be two of the teams with today off, after Indiana announced that tonight's game would be postponed due to poor weather conditions. As we look forward to a full evening slate, we'll check in on a few updates from around the NBA:
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio answered reader questions about the Cavaliers in a chat, saying that he believes that if Cleveland is to trade Anderson Varejao, it's likely that would happen this season, with the Cavs looking for a big man and multiple first-round picks in return.
- Omer Asik burned his old team for 20 points and 18 rebounds yesterday, and what makes it even more painful for the Bulls is that backup center has been one of Chicago’s weaknesses this season, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes.
- According to coach Lawrence Frank, the Pistons aren't ready to hand over major minutes to Andre Drummond and other young players at the cost of trying to win games now. If the organization goes in that direction later this season, the club will be upfront about the decision, says Frank. MLive.com's David Mayo has the details.
- The Mavericks also continue to prioritize wins over player development, though coach Rick Carlisle tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that player development is a "major focus of our team."
- Wizards coach Randy Wittman told Shelvin Mack that what prompted the team to sign him wasn't his prior experience with Washington, but his play in the D-League, where he was in the top 10 in both scoring and assists, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post chronicles.
- Mo Williams, playing in a contract year, will be sidelined indefinitely with what the Jazz are calling a "severely sprained" right thumb, says Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Cavaliers Claim Livingston, Waive Sloan
The Cavaliers have claimed Shaun Livingston off waivers from the Wizards, according to a team release. To clear a roster spot for Livingston, the Cavs have waived Donald Sloan, the club announced.
Sloan earned a spot on the Cavs' roster out of training camp, but wasn't playing on a guaranteed contract, meaning Cleveland will only be on the hook for a portion of his minimum-salary deal. Livingston, meanwhile, was signed by the Wizards earlier in the season to what was also assumed to be a minimum-salary contract, and was released this weekend. The Cavs will take on that deal, and if they hold on to Livingston past January 10th, his deal will become guaranteed for the season.
Sloan, 24, appeared in 20 games for the Cavs, averaging 4.1 PPG and 1.9 APG, and seeing a bit of a bump in playing time when Kyrie Irving was on the shelf. Livingston, meanwhile, averaged 3.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 2.2 APG in 17 contests for the Wizards, including four starts.