Central Rumors: Varejao, Pacers, Brown
Three teams are within two games of the lead in the Central Division, and it's liable to tighten up even more as the first-place Bulls host a Clippers team on a six-game winning streak tonight. The other Central Division team in action this evening is also welcoming an L.A. team into town, as the Cavs take on the Lakers. For all the rumors swirling around their opponents tonight, there's plenty of speculation concerning what Cleveland will do with Anderson Varejao. We have more on that tonight, along with other news from the Central.
- Multiple league sources tell HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy that they believe the Cavs will trade Varejao before this season's trade deadline, and one source indicates the team is looking for another young player to add to its youthful core. Kennedy also hears that Varejao would be open to a trade that would send him to a winning team.
- While Kennedy says the "general consensus" around the league is that it would make sense for the Cavs to swap Varejao for assets who can help the team in the long run, USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt argues that the Cavs should feel no urgency to trade him since they already possess a wealth of young talent and draft picks. Earlier this month, more than two-thirds of Hoops Rumors readers said they think Cleveland would be better off dealing Varejao away.
- While it's unclear if Indiana has any serious interest, Sportando contributor David Pick notes Pacers director of scouting Ryan Carr was recently in Italy watching Bobby Brown, a two-year NBA veteran, play for Montepaschi Siena (Twitter link). Brown, a 6'2" guard, averaged 5.1 points and 1.8 assists in 113 career games for four NBA teams, having last played in the Association with the Clippers in 2009/10.
Odds & Ends: Williams, T’Wolves, Mirotic, Gasol
On this date in 1995, the (Vancouver) Grizzlies lost to the Raptors 93-81 in the first ever meeting between Canadian NBA franchises. That Grizzlies squad went 15-67 on the year and finished 14-68 in their sophomore campaign. Today, they play 2,500 miles away from Vancouver and are lightyears ahead of where they once were as they boast the third-best record in the Western Conference. Here's more from around the Association..
- T'Wolves forward Derrick Williams says that president David Kahn hasn't mentioned talk of a Pau Gasol trade to him, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. "I don’t think we necessarily need to talk like that. Myself and [Nikola Pekovic] are big part of the team," said Williams.
- The Bulls should make Nikola Mirotic untouchable as one NBA front office source says that he is the best prospect still playing in Europe, writes Nick Gibson of Sheridan Hoops. The Hornets have so far rejected the idea of parting with 24-year-old Ryan Anderson and Gibson opines that Chicago should take the same stance on the Real Madrid star.
- Kyrie Irving will have a greater impact for the Cavs upon his return than Pau Gasol will for the Lakers, opines Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops. GM Mitch Kupchak recently told Gasol's representatives that he will be forced to explore a trade if things do not improve for the forward and the team as a whole.
- The Lakers are playing about as well as they can given what they have available, writes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
Eastern Notes: Cavaliers, Green, Lopez
Jason Lloyd of the Beacon Journal debunks the misconception that the Cavaliers will be forced to spend big in free agency this summer as a result of the NBA's minimum team salary floor requirement. Next season, teams will be required to spend at least 90 percent of the league's salary cap number next year. Although Cleveland's total amount of committed salaries could fall short of that number, Lloyd points out that the Cavs will be allowed to make up for the difference by dispersing the remaining required amount to its players. Here's more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- After initial struggles, Jeff Green appears to be looking more like the player the Celtics envisioned when they inked him to a 4-year, $36MM deal this summer, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com
- Brook Lopez's recovery from a sprained right foot hasn't progressed as quickly as the Nets have hoped, writes Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York.
- Count George Karl among those who thinks that Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is primed to eventually win an NBA title (Matt Ehalt of ESPN New York reports).
- Pacers head coach Frank Vogel is considering more playing time for guard Ben Hansbrough and forward Jeff Pendergraph at the expense of those who have been struggling in Indiana's current second unit lately.
- Several of HoopsWorld's analysts weighed in on who they feel are the most surprising teams in the NBA thus far. Out of the Eastern conference, they referenced the Knicks' dominance, the Bobcats' improvement compared to last season, and the Raptors' difficulty in living up to expectations.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times says that the ticket to Bulls forward Jimmy Butler earning playing time has been his defensive versatility.
- John Denton of NBA.com examines the niche that Moe Harkless has found with coach Jacque Vaughn, who likes the progression his rookie has made in the starting rotation. Denton also provides a minor update the current statuses of Hedo Turkoglu and Al Harrington, saying that while Turkoglu still appears to be out indefinitely, Harrington could return in the next two weeks.
- Raptors guard Alan Anderson went through his workout today without any pain and believes that he is one practice away from returning (Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun reports).
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Bargnani, Green, Wolves
Now is not the right time for the Raptors to trade Andrea Bargnani, but it might be the right move to make anyway, writes Eric Koreen of the Toronto Star. The big man doesn't fit the culture that Dwane Casey is trying to instill in Toronto and moving him could help get the locker room back on track. The Raptors have spent years trying to make the team work around Bargnani and Koreen argues that the relationship should have been working the other way around. Here's more from around the league..
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if the Cavaliers made the right call in sending Jon Leuer to the D-League. The move should give Leuer plenty of playing time but the 4-16 Cavs can probably afford to give him significant minutes at the NBA level.
- The Celtics need more efficiency from Jeff Green this season, writes Rich Levine of CSNNE.com. The C's re-signed Green to a four-year, $36MM deal this summer, a surprising commitmentgiven his health concerns.
- The Timberwolves got the short end of the stick in last year's three-team Carmelo Anthony trade, tweets Mark Deeks of Sham Sports. The Wolves gave up Corey Brewer and Kosta Koufos and received Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph in return. Minnesota also took on a great deal of salary in the trade.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel doesn't think that the Heat need to make a trade to return to the form of last season.
D-League Moves: Thunder, Barton, Claver, Leuer
We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls here, with the latest moves up top. To keep tabs on all of this season's D-League assignments and recalls, check out our complete list.
- The Thunder have recalled Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III, and Daniel Orton from the Tulsa 66ers, the team announced today (Twitter link via Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports). Having recalled DeAndre Liggins from the D-League last week, the Thunder now don't have any players still on the 66ers' roster, though I'd imagine that won't last too long.
- The Trail Blazers have assigned Will Barton and Victor Claver to the Idaho Stampede, the team announced today (link via Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com). Of the two rookies, Barton has earned more playing time, averaging 8.8 MPG in 16 contests, while Claver has seen limited minutes in just five games. Both players will be with the Stampede for two games before rejoining Portland, according to GM Neil Olshey (Twitter link via Jason Quick of the Oregonian).
- The Cavaliers have assigned Jon Leuer to their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Leuer will join the Canton Charge and be available for the club's game tomorrow. After being claimed off waivers by Cleveland in the offseason, Leuer has appeared in five games for the Cavs, averaging 3.2 PPG and 2.0 RPG in 14.4 minutes per contest. The 23-year-old will be the only member of the Cavs playing in the D-League for now, since the team recalled Kevin Jones earlier this week.
Central Notes: Bulls, Gasol, Cavs, Jones
It wasn’t pretty, but the Pacers topped the Bulls last night 80-76 to get back to the .500 mark. The Bulls kept David West in check but Paul George more than picked up the slack with 34 points, 9 rebounds, three steals, two assists, and two blocks. Here’s more out of the Central..
- In an interview on 95.7 The Game, Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com explained how the Bulls have the goods to land Pau Gasol if they want to. Sheridan suggests a three-way deal in which the Hornets send Ryan Anderson to the Lakers, and the Bulls send Taj Gibson, a future No. 1 draft pick owed to them by the Bobcats, plus a little more to New Orleans. That little more could include the rights to Real Madrid forward Nikola Mirotic.
- Despite the optimism surrounding recent D-League callup Kevin Jones, Sam Amico of FOXSportsOhio.com doesn’t see him making a major impact with the Cavaliers this season. In five D-League games, averaged 23.6 PPG and 12.6 RPG in 41 minutes per game. The forward out of West Virginia was projected to be an early- to-mid second-round pick in the 2012 draft but plummeted after an injury forced him to miss workouts.
- The Cavs are hurting without Kyrie Irving in the lineup, but veteran wing C.J. Miles notes that the situation is giving bench players a chance to prove their worth in the league, writes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. Jeremy Pargo and Donald Sloan have seen more minutes in Irving’s absence but the Cavs are struggling at 4-14.
Odds & Ends: Odom, Allen, Carroll, Mavs, Moultrie
Lamar Odom, preparing to face the Mavericks on Wednesday for the first time since they traded him to the Clippers, called his season in Dallas "a blur," as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times documents. "Sometimes we make pit stops in some places," Odom said. "I remember the people and the city. Basketball just wasn't there for me at that time." Odom added that he has no hard feelings for owner Mark Cuban, and spoke highly of the Mavs to former teammate Derek Fisher after the point guard signed with Dallas last week. If the reunion of Odom and the Mavs along with the rest of tomorrow's slate can live up to the drama of tonight's six-game schedule, we're in for a treat. Here's more from around the Association.
- The Heat have gotten plenty of return on their investment in Ray Allen, as he's fit in seamlessly as a complement at shooting guard to Dwyane Wade, who tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today that he was always on board with the signing and never concerned that Allen would take his minutes.
- Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune chronicles the arduous journey DeMarre Carroll took to becoming a valuable part of the Jazz rotation on a minimum-salary deal.
- Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News chatted with readers to discuss the ripple effect of the Fisher signing and the possibility of trades involving the Mavericks.
- Sixers coach Doug Collins and GM Tony DiLeo will meet to determine the best time to send this year's 27th overall pick, Arnett Moultrie, to the D-League, as Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com notes.
- Ben Golliver and Rob Mahoney of SI.com delve into several reasons why the Cavs shouldn't trade Anderson Varejao, and offer up some trade ideas that would offer fair value to Cleveland if the team were to pull the trigger.
Cavs Recall Kevin Jones
The Cavaliers have recalled power forward Kevin Jones from the D-League's Canton Charge, according to Sam Amico of FOXSports.com. The undrafted rookie out of West Virginia hooked on with the Cavs in summer camp and was one of three players to be assigned to their D-League affiliate.
Jones was on a tear for the Charge and the Cavs thought enough of Jones to waive Luke Harangody in order to sign him last week. The former Celtic beat Jones out for a spot on the Cavs' roster this offseason but never actually appeared in a game. The Cavs are on the hook for Harangody's full $1.05MM guaranteed salary for 2012/13.
In five D-League games, Jones has averaged 23.6 PPG and 12.6 RPG in 41 minutes per contest. The 6'8" forward was projected to be an early or mid-second-round pick in the 2012 draft before a bone bruise took him out of the pre-draft circuit and kept him out of summer league play.
Central Rumors: Rose, Evans, Jaric, Pacers, Sloan
Three Central Division teams were in action tonight, as the Bucks endured a surprising blowout loss to the Hornets and fell out of a first-place tie with the Bulls, while the Pistons beat the cellar-dwelling Cavs. Chicago, at 8-7, is the best of an underwhelming bunch, and we rounded up several Bulls rumors earlier today. We have more on them and their Central rivals tonight.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times hears Derrick Rose might be only weeks away from practicing, but cautions that it's unclear whether that means he's ahead of schedule for his return to playing, which is thought to be slated for February.
- The Daily Herald's Mike McGraw doesn't believe the rumor that Bulls will go after Maurice Evans, tweeting that "now is not the time" to add another player, given the team's constraints under the $74.3MM hard cap. The Bulls are eligible to sign someone to a veteran's minimum deal, but a fully guaranteed deal wouldn't allow them to add anyone else for a while longer.
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune mentions training-camp invitee Marko Jaric as a possible signing if the Bulls opt to add a player (Twitter link).
- Sean Deveney of The Sporting News examines the struggles of the Pacers, describing the play of their offseason acquisitions as "awful across the board." Deveney also points to the regression of Roy Hibbert, who's fresh off signing a new four-year deal this summer.
- The Sporting News scribe doesn't spare Paul George from criticism, either, and Curt Cavin of the Indianapolis Star takes a closer look at the inconsistent offensive play of the third-year swingman who'll be eligible for an extension next summer.
- Donald Sloan's defensive shortcomings caused him to fall out of the Cavs rotation before injuries to others forced him back in, and the minimum-salary point guard, who's without a guarantee on his deal, admits he's nervous about getting cut, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal documents.
Amico On Thunder, Burks, Varejao, Fisher
At the quarter-mark of the year, Sam Amico of FOXSports.com offers up his rookie review. The Blazers' Damian Lillard is proving that big talent can come out of small schools and figures to be a top candidate for the Rookie Of The Year award. Fourth-overall pick Dion Waiters has been streaky from the outside but has been extremely impressive at times for the Cavaliers. Not every rookie is off to a hot start, however, as Thomas Robinson of the Kings is struggling along with the rest of his team. More from today's column..
- The Thunder are loaded with young players that aren't getting a ton of burn and are also loaded with draft picks, making them very attractive trade partners. However, Sam Presti & Co. have no interest in making a trade at this time since the team is playing well, according to a team source. Oklahoma City is tied with the Spurs for the second-best record in the West (14-4) as they get set to face the Nets (11-5) tomorrow night.
- If the Jazz placed Alec Burks on the trading block, it seems he’s played his way off of it. Utah's injuries have given the second-year shooting guard increased minutes and he has made the most of them. Burks was said to be available in a trade roughly two weeks ago.
- Despite the insistence of some that the Cavaliers should trade center Anderson Varejao while his value his high, it's not likely that Cleveland will move him. The big man is off to a career start, but non-contenders with assets don’t want to trade them at this point and most contenders don’t have the assets – save for the aforementioned Thunder. More than 70% of Hoops Rumors readers said yesterday that the Cavs should trade Varejao.
- Veteran guard Derek Fisher made a positive impression in his Mavericks debut over the weekend. “Fisher solidifies the (second) unit, he keeps us tight and he’s a proven veteran,” said forward Elton Brand.