Odds & Ends: Magloire, Curry, Hudson, Stiemsma
A few Thursday odds and ends from around the Association….
- The Raptors hope to bring Jamaal Magloire back next season, coach Dwane Casey tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida.
- Stephen Curry told reporters, including Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News, that "it would be great" if he and the Warriors could work out a contract extension this year. However, he acknowledged that it may be difficult for the two sides to agree on his value right now, given his injury-plagued 2011/12 campaign.
- Lester Hudson's second 10-day contract with the Cavaliers has expired and Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer wonders if he'll be re-signed. It's believed that Hudson is drawing interest from teams besides Cleveland, says Reed.
- If you're going to tank to score a good draft position, this is the year to do it, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.
- Greg Stiemsma is "absolutely" interested in returning to the Celtics next season, as he tells Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com.
- Hornets GM Dell Demps and coach Monty Williams deserve to be retained by new ownership, writes John DeShazier of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Central Notes: Maxiell, Bucks, Bird, Sloan
The Central Division plays a prominent role in a pair of tonight's most intriguing games, as the Bucks look to keep their postseason hopes alive with a win in Indiana, while the Bulls will aim to lock up the East's number one seed by beating Miami. Before we get to tonight's games, let's check in on the latest out of the Central:
- Jason Maxiell holds a $5MM player option for next season, and is undecided on whether to exercise it, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. "I want to talk to [Pistons' management], see where everybody's head is at," Maxiell said. "[Exploring free agency] could be the smart thing to do, but Detroit's my home and the security I have with them could be great for next season."
- The jobs of coach Scott Skiles and GM John Hammond could be on the line if the Bucks miss the playoffs, says Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
- It doesn't make sense for Larry Bird to leave the Pacers after this season, argues Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star.
- Donald Sloan has turned into a capable backup point guard, according to a piece at FOX Sports Ohio. The report adds that "many seem to think" Sloan has a better chance of earning a spot on next year's Cavaliers roster than Lester Hudson. Based on contract statuses alone, it's hard to argue that point — Cleveland has Sloan under contract for 2012/13 on a non-guaranteed deal, while I believe Hudson's second 10-day deal with the team expired last night.
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com fielded Pistons-related inquiries in a mailbag.
Minor Moves: Luke Harangody, Jerome Jordan
We'll track the latest notable international and D-League-related transactions right here:
- Luke Harangody has been recalled from the D-League's Canton Charge, the Cavaliers announced today. Harangody was assigned to Canton on the weekend and helped lead the team to its first-ever playoff series victory. However, with the Cavs in need of healthy bodies, Harangody won't be on hand to help the Charge continue their postseason run. Having been assigned to the D-League the maximum three times already this season, the 24-year-old can't be sent down again.
- According to RealGM's transactions log, Jerome Jordan has also been recalled from the D-League, by the Knicks. New York's affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, were eliminated from the D-League playoffs on Monday, in spite of Jordan's 26 points.
Cavs Rumors: Ferry, Jamison, Sloan
The idea that the Cavs might make a run at the playoffs this season has long since faded to a distant memory now that they have the fifth-worst record in the league. The focus is clearly on the future, with two first-round draft picks lined up for June. Here's the latest on Cavs past, present and, possibly, future:
- After looking at the progress former Cav J.J. Hickson has made since his arrival in Portland, as we noted earlier this evening, Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio shares a pair of front-office rumors involving former Cavs GM Danny Ferry, now working in the Spurs front office. Ferry, along with Celtics GM Danny Ainge, is a candidate for the Blazers GM job, and Ferry could also be next in line for the Wizards GM job should they decide to replace Ernie Grunfeld.
- Antawn Jamison will turn 36 in June, right before he goes out on the market as an unrestricted free agent. Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer looks at how Jamison's offseason body maintenance helped him start every game of the season for the Cavs until coach Byron Scott gave him a night off for rest on Saturday. Ryan Raroque profiled Jamison for the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Stock Watch series last night.
- Donald Sloan has an unguaranteed minimum-salary contract for next season, but Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal believes he's performed well enough in place of injured Kyrie Irving to come back to the team next season as Irving's backup.
Odds & Ends: Magic, Randolph, Kings, Irving
Earlier this evening, an ESPN report (via the Associated Press) indicated that Stan Van Gundy is prepared to handle the rest of the season and playoffs without Dwight Howard. To make matter worse, forward Glen Davis hyper-extended his right knee today during the first quarter against the Cavaliers and did not return for the rest of the game. Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweeted that Davis is unsure about when he'll be able to play again this year, which currently leaves Daniel Orton as the only true big man on the Magic roster. It should be noted that if the Magic decide to find replacements for their big man rotation through free agency, the only playoff-eligible players at this point are those who have not already played in an NBA game this year. You can find tonight's other significant stories here:
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press writes that the determining factor in Anthony Randolph's future with the Timberwolves will significantly hinge on his ability to remain consistent as the team finishes out the year. Randolph is set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and even with his brilliant performance over the last three games, coach Rick Adelman feels that the jury is still out on whether he can be counted on for a full season.
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports writes that a Sacramento group including mayor Kevin Johnson is hinting at proposing new ownership for the Kings. The Maloof brothers had recently pulled out of a deal to finance a new arena with the city, much to the chagrin of the city members who are working hard to keep the team in Sacramento.
- Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott will proceed with caution with regards to the health of Kyrie Irving, says Tom Reed of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Irving is recovering from a sprained right shoulder, and Scott would rather have him focused on being ready for off-season workouts than returning for the team's final weeks.
- Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated examines the role of Chris Bosh as the key to Miami's playoff success.
- Raymond Felton has likely seen his last minutes of the season with the Trail Blazers, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Interim GM Chad Buchanan said that he and Felton agreed that this would be an opportune time to properly evaluate their other young guards, namely Nolan Smith and Jonny Flynn. Haynes also wrote another article in which he asked Kings GM Geoff Petrie about being linked to the Blazers vacant GM position, to which Petrie replied: “That's something I can't really comment on. I have a job.”
- Ten things you need to know about Derrick Favors, according to Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post spoke with coach George Karl to reflect on how he has handled coaching while prioritizing his life during this season.
Odds & Ends: Boykins, Sixers, Frank, Heat
Let's catch up on the latest news and happenings from around the league as Sunday's afternoon action gets underway…
- Mark Berman of FOX 26 Sports reports the Rockets have signed Earl Boykins for the remainder of the season.
- The Sixers have reached the do-or-die moment of the season where they are fighting for their playoff lives, writes John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press says Pistons head coach Lawrence Frank is excited for his young players to have the opportunity to further their leadership skills during the NBA Summer League.
- Changes may be coming for the Heat depending on how the team does during the playoffs, suggests Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- According to an official press release from the Cavs, the team has assigned Luke Harangody to the Canton Charge of the D-League after appearing in Saturday night's victory over the Wizards.
- There was no way NBA commissioner David Stern was going to let the city of New Orleans lose another professional basketball team, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune.
- Frank DiGiacomo of the New York Daily News says Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov fully supports forward Kris Humphries as the Russian billionaire ripped rapper Kanye West for stating in a song that he could get Nets minority owner Jay-Z to cut Humphries from the team.
Cavs Notes: Hudson, Draft, Varejao
The struggling Cavs host the Dwight Howard-less Magic this afternoon as another season of struggles winds down for Byron Scott's club. One of the few bright spots has been rookie Kyrie Irving, who has shown flashes of brilliance after being selected with the top pick in last year's draft. Let's head to Cleveland to check up on the latest news and happenings with the Cavs.
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald thinks the Cavs may have found another D-League success story in Lester Hudson, who has been a strong contributor of late and may find himself on the roster next season. With his ability to play both guard positions even with his limited size (slightly taller than six feet), the former Tennessee-Martin star has provided a spark for the Cavs and even had team owner Dan Gilbert calling his success, "Lesanity" on Twitter. In 10 games with the Cavs, Hudson has averaged an eye-opening 19.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG and 4.7 APG.
- Look for the Cavs to add an offensively-minded wing player and another shooting guard either through the draft or free agency this offseason, writes Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer.
- Reed ponders what it would take for the Cavs to deal Anderson Varejao considering how his level of play will likely diminish once the team's core of young players is ready to contend. The Blazers could be a good match as a trade partner as they currently hold two 2012 lottery picks. Giving up one of them would be enough to send the former first-round pick to Portland as the deal would provide the Cavs yet another young player to add to their youth movement.
Minor Moves: Moon, Harangody
Today's minor moves..
- The Bobcats have called Jamario Moon up from the Los Angeles D-Fenders, sources tell Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated. Moon joined the D-Fenders a little over a month ago.
- The Cavaliers recalled forward Luke Harangody from the Canton Charge of the D-League, tweet Tom Reed and Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Notre Dame product saw time in twelve games for the Cavs this season.
Central Notes: Paxson, Cavs, Gordon
The Bulls look to rebound tonight against the Knicks after nearly completing a comeback at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Cavs play host to the Bobcats, a team winless in their past 12 contests in a season where the squad may not even reach double digits in victories. Let's take a look around the rest of the Central Division to catch up on the latest news and happenings.
- Bulls executive vice president John Paxson says his relationship with head coach Tom Thibodeau is "very good," despite reports stating otherwise, writes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. In a conversation on "The Waddle & Silvy Show," Paxson denied allegations Thibodeau was unhappy with his current contract situation in which the Bulls hold a team option for the upcoming season. After a successful run as Doc Rivers' associate head coach in Boston, Thibodeau joined the Bulls as head coach prior to the 2010/2011 season after which he was named NBA Coach of the Year.
- Brendan Bowers of The Plain Dealer says not only are the Cavs in a position to set up their 2012 NBA draft in a fashion similar to how the Thunder built a championship-caliber squad, but can do so in a way that fast-tracks the process. Armed with two first-round draft picks, Cavs general manager Chris Grant has the opportunity to reshape the current roster to the point that the team could seemingly contend for a playoff spot next season. Bowers suggests Bradley Beal and Andre Drummond as potential fits for the Cavs if they end up with the fourth pick in the draft.
- Ben Gordon didn't sign with the Pistons just for the cushy contract but rather saw the organization as a place where he could consistently contend for titles, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Unfortunately for Gordon, the Pistons have not reached the playoffs since his arrival while the Bulls have made the playoffs each season since Gordon left Chicago in 2009. The Pistons, 21-36 on the season, currently hold the 10th-best record in the Eastern Conference, leaving them on the outside of the playoff bubble once again.
Cavs Re-Sign Lester Hudson
The Cavs have signed guard Lester Hudson to another 10-day contract, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Hudson's first 10-day deal expired last night.
Hudson has averaged 12.7 PPG, 3.8 APG and 3.5 RPG in 23.8 minutes a night during his six-game stint with the Cavs. He scored 23 points Friday against the Raptors and 26 on Sunday versus the Nets. Earlier I speculated that the Hornets, in need of a point guard, might try to grab him, but this move blocks them from doing so, at least for the time being.