Larry Sanders Casts Doubt On Return To NBA
Larry Sanders revealed in a self-authored piece on The Players’ Tribune that he recently checked himself into a hospital where he took part in a program for anxiety, depression and mood disorders, and he used “if” and not “when” in reference to a return to basketball. The former Bucks center is a free agent after clearing waivers Monday from a buyout deal with Milwaukee.
“I love basketball, and if I get to a point where I feel I’m capable of playing basketball again, I will,” Sanders wrote. “I’ve had to make the difficult decision to follow my intuition, and allow myself the space and time to explore my true purpose in life.”
In January, Sanders denied a report from Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times that he was thinking about retirement amid an absence that began following his last appearance in a game on December 23rd. The center indicated in the video portion of his Players’ Tribune piece that the Bucks organization wasn’t the impetus behind his desire to depart. The 26-year-old reportedly has no intention to sign with an NBA team this season, though the Mavericks and Clippers were among the teams with at least some level of interest in signing him.
The center signed a four-year, $44MM rookie scale extension with the Bucks in 2013, but it didn’t kick in until this season. He forfeited all but $22,064,705 of it in the buyout deal, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. Sanders downplayed the importance of money in his essay and suggested in the video that he has numerous priorities other than basketball.
“I’m a person, I’m a father, I’m an artist, I’m a writer, I’m a painter, I’m a musician, and sometimes I play basketball,” Sanders said.
Once a standout defender, Sanders has encountered a multitude of problems since he signed the extension. He broke his hand in a nightclub fight early last season, and the league has twice given him drug-related suspensions. The latest stretched over 12 games and cost him $1.2MM.
Western Notes: Warriors, Mekel, Leonard
Golden State stood pat at the trade deadline, but Warriors consultant and part-owner Jerry West, who has plenty of say on personnel, thinks the team still needs to make some kind of move, as he told Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.
“I think for sure we need to have a piece. For sure,” West said. “And I think as we get further into the year, I think if you watch how teams are going to particularly concentrate on our backcourt, we need more shooting and people who can make shots consistently. I think in games that we flounder in is when our guards are not able to go out there and score 45 to 60 points on any given night. … There’s going to be a bull’s-eye on those two guys’ backs.”
West made his remarks the day after the team signed James McAdoo for the season, filling the last open roster spot. Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Former Pelicans and Mavs point guard Gal Mekel is close to a deal with Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod, a source tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter links). The GM of the Russian team is confident that Mekel will sign the deal, which would have an NBA escape clause, Pick adds. Mekel had been holding out hope for an NBA deal since his brief stint with New Orleans in December, but he recently appeared to be losing patience.
- It’s been a rough year for Kawhi Leonard, Spurs president/coach Gregg Popovich said, with the reigning Finals MVP suffering through injury woes and a shooting slump as restricted free agency looms this summer, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News explores. He’s nonetheless averaging career highs virtually across the board and, as McDonald writes, he remains eminently valuable to the Spurs.
- Amar’e Stoudemire is having an instant effect on the Mavericks, notes Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com. The Mavs signed the ex-Knick last week, and it’s a prorated minimum-salary deal that goes until season’s end, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders shows (Twitter link).
- The Kings have hired Vance Walberg as an assistant coach, the team announced. Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group first reported that the move would be expected if Sacramento hired George Karl as head coach. Of course, the Kings did indeed hire Karl last week. Walberg is leaving the Sixers staff for his new job.
Clippers, Mavs Cautiously Interested In Sanders
THURSDAY, 7:25pm: The Clippers have also shown interest, and the Cavs did as well prior to garnering a commitment from Kendrick Perkins, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Still, sources tell Stein that Sanders has no plan to play again this year, echoing earlier reports. Presumably the Clippers would tread carefully with Sanders, just as the Mavs would, though that’s just my speculation.
WEDNESDAY, 11:58am: The Mavs have “cautious and complicated interest” in Larry Sanders, who’s reportedly poised to hit waivers as part of a buyout deal with the Bucks, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. It would take a convincing case from Happy Walters, the agent for Sanders, and Monta Ellis, who clashed with Sanders when they were teammates in Milwaukee, would have to give his blessing for a deal between Sanders and the Mavs to come to fruition, MacMahon cautions. MacMahon indicates that the interest would be for a deal this season, but Sanders is reportedly unlikely to return to the court or seek a deal this season.
Dallas only has the minimum salary to offer for any deal this season, as MacMahon points out. Marc Stein of ESPN.com identified the Mavs as a potential suitor for Sanders this past spring, but it seems his value has only declined since then. The center appears set to give up the majority of the $33MM he was set to make in the final three seasons of his deal with the Bucks.
The Mavs have a strong relationship with Walters, according to MacMahon, and Jermaine O’Neal‘s decision this week to abandon his efforts to play this season left the Mavs without one of their big man targets. Dallas had been prepared to sign both O’Neal and Amar’e Stoudemire, as Stein and MacMahon wrote earlier. Stoudemire has committed to joining the Mavs after clearing waivers today.
Jazz, Kendrick Perkins Agree To Buyout Deal
3:53pm: Perkins has officially been waived, the Jazz announced.
3:27pm: A buyout arrangement has been reached, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Perkins intends to sign with the Cavaliers if he clears waivers, which he is expected to do, Wojnarowski adds.
1:48pm: Perkins has narrowed his choices to the Cavs and the Clippers, and the big man is expected to make his decision on Sunday, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports (Twitter link).
10:51am: The Clippers are not out of the running for Perkins, but are considered long shots to sign him, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports (Twitter link).
SATURDAY, 10:28am: The Cavaliers have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Perkins if he is indeed waived by Utah, Wojnarowski reports. The Bulls, Rockets, and Hawks are also in the mix for the big man, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal tweets.
FRIDAY, 9:24am: Perkins is interested in playing for the Mavs, Wojnarowski writes, but the team doesn’t share that interest, as Cuban said (below). Conflict in the past with Joakim Noah wouldn’t keep Perkins from joining the Bulls, a source tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
11:25pm: Mark Cuban said that Dallas is set in its frontcourt, and that the Mavs would not be interested in Perkins if he is waived, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman tweets.
10:18pm: The Bulls and the Cavs are the frontrunners to sign Perkins when and if he clears waivers, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports (Twitter link).
6:08pm: The Mavericks have also expressed interest in Perkins, should he be waived, Wojnarowski tweets.
THURSDAY, 3:55pm: The Jazz and Kendrick Perkins are headed for a buyout, reports Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Utah agreed to take on his expiring contract, worth more than $9.654MM, as part of a three-way deal with the Pistons and Thunder. The Cavs and Clippers are teams to watch should Perkins indeed hit free agency in the coming days, Young says, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports calls those teams strong contenders to sign him (on Twitter). The Bulls will be very much in the mix for Perkins, too, Wojnarowski also tweets.
The 30-year-old Perkins is making $9.654MM this season on an expiring contract, and it’s not immediately clear how much he would give up in a buyout. He was much-maligned throughout his tenure in Oklahoma City after having been hailed as key to the Celtics’ 2008 championship and subsequent run to the Finals in 2010. He had a PER of 15.0 in 2009/10, but he never had a double-digit PER for the Thunder after a trade sent him there in the middle of the 2010/11 season.
His name was part of a proposal that would have sent him to the Nets for Brook Lopez, but that trade didn’t pan out. In any case, he’s an odd fit for Utah, a team focused on the future, so a quick parting of ways makes sense. The Jazz will have to waive him no later than March 1st for him to be eligible to play for another team in the postseason.
Mavericks Re-Sign Bernard James
SATURDAY, 11:17am: The second 10-day signing is official, Dallas announced in a press release.
11:21pm: Mavs owner Mark Cuban said the team intends to sign James to a second 10-day deal, and then for the remainder of the season once that pact expires, Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets.
THURSDAY, 1:15pm: The Mavericks have reached agreement on a second 10-day contract with center Bernard James, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (on Twitter). James’ current 10-day deal is scheduled to expire on Saturday.
James had been playing with the Yao Ming-owned Shanghai Sharks since shortly after the Mavs waived him at the end of the preseason, but the Sharks failed to make the Chinese Basketball Association playoffs, allowing the 30-year-old big man to become a free agent and circle back to Dallas.
James recently told Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News that the time he spent overseas with the Sharks made him a better player.
“It was huge,” James said. “It kind of got me back to feeling like myself again. I’m not hesitating. I’m believing in my game. It was good to play major minutes and having a team really rely on me.“
James appeared in one game for the Mavs before the All-Star break, scoring 9 points and grabbing 3 boards against the Jazz.
Wolves Trying To Acquire Kevin Garnett
1:31pm: The Nets believe that Garnett will OK the deal, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).
12:35pm: Belief is growing that Garnett will waive his no-trade clause, but he hasn’t decided yet, as Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link).
10:23am: The Wolves have “cautious optimism” that Garnett will waive his no-trade clause, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link).
9:40am: Garnett found out about Minnesota’s interest in a reunion weeks ago, but he wasn’t on board with the idea initially, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.
8:35am: Timberwolves brass and Garnett will speak today about the trade possibility, as Bontemps hears (Twitter link). Meanwhile, a source insists to Kennedy that the Nets are quite enamored with Young (Twitter link).
8:27am: Garnett still won’t do a buyout in spite of strong interest from the Clippers and coach/executive Doc Rivers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Still, Garnett is considering “the one trade scenario,” Wojnarowski says, presumably a reference to the Wolves idea. The Nets and Wolves have had a ton of talks about Young, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter). Young almost wound up with the Mavericks, and a deal that was in the works fell apart when Dallas wound up with Amar’e Stoudemire, Kennedy tweets.
8:06am: The fate of any deal is largely up to Garnett to decide at this point, Stein tweets.
THURSDAY, 7:52am: The talks are “exploratory,” a source told Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press, though Stein, in the most recent update of his story, notes that sources deemed the discussions “serious.” The Wolves are still debating the merits of relinquishing Young, who’s in his prime and has played better of late, for Garnett, a 20th-year vet, the AP scribe adds. Most people around the league don’t think KG would be willing to waive his no-trade clause, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post, and that’s the sense in Brooklyn, too, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. It’s unclear if the former Wolves star is prepared to put aside any lingering resentment toward owner Glen Taylor about the way they parted in 2007, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune indicates.
11:56pm: Garnett has been said to be unwilling to waive his no-trade clause as recently as the last few days, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets.
WEDNESDAY, 10:52pm: The Timberwolves and Nets are in talks regarding a trade that would return Kevin Garnett to Minnesota in exchange for Thaddeus Young, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports. The 19-year NBA veteran has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means that Garnett could potentially veto any deal presented to him. Garnett spent his first 12 seasons in the NBA with Minnesota, and it would be a great ending to his storied career if he retired while wearing a Timberwolves jersey. The big man has also said that he hopes to buy the Wolves when his playing days are over.
The 38-year-old is earning $12MM for the season, and will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the campaign. The veteran has appeared in 42 games for Brooklyn this season, and is averaging 6.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 20.3 minutes per night. Garnett’s career averages are 18.3 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 3.8 APG. His career shooting percentages are .497/.276/.790.
Young, 26, is making $9,410,869 this season, and he has a player option worth $9,971,739 for the 2015/16 campaign. The 6’8″ forward has appeared in 48 games for Minnesota this season, and is averaging 14.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 33.4 minutes per game. His career numbers are 13.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.5 APG. Young’s career slash line is .495/.319/.698.
And-Ones: Holiday, Hibbert, Lawson
Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday could be sidelined for more than another month after reaggravating the stress reaction injury in his lower right leg on Monday, John Reid of NOLA.com reports. The Pelicans announced on Wednesday that he will be re-evaluated in three weeks by the team’s medical staff but New Orleans offered no timetable for his return. Holiday, who suffered the setback while doing light drills, has been sidelined since January 14th. He was averaging 15.2 points and 7.1 assists prior to the injury.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Pacers are open to trading Roy Hibbert, rival executives told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). There is nothing imminent regarding a potential trade of Indiana’s starting center, Kennedy adds.
- Gal Mekel is being hotly pursued by Hapoel Jerusalem of the Israel Premier League, David Pick of Eurobasket.com tweets. Mekel, a point guard, appeared in four games with the Pelicans in December this season.
- Trade chatter around the Raptors is unusually low, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun tweets. The Raptors are looking toward the offseason to make any big moves, Wolstat adds.
- Jermaine O’Neal, who has opted not to play this season, hinted that the Warriors and Trail Blazers as well as the Mavs were interested in his services, according to quotes posted by Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com from a Dallas radio interview. The Mavs were expected to sign O’Neal but the veteran delayed his comeback because he felt that the timing wasn’t right, O’Neal explained in the interview on 103.3 FM’s “Friedo and Fitzsimmons” show.
- The Nuggets are still considering offers for Arron Afflalo, and some “late charging” teams have expressed interest in the guard, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The Blazers are still strongly in the mix to acquire Afflalo, Wojnarowski adds.
- Ty Lawson‘s no-show at Nuggets practice on Wednesday might be a ploy on Lawson’s part to force a trade, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders opines. Lawson’s absence was unexcused by Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post.
- The Timberwolves had checked in on free agent Jamaal Tinsley but never offered him a 10-day contract, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets. It was reported earlier that Minnesota and two other teams had offered Tinsley 10-day deals that he had declined.
Latest On Kevin Martin
9:24pm: Martin is happy in Minnesota, and out of the teams reported to be eyeing him, Martin would only be interested in playing for Dallas, Amick tweets.
8:29pm: The Rockets and Wizards are also interested in Martin, Sam Amick of USA Today reports (Twitter links). It’s also highly unlikely that the Wolves agree to a buyout with Martin if he remains on the roster past the trade deadline, Amick adds. The Mavs are also a team that likes Martin, Amick confirms.
3:50pm: Teams are still inquiring about Martin, but the feeling is growing that he will remain with the Wolves past the deadline, Chris Mannix of SI.com reports (Twitter link).
2:32pm: The Bulls and Kings among teams with interest in Kevin Martin, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his chat with readers, though he adds that it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Timberwolves hang on to him. Ford also lists the Wizards as a team eyeing Martin, though there were conflicting reports about their level of interest earlier this month. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports heard that Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders has little interest in parting with Martin, though Ken Berger of CBSSports.com seemingly refuted that and put Martin on a list of players that teams are attempting to trade. Martin would be headed for a buyout if a trade doesn’t happen, according to Berger, but rival executives are surprised at the notion that Minnesota would consider a buyout, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
The Mavericks are another team that’s been linked to Martin, though it’s unclear if they truly have interest in trading for him. He’s making almost $6.793MM this season and $7.085MM next year, with a player option worth almost $7.738MM for 2016/17, so his contract figures to dissuade teams on the fence about pursuing before the deadline. The same clubs would figure to have greater interest in Martin should he buy his way off the Wolves and become available more cheaply, though that’s just my speculation.
Saunders said after making a pair of trades last week that he didn’t expect to be active again in advance of the deadline. The Wolves haven’t given the impression that they want to part with Martin, according to John Krawczynski of The Associated Press. The 32-year-old shooting guard is Minnesota’s leading scorer this season at 20.2 points per game.
Amar’e Stoudemire Joins Mavs
WEDNESDAY, 4:23pm: The Mavs have officially signed Stoudemire, the team announced in a press release. “I’m excited to be a part of a first-class organization,” Stoudemire said. “To play alongside Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler and other great players, I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for me to compete for a championship.”
MONDAY, 8:37pm: Amar’e Stoudemire has committed to signing with the Mavericks once he clears waivers on Wednesday, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). The reported agreement doesn’t come as much of a surprise, since Dallas was rumored to be the front-runner to ink the 32-year-old big man once he became a free agent, as Tim MacMahon and Marc Stein of ESPN.com passed along earlier this month. The Knicks cut ties with Stoudemire in a buyout deal this morning.
There was no shortage of suitors for the seven-time All-Star, as in addition to the Mavs, reports linked him to the Blazers, Grizzlies, Spurs, Clippers, Raptors and Warriors. Still, the relationship between Dallas’ coaching staff and front office with Stoudemire’s agents at Relativity Sports looks to have played a key role in his choice to sign with the 36-19 Mavericks. Nothing can become official until S.T.A.T. clears waivers, but there isn’t a team in the league with enough cap space to put a claim in on his massive contract.
The transition from the league-worst Knicks to the playoff bound Mavericks will be a stark one, but it will give Stoudemire a legitimate shot at competing deep into the playoffs rather than putting in work for a lottery-bound New York club. After agreeing to a deal with the Knicks worth nearly $100MM in 2010, New York failed to get past the Eastern Conference Semifinals during Stoudemire’s tenure in the blue and orange. Much of his time with the squad was spent on the bench, as various injuries limited the forward/center from taking the court in four of his nearly five seasons with the team.
Dallas hopes to formally bring aboard Stoudemire on Thursday, according to Stein, who confirms Charania’s report that the 13th-year vet will indeed join the Mavs (Twitter link). Dallas is limited to paying players the minimum salary, so that’s what the agreement will need to be worth once it’s finalized. In 24.0 minutes per game this season, Stoudemire is averaging 12.0 points and 6.8 rebounds. His 19.7 PER this season is below his career mark of 22.0, but comfortably above the league average of 15.0. He’ll fill the role of backup big man for the Mavs, who have been lacking frontcourt depth since Brandan Wright was sent away in the Rajon Rondo trade.
Mavs Waive Ricky Ledo
WEDNESDAY, 4:20pm: The Mavs have officially waived Ledo, the team announced in a press release.
TUESDAY, 3:20pm: The Mavericks have told Ricky Ledo that they are releasing him to make way for Amar’e Stoudemire, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). Stoudemire has committed to joining the Mavs should he clear waivers, as expected, following his buyout deal with the Knicks. The move is a signal that the team intends to keep Bernard James, who’s with the team on a 10-day contract. Ledo is one of 14 other Mavericks with deals guaranteed through the end of the season. The guard is making the minimum this season and has non-guaranteed minimum salaries for 2015/16 and 2016/17.
It’s not altogether surprising that the Mavs would cut ties with Ledo, even with Rajon Rondo out indefinitely with facial injuries. Ledo, the 43rd overall pick in 2013, has played in only five NBA games this season and has spent significant time on D-League assignment. The Mavs have sent him down eight times this year, as our D-League assignments log shows, and he hasn’t put up dominant numbers for the Texas legends, averaging 16.0 in 33.4 minutes per game.
Dallas chose to keep Ledo over James and fellow backup guard Gal Mekel earlier this season, though it appears at least for now that James has become the greater priority. The Mavs’ 10-day contract with James lapses after Friday, two days after Stoudemire is set to clear waivers, but Dallas could have terminated the 10-day deal early if it wanted to.