Mavs Notes: Ledo, Free Agency
The Dirk Nowitzki-less Mavs had a tough loss tonight, blowing a 21-point lead to the Raptors while their star sat out for some scheduled rest. Some more notes from Dallas:
- The Mavs recalled guard Ricky Ledo from their D-League affilate Texas Legends, per Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Ledo has played 10 games with the Mavs this year, averaging just 3.3 MPG.
- Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News answered reader questions in a chat, writing that he expects the Mavs to “shoot for the moon” in free agency again this summer.
- In a chat of his own, Kevin Sherrington of The Dallas Morning News agrees. Sherrington says Omer Asik would be a great fit for the Mavs’ needs this year, but doesn’t envision owner Mark Cuban taking on his $14.9MM salary (only $8.4MM of which hits the salary cap) to preserve their flexibility heading into the offseason: “Cuban wants to save all the money he can to make a push for a free agent this summer.”
Odds & Ends: Deng, Dwight, Union, Gay
Luol Deng had a sarcastic response to a question about whether he’d consider returning to the Bulls in free agency this summer, poking fun at the team’s three-year, $30MM extension offer that he rejected, notes Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Still, Deng won’t rule out a Chicago homecoming.
“I have nothing against (anyone),” Deng said. “What happened, happened. I love Chicago. I’ve been there 10 years. There’s no bad blood or anything. What happened, happened. It is what it is. But for me to sit here and say, ‘I’m taking Chicago out of the equation,’ that’s stupid. I was there for 10 years.”
Here’s more from around the league:
- Dwight Howard is returning to USA Basketball after a six-year absence with eyes on being a part of the Team USA squad in the basketball World Cup this summer, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- A judge has dismissed the remaining charges in the lawsuit that former players union executive director Billy Hunter brought against Derek Fisher, and Hunter could be on the hook for Fisher’s legal fees, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com explains. The ruling doesn’t affect Hunter’s litigation claiming the union owes him $10.5MM.
- A report last month indicated the Kings would engage Rudy Gay in extension talks if he performed well, and in spite of his improved play, the team and his reps at Octagon Sports have yet to have that discussion, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Gay scored a career-high 41 points last night.
- The Grizzlies have no interest in trading for Pau Gasol, and the Lakers won’t compromise their cap flexibility in any Gasol swap, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who thinks the Spanish center will stay put through the deadline (Sulia link).
- The extension that two-year NBA veteran Charles Jenkins signed with his Serbian team includes an escape clause in case he finds work in the NBA, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia tweets.
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com details the convoluted maneuvers that have allowed the D-League affiliate of the Mavericks to acquire Fab Melo. The 2012 first-round pick signed a D-League contract last week.
Western Notes: Marshall, Corbin, Crawford
Sean Highkin of USA Today looks at how Kendall Marshall is doing his best to shed his “bust” status. After being traded and cut just a year after being selected with the 13th pick in the 2012 draft, Marshall has worked his way from the D-League to the Lakers, and has performed better in coach Mike D’Antoni‘s offensive system. “I think it’s been great,” says Marshall. “It fits what I do well, it helps me get guys involved, and hopefully makes the team better.” Here are some more notes from around the Western Conference:
- The fire under Tyrone Corbin‘s hot seat isn’t blazing, as league sources say that the Jazz like their coach despite the team’s struggles, per Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- League executives think that newly-acquired guard Jordan Crawford can benefit the Warriors, Amico writes. The 25-year-old is playing for his fourth team in his fourth season, and will become a restricted free agent this summer.
- The Kings are still being very active in trade talks with GMs around the league, according to ESPN Insider’s Chad Ford [subscription only].
- David Aldridge of NBA.com sees the Mavs as a potential suitor for Luol Deng, especially if the veteran forward leads the Cavs to a playoff spot before he hits free agency this summer.
Dirk Nowitzki Will Likely Re-Sign With Mavs
Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki is one of many big names who will hit the open market in 2014, but don’t expect him to change uniforms in the fall. Nowitzki told Sport1 in a recent interview that he will likely re-sign with Dallas on a two or three year deal, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (via Twitter).
“In the summer I will be free agent and likely extend the contract for two or three years,” Nowitzki told the German TV outlet, according to Sportando’s translation. “As long as the body supports me, it is still fun to play basketball. After the new contract I will be 38 or 39 and I will probably stop. For a few years it will work out all right.”
Recently, outspoken Mavs owner Mark Cuban said that he didn’t expect Nowitzki to ask for too much money on his next contract and added that he would do everything in his power to keep him “forever.” The former regular season MVP and NBA Finals MVP also touched on his relationship with Cuban in the interview.
“It is clear that our relationship is amicable. We had so many ups and downs together. The championship was the best part. Mark has always supported me. Even when things were not going well, he has always told me: ‘You are and will remain my franchise player,'” the 35-year-old said.
The 7-footer is averaging 21.2 PPG with 5.8 RPG per contest this season and is showing no signs of slowing down. Nowitzki’s PER of 23.5 is his best in years, even edging his 2010/11 mark.
Odds & Ends: Tanking, Dwight, Bennett, Ledo
It’s been a pretty busy afternoon around the NBA, as we heard the Celtics might be trying to move Rajon Rondo, and we saw the Nets hook up with the Bulls and Pelicans to dump some salary via trade, Let’s round up some miscellaneous notes from Saturday:
- Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders examines the two deals from earlier today, and opines the moves make sense for all three teams that were involved.
- While team executives might be interested in intentionally losing games to help raise draft position, players and coaches never are, at least according to former NBA coach Tom Nissalke. Brad Rock of the Deseret News passed along this quote from Nissalke: “I think organizations tank. I don’t think players do. Players know that they’re being auditioned every time they play. If they’re on a bad team, they know they’re not going to be back the next year. There will be some draft picks, some trades made, so the players are always auditioning — and coaches are too.“
- Rockets center Dwight Howard is happy to have trade chatter behind him. “For me I think it (the trade deadline) was different from a lot of players,” Howard told Jessica Camerato of Basketball Insiders. “A lot of attention was on me and what teams were going to do that day. It’s tough. You have everybody asking what’s going to happen, what you’re going to do, all that stuff. I had a big headache and I was just happy when it was over with.”
- It’s been a disappointing start to Anthony Bennett‘s career, but his former UNLV coach Dave Rice says it’s too early for the Cavaliers to give up on last summer’s number one overall pick. The latest piece by Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer passes along Rice’s view on Bennett’s game and how he thinks the forward will develop.
- A Mavericks team press release announced that Ricky Ledo was assigned to the Texas Legends this morning. Ledo has only seen 33 minutes on the floor for Dallas this season so the move will give him the opportunity to see some action on the hardwood. It’ll be his second such assignment this season.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Celtics Attempting To Move Rajon Rondo?
Just earlier today, we passed along that ESPNBoston.com’s Chad Forsberg suggested it was unlikely Rajon Rondo would be moved, but Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News hears from “more than a few” executives around the league that the C’s will try to deal Rondo, either at the trade deadline or before the draft this June. According to Lawrence, the proposed move would probably be appealing to the recently returned Rondo since he likely won’t be eager to accept a role on a rebuilding team. He’s signed through 2014/15, and will earn about $13MM next season.
There have been a steady flux of Rondo trade rumors since the Celtics and Nets hooked up last summer on the blockbuster deal that sent Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn. Boston GM Danny Ainge has repeatedly dismissed these rumors and continues to stress that he pegs Rondo as the cornerstone to build the franchise around. Rondo has recently been part of rumors involving a potential deal with the Knicks, but Lawrence hears that Phoenix and Houston are two of the most likely landing spots for him. Dallas seems to have an affinity for Rondo as well, but it doesn’t look like they’ll have the proper assets to put together a desirable package for Boston.
Lawrence’s piece implies it’s essentially a foregone conclusion that Rondo will be dealt, which I find a little surprising since there are so many questions about how he will bounce back and perform on the court after recovering from his ACL tear. Rondo’s talent is enticing though, and it’s tough to imagine there are many teams in the league that would object to his presence on their roster. We’ll likely continue to hear trade chatter about Rondo as the February 20th trade deadline fast approaches.
Western Rumors: Randolph, Rockets, Davis
Zach Randolph has spoken many times about his affection for Memphis, and he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that he and Marc Gasol want to continue playing together. Both have contracts that end after next season, but Randolph’s deal includes a player option for 2014/15, and Z-Bo also tells Charania that he hasn’t decided what he’ll do with that option, worth more than $16.9MM. The RealGM.com scribe has more on the offseason ahead for the Grizzlies, as we share amid our look at the Western Conference:
- The Rockets are still in the market for a floor-stretching forward, writes Chris Mannix of SI.com, who also passes along a few of James Harden‘s comments about his recruitment of Dwight Howard.
- Ed Davis didn’t reach a deal on an extension with the Grizzlies before the October 31st deadline, but he nonetheless views the negotiations as a sign the team views him as key cog, as Charania notes in the same piece. Davis admits to Charania that he feels frustration when his minutes drop, but the big man understands he falls behind Randolph and Gasol in the pecking order. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t get a deal done, but it wasn’t a big thing because I’ll be a restricted free agent in the summer,” Davis said. “Hopefully, we’ll get something done this summer and I’ll be back.”
- Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson doesn’t seem eager to make a deal before the February 20th trade deadline, observes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “You never say never, but we do like the team,” Nelson said. “With nine new faces we’re not looking for reasons to change. But that being said, if an opportunity presents itself that can take us over the top we certainly have to look at it.”
- Leandro Barbosa‘s 10-day contract with the Suns expires after tonight’s game, one he may miss with a right shoulder sprain. That could prompt Phoenix to wait until he’s healthy to give him another 10-day deal, tweets Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- The Warriors have assigned center Ognjen Kuzmic to the D-League, the team announced. It’s his third trip to Santa Cruz, but he’s only appeared in a single D-League game, scoring two points in a 16-minute stint.
Southwest Notes: Andersen, Calderon, Gay
The Rockets might have preferred not stopping for halftime last night against the Thunder. Houston put up 73 points in the first half but followed with only 19 after the break, setting an NBA record for the largest point differential between halves. The strong initial performance was not enough to outweigh the later thud, as Oklahoma City prevailed, 104-92. Here’s more from the Southwest Division:
- Former Rockets and Pelicans center David Andersen says agent Leon Rose told him that NBA teams would be interested in him if an injury created a need, but the former second-round pick thinks it’s more likely he winds up signing in Europe next month. Roy Ward of The Age has the details.
- Many of Jose Calderon‘s numbers aren’t any better than the ones Darren Collison put up last year, but part of the reason the Mavs prioritized an upgrade at point guard this past summer was to fix their crunch-time woes, notes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Dallas is better in the clutch this year, and there’s no reason to believe the team is rethinking its decision to bring in Calderon, McMahon writes.
- With the approaching one-year anniversary of the Grizzlies‘ Rudy Gay trade, Gay is grateful for his time in Memphis, where he learned plenty about NBA life that he’s putting into practice now with the Kings, as he tells Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee.
Players Eligible To Be Traded As Of Today
It’s been an active season for trades in the NBA. We’re still more than a month away from the deadline and we’ve already seen five swaps, including today’s three-teamer between the Warriors, Celtics and Heat. The door to the action opens just a little bit wider today, as seven more players become eligible to be included in trades. It’s not quite a landmark sort of occasion like December 15th, when most free agents signed in the offseason, along with a few others, become fair game for trades, but the arrival of January 15th nonetheless represents one fewer obstacle to player movement.
Players who received a raise of better than 20% this summer when they re-signed via Bird or Early Bird rights with a team that was over the cap weren’t eligible to be traded until today, as long as they were making more than the minimum salary last season. That narrow distinction applies to the following players:
- Tony Allen, Grizzlies
- Chase Budinger, Timberwolves
- Timofey Mozgov, Nuggets
- J.R. Smith, Knicks
- Tiago Splitter, Spurs
- Nikola Pekovic, Timberwolves
- Brandan Wright, Mavericks
The Wolves are the only team with two players on that list, but J.R. Smith seems far and away the most likely trade candidate, and he’s uncertain about his future in New York, as we passed along this morning. It doesn’t seem as though there’s much of a market for him, but if a team wants to engage in talks with the Knicks about the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, collective bargaining agreement rules won’t forestall a move any longer.
ShamSports, RealGM, and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.
Nuggets Rumors: Miller, Gallinari, Draft
Denver is perhaps the NBA’s streakiest team, having won seven in a row at one point and five in a row at another, with an eight-game losing skid in between. So far, it’s all more or less evened out, as Denver has a 19-18 record. Monday’s loss to the Jazz snapped their five-game win streak, perhaps signaling another string of defeats is on its way. Here’s the latest from the Rocky Mountains:
- The Nuggets have no interest in acquiring J.R. Smith, be it in a trade for Andre Miller or otherwise, as Chris Mannix of SI.com reported earlier this morning, and it doesn’t look like there will be a Miller trade involving the Mavericks, either. In reference to the veteran point guard, Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson told the BaD Radio program on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas that he’s satisfied with his backcourt and won’t be “looking to mess around with that” (transcription via the Dallas Morning News). Nelson also said the notion of Andrew Bynum joining the Mavs is “a long to long-long-long shot.”
- Danilo Gallinari says the thought of missing the entire season has crossed his mind, but it’s still possible that he’ll return this year from his torn left ACL, as he tells Massimo Lopes Pegna of La Gazzetta dello Sport (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). That’s a change from his comments two months ago, when it appeared likely that he would come back at some point in 2013/14.
- Gallinari also told Pegna that the Nuggets are scouting Italian draft prospect Alessandro Gentile, who could be a second-round pick (translation via Carchia). The swingman is No. 69 in the DraftExpress prospect rankings, but No. 127 at ESPN.com.