Western Notes: Warriors, Thunder, Bledsoe, Jazz
The most intriguing game on tonight's schedule happens out west, where the Lakers are in Denver as they try to get back to .500 for the first time since they were 15-15 at the end of December. While we wait to see if the Nuggets can keep the Lakers below .500, let's check out a few Western Conference links….
- If a big-name trade candidate becomes available this summer, the Warriors should be in the mix, says Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com, pointing out that Golden State will have young talent, draft picks, and big, expiring contracts to offer.
- As Derek Fisher prepares to join the Thunder for the rest of the season, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News points out (via Sulia) that even when it became clear Oklahoma City wouldn't be re-signing Fisher last summer, the team had nothing but praise for him.
- When Thunder GM Sam Presti spoke on Friday about the trade that sent Eric Maynor to the Trail Blazers, he mentioned the trade exception acquired by Oklahoma City in the deal. But the Thunder also acquired the rights to Georgios Printezis, and Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside thinks the club should strongly consider eventually bringing him stateside.
- By keeping Eric Bledsoe through the deadline, the Clippers are now expected to have a backup plan this summer if Chris Paul unexpectedly decides to sign elsewhere. But assuming Paul re-signs, the team will have to decide what Bledsoe's long-term future holds, writes Jovan Buha of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- In a lengthy piece on players and teams who are "on notice" after the trade deadline, Grantland's Zach Lowe explores the Jazz's decision to keep both Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson last week.
- Following up on Dirk Nowitzki's comments about wanting to play beyond his current contract, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com wonders how much of a bargain Nowitzki would give the Mavericks in his next deal.
Odds & Ends: Gay, Grizzlies, Korver, Smith
Hoops Rumors would like to wish a speedy recovery to former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley as he remains in a Chicago-area hospital days after suffering a stroke, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal details. Heisley is interested in buying another NBA team, and has recently been linked to the Wolves and Bucks. Here's more from around the Association..
- Raptors star Rudy Gay told Chris Mannix of NBC Sports (on Twitter) that he was not happy about leaving the Grizzlies at a time when he felt that they were poised to make a run. The forward went on to say that the team was shocked and deflated by the Marreese Speights deal (Twitter link).
- Soon-to-be free agent Kyle Korver is open to a return to the Bulls this summer, he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com, who notes that the sharpshooter was one of Derrick Rose's favorites."That’s a great organization, that’s an awesome jersey to put on," Korver said of the Bulls. "Great fans, good team. You only get to be a free agent so many times in a career, so I’ll definitely see what’s all there. But I would absolutely listen to what they’ve got to say."
- Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, Josh Smith can go back to focusing on contributing to his Hawks team, writes Shams Charania of RealGM. In fact, for all of his ups and downs with the club over the years, he seems re-energized and upbeat about the second half of the year in Atlanta.
- Mark Cuban says that Vince Carter was the Mavericks' most in-demand player at the deadline, according to Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com (on Twitter). "We're lucky to have him," said the owner.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Nowitzki Plans To Play For Several More Years
Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki's contract runs out after next season and some have wondered if he may be looking to call it a career in the near future. The big man told reporters back in November that he would likely stick around through 2016, but a frustrating, injury-filled season in Dallas led him to question his future once again. However, Nowitzki reiterated his desire to continue his career in Dallas earlier today, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
"When my [current] contract's up, I'm 36 and I'll definitely sign a couple more years," Nowitzki said after recording season highs of 30 points and 13 rebounds in today's loss to the Lakers. "It's still fun, but I don't know if I'll play until 40. But when I'm 36, definitely sign one more deal, maybe two or three years."
The 34-year-old laughed when asked if he expected to continue making superstar money on his next deal. Nowitzki is earning just under $21MM this season and will make nearly $23MM in his walk year. While his next deal won't be negotiated for some time, it's safe to assume that he'll see a pay cut.
Eastern Rumors: Kenyon, Celtics, Morrow, Cavs
After all the pre-deadline rumors about Josh Smith, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo changing places, more than a few people around the NBA might have been scratching their heads when none of them were dealt. A check of the standings reveals that both the Hawks and Celtics are within reach of high playoff seeds, so perhaps both teams felt like they could make a run with their teams largely intact. Atlanta is just three games back of the Pacers, who sit in second-place, while Boston trails Indiana by five games. While we wait to see how a tightly packed East shakes out, here's the latest from the conference:
- Kenyon Martin is on a 10-day contract with the Knicks, but GM Glen Grunwald is hopeful the arrangement lasts for the rest of the season, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com documents. The veteran big man is glad months of waiting to rejoin the NBA are at an end, and he's eager to dispel criticism about his ability to fit in a team's locker room culture, Begley also writes.
- The Celtics are close to signing D.J. White, but coach Doc Rivers said the team will look for another big man as well. Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com runs down a few likely candidates.
- Anthony Morrow, whom the Mavs acquired at the deadline for Dahntay Jones, is glad to be in Dallas, and hinted at displeasure about his time with the Hawks, as Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com notes via Twitter. "I feel so blessed to be here, coming from my last situation," Morrow said.
- A half dozen draft picks changed hands at the trade deadline, but all of them were second-rounders. That's why Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer thinks the Cavs were shrewd to acquire a first-rounder from the Grizzlies as part of their swap last month.
Mavs, Brandon Jennings Have Mutual Interest
The Mavericks were looking at Brandon Jennings prior to the trade deadline, and it appears they aren't giving up on pursuing the Bucks point guard. They'd "love" to nab him in restricted free agency this summer, and that's an outcome Jennings would like to happen as well, as Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News writes. The Bucks, though, will have the right to match any offer he gets, and earlier this season they informed him they intend to do just that.
Jennings and the Bucks failed to agree on an extension to his rookie-scale contract before the October deadline. Since then, the point guard switched agents, replacing Bill Duffy with Jeff Schwartz, an advocate for the endorsement opportunities that major markets can provide. Jennings has made no secret of his desire to explore what big cities could do for his career, though he recently expressed his affection for Milwaukee as he denied that he had encountered "irreconcilable differences" with the team.
The Bucks appear to hold Jennings' talents in high regard, as they reportedly consider him one of their "untouchable" players, along with Larry Sanders and rookie John Henson. Backcourt mate Monta Ellis and deadline acquisition J.J. Redick could both leave as unrestricted free agents in the summer, so Jennings is the only one of Milwaukee's top three guards under team control beyond this season.
The Mavs will have plenty of cap space, and could make it difficult for the Bucks to bring Jennings back if they sign him to an offer sheet at or near the maximum salary, which is 25% of the salary cap for a player with six or fewer years of experience, like Jennings. I'm not sure either team believes Jennings is a max player, however, and Dallas appears eager to go after established superstars like Dwight Howard and Chris Paul. They figure to be in the mix for Josh Smith as well. Yet if Mark Cuban and company miss out on those targets, they might be willing to overspend to land Jennings.
Mavs Notes: Deadline, Morrow, Howard, Future
The Mavericks only made one small trade at the deadline, sending Dahntay Jones to the Hawks in exchange for Anthony Morrow. However, according to owner Mark Cuban, the team was close to making a much larger splash, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com outlines.
"It was crazy," Cuban said on 103.3 FM in Dallas. "We thought we had a bunch of things done, literally a bunch of things done. We had teams get cold feet at the last minute…. Things that would have used cap room next year, would have had money next year, that were high-dollar guys, difference-maker guys."
While we consider what sort of players the Mavs might have been discussing, let's check in on a few more links from ESPNDallas.com….
- During his appearance on ESPN Radio, Cuban also suggested that the Lakers may have to think about amnestying Kobe Bryant this summer (link via MacMahon). While it's highly doubtful the Lakers would ever consider that move, clearing Kobe's $30.45MM cap hit from next year's books could take the Lakers out of the tax, saving the team a ton of money on their end-of-year bill.
- As MacMahon notes, trading for Morrow, who is friends with Dwight Howard, doesn't improve the Mavericks' chances of signing Howard this summer, since the club would have to renounce Morrow's Bird Rights to make a bid for D12.
- MacMahon also wonders whether Dallas would even appeal to Howard as a free agent destination this summer, based on the current roster.
- The Mavericks' hopes for the future are still based more on financial flexibility than the team's current collection of players, writes MacMahon in another ESPNDallas.com piece.
Odds & Ends: Deadline, Nets, Colangelo, Hibbert
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Thursday evening:
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes that the Collective Bargaining Agreement has restricted player movement, resulting in an underwhelming trade deadline.
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News laments the Nets' inability to find Deron Williams more help at the deadline.
- Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun writes that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo deserves a contract extension.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes that Roy Hibbert is looking to ramp up his performance as the Pacers gear up for a playoff run.
- The Oklahoman has a primer on Georgios Printezis, acquired by the Thunder on Thursday.
- Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel praises the Bucks' acquisition of J.J. Redick.
- Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW.com writes that the Mavericks' relative inactivity at the trade deadline puts increased pressure on the team to have a successful offseason.
- John Canzano of The Oregonian praises the Blazers' acquisition of Eric Maynor from the Thunder.
Trade Talk Roundup: Nuggets, Landry, Mavs, Shumpert
Shortly after the trade deadline passed at 3pm ET on Thursday, it was revealed that the Hawks pulled out of discussions with the Bucks on a deal for Josh Smith. This would-be blockbuster was not the only deal that was discussed but never came to fruition. Here is a roundup of other deals that were discussed but never came to pass:
- Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com writes that the Nuggets opted to stay the course rather than dealing a player such as Timofey Mozgov, whom they had been rumored to be shopping.
- Marcus Thompson of the San Jose Mercury News tweets that the Warriors explored the market for forward Carl Landry but ultimately did not find a deal they liked.
- Jeff Caplan of NBA.com tweets that the Mavericks received calls about rookies Jae Crowder and Bernard James, but ultimately decided not to deal either player.
- Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com reports that Knicks GM Glen Grunwald never seriously considered trading Iman Shumpert, despite reports to the contrary.
Recap Of Deadline Trades
A complete recap of trades that were completed before Thursday's trade deadline:
- The Houston Rockets traded Marcus Morris to the Phoenix Suns and Patrick Patterson, Cole Aldrich, and Toney Douglas to the Sacramento Kings for Thomas Robinson, Francisco Garcia, Tyler Honeycutt, and a future second-round pick.
- The Miami Heat traded Dexter Pittman and a future second-round pick to the Memphis Grizzlies for the rights to Ricky Sanchez and cash considerations.
- The Washington Wizards traded Jordan Crawford to the Boston Celtics for Leandro Barbosa and Jason Collins.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Eric Maynor to the Portland Trail Blazers for a trade exception and the rights to Georgios Printezis. The Blazers waived Ronnie Price to clear a roster spot for Maynor.
- The Thunder also acquired Ronnie Brewer from the New York Knicks for a future second-round pick.
- The Atlanta Hawks traded Anthony Morrow to the Dallas Mavericks for Dahntay Jones.
- The Suns traded Sebastian Telfair to the Toronto Raptors for Hamed Haddadi and a future second-round pick.
- The Orlando Magic traded J.J. Redick, Gustavo Ayon, and Ishmael Smith to the Milwaukee Bucks for Beno Udrih, Tobias Harris, and Doron Lamb.
- In a separate deal, the Magic traded Josh McRoberts to the Charlotte Bobcats for Hakim Warrick.
- The Golden State Warriors traded Jeremy Tyler to the Hawks for a second-round pick. They also traded Charles Jenkins to the Philadelphia 76ers for an additional second-round pick.
Hawks, Mavs Swap Morrow, Dahntay Jones
The Hawks have sent Anthony Morrow to the Mavericks for Dahntay Jones, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Jones was reportedly going to be part of a deal for Beno Udrih, but apparently that one didn't materialize for Dallas. Both swingmen are on expiring contracts, though Morrow makes $4MM while Jones is earning $2.9MM this year. The salaries are still close enough for salary-matching purposes, and neither team is close enough to the tax for the difference to have an effect.
Morrow, 27, is seeing a career low 12.5 minutes per game this year with Atlanta after coming over during the summer in the Joe Johnson trade. He led the league in three-point percentage in 2o08/09 for the Warriors, making 46.7% of his long-range attempts as a rookie. He's a career 42.5% three-point shooter.
Jones, 32, saw about the same amount of floor time for Dallas (12.7 MPG), but doesn't provide the outside shooting presence that Morrow does. Instead, he's seen as a defensive presence, and started 71 games in front of J.R. Smith for the 2008/09 Nuggets, who advanced to the Western Conference Finals.