Minor Moves: Songaila, Wright, Graham, Williams
We'll keep tabs on the day's notable international or D-League-related transactions here:
- Darius Songaila, an eight-year NBA veteran who played 10 games for the 76ers last season, has signed with Spanish team CB Valladolid, tweets Sportando.
- Former NBA players Antoine Wright and Stephen Graham have joined D-League teams, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Wright will play for Reno while Graham is heading to Fort Wayne.
- The Mavericks have re-assigned Sean Williams to their D-League affiliate, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas. Williams had been recalled from the Texas Legends earlier this month.
Terry Calls For Roster Changes
Plummeting quicker than Carmelo Anthony's trade value, the Mavericks have found themselves mired in strife in the first nine games after the All-Star break. With a 2-7 record since returning from the festivities in Orlando, the Mavericks are trying to come up with answers before it becomes too late for the squad to even consider defending its title, says Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. More vocal than the rest of his teammates, Mavs guard Jason Terry points to personnel changes as a viable option for management to consider before the trade deadline.
Terry's view is a fair one as the team that beat the Miami Heat last June is not only comprised of different players, but the ones that remain are also one year older. The Mavs, with the second oldest roster in the league, have been dealing with myriad issues ever since they reached the pinnacle of the sport by taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the first time in 2011. Losing Tyson Chandler to the Knicks has proved to be a more difficult void to fill than expected and the acquisition of Lamar Odom has been nothing short of a disaster.
Unfortunately for Terry, the Mavs are unlikely to make the type of deal that would alter the team's course for the rest of the season. As rumors circulate from numerous media outlets, the Mavs are presumably looking to build salary cap space for the summer in order to make a run at some of the marque free agents set to become available on the market. The main problem for the Mavs isn't that they are just consistently being beaten by better teams, but rather are losing games to teams that have inferior talent to the reigning NBA champions. A continuing trend the rest of the season may spell the end of the Mavs careers for many players currently calling Dallas home.
Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, CBA, Lakers
- Stephen Litel of HoopsWorld examines the impact the Ricky Rubio injury will have on the rest of the Timberwolves' personnel, and speculates, as we did earlier, that this may precipitate a Michael Beasley trade.
- The TrueHoop Network on ESPN.com discussed the how Rubio's injury affects Minnesota's involvement in the trade market, and the consensus appears to be that the Timberwolves will be able to make do with Ridnour and Barea in the meantime.
- NBA.com's John Schuhmann looks at the effect the new collective bargaining agreement is having on trade talks. The more punitive tax that is set to kick in during the 2013/14 season, restrictions on cap exceptions, and limits on sign-and-trades and max contracts are forcing GMs to adjust how they value players in trades.
- Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer believes that the value of the expiring contract has depreciated because of the new CBA.
- During a road trip that included disappointing losses to the Pistons and Wizards, the Lakers cancelled practice on Thursday and held a meeting between the coaches and players instead. The main message from the assistant coaches to the players appeared to be a request to "curtail external chatter," according to Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
- HoopsWorld's Derek Page chatted with fans this afternoon and discussed a variety of ideas, including the suggestion that Chris Kaman would be a nice consolation prize for the Mavericks should they fail to land Dwight Howard.
- The Spurs have rarely engaged in deadline deals over the last 16 years, but Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation thinks that the team could be willing to shop their first round pick this time around if the right deal comes along.
- Although the Pistons are just four games out of the eighth seed, Lawrence Frank does not want to pay attention to the standings and would rather focus on taking things day by day, according to David Mayo of MLive.com.
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel quotes Erik Spoelstra by saying that the Heat do not have any personnel moves pending after deciding not to renew the contract of Mickell Gladness. (Twitter link)
Odds & Ends: Bogut, Rondo, Blatche
The talk of a 10-game night across the association has been about the health of two point guards whose absence could alter the plans of a pair of teams rumored to be among the most active nearing Thursday's trade deadline. Ricky Rubio of the Wolves tweeted that he'll receive an MRI on his left knee, which he hurt in his team's loss to the Lakers tonight. The team fears he has a torn ACL, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry of the Rockets was hospitalized with a fever and abdominal distress, HoopsWorld reports. Here's what's happening elsewhere:
- Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the trade candidacy of Bucks center Andrew Bogut. Bogut's agent David Bauman said there are several teams interested in talking to Bucks GM John Hammond about his client.
- Rajon Rondo appears to be conflicted about how trades might affect the chemistry of the Celtics. Rajon Rondo, who saw best friend Kendrick Perkins dealt away at the deadline last year, told Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston he doesn't care about what a trade would do to the team's chemistry this year. Yet, to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com, Rondo said, "You can't get chemistry if you bring in new guys."
- Jason Kidd came close to joining a team that had just won the title when he thought about joining the Spurs in 2003, so he sympathizes with Lamar Odom, who arrived via trade to join this year's defending champs, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. For the record, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle told the Galloway & Company radio show today that the uproar concerning Odom has come and gone.
- Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld looks at the Grizzlies' early-season acquisition of Marreese Speights from the Sixers and wonders if that will wind up being the most effective deal of the year.
- Both John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune and Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweeted to note the progress of Lance Thomas, who signed with New Orleans for the rest of the season last month after the team gave him two 10-day contracts.
- The Wizards are willing to move anyone on the roster not named John Wall if another team will take Andray Blatche off their hands, tweets Michael Lee of The Washington Post.
- Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group notes the Warriors' lease in Oakland is up in 2017, and checks in with the progress of potential sites for a new home in Oakland and San Francisco. Venturing a guess, Kawakami has the San Francisco site as the most likely destination at this point.
- Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld proposes the Celtics as a potential destination for JaVale McGee, for whom the Wizards are reportly listening to offers.
- The Knicks starting lineup is in flux, and Newsday's Anthony Rieber takes a look at the quick changes engineered by coach Mike D'Antoni.
- Jeremy Evans' minimum salary contract expires at season's end, so time is running out for him to prove he can do more than win a dunk contest. Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune notes how his theatrics during All-Star weekend haven't earned him any extra minutes with the Jazz.
- Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press passed along Pau Gasol's kind words about Kevin Love, two players who could be Wolves teammates if a rumored Gasol/Michael Beasley swap takes place, Richardson notes. "He's got a will and determination to go after every ball," Gasol said of Love. "Even though he's a little undersized and lost some weight, he's still a powerful player and playing at a high level. I'm definitely impressed with him."
- With Richard Hamilton and Luol Deng ailing, it's been hard for Bulls GM Gar Forman to get a true handle on how effective his team really is, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times. Forman must balance the team's current needs with its capability for long-term success, Hayes says.
- Bill Simmons of Grantland.com came out with his annual trade value column today in two parts, ranking the top 50 player assets across the league. The Heat's LeBron James is No. 1, meaning he'd be the player who would command the most in any trade, though James isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
- GM Sam Presti and the Thunder provide the small-market blueprint for Cavs GM Chris Grant, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Friday
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com wrote last night that the Magic would seek a Carmelo Anthony-esque haul if they decided to trade Dwight Howard. The teams on Howard's list of preferred destinations may have difficulty putting together such a package, but plenty of other clubs, such as the Hawks, Warriors, and Rockets, are still in the hunt. We'll follow today's Howard rumblings right here, with the latest updates at the top of the page:
- The Magic leaked the Thunder's interest in Howard just to let other teams know that a price similar to the package of James Harden and Serge Ibaka is what Orlando is looking for, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel tweets that the Magic executives are not at odds over Brook Lopez, who is in the discussion because the Nets are Howard's favored destination. Question remains, however, about whether team CEO Alex Martins or GM Otis Smith has final say on a deal.
- Robbins also tweets that the only way Howard would agree to a sign-and-trade is if the team he wants to go to does not have enough cap space for him.
- Sam Amick of SI.com shares some Howard updates in his latest column, noting that the Bulls have been "quietly deliberating" a play for D12 all season, but won't pursue him without assurances he'd remain in Chicago. Amick also hears that Magic GM Otis Smith isn't seriously interested in anyone the Warriors could offer for Howard.
- Howard's list of teams is becoming somewhat irrelevant at this point, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. If the Magic get a serious offer from a team besides the Mavericks, Lakers, or Nets, they're just as likely to pull the trigger as they would be with one of those clubs.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel can't see any sort of trade with the Hawks working. He doesn't think Howard would re-sign in Atlanta if dealt there, and he doesn't think the Magic could acquire Josh Smith without giving up Howard — even if they could, he's not sure the presence of Smith convinces D12 to stay in Orlando (Twitter links).
- Brian Schmitz of the Sentinel (Twitter link) also doesn't see the Hawks as a fit for Howard, saying the hometown team "offers no allure" for the Atlanta native. He adds that the Magic want Kyle Lowry from the Rockets in any Howard deal.
- The Magic talked to the Thunder about Howard, but Oklahoma City balked at giving up James Harden and Serge Ibaka, reports Schmitz (via Twitter). While that's entirely understandable, the idea of Howard playing with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, even if it's just for two months, is pretty fun, isn't it?
- It was reported yesterday that Otis Smith has talked to "all 29 teams" about Howard, but Schmitz tweets that only six to eight are serious — the other GMs just want to tell their owners they've called.
Stein’s Latest: Howard, Turkoglu, Pacers, Kaman
This week's installment of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime is up at ESPN.com, so let's dive in and check out Stein's latest rumors….
- Amidst talk of a quiet trade deadline, Stein says similar pessimism has preceded flurries of deals in the past. However, there's a league-wide expectation that Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Rajon Rondo will stay put.
- The Magic continue to pursue non-Howard deals, bringing up Hedo Turkoglu's name frequently. One front office source tells Stein that a team would have to received at least two future first-round picks to take on Turkoglu's contract.
- Meanwhile, a Western Conference exec says he doesn't expect Orlando to even consider shopping Howard until deadline day. While that may seem a little too last-minute, the Magic are already aware of most of their trade options, meaning a deal could be worked out quickly, a source tells Stein.
- Teams around the league seem to be valuing first-round picks more than ever, particularly 2012 selections, since this year's draft class is expected to be a deep one. A club with cap space like the Pacers could acquire players without sending out any salaries, but Indiana is extremely reluctant to part with its future first-rounders in any such deal.
- It still appears that David Stern and the NBA-owned Hornets have no interest in buying out Chris Kaman's contract if the big man isn't traded. If Kaman was bought out and signed with a team like the Heat, he could impact the NBA Finals and further deplete the Chris Paul haul for the Hornets, neither of which would look great for the league.
- There has been speculation that the Mavericks could be interested in Kaman in a deal involving Lamar Odom, but Stein says not to expect such a move, noting that Mark Cuban is committed to riding out the season with Odom.
- As I speculated earlier, the Wizards are considering moving JaVale McGee on the condition that Andray Blatche is included in the deal as well. While both players have a ton of upside, the pair wouldn't exactly improve any team's chemistry.
Southwest Notes: Rockets, Gasol, Jones, Odom
Only one Southwest team is in action tonight, as Dirk Nowitizki and the Mavericks take on Steve Nash and the Suns in Phoenix. To make up for the lack of games, let's take a look at a few Thursday links out of the Southwest:
- Based on calls he's received and reports he's read, Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle concludes the Lakers are "floating the idea" that a package of Kyle Lowry and Luis Scola could get Pau Gasol to Houston. Solomon says there's no way the Rockets would do such a deal though.
- Solomon Jones' second 10-day contract has expired, and the Hornets have decided not to sign him for the rest of the season, reports John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Jones played in 11 games for New Orleans, averaging 5.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per contest.
- Lamar Odom and Mavericks owner accused New York media of blowing their alleged spat out of proportion, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Odom, Cuban Talk Los Angeles, Rumors
WEDNESDAY, 11:58pm: Eddie Sefko, Mavericks beat writer for the Dallas Morning News, gives his take on the exchange between Cuban and Odom last night. He says that because Cuban yells at all his players at some point, we should look at Tuesday night as a sign that Odom is now just a normal part of the team. Sefko reiterates that there is nothing suggesting that Odom will be moved.
TUESDAY, 9:38pm: While Mavs owner Mark Cuban acknowledged that there was some concern about Odom's absence from his teammates, he says that reports of Odom's desire to go back to Los Angeles are false, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
"That was never the issue despite what you read. You know what's more interesting is that there's a whole lot of people, myself included, who like to use the media to try to create drama and stir up controversy. And it's so easy, it's hard not to," Cuban told reporters.
Meanwhile, Odom and Cuban appeared to exchange a few heated words during tonight's game against the Knicks, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
8:16am: Ric Bucher of ESPN.com reported earlier this week that Lamar Odom is "desperate" to return to Los Angeles, but the 32-year-old tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he's happy to be playing in Dallas.
"You know how fortunate I am to be here," Odom said. "I'm a guy that doesn't mind staying and working things out — even if they don't."
Odom added that he never asked the Mavericks for a buyout, as some reports suggested, and that he doesn't know how those rumors got started.
"Some of the rumors were untrue and that's something you have no control over," Odom said, "It's just like you're not here for eight days in a row, or however many days, and people stop seeing you and start talking."
After his four-game personal absence from the team, Odom appeared poised to head to the D-League's Austin Toros for a game before returning to the Mavs. Although the plan fell through, Odom was entirely on board with the idea — he was the one to bring it up to the team.
"I had suggested it because I had the time off, we didn't practice and didn't play. And I felt like it would be a good way to warm up," Odom said. "I look at it and I think of the NBA and I think that's what [the D-League] should be there for… kind of like minor league baseball."
While Odom is struggling through his worst NBA season to date, it appears he and the Mavs are still trying to make things work. As we discussed yesterday, even if the veteran forward wanted to return to Los Angeles, for either the Lakers or Clippers, his chances of doing so this season are slim to none.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Morris, Anderson, Knicks
While there haven't been any big Dwight Howard rumors so far today, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel indicates that there has been a "shift in tone" in how Howard's desires are perceived. As we documented yesterday, the rumors are running wild, seemingly due to Howard's ambivalence. Here is what else is going on around the league on this Wednesday evening:
- Brian Schmitz from the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at the some of the hardships facing the Magic leading up to the trade deadline, including their tough schedule and inconsistency.
- Eddie Sefko from the Dallas Morning News says (via chat), should Dwight Howard not get traded by March 15th, he considers the Mavericks the heavy favorites to land both Howard and Deron Williams. He also mentions Gerald Wallace and C.J. Miles as potential complimentary fits around Dirk Nowitzki, Howard and Williams.
- According to Yahoo's Marc Spears, Lakers assign rookie guard Darius Morris to the NBDL D-Fenders. Mike Bresnahan, Lakers beat writer for the L.A. Times, adds that Morris is still counted on the roster and will continue to get paid as a Laker.
- Chris Bernucca from Sheridan Hoops examines some of the recent deadline deals, and their impact on the league today.
- Magic forward Ryan Anderson has been trying to block out the Dwight Howard rumors, says Brian Schmitz from the Orlando Sentinel. Anderson knows he could be packaged with Howard, or traded to get Howard help.
- Mike D'Antoni recognizes that the Knicks are struggling with Carmelo Anthony and Jeremy Lin on the floor, but D'Antoni thinks it's a solvable problem, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
Mavericks Notes: Trade Talk, Chandler, Cuban
When I identified five Western Conference contenders to watch yesterday, I said it would be interesting to see how the Mavericks balanced their present and future goals at the trade deadline. While the Mavs have a realistic shot at defending their title, they don't figure to make any moves to strengthen this year's team if it means compromising their summer flexibility. According to owner Mark Cuban, the team isn't actively seeking any deals at the moment.
"We're not calling anybody," Cuban said Tuesday, according to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. "I told [GM] Donnie [Nelson] to take calls, but we're not making any calls. There you have it."
Here are a few more Wednesday morning Mavs updates:
- Cuban still has no regrets about not re-signing Tyson Chandler, who received his championship ring last night, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "You got a plan and you stick to it," Cuban said. "Tyson's a great player, and it's no reflection on him."
- Sefko thinks there's a strong possibility Dallas lands at least one of Deron Williams or Dwight Howard in free agency this summer, but offers some alternatives if the team can't add either player.
- Elsewhere in the Morning News' round-up of his Tuesday chat, Sefko says Cuban is done trying to get into MLB ownership for the time being.