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Nuggets Suspend Andre Miller

January 3rd, 2014 at 6:25pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 6:25pm: The Nuggets announced that they have rescinded Miller’s suspension.  The veteran will return to the team on Monday, January 6th and will be excused from all team activities for personal reasons until then.

THURSDAY, 4:30pm: The Nuggets have suspended Andre Miller two games for conduct detrimental to the team, the club announced today in a press release. Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post, who first tweeted word of the suspension, noted in a story on last night’s game that Miller yelled at coach Brian Shaw about the disrespect he felt he was being shown by sitting.

Last night’s contest against the Sixers represented a low point for the Nuggets, who lost their eight straight game, and for Miller, who received the first DNP-CD of his long career. The veteran point guard has averaged just 19.0 minutes per game this season, by far his lowest mark since he entered the league in 1999.

While no reports yet have indicated that the Nuggets are shopping Miller, I have to imagine the team is at least weighing its options. Even before last night’s incident and the subsequent suspension, Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote that rival teams expected Denver to trade Miller before the deadline.

Miller was the subject of a handful of trade rumors in the offseason as well, as the Nuggets’ front office and coaching staff underwent some turnover. While Lowe suggested last month that the team still “adores” Miller, it’s fair to wonder based on his current role in Denver if he was valued higher by the old regime than the new group.

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Warriors, Kings Eyeing Andre Miller

January 2nd, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

Warriors and Kings executives are mulling the idea of trading for suspended Nuggets guard Andre Miller, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Denver nonetheless remains uninterested in dealing the 37-year-old, and the team intends to smooth over the issues that led to Miller’s punishment, Wojnarowski adds.

The Warriors are in the market for a backup point guard and have been talking to the Raptors for weeks about acquiring Kyle Lowry, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Knicks have also been persistent in their pursuit of Lowry, but the Raptors have become less willing to trade him in the wake of their recent success. Toronto hasn’t abandoned the idea of trading Lowry, but the team isn’t simply looking to unload him to the highest bidder, as Wojnarowski writes.

The Kings see Miller as a veteran mentor who could help Isaiah Thomas, and GM Pete D’Alessandro, a former Nuggets executive, is a longstanding admirer of Miller, Wojnarowski points out.

Miller makes $5MM this season, but next year’s $4.625MM salary is only guaranteed for $2MM, so he’d be easier to unload for a team that sours on him, wants to clear cap space, or both. It’s clear that the 15th-year veteran is slowing down. This season he’s seeing the fewest minutes per game of his career, and his points and assists per minute are also new lows.

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Odds & Ends: Kidd, Parker, Dwight, Iguodala

December 31st, 2013 at 9:40pm CST by Zachary Links

Former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy had a lot to say about the Nets, calling them “bush league” in a recent radio interview, but Jason Kidd took the high road rather than blasting him back.  “I think we have one of the best owners and so I’m confident,” said Kidd, according to Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record (Twitter links). “Everybody has their right to their opinion, but the guys in that locker room are fighting.”  More from around the Association as we look ahead to 2014..

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Northwest Notes: Jazz, Garrett, Koufos, Jefferson

December 29th, 2013 at 4:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Today’s look at the Northwest Division..

  • Jazz guards Diante Garrett and Ian Clark along with forward Mike Harris have January 10th -the date that non-guaranteed deals become guaranteed – circled on their calendars, writes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.  Of the three, Garrett has logged the most serious minutes, though they’ve been in shorter supply of late.
  • As he plies his craft with the Grizzlies, Kosta Koufos says he’s not thinking about what could have been with the Nuggets, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.  “It’s a business,” Koufos said. “I understand that. It’s a new chapter in my life. I was very fortunate to be a Denver Nugget at the time. I enjoyed my experience there. At the same time, move on with a new team, the Memphis Grizzlies, and I’m here 100 percent to try to help them win games.”  Koufos became the Nuggets’ starting center last year, averaging 8.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game.  He has similar averages for the Grizzlies this season: 7.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per contest.
  • Al Jefferson also moved on from the Northwest Division this year.  After anchoring the Jazz, Jefferson is now the veteran big man in Charlotte, writes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.
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Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Thunder, Jazz

December 24th, 2013 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

No division in the NBA is currently more tightly contested at the top than the Northwest, where the 23-5 Trail Blazers sit a half-game ahead of the 22-5 Thunder. A win by Oklahoma City tomorrow at Madison Square Garden would pull the team even with Portland, and would ensure that the Northwest co-leaders share the league’s best record with the Pacers. As we look forward to that contest and other Christmas Day action, let’s round up the latest out of the Northwest….

  • Grantland’s Zach Lowe unveils his Western Conference power rankings, noting that opposing teams are keeping an eye on what the Nuggets want to do on the trade market.
  • Lowe also figures the Clippers will upgrade their big man rotation at some point and writes that while the Thunder have what it takes to upgrade via trade, Oklahoma City has been “picky” about what moves it’s willing to make.
  • Gordon Hayward‘s camp never asked for a max deal during failed extension negotiations with the Jazz this fall, Jody Genessy notes via Twitter.
  • As Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune writes, not receiving much attention with the Jazz is nothing new for Ian Clark, who was also passed over by bigger college programs and didn’t hear his name called on draft night. Clark will have to remain on Utah’s roster beyond January 7th if he hopes to be guaranteed of his full-season salary for 2013/14.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Pacific Notes: Iguodala, Warriors, Bledsoe

December 23rd, 2013 at 6:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s tonight’s look at the Pacific Division as the Lakers face the Suns, the Kings take on the Pelicans, and Andre Iguodala faces his old team when his Warriors meet the Nuggets..

  • Iguodala says he didn’t see the Nuggets contract offer over the summer as more lucrative than the Warriors deal because of the non-guaranteed portions, tweets Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post.  The small forward inked a four-year, $48MM deal with Golden State in July while Denver reportedly made him a four-year, $52MM offer and also proposed five-year scenarios.
  • The Eric Bledsoe trade that almost didn’t happen changed the future of the Suns, writes Sean Deveney of the Sporting News.  “It was close [to falling through],” Suns president Lon Babby said. “But Eric is someone we had long pined for here, and we saw the opportunity. When we saw that we could formulate a scenario that would work for everyone, we really felt like we had to keep pushing for it and fortunately, it all worked out.”
  • The Lakers have to be strong and not rush Kobe Bryant back this season, writes David Aldridge of NBA.com.
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Odds & Ends: Hickson, Nets, Spurs, Granger

December 22nd, 2013 at 9:50pm CST by Zachary Links

J.J. Hickson has rebounded from the ups and downs of off-court life, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.  Hickson inked a three-year, $16.15MM deal – the full mid-level exception – with the Nuggets over the summer.  More from around the league..

  • Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link) hears that it’s “highly doubtful” that the Nets will wind up using the Disabled Player’s Exception if they are granted it by the league.  The Nets, of course, have lost Brook Lopez for the year.
  • Now on assignment from the Spurs, Malcolm Thomas is still impressing in the D-League, writes Scott Rafferty of Ridiculous Upside.  Thomas was averaging 33.5 points on 62.2% shooting from the floor in his memorable two game stint for the D-Fenders before being picked up by San Antonio.  Now with the Austin Toros, Thomas isn’t putting up numbers that are quite as gaudy, but he’s still looking strong.
  • Pacers president Larry Bird is less-than-thrilled with Danny Granger‘s work ethic during the offseason, writes Bob Kravitz of the Indy Star.  “He doesn’t work hard enough (in the offseason),” Bird said. “He’s not a guy who’ll push himself to the brink like a lot of our guys do. He works hard but he doesn’t push himself. That’s why he starts slow every year and he just works his way back. Now this year, he’s been hurt, so it’s a different deal.“
  • Jazz rookie Trey Burke spoke with Sekou Smith of NBA.com about dealing with expectations, patience, and what he learned from his time spent with Jazz legend John Stockton.
  • David Alarcon of HoopsHype catches up with Italian prospect Alessandro Gentile.  Gentile is pegged to go in the middle of the second round in DraftExpress‘ 2014 mock.
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Odds & Ends: Exum, Southerland, Nuggets

December 19th, 2013 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets had been expected to move Omer Asik today, so it was a bit of a letdown when news broke that the team had shut down trade discussions involving the big center. Still, while Houston’s unofficial December 19th deadline may pass without an Asik trade, that doesn’t mean there are no other notes to pass along today. Here are a few items from around the league:

  • Top prospect Dante Exum told Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he intends to set up visits to Indiana, North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan, and Oregon. There’s a general belief that the Australian point guard will declare for the draft in 2014, but he has the option of attending an NCAA school and is still going through the recruiting process as well as meeting with NBA agents (Twitter links).
  • A little more than a week after being released by the Bobcats, James Southerland has landed with the D-League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders, the team announced today (Twitter link). The Lakers‘ affiliate will hold Southerland’s D-League rights, but the former Syracuse forward will still be free to sign with any NBA team.
  • Recent reports have suggested that Asik, Pau Gasol, and Zach Randolph are going nowhere for now, but Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld looks into the possibility of the trio of Western big men being moved by the deadline.
  • UCLA’s Kyle Anderson is poised to enter the 2014 NBA draft and that stance likely won’t change between now and the spring, as his father tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. “There’s a chance that Kyle could play horrendous the rest of this year and be a second-round draft pick,” Kyle Anderson Sr. said. “That’s not going to change our strategy. We know that he just needs a chance to play for a team, and like all the teams he’s played for, he can help you win. His draft position is not a reason why he’s coming or staying. He’s coming out regardless. It has nothing to do with his draft position.”
  • In his latest mailbag, Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post discusses some Nuggets-related trade scenario.
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Raptors, Knicks Working On Kyle Lowry Trade

December 12th, 2013 at 2:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:47pm: The Raptors are sticking to their asking price of a quality young player or a first-round pick in return for Lowry, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com, tweeting that negotiations could take a while. Lowry has plenty of interest in playing for the Knicks, but Felton’s injury doesn’t help the chances of the Knicks landing Toronto’s point guard, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post, who says several teams including the Raptors have inquired about Hardaway.

1:56pm: The chances that Shumpert is part the deal are slim, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, who says the Raptors aren’t high on him and the Knicks prefer to keep him for now (on Twitter).

1:39pm: Shumpert’s name has come up in discussions between the Raptors and Knicks, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. In his piece on rumors around the league, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report wrote that Shumpert, along with Felton, would “most likely” be part of a deal for Lowry.

1:04pm: Isola can’t envision Hardaway being part of the deal, citing owner James Dolan’s affection for the rookie (Twitter link).

12:53pm: The Nets and Warriors are also interested in Lowry, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, while Stein says the Knicks may be forced to put Tim Hardaway Jr. into the deal (Twitter links).

12:47pm: The Raptors are trying to elicit more offers for Lowry, and that’s why they’re leaking the news of their talks with the Knicks, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

12:38pm: Kyle Lowry has been mentioned prominently among Raptors who could be on the move as GM Masai Ujiri aggressively reshapes the team, and he’s at the center of trade talks between Toronto and the Knicks, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The trade would likely feature Raymond Felton and at least one other Knick heading north of the border unless a third team jumps in, Stein also notes (on Twitter).

The Knicks had interest in trading with the Nuggets for Andre Miller, but they’ve shifted their focus to Lowry, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Raptors are looking for a first-round pick in the deal, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck notes (via Twitter), but the earliest first-rounder the Knicks can deal away is their 2018 pick.

Lowry is among nine Raptors with an expiring contract, as I examined earlier today, and his $6.21MM salary might make him an attractive target for teams looking for a starting point guard. The Knicks will miss Felton for the next two to three weeks as he recovers from a strained hamstring, as Newsday’s Al Iannazzone tweets. While that’s certainly not a long-term absence, New York may feel as though a quick fix is necessary to avoid falling further behind in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are 6-15, but that’s just two and a half games out of a playoff spot, given the struggles of so many Eastern teams this year.

The teams hooked up on the Andrea Bargnani trade over the summer, though that happened while former Knicks GM Glen Grunwald was still in charge in New York. New Knicks GM Steve Mills has yet to make a major move since taking over shortly before the season.

A one-for-one swap of Lowry and Felton, who’s making about $3.6MM, wouldn’t work under salary-matching rules. The Knicks would have to include about $1.5MM more in outgoing salary. They could accomplish that by throwing Iman Shumpert into the deal, and while Shumpert has been at the centerpiece of most of the trade chatter involving the Knicks this year, it’s not clear whether he’s a part of these talks.

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Zwerling On Randolph, Anderson, Gordon

December 12th, 2013 at 1:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The latest dispatch from Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling is chock full of rumors. Let’s dive in:

  • The Grizzlies are shopping Zach Randolph, with Ryan Anderson of the Pelicans as the primary target, Zwerling reports. Memphis wants to see Ed Davis continue to develop, and that may help push Randolph out the door. The Pelicans would have to add salary to such a deal to make it work, and Zwerling mentions Austin Rivers as a possibility, noting that he’s dissatisfied with his lack of playing time and is open to a trade.
  • A source tells Zwerling that he believes the Pelicans will trade Eric Gordon at some point this season.
  • Zwerling hears conflicting reports on whether a rumored Kenneth Faried/Iman Shumpert swap is a possibility for the Nuggets and Knicks, but he says the Knicks are currently reluctant to move Shumpert.
  • It’s unlikely the Suns trade either Marcus Morris or twin brother Markieff Morris, according to Zwerling.
  • The Sixers would trade Evan Turner for Dion Waiters “in a heartbeat,” a source tells Zwerling, though Cavs owner Dan Gilbert reportedly doesn’t want to trade his shooting guard. The Sixers are worried about what Turner may command in restricted free agency this summer. The Suns could be another landing spot for Waiters, Zwerling writes.
  • Courtney Lee, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries are on the market in Boston. The Celtics offered Avery Bradley a four-year, $24MM extension this fall, but the guard turned it down, looking for a deal with annual salaries of $8MM.
  • The Rockets “adore” D-Leaguer Troy Daniels, Zwerling writes. Daniels is displaying a three-point stroke to go with his 25.1 points per game.
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