Denver Nuggets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyler On Harden, Jennings, Holiday, Rockets

October 30th, 2012 at 10:50am CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld shared a few updates on extension-eligible players in his NBA AM column this morning, and also tweeted a few notes about the Rockets' options in free agency next summer. Let's dive right in and round up the highlights….

James Harden and the Rockets will almost certainly reach an agreement on a five-year extension today or tomorrow. It's just a matter of whether it will be for the true max or slightly below that.
If Tyreke Evans, who won't be extended this week, struggles early in the season, he could become a trade candidate for the Kings.
According to Kyler, Brandon Jennings' camp is seeking an extension worth $9-10MM annually, which the Bucks aren't interested in. Those numbers are a little surprising to me — I'd think the Bucks wouldn't mind a deal in that neighborhood, while Jennings would be seeking something closer to the max.
The Sixers and Jrue Holiday don't appear headed for an extension this week. Kyler says Philadelphia's offer was worth about $8-9MM annually.
The "broad strokes" are there for an agreement between Ty Lawson and the Nuggets. Now it's just a matter of working out the final value of the contract.
The odds of Taj Gibson and the Bulls reaching an extension agreement today or tomorrow are about 50/50 at best.
The Hawks have told Jeff Teague that he's still part of their long-term plans, but the team wants to maintain flexibility next summer, so he won't be extended now. The Bobcats have a similar stance with Gerald Henderson and Byron Mullens.
In a series of tweets, Kyler says the Rockets are unlikely to be serious players for Josh Smith in free agency next summer, unless they trade for him. The fifth year that the team holding Smith's Bird Rights will be able to offer could be a dealbreaker, according to Kyler, who adds that the forward appears happy with the Hawks for now.
Kyler expects the Rockets to take a similar approach to what they did this past offseason, pursuing restricted free agents and perhaps making a poison pill offer or two. Paul Millsap could also be a potential target, says Kyler (Twitter links).

Lawson, Nuggets Making Progress On Extension

October 30th, 2012 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets are moving closer to finalizing a contract extension with Ty Lawson in advance of tomorrow's deadline, reports TNT's David Aldridge at NBA.com. There's no deal in place yet, but Aldridge says hopes are increasing that something can be worked out by tomorrow.

We heard over the weekend that talks between the two sides had stalled, with Lawson expressing some pessimism yesterday about the chances of an agreement being reached. However, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post anticipates talks going down to the wire, noting that the "intense, fourth-quarter-like moment" will be fitting for Lawson.

According to Aldridge, Lawson turned down a four-year, $45MM offer from the Nuggets earlier this month. I wouldn't be surprised if an offer a little closer to $50MM for four years got it done tomorrow. If the two sides don't reach an agreement, Lawson will become a restricted free agent next summer.

Extension Talks Stall Between Ty Lawson, Nuggets

October 29th, 2012 at 2:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

MONDAY, 2:33pm: While there's still time for the two sides to reach an agreement, Lawson sounds pessimistic about working out an extension, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.

"I don’t think we’re at the point where we want to be at right now," Lawson said today. "We’ll see, we have two days left. “Today it weighed on me (at practice) more than most days. I talked to my agent right before I came here. I was kind of disappointed. But we’ll see what happens."

SUNDAY, 11:39am: Discussions about an extension for Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson have stalled with three days to go before the deadline, HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy reports via Twitter. Lawson has been one of the few players from the 2009 draft class thought to be likely to get an extension, and earlier this month Marc Stein of ESPN.com heard that it seemed a matter of "when," not "if" a deal would get done.

The Nuggets could give Lawson a five-year extension to make him the team's designated player, and Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post wrote that such a deal for around $65MM could be in play. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors believes it might not take that much to get it done, having speculated in July that a $10MM annual salary could work for both sides. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld recently wrote that the team has been looking for creative ways to structure the deal, and could be exploring incentives.

If Lawson fails to sign an extension by Wednesday, he'll hit the market as a restricted free agent next summer, when several other top-flight point guards could also be available, including Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings and Jrue Holiday,

Western Notes: Harden, Grizzlies, Mavs, Seattle

October 29th, 2012 at 2:02pm CST by Luke Adams

In dealing James Harden to the Rockets, the Thunder ensured that the gold medalist will likely remain in the Western Conference for years to come. In his weekly Morning Tip piece at NBA.com, TNT's David Aldridge notes that while that may come as a surprise, there weren't many logical fits with Eastern Conference clubs.

The Thunder liked Bradley Beal, but the Wizards weren't interested in dealing the third overall pick. Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel, meanwhile, tweets that the Magic had some pieces that could have enticed Oklahoma City, but Orlando probably wouldn't have given Harden the max. The Magic ended up not getting involved in the Harden sweepstakes, tweets Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.

Here are a few more Monday afternoon updates from around the Western Conference, with just over 24 hours until the NBA regular season gets underway:

Within his NBA.com column, Aldridge reports that the final sale price of the Grizzlies to Robert Pera's ownership group was $377MM.
Wayne Ellington remains unlikely to be extended by the Grizzlies before Wednesday, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com wonders if carrying so many players in contract years could blow up for the Mavericks.
NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper spoke to Seattle mayor Mike McGinn about the possibility of the NBA returning to his city. McGinn said that he's rooting for Sacramento to keep the Kings, since he knows what it feels like to lose a team, but is still hopeful about professional basketball coming back to Seattle.
Nuggets center JaVale McGee is going to have to learn how to deal with the burden of having a big contract and the attention that brings, writes Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
The Lakers and Clippers both head into the 2012/13 season hoping that revamped benches will help them contend for a title, says Jill Painter of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com believes that, even without Harden, the Thunder are the team to beat in the Western Conference.
Luke Zeller's contract includes a $50K guarantee, so if he opens the season with the Suns, that doesn't mean he'll be with the team all year, says Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter links).

Odds & Ends: Harden, Lawson, Jazz, Beasley

October 28th, 2012 at 10:41pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday night:

Rockets coach Kevin McHale talked to the Houston Chronicle's Jonathan Feigen about the addition of James Harden. McHale doesn't believe Harden will have trouble transitioning from the sixth-man role he played in Oklahoma City to a starting job in Houston.
George Karl calls Ty Lawson's extension negotiations with the Nuggets a "distraction," according to Adrian Dater of the Denver Post.
Bill Oram of the Salt Lake tribune writes that the Jazz have already developed chemistry, which the team believes will work to its benefit.
Yahoo's Marc Spears writes that Michael Beasley is hoping to rehabilitate his public image in Phoenix this season.

Northwest Rumors: Harden, Dorsey, Lawson

October 28th, 2012 at 10:43am CST by Chuck Myron

The James Harden trade continues to make news, as Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman weighs in with a lengthy list of observations while Ken Berger of CBSSports.com deems the trade a success for the Thunder, the Rockets and Harden. Berger holds it up as an illustration of the bold, proactive moves that small-market teams must make to stay competitive. As the rest of the NBA digests what the move means, here's more news on the Thunder and their Northwest Division rivals.

The swap likely results in a trade exception worth $2,445,480 for the Thunder, an amount equal to Cole Aldrich's salary, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors observes. The Rockets seem to be in line for an exception worth $2,354,236, based on a portion of Kevin Martin's salary. Both exceptions expire one year from yesterday, as noted on our list of trade exceptions for every NBA team.
The Thunder and Blazers could be interested in former NBA forward Joey Dorsey, whose status with the Greek club Olympiacos is in limbo, reports Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside.
Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post believes the Nuggets overpaid for JaVale McGee, putting the onus on the need to rectify the move by giving Ty Lawson an extension worth no less than $48MM over four seasons.
Will Conroy's contract is partially guaranteed for $100K, and according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, he'll likely remain on the Timberwolves roster until Ricky Rubio proves he's healthy.
It's the first season with a full training camp for Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin, who could use a successful year to influence the Jazz to pick up the team option on his contract for 2013/14, as Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune observes.

Western Notes: Blazers, West, Sacre, Iguodala

October 25th, 2012 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams

According to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey is hoping Nicolas Batum can increase his scoring this season like Eric Gordon did in his third year, when his PPG jumped from 16.9 to 22.3. If Batum can take that sort of step forward, Olshey says he has reason to be optimistic about the Blazers' future.

"I'm not putting a number on Nic, but if Nic can make a jump, if Wes [Matthews] can make a jump, if L.A. [LaMarcus Aldridge] can just be L.A., and Damian [Lillard] can be who we think he has the ability to be, we're not that far away," Olshey said. "And having a lottery pick potentially, and three second [round picks], and having $13MM in room potentially, is a pretty good position to be in eight months from now."

Here are a few more updates from around the Western Conference:

The Mavericks have indefinitely suspended Delonte West again for conduct detrimental to the team, the club announced today in a press release. As Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com tweets, it seems likely this suspension will last longer than West's last one did.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News thinks Mavericks rookie Bernard James, the third pick of the second round this June, could use some D-League seasoning.
Robert Sacre is moving closer to locking up a spot on the Lakers roster, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post believes Andre Iguodala, who can invoke an early termination option for 2013/14, will instead sign a long-term deal with the Nuggets.
Even after waiving Eddy Curry and Derrick Brown, the Spurs won't necessarily keep Josh Powell on their regular season roster, but Powell tells Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News that he thinks he's shown the team enough to warrant consideration.

Nuggets Waive Anthony Carter, Ben Uzoh

October 25th, 2012 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets have officially waived point guards Anthony Carter and Ben Uzoh, the team announced today in a press release. The cuts reduce Denver's roster to 15 players.

Both Carter and Uzoh were signed to the Nuggets' camp roster back on October 1st, the only two players the team brought in on summer contracts. Carter appeared in three preseason games for Denver, while Uzoh played in just one. Neither player was in a great position to earn a spot on the club's regular season roster, since there are 14 Nuggets on fully guaranteed contracts, plus Julyan Stone, whose deal has a partial guarantee.

Carter told HoopsWorld last week that Nuggets coach George Karl had offered him a job as an assistant, so it'll be interesting to see if the veteran guard transitions into coaching or attempts to continue his playing career with another team.

Kyler On Extension Candidates

October 25th, 2012 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

Last week, both TNT's David Aldridge and ESPN.com's Marc Stein passed along rumors and rumblings they'd heard about this offseason's extension candidates. With just six more days for Ty Lawson, Taj Gibson, and other extension-eligible players to work out new deals with their teams, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld throws his hat into the ring, rounding up a few of the latest updates:

James Harden would like to end speculation about his contract situation, and that could mean he accepts an offer worth less than the max from the Thunder, says Kyler. A contract that includes incentives is a possibility.
The Kings are unlikely to lock up Tyreke Evans this month, and could even explore trading him prior to this season's deadline. Kyler hears from sources close to Evans that he'd welcome free agency "if only to find a situation that believes in him as a player."
The Warriors still like Stephen Curry and figure to retain him beyond this season, but an extension probably won't happen within the next week. Given Curry's ankle issues, it's simply too hard to value him fairly.
DeMar DeRozan appears headed for restricted free agency, and the Raptors would like to see a "big leap" from him this season before committing too heavily next summer.
Brandon Jennings is "far from secure" in Milwaukee, and the Bucks could consider trading him before the deadline, according to Kyler.
Kyler hears that the 76ers have offered Jrue Holiday an extension in the neighborhood of $9MM annually, but that's Holiday's camp turned it down, expecting to see a bigger payday in free agency.
Lawson still appears to be one of the players most likely to be extended, and Kyler says the Nuggets could include incentives in their offer.
The Bulls are likely to extend Gibson, who wants to stay in Chicago, though that doesn't necessarily mean he'll accept a hometown discount.

Northwest Rumors: Thunder, Blazers, Batum

October 24th, 2012 at 10:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

When GMs were polled recently on their thoughts about the upcoming season, the only two teams who received consideration to win the Western Conference other than the Lakers were the Thunder and Nuggets. The nod to Oklahoma City is no surprise, but the mention of Denver might have raised a few eyebrows, since the Nuggets haven't gotten out of the first round the past three years. Nuggets coach George Karl would be pleased if his team notched 50 wins, but with Andre Iguodala on board, he believes this year's squad has a chance to break the franchise record of 54 victories, as Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com writes. Here's the latest on a couple of the Nuggets' division rivals.

The Thunder have 14 players on fully guaranteed deals, and another four with partial guarantees, meaning the team will likely owe money to at least three players who don't make the team. Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman gives reasons why he believes Daniel Orton will edge out DeAndre Liggins for the final regular season spot, adding that it's a decision that may pit GM Sam Presti against coach Scott Brooks (All four Twitter links).
Mayberry also believes there's a chance the Thunder could trade Daequan Cook or Lazar Hayward to free up a spot for both Orton and Liggins, but thinks finding a taker for either would be a tough task (All Twitter links).
With Demonte Harper and Dallas Lauderdale reportedly about to be waived and sent to the D-League, Mike Tokito of The Oregonian identifies Coby Karl, Adam Morrison and Justin Holiday as other camp invitees the Blazers will probably cut.
Nicolas Batum signed for about $12MM less in his four-year deal than Eric Gordon is getting his four-year contract, but Blazers GM Neil Olshey hopes Batum can increase his scoring this year in a manner similar to 5.4 PPG jump Gordon took from his second year in the league to his third, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.