Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Rumors: Cavaliers, Karasev, Pistons

February 18th, 2014 at 11:52pm CST by Charlie Adams

It’s been a tough season for Cleveland, but Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio suggests that recent strong play from the Cavs might be an indicator that there’s no need for the club to make a move at this season’s trade deadline. The team has won five straight and finds themselves rejuvenated after firing GM Chris Grant earlier this month. Here’s the Central Division’s latest:

Sergey Karasev joined the Cavs’ D-League affiliate for their game tonight, announced the team via their D-League squad’s official Twitter.
One league executive believes the Cavs are likely to retain Dion Waiters through the deadline, writes Sean Deveney of Sporting News. While Cleveland might be listening to offers for the second year guard, their asking price is thought to be very high.
The Pistons have hired Sam Roth as a new assistant coach. Roth has been an assistant with four NBA teams, spending last season with the Raptors. He was also the head coach of the D-League’s Bakersfield Jam.
Even with questions about how Derrick Rose will bounce back from injury and perform for the Bulls, Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks Joakim Noah‘s presence might be enough to lure Carmelo Anthony to the Windy City.
Earlier tonight, we passed along the latest Bulls rumors.

Ford’s Latest: Magic, Cavs, Bobcats

February 18th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

Victor Oladipo may be the only Magic player unavailable for a trade, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who adds that the team is looking for multiple first-round picks or young players for Arron Afflalo. Ford believes Orlando will indeed find a taker for Afflalo, but that’s in contrast to a report from Sam Amick of USA Today indicating the Magic aren’t that eager to trade him and aren’t hearing from any team with strong interest (Twitter link). The Magic’s price is much lower for Glen Davis and Jameer Nelson, Ford writes, and while Amick tweets that the Magic is focusing most of its trade attention on those two, Orlando hasn’t gotten anywhere with either of them yet, Amick says.

Ford has much more in his latest Insider-only piece, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

The Cavs and Bobcats appear to be the only teams capable of trading away a 2014 lottery pick that would actually do so, according to Ford. If the Cavs are determined to make a playoff push, they’ll offer Dion Waiters and their 2014 first-round pick in search of veteran help, Ford writes.
There’s nothing major happening on the Ersan Ilyasova front, Ford hears, naming Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour as the Bucks most likely to be traded. Milwaukee is reluctant to let go of Caron Butler, who’s a native of nearby Racine, Ford adds.
The Sixers want “significantly” more than just a first-round pick for Thaddeus Young, which has been dissuading some teams from trading for him, Ford writes.
Jeff Green and Brandon Bass are the names that come up most frequently in trade discussions involving the Celtics, according to Ford.
Several GMs tell Ford that the Lakers appear willing to discuss any player on their roster short of Kobe Bryant.
Everyone outside of DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas is available from the Kings, with Marcus Thornton, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Jimmer Fredette the primary bait, Ford writes.
It’s unlikely the Jazz trade Gordon Hayward, Ford says, naming Marvin Williams as the team’s most likely trade candidate.
Teams are looking to acquire a package of both Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey, but the Pistons remain unwilling to deal Monroe, as multiple GMs tell Ford.

Eastern Notes: Boozer, Ridnour, Nogueira

February 14th, 2014 at 6:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The general opinion around the league has been that the Bulls will use the Amnesty Provision on Carlos Boozer after the season. But during last nights broadcast of the Bulls/Nets game, TNT’s Craig Sager had a different opinion, writes Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders.com. Sager has heard that the team might not Amnesty Boozer after all. Sager stated, “He (Boozer) told me tonight that he has been assured that he will not be traded by next week’s deadline, nor will the team buy out the final year of his contract this summer unless they can land a superstar who is too good to pass up.” If superstar was the word used, writes Brigham, then that could be referring to if the team could somehow lure either LeBron James, or Carmelo Anthony to sign with the Bulls this summer.

Central Rumors: Bulls, Pistons, Cavs

February 13th, 2014 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

The All-Star break doesn’t officially begin until the end of tonight’s pair of games, but the Bucks are already mathematically eliminated from contention for the Central Division title. Milwaukee’s 13 and a half games out of the playoffs with 30 games to go, so it shouldn’t be too much longer before the team has nothing left to play for this season, which suggests changes are on the way with the deadline just one week off. Here’s the latest from the Central:

Bulls executive VP of basketball ops John Paxson says the team is unlikely to make a move at the deadline, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times observes.
Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News figures the Pistons will continue to try to make the playoffs rather than sell off assets at the deadline, and he argues it’s the right course. If the Pistons fall back into the lottery and wind up with a top eight pick this year, there’s the chance the pick they owe the Bobcats could wind up being the No. 2 overall selection in 2015, as Wojnowski points out.
New Cavs GM David Griffin‘s relaxed approach in dealing with players differs from predecessor Chris Grant‘s “tough love,” as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio examines.

Pistons Notes: Hollins, Billups

February 12th, 2014 at 7:10pm CST by Cray Allred

Pistons guard Chauncey Billups tells Terry Foster of The Detroit News that he wants to work in a front office job after he retires, despite the assumption from many that he would make a great coach: “I think a lot of people think that would be the natural progression because of what I do on the court. But if I had my desire I want to be in the front office and put the team together and be behind the scenes rather than being on the court every day.” Here’s more from Detroit:

Lionel Hollins remains interested in the Pistons coaching vacancy, but said he still hasn’t been in contact with the team in an interview with SiriusXM NBA today. David Mayo of MLive transcribed the former Grizzlies coach’s perspective on the Detroit job: “I’m flattered by all the non-decision makers coming out and saying that the job is mine and I’m the first choice and they are coming after me. Well, none of that has happened and it only matters what the Detroit Pistons are thinking. Again, I’m flattered with the respect that has been shown me by some of the national media.” Hollins indicated the same a few days ago when former coach Maurice Cheeks was first fired.
Pistons owner Tom Gores is in daily contact with the team, and his involvement will intensify following the firing of Maurice Cheeks, Palace Sports and Entertainment CEO Dennis Mannion tells Eric Lacy of MLive. The owner has been criticized as an “absentee owner” by some, but Mannion says Gores is very active in dealing with the Pistons business, one of 35 businesses he owns overall.
Mannion also tells Lacy the team is optimistic that it can turn around the team’s plummeting attendance numbers: “While we haven’t been playing great basketball, we have had an opportunity to put ourselves in a position to be able to market and keep those people down the road.” After Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings were signed this offseason, season ticket sales jumped 33 percent.

Eastern Notes: Bobcats, Turner, Celtics

February 11th, 2014 at 11:33pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said before tonight’s game against the Mavericks that the chances of Charlotte making a deal soon depends on who’s available and what makes sense. GM Rod Higgins couldn’t put a percentage on the likelihood that something gets done, but went so far as to say “…the thing you should know is we’re definitely shaking the tree (and hope) a trade pans out” (Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer).

You can find several links worth sharing tonight out of Eastern Conference below, including more from the above piece:

Sorensen hears that the Bobcats are interested in 76ers guard Evan Turner and presumes that Ben Gordon and a first round pick are on the table (whether it’s the one owed to them by the Trail Blazers or Pistons is unclear).
Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears says that in addition to Turner, Thaddeus Young is another starter who could be moved soon.
Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW shared some of what he’s heard from around the Eastern Conference: Turner and Spencer Hawes are the most likely to be traded from Philadelphia; the Celtics are reportedly bound and determined to make moves before the deadline; the Cavaliers think pretty highly enough of their key pieces and aren’t likely to deal them for anything less for a “king’s ransom.”
Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that tales of stars trying to make recruiting pitches during the All-Star break are blown out of proportion by the media and says it “never happens.”
Earlier tonight, we relayed a piece from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports about the Cavs’ recent misfortune over the last few years. Another interesting thing to note is about how Anthony Bennett – who aside from his double-double performance tonight has otherwise failed to impress this season – would likely have fallen into the back end of the top 10 picks or further on draft night if Cleveland didn’t select him first overall.

Central Rumors: Cavs, Pacers, Mirotic

February 11th, 2014 at 11:42am CST by Chuck Myron

It shouldn’t be too much longer until the Pacers clinch the Central Division title. They’re up 14 and a half games on the second-place Bulls, and the only team with a realistic shot at passing the Pacers for the best record in the Eastern Conference is the Heat. Here’s more from a division that, outside of Indiana, is one of dysfunction:

The relationship between Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters was reportedly a rocky one when trade rumors swirled around Waiters early this season, but Irving now refers to Waiters as a friend, as Bob Finnan of The News-Herald observes. Finnan has more on the on-court and off-court dynamic between the two Cavs guards.
The Pacers reached out to Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, a former Pacers assistant, for advice about whether to sign Andrew Bynum, whom Shaw had worked with as a Lakers assistant, notes Scott Agness of Pacers.com. Shaw gave the center an endorsement, and, “I woke up the next morning to see that they had signed him,” the coach said.
Nikola Mirotic is eager to sign with the Bulls this summer, but Real Madrid, his Spanish team, is intent on offering him a sizable new deal to convince him to stay, according to Javier Maestro of Encestando (translation via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype).
The dismissal of Maurice Cheeks was tough on Brandon Jennings, who calls the former Pistons coach a “father figure,” as Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News examines.

Amico On Celtics, Melo, Irving, Dumars

February 10th, 2014 at 10:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Most executives who spoke with Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio say it seems more and more likely that the Celtics want to build around point guard Rajon Rondo, forward Jeff Green, and second-year big man Jared Sullinger. Everyone else, however, appears to be available, and even those three aren’t considered untouchable. More from Amico’s column..

The Knicks‘ struggles are fueling talk that Carmelo Anthony could be moved at the deadline but league sources say that seems considerably less likely and Melo will remain a Knick at least until the end of the season.
Could the Cavs be giving thought to moving Kyrie Irving given their own troubles? “Absolutely, positively untouchable, now and forever,” said one opposing General Manager.
There’s been some talk that Pistons GM Joe Dumars could step down at the end of the season if the team fails to make the playoffs. If so, league insiders suspect Dumars won’t be out of the game for long. Despite Detroit’s struggles, Dumars helped build a title team and still has a lot of respect around the league.
The Spurs typically aren’t major players at the trading deadline, but sources say that could change this year. For an outstanding return, Kawhi Leonard could be made available.

Central Rumors: Dumars, Monroe, Cavs

February 10th, 2014 at 1:49pm CST by Chuck Myron

There has been chatter “for weeks” that Pistons president of basketball ops Joe Dumars is on shaky ground, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who adds that no one around the league would be surprised if he’s replaced in time for next season. Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times hears similar sentiments about Dumars’ job security, so Maurice Cheeks might not be the only one heading out of Detroit (Twitter link). There’s more on the team that made the first coaching change of the season on Sunday amid our look at the Central Division:

The Pistons continue to turn away calls about Monroe, according to Lowe, who thinks the team need not be in a hurry to pull off any major trade.
The Cavs are willing to trade just about anyone on the roster short of Kyrie Irving, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his Insider-only “Tank Rank” piece. Ford casts Dion Waiters as the likely bait for a deal that would help improve the club, though it’s not clear whether that’s based on his reporting or if that’s merely educated speculation.
New Cavs GM David Griffin will lead the way in the club’s approach to the trade deadline, but it’ll be a collaborative approach, with owner Dan Gilbert involved in the decision-making, a source tells Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
Pacers players gave a lukewarm response when Kyler asked them about the signing of Andrew Bynum. Kyler hears that the Pacers won’t hesitate to waive the former All-Star and his $1MM guaranteed salary if he violates the club’s “low tolerance” policy for him.
Terry Foster of The Detroit News wouldn’t be surprised to see Dumars step down this summer, realizing his fate. The News scribe believes the team’s decision to appoint John Loyer as interim coach for the rest of the season, rather than conduct an immediate search, signals owner Tom Gores’ lack of faith in Dumars.

Aldridge’s Latest: Gordon, Jackson, Monroe

February 10th, 2014 at 12:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

TNT’s David Aldridge’s lengthy “Morning Tip” column on NBA.com has a strong trade deadline focus this week, as is only appropriate with 10 days left before the big day. We’ll dive into the highlights here:

The Pelicans have been shopping Eric Gordon “for a while,” Aldridge writes, but an opposing GM says they’re not finding takers because rival teams realize that injuries have cut into the 25-year-old’s athleticism.
Aldridge expects the Pistons to try to convince Phil Jackson, who served as a special advisor to the team this summer, to coach the club, but Aldridge notes it’s unlikely the Zen Master would do so.
The Pistons aren’t giving up Greg Monroe unless it’s part of a blockbuster trade, and they’re hoping they can re-sign him this summer to a contract similar to the four-year, $49.4MM deal that Serge Ibaka inked with the Thunder in 2012. If not, Aldridge expects the Pistons to swallow hard and match a max offer sheet from another team.
Kyle Lowry will probably remain with the Raptors through the deadline, but that’s not an indication that the Raptors are willing to pay a heavy price to re-sign him this summer, Aldridge writes.
Aldridge hears plenty of trade chatter surrounding Kenneth Faried, and though the Nuggets deny it, Aldridge thinks there could be something to it. He’s up for an extension this summer, and if he doesn’t get one, he’ll be a restricted free agent in 2015. Denver wouldn’t be willing to give him an outsized payday as it stands, given its concerns about his defense, Aldridge writes.
Grizzlies management is high on Ed Davis, who’ll be a restricted free agent this summer, and Aldridge examines how that affects the team’s willingness to retain Zach Randolph. Aldridge says the Wizards would prefer to acquire Davis rather than Randolph if they had a choice.
Patty Mills will be a free agent at season’s end, but even amid increased playing time with the Spurs this season, he’s giving no thought to leaving for another team where he could have a larger role or make more money, according to Aldridge.