Kennedy On Gordon, Rockets, Cavs, Hawes
The Bobcats are shopping Ben Gordon, league sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Sulia). Charlotte has talked to many teams about the guard and is trying to move Gordon’s $13.2MM expiring deal for a player who can help the team win now. The Bobcats, sitting at No. 7 in the East, are expected to be buyers at the deadline, because they want to make the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history. More from Kennedy..
- In addition to the Bobcats, the Rockets and Suns have also been identified as buyers as the deadline approaches. Phoenix may be open to trading a draft pick or a young asset if it means making the team better today and ensuring a playoff berth.
- The Cavaliers have been termed as the most active team in the league in terms of trade talks, but they’re quieting down after landing Luol Deng and unloading Andrew Bynum. It’s still possible that they make another move before February 20th, but they want to see how their team looks with Deng before working the phones again.
- The Pistons aren’t sure whether they should be buyers or sellers at the deadline, according to league sources. They had playoff expectations entering the season after adding Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings and Chauncey Billups among others, but they have struggled early on. Within the organization, it sounds like there are some people who want to be buyers in order to ensure a playoff berth, but there are also some who don’t believe the pieces fit together very well and think Detroit should sell.
- In addition to Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes and other 76ers players are available.
Eastern Notes: Pacers, Young, Harrellson
The Pacers announced their recall of Solomon Hill from the D-League today, a move that came none too soon for the rookie, as Scott Agness of Pacers.com details. Hill averaged 29.5 minutes in two games for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, about 10 fewer minutes per game than Pacers teammate Orlando Johnson saw during his assignments to the D-League last season.
“The D-League is for developing talent and I didn’t get a chance to play,” Hill said. “I sat the whole fourth quarter. It’s like, is it really a developmental league? I’m very grateful for the opportunity to play with the Mad Ants organization, but in order for me to try to develop, I have to be on the floor. That just makes me think about my next trip, if I want to go back down there. I’m kind of not tempted to go back down there now just because if I go down there and play 25 minutes after a two-hour drive, it’s like, am I really developing?”
Hill went on to say that he still feels like he got something from the experience, but it’s a reminder that the continued growth of the D-League will face some resistance. Pacers coach Frank Vogel doesn’t believe in sending players to the D-League if they don’t want to go, so don’t count on seeing Hill in Fort Wayne again. Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Any team in the league would love to have Thaddeus Young, an NBA executive tells Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News, who calls the forward the Sixers‘ best trade chip. Young says to Cooney that he wants to be in a winning situation, but he laughs off the notion that he’s disgruntled with the Sixers.
- This time around, Josh Harrellson doesn’t have to worry as much about Tuesday’s contract guarantee date, writes David Mayo of MLive.com. The Pistons forward didn’t survive the cut with the Heat last season, but this year, he’s a rotation player and much more likely to stick.
- As the Cavs ponder their options with Andrew Bynum, the Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto implores the team to make a move to upgrade its roster and stick to its plan of striving for a playoff berth this season.
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if the Heat should consider making a run at the recently waived Hedo Turkoglu. Rashard Lewis more or less already has the role that Turkoglu would fill as a big man with range, even if there’s no such thing as too much three-point shooting, Winderman writes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Central Links: West, Pistons, Bucks
No Central teams are in action tonight, but that doesn’t mean none of them are in the news. Let’s round up a few Friday updates from out of the division….
- In a conversation with Grantland’s Zach Lowe, David West reveals that another team contacted him on the first day of free agency last summer before he re-signed with the Pacers, but West doesn’t identify which team made that call.
- Despite the team’s recent slump, David Mayo of MLive.com doesn’t think the Pistons will trade Greg Monroe anytime soon, since they’ve set up their cap so that they can afford to keep Monroe, Andre Drummond, and Josh Smith for at least a couple more seasons.
- The Bucks weren’t sure if Giannis Antetokounmpo would average more than three or four minutes a game this season, and yet the 15th overall pick from this past June is in Milwaukee’s starting lineup, observes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.
- Jazz forward Marvin Williams has a fan in Bucks coach Larry Drew, who previously coached Williams in Atlanta. While Williams isn’t likely to be traded to Milwaukee, it sounds like Drew would love to coach the former No. 2 pick again, as he tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: “He’s my guy. I love that kid. He’s just a good basketball player, but he’s (also) a terrific kid…. He was one of my favorites while we were in Atlanta.”
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Kidd, Parker, Dwight, Iguodala
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..
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com checked in with execs from around the league to draw up his top 30 for the June draft. Jabari Parker is in the top spot, followed by Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle. The No. 4 spot doesn’t belong to Dante Exum or Marcus Smart – it instead belongs to Cameroonian center Joel Embiid.
- USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt gives us his best and worst free agent signings of this past offseason based on what he’s seen so far. Dwight Howard and Andre Iguodala are among those thriving in their new homes while things aren’t working out quite as well for Josh Smith and Andrew Bynum.
- D-League standout Willie Reed spoke with Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside about what he can bring to an NBA team.
- We don’t know much about this Nuggets team yet, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post.
- The Pistons need to do some serious introspection with many futures and the direction of the franchise on the line, writes David Mayo of MLive.com.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports has five NBA storylines to follow in the New Year.
Odds & Ends: Spurs, De Colo, Suns, Lottery
The NBA is thinking about doing away with divisions and it doesn’t sound like Cavs coach Mike Brown would be too upset if that happens. “I don’t necessarily look at a division foe as any more important than anybody else,” Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said, according to Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer. “I think it’s natural that you look at just your conference teams a little bit more than you do the other conference. You try not to, but I think it’s natural that you do.” More from around the Association..
- The Spurs announced that they have assigned guard Nando De Colo and forward Malcolm Thomas to the Austin Toros. Both players have had multiple trips to the D-League affiliate. In three games in Austin, De Colo has averaged 30.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists and 4.33 steals in 38.0 minutes. In his three games with the Toros, Thomas has averaged 20.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 4.33 blocks in 37.3 minutes. Keep up with all of this year’s D-League assignments with Hoops Rumors’ running list.
- Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks denies that he’s at odds with offseason pickup Josh Smith, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- The Suns are catching teams off-guard under first-year head coach Jeff Hornacek, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
- Marc J. Spears and Evan Doherty of Yahoo Sports (video link) discuss the pros of the NBA potentially getting rid of the draft lottery. The league is reportedly considering a wheel system.
Free Agency Notes: Hayward, Billups, Parker
Although a report came out this morning that Mike Woodson’s job is currently safe it hasn’t stopped anyone from speculating otherwise. Another person to come to Woodson’s defense is former University of Indiana teammate, and former Knicks head coach, Isiah Thomas. Thomas told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he expects Woodson to hold up well and succeed once he gets all his players back from injury.
A few notes regarding players who could join Woodson in looking for jobs soon.
- Since Gordon Hayward and the Jazz were unable to reach an agreement on an extension this offseason, Hayward will be headed to restricted free agency next summer. Hayward expressed to Lang Greene of HoopsWorld that the Jazz remain his preferred option because he loves the way the franchise is headed. Of particular interest to Hayward is the Jazz’s core group of players, a bunch of young players whom he thinks will be successful in the near future. As Greene points out, the Jazz only have $27MM in guaranteed salaries next season which will allow them to be a competitor in free agency next summer.
- David Mayo of MLive Media Group passed along in a Q&A session that he doesn’t think either the Pistons or Chauncey Billups will want Detroit to exercise their team option on Billups $2.5MM contract next year.
- Although the Knicks have been promised no trades for the near future, their moves in free agency are still a major focal point of discussion around the league. One upcoming free agent that has been linked with the Knicks is the Spurs‘ Tony Parker. Dan McCarney broke down the likelihood of Parker signing with the Knicks in 2015. McCarney believes Parker’s past loyalty to the Spurs will continue through his next round of free agency and doesn’t imagine we will ever see Parker in any jersey other than San Antonio’s.
Eastern Notes: Carmelo, LeBron, Korver, Butler
Here’s the latest from the NBA’s Eastern Conference:
- Carmelo Anthony is a free agent at the end of the season, but Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld reports the Knicks are quite confident they’ll re-sign the All-Star forward. Said one executive: “They’re one confident bunch… To listen to them, they expect to have Carmelo re-signed and have another star with him in another year. They’re so sure about it you’d think they already know what will happen.“
- The Heat’s LeBron James is another potential free agent, but Kennedy reports in the same post that James isn’t giving next summer much thought: “I’m so zoned in on what my task is here this year that it’s hard to think about anything else.” James can exercise the early termination clause in his contract and become a free agent at the end of the year, but he certainly sounds content in Miami: “What is there not to like about Miami?” James said. “It is a home. My family is very happy; I’m very comfortable.”
- Hawks GM Danny Ferry has been pleased with Kyle Korver‘s production this year, revealed Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. Korver re-signed with Atlanta this offseason. In her piece, Boyer passes along a few fond words that Ferry had about Korver: “I respect him. As we build our culture, our environment here in Atlanta, having Kyle back as a part of that was exciting.”
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Rasual Butler hasn’t always had a reputation as an asset in the locker room, but Frank Vogel insists that hasn’t been the case during the veteran’s time with the Pacers, as Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star observes. Butler didn’t make the team out of camp solely because Danny Granger had been slow to recover from injury, Vogel adds.
- The Pistons announced today via press release that they have assigned rookies Tony Mitchell and Peyton Siva to the D-League. The duo will get to see minutes playing for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
Central Notes: Bucks, Bulls, Datome, Cavaliers
Howard Beck of Bleacher Reports writes that Monta Ellis looks like a “changed man” this season in Dallas, and Ellis acknowledges as much, telling Beck that he was frustrated last year with the Bucks:
“I think I got into a dark place where I wasn’t myself… Some games I’d come and I could be motivated to play. And some games, it was hard, because of the type of players I was around.”
Milwaukee is playing even worse now, and as Jim Paschke noted this morning (via Twitter), half of the club’s remaining games are against Western Conference teams. That might be a blessing in disguise, since it should mean the Bucks have a good shot at the number one overall pick in the draft come June. Here are some more tidbits out of the Central Division:
- The Bulls have struggled without Derrick Rose, and there have been plenty of rumbles about the club making a big move to stir things up in Chicago. Joe Cowley from the Chicago Sun-Times dissects the team’s roster and reveals the players he believes to be the most valuable on the trade market, as well as the ones he figures would be the hardest to move.
- Luigi Datome has played relatively well in the limited action he’s seen for the Pistons so far this season, and the former Italian League star figures to see an increase in minutes, reports Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. The Pistons signed the 26-year-old small forward to a two-year, $3.5MM contract this past offseason.
- Another offseason acquisition, Andrew Bynum, has been inconsistent and flat out bad at times this season for the Cavaliers. Coming off of a game where he shot 0-11 from the floor, Bob Finnan of the News-Herald believes Bynum to be one of the biggest reasons for Cleveland’s struggles. He suggests that the club relies too much on the banged up center to generate offense.
Luke Adams contributed to this post
Eastern Notes: Bulls, Waiters, Nene, Pistons
After losing in Indiana last Tuesday, the Heat will get another shot at the Pacers tonight, this time in Miami. As we look forward to the evening’s showdown between the only two Eastern teams that look like title contenders, let’s round up a few notes from around the conference….
- The Bulls are considering their options with Marquis Teague and D.J. Augustin, and could ultimately end up trading the former or waiving the latter. If that happens, the team may re-sign the recently waived Mike James, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link).
- Dion Waiters moved quickly to shoot down yesterday’s report that he wanted to be traded from the Cavs to the 76ers, and Michael Kaskey-Blomain of the Philadelphia Inquirer hears from a source that the Sixers are unlikely to land Waiters anyway.
- Addressing the trade rumors surrounding Waiters and Anderson Varejao, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown suggested those reports were laughable, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- While he has said in the past that he may retire before the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, Wizards big man Nene acknowledged in a Q&A with Grantland’s Zach Lowe that he’d be open to playing beyond that date, health permitting.
- Keith Langlois of Pistons.com fields Pistons-related questions from readers in his latest mailbag, including inquiries on the futures of Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey in Detroit.
Central Notes: Granger, Cavs, Leuer, Rose
Josh Smith enjoyed his best game as a member of the Pistons last night but it was all for naught as Detroit fell to the Trail Blazers in overtime. Smith had 31 points and seven rebounds, but he was a non-factor in the fourth quarter and OT as the Pistons collapsed in a 111-109 loss. Here’s today’s look at the Central Division..
- The Pacers are targeting next Friday as a return date for Danny Granger, tweets Candace D. Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. Granger, a pending free agent, could become a trade chip for Indiana if he proves to be both healthy and redundant for the Pacers over the next few months.
- As of today, the Cavs-Grizzlies trade involving Jon Leuer, Mo Speights, Wayne Ellington, and a draft pick favors the Grizzlies based on the way Leuer is playing, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. The big man is averaging 9.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 14 games for Memphis this season.
- Sam Smith of NBA.com argues that coming into the NBA as a teenager, for the most part, stunts your development because you have not had as much chance to develop as a player and have your body develop to play against men. In his view, it’s one possible reason why recent No. 1 overall picks, like Bulls star Derrick Rose, have had injury troubles.
- Earlier today, I rounded up the latest on the Cavs.