Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Calderon, Maxiell, Kobe

April 1st, 2013 at 10:21pm CST by Zachary Links

Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..

David Mayo and Brendan Savage of MLive Media Group give their take on whether the Pistons should re-sign free-agent-to-be Jose Calderon, who the team acquired in January from the Raptors. In 26 games in Detroit, Calderon has become a more efficient shooter but has been the same defensive liability that he’s been his entire career.
Jason Maxiell tore his retina and will miss the final eight games of the 2012/13 season. That means that he has likely played the last game of his Pistons career as he isn’t expected to be retained this summer, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
If things go off the rails this summer, the smartest thing for the Lakers could be to accelerate the post-Kobe Bryant rebuild while Kobe is still on the team, opines Bryan Kamenetzky of Land O’ Lakers.

Central Notes: Pistons, Calderon, Cavaliers

March 31st, 2013 at 5:48pm CST by Zachary Links

Last week, Pistons point guard Jose Calderon said that he wasn't ready to close the door on a reunion with the Raptors after spending an enjoyable seven-and-a-half years there. Even though Calderon might have an affinity for Toronto, it's unlikely that he'll be in red-and-black next year because of their cap situation. Besides, based on recent comments from Joe Dumars, it seems like he's appreciated in Detroit. Here's more on Calderon and the rest of the Central..

The Pistons would like to re-sign Calderon, and even though the team's poor play of late hasn't dissuaded the point guard from coming back, Calderon is non-committal about his free agent plans, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free-Press details. Ellis suggests Calderon could command an annual salary of $6MM-$7MM.
The summer ahead is crucial for the Pistons, opines MLive's David Mayo, who believes coach Lawrence Frank will be retained, albeit with a short leash for next season, despite rumors that he won't be back for 2013/14.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal quotes an unnamed Cavs player who questions coach Byron Scott's grueling shootarounds and practices as well as his in-game strategy. Lloyd hears from another member of the organization perplexed by Scott's usage of Kyrie Irving. The Cavs picked up his $4.5MM option for next season, but it's not certain the team will retain him for 2013/14.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Central Rumors: Thibodeau, Jackson, Skiles, Scott

March 30th, 2013 at 4:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

Tom Thibodeau and the Bulls agreed before the season to a four-year, $17.5MM extension, but Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News reported about six weeks ago that the coach had yet to sign the pact. The contract still remains unsigned, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, though it's not uncommon for Thibodeau to hesitate on such matters, Wojnarowski points out. Wojnarowski's entire piece, in which he also notes NBA executive vice president Stu Jackson is looking for a front-office job with a team, is worth a read, and there are plenty of other stories out involving Central Division clubs, as we round up here:

Thibodeau says it's a "non-issue" that he hasn't signed his contract, explaining that he just received the paperwork back from lawyers who were reviewing it, tweets Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Thibodeau added that as soon as he gets an opportunity to forward the signed contract to GM Gar Forman, he'll do so.
Plenty of NBA GMs like Scott Skiles' no-nonsense approach, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who wonders which NBA team the former Bucks coach will be piloting next year (Twitter link).
The Cavs haven't given any indication Byron Scott is in trouble, but Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer, in response to readers questions, isn't certain he'll be back to coach the team next year.

Earlier updates:

Chances are "beginning to look dicey" that Pistons coach Lawrence Frank will return next season, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press. Owner Tom Gores will decide at the end of the season whether to bring back Frank for the third season on his deal. It's the final guaranteed year on Frank's contract, which includes an option for 2013/14, according to Ellis. I'd assume that's a team option, though Ellis doesn't specify.
Tobias Harris is seeing significantly more playing time with the Magic than he did before the Bucks traded him at the deadline, and Beno Udrih, who accompanied him from Milwaukee to Orlando in the same deal, thinks their old team wasn't giving Harris the minutes he deserved. Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post has the details. "When I was in Milwaukee with him, I always knew he had the potential and talent to be a great player," Udrih said. "And in Milwaukee, I think they were just holding him back. They didn't give him a real chance to show what he can do. Here, he got a chance and he's definitely proving himself and taking advantage of the chance."
HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham catches up with Malcolm Thomas, who speaks about the uncertainties of a 10-day contract. On Friday, Thomas signed his second 10-day deal with the Bulls.

Eastern Notes: Turkoglu, Heat, Pistons, Bulls

March 29th, 2013 at 12:54pm CST by Luke Adams

A few Friday notes from out of the Eastern Conference….

Turkey's Fenerbahce Ulker is hoping to add Hedo Turkoglu for the 2013/14 season, according to Can Pelister of TrendBasket.com (via Twitter). Of course, Turkoglu is still technically under contract with the Magic for next year, with half of his $12MM salary guaranteed. But while Turkoglu says he hopes to remain in Orlando, I'd expect the team to part ways with him.
In his latest mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explores whether the Heat will still be able to convince unrestricted free agents to sign in Miami at a discounted rate going forward.
With the Pistons officially out of the playoff hunt for 2012/13, Patrick Hayes of PistonPowered (via the Detroit Free Press) tries to determine which prospects might be good fits for Detroit in the upcoming draft.
As Amare Stoudemire works to get healthy for the postseason, Frank Isola of the New York Daily News looks back at the Knicks' decision to give Stoudemire a fully-guaranteed, uninsured $100MM contract.
Signing Kenyon Martin is the latest in a series of successful moves for Knicks GM Glen Grunwald, writes Moke Hamilton of SheridanHoops.com.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com addresses a number of Bulls-related topics in today's mailbag, including whether the Bulls will trade Luol Deng this summer, or sign Ben Gordon on the cheap, should the Bobcats buy him out — neither possibility is likely, says Smith.

Latest On Jose Calderon

March 29th, 2013 at 11:33am CST by Luke Adams

Jose Calderon and the Pistons will play the point guard's old team tonight for the first time since he was traded by the Raptors to Detroit two months ago. Calderon is headed for free agency, and the Pistons haven't made their desire to re-sign him a secret, but could the Spaniard also consider returning to the club with whom he spent the first seven and a half years of his career? Here's the latest on Calderon….

A player like Calderon is exactly the sort of piece the Raptors could use right now, opines Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun.
Toronto's cap situation makes a summer reunion with Calderon unlikely, but as the longtime Raptor tells Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, it's not entirely out of the question. "Why am I going to close that door? I was there a great seven and a half years," Calderon said. "I was perfectly happy and that’s why the door is wide open for Toronto; if not, I would say right now, 'no way, I am not going back to Toronto.'"
Smith interprets Calderon's comments as heartfelt rather than as mere lip service, but notes in a separate piece that the Raptors' offseason approach will largely depend on who's running the team, since there's no guarantee it will be current GM Bryan Colangelo. Colangelo was responsible for the acquisition of Kyle Lowry, as well as the decision to move Calderon and hand Lowry the point guard reins.
More Calderon on his upcoming free agency, via Smith: "Money never was the most important thing for me. I think at this point in my career, it’s not going to be 'if you give me more, I’ll go there.' No way. That’s not going to be it at all. It’s going to be everything, the team, the city, family-wise, it’s going to be everything under consideration for sure."
In his latest Pistons mailbag, David Mayo of MLive.com predicts that Calderon will land a contract this summer worth about $7-8MM annually, adding that if he were a GM, he wouldn't give the veteran guard more than three years.

Eastern Notes: Nets, Raps, Maggette, Heat, C’s

March 25th, 2013 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

With the Bucks currently holding a seven-game lead on the ninth-seeded Sixers for the Eastern Conference's final postseason spot, there won't be a race for the playoffs over the season's final few weeks. But if we flip the standings upside-down, there is a race developing for the best chance at June's first overall pick. A pair of Bobcats wins last week pulled them within two games of the Magic, and the two teams are set to square off in Charlotte this Wednesday. As we, uh, look forward to that contest, let's round up a few Monday items from around the conference:

Following up on the latest report linking John Calipari to the Nets, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game suggests (via Sulia) that owner Mikhail Prokhorov is too discerning to simply be interested in Calipari because the Kentucky coach is a "big name." According to Bucher, Prokhorov had genuine interest in Phil Jackson, but Bucher thinks the idea of Calipari being a worthwhile fallback option is "absurd," despite the improvements he has made since his last NBA stint.
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun looks ahead to the summer and predicts which Raptors will be back with the team next season.
Corey Maggette isn't entirely sure why he hasn't played in over three months, but he isn't going to complain about his situation, as David Mayo of MLive.com writes. Earlier this month, a report suggested that Maggette and the Pistons were both open to the veteran returning to the team next year via free agency. I have to think he'll at least explore the market in search of an opportunity for more minutes though.
Responding to a reader's question in his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel agrees that Shane Battier has been the Heat's best non-Big-Three signing of this era.
Last summer, the Celtics participated in both the Orlando and Las Vegas summer leagues. However, since the C's aren't expecting to add as many young prospects to the roster this summer, they'll only participate in the Orlando league, according to Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.

Central Notes: Cavaliers, Pistons, Frank

March 24th, 2013 at 7:56pm CST by Zachary Links

The Bulls are nipping at the heels of the Hawks for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference and they're hoping to get one win closer with a W over the T'Wolves today. So far, so good for Chicago as they lead 56-43 at halftime behind 14 points from Luol Deng. Here's more out of the Central..

Lawrence Frank may be out the door if the Pistons’ new owners decide to make major changes, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Washburn writes that the club is running in quicksand, playing a combination of prospects, and players who won’t be there at the end of their contracts. The team's struggles could also mean the end of Joe Dumars' tenure as president of basketball operations.
The Cavaliers are a team on the rise, writes Richard Hardy of HoopsWorld. This offseason, the Cavaliers could potentially have as many as four first-round picks in the 2013 draft and they only have seven players with guaranteed contracts in 2013-14. On top of that, the Cavaliers will have more than $20MM in salary cap space.
Earlier today, we learned that Dumars intends to re-sign Jose Calderon this summer.

Pistons Plan To Re-Sign Jose Calderon

March 24th, 2013 at 7:01pm CST by Zachary Links

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars made it clear after the late-January trade that brought Jose Calderon over from Toronto that he would make every effort to retain him for the long term. In the 23 games since then, Dumars tells Keith Langlois of NBA.com that nothing has caused him to waver from that stance.

“It’s been very good to have a guy like Jose, who’s a veteran, true point guard, leader, on your team,” he said. “A lot of the stuff he brings is exactly an area that we needed to get better in, so that’s why I really enjoying watching him. The results are not where we want them to be, but in the middle of the season for where your team is right now, it was never the expectation that Jose would come in and just turn everything around for us.”

Some speculated that Detroit would lean towards letting Calderon walk to free up more cap space this summer. The deal that brought Calderon to the Pistons cost the club Tayshaun Prince and Austin Daye, so it stands to reason that they would lean towards keeping him. Their cap space could theoretically allow them to pursue someone like Brandon Jennings, but Calderon would obviously be a much more affordable alternative.

In 23 games for the Pistons, Calderon is averaging 11.7 PPG with 6.9 APG in 31.3 minutes per contest.

Injury Notes: Gasol, Noah, Garnett, Lee

March 23rd, 2013 at 8:41pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There aren't very many games left in the regular season, and the playoff picture in both conferences could look drastically different by mid-April with plenty of teams close together in the standings as of today. While it's not usual for us to focus on injuries, we have a few significant notes worth mentioning tonight:

Pistons rookie big man Andre Drummond could be close to returning after a 21-game absence, says David Mayo of MLive. Although the Pistons aren't in the playoff race in the Eastern Conference, a few more regular season games couldn't hurt the former UConn product's development if healthy.
Clippers guard Chauncey Billups is still day-to-day with a groin strain but could return on Tuesday against the Mavericks, writes Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles.
Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times tweets that Lakers forward Antawn Jamison has ligament damage in his right wrist. Although he'll try to play through it, Jamison probably faces surgery in the offseason.
According to Ken Berger of CBS Sports (via Twitter), the Grizzlies have announced that center Marc Gasol will be out indefinitely after re-aggravating an abdominal tear last night against the Hornets. Though they are ahead of the sixth place Warriors by a comfortable margin in the standings, Memphis is separated from the third place Nuggets by one game and the fourth place Clippers by just half a game.
Joakim Noah will sit both of the Bulls' games this weekend as he continues to deal with plantar fasciitis in his right foot, says Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. The team is currently one game behind the fifth-place Hawks and a half game ahead of the Celtics.
Greg Payne of ESPN Boston says that both Courtney Lee and Kevin Garnett are individually recovering from sprained left ankles. There doesn't appear to be a sense that those injuries are expected to keep either out for an extended period of time, but with just 14 games left and Boston currently on a three-game slide, missing two key rotation players can't necessarily help.
Knicks center Tyson Chandler has already missed six straight games due to a neck strain, and is still considered day-to-day (Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York reports). New York still remains atop the Atlantic Division, and while they are only one game behind the Pacers for second place in the East, the fourth place Nets aren't too far behind in their rear view mirror (1.5 games).

Odds & Ends: LeBron/Cavs, Wafer, Harrington

March 21st, 2013 at 7:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Without leading scorers Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters yesterday, the Cavaliers had the surging Heat against the ropes in Cleveland through three quarters, leading by nine before ultimately losing in a heartbreaker. The last few years have represented some trying times for Cavs fans, although with the rise of Irving as a young potential superstar, Dion Waiters showing flashes as a promising scorer, and Tristan Thompson continuing to improve, the horizon is beginning to look bright in Cleveland. A promising young core on a team with cap space could only be a selling point toward a possible homecoming for LeBron James in 2014, although ESPN's Marc Stein (Twitter link) believes that the Akron native and Dwyane Wade are too close for LeBron to just "bolt Miami." Here are more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from around the NBA:

Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld highlights that several clubs have considered signing Von Wafer, particularly teams looking to bolster their rosters before the playoffs start. The former second-round pick had recently returned from a stint in China and last played in the NBA during the 2011/12 season. In the same piece, Kennedy identifies players who have helped their free agency stock with their strong play this year.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes that Al Harrington could decide to sit out the rest of the season for the Magic for the sake of their young players benefiting from major playing time. The 33-year-old forward, who overcame a staph infection after arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, insists that his knees are fine now and that he will focus on preparing them for next year. Robbins adds that although Harrington is due about $14.7MM over the next two seasons, those years are partially guaranteed and could be bought out for nearly half that number this summer.
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro discusses his job status with Bill Dwyre of the Los Angeles Times. Now in his third season in LA and nearing the end of his contract, Dwyre writes that Chris Paul's contract status, the level of preference for Del Negro, and the team's performance in the playoffs are all substantial factors that are in play with regard to the coach's future with the team.
Pistons coach Lawrence Frank tells David Mayo of MLive.com that, considering their record this year, none of the players – as well as the coaches – should feel safe about retaining their role for next season.