Detroit Pistons Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Skiles, Pistons, Vogel

January 8th, 2013 at 10:07pm CST by Ryan Raroque

One day after the mutual decision to sever ties with the Bucks, Scott Skiles was quick to shoot down a rumor that he "hated his team." Charles F. Gardner of JS Online drew more comments from the former-Milwaukee coach, who also implied that his phone has been "blowing up" regarding opportunities but would like to enjoy some of the time off he has right now. Todd Rosiak (also of the Journal-Sentinel) explored Skiles' departure from his former players' perspective, namely Larry Sanders, Luc Mbah a Moute, rookie John Henson, and Brandon Jennings, who admitted he was a bit frustrated about how he found out about the news – from Skiles first and not the team. With that aside, here are more news and notes from the Central Division tonight:

With four consecutive drafts in which the Pistons have taken five current rotation players, there is optimism that GM Joe Dumars and his scouts have the right mindset and wherewithal to continue building the team toward a return to prominence (Keith Langlois of Pistons.com reports).
Fresh off agreeing to what is most likely a multi-year contract extension yesterday, Frank Vogel expressed optimism and determination in the direction of the Pacers' franchise (ESPN report via the Associated Press).
Mike Wells of IndyStar.com briefly explores Vogel's appreciation for the assistants on his coaching staff and mentioned Dominic McGuire's task of learning the team's offense as quickly as possible.

Central Rumors: Cavs, Jackson, Drummond, Cook

January 6th, 2013 at 3:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald blames Cavs GM Chris Grant and coach Byron Scott for the team's struggles this season, and calls on the team to take a more aggressive approach and pull the trigger on a deal for a "good, young piece" at the trade deadline if someone like that is available. The Cavs should carry that aggression into free agency, Finnan believes, and use their cap space for better assets than they've pursued recently. Finnan has more on the team, which we'll round up along with other notes from their Central Division rivals.

We've heard before that the Cavs and Wolves have had brief discussion about an Anderson Varejao trade, and Finnan confirms those talks, speculating that Minnesota would probably want to include Derrick Williams, a potential deal-breaker. Finnan believes the Cavs may have interest in taking back Nikola Pekovic instead.
There's been little talk of Scott's job security this season, but if the losing continues, Finnan doesn't foresee that immunity lasting into 2013/14.
Former Bucks swingman Stephen Jackson said he spoke with GM John Hammond about a contract extension during his time in Milwaukee, but never took a confrontational tone, as Jackson told Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Jackson expressed respect for Hammond and said he can envision working for him someday, though I'd guess he's referring to a front-office role rather than a return to the Bucks as a player. Jackson said Hammond was the only person from the Bucks organization he still spoke to, and balked at the suggestion that he'd reached out to coach Scott Skiles, with whom he feuded last season.
Andre Drummond has improved as the season has gone on, but he's content with the Pistons' plan to bring him along slowly, MLive's David Mayo observes.
Mayo and fellow MLive scribe Brendan Savage debate who got the better of Detroit's offseason trade with the Bobcats that swapped Ben Gordon for Corey Maggette.
Scott Powers of ESPNChicago.com writes that Daequan Cook understands that he must earn playing time with the Bulls after signing in Chicago this morning.

Pistons Notes: Cap, Free Agents, Drummond

January 3rd, 2013 at 8:55am CST by Luke Adams

On New Year's Day, David Mayo of MLive.com spoke to Pistons president Joe Dumars, and has since published a pair of columns detailing the conversation. Let's round up a few of the highlights from Dumars:

While the Pistons won't rule out making a move at or before the trade deadline, the team will be careful about taking on salary, as Dumars explains: "We like the flexibility that we have going forward. Our plan is not to give up that flexibility going forward. So anything that we may or may not do, we don't intend to give up that flexibility that we do have going into the summer."
Asked if the Pistons were looking for a top shooter on the wing, Dumars said he hadn't identified one specific need yet. "What's happening is that as we continue to play right now, we're actually learning more and more about our team and what works best for us," Dumars said. "Even the emergence of the second group and how they're playing. We're figuring out more and more what works, what combinations work. So let's see how it plays out for a while."
Mayo suggests that, while Detroit could retain some of its players on expiring contracts beyond this season, the team may spend that money elsewhere instead. Corey Maggette, Will Bynum, Austin Daye, and Jason Maxiell will all be free agents next summer, and the team will also have the option of clearing Charlie Villanueva from its books with the amnesty clause.
According to Dumars, he provides input if coach Lawrence Frank asks him about lineup decisions, but otherwise the team president doesn't interfere, letting Frank make his own decisions.
Dumars has a "tremendous appreciation" for Andre Drummond's performance so far, and has high hopes for the ceiling that the first-year big man could eventually reach.

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Detroit Pistons

Central Notes: Pistons, Cousins, Livingston

January 1st, 2013 at 8:04pm CST by Chuck Myron

The only game involving a Central Division team tonight features two clubs that have been linked in trade rumors of late, as the Pistons play host to the Kings. Detroit has drawn mention as a possible landing spot for DeMarcus Cousins, but there's been some doubt about whether GM Joe Dumars would pull the trigger on such a deal. We've got more on that and other news from the Central right here:

The Pistons consider Andre Drummond "untouchable" and view Greg Monroe almost as highly, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, writing for USA Today. Ellis, who thinks the Kings "would be laughed out of the league" if they traded Cousins to Detroit without getting either Drummond or Monroe in return, hears from Pistons officials who confirmed the team has changed its stance on Cousins since 2010, when Detroit tried to move up in the draft to acquire him.
Even if such a deal isn't going to happen, Cousins doesn't mind his name coming up in the same breath Monroe's, as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News reveals via Twitter. "I don't like being compared to anybody but it's no disrespect being compared to Greg," Cousins said. "Very underrated player."
Shaun Livingston wasn't caught off guard when the Cavs claimed him off waivers on Christmas, and now that he has a couple of practices under his belt, coach Byron Scott is ready to insert him into the rotation, as Bob Finnan of The News-Herald details. "I know (coach) Byron (Scott) has been interested in me for the last couple years," Livingston said. When they called, I wasn't totally shocked."

Aldridge On Nets, Phil Jackson, Cousins

December 31st, 2012 at 3:05pm CST by Luke Adams

It may be New Year's Eve, but that doesn't mean TNT's David Aldridge is taking a break from his weekly Morning Tip piece on NBA.com. In this week's column, Aldridge recaps the top 10 stories of 2012, including the Lakers' coaching carousel, the Dwightmare, and LeBron James' first NBA championship. He also dishes a few rumors on the Nets' coaching search and DeMarcus Cousins' availability, so let's check out the highlights:

According to Aldridge, the Nets thought that Avery Johnson carried his desire for a contract extension too far, considering plenty of other respected coaches around the league began coaching in the final year of their respective contracts without extensions.
While the Nets are saying P.J. Carlesimo will get a shot to prove he deserves to be the team's permanent head coach, Phil Jackson is still expected to get the first call if and when Brooklyn begins a coaching search in earnest. "It's Phil," a league coaching source tells Aldridge. "That's coming straight from Russia."
Kings GM Geoff Petrie insists that Cousins is not on the trade block in Sacramento: "He's not going anywhere. You can lay that to rest. Some of that stuff lives in its own reality." However, Aldridge hears from sources that the Kings are ready to consider moving the volatile big man for "a package of less talented, perhaps, but more emotionally grounded players."
Some members of the Kings were surprised when Cousins was reinstated and showed up for practice so soon after being suspended, and weren't overly moved by his attempt to apologize. "When he apologized to the team, two players stood up and said 'we've heard this bull(bleep) before,'" a source tells Aldridge. "'You're either going to be with us, or you're not. We don't want to hear any more excuses.'"
Examining teams with rumored interest in Cousins, Aldridge makes note of some potential roadblocks: The Celtics would be reluctant to part with Avery Bradley in any trade, the Pistons wouldn't be eager to pair Cousins with Andre Drummond, who Aldridge says "has his own growing up to do," and the Wizards likely wouldn't want to take on someone of questionable character after clearing the roster of that sort of player within the last year.

Kings Rumors: Petrie, Relocation, Cousins

December 30th, 2012 at 8:29am CST by Luke Adams

Last night, we heard from Sam Amick of USA Today that there's a growing belief in some circles that Geoff Petrie, the NBA's longest-tenured GM, won't be back with the Kings next season. Additionally, the decision to reinstate DeMarcus Cousins two days into his "indefinite" suspension was made unilaterally by ownership, against the wishes of the front office. Amick, a former Kings beat writer, has passed along even more rumblings out of Sacramento, so we'll round them up right here:

Even if the Maloofs were to offer Petrie a new deal, one source close to the 64-year-old says he's "99.9% sure [Petrie] wouldn't take it," since he wants to retire soon.
According to Amick, the Maloofs continue to discuss the possibility of relocation with several cities, and have let it be known that they believe bidding should start at $500MM. Amick calls that figure "astounding," noting that the last two NBA teams to be sold, the Hornets and Grizzlies, were in the $330-380MM range.
Amick hears from multiple sources close to the situation that a trade to the Wizards would be considered ideal for Cousins and new agent Dan Fegan, since it would reunite the big man with Kentucky teammate and Fegan client John Wall.
Amick writes that the Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, and Celtics have shown interest in gambling on Cousins in the past, though it's not clear whether all those teams would still have interest now. We heard yesterday from ESPN.com's Marc Stein that the Pistons and Celtics, at least, are still thought to be very interested.
It was "strongly suggested" to Cousins that he see a psychologist, a request he declined, which was his prerogative — the NBA's collective bargaining agreement doesn't allow players to be forced into mental health counseling, as Amick explains.
Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes that Petrie's refusal to meet with the media regarding Cousins' suspension speaks to his increasingly strained relationship with the Maloofs. According to Voisin, the Kings should resolve their front office issues before the trade deadline, and hang on to Cousins.

Eastern Notes: Cousins, Nets, Hibbert

December 29th, 2012 at 5:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons reportedly have plenty of interest in DeMarcus Cousins, but Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News believes GM Joe Dumars has cooled on Cousins as Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond have developed (Twitter link). In another tweet, Goodwill asserts that Detroit won't be dealing any picks and thinks that the Celtics could offer Rajon Rondo in what would be the most attractive trade package for Sacramento. With that aside, here are a few more links we've gathered up out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun believes the Raptors would have to bite if the Kings offered Cousins for Andrea Bargnani, but he's not optimistic Cousins can overcome his volatile personality (Twitter links).
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post dissects Mikhail Prokhorov's remarks to reporters on Friday, concluding that the Nets owner is sold on Phil Jackson and would entertain keeping P.J. Carlesimo for the rest of the season if he can't get the Zen Master of Jeff Van Gundy immediately.
Roy Hibbert got off to a disconcerting start this season after signing a four-year deal for the maximum in the offseason, but his play has picked up of late, as HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham chronicles.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes the Magic, at 12-16, have little chance of landing a high lottery pick, and writes that the team should set its sights on making the playoffs instead. Schmitz also speculates that Stan Van Gundy's next coaching job will be on the West Coast, and doesn't foresee Phil Jackson taking the Nets job.
In a Q&A with The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer, Cavaliers guard Shaun Livingston discusses the career-altering injury he suffered six years ago, being cut by the Rockets, and playing alongside Kyrie Irving.

Pistons, Celtics Interested In DeMarcus Cousins

December 29th, 2012 at 12:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The Celtics and Pistons have both made it known that they are highly interested in Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins if he becomes available, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein expects to see many more to inquire between now and the February trade deadline.

Cousins has had a tumultuous year in Sacramento to say the least. The center was suspended from the team after a run-in with head coach Keith Smart but was quickly reinstated. Cousins also dropped agent John Greig in favor of Dan Fegan. Fegan doesn't have the greatest history with the Kings' front office, leading some to speculate that the move is a precursor to a trade request.

This isn't the first time we've heard that Boston and Detroit are possible fits for Cousins, but it is the first word of them directly expressing interest. For their part, the Kings say they're not pushing Cousins out of the door, but they are reportedly listening to offers.

Odds & Ends: Thunder, Cousins, Mavs, Brackins

December 28th, 2012 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

A few links from around the NBA on the last Friday of 2012:

The Thunder don't have any interest in making trades at the moment, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Tyreke Evans and DeMarcus Cousins were supposed to be the cornerstones of the Kings' rebuilding project, but with Evans injured and Cousins benched, things have been rocky in Sacramento, says Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
The Mavericks' front office is flexible and opportunistic, which could make Dallas a logical suitor for Cousins, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes. However, as MacMahon outlines, there would likely to have be a lot of moving parts involved to find a trade between the Mavs and Kings.
For his part, Mark Cuban tells Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News that the Mavericks are "not going to do something just to do something. It’s got to be something that helps us."
David Mayo of MLive.com also fielded a question about the possibility of a Cousins trade in his latest Pistons mailbag.
Former Sixers first-round pick Craig Brackins was waived today by Italian team Angelico Biella, according to Emile Martano of Sportando.

Latest On DeMarcus Cousins

December 27th, 2012 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

Deron Williams and Avery Johnson may have stolen the day's headlines when it came to potentially dysfunctional player/coach pairings, but DeMarcus Cousins and Keith Smart aren't far behind. Smart told reporters today that he's made a decision about whether or not Cousins will play for the Kings tomorrow against the Knicks, but he has yet to tell the media or the player (Twitter link via Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee). Here are the day's other Cousins-related updates:

Cousins' answers and body language during his media availability today didn't suggest he's anything but bitter and angry, tweets Bryan May of Sacramento's KXTV-TV.
Despite teams calling about Cousins' availability, the Kings don't seem all that eager to move him, according to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. One league executive indicated to Kyler that it's unclear what sort of value Sacramento could extract for Cousins, since many teams wouldn't want to roll the dice on such a volatile and disruptive player.
In his latest mailbag, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes that he feels the Pistons' interest in Cousins may have been overstated in some reports. According to Langlois, the Pistons were once very interested in Cousins, but have since addressed their frontcourt needs with players like Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond.
Victor Contreras of the Sacramento Bee believes it's time for the Kings to deal Cousins.