Western Notes: Thunder, Granger, Iguodala
One of the bigger stories of the week was the Clippers signing Danny Granger for the rest of the season. Despite being in uniform he was unable to play in last night’s game thanks to a “clerical error” that accidentally listed him as inactive. But going forward, Granger should help bolster the team’s weak front line, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLos Angeles.com. Coach Doc Rivers thinks that his best fit on the team might be as a starter, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. This would allow Matt Barnes to return to a bench role and have Granger be more of a defensive asset for the first-team.
Here’s more from out west:
- The Spurs didn’t land Granger, but Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News doesn’t think the team needs him. Instead, he points to how Boris Diaw‘s numbers and production are comparable to Granger’s.
- Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman explores the possibility of the Thunder signing Ben Gordon if he is waived by the Bobcats. Since March 1st has passed, Gordon would be able to play for another team in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.
- In a separate article, Mayberry looks at 15 possible players the Thunder could sign to fill their 15th roster spot.
- The recently signed Caron Butler is expected to be in uniform for Tuesday’s game when the Thunder take on the Sixers, tweets Mayberry.
- Suns GM Ryan McDonough says the team’s long-term approach hasn’t changed, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “We’re trying to get great players, through the draft or trade or free agency, but in the short term I think we’re ahead of what most people thought we would be. If we can use things like our cap space to help solidify our team we’ll do that, but at the same time we’re happy with the group we have”, McDonough said. Washburn also analyzes how the Suns are set heading into the offseason and some moves the team might make.
- Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders analyzes the dividends that the signing of Andre Iguodala has paid to the Warriors.
Western Notes: Mavs, D-League, Iguodala
Mark Cuban was in the news today for his thoughts on the possibility of the NBA raising the age requirement for players entering the league. Cuban took it further, and believes that if the minimum age isn’t raised then the NBA D-League should work to convince players to play there instead of a single college season, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Cuban stated, “I think what will end up happening — and this is my opinion, not that of the league — is if the colleges don’t change from the one-and-done, we’ll go after the one. The NCAA rules are so hypocritical, there’s absolutely no reason for a kid to go [to college], because he’s not going to class [and] he’s actually not even able to take advantage of all the fun because the first semester he starts playing basketball. So if the goal is just to graduate to the NBA or be an NBA player, go to the D-League.”
More from out west:
- Some of the more interesting trade scenarios are the ones that didn’t happen. This past offseason the Rockets tried to pry Dirk Nowitzki away the Mavs, writes Royce Young of CBS Sports.com. According to the article, Rockets GM Daryl Morey was nervous that the Warriors addition of Andre Iguodala would sway Dwight Howard to sign with Golden State. In response, Morey contacted Cuban to inquire on Dirk’s availability, which Cuban had taken as a taunt about the Mavs missing out on Howard, writes Young.
- Speaking of the Iguodala signing, Andy Larsen of SaltCityHoops.com details the role that the Jazz played in the Warriors inking the player this past summer.
- The Mavericks have sent Jae Crowder and Shane Larkin back to the D-League, tweets Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Both are expected to be in the Texas Legends lineup this evening.
- Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times writes about the role reversal for the city’s two teams, the Clippers and the Lakers, in regards to free agent appeal.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Lee, Magic
Geroge Willis of The New York Post thinks the Knicks don’t appreciate their own when evaluating coaching candidates, citing Mark Jackson as the latest in overlooked candidates with experience within the franchise. Mike D’Antoni was hired over Jackson in 2008, but things have ended up decidedly better for the Warriors–where Jackson landed–than the Knicks since then. Willis points out that Tom Thibodeau, Scott Brooks, Doc Rivers, Michael Malone, and Steve Clifford all had connections to the Knicks before thriving elsewhere. Patrick Ewing is a former Knicks-great that has long been looking for a head coaching opportunity; Willis wouldn’t be surprised if he proves himself away from Madison Square Garden. Let’s take a look around the East:
- David Lee has his eye on the Knicks cap situation for 2016, the summer Lee will become a free agent, a person familiar with his thinking tells Marc Berman of The New York Post. Lee says he has no hard feelings over the Knicks letting him walk as a free agent while they pursued LeBron James in 2010. ““What happened, happened. I don’t look back with any negative thoughts on my career in New York. I wish we could have won more games,” says Lee. “But we had a lot of changing pieces that were traded away for that ultimate push for the free-agency year. My only regret is we didn’t win more, but I love the city and loved my time here.‘’
- Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel wonders whether the increasingly bleak Knicks environment could motivate Carmelo Anthony to take a pay cut and/or leave the storied franchise to chase a title elsewhere. While it once seemed Anthony was destined to finish his career in New York, Winderman thinks the precedent set by LeBron James and Dwight Howard in recent years is no longer as far fetched for last season’s scoring leader.
- NBA commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN Radio’s “Mike and Mike Show” that the felony charges looming over Knicks guard Raymond Felton create an image problem for the league (transcription via Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com).
- Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel [subscription only] looks forward to the summer of 2016, when the Magic will have cap room and, ideally, a developing young talent-base that could attract superstar free agents like Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Rajon Rondo, or valuable restricted free agents like Klay Thompson, Reggie Jackson, and Kawhi Leonard.
Warriors Notes: Blake, Iguodala, Free Agents
The Warriors might have put the final nail in the coffin for the Knicks 2013/14 season with a dominant win tonight. Stephen Curry had a triple double to help the Warriors move past the Mavs into the 6th seed out west. Here’s more from Golden State:
- The Warriors haven’t added anyone from the buyout/free agent market since the trade deadline like some of their Western Conference competitors, but coach Mark Jackson isn’t concerned about the lack of activity. He told reporters, including Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle (Twitter links), that adding players is sometimes “too much” for an already-performing roster: “Sometimes the best move is no move.”
- Steve Blake has been so impressed with the Warriors, he’s already thinking about re-signing in Golden State just a week after being traded there, he tells Diamond Leung of Inside Bay Area. “I can’t lie. I wonder where I’ll be next year. If I had the opportunity to be here, I would love it,” says Blake. “I already knew from the outside that they were a special team. I didn’t realize what a great group of guys it was and how nice it is to play for [coach Mark Jackson]. Those are all things that I’ll be looking for, for a place I’d like to finish off my career at.” Blake is on the final year of his four-year, $16MM contract, and says he’s more interested in playing on the bench for a winner than getting a bigger role with a rebuilding team. “I don’t know if I want to go start on a team that’s going to win 20, 30 games that’s rebuilding. At this point in my career, I don’t think that’s what I’m looking for. If my role is to come off the bench like it is right now and contribute in that way and we’re winning, I’m all for it. That’s all I want to do is win right now, and I think this team has a chance to really do that.”
- Curry told reporters before the game, including Brian Windhorst of ESPN (via Twitter), that the Warriors had a sign-and-trade deal for Andre Iguodala worked out with the Nuggets that fell through a week before Golden State eventually worked out a three-way arrangement with the Nuggets and Jazz.
Odds & Ends: Nowitzki, Colangelo, Fredette
Rockets GM Daryl Morey said today that he asked Mark Cuban about acquiring Dirk Nowitzki this summer out of fears the Warriors would keep Dwight Howard from coming to Houston, according to ESPN (Twitter link). Cuban didn’t realize Howard hadn’t committed to the Rockets, and interpreted the proposal as a taunt over the Mavs‘ failed pursuit of Howard. Morey made his remarks at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and we’ve got more from that meeting of the minds as we pass along the latest from the NBA:
- Former Raptors and Suns GM Bryan Colangelo admitted that he attempted to tank a few seasons ago, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Presumably, that happened during his Raptors tenure.
- Jimmer Fredette piqued the interest of the Celtics, but it “wasn’t a good fit for either side,” as president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told reporters today, including Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
- The Timberwolves have no interest in Fredette for “myriad reasons,” according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- Some within the Lakers organization wanted to retain Pau Gasol through the trade deadline to keep his Bird Rights, but Gasol writes in his blog that L.A.’s financial advantage to re-sign him won’t play into his decision (translation via HoopsHype). The 7-footer says he wants to go where he can help a team win a title, but he’s not ruling out a return to the Lakers.
- Caron Butler‘s role on the Heat would have been similar to the one Mike Miller played in recent years, and part of his decision to instead join the Thunder centered on the chance for more playing time, notes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter links).
- The top half of the lottery picks in this year’s draft will be a star-studded bunch, but there are still other potential franchise-changing players in the mix, writes Zach Harper of CBSSports.com, who examines five potential steals.
Jimmer Fredette, Kings Close To Buyout
10:31am: The Cavs are indeed interested in Fredette, according to a full story from Stein, who reiterates that the Bulls are also going after the sharpshooter. Stein hears Fredette is strongly considering a playoff-bound team in the East. Fredette and the Kings still haven’t reached agreement on a buyout, but that could happen as soon as today, sources tell Stein.
8:57am: The Cavs are unlikely to have interest in Fredette, unless today’s medical exams on the injured Dion Waiters and C.J. Miles go poorly, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal explains. Fredette wouldn’t want to sign with Cleveland anyway, according to an earlier report (linked below).
THURSDAY, 8:19am: The Bulls are a contender with an outside chance at landing Fredette, Stein tweets
1:01pm: The former BYU star is leaning against signing with the Grizzlies, according to Stein (on Twitter).
12:12pm: Fredette doesn’t have interest in joining the Cavs, Amico hears (Twitter link). Amico suggested Tuesday that Cleveland could get involved with the former BYU star, but it appears that’s not going to happen.
WEDNESDAY, 11:41am: The buyout is on track to be complete today, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
TUESDAY, 1:00pm: The Grizzlies are in on Fredette, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis has pursued Fredette via trade since last season, Stein adds in a second tweet.
11:46am: The Cavs had interest in Fredette before the trade deadline, too, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who suggests that Cleveland could be in the mix again, even though the trade talks didn’t make much progress. The Jazz have had no discussions about adding Fredette, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
11:32am: Some in the Warriors front office are high on Fredette, but the team is unlikely to have interest in signing him if he becomes a free agent, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter link).
9:20am: The Nuggets had “significant” talks with the Kings about Fredette before the deadline, Wojnarowski notes, pointing out that Denver elected to trade for Aaron Brooks instead (Twitter link). Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders identifies the Knicks as a “team to watch” in a potential race for Fredette, citing New York’s desire to add three-point shooting as well as potential legal trouble surrounding Raymond Felton (Twitter links). Felton was arrested overnight and faces three counts of criminal possession of a weapon.
8:51am: Jimmer Fredette and the Kings are nearing a buyout agreement, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Several teams are expected to have interest in signing the former 10th overall pick for the rest of the season.
Fredette had been a frequent subject of trade rumors, but the Kings couldn’t find a taker for his expiring contract, worth $2,439,840 this year. The Kings declined his 2014/15 option before this season began, setting him up for unrestricted free agency this summer. Now it appears he’ll hit the market even sooner.
The one-time college superstar at BYU has yet to approach that kind of success in the NBA, averaging 7.0 points in 15.0 minutes per game over two and a half seasons. His minutes and scoring have declined in both seasons since his rookie year, and his numbers are just 5.9 PPG and 11.3 MPG in 2013/14. He’s nonetheless improved his three-point accuracy every year, and is up to an impressive 49.3% this season, albeit on just 73 attempts.
The timing of the news is somewhat surprising, since the Kings traded Marcus Thornton to the Nets last week and announced this weekend that Jason Terry will miss the rest of the season, which might have opened up minutes for Fredette. Still, Isaiah Thomas, Ben McLemore and Ray McCallum are all still competing for backcourt playing time.
Pacific Notes: Johnson, Lakers, Barnes
Pau Gasol and Mike D’Antoni have clashed at times with the Lakers, and D’Antoni wasn’t happy about Gasol’s latest complaints to the media after the team lost another game, according to Mark Medina of Inside the Lakers. “The thing I don’t appreciate is, I think every coach, you keep it in house,” D’Antoni said. “It’s very easy to come over and talk about your frustrations. We’ll try to work something out and figure something out. To go to you guys and do it in the papers, that’s disturbing. I don’t think that’s the way to go. I understand we’re all trying to solve the same problems. So let’s put our head together and do the best we can.” Gasol’s ongoing dissatisfaction with his role and the Lakers’ style of play under D’Antoni could factor into his decision making as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Here’s more from around the Pacific Division:
- Although Chris Kaman‘s minutes are down and his name was floated around before the trade deadline, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com tweets that there are no talks of a buyout between Kaman and the Lakers (link). Shelburne says that Kaman enjoys playing for L.A.
- Harrison Barnes tells Diamond Leung of San Jose Mercury News there was helpful communication between him and the Warriors front office leading up to the trade deadline, and that he used the rumors surrounding him as motivation to play better. “They just told me obviously teams are inquiring, that’s pretty much it. I wasn’t really trying to like look through reports, figure out where I was going to go,” says Barnes. “It focuses you in a little bit more, keeps you locked in on what you’re doing and doesn’t really allow you to let your mind wander. Obviously I’ve been playing better as of late, so I obviously want to continue to do that.”
- The Kings hope that Orlando Johnson, whom they just signed to a 10-day contract, will immediately make his presence known with Sacramento, reports Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. Coach Michael Malone told Johnson to push his new teammates, something he’s prepared to do. “I knew what I was coming here for,” Johnson said. “I want to go at everybody. I’m coming in to stick and I’m going to show them I’m going to be a player in this league.”
D-League Notes: Knicks, Magic, Rice Jr.
The Knicks are planning to create their own D-League affiliate in White Plains next year, replacing the hybrid arrangement they currently have with the Erie BayHawks, according to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. If approved by the league, the five-year proposal would give the Knicks complete control over both basketball and business operations with the new affiliate. They only control basketball development with the BayHawks. Here’s more from the D-League:
- The Magic are in talks with a current D-League team to establish a one-to-one hybrid relationship as early as next season, Orlando CEO Alex Martins tells Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando currently shares an affiliation with five other NBA teams. Martins wouldn’t name which team is the potential affiliate, but the Erie BayHawks are a possibility, since the Knicks appear to be moving on.
- D-League president Dan Reed tells Robbins the D-League is looking at expanding soon, likely prioritizing the Northeast region of the country: “We will expand relatively soon, but it will be a measured expansion. We’re not going to grow by 13 teams in a year or two. Our mantra is ‘steady, sustainable growth.’ But we are at the point where it’s time to grow the league based on the stability of the league and the interest that we’re seeing out in the markets.”
- The Wizards have assigned rookie Glen Rice, Jr. to the D-League for a second time this season, the team announced.
- The Warriors D-League affiliate traded Scott Machado to the Blazers affiliate in exchange for the rights to Justin Holiday, per Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Holiday’s only NBA action to this point was in nine games with the Sixers last year alongside his brother Jrue. Machado also has limited time in the NBA so far in his career, averaging just 3.5 minutes over six games with the Rockets last year.
- Gino Pilato of D-League Digest takes a look at some players who have received NBA contracts this season after playing with the Rockets D-League affiliate Rio Grand Valley Vipers. The team uses an extreme run-and-gun system that outpaces the already fast-paced D-League, and some have wondered whether the system is beneficial to the developing players beyond inflating their possessions and stats. James Johnson, Troy Daniels, and Chris Johnson have all inked NBA deals after spending time with the Vipers in 2013/14.
Magic Waive Glen Davis In Buyout Arrangement
SUNDAY, 10:37am: Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter Link) has heard that the Nets have been told that Davis will sign with the Clippers once he clears waivers at 5 p.m. today.
SATURDAY, 1:58pm: The Nets and Clippers remain the frontrunners to sign Davis, but the Heat might be interested in him as well, says Marc Stein of ESPN. Stein also hears that all of the teams with rumored interest in Big Baby expect him to make a decision on where to sign before the end of the weekend (Twitter links).
FRIDAY, 7:05pm: You can add the Bulls to the list of teams that may be interested in Davis, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (Twitter Link).
6:20pm: According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter Link), the Magic will not be using the stretch provision on Davis, and will take the full hit on his $6.6MM salary during the 2014/2015 season. Kyler also tweeted that the team had told Davis of their intention to waive him and buy out his contract last weekend.
1:51pm: Kevin Garnett is recruiting Davis as part of a hard push from the Nets to convince him to sign with Brooklyn, Wojnarowski tweets.
1:45pm: The Magic have officially announced that they’ve come to a buyout arrangment and waived Davis. It’s unclear how much of his salary Davis is relinquishing.
1:04pm: The team has yet to make an official announcement, but the release of Davis has been finalized, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
12:43pm: There’s a sense around the league that Davis and Rivers already have what amounts to an agreement for Big Baby to join the Clippers once he clears waivers, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com writes. The Magic are expected to officially release Davis this afternoon, tweets Brian K. Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
THURSDAY, 9:43pm: Along with the Clippers, the Heat, Spurs, Nets, and Warriors are expressing interest in Big Baby, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.
6:58pm: The Magic and Glen Davis have reached agreement on a buyout, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The buyout should be official tomorrow morning.
Orlando was dangling the big man at the deadline but they were unable to find a taker. Davis was due the remainder of his $6.4MM salary this season and $6.6MM in 2014/15. The 28-year-old is coming off of a year in which he averaged 15.1 PPG and 7.2 RPG with a 15.0 PER in an injury-shortened season. So far in 2013/14, Davis has been bitten by the injury bug once again. He’s putting up 12.1 PPG and 6.3 RPG in 30.1 minutes per contest this season.
The Clippers figure to be a strong frontrunner for Davis now that he’s available, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Los Angeles makes a lot of sense for Davis who has a relationship with Doc Rivers and presumably would like to join a contender. For Orlando, the buyout should open up playing time for Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn as they look to the future.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.
Western Notes: Brooks, Brewer, Rockets
MarShon Brooks isn’t accustomed to a significant role, but he’s ready to play as a member of the Lakers. His impressive performance against the C’s last night left some wondering if he considered the matchup a “revenge game,” but Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com passes along that Brooks doesn’t harbor any resentment toward his old team. “You know what, a lot of people think I should be mad at the Boston Celtics,” Brooks said. “But I guarantee you that there’s no one happier for me than Brad Stevens and [Celtics assistant] Jay Larranaga.” Here’s more from the West..
- After being waived by the Rockets, Ronnie Brewer tells Mark Berman of My FOX Houston he will look to land with another team. “The NBA is a business,” the 28-year old said. “You got to accept the decision. You have to go back to the drawing board and continue to work and hopefully a team can pick you up for the remainder of the season.”
- It appears that the Rockets are unlikely to pursue anyone in the buyout market, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). Feigen says the indications are that Houston is done making moves for the year.
- The Thunder assigned rookie Andre Roberson to the D-League again on Friday, as Oklahoma City’s D-League affiliate announced (Twitter link).
- J.J. Barea admits to anxiety in the days leading up to the trade deadline, but he’s ready to move on and continue his recent strong play for the Timberwolves, reports Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
- Shannon Brown would like to re-sign with the Spurs, but there’s interest from other teams if that doesn’t happen, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). San Antonio would have to sign him for the rest of the season, since he’s already been on a pair of 10-day deals with the team.
- Chad Forcier is a player development coach for the Spurs, and his presence in San Antonio might influence whether the team pursues the likely-to-be waived Metta World Peace. Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation has the details.
- Sam Amick of USA Today weighs in on the trade that sent Steve Blake to the Warriors and thinks it could end up paying dividends for Golden State.
- Jan Vesely and Aaron Brooks are excited for new roles on the Nuggets, writes Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post.
Cray Allred contributed to this post.