Latest On Dwight Howard
1:57pm: Howard will stay with the Rockets, ending weeks of speculation of him getting traded, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
11:07am: There is a strong belief from Howard’s camp that he will not be traded before today’s deadline, according to Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
7:44am: The Rockets and agent Dan Fegan are hard at work to find a new team for Dwight Howard, reports Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). Houston is prioritizing its pursuit of a Howard trade over serious talks with the Jazz on a Ty Lawson/Trey Burke swap, though no favorite to acquire Howard has emerged, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Most executives from teams aside from the Rockets were saying as of Wednesday that a deal involving Howard was unlikely, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link).
Houston turned down an offer of Al Jefferson and Spencer Hawes from the Hornets, league sources tell Isola, and little chance exists of those teams doing a Howard deal unless Houston’s demands come down markedly, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer hears (Twitter links). The Rockets called the Cavs to offer Howard, but Cleveland didn’t bite, according to Sam Amico of Amico Hoops (on Twitter).
The Celtics, Heat, Hawks and Raptors have also reportedly spoken with the Rockets about Howard, at least on a cursory level, though Houston has apparently been underwhelmed with the proposals it’s hearing. One GM told TNT’s David Aldridge he doesn’t think the Rockets want to end up with Howard still on the roster after the 2pm Central time deadline (Twitter link), which suggests Houston will bring its asking price in line with the market.
Salary concerns complicate any Howard trade. He’s making more than $22.359MM this season, but a 15% trade kicker in Howard’s contract means teams would have to match salaries based on a $22,970,500 figure for him. The Rockets are also less than $1MM shy of a hard cap of $88.74MM, so they have sharply limited flexibility. The Rockets and others expect Howard to turn down his more than $23.282MM player option and hit free agency this summer.
Pistons Offer Anthony To Rockets For Motiejunas
The Pistons have offered center Joel Anthony to the Rockets in exchange for power forward Donatas Motiejunas, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter). The teams discussed this swap on draft night and at that time the talks involved picks as well, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter links).
It’s a “lock” that either Terrence Jones or Motiejunas will leave the Rockets as restricted free agents this summer, Zach Lowe of ESPN.com reported earlier this week.
Rockets, Jazz End Talks On Ty Lawson, Trey Burke
10:29am: The talks are over, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports, who indicates the discussion was only casual anyway (Twitter link). Wojnarowski also casts doubt on the idea the Rockets will waive Lawson.
7:47am: The Rockets would give considerable thought to waiving Lawson if they don’t trade him to Utah, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
THURSDAY: 7:01am: The talks are serious, with the Jazz having committed to send Burke away, and the growing sense around the league is that Utah is ready to accept Houston’s offer, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). However, Andy Larsen of KSL.com hears the teams are trending in the direction of not getting a deal done (Twitter link).
7:42pm: Utah is looking at deals for several other veteran point guards as well as Lawson, according to Stein.
6:38pm: The Jazz have been interested in acquiring Lawson for a few weeks, tweets Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Burke would be headed to Houston in return as part of a proposal the teams are discussing, but his salary is just short of $2.66MM — nearly $10MM less than Lawson — so other players would have to be included to make the deal work, Jones says (Twitter links). Burke is signed through the 2016/17 season, when he will make nearly $3.39MM.
WEDNESDAY, 5:35pm: The Rockets are looking to Utah in their quest to find a taker for point guard Ty Lawson, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Lawson has reportedly been on the market since at least December, while the Jazz have been down a point guard with Dante Exum missing the season after undergoing left knee surgery last summer. A slow market left Houston expecting to hang on to Lawson through the deadline, as USA Today’s Sam Amick reported last month, but it appears the team is making a renewed effort to find a new home for him.
Lawson was expected to add spark to Houston’s offense after being acquired in an offseason deal with the Nuggets. He opened the season as the team’s starting point guard, but proved to be a poor fit and was demoted to the bench after coach Kevin McHale was fired in November. Lawson is averaging just 6.3 points and 3.6 assists in 48 games.
Utah passed on a chance to deal for Lawson last summer, tweets Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune. He believes any deal made now would have to include more than Lawson. The seventh-year point guard has a salary of more than $12.4MM this season, so it won’t be easy for the Jazz to match without giving up something significant. A combination of Trey Burke and Joe Ingles or Burke and Tibor Pleiss would work, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Lawson is due to make more than $13.2MM next season, but that salary is non-guaranteed.
If a trade goes through, it would be an unusual deal for two teams locked in a tight battle for a playoff spot. The Jazz entered the All-Star break leading the Rockets by half a game for eighth place in the West.
And-Ones: Johnson, Celtics, Pelicans, Lee
The Cavaliers think would-be post-buyout target Joe Johnson wants to stay in Brooklyn and that he’ll seek to sign an extension with the Nets, a source told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. People around Johnson say he won’t take a buyout, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
- The Celtics are willing to trade the unprotected 2016 first-round pick they have coming their way from the Nets if it would shake Blake Griffin loose from the Clippers, sources tell Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. However, Boston wouldn’t deal the pick for either Kevin Love or Al Horford, Bulpett hears.
- The Pelicans shopped Eric Gordon and Omer Asik, but they haven’t found much interest, sources tell John Reid of The Times Picayune. New Orleans reportedly offered Gordon and Alonzo Gee to the Kings for Rudy Gay earlier this season, and the Pelicans apparently had talks with the Cavs that involved Asik after making him available in December.
- The Grizzlies shipped $542,714 cash to the Hornets as part of the Courtney Lee trade, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reveals.
- Jameer Nelson is running out of alternatives to season-ending surgery on a severely sprained left wrist, but he’ll continue to try to play for the time being after receiving an injection meant to ease the pain he’s feeling, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post details. He missed the Nuggets‘ last six games before the All-Star break.
- The Bulls were interested in Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer earlier this season, but the Rockets rebuffed their entreaties, reports Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link).
- The Pistons would love to make one more move before the trade deadline, GM Jeff Bower said today in an appearance on WDFN-AM radio, notes Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link). The team is reportedly scanning the market for veteran guards, but Bower said the Pistons are looking at the options available at every position and added that coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has confidence in Steve Blake as the team’s backup point guard, Beard also relays (on Twitter).
- The Grizzlies recalled James Ennis from the team’s D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team announced today. Ennis has appeared in 15 games with the Energy, averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per night. He has played in 10 games for Memphis, averaging 1.3 points in 3.6 minutes.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Atlantic Notes: Teague, Schröder, Embiid, Knicks
The Sixers may plan a last-second attempt to acquire Jeff Teague or Dennis Schröder from the Hawks, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. A source told Pompey that Philadelphia front office could make an “11th-hour” call to the Hawks on Thursday to remind them of the Sixers’ interest. Pompey cautions that it will probably take Jahlil Okafor or Nerlens Noel to get either of the point guards, and Philly’s front office would rather keep both until it knows the status of 2014 draftee Joel Embiid, who has yet to play an NBA game. However, a report emerged tonight that the Sixers are “gauging interest” in Okafor. “I think you always have to be aware of what the market is for acquiring something or considering a trade,” said chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo. “But we are not actively looking to do deals.”
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Embiid has traveled to Qatar for “a kick-start to the next phase” of his rehab process, according to Tom Moore of Calkins Media. He is working on his surgically repaired foot with doctors at Aspetar, which calls itself “the world’s leading specialized orthopedic and sports medicine hospital.” Embiid’s visit will include evaluation, consultation and meetings with specialists.
- Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis was happy to be called “untouchable” in trade talks by team president Phil Jackson, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork. Porzingis said he would like to remain in New York for his entire career.
- Interim coach Kurt Rambis said the Knicks front office hasn’t asked his opinion on any possible deals Begley also relays (Twitter link).
- The Nets won’t rush to make a deal before the deadline, owner Mikhail Prokhorov said, as NetsDaily notes. “If we have some small, good pieces, maybe we can do something,” Prokhorov said. “But we are [being] very passive because we’re not in a hurry. We have a long-term vision.”
- The Rockets asked for Jonas Valanciunas when they unsuccessfully approached the Raptors about a Dwight Howard trade, according to Sportsnet’s Michael Grange. Such a deal would have required Toronto to relinquish much more to make the salaries match.
- The Celtics would give up more for Kevin Love than they would for Al Horford, but the Cavs and Hawks are expected to continue to demand more than Boston is willing to relinquish for either, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Northwest Notes: Martin, Cheeks, Pleiss, Burke
Kevin Martin is hoping the Wolves will trade him to a winning team before Thursday’s deadline, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. A source said Martin would like to see the deal done as a reward for his “professionalism and mentoring of young teammates.” The 12th-year shooting guard is making $7.085MM this year and has a player option worth nearly $7.38MM for next season.
There’s more news from the Northwest Division:
- Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks will be out of action for about six weeks after undergoing hip surgery, the team announced today. Mark Daigneault, head coach of the Thunder’s D-League affiliate, will take Cheeks’ place, while OKC Blue assistant Jarell Christian will coach that team for the rest of the season.
- The Jazz recalled center Tibor Pleiss from the D-League today, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. However, the move was just so Pleiss could attend practice, and he was sent back down later in the day.
- Jazz point guard Trey Burke, who is rumored to be in a proposal that would send him to Houston in exchange for Ty Lawson, works better as a backup than a starter, according to Bobby Marks of the Vertical on Yahoo Sports. In his guide to the trade deadline for Utah, Marks says the Jazz have been missing a floor leader in the absence of Dante Exum, who is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery last summer. Marks advises the Jazz to hang onto Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and rookie Trey Lyles as they push for a playoff spot.
- Randy Rigby will retire as president of the Jazz at the end of the season and will be replaced by Steve Starks, Genessy tweets. “I am excited about the future of the Jazz and my continued involvement as an adviser,” said Rigby, who has been with the organization since 1986.
- The Nuggets may be able to get a second-round pick for J.J. Hickson, Marks writes in his trade deadline guide for Denver. Hickson has fallen out of the team’s rotation and has been on the market for weeks. Marks credits the Denver front office with being on the right track for rebuilding and says the team should consider moving either the Rockets’ or Blazers’ first-round picks, which are both conditional, in exchange for a future pick or veteran player.
And-Ones: Horford, Anderson, Rondo
Many teams are estimating the salary cap will rise to $92MM next season, above the league’s $89MM projection, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Some around the league can envision the cap going as high as $95MM, reports Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post (Twitter link), echoing an October dispatch from Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, who heard from many league executives and agents who believed the cap would surge to that $95MM figure. A $95MM cap would produce maximum salaries worth approximately $22.3MM for players with six or fewer years of experience, $26.8M for players with between seven and nine years of experience, and $31.3M for veterans of 10 or more seasons, notes Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Those figures would be $21.6MM, $25.9MM and $30.3MM on a $92MM cap, Elhassan also tweets.
Here’s more from around the league:
- Hawks GM Wes Wilcox is asking teams to “wow” him with their offers for Al Horford, sources also tell Lowe. People close to the Hawks big man tell Lowe that the ability of the team with his Bird rights in free agency to give him a fifth year in a new contract this summer will be more important to him than just about any other facet in negotiations. That would appear to mean the Hawks, who have those Bird rights, are in a strong position to retain him. Horford will nonetheless look around at other teams, and he likes the idea of playing in a larger market with more people who are from the Dominican Republic, as he is, several sources tell Lowe. However, he treasures the continuity of the Hawks, Lowe writes.
- The Pelicans have been pushing to trade Ryan Anderson because the team doesn’t think it will be able to re-sign him this summer, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports relays. Teams trading for Anderson believe that he’ll command a starting salary of $16MM-$18MM per season on his next deal, Wojnarowski adds. New Orleans has been struggling trying to get equal value in return for the stretch-four and has spoken with the Wizards and the Pistons about the forward, though the conversations with Detroit occurred prior to the team landing Tobias Harris from the Magic, the Vertical scribe notes. Detroit had discussed a larger three-team trade involving the Pelicans and Magic that would have sent Anderson to Detroit and Harris to New Orleans, but Orlando was reluctant to part with Evan Fournier, Wojnarowski adds.
- The Wizards are asking around in search of a reserve big man, league sources tell Lowe for the same piece.
- It’s a “lock” that either Terrence Jones or Donatas Motiejunas will leave the Rockets as restricted free agents this summer, according to Lowe.
- Rajon Rondo intends to keep an open mind about signing with the Knicks when he’s a free agent this coming summer, a league source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post. Recently fired coach Derek Fisher had some pointed comments after Rondo criticized the triangle offense, and Berman wonders if Fisher wasn’t aware of team president Phil Jackson‘s respect for Rondo’s game. Sources who spoke with Berman indicated that Fisher and Jackson didn’t talk as much during the coach’s time with the Knicks as Jackson thought they would.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Southeast Notes: Jennings, Hezonja, Teague
The Hawks should think twice before agreeing to a deal that would bring Dwight Howard to Atlanta, Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. The Hawks would almost certainly take a step back this season as a result of the trade, with Howard being a difficult player to integrate into the offense at such a late stage in the season, Bradley opines. The scribe also cites Howard’s limitations as a passer and his declining physical skills as reasons the Hawks should take a pass, not to mention the big man’s ability to opt out of his deal this summer and become an unrestricted free agent. Howard is reportedly interested in joining the Hawks, but Atlanta has also spoken with the Hornets regarding the 30-year-old center.
Here’s more from the Southeast Division:
- The Magic don’t intend to trade any other members of their nucleus prior to the trade deadline unless they are absolutely blown away by an offer, GM Rob Hennigan told Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando dealt away combo forward Tobias Harris to the Pistons earlier today in exchange for point guard Brandon Jennings and power forward Ersan Ilyasova.
- Jennings had hoped to be traded to the Knicks rather than the Magic, sources close to the point guard tell Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. New York was eyeing the veteran point guard as it looks to upgrade its point guard spot, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.com.
- Magic rookie swingman Mario Hezonja has parted ways with the Wasserman Media Group, international journalist David Pick reports (via Twitter). Hezonja is in the first year of his rookie scale deal, so any move is likely endorsement related, though that is merely my speculation.
- The Jazz have inquired about Hawks point guard Jeff Teague, Spencer Checketts of 97.5 The Zone relays (on Twitter). The talks were stalled when Atlanta requested Rodney Hood and a draft pick in return, Checketts adds.
- The Hornets traded P.J. Hairston to the Grizzlies because they had grown tired of dealing with his antics, a league source tells Marc J. Spears of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).
- The Heat were able to create a trade exception worth $2,145,060 as a result of the three-team swap with Memphis and Charlotte earlier today, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders notes (via Twitter).
Jordan Hamilton Joins Rockets D-League Team
FEBRUARY 16TH, 4:28pm: Hamilton has signed, a source tells Adam Johnson of D-League Digest, though neither the league nor the team has made a formal announcement. (Twitter link).
FEBRUARY 11TH, 4:46pm: Former first-round pick Jordan Hamilton, who finished last season with the Clippers, intends to sign with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s D-League affiliate, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor reports (Twitter link). The Vipers hold his D-League rights even though Hamilton has never suited up for them, so he won’t be required to pass through waivers. Hamilton had signed with the Russian club Krasny Oktyabr, aka Volgograd, back in August but parted ways with the team in November.
The 25-year-old was selected in the first round of the 2011 NBA draft by the Mavericks, who dealt him that night to the Nuggets. Hamilton played his first two-plus seasons with Denver before a trade shipped him to the Rockets for Aaron Brooks midway through the 2013/14 season. He inked a multiyear deal with the Clippers last season after completing a pair of 10-day contracts with them. The swingman became expendable thanks to the offseason additions of Lance Stephenson, Paul Pierce, and Wesley Johnson, and L.A. waived Hamilton at the beginning of August in an effort to clear roster space.
The 6’7” shooting guard appeared in 14 games for the Clippers during the 2014/15 season, averaging 2.7 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 8.7 minutes per game. His career numbers through parts of four NBA campaigns are 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists to accompany a slash line of .405/.366/.671.
Rockets, Hornets Talk Dwight Howard Swap
4:15pm: Charlotte doesn’t have interest in cashing in its assets for Howard, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports hears, noting that despite the connection between Howard and Hornets coach Steve Clifford, who were together with both the Magic and Lakers, the sides don’t see a path to a deal (Twitter link).
3:48pm: The talks have been exploratory, Stein writes, adding that one source close to the discussion was pessimistic about a deal getting done. The Rockets are seeking at least one first-round pick in any Howard trade, Stein adds.
3:05pm: The Rockets and Hornets have discussed the possibility of sending Dwight Howard to Charlotte, but the sides haven’t been able to find a workable trade idea, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Hornets earlier today reportedly agreed to trade for Courtney Lee after news broke that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is out for the rest of the season.
Howard’s salary of more than $22.359MM, which would become $22,970,500 if the Rockets deal him because of his trade kicker, is a likely stumbling block, since it would require the Hornets to send Houston at least $18,296,400 in salary to make a legal deal under the NBA’s salary matching rules. Charlotte couldn’t include Lee in any trade that aggregates his salary with another player’s once the deal to acquire him from Memphis becomes official, presenting a further complication.