Lowe’s Latest: Warriors, Garnett, Magic, Pelicans
Projections from the league and individual teams show the salary cap going from about $68MM next season to around $90MM for 2016/17 without any sort of plan for tiered increases, Grantland’s Zach Lowe reports. The players union rejected the league’s proposal to smooth out the projected spike in the cap, and while executive director Michele Roberts left open the possibility that the union would counter with a proposal of its own, compromise seems unlikely, according to Lowe. That’s left teams that aren’t usually attractive to free agents with the feeling that their cap flexibility is less valuable than it ever has been, Lowe hears, since just about every team will be in line to sign a max-level free agent or two after next season.
We’ve already passed along Lowe’s news about exploratory Ty Lawson talks between the Nuggets and the latest on the Raptors and Terrence Ross, but Lowe’s must-read column has more, and we’ll hit the rest of the highlights here:
- Lowe suggests the Warriors would like to try to convince Kevin Garnett to waive his no-trade clause and that they’ll see if any money-saving deals for David Lee are available.
- The Nets don’t want to make a trade just for the sake of making one, and if they do swing a deal, they’ll seek “some token future assets” and cap flexibility for the summer of 2016, Lowe writes.
- Lowe names Maurice Harkless and Andrew Nicholson as examples of “little side pieces” the Magic will seek to trade. The Magic are open to trading Nicholson, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported last week. Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders heard last month that teams had been calling about Harkless but that Orlando’s asking price was high.
- The Pelicans would like an upgrade at small forward, but they won’t part with Ryan Anderson cheaply just to accomplish that goal, Lowe writes.
- Corey Brewer declined his $4.905MM player option for next season to help facilitate the trade that sent him to the Rockets, according to Lowe. Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders also shows the option as having been declined on his Rockets salary page.
Eastern Notes: James, Millsap, Allen
Cavs superstar LeBron James has been elected as the vice president of the NBPA, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter links). Chris Paul, the NBPA president, has been pushing for James to join him as the No. 2 man in the player’s union for some time now, Wojnarowski adds. The announcement of James’ election was soon overshadowed by the reports that the NBPA had voted to reject the league’s salary cap smoothing proposal for 2016. This news sets the stage for a potential lockout in 2017, when both the league and the union can opt out of the current CBA, though that is merely my speculation.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Paul Millsap said that the support he has received from Hawks fans and the community in Atlanta would not factor into his decision-making when he becomes a free agent this summer, Nick Powell of NJ.com relays. “It’s a good thing, but I’m not one to base my decision off emotions,” Millsap said. “I base my decisions off of everything else. Where our team is at, can I grow with this team, how’s the coach, how’s the community? There’s a lot of things that factor into it besides emotions.” When asked his feelings about potentially playing in New York, Millsap said, “It’s a good place. I consider myself a guy who could fit in anywhere.“
- When Patrick Beverley was asked about potentially joining the Knicks as a free agent this summer, he stated that his first desire was to remain in Houston, Powell adds. “That’s not up to me, that’s up to my agent and stuff like that,” Beverley said. “I’m extremely happy with Houston, that’s one of the teams that kind of took a chance on me for me getting to the NBA, but at the end of the day this is a business, and I’ll let my agent handle that.” Beverly will become a restricted free agent at season’s end.
- Though the Heat were indeed in contact with free agent Ray Allen last summer, the team never made a contract offer to the veteran guard, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.
And-Ones: Buyouts, Dragic, Stauskas, Magic
Andrea Bargnani, Brandon Bass, Marcus Thornton, Andrei Kirilenko, Willie Green, Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur are all likely buyout candidates if they’re not traded before the deadline, league sources tell Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Beck also mentions Tayshaun Prince, who’ll probably strike a buyout deal with the Celtics if he’s not traded, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported last month. The Bleacher Report scribe also reiterates that Kevin Garnett isn’t seeking a buyout, seconding an earlier report from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Here’s more from around the NBA:
- The Suns want a first-round pick if they’re to give up Goran Dragic in a trade, as Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times hears (Twitter link). Woelfel suggests that opposing teams will be willing to pay that price and believes the Rockets, who’ve reportedly tried to trade for Dragic this season, will consider going after him again.
- There are rumors connecting the Bucks to Kings rookie Nik Stauskas, according to Woelfel (Twitter link). Still, it’s unclear if there’s truly interest from Milwaukee’s end.
- James Borrego says the Magic haven’t told him whether or not he’ll be the head coach for the rest of the season, and he takes it as a signal that he’ll remain in place, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. The timing of the situation and the Magic’s track record don’t suggest they’ll make a move before season’s end, though “it’s widely believed” the team will eventually replace Borrego with a proven coaching veteran, Schmitz writes. Rumored coaching candidate Scott Skiles indeed has interest in the job, but the Magic’s players seem to be supporting Borrego, Schmitz adds.
- Blazers GM Neil Olshey is exploring possible trades to help shore up the team’s depth, The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman writes, noting that Thomas Robinson and Will Barton seem unsure if they’ll remain on the team past the deadline. Olshey declared earlier this week that he wouldn’t trade any of the team’s starters and also talked up the value of his bench players in an interview during a game broadcast, as Mike Richman of The Oregonian transcribes.
- Former Mavs guard Dominique Jones is drawing renewed NBA interest following an impressive showing in China, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Jones, who last played in the league in 2012/13, averaged an eye-popping 36.8 points per game over 41 appearances in China this season.
Rockets Likely To Pursue Jeremy Lin
With Jeremy Lin set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, the 26-year-old could potentially return to Houston, the franchise with which he inked his last free agent contract, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report writes. Despite having essentially given Lin away to the Lakers this past summer in a trade, the Rockets remain high on Lin and are expected to be among his chief suitors this offseason, Beck notes. The Rockets would be unable to reacquire Lin via a trade this season since he was dealt away less than a year ago by the team.
Houston traded Lin along with its 2015 first and second round draft picks for the rights to Sergei Lishchuk last July. Lin was dealt due to Rockets GM Daryl Morey desperately trying to clear enough cap space to ink Chris Bosh, who was reportedly close to signing a free agent deal with the team. The franchise had also dealt away Omer Asik to the Pelicans for the same reason, but it did manage to net Trevor Ariza in that particular transaction. But Bosh ended up spurning the Rockets to return to Miami, signing a five-year, $118,705,300 contract with the Heat.
The point guard has had a difficult time living up to the hype of “Linsanity,” a brief but notable stretch of games with the Knicks during the 2011/12 campaign that had made him a national sensation. Lin’s time in New York came to an end when the Knicks declined to match the three-year, $25MM offer sheet that Houston signed him to back in 2012, a contract that Knicks star Carmelo Anthony referred to at the time as “ridiculous,” Beck notes.
Lin’s production during his two seasons in Houston was solid, but unspectacular. He averaged 13.4 points during the 2012/13 season, and then notched 12.5 points per game last season. The dip in his numbers was also due to the Rockets’ acquisition of James Harden from the Thunder, and Lin soon found himself coming off of the bench for the bulk of the season, a role that Lin wasn’t necessarily suited to.
“It’s just been a growing experience, more than anything,” Lin told Beck. “Never would I have thought that my career has gone in the trajectory that it’s gone in. When I was younger, it seemed like every year I would get better. It seemed like I would put the work in and then I would see those improvements. And for whatever reason, I felt like, well, I know I put the work in, and I felt like I was getting better. But it didn’t always amount to the results I wanted to see. So that’s definitely frustrating, to see that happen three straight years.”
Things may have turned out differently for Lin had the Lakers retained coach Mike D’Antoni, who resigned before Lin was acquired. Lin had thrived under D’Antoni in New York, but hasn’t had an easy time adapting to coach Byron Scott‘s system in Los Angeles, Beck notes. The Bleacher Report scribe also believes that Lin could still flourish in the league if he were able to play for a more supportive coach and perhaps a system more attuned to his skills.
Lin is averaging 10.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 25.5 minutes per game in 51 appearances this season. His career averages are 11.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. Lin’s career slash line is .440/.348/.796.
Western Notes: Malone, Howard, Clippers
Former Kings coach Michael Malone made a second visit to Minnesota to speak with Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor after Flip Saunders invited Malone to observe the team for a while last month, as TNT’s David Aldridge reports amid his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Aldridge speculates that Saunders, serving in a dual role as coach and president of basketball operations, is eyeing Malone as a potential replacement as coach for whenever Saunders decides to concentrate on his executive role. Malone is also a rumored candidate for the Magic’s head coaching job. Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Dwight Howard says he was given a timetable of six to eight weeks for recovery from the right knee swelling that’s kept him out of action since January 23rd, according to Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. The Rockets announced this past Wednesday that he’d miss at least a month, though team doctor Walt Lowe says there isn’t a specific time frame for his return, other than that he’ll be back this season, Creech writes.
- The Clippers are unlikely to make a 10-day signing before the All-Star break, as Dan Woike of the Orange County Register hears (Twitter link). The team has reportedly spoken with Sebastian Telfair about a potential deal.
- The Rockets have recalled rookies Clint Capela and Nick Johnson from the D-League, the team announced (on Twitter). It was assignment No. 4 for Capela and the third D-League stint for Johnson, as our assignments/recalls log shows. Johnson is averaging 10.7 minutes per game in 17 NBA appearances, while Capela has seen only 18 total minutes with the big club.
- Al-Farouq Aminu has given the Mavericks the best dollar-for-dollar production of any player on the roster, opines Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, arguing that the minimum-salary signee has excelled doing many of the same duties Shawn Marion did last year.
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 2/1/15-2/7/15
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have added a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:
“With Hassan Whiteside tearing it up in Miami, do the Heat still look to try and acquire Brook Lopez?” — Robert R.
Well Robert, first off, there has been conflicting information regarding the Heat’s interest in trading for Lopez. Pat Riley had come out last week and denied reports of a proposed deal that would have sent Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Josh McRoberts to the Nets for Lopez. Granted, Riley publicly denying a trade proposal doesn’t mean it didn’t occur, and both Cole and McRoberts have been mentioned as trade candidates, so there is probably some level of truth to Miami taking a shot at Lopez.
As for Whiteside, he is certainly making a name for himself lately, and he’s become the main reason to watch the Heat play this season. I’m still not 100% sold on Whiteside being a long-term dominant big man in the league. His sample size this season is far too small to accurately predict his future performance, and it seems unlikely that he would be able to maintain the same energy and momentum that he is currently providing. But Whiteside is certainly stating his case to factor into the Heat’s future plans with performances like his 24 point, 20 rebound explosion versus Minnesota on Wednesday night.
But if the price was reasonable, then sure, I could see the Heat pulling the trigger on a deal to nab Lopez. But with Whiteside performing as well as he is, and his non-guaranteed salary for 2015/16 only $981,348, it would be unlikely that Miami would still actively pursue Lopez. I like what Lopez can bring to a team, but his limited defense, ball-stopping ways on offense, and his injury history make Lopez too big a risk at this point. Plus, there’s no guarantee that he would remain with the Heat past this season if they acquired him. Lopez hasn’t publicly stated his intentions regarding his $16,744,218 player option for 2015/16. If I’m the Heat, I avoid Lopez and stick with Whiteside. But keep in mind that Whiteside could be rather expensive to keep after next season when he hits free agency. As thankful as he may be to the Heat for giving him the opportunity to show his stuff, I would be very surprised if he gave Miami a discount on his next deal. Whiteside’s path to the NBA is a true journeyman’s tale, and he’ll likely look to cash in big when he has the opportunity.
“The Suns seem to have taken a step back since last season. Do they hold onto their three point guards (Eric Bledsoe, Isaiah Thomas, and Goran Dragic)? If not, who is the most likely to be traded?” — Bradley
Technically, the Suns have four point guards on their roster. Don’t forget about Tyler Ennis, whose potential I’m still rather high on. But on to your question. I don’t see Phoenix moving Thomas, Dragic, or Bledsoe before the deadline. Phoenix seems to be rather fond of its three point guard set, and there isn’t a major demand for big money point men currently. There are a number of teams in need of help at the one spot right now thanks to injuries, but I don’t see any of them making a serious play for Phoenix’s guys. Most of the teams needing a floor general are seeking backup-type players on team-friendly contracts, which doesn’t quite describe the Suns’ trio.
However, the one major caveat here is if GM Ryan McDonough gets the sense that Dragic isn’t going to re-sign with the team, then it’s entirely possible that he gets moved for the right return. There will be quite a few teams that will take a run at signing Dragic this summer, and since he can also play shooting guard full-time, that increases the potential market for the player. My gut feeling is that Phoenix will hold onto him, as well as Thomas and Bledsoe, for the remainder of the season. I do believe that the Suns will try and make some significant changes this offseason, and I can’t shake the feeling that Dragic will head elsewhere this summer. But for now, unless McDonough is blown away by an offer, which would likely require a star-caliber player to be included, I don’t see Phoenix making a major deal in the next two weeks.
“Where does Greg Monroe end up next season? Any chance he could return to Detroit?” — Kyle M.
There’s always a chance that Monroe could return to Detroit, but it’s unlikely. If he wanted to remain in Motown he would have simply signed an extension with the team instead of playing for Detroit’s $5.48MM qualifying offer and risking an injury that could harm his future earnings. With the team’s improved play since jettisoning Josh Smith, things may have changed, but I still don’t see Monroe wearing a Pistons jersey next season.
As for where Monroe is likely to end up, my money is on him going to the Knicks. New York will have plenty of cap space to throw around, and Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge are unlikely to leave their current teams, which will leave Phil Jackson desperate to make an impact move with his wealth of available cap space. Monroe would immediately upgrade the Knicks’ roster, as well as be a nice complement to Carmelo Anthony. Plus, the Knicks are one of the teams likely to overpay for Monroe, which never hurts a franchise’s chances of landing a player. If New York doesn’t nab Monroe, my second choice for his destination would be the Rockets.
“The East seems to be wide open right now as far as the playoffs are concerned. Which Eastern Conference team do you think will make the biggest splash on the trade market before the deadline?” — Zeke
This has been an odd season in relation to roster moves thus far, which makes the next two weeks extremely difficult to predict. With the East as open as it is regarding the playoffs, there should be quite a few teams that will be looking to add an impact player or two before the deadline with the hopes of snagging a playoff spot. The two Eastern Conference teams that are poised to have the biggest potential impact on the trade front are Brooklyn and Charlotte.
The Hornets will still likely look to trade Lance Stephenson, and I believe they will do everything within their power to cut ties with the mercurial swingman. The problem for Charlotte is that teams around the league are leery about adding Stephenson to their respective locker rooms, which is something that the Hornets should have considered prior to signing him. Sometimes you get exactly what you expect, and Stephenson has lived up to the reputation he made for himself in Indiana thus far. On the right team, Stephenson could be the missing piece for a playoff run. But only a team with a strong locker room could maximize what Stephenson has to offer, while avoiding the pitfalls his attitude and personality bring with him.
But it’s the Nets who could make the biggest splash prior to the deadline. With the team reportedly looking to deal Joe Johnson, Deron Williams, and Lopez, that is a significant amount of talent and salary in play. While it’s doubtful that Brooklyn would nab a true star player in return, dealing any one of those players would not only change the identity of the Nets. Each of those players, if healthy, could be game-changing acquisitions for teams willing to take on cap hits of that magnitude.
That’s all the space that I have for this week. Thanks to all those who sent in their questions. I’ll be back next Saturday to answer a whole new batch. So fire away and keep filling up my inbox with your inquiries.
Western Notes: Burke, Smith, Pelicans
Trey Burke has embraced his new role of coming off of the bench for the Jazz, and the change has benefited both the player and the team, Chad Mobley of NBA.com writes. “There’s this fixation with the bench and starting and to me what Trey has embraced is not so much the bench. I don’t want him to embrace the bench, I don’t want him to embrace starting, I want him to do what’s best for our team,” coach Quin Snyder said. “He’s embraced becoming a better player. I don’t want it to be about the bench for him. If he starts again I want him to keep getting better.”
Here’s more from the West:
- The Benson family’s legal squabble over the control of the Pelicans and Saints threatens to ruin the clan’s sports legacy in New Orleans, Margaret Cronin Fisk and Laurel Brubaker Calkins of Bloomberg News write.
- Josh Smith is a big fan of playing for the Rockets, and he views his time in Houston this season as a chance to revitalize his career, Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston tweets. “It [Houston] does have a home feel. I can’t stop smiling because I’m in such a good position with a great opportunity in front of me,” Smith told Berman.
- Rookie Andrew Wiggins is the Wolves‘ lone ray of hope for a better future, and he is providing Minnesota with an acceptable return for dealing away Kevin Love to the Cavs, Pat Borzi of USA Today writes.
- Suns center Alex Len is essentially a rookie after missing most of the 2013/14 campaign due to an injury, and the big man is starting to feel the effects of logging heavy minutes, Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic writes. “There is going to be some adjustment for him for playing these big minutes,” coach Jeff Hornacek said. “Eighty-two games is a lot of games. You’re traveling and doing all this and you kind of get worn down. You have to get used to playing like that.“
D-League Notes: Johnson, Suns, Kuzmic
The D-League has become an integral part of the NBA’s process of developing younger players, as well as a source for locating hidden gems to bolster rosters during the course of the season. You can easily stay on top of which players are coming and going from the D-League all season by checking out our 2014/15 D-League Assignments, Recalls tracker, which is updated daily. You can also find this page anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”
Here are the latest D-League moves:
- The Rockets have assigned Nick Johnson to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston reports (Twitter link). This will be Johnson’s third trek of the season to the D-League.
- The Suns have assigned T.J. Warren and Tyler Ennis to their D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam, the team has announced. This will be the fourth sojourn of the season to the D-League for both players. Ennis is averaging 19.6 points, 5.1 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 33.7 minutes in seven games with the Jam, while Warren is averaging 26.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 34.9 minutes in seven contests.
- The Warriors have assigned Ognjen Kuzmic to Santa Cruz, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. In six previous trips to the D-League, Kuzmic has averaged 8.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.20 blocks and 1.6 assists in 29.7 minutes per contest for Santa Cruz this season.
Dwight Howard To Miss At Least A Month
WEDNESDAY, 9:24am: The team confirmed the timetable, announcing today that Howard will be re-evaluated in four weeks after receiving a bone marrow aspirate injection to his right knee (Twitter link).
SATURDAY, 11:03pm: Dwight Howard is expected to miss at least a month due to ongoing trouble with his right knee, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Sources tell Stein that the Rockets are confident that Howard will have enough time to recover and be ready for a late regular season stretch run as well as the playoffs. Another source told ESPN.com that a period of rest “likely measured in weeks” will be the minimum requirement before the center can return to the court.
Houston sits at 33-14 on the season, which is only eight games ahead of the Pelicans, who reside in ninth place in the conference. With the Western Conference being so competitive this year, teams that have even a short stretch of average games may find themselves drop significantly in the standings.
The Rockets have an emerging young talent in Donatas Motiejunas and the Rockets may elect to give the power forward extended minutes rather than bringing in outside help. Houston currently has a 15-man roster, which wouldn’t allow the team to bring on another player without making a corresponding move, if they choose to go that route. Rockets GM Daryl Morey has never failed to make a trade during the month in which the trade deadline has fallen since he took over the job before the 2007/08, so it’s reasonable to expect that he’ll try to swap for frontcourt help.
Eastern Notes: Lowry, Pistons, Heat, Kidd
DeMar DeRozan stayed in touch with Kyle Lowry this summer but didn’t try to pressure him into re-signing with the Raptors, and the soft-sell approach worked, as the point guard tells TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. Lowry confirms that the Rockets met with him on the first day of free agency but suggests that the Heat only made contact via email, as Lowry also says to Aldridge. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:
- Pistons GM Jeff Bower looked into trade possibilities as the team sought a point guard, but no amenable deal emerged that would have allowed Detroit to acquire a player on an expiring contract, as president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy told reporters today. Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press has the details. Detroit, which temporarily filled its vacancy with a 10-day deal for John Lucas III today, reportedly had interest in Norris Cole, who’s on an expiring deal, but the team evidently couldn’t work out a deal for him.
- Lucas is willing to stick around if the Pistons want him beyond his 10-day contract, though he acknowledges that the team has made no promises for after the 10 days, as Ellis observes in the same piece.
- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra called 10-day signee Tyler Johnson “the model of player development” today, as Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald tweets, leading Goodman to wonder if the club has long-term plans for the guard. Miami can’t sign Johnson to anymore 10-day deals this season after this one expires at the end of Saturday, so a season-long commitment would be required if he’s to remain with the Heat.
- Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders makes the case that Jason Kidd should be a leading candidate for Coach of the Year thanks to the job he has done in his first year with the Bucks. Kidd is no stranger to surprising turnarounds as a player, since he helped take the Nets from a 26-56 team in 2000/01 to the Eastern Conference title in 2001/02 upon his arrival. We’re only just past the midway point of the season, but Hamilton has Kidd as his top coach of the 2014/15 season, ahead of Steve Kerr and Mike Budenholzer.
Zach Links contributed to this post.