Western Notes: Clippers, Bazemore, Jackson
Kent Bazemore is hoping he becomes more known for his play than for his sideline celebrations as a new member of the Lakers. While many fans are excited for “Bazemoring” to combine with Lakers center Robert Sacre‘s antics on the bench, coach Mike D’Antoni tells Bill Oram of The Orange County Register he wants to see what Bazemore can add on the floor. “I’ll ask him if he wants to play,” D’Antoni joked, “or sit on the bench and be that guy. We’ll ask him. See what his response will be.” Here’s more from the Western Conference:
- Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders details how the Clippers spent money to save money in the deadline deals in which they sent Antawn Jamison and Byron Mullens to the Hawks and Sixers, respectively. These kind of maneuvers are often a sign of a team eyeing the bottom line, but the Clippers are also shaving salary in preparation for adding more talent through the buyout market.
- A GM tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that he understands Pierre Jackson‘s decision to play overseas, but thinks Jackson is close to making it in the NBA and wishes the rookie would have stayed in the D-League. The same GM says that his team would have given Jackson a shot, but that their hands were tied (Twitter links). Jackson opted to sign in Turkey after he and the Pelicans couldn’t reach a deal this late into the season.
- The Rockets‘ newly acquired Jordan Hamilton tells Jason Friedman of Rockets.com that he’s excited to join Houston and try for a championship. “I’ve been watching the Rockets a lot this year,” Hamilton said after his first workout with his new team. “They’re a great team. Yes, we do have a chance to go far in the playoffs and possibly get a championship so I’m just happy to be a part of it.” The 23-year-old small forward came to the Rockets from the Nuggets in exchange for point guard Aaron Brooks in a trade earlier this week.
International Notes: Papanikolaou, Brown, Odom
The international scope of the NBA continues to grow, as teams become more and more invested in finding talent from all over the globe. Jusuf Nurkic is ranked as just the 33rd best prospect for the 2014 draft by Chad Ford of ESPN, but that’s enough potential to get eight NBA scouts in the stands at a Serbian basketball game, according to a tweet from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Here are some more things we have our eye on from overseas today:
- Kostas Papanikolaou is very likely to sign with the Rockets this summer, reports Givony (Twitter link). Houston owns the rights to the power forward, who is playing for FC Barcelona on the first year of a four-year deal he signed this offseason. It is likely the Rockets would have to work out a buyout with the Spanish team to bring him stateside, although the details of his contract are unclear.
- Bobby Brown could be an addition at point guard for an NBA team once his season in China ends two weeks from now, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPN Los Angeles. The Clippers were the last team rumored as a potential destination for Brown, although that came at a time when Chris Paul was still out with a shoulder injury.
- The contract Lamar Odom recently signed with a Spanish team can be terminated in the first week by the team, and it also includes an option for a second year, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando (Twitter links). It’s unclear if that’s a team or player option. The early termination window is there in case Odom isn’t in shape, but that does not appear to be an issue.
Odds & Ends: Miller, Sessions, Deng, Brown
Andre Miller was excited when he got word he had been traded, reveals Michael Lee of the Washington Post. “I was ready to go,” said Miller. “I’m glad it’s over. I’ve been sitting around for about a month and a half. I’m happy to be here.” He’ll have the opportunity to help the Wizards make some noise in the East after sitting on the bench since late December. Let’s round up some news from around the NBA:
- According to HoopsHype, 20 of the 50 most discussed trade candidates wound up being dealt by Thursday’s deadline.
- Ramon Sessions is content being back with the Bucks, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinal. The Bucks selected Sessions 56th overall in the 2007 draft.
- The deadline deal between the Bobcats and Bucks is now official per a tweet from Charlotte’s PR account, so Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour can now play playoff-hopefuls in Charlotte.
- Luol Deng will be a free agent at season’s end, and if he chooses to walk away from the Cavaliers, he’s likely to be pursued by the Mavs, Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Bobcats, hears Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News.
- The Bulls and Spurs are among the teams interested in signing the recently waived Antawn Jamison, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
- Shannon Brown is coming off his second 10-day with the Spurs, and although his play for San Antonio was less than stellar, he’s drawing interest from the Rockets, Heat, Bulls, and Knicks, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
- It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Heat sign two free agents in the coming week, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, who notes Miami has an open spot from the Roger Mason deal, and also could waive Toney Douglas if they’re interested in more than one guy (Twitter link).
- An official press release from the Cavaliers revealed the team has assigned Arinze Onuaku to their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge. Onuaku had been playing for the Charge before signing a 10-day deal with Cleveland but didn’t have his rights owned by the Cavs.
- Gino Pilato of DLeagueDigest.com explores what went wrong during Pierre Jackson‘s tenure in the D-League.
- David Stern laid the foundation for continuing growth in the NBA, and Carol Cain of the Detroit Free Press looks back on what he was able to accomplish during his tenure as commissioner.
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.
Rockets Waive Brewer, Sign Troy Daniels
SATURDAY, 12:54pm: The Rockets have officially announced the signing of Daniels, per a team release. GM Daryl Morey also verified that Daniels will continue assignment in the D-League.
FRIDAY, 9:39pm: Brewer has officially been waived according to a team release. A person with knowledge of the deal says that Daniels’ contract is indeed a two year deal, according to Feigen.
8:51pm: According to Jason Friedman of Rockets.com (Twitter Link), the team has officially signed Daniels. He’ll remain with the RGV Vipers in the D-League.
3:23pm: The Rockets are waiving Ronnie Brewer to sign Troy Daniels, a source tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). It’ll be a two-year deal for Daniels, though 2014/15 will be non-guaranteed, Feigen adds (on Twitter).
Daniels, who’s been playing with Houston’s three-pointer-happy affiliate in the D-League, is considered the best shooter outside the NBA, Feigen tweets, adding that it’s likely the team will send him back to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on D-League assignment after the signing. He’s averaged 23.3 points and 40.8% three-point shooting in the D-League this year after having spent camp with the Bobcats and Rockets this past autumn. Daniels went undrafted out of VCU in June.
Brewer signed a two-year minimum-salary deal with the Rockets in the offseason, but he’s seen limited playing time, scoring just seven points all year in 158 total minutes. The eighth-year veteran’s salary will remain on Houston’s books for this season, providing no one claims him off waivers, but 2014/15 was a non-guaranteed year for him.
Western Notes: Rockets, Nash, Brooks
Rockets GM Daryl Morey is high on the athleticism and skill of trade acquisition Jordan Hamilton, as Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle observes. “He is really a highly-regarded prospect and hasn’t had a chance to emerge,” Morey said. “That is usually the kind of guy we do really well with, catch him before they get a chance and see them flourish with us.” Hamilton averaged 6.8 PPG and 3.4 RPG per game this season for the Nuggets and started 11 games.
More from out west:
- In the same article, Creech also details that Aaron Brooks calls his decision not to exercise his veto power on the trade that sent him to the Nuggets a “leap of faith.”
- The Rockets have recalled Isaiah Canaan from the RGV Vipers in the D-League, tweeted Jason Friedman of Rockets.com. Canaan has appeared in five games for the Rockets and averaged 1.2 PPG this season.
- The Warriors have announced the assignment of Ognjen Kuzmic to the Santa Cruz Warriors of the D-League. Kuzmic has averages of 6.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG and 21.4 MPG in nine games for Santa Cruz this season. He has appeared in 17 games for Golden State, and averaged 0.5 PPG, and 0.7 RPG.
- Steve Nash has only appeared in 10 games for the Lakers this season. With all his injury woes, GM Mitch Kupchak noted that “obviously it’s going to be a challenge” on whether Nash can return and stay on the court. The GM says that after the season it will be Nash’s decision on whether he returns for another year, and that it would be “unethical” for the team to influence him one way or another, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Because he’s played 10 games this season, Nash’s $9.7MM salary next season will remain on the Lakers’ books even if he is forced into medical retirement because of back issues.
- Sam Amick of USA Today details how the Warriors acquisition of Steve Blake will pay dividends come playoff time. Playoff success is especially vital to coach Mark Jackson who has only one year left on his contract and the pressure is believed to be building around him and the team to have a deep run, writes Amick.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Durant, Brooks, Nuggets
With tax season approaching, Thunder star Kevin Durant is looking to get his house in order. Durant is suing his former accountant for $600K over what he says were mistakes on his previous taxes, according to the Associated Press. More from around the Association..
- Aaron Brooks could have blocked the trade sending him from the Rockets to the Nuggets but he had a change of heart late in the game, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26. “I changed my mind after talking to [Denver exec] Jared Jeffries, the (Nuggets) GM and the coach,” said the guard. Brooks also says that the need for him to play in the final year of his deal motivated him to say yes, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Nuggets GM Tim Connelly offered a very rational take of today’s deal to acquire Jan Vesely from the Wizards. “It’s not often you get a chance to get a 30-game look at the sixth pick in the draft from a couple years ago,” said the GM, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post (on Twitter).
- Center Hamed Haddadi inked a deal in Iran after finishing his season in China, tweets Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.
- Former Nets guard Tyshawn Taylor has signed in Puerto Rico, tweets Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Taylor was traded to the Pelicans earlier this year but was promptly cut loose.
- The Pelicans‘ inability to get back into the first-round of the 2014 draft at the deadline was disappointing, writes Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune.
Nuggets, Rockets Swap Hamilton, Brooks
The Nuggets announced that their deal sending Jordan Hamilton to Houston in exchange for Aaron Brooks is now official. It initially appeared Hamilton would be on his way to the Knicks, but it turns out he won’t have to travel quite as far.
Brooks, who had the option of declining the deal, fills Denver’s need for a point guard. Meanwhile, the swap makes it seven straight deadline in which Rockets GM Daryl Morey has swung a deal.
Brooks will likely see more playing time in Denver than he did in Houston, where he was stuck behind Patrick Beverley and Jeremy Lin. The Nuggets have been looking for a backup to Ty Lawson ever Andre Miller and coach Brian Shaw got in a public spat around New Year’s, prompting Denver to send Miller home. Denver agreed to trade Miller to the Wizards in a three-team arrangement today.
The Nuggets’ decision to send Hamilton to Houston instead of the Knicks appears to have stymied New York’s efforts to trade Beno Udrih, whom Denver would have received, since the Knicks had no other suitors left for the veteran point guard, Shams Charania of RealGM tweets. All the interest in Hamilton is somewhat surprising, though the 23-year-old has made 11 starts for a banged-up Denver team this year, averaging career highs in an assortment of categories in his first significant playing time after mostly riding the pine during his first two NBA seasons. The small forward is nonetheless shooting just 39%.
Hamilton and Brooks will both be unrestricted free agents at season’s end. Denver elected to decline its 2014/15 option on Hamilton’s rookie scale contract before the season. Hamilton is making about $1.17MM, while Brooks gets the minimum salary.
Zach Links contributed to this post. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Shams Charania of RealGM.com first tweeted news of the deal.
Deadline Rumors: Hill, Nelson, Bulls, Kaman
The latest from around the league as we inch closer to the deadline..
- All is quiet for the Bulls, Grizzlies, Warriors, Mavericks, and Pelicans at the moment, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.
- Meanwhile, the Mavericks have interest in Lakers big man Jordan Hill but the proposal is problematic because of L.A.’s desire to move both Hill and fellow big man Chris Kaman in order to get under the luxury tax, Amick writes.
- The Kings are still shopping anyone not named DeMarcus Cousins from the Maloofs regime, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- The Magic and Wizards were discussing a deal involving Jameer Nelson before the Andre Miller deal was agreed upon, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
- The Bulls, who are $678K under tax, are comfortable standing pat, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. They believe they can stay under the threshold even with bonuses and 10-day deals.
- The Cavs were never in on Lakers big man Chris Kaman, despite reports to the contrary, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
- More from Amico, who tweets that Cavs acting GM David Griffin was unwilling to give up a first-round pick and a player for Rockets big man Omer Asik. The Cavs went out and got Spencer Hawes instead.
Rockets Begin Asik Talks Again, Sixers In Mix
THURSDAY, 11:05am: The Rockets were strongly leaning toward keeping Asik as of last night, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who notes that Morey is nonetheless usually itchy to make a deal on deadline day (Twitter links).
WEDNESDAY, 7:40am: Sam Amick of USA Today on Tuesday night raised the notion of the Bucks as a dark horse in the race for Asik, but this morning he hears there have been no recent talks between Houston and Milwaukee (Twitter link).
TUESDAY, 4:38pm: The Sixers have been Asik’s most likely destination for months, according to Bill Ingram of Basketball Insiders, who notes Philadelphia GM Sam Hinkie’s connection to the big man. Hinkie was with the Rockets when they signed Asik last year (Twitter links).
1:34pm: Hours after a report indicated all was quiet surrounding Omer Asik, the Rockets have picked up trade talks for the center once more, with the Sixers emerging as a possible partner, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Philadelphia was one of the teams in heavy pursuit of Asik in December, when the Rockets were aggressively trying to pull off a trade.
The Raptors and Nets have no interest in Asik, given his nearly $15MM balloon payment for next season. The Hawks are interested, but not at the price point the Rockets have set. Houston is looking for a first-round pick in return, Berger writes.
The Rockets are interested in Spencer Hawes, but Philadelphia is looking to acquire first-rounders, not unload them, as Berger notes. The Sixers were also hesitant to take on Asik’s payment for next season when the teams spoke in December, and that reluctance could be exacerbated now, as Berger explains. The actual payout to Asik is smaller than his cap hit this season, so the more paychecks a team can issue to him this year, the less that team will feel the impact of his bloated paychecks for 2014/15. I examined the issue in depth earlier this season.