Berger On Lakers, Love, Spurs, Bulls, Miller
Last month, we heard that the Nets and Rockets discussed the idea of a trade that would have sent Deron Williams to Houston and Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik to Brooklyn. While it’s not clear how serious those talks were, or if they still had any legs at all, they’re probably “dead for good” after D-Will underwent multiple injections in his ankles, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger’s latest piece includes several other trade tidbits from around the NBA, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights….
- The Lakers are seeking an athletic power forward that would fit Mike D’Antoni‘s system, but league sources tell Berger that it’s unrealistic for the team to expect to land an impact player for Pau Gasol, whose trade value has “plummeted.”
- Rival execs are also skeptical that the Lakers would take on any long-term salary. One Eastern Conference exec even tells Berger that “everyone knows” Kevin Love wants to sign with L.A. in 2015, so if the Lakers believe they have a shot at the star forward, it’s unlikely they’d tie up their ’15 cap space and compromise their chances.
- Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group continues to work hard to try to find deals that would get two of his clients, Asik and Donatas Motiejunas, out of Houston.
- The Spurs have been “unusually aggressive” in pursuing roster upgrades via trades this season, which signals to rival executives that the team recognizes its window may be closing.
- As anticipated, J.R. Smith has generated “zero” trade interest, says Berger.
- The Bulls are receiving interest in guards Kirk Hinrich and Mike Dunleavy, according to Berger, who reiterates that the Warriors are eyeing Hinrich and the Rockets like Dunleavy.
- The Nuggets‘ talks with the Kings about Andre Miller have not gained any further traction, writes Berger. Meanwhile, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities says (via Twitter) that Denver coach Brian Shaw wants the club to land a skilled big man in any Miller deal.
- Team executives around the league are encouraged by a growing perception that new commissioner Adam Silver will be more open-minded than David Stern. Among the ideas gaining traction among front offices that could be considered by Silver: A 16-team playoff bracket that includes the league’s 16 best teams, not sorted by conference.
Rockets To Target Mike Dunleavy?
The Rockets have interest in acquiring Bulls forward Mike Dunleavy, reveals USA Today’s Sam Amick. According to Amick, Houston GM Daryl Morey is interested in pushing his team to the elite level, and he believes acquiring Dunleavy will help bolster the team’s depth off the bench and provide relief for star guard James Harden.
Dunleavy is earning a modest $6MM over the next two seasons and is held in high regard by the Bulls front office, so it’ll be difficult to pry the three point specialist away from Chicago GM Gar Forman. Amick hears that the Rockets have yet to inquire about a possible deal, but apparently Dunleavy is “high on their wishlist.” So far this season, Dunleavy has averaged 10.7 points per night in 28.7 minutes.
Amick also hears the Rockets are likely to keep Omer Asik past the trade deadline. Earlier this season, Houston set a self-imposed deadline to move the disgruntled center by December 19th. The Rockets couldn’t find a way to put together a deal to their liking with another club, and they eventually wound up retaining him. However, Amick says this deal is unrelated to any potential Asik moves. Instead, the desire to acquire the veteran forward proves that Morey wants to push his team to the next level, and apparently he sees a potential Dunleavy acquisition as the first step in doing so.
Rockets Trying To Trade Donatas Motiejunas
Donatas Motiejunas has been asking the Rockets for more playing time for a while now, but with the Rockets unable to ship off Omer Asik, those frontcourt minutes haven’t been around for Houston to give. It appears the Rockets are now looking to give Motiejunas those minutes another way — on a different team. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), the Rockets have been calling teams in order to help find Motiejunas a new team.
Motiejunas shares an agent with Asik and before Houston reached their self-imposed December 19th Asik deadline, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweeted that Motiejunas was desperate for playing time. Prior to that tweet, Motiejunas had played in 12 games, averaging 7.5 MPG; he has since appeared in five games, averaging nearly 10 MPG.
Motiejunas has averaged 2.7 PPG and 1.5 RPG in the games he has played this season. He is currently in the second year of his rookie deal with the Rockets, who picked up his option for next season.
Kennedy On Gordon, Rockets, Cavs, Hawes
The Bobcats are shopping Ben Gordon, league sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld (via Sulia). Charlotte has talked to many teams about the guard and is trying to move Gordon’s $13.2MM expiring deal for a player who can help the team win now. The Bobcats, sitting at No. 7 in the East, are expected to be buyers at the deadline, because they want to make the playoffs for just the second time in franchise history. More from Kennedy..
- In addition to the Bobcats, the Rockets and Suns have also been identified as buyers as the deadline approaches. Phoenix may be open to trading a draft pick or a young asset if it means making the team better today and ensuring a playoff berth.
- The Cavaliers have been termed as the most active team in the league in terms of trade talks, but they’re quieting down after landing Luol Deng and unloading Andrew Bynum. It’s still possible that they make another move before February 20th, but they want to see how their team looks with Deng before working the phones again.
- The Pistons aren’t sure whether they should be buyers or sellers at the deadline, according to league sources. They had playoff expectations entering the season after adding Josh Smith, Brandon Jennings and Chauncey Billups among others, but they have struggled early on. Within the organization, it sounds like there are some people who want to be buyers in order to ensure a playoff berth, but there are also some who don’t believe the pieces fit together very well and think Detroit should sell.
- In addition to Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young, Spencer Hawes and other 76ers players are available.
Players Whose Contracts Will Be Guaranteed
As we outlined earlier today, players on non-guaranteed contracts who aren’t released by 4:00pm central time will have their full 2013/14 salaries guaranteed. We’ll be keeping tabs in this post on players who have been informed they’ll remain on their respective teams’ rosters, with new updates added to the top of the list throughout the afternoon:
- Barring an unexpected development, the Pacers will guarantee Rasual Butler‘s contract today, tweets Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.
Earlier updates:
- The Timberwolves don’t intend to make any roster moves today, which means the contracts for A.J. Price and Robbie Hummel should become guaranteed, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- As anticipated, the Lakers plan to keep Ryan Kelly, Xavier Henry, and Kendall Marshall, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (via Twitter).
- Ronnie Brewer‘s contract will be guaranteed for the remainder of the season by the Rockets, says Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Bobcats will retain Jeff Adrien beyond today, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports (via Twitter) that Chris Douglas-Roberts‘ contract will become guaranteed, as the Bobcats won’t cut him today.
- Kent Bazemore is also safe, with the Warriors informing him he’ll remain on the roster, tweets Haynes.
- The Spurs have informed Malcolm Thomas that he won’t be waived, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Southwest Notes: Camby, Rockets, Randolph
Tonight’s look at the Southwest Division..
- Marcus Camby is working to get back to the hardwood after undergoing surgery on a torn plantar fascia and tells Mark Berman of myFOX Houston that he would like to return for the Rockets. “(My) preference is to stay home,” said Camby, who lives in Pearland, Texas.
- With the Grizzlies on the verge of acquiring Courtney Lee from the Celtics, Zach Randolph tells Michael Cohen of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that the front office’s willingness to try to improve this season’s roster is “very encouraging.”
- John Reid of The Times-Picayune wonders if the Pelicans should make a deal. Eric Gordon has been linked to trade talk but they could also dangle backup one-guards Brian Roberts and Austin Rivers. Earlier tonight, we learned that they’ve given D-League prospect Pierre Jackson the greenlight to find a trade.
Odds & Ends: Bynum, Gasol, Nash, Camby
Andrew Bynum‘s agent won’t get into specifics over what dissolved Bynum’s relationship with the Cavs, but it apparently wasn’t about his surroundings.
“Cleveland is not the problem. Cleveland is not a negative connotation,” agent David Lee said, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. “Andrew has shied away from publicity his entire life. He’s not a guy who needs the limelight. He lives in a simple neighborhood there. He walks his dog and rides his bike to the store. He goes to the movies by himself. Cleveland wasn’t a problem for him.”
While we wait to find out Bynum’s next destination, here’s the latest from around the NBA:
- The Lakers can envision ways of avoiding the luxury tax that don’t involve trading Pau Gasol, so that’s why they’re insisting they receive more than salary relief in any potential Gasol swap, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter links).
- Steve Nash acknowledged to fellow ESPNLosAngeles.com scribe Dave McMenamin that he’s a candidate to hit the waiver wire this summer if his health doesn’t improve. “I don’t know all the technical possibilities but obviously know that nothing is guaranteed,” Nash said. “Obviously right now I have a guaranteed contract, but the future is totally in flux and anything is possible in the NBA and frankly with my health.”
- Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report (on Twitter) spoke with Marcus Camby‘s agent, who gave him an update on the big man’s status as he recovers from the foot injury that prompted the Rockets to waive him in October. “[He’s] doing well, still rehabbing and does plan on playing when he completes his rehab likely towards the end of the month,” the agent, presumably Rick Kaplan, said.
- Raptors GM Masai Ujiri isn’t necessarily looking to overhaul his club. “We’ll continue to evaluate the team. I know it’s what we keep saying but it’s been a huge encouragement by the way the team has played,” the GM said, according to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter links). “We want to be a good team. We want to be a winning team. But if it’s not that way, then we have to figure out a way to rebuild the team.“
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Berger On Asik, Lakers, Clippers, Lowry
Word is the Rockets now expect to keep center Omer Asik past next month’s deadline and beyond, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Houston worked hard to find a deal last month but the market for the big man right now isn’t so great. “Teams that are tanking don’t want him to make them better and winning teams want to steal him,” one rival GM said. On top of that, the teams with room in 2015 can sign him anyway as a free agent on a more reasonable contract. More from Berger’s column..
- For now, the Lakers intend to keep Pau Gasol and ride it out with the current group. In fact, league sources say the Lakers even inquired on Raptors guard Kyle Lowry to help patch up at the one spot, though the talks didn’t go anywhere. Things could change, however, as the temptation to dump salary and avert a date with the dreaded repeater tax will remain given their current position
- Doc Rivers is realizing the Clippers‘ roster has more holes than he initially thought and league sources say he’s is looking for frontcourt help on the trade market. It would help matters if they still had Eric Bledsoe to dangle but he went in the three-team deal that yielded J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley.
- Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are also after frontcourt help in the form of an athletic rim protector.
- League sources say the pairing of Bledsoe and Goran Dragic in the Suns backcourt isn’t expected to be a long-term solution for the Suns. Execs believe Dragic will opt out of his contract following the 2014/15 season, putting pressure on GM Ryan McDonough to make a trade. Jazz standout Gordon Hayward has put his team in a similar spot as his price may prove too high for Utah when he hits restricted free agency this summer.
- The Cavaliers and Kings have been among the most aggressive teams in pursuit of trades, league sources say. On the heels of acquiring Rudy Gay from Toronto, the Kings are “swinging for the fences” on the trade market, one rival executive said. Sacramento wants to shore up the point guard position, but Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro‘s true long-term target is said to be Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson.
- In addition to the Lakers, Knicks, and Nets, the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Celtics are among the teams that have inquired about a deal with the Raptors for Lowry, league sources say. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is said to have multiple deals he could do for Lowry that would involve receiving an expiring contract in return or slotting him into another team’s trade exception. For Toronto take on future salary, they’d probably demand a first-round draft choice.
- The reception to the proposed “wheel system” to determine NBA draft placement has been mixed. Meanwhile, it has sparked other ideas, including a straight lottery with all 14 non-playoff teams getting an equal shot at the No. 1 pick.
Odds & Ends: Irving, Raptors, Trade Talk
As the Andrew Bynum rumors continue to pour in, the Cavaliers got some very good news today. Currently sitting only three games out of the East’s eight seed, the Cavs announced that star guard Kyrie Irving‘s left knee sustained no structural damage on Tuesday when he had to be helped off the court after an awkward fall.
Let’s take a look at what else is happening around the NBA on Wednesday:
- As Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM writes, the rebuild that the Raptors appeared to be destined for a month or two ago may have already happened in the form of the Rudy Gay trade, which has galvanized the remaining Raptors and given Dwane Casey a bench to work with.
- For Insiders, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton outlines what to watch for in the NBA in 2014, including whether flawed but dangerous teams like the Clippers, Blazers and Rockets will load up for a playoff run as well as if one of the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft separates himself from the pack by June.
- There are some players that will still be off limits for that trio of teams via trade, as well as the rest of the NBA, as Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld writes. Pincus outlines every player not yet eligible to be traded because of a variety of NBA rules.
- Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld lists Ben Gordon, Paul Pierce, Danny Granger, Kris Humphries and Amar’e Stoudemire as soon-to-be free agents that will likely have to deal with significant pay cuts in their new deals this summer. Brigham designates Andris Biedrins, Emeka Okafor and Richard Jefferson as honorable mentions.
Odds & Ends: Anthony, Carter-Williams, Kelly
This weekend appears to be a big weekend for the Knicks and head coach Mike Woodson as they have the opportunity to finish the weekend one game out of first place in the Atlantic Division. Some have speculated this is also a prime opportunity to replace Woodson if the 9-19 Knicks don’t turn things around. If they do in fact replace Woodson, Ian Begley of ESPN New York recommends the Knicks inquire who Carmelo Anthony will want to play for if they want a chance at his pending free agency next summer. The Knicks have said they want to re-sign Anthony and having a coach he favors could go a long way in achieving that goal.
A few other morning notes around the league.
- Although there is still a lot of the season left, the Sixers are in rebuilding mode and any roster moves will, and should, focus on how they complement breakthrough star of 2013, Michael Carter-Williams. Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News thinks this will be the Sixers plan for the rest of the season. With only seventeen game opportunities, Carter-Williams has proven he is a pro the team can build around and Cooney believes they will treat him just like they did Jrue Holiday in previous seasons.
- Ryan Kelly has embraced his role as a bench player for the Lakers. The 48th overall pick in last summer’s draft was limited in pre-draft activities due to an injured foot but is hoping to make the most of his rookie minimum salary deal with the goal of it becoming vested after the new year. Kelly told Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles he is “taking [every possession] like it’s his last” in order to “make it past Jan. 10”.
- Former Mavericks GM Gersson Rosas has officially returned to his prior role with the Rockets as executive vice president. Rosas expressed to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle it is “good to be home” and that he is returning from Dallas with “some unfinished work to do”.