Kyler On Rose, Gasol, Martin, Gordon
As we covered this morning, Steve Kyler shared a few Dwight Howard rumors in his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld. Here's the latest from Kyler on a few more topics:
- Bulls sources vehemently denied having contact with the Lakers regarding Pau Gasol, and said Chris Sheridan's report about Derrick Rose giving his blessing for the Bulls to pursue Gasol didn't originate from Rose. Kyler himself is skeptical about the rumor, noting that it would be out of character for Rose, who has avoided recruiting players.
- Replying to a question about the Rockets trading Kevin Martin, perhaps to the Timberwolves, Kyler tweets that there is "real interest." It's unclear whether he's referring to the Rockets being interested in dealing Martin or the T-Wolves being interested in acquiring him, but you could make an argument that both teams would be motivated to pursue such a deal.
- The Hornets are open to moving Eric Gordon, but only if he could bring back a "legit star," tweets Kyler.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday
Over the weekend, we heard that the Warriors were still considering making a play for Dwight Howard, while Stephen Jackson was unconvinced that his friend would be leaving Orlando. With the All-Star Game in Orlando just six days away now, the Howard rumors could start to really heat up in a week or so. For now, here's the latest on the Magic star….
- Citing team sources, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld says the Magic will "actively explore the trade landscape" again starting on March 1st.
- The Rockets and Warriors are viewed as two teams who could try to acquire Howard, despite not being on his list of preferred destinations. Kyler says both teams feel like they'd have a chance at convincing Howard to stay if they could land him using non-core assets.
- Regardless of whether or not Howard is traded by March 15th, he intends to explore his options in free agency this summer, with both the Nets and Mavs having been promised a chance to make a sales pitch in July.
Minor Moves: Smith, Mirotic
Far more attention will be focused on next Sunday's All-Star Game and the competitions the night before, but the D-League also has a major event planned, with its All-Star Game slated for a week from today. Here's the rest of what's going on around the fringes of pro basketball:
- Jordan Hill went down with a knee injury in practice today, and the Rockets have called up center Greg Smith from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League to take his place, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Smith, who was putting up 16.7 PPG and 7.9 RPG for the Vipers, signed a three-year contract with the Rockets earlier this month. Hill, averaging 5.0 PPG and 4.9 RPG for Houston this year, is expected to be out through the All-Star break.
- Nikola Mirotic, a 6'10", 220-pound forward who the Bulls acquired at the 2011 draft after he was taken 23rd overall by the Rockets, is playing well for Real Madrid. He could wind up being a steal for Chicago, writes Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Chandler, Lin, Barnes
LeBron James raised some eyebrows earlier today when he told reporters, including Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, that he wouldn't rule out eventually returning to Cleveland:
"It would be fun to play in front of these fans again," said James. "I had a lot fun times in my seven years here. You can't predict the future, and hopefully I continue to stay healthy. I'm here as a Miami Heat player, and I'm happy where I am now, but I don't rule that out in no sense…. And if I decide to come back, hopefully the fans will accept me."
While James sounded contrite about the way he left the Cavaliers, I can't bring myself to put much stock into his comments about potentially returning. It strikes me as an attempt to mend fences and shed the villainous reputation he earned in Ohio following "The Decision."
Here are a few more links from around the league:
- While J.R. Smith seemed anxious to leave China as soon as possible, Wilson Chandler had nothing but positive things to Sun Xiaochen of China Daily about his experience in the CBA: "It has been a very good learning curve and experience for me and has helped me mature in some ways and develop parts of my game that I hadn't worked on in a while."
- The latest "We could have had Jeremy Lin!" story comes out of Boston, as Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reports the Celtics twice hoped to claim Lin on waivers, but lost out to the Rockets and Knicks.
- Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle doesn't blame Rockets GM Daryl Morey for letting Lin go.
- Sophomore Harrison Barnes tells Chris Thomasson of FOX Sports Florida that it'd be a "no-brainer" to declare for this year's draft if UNC wins the national championship this year. I'm betting Barnes, who figures to be a top-five pick, will be entering the draft even if the Tar Heels are bounced from March Madness early.
Odds & Ends: Martin, Adrien, Kings
As we await the next wave of Linsanity tonight at Madison Square Garden, let's check out a few links from around the league:
- Kevin Martin, who was nearly traded to the Hornets in December, is unhappy about his role with the Rockets, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- After being waived by the Rockets, Jeff Adrien is drawing overseas interest, according to Sportando. However, the 26-year-old forward prefers to continue pursuing an NBA roster spot.
- Adding a point guard before the trade deadline isn't necessarily a priority for the Kings, says team president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie. Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee has the details.
- Speaking of the Kings, a city council vote last night helped moved plans for Sacramento's new arena forward, reports Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee.
- Inspired by Jeremy Lin's recent run, Bruce Arthur of the National Post looks back at six NBA veterans who had successful careers after going undrafted.
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Thunder, Batum, Rondo
February 13th has historically been a busy day for trades, with the most recent blockbuster coming in 2010 — the Mavericks and Wizards finalized a seven-player deal that sent Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood to Dallas. Other notable Valentine's Eve deals? Shawn Marion to Toronto (2009), Damon Stoudamire to Portland (1998), and Mychal Thompson to the Lakers (1987). With a late trade deadline this season, we're not expecting any big deals quite yet, but the day's still young….
- Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle is still on board with the Rockets trying to acquire Pau Gasol.
- While the Thunder might prefer a veteran backup at point guard, there are reasons to believe they'll be fine with Reggie Jackson, says Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman. The rookie has served as Russell Westbrook's backup since Eric Maynor went down for the season with a torn ACL.
- Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops thinks the Lakers should consider signing Gerald Green from the D-League.
- Re-signing Nicolas Batum will be a priority for the Trail Blazers this summer, whether or not Gerald Wallace exercises his player option, writes Derek Page of HoopsWorld.
- Rich Levine of CSNNE.com tries to make sense of Rajon Rondo's season, wondering if trade rumors are affecting Rondo's performance at all.
Stein’s Latest: Kaman, J.R. Smith, Nash
Marc Stein's latest column at ESPN.com included an update on the Dwight Howard saga, as we discussed earlier. Stein also shared a few other items of note, so let's check those out….
- Because rules had to be amended to adjust for the season's late start, more than 100 players are ineligible to be traded until March. This is one reason trade chatter hasn't picked up much yet. One Eastern Conference executive told Stein that teams are "eager" for March 1st to arrive.
- Although the Hornets say they intend to hold on to Chris Kaman for now, teams still expect him to be traded "sooner rather than later." The Pacers and Rockets are the most interested clubs, with the Hornets thought to be seeking at least one good draft pick or young player.
- The Knicks appear to be the frontrunner for J.R. Smith, who should be eligible to sign an NBA contract in a week or so.
- Sources close to the Steve Nash situation continue to say that the Suns will hold on to their All-Star point guard past the deadline.
Rockets Still Interested In Acquiring Pau Gasol
The Rockets still "have a longing" for the Lakers' Pau Gasol, according to Adrian Wojnarowksi of Yahoo Sports. However, Wojnarowski says the Lakers would ask for Kyle Lowry in any discussions for Gasol, and the Rockets have no desire to deal their starting point guard.
Houston thought it had landed the Lakers' big man prior to the season in the three-team deal that sent Chris Paul to the Lakers, but the trade was nixed by the league. While they don't want to move Lowry in a Gasol trade, the Rockets would probably part with Kevin Martin and Luis Scola, sources tell Wojnarowski. Considering Houston was prepared to give up Martin, Scola, and more in the December deal, that's hardly a surprise.
The Lakers are unlikely to consider moving Gasol unless they're able to upgrade significantly at point guard. So far, the team's search for help at the point has them looking into Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions, while keeping an eye on Gilbert Arenas.
Odds & Ends: Dampier, Lin, Weems, Heat, Varejao
Let's take a look at a few links from around the league as we await tonight's renewal of the Lakers/Celtics rivalry in Boston….
- In a blog entry for NBA.com, Scott Howard-Cooper discusses Seattle's push for an NBA team, the Warriors' potential trade options, and Chauncey Billups' future.
- Hawks coach Larry Drew conceded to Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Erick Dampier isn't in great shape (Twitter link). Atlanta signed Dampier to a 10-day contract to add frontcourt depth.
- As Jeremy Lin dominates headlines in New York, teams that could've signed and kept him look back on a missed opportunity. Donnie Nelson talked about the Mavericks' failed attempt to sign Lin (Dallas Morning News link), while Houston GM Daryl Morey tweeted that he should have held on to Lin when he was a Rocket.
- Sonny Weems won't be returning to the NBA this season, his agent tells Sportando.
- Talking to Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald, Oscar Robertson said the Heat need a center who can consistently record 12 points and 10 boards if they're going to win championships. With respect to the Hall-of-Famer, I think the Heat are talented enough to win a title without a strong presence in the middle.
- The Cavaliers won't actively place Anderson Varejao on the trade market, since they likely wouldn't get fair value for him, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Rockets Sign Greg Smith
The Rockets have officially signed Greg Smith to a three-year contract, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The deal is worth the pro-rated portion of the rookie minimum this season, is partially guaranteed for year two, and has a team option for the third year. The team waived Jeff Adrien to clear a roster spot.
Smith, 21, had averaged 16.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and a .677 FG% in 18 games for the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season. The Fresno State product, who spent time with the Rockets during training camp, was drawing interest from around the league, Feigen adds.
Feigen first reported that the Rockets had reached an agreement with Smith, while Sam Amick of SI.com added that the deal was expected to be for multiple years.