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Josh Howard Still Seeking NBA Contract

November 10th, 2012 at 3:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

Free agent swingman Josh Howard is anxious to get back in the NBA as he trains in Dallas, and doesn't care which team gives him a shot, he tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post. The 6'7" 32-year-old has been linked to the Warriors, who will be without Brandon Rush the rest of the season, and Howard points to the Pacers, who are expected to be without Danny Granger for three months.

“I’ll be happy to play on any team that wants me. Indiana or anybody else, I’d be very appreciative to get there,” Howard said. “I mean, I think ultimately, most guys care where they end up. I just want to be some place where guys come in, night in, night out and play hard. That’s ultimately how I want it. Of course, I’d like to be on a championship team if that can happen, but I’m going to give it my all, no matter what.”

Howard's tone in Lee's report is similar to the one he took a couple weeks ago when an earlier story surfaced about his intent to return to the NBA. Howard told Lee his left knee is fully recovered after a loose chip was found in it, requiring surgery over the summer. It's the same knee in which Howard suffered a torn ACL in 2010.

Lee mentions the Nets, Bobcats, Sixers, Knicks, Spurs and Bulls as teams that had interest in Howard this past offseason, but Howard never received an offer, Lee writes. Howard averaged 8.7 points and 3.7 rebounds in 23.0 minutes per game for the Jazz last year. Howard was an honorable mention of sorts when Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors looked at free agents likely to sign for more than the minimum in September, but it seems likely the only deal Howard could get now would be for the minimum.

Jackson, D’Antoni Top List Of Lakers Candidates

November 9th, 2012 at 10:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:59pm: TNT's David Aldridge hears the Lakers are pursuing Phil Jackson "like crazy," but he would likely command a salary of more than the $12MM he made in 2009. That would make him the league's highest paid coach by a wide margin over Celtics boss Doc Rivers, who makes $7MM a year. The decision on a coach will be made by owner Jerry Buss, and not son Jim, Aldridge says, adding that Mike D'Antoni would welcome the chance to coach Steve Nash again.

9:34pm: A meeting between the Lakers and Jackson could happen by the end of the weekend, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

8:31pm: Phil Jackson and Mike D'Antoni are the leading candidates for the Lakers head coaching position, Ramona Shelburne and Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com report, adding that the two coaches are "neck and neck" in the eyes of Lakers management.

The team is expected to reach out to them and several other candidates as early as Saturday morning. Shelburne hears there's "no ill will" between Jackson and Lakers executive Jim Buss.

8:27pm: Former Jackson assistants Kurt Rambis and Jim Cleamons are prepared to return to the bench should Jackson get the Lakers job, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

8:13pm: Gary Payton, who played for the Lakers under Jackson, doesn't foresee a return, as he tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Sulia link). "Because he’d be going back into a situation where they blasted him when he left," Payton said. "You heard all that stuff (from the Lakers) when he left that they didn’t want to hire anybody affiliated with Phil Jackson’s system. That’s why they didn’t hire (Brian Shaw). They fired everybody that was affiliated with Phil."

7:19pm: "Prominent figures" in the Lakers organization want the team to hire Jackson, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger hears Jackson wanted to coach the Knicks this summer before they recommitted to Mike Woodson, and the Zen Master would have brought former assistant coach Kurt Rambis with him. If hired by the Lakers, Jackson would have his choice of assistants to bring on board.

Berger hears other names the Lakers are considering are Mike D'Antoni, Jerry Sloan and Nate McMillan. The Lakers haven't had contact with Pacers assistant Brian Shaw, whose team wouldn't let him walk midseason, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Cavs coach Byron Scott isn't interested in the position, tweets The Plain Dealer.

6:38pm: The Lakers have compiled a list of four or five candidates to become the team's new head coach, and the list includes Phil Jackson's name, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. McMenamin hears the Lakers have not yet reached out to Jackson, though a source hinted to Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News that the two sides have had contact, as we passed along earlier.

Jackson, who finished his second stint as Lakers coach in 2011, is still a frequent visitor to the team's practice facility, McMenamin notes, and his longtime girlfriend is Lakers executive Jeanie Buss, daughter of team owner Jerry Buss. The 67-year-old Jackson has often cited his health as a reason why he wouldn't return to coaching, but McMenamin hears Jackson's health is "getting better and better."

Sources indicate to McMenamin that Jackson would like to bring along an assistant coach whom he could groom as an eventual replacement. Jackson was scheduled to make a speaking engagement at an investor's convention next week in Chicago, but has canceled, according to Financial Advisor magazine.

Pacers Unlikely To Add Veteran?

November 8th, 2012 at 7:07pm CST by Alex Lee

With Danny Granger on the shelf for up to three months, the Pacers have been linked to Mickael Pietrus. With championship expectations, most expected Indiana to make a move to bolster their lineup in hopes of staying afloat without their star forward. Not so fast, says Andrew Perna of RealGM, who has heard that the team is not expected to add anyone in the immediate future.

The Pacers are 2-3 headed into Friday night's matchup in Minnesota. While Granger was the subject of some trade speculation earlier in the year, it was quickly quashed by the team. If the Pacers would be better off without Granger, as some executives had hinted, the next three months will go a long way to helping them determine that. Sam Young and Gerald Green may receive the biggest uptick in playing time, but expect the emerging Paul George to have the biggest opportunity to shine in Granger's absence.

Mickael Pietrus Expects To Sign Soon

November 8th, 2012 at 2:06pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 2:06pm: The Pacers may be an option for Pietrus, but there are still a few other teams in the mix, agent Bill McCandless tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com.

"A report goes out and everybody thinks Mickael is on a plane headed for Indiana," McCandless said. "Everybody needs to hold their horses."

WEDNESDAY, 12:36pm: The Pacers, who will be without Danny Granger for three months, have reached out to Pietrus, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Twitter). Indiana still has its $2.575MM room exception available.

11:32am: With the NBA regular season having completed its first week, there's still no word on where veteran wing Mickael Pietrus will sign. However, it may not be long before Pietrus finds a spot on an NBA roster. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that, while it may be hyperbole from Pietrus' camp, they believe he'll sign with a team in the next week to 10 days.

Pietrus has reportedly been seeking more than the veteran's minimum all offseason, with his agent stating in no uncertain terms back in July that his client wouldn't be playing for the minimum salary. As such, the Timberwolves, who could only offer the minimum, don't appear to be in play, according to Wolfson (Twitter link).

Following Brandon Rush's season-ending ACL injury, there was some speculation that the Warriors could pursue a player like Pietrus. Golden State still has its bi-annual exception available, and could gain a disabled player exception worth $2MM for Rush's injury. Still, the club is right around the tax threshold, so it's unclear if ownership would be willing to add more salary.

When I asked a couple weeks ago which unsigned free agent would have the biggest impact on the NBA this season, Pietrus narrowly beat out Kenyon Martin as your top choice.

Danny Granger Expected To Miss Three Months

November 7th, 2012 at 9:23am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers' prospects for 2012/13 suffered a huge blow today, as the team announced that Danny Granger could be out until February. According to the Pacers, Granger received an injection from Dr. James Andrews to treat left patellar tendinosis. The veteran forward's recovery time is expected to be "approximately three months."

While the Pacers have managed to play .500 ball very early in the regular season without Granger, they were expected to be a top-four club in the Eastern Conference this year, a goal it will be difficult to meet without their top scorer. The 29-year-old averaged 18.7 PPG for Indiana last season, slightly above his career mark of 18.2 PPG with the team.

It remains to be seen whether the Pacers to make a roster move at any point to add depth at the wing, but for now I'd assume the club will let Paul George and others attempt to make up for at least part of Granger's production. Although the Pacers are carrying the maximum 15 players, one of those 15 is Ben Hansbrough, whose contract is non-guaranteed, so the team has the flexibility to make a move if necessary.

Odds & Ends: Shaw, Lakers, Sloan, Thabeet

November 6th, 2012 at 10:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s evening schedule only features three contests, but all three should be interesting to watch — the Magic will look to stay undefeated in Chicago, the Thunder will try to bounce back from a home loss to Portland, and in Denver, both the Nuggets and Pistons will be seeking their first win. As we await tonight’s games, let’s check out a few odds and ends from around the Association:

Pacers assistant Brian Shaw is arguably the most qualified assistant in the league, but Mark Montieth of Pacers.com doesn’t expect him to hold that title for much longer. Shaw turned down the Bobcats head coaching job this summer because he didn’t like the fit, but figures to receive a stronger offer in his next try.
Speaking to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld, one league source predicted that Jerry Sloan will replace Mike Brown as the Lakers‘ head coach within the next month.
Although James Harden was upset that the Thunder rushed his decision on a contract extension before they traded him to the Rockets, LeBron James tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link) that he thinks Harden is welcoming the opportunity to “have his [own] team and showcase what he’s able to do.”
Kevin Martin, who played with Hasheem Thabeet in Houston, says Thabeet seems to be an entirely different player with the Thunder. “Whatever they did to him, it definitely worked in his favor,” Martin tells Susan Bible of HoopsWorld.
Andrei Kirilenko talks to Michael Scotto of RealGM.com about his decision to play in Russia during the 2011/12 season before returning to the NBA with the Timberwolves this year.

Odds & Ends: Bledsoe, Paul, McDyess, Pacers

November 4th, 2012 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus examines the depth of the Clippers, and says that the team has received numerous inquiries about reserve point guard Eric Bledsoe. The Clippers won't consider moving Bledsoe until they sign Chris Paul to a long-term contract, Pincus hears, adding that most executives expect Paul, an unrestricted free agent next summer, to stay with the team. There's plenty of other news from around the Association on the first weekend of the regular season, so let's dive right in.

We heard yesterday that Antonio McDyess is considering a comeback, but he has no interest in joining the Wolves, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
In his third season, Lance Stephenson is finally making an impact for the Pacers as he receives minutes for the injured Danny Granger, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Montieth adds that Granger, who's out indefinitely, could face surgery on his sore left knee.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com examines the options for the Warriors in the wake of Brandon Rush's season-ending injury, and mentions Mickael Pietrus, Maurice Evans, Josh Howard and Kenyon Martin as "free agent names arising" in case the team goes looking for a replacement.
C.J. Watson drew interest from other teams that could have offered more money, but he decided to sign with the Nets on a minimum-salary deal instead, notes Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post.
Jeff Teague is using the Hawks' decision not to extend his rookie-scale contract this week as motivation, but he isn't upset with the team, the point guard tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
In the same piece, Greene also checks in with Rockets swingman Daequan Cook, who's looking to prove his worth as a teammate after his inclusion in the James Harden trade caught him off guard.
Neil Olshey took the Blazers' offer to become GM after owner Paul Allen put it on the table with the condition that Olshey was not to give the Clippers a chance to match, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
Trey Johnson, who spent 11 games with the Hornets last year, was close to signing with Angelico Biella, but it appears the deal is falling apart, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports.

Marc Stein On Mike Brown, Josh Smith, Thunder

November 3rd, 2012 at 1:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

The start of the regular season means the return of Marc Stein's Weekend Dime feature on ESPN.com, and as usual, there are a few notable tidbits within the piece. Stein praises Lakers coach Mike Brown for his refusal to run from "ridiculously early" questions about his job security despite the specter of available names like Phil Jackson and Mike D'Antoni. In response to the notion of D'Antoni taking over the team, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler calls it overreaction (Twitter link), which would seem to carry over to Jackson as well, especially considering the doubts about his desire to coach again. Here's more of what Stein had to say.

Josh Smith is in the final season of his deal, worth $13.2MM this year, and he could represent an attractive trade chip. Stein nonetheless hears the Hawks will most likely hang on to Smith this year while retaining cap flexibility for what could be an active summer of 2013.
One of the reasons why the Thunder traded James Harden is because the team is projected to pay, instead of receive, under the league's revenue-sharing model, despite playing in a small market.
Seven coaches are in the final year of their contracts, including Larry Drew of the Hawks, Avery Johnson of the Nets, Vinny Del Negro of the Clippers, Lionel Hollins of the Grizzlies, Scott Skiles of the Bucks and Alvin Gentry of the Suns. Frank Vogel is the other member of that group, though the Pacers hold a team option on his deal for 2013/14.

Southeast Notes: Camby, Heat, Augustin, Redick

November 2nd, 2012 at 12:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks will host the Heat in their regular-season opener tonight at Madison Square Garden, and feelings are mixed about whether the game should even be played as New York City continues to recover from the effects of Hurricane Sandy.

"I'm kind of 50/50 on it," LeBron James said, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "I'm happy to be here to play a basketball game, but at the same time, if the people who are here, or people that are helping out with this game, could give their efforts to help this city run or help their families come out of the situation, then I think that's more important."

Here are a few more notes relating to the Heat and their Southeast Division rivals:

Marcus Camby is preparing to face the Heat tonight knowing that he almost ended up signing with Miami this summer, writes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald.
In his mailbag for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman says he doesn't think the Heat would have found much value in Camby if they had paid him more than the veteran's minimum.
With the Pacers in Charlotte to face the Bobcats tonight, former Charlotte point guard D.J. Augustin and current Bobcats president Rod Higgins are trading barbs. Augustin told Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star that he was happy to be out of Charlotte, since he never knew where he stood with the Bobcats, which surprised and disappointed Higgins, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. "I’m not going to go into specifics, but we offered him more than he signed for in Indiana," Higgins said. "I don’t think it would be appropriate to comment further than that."
Augustin stood by his comments, following Higgins' response, as he told Bonnell. "You hear all kinds of stuff – how a bunch of times I was going to be traded," said Augustin. "I didn’t always believe those things. But all through being here, I just never knew what would happen. That’s just how I felt."
J.J. Redick knows he may not finish out the season with the Magic, but he's confident that GM Rob Hennigan will keep him updated if Orlando is considering trading him, as he tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.

Central Rumors: Jennings, Bulls, Gibson, Pacers

October 30th, 2012 at 6:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The 2012/13 season is now under way, as the Cavaliers and Wizards have tipped off in Cleveland. Even as we celebrate the start of a new season, there are a few offseason matters still to be resolved, with decisions on rookie-scale extensions chief among them. There's news on a couple of Central Division players up for those extensions this evening, along with other a few other notes of interest.

Knowing other teams can't backload an offer to Taj Gibson in restricted free agency the same way the Rockets did with Omer Asik this past summer, the Bulls are holding firm on their four-year extension offer of $30-32MM to Gibson, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reports. Still, the two sides have made progress in talks that Gibson characterized as positive, Johnson adds.

Earlier updates:

The odds of an extension for Brandon Jennings are "more none than slim," according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link). Last we heard, Jennings was reportedly seeking a deal worth $9-10MM from the Bucks.
The success of the past two seasons gave Bulls GM Gar Forman and vice president John Paxson leeway as the team regressed the summer in the wake of Derrick Rose's injury, but the executives will ultimately be judged by whether they find another star to complement their former MVP point guard, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune believes.
In the same piece, Haugh notes that Forman doesn't anticipate losing Taj Gibson in restricted free agency if the Bulls don't sign him to an extension before tomorrow's 11pm Central time deadline.
Despite last season's success, few pundits are predicting another step forward for the Pacers, who are still approaching this year with the mentality of an underdog, writes Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
Anderson Varejao's name has come up in several trade rumors over the past several months, but Zach Lowe of Grantland.com opines that he's just the sort of players the Cavs should want around their younger guys (Twitter link).
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert regrets guaranteeing his team would win a championship before LeBron James, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal notes (Sulia link).