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Hornets Notes: Kaman, Gordon, Sale

February 14th, 2012 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

Led by Chris Kaman's 27-point, 13-rebound showing last night, the Hornets topped the Jazz 86-80 for their first win in February and just their third victory of 2012. As the Hornets head to Milwaukee hoping to continue their winning ways Wednesday against the Bucks, let's check out some New Orleans notes…

Kaman, who sat out the Hornets' last game with an ankle sprain, likely impressed potential suitors with his performance vs. the Jazz. His 27 points and six offensive rebounds were easily season highs. Kaman talked to reporters after the game about pushing himself to play through the injury (New Orleans Times-Picayune link).
Eric Gordon underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his knee today, the team announced. With Gordon set to miss another six weeks, the Hornets' decision not to extend him last month looks a little sounder. Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star speculates (via Twitter) that Gordon's injury issues could temper the Pacers' interest when the 23-year-old becomes a restricted free agent this summer.
The list of potential buyers for the Hornets has been "whittled from a half-dozen or so," reports Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune. Hornets chairman Jac Sperling spoke positively about the team's current roster and its future: "They play hard every night…. You look at that, plus three, four, five players any given night who could be playing but aren’t. You add that with a couple of (2012) draft choices, you add that with a new owner coming in next year and I’m really optimistic about what this team could be like if we were at full strength with two new draft choices and a new owner."

Paul: Clips’ Chances Of Signing Smith “Very High”

February 14th, 2012 at 8:11am CST by Luke Adams

The Clippers may not be able to offer J.R. Smith as much money as most NBA clubs can, but Chris Paul likes his team's chances anyway. Paul told ESPN.com's Marc Stein he thinks the Clips' chances of landing Smith are "very high."

Smith, 26, is set to return from China this week, with Paul one of the NBA players said to be recruiting him before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Joining the Clippers would reunite Smith with three former teammates, in Paul, Kenyon Martin, and the injured Chauncey Billups. However, the Clips aren't the only club interested.

Stein reported on Friday that the Knicks were still thought to be the frontrunner for Smith, though perhaps that's changed over the last few days. While Stein adds the Timberwolves and Pacers to the list of interested clubs, Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star says Indiana's early interest has died down (Twitter link).

Yesterday, Hoops Rumors readers narrowly picked the Clippers (29%) as the favorite to sign Smith over the Knicks (26%).

Dwight Howard Rumors: Monday

February 13th, 2012 at 6:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard felt excluded from the offense in the fourth quarter of Saturday's game against the Bucks. That's prompted coach Stan Van Gundy to reiterate his confidence in the big man, saying, "I don't know if there's anything stopping him," as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Van Gundy also said there are plenty of players on the Magic who want the ball late in games, and that it's up to the coach to decide who gets it.

Here's the rest of what's happening around D12 and the Magic City:

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld spotted a Pacers scout in Orlando tonight, which is striking considering the Magic has already played the Pacers three times, and the teams don't meet again until March 11. The Pacers haven't been a part of Howard rumors so far, so they may be looking at other players in case the Magic want to make a separate move.
If the Magic decide to trade Howard, the Nuggets and Jazz provide a blueprint of what to do when dealing away a superstar, while the Hornets demonstrate the opposite, writes Austin Link of ESPN Chicago.

Central Notes: Varejao, West, Pistons

February 11th, 2012 at 4:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

Despite inquiries from a few teams, the Cavs insisted earlier this week they're not trying to trade Anderson Varejao, and a right wrist fracture reduces the chances of a deal even further. There's no official timetable, but Sam Amico of Fox Sports tweets that he'll be gone at least a week, and he could be out for longer, tweets Bob Finnan of The News-Herald of northern Ohio. Reed Boyer of the Cleveland Plain Dealer said he doubts the Cavs will sign anyone to replace Varejao while he's out. (Twitter link)

Here's what going on elsewhere in the Central Division:

Free-agent signee David West enjoys playing with a post threat like Roy Hibbert and has been surprised by the Pacers' commitment to defense, he tells Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld in this video.
Rookie Brandon Knight has fueled the transformation of the Pistons, who've won four straight, from a plodding pace to an up-tempo attack, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.

Stein’s Latest: Kaman, J.R. Smith, Nash

February 10th, 2012 at 1:10pm CST by Luke Adams

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.

Odds & Ends: Nash, Nuggets, Weems, Smith, Kidd

February 7th, 2012 at 10:06pm CST by Zachary Links

Congratulations to Paul Pierce, who moved past Larry Bird on the Celtics' list of all-time leading scorers in tonight's win over the Bobcats. Pierce, with 21,797 points, is now second only to John Havlicek, who retired in 1978 with 26,395 points across his 16-year career. Here's a look at tonight's links..

Suns guard Steve Nash should seek a trade to a contender, opines Eric Koreen the National Post. Nash is a free agent at the end of the season and Phoenix could potentially lose him while getting nothing in return.
It's possible that the Nuggets could look for some outside help as Danilo Gallinari could miss up to a month with an ankle injury. Gallinari hopes to come back sooner, writes Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post.
If his Zalgiris Kaunas squad doesn't qualify for the Euroleague Top 8, then Sonny Weems writes (for HoopsHype) that he'll likely return to the NBA.
Within his article regarding the Celtics' interest in Pau Gasol, Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld writes that multiple sources say that the J.R. Smith is looking for an opportunity to showcase his talents and be a primary option on offense. This could make teams such as the Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Pacers poor fits for the 25-year-old.
Veteran point guards Steve Nash and Jason Kidd are going to be in high demand on the open market this summer, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com.
The timing of Jeff Adrien's release from the Rockets may seem odd, but it was the only way that the club could sign Greg Smith before the center was scooped up by another team, writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Adrien pulled down nine rebounds in just 17 minutes of play Monday night against Denver.

Hornets To End Trade Talks, Retain Kaman

February 3rd, 2012 at 2:56pm CST by Luke Adams

2:56pm: The Hornets intend to shut down trade discussions for Kaman and bring the center back to the team, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard. It's unclear whether the stance is firm or whether New Orleans will field more offers before March 15th.

2:40pm: After reporting earlier this week that the Hornets and Rockets have had "extensive discussions" about Chris Kaman, Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that talks between the two sides have backtracked as of yesterday.

There were indications following Amick's initial report that the Hornets and Rockets weren't moving any closer to a deal, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston said the chances of a trade were "low." Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune also suggested that the Pacers, not the Rockets, may be the frontrunner to land Kaman.

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported yesterday that the Hornets are seeking players on their rookie deals or a first-round pick in this year's draft. It's awfully hard to imagine any team offering even a late first-rounder to take on Kaman's $14MM+ salary, but as the Chris Paul negotiations showed, the league-owned Hornets likely won't make a deal unless they receive compensation they perceive to be fair.

Odds & Ends: Morris, Hibbert, Knicks, Bulls

February 3rd, 2012 at 12:59pm CST by Luke Adams

A few odds and ends for Friday afternoon:

The Rockets have assigned Marcus Morris to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, tweets Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston.
Roy Hibbert's play over the rest of the season could drive up his price tag for the cost-conscious Pacers, as this RealGM.com report suggests.
Playing against the Knicks, Derrick Rose showed New York exactly the kind of player they need, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
Sam Smith answers readers' questions in a Bulls.com mailbag, and many of them surround around a possible Dwight Howard trade.
Speaking of Howard, Michael Lee of the Washington Post says D12 will have to live with "the inevitable backlash" of his trade demand in Orlando. Check out the rest of today's Howard updates here.
In an Insider piece, Chad Ford of ESPN.com runs through teams with a chance at the second overall pick and predicts whether they'd select Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The team with the first pick is expected to select Kentucky's Anthony Davis, of course.

Rockets, Pacers Frontrunners For Kaman?

February 2nd, 2012 at 8:42am CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 8:42am: A source tells Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune that the Pacers, rather than the Rockets, may actually be the leading candidates to land Kaman.

WEDNESDAY, 4:36pm: Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston tweets that, while the Rockets have discussed Kaman with the Hornets, chances of the two sides working out a deal are low.

1:54pm: The Hornets continue to shop Chris Kaman, and according to SI.com's Sam Amick, a frontrunner has emerged in the sweepstakes. The Rockets have had "extensive discussions" with New Orleans about Kaman and appear to be in the lead for the center, Amick reports.

According to Amick, no deal is close, but certain pieces have been discussed, including Hasheem Thabeet and Jordan Hill. Both former first-round picks are in the last year of their contracts, which would give the Hornets the opportunity to clear Thabeet's $5.13MM salary and Hill's $2.86MM off their books in the offseason. Houston also has plenty of other assets that could interest the Hornets, including Jonny Flynn's expiring contract and a handful of draft picks. When NBA.com's David Aldridge and SI.com's Zach Lowe examined Kaman's possible destinations this week, both concluded that the Rockets are among the best fits.

A number of clubs have been linked to Kaman since the 29-year-old asked to be traded. Of those teams, the Hawks and Warriors don't appear to be serious suitors, a source tells Amick. The 76ers are also thought to be out of the running, as we heard this morning.

Kennedy On West, Sessions, Chandler

January 31st, 2012 at 5:48pm CST by Zachary Links

While it's early in this lockout-shortened season, things seem to be clicking for the Pacers thus far, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Indiana holds impressive road wins against the likes of the Bulls, Lakers, and Celtics and have yet to drop back-to-back games. What's been the key to their success? If you ask Darren Collison, the answer is David West. Here's more from Kennedy on the forward and other news from around the league..

When asked if he can see himself finishing his career with the Pacers, West didn't hesitate to answer in the affirmative. “This was the best opportunity for me. It gave me the chance to have a good time playing this game again and not have to deal with some of the outside issues that we were dealing with in New Orleans," the 31-year-old said. West signed a two-year pact worth $20MM with the club over the offseason.
The Cavaliers have been fielding plenty of calls for Ramon Sessions in recent weeks, sources close to the situation tell Kennedy. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported yesterday that the Lakers have inquired about Sessions’ availability. Sessions’ agent, Jared Karnes, is set to speak with Cleveland GM Chris Grant this week to discuss his client’s future. The Cavs won’t trade Sessions unless the right offer comes along and multiple sources insist that no deal is imminent.
As we learned yesterday, the Raptors plan on making a run at Wilson Chandler when he returns to the NBA from China. The Nuggets, who have the rights to the 24-year-old as a restricted free agent, will also have to jostle with several contenders who hope to sign him to a one-year deal, according to Kennedy. However, not many teams have money to spend in March, which is why Chandler's best bet might be waiting until July to sign a long-term deal.