Odds & Ends: Morris, Hibbert, Knicks, Bulls
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?
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
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.
Central Notes: Kaman, Pacers, Leuer, Cavs
The latest out of the Eastern Conference's Central division:
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News explains why acquiring Chris Kaman doesn't make sense for the Pistons.
- At Pistons.com, Keith Langlois answers fans' questions on trades and a handful of other topics, agreeing that Kaman-to-Detroit isn't likely.
- The Pacers have never sent a player to the D-League and don't intend to do so with anyone on their current roster, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star.
- With Andrew Bogut and a handful of other Bucks on the shelf, Jon Leuer has surpassed expectations, writes Dennis Punzel of the Wisconsin State Journal.
- Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal examines the Cavaliers' shooting guard options, including some D-League possibilities.
Chris Kaman Drawing Trade Interest
12:49pm: The Bobcats have also inquired on Kaman, but a deal isn't likely, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
9:40am: The Rockets and Spurs are among the teams to inquire on Chris Kaman since Hornets GM Dell Demps said he intends to trade the center, reports John Reid of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. According to Reid, at least five teams have talked to the Hornets about Kaman, and Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group adds the Warriors to that list.
Kaman, who arrived in New Orleans last month as part of the package for Chris Paul, will sit out until the Hornets can work out a trade, as Demps told ESPN.com's Marc Stein last week.
"Chris has been the ultimate professional since he joined us," said Demps. "In no way is this a disciplinary action. We had discussions about extending his current contract when he first came to the Hornets, but the organization decided to go in a different direction."
According to Thompson's sources, a deal with the Warriors is unlikely. While Golden State could use Kaman to replace the injured Kwame Brown, it doesn't appear the Warriors have the pieces to match up with New Orleans. The league-owned Hornets may also find it tricky to work out a deal with division rivals like Houston and San Antonio.
The Pistons, Pacers, and Cavs have also been linked to Kaman, though Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski says New Orleans' reported asking price of draft picks, cap space, and a young player is too high for most teams (Twitter link).