Lamar Odom Desires Return To L.A.
Lamar Odom helped propel the Mavericks to a win on Saturday, after asking his teammates for their support, but according to Ric Bucher of ESPN.com (video link), Odom is still "desperate" to return to Los Angeles.
Having dealt Odom to the Mavs in December, the Lakers are ineligible to reacquire the forward at any point this season. Bucher says the Clippers would love to acquire the 32-year-old, but they don't have the expiring contracts Dallas would want to make a trade work. If Odom does indeed want to return to Los Angeles, a more likely scenario has him being traded or bought out next season by the Mavs.
Odom returned to the Mavericks on Saturday night after an absence that lasted a week and a half. In 33 games this season, he has posted career-lows in points (7.7), rebounds (4.5), and minutes (21.3) per contest.
Crawford Drawing Interest From Several Teams
7:49pm Chris Haynes of Comcast SportsNet Northwest asserts that the Timberwolves and Clippers "are very interested" but can't confirm the other teams being mentioned. (Twitter link).
7:20pm Before the season started, then-free agent Jamal Crawford decided to sign with the Trail Blazers after fielding offers from several teams. With almost ten days before the NBA trade deadline, the 6'5 guard could find himself on the move again, reports Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld.com. While the Timberwolves and the Clippers appear to be the most aggressive in attempting to trade for Crawford, the Bucks, Kings, and Raptors have also sent out their feelers.
The 12th-year veteran is averaging 14.8 PPG, shooting 36.2% from three-point range, and is third in the league in free throw percentage at 92.8%. Crawford possesses a player option for next season and can opt out of his contract this summer. With a recent report of uncertainty brewing within the Trail Blazers' locker room, there is a possibility that Portland deals Crawford for value before the deadline rather than risk losing him for nothing to upcoming free agency.
Amick On Dwight, Celtics, Crawford
SI.com's Sam Amick has a roundup of the latest crop of NBA trade rumors, touching on a variety of topics. Here are the highlights:
- There is a distinct possibility that the Magic will opt not to trade Dwight Howard, either because they don't like the offers out there or because they believe they can convince the superstar center to stay.
- Nets GM Billy King believes it will be easier to land Howard through trade than via free agency, because of the difference in money the team will be able to offer.
- The Warriors are still said to be interested in trading for Howard, even as a rental, and convincing him to stick around.
- Ray Allen is more likely to be moved by March 15 than Rajon Rondo, but a deal with the Clippers is unlikely. The Celtics are asking for young talent and picks, which is more than most teams are likely to want to give up for the 36-year-old Allen.
- Amick suggests Jamal Crawford as a trade possibility for the Clippers or any other team looking for help at the shooting guard position. He believes Crawford may be available because of the Blazers' struggles and his dissatisfaction with Nate McMillan playing him at point guard.
- The Lakers continue to monitor Michael Beasley and Ramon Sessions, and the future of Pau Gasol is still uncertain.
- It is possible that Wilson Chandler will spend the rest of the season overseas rather than re-sign with the Nuggets, and instead test free agency this summer.
- The market is still slow for Gilbert Arenas, who is working out in Orlando in hopes that a team will sign him.
Odds & Ends: Stern, Hawks, Clippers
Leave it to LeBron James to wind up in the spotlight again amidst Linsanity and the impending trade deadline. He passed up a potential game-winning shot against Utah to give the ball to Udonis Haslem instead, and Haslem missed to give the Jazz a 99-98 win. Still, as Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida points out, it was the first time James has ever gone back-to-back games without committing a turnover. James will surely be with the Heat for a while, but here are a few notes on more fluid situations:
- Changes are afoot for slumping Cleveland, where Cavs coach Byron Scott is giving thought to juggling his rotation and starting lineup after his team lost its fourth straight tonight, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. With the trade deadline approaching, the team must soon decide what to do with Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison, Amico says.
- Bucks backup point guard Beno Udrih would be on board with a trade if one happens, notes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
- ESPN's John Hollinger, writing from the Sloan Sports Analytics Conferences, says the numbers don't add up in the Kings arena deal. He believes the league provided financial support to the cash-strapped Maloof brothers so they could make their $73MM contribution to the deal. (Insider link)
- John Schuhmann of NBA.com rounded up Celtics coach Doc Rivers' irritated pregame remarks about the trade rumors swirling around his team. In particular, he took aim at the belief the Celtics are shopping Rajon Rondo and the "ridiculous" idea that Pau Gasol may be headed to Boston. For Rondo, whose name has come up in trade talks many times before, it feels like "deja vu," notes Andrew Perna of RealGM.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks at Celtics free agent signee Mickael Pietrus, who's finally displaying his all-around game now that he's healthy, Blakely says.
- Marc Gasol, used to fielding rumors involving his brother Pau, is surprised that Raptors point guard Jose Calderon, another Spanish Olympic teammate, is coming up in trade talk as well, reports Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes the Knicks have assembled their most talented roster in 12 years.
- Jeremy Lin isn't the only waiver pickup exceeding expectations for the Knicks, as Steve Novak has been a major beneficiary of his more famous teammate's play, as Ben Bolch examines in the Chicago Tribune.
- Former Clippers and current Suns coach Alvin Gentry admires the team the Clips have put together this year, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic points out that Suns guard Shannon Brown, who'll hit the free agent market this summer, has a deceptive career high of 8.9 PPG this year. This has also been one of his worst shooting seasons.
- Maturity is the difference between the Gerald Green who flamed out with the Celtics a few years ago and the player who just returned to the league with the Nets, observes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Udrih, Kings
Leave it to LeBron James to wind up in the spotlight again amidst Linsanity and the impending trade deadline. He passed up a potential game-winning shot against Utah to give the ball to Udonis Haslem instead, and Haslem missed to give the Jazz a 99-98 win. Still, as Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida points out, it was the first time James has ever gone back-to-back games without committing a turnover. James will surely be with the Heat for a while, but here are a few notes on more fluid situations:
- Changes are afoot for slumping Cleveland, where Cavs coach Byron Scott is giving thought to juggling his rotation and starting lineup after his team lost its fourth straight tonight, writes Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. With the trade deadline approaching, the team must soon decide what to do with Ramon Sessions and Antawn Jamison, Amico says.
- Bucks backup point guard Beno Udrih would be on board with a trade if one happens, notes Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
- ESPN's John Hollinger, writing from the Sloan Sports Analytics Conferences, says the numbers don't add up in the Kings arena deal. He believes the league provided financial support to the cash-strapped Maloof brothers so they could make their $73MM contribution to the deal. (Insider link)
- John Schuhmann of NBA.com rounded up Celtics coach Doc Rivers' irritated pregame remarks about the trade rumors swirling around his team. In particular, he took aim at the belief the Celtics are shopping Rajon Rondo and the "ridiculous" idea that Pau Gasol may be headed to Boston. For Rondo, whose name has come up in trade talks many times before, it feels like "deja vu," notes Andrew Perna of RealGM.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks at Celtics free agent signee Mickael Pietrus, who's finally displaying his all-around game now that he's healthy, Blakely says.
- Marc Gasol, used to fielding rumors involving his brother Pau, is surprised that Raptors point guard Jose Calderon, another Spanish Olympic teammate, is coming up in trade talk as well, reports Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun.
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News believes the Knicks have assembled their most talented roster in 12 years.
- Jeremy Lin isn't the only waiver pickup exceeding expectations for the Knicks, as Steve Novak has been a major beneficiary of his more famous teammate's play, as Ben Bolch examines in the Chicago Tribune.
- Former Clippers and current Suns coach Alvin Gentry admires the team the Clips have put together this year, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic points out that Suns guard Shannon Brown, who'll hit the free agent market this summer, has a deceptive career high of 8.9 PPG this year. This has also been one of his worst shooting seasons.
- Maturity is the difference between the Gerald Green who flamed out with the Celtics a few years ago and the player who just returned to the league with the Nets, observes Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald.
Minor Moves: Leslie, Jordan, Ely, Hayward
Here are today's notable international and D-League-related transactions:
- Travis Leslie has been assigned to the D-League by the Clippers, according to Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles. The Clips' second-round pick has played in just eight games this season.
- The Knicks announced that they've assigned Jerome Jordan to their D-League affiliate in Erie, tweets Zach Lowe of SI.com. The return of Josh Harrellson made the decision a no-brainer, says Marc Berman of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- Another former NBA player signed in Puerto Rico, as Melvin Ely joined Brujos de Guayama, according to Sportando. Ely, the 12th overall pick in the 2002 draft, played 12.2 MPG in 30 contests for the Nuggets last season.
- The Thunder have assigned Lazar Hayward to their D-League affiliate in Tulsa, according to the team (Twitter link). Hayward, who has appeared in 12 games for Oklahoma City this season, suffered a fractured orbital floor on his left eye last month.
- Craig Brackins has been recalled from the D-League by the 76ers, according to a team press release. The 24-year-old was assigned to the Maine Red Claws on February 7th, and averaged 18.9 points and 9.3 rebounds in seven games with the club.
Odds & Ends: Rondo, Curry, Lin
With just about every team back in action after the All-Star break, here are a few leap day notes from around the league:
- The Celtics have intensified their efforts to trade Rajon Rondo, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN. Broussard says sources have told him the Celtics consider Rondo to be too high maintenance, and so the team is considering a deal with the Warriors for Stephen Curry that's been percolating since December. Other players would have to be in such a deal for it to work. ESPN's Chris Forsberg also contributed to the report.
- Shabazz Muhammad, a premier college prospect who currently sits atop the class of potential 2013 draftees according to NBADraft.net, could be in trouble with the NCAA, report Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. The NCAA has informed schools recruiting Muhammad that his amateur status is in question. According to Goodman and Parrish, there are concerns that the 6'5", 210-pound shooting guard has been receiving payments for unofficial visits to campuses, among other benefits. Since NBA draft rules prohibit Muhammad from entering the league until a year after his high school class graduates, he may be forced to head overseas next year.
- Matt Moore of CBSSports.com doesn't see much truth in the rumored swap of Lamar Odom and Steve Nash, unless several other components are involved.
- It seems every other day we find out about another team that came close to signing Jeremy Lin, but whiffed. Today that team is the Italian club Banca Tercas Teramo, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY. The team was "extremely close" to signing him, Lin said, but they went with Charles Jenkins instead.
- The Chris Paul trade may have transformed the Clippers, but since amnesty claim Chauncey Billups was lost for the year with an Achilles' tear, the Clips have gone 5-5 and appear to have lost their mojo, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times examines.
- Before handing the Spurs just their second home loss of the season, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau praised San Antonio's ability to identify and nurture the talent necessary to keep the team on top, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. Thibodeau hopes the Bulls can copy that model.
- Jazz swingman Josh Howard, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, has responded well since Raja Bell's injury forced him into the starting lineup, notes Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Dwight Howard Rumors: Wednesday
Orlando's roster could have an entirely new look a month from now, and Magic players are all aware of that fact. Nonetheless, as they tell Joshua Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, their goal for the second half will be to avoid being weighed down by off-court distractions and focus on playing good basketball. Here's the latest on Dwight Howard, who figures to dominate Orlando's on- and off-court headlines in the coming weeks:
- Add the Hawks to the list of potential Howard suitors. Marcus Thompson, while looking for Warriors rumors for the Bay Area News Group, tweets that Atlanta is offering Joe Johnson and Al Horford to the Magic for D12. Howard grew up in Atlanta and went to high school at Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. Thompson notes that Howard and Hawks forward Josh Smith are friends.
- Howard wants the Magic to pursue Steve Nash, and would consider staying at least another year in Orlando if the team can acquire Nash and re-sign him, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Of course, given the Suns' current stance on their point guard, such an acquisition would be a challenge.
- An Eastern Conference executive tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that he thinks if Howard is dealt by March 15th, it will be to the Nets, but the longer the saga drags on, the better the Mavericks' odds become. While the Knicks and Clippers aren't on Howard's list of preferred destinations, Broussard says D12 would consider both teams, though neither has engaged the Magic in trade talks.
- The Warriors say they're not interested in trading Monta Ellis unless he's part of a package for Howard, sources tells Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News (Twitter link).
- We covered some Howard-related links in our notes on the Warriors earlier this morning, as Golden State remains in the hunt for the Magic superstar. SI.com's Zach Lowe confirms the Warriors would be willing to acquire Howard without assurances he'd sign long-term or even opt into the final year of his contract next season. This seems a little crazy to me, but as Lowe points out, Golden State will likely have to break up its core at some point to become a legit title contender anyway. I suppose if the Warriors were able to deal David Lee along with Ellis and others, even just renting Dwight would create a ton of cap flexibility for future seasons. Still, I don't think it's a likely scenario.
Clippers Sign Bobby Simmons
The Clippers have signed Bobby Simmons out of the D-League to a 10-day contract, according to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times. ESPN's Marc Stein first reported over the weekend that the Clippers were planning to sign Simmons.
It will be the second stint with the Clippers for the 31-year-old Simmons, who won the Most Improved Player award while with the team in 2004/05. The 6'6", 220-pound swingman has played in parts of nine NBA seasons, the most recent being a two-game stint with the Spurs last year.
Simmons put up 16.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG and 2.7 APG during that award-winning season with the Clippers, but left to sign a free agent deal with the Bucks that summer and soon reverted to form. This year, he was averaging 13.5 PPG and 7.6 RPG for the D-League's Reno Bighorns.
The Clippers had an empty spot on their roster, so they won't have to let anybody go to bring in Simmons, who'll provide depth at the wing positions that was lost when starting shooting guard Chauncey Billups was lost for the year with a torn Achilles' tendon. Simmons is a career 40% three-point shooter, so he figures to help replace Billups' range, as well.
Coon On Lakers, Rockets, Celtics
Salary cap expert and burgeoning Twitter star Larry Coon unleashed a stream of tweets today on several topics. Here are some of the highlights:
- The Lakers are considering a swap with the Blazers for point guard Raymond Felton, who was recently benched. The Lakers would be able to fit Felton's $7.5MM salary in using part of their $8.9MM trade exception acquired in the Lamar Odom deal.
- Gilbert Arenas could be the fallback option at point guard if the Lakers don't get Felton or Ramon Sessions from the Cavs.
- The Rockets are still hot after Pau Gasol, but their unwillingness to part with Kyle Lowry makes a deal with the Lakers unlikely unless additional teams are involved.
- In a rumored deal involving Rajon Rondo and Gasol, the Lakers would seek Brandon Bass instead of Jermaine O'Neal. Rondo, Coon says, is "on the outs" in Boston.
- If the Celtics are looking to move Ray Allen, Coon reiterated what he's been saying about the interest the Clippers have in him. Complicating such a move is the health of Allen's son, Walker, who has juvenile diabetes and is accustomed to receiving care in the Boston area. The Clippers are also closing in on signing Bobby Simmons.