Western Notes: Randle, Lin, Ariza, Stuckey, Davis
Specialists have determined that Lakers first-round pick Julius Randle does not need surgery on his right foot and has been cleared to play, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. More from around the NBA..
- Rockets GM Daryl Morey brushed off criticism over the club’s decision to photoshop Carmelo Anthony wearing the No. 7 that is sported by Jeremy Lin, writes Mark Berman of FOX 26. Of course, if Houston manages to sign Melo, that could mean the end of Lin in Houston. “Bottom line, if Carmelo comes Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin have to be traded. It’s just math. It’s not personal,” said the GM.
- The Jazz are among the suitors for Trevor Ariza, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post.
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit Free Press (on Twitter) hears that there is definite interest in free agent guard Rodney Stuckey, particularly from high-level clubs. Goodwill suggests that a return to the Pacific Northwest could also be in the cards for the guard. In recent days, we’ve heard that the Magic and Pacers have interest.
- The Clippers have been talking to free agent Ed Davis and they’re optimistic, tweets Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. The Grizzlies opted against tendering the 25-year-old an offer earlier this offseason.
Eastern Notes: Billups, Livingston, Carmelo
While Chauncey Billups has a number of coaching, front office, and media opportunities available to him, he hasn’t decided if he wants to retire and walk away from the game just yet, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “As far as me playing, I feel really good right now for the first time in a long time – in two or three years,” Billups said. “I know that in the right situation, I can really help a team win. But it would take the right situation. I’m not going to play just to play. I have nothing left to prove and I’ve accomplished everything I wanted to accomplish playing basketball, so it would take the right situation for me to play.” The guard spent last season with the Pistons and saw just 19 games of action.
- It sounds like Shaun Livingston had strong interest from several other clubs, including the Heat, before he agreed to sign with the Warriors, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News.
- Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looks at where the Nets stand after losing Livingston to the Warriors.
- If the Bulls are worried about their chances of landing Carmelo Anthony, that should give an indication of the long odds that the Rockets, Mavs, and Lakers are up against, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. He posits that the Knicks‘ confidence through the process might be justified.
- The Sixers have expressed interest in Kent Bazemore, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. As previously reported, the Jazz, Hawks, Celtics, Mavs, Lakers, Suns, and Bulls also have interest in the guard.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter) gets the sense that the Hornets are unlikely to land a big fish free agent this summer.
Carmelo Anthony Rumors: Wednesday
The Carmelo Anthony free agency tour takes on a Texas theme today as the Leon Rose client visits the Rockets this morning and the Mavs in the afternoon. Here’s the latest on the No. 2 free agent in the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.
- The Mavs are determined to work on ‘Melo until the end but plan to move on quickly to Chandler Parsons and Luol Deng if snubbed, tweets Stein.
- Anthony’s meeting with the Mavericks ended after two-plus hours, significantly shorter than his six hour meeting with the Rockets, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
- Anthony may attend the World Cup Final in Brazil on next Sunday and his deal, likely to remain with the Knicks, should be done by then, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- Anthony spent about ten minutes talking privately to Rockets stars Dwight Howard and James Harden during his visit in Houston, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Anthony gave off the impression that it would be hard for him to leave New York, but reiterated that winning was his priority, a source said. The Rockets feel that their meeting with ‘Melo went “well,” writes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
- Anthony has landed in Dallas and will soon meet with the Mavericks after his six-hour pow-wow with the Rockets earlier today in Houston, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The Mavs, unlike the Bulls and Rockets, are going for a low-key approach with ‘Melo. The location of the meeting is being kept secret so that Mark Cuban can keep the media at bay (link).
- Anthony won’t be in Dallas long, as he’ll be flying out of Dallas tonight to Los Angeles so that he can meet with the Lakers tomorrow, tweets Dwain Price of the Star Telegram.
- Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss wasn’t at the the team’s pitch meeting to Dwight Howard last July, but she’ll be present for Thursday’s visit with Anthony, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com details. The relationship between Jeanie and fellow co-owner Jim Buss, who oversees the team’s basketball operations, has greatly improved of late, as sources told fellow ESPN scribe Ramona Shelburne, who contributed to the same piece.
- Anthony has been focused on the health of Derrick Rose as he ponders signing with the Bulls, as Adrian Wojnarowski said Tuesday in an appearance on Fox Sports Live (Twitter link). Rose staged a private workout Tuesday to demonstrate his health to the visiting Anthony, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders.
- The Mavs will try to sell ‘Melo on the strength of Rick Carlisle‘s coaching, the selflessness of Dirk Nowitzki, the quality of the rest of the roster and the front office’s pedigree and plan for the future, as Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com details.
- Phil Jackson might not want Carlos Boozer back in a sign-and-trade for Anthony with the Bulls, but some in the Knicks front office think he would make sense, tweets Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal. Boozer can still score and, perhaps more importantly, he could be a good trade chip as an expiring deal, which could help in a play for Kevin Love (link).
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Nets Close To Deal With Lionel Hollins
11:48am: Hollins and the Nets will likely come to a deal worth $4-5MM a season over four to five years, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com
8:41am: Hollins would end up with more than $4MM per year in the deal the two sides are closing in on, Stein adds.
WEDNESDAY, 8:31am: The Nets are nearing an agreement with Hollins, with the expectation that they’ll strike a deal today, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
TUESDAY, 2:35pm: The Nets talked to Kevin Ollie about the job, but he said he’s content at the University of Connecticut, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets.
11:24am: The Nets are more or less focused solely on Hollins, in spite of King’s statements to the contrary, according to Wojnarowski (on Twitter).
9:58am: A source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the Nets are “lasered in” on Hollins, and that such was the case even before they met with him (Twitter link).
9:41am: Hollins wasn’t the first person with whom King spoke, but the GM won’t identify who was, Vasquez notes (via Twitter).
9:23am: Regardless of whom the Nets hire, it’s likely to be someone with experience, King also indicated, as The Record’s Andy Vasquez tweets. That would seem to cast doubt on Messina’s candidacy.
TUESDAY, 9:16am: Nets GM Billy King had dinner on Monday with Hollins and will meet with him again this morning, as King told reporters, including Newsday’s Roderick Boone (Twitter link). Still, King has reached out to other candidates and says he can envision those talks progressing, tweets Tim Bontemps of the New York Post.
MONDAY, 5:41pm: The Lakers have renewed interest in Hollins as well, a source tells USA Today’s Sam Amick. Los Angeles hopes to talk with Hollins or his representatives later this week. Byron Scott has been considered to be the frontrunner for the L.A. job.
4:27pm: The Nets have arranged for a meeting with coaching target Lionel Hollins, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Wojnarowski terms Hollins as the Nets’ “top coaching target.” The two sides will meet in the next 24-48 hours.
The Nets, of course, are in the market for a new head coach after reaching agreement on a deal with the Bucks that sends Jason Kidd to Milwaukee in exchange for a pair of second-round selections. George Karl and Ettore Messina also appear to be the mix for Brooklyn, while Mark Jackson may or may not be a candidate.
Hollins, the former Grizzlies’ head coach, has interviewed for several of this offseason’s top jobs.
Kyle Lowry Will Take Few Days To Make Decision
WEDNESDAY, 7:59am: Lowry wants nothing less than a deal worth $40MM over four years, sources tell Sportsnet’s Michael Grange, who hears the Raptors would be comfortable at four years, $44MM. That’s less than the $12MM a year that Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported earlier that the Raptors would offer, but the key may be whether Toronto extends its offer to a fifth year, as Grange suggests and as Stein reported that the team is considering
TUESDAY, 10:00pm: Lowry’s bidders include the Raptors, Rockets, and Lakers. The Heat have not progressed their talks with him, however, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
9:08pm: Guard Kyle Lowry told the Raptors today that he’ll take a few days to make up his mind, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com. The Raptors, meanwhile, are still confident that they’ll retain the point guard. “He knows us, and we know him,” a source said.
Lowry has been an extremely popular guy over the last ~22 hours. A number of clubs have reached out to the 28-year-old, including the Heat. Miami is reportedly telling clubs that they have about $12MM to spend, which is in line with the reported offer that the Raptors are making to Lowry.
Toronto, meanwhile, was said to be thinking about making a five-year offer to the veteran. It’s not known for certain if the Raptors went through with that pitch in their meeting with Lowry in Philadelphia earlier today.
Free Agent Rumors: LeBron, Deng, Jamison
Suns managing partner Robert Sarver expressed confidence in his club’s chances of luring LeBron James to Phoenix, writes Bob Young of the Arizona Republic. “We are in a good position,” he said. “We have a lot to offer, too, with the depth of our roster compared to some of the other teams. We think we have a favorable opportunity, but obviously he’ll make his decision when he wants to make it. He’ll look at the facts and make a decision.”
- Luol Deng would welcome the chance to return to the Bulls, agent Ron Shade told Sam Amick of USA Today. “There’s always going to be a part of him that belongs to Chicago, and part of Chicago that belongs to him,” Shade said. “There were no hard feelings (about the trade). Moving forward, he’d look to have an amicable relationship (if he played with the Bulls).“
- Free agent forward Antawn Jamison, 38, is in good shape and is not contemplating retirement, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
- Kent Bazemore has meetings lined up with the Spurs next Tuesday followed by the Celtics next Wednesday, sources tell Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (on Twitter).
- Anthony Morrow, one of the league’s best shooters, has received interest from 12 teams around the league since free agency began, tweets Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops.
- With Shaun Livingston out of the picture for the Nets, one option for the mini mid-level exception is Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources tell Tim Bontemps of the New York Post (on Twitter).
- In addition to the previously reported Hornets and Blazers, Josh McRoberts has drawn interest from the Mavs, Cavs, Heat, Clippers, Knicks, Spurs, Suns and Lakers, a source tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
Pacific Rumors: Hawes, Gasol, Frye, Warriors
Free agent Spencer Hawes met with Warriors GM Bob Myers in Los Angeles, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. The Warriors have a trade exception that they could use in a sign-and-trade scenario for the big man. Next up for Hawes will be a meeting with Clippers‘ coach/president Doc Rivers. More from the Pacific..
- A source tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter) that Hawes will meet with the Lakers while he’s in Los Angeles.
- Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak met with free agent forward Pau Gasol in person on Tuesday, a league source tells Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter). The meeting took place at an L.A. office building and lasted “a few hours” (link).
- The Warriors contacted the agent for free agent big man Channing Frye, according to Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle. The W’s have also gotten calls on young assets Harrison Barnes, Draymond Green, and Festus Ezeli, but haven’t jumped on any of the proposed deals.
- Despite early interest in Hawes and Frye, the Warriors are turning their concentration towards signing a backup point guard, a source tells David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter).
Southeast Rumors: Lowry, McRoberts, Livingston
The Heat‘s infatuation with free agent guard Kyle Lowry has been well documented, but the Big Three haven’t been actively recruiting him, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. More from the Southeast Division..
- Josh McRoberts‘ agent tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that there’s mutual interest between his client and the Hornets. “Quite a few teams have expressed” interest, Mike Conley Sr. said in a phone interview. “We haven’t gone into any in-depth discussions yet, but we know how the Hornets want him.”
- The Hornets approached Shaun Livingston about a possible return to Charlotte, a knowledgeable source tells Bonnell. Livingston played for Charlotte in the 2010-11 season when they were under their maiden Bobcats moniker.
- Kent Bazemore has heard from the Hawks, Celtics, Mavs, Lakers, Suns, and Bulls, tweets Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops (Twitter link) adds the Spurs to that list.
Raptors Stymie Rockets’ Interest In Kyle Lowry?
3:34pm: Lowry is thinking over an offer from the Rockets, Wojnarowski tweets. That’s presumably a scenario that would see him sign outright with Houston rather than via sign-and-trade.
3:17pm: Lowry is also considering a meeting with the Lakers, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who have interest, as we noted below. Lowry already met with the Rockets.
2:41pm: The Rockets were trying to work out a way to acquire Kyle Lowry via sign-and-trade with the Raptors, but Toronto isn’t playing along, and that appears to have put Houston out of the running for the free agent point guard, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com. The Rockets had reportedly viewed Lowry as a fallback option if bigger names proved out of their reach.
Lowry met with the Raptors today and is mulling an offer from them, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Raptors have apparently been preparing to pitch a four-year, $48MM deal to the Andy Miller client, though another dispatch indicated that they were thinking about tacking a fifth year onto that.
The Heat are reportedly attempting to set up a meeting with the point guard, too. The Lakers and Mavs also apparently reached out to Lowry, who this spring made his affection for Toronto clear while stopping short of promising a return.
Western Rumors: Nowitzki, Frye, Sefolosha, Love
The Mavs have had advanced discussions with Dirk Nowitzki but both sides have agreed to put off sealing a deal until after Wednesday’s meeting with Carmelo Anthony, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears. That’s to let the team keep maximum flexibility, the same desire that also prompted the sides to decide against an extension. The Mavs and Nowitzki engaged in extension talks before he became a free agent, so Dallas has a strong idea of what the perennial All-Star wants, Stein writes. There’s more on the Mavs amid the latest from the Western Conference:
- The Mavs have interest in D.J. Augustin, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com details.
- The Suns are making a push to re-sign Channing Frye amid interest from the Cavs and Warriors, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
- The Clippers, Mavs and Rockets have scheduled meetings with Thabo Sefolosha, but the Thunder haven’t reached out to him, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link).
- Kevin Love trade talk between the Wolves and Warriors is still stalemated over Minnesota’s request for the inclusion of Klay Thompson and Golden State’s hesitancy to give him up in a deal, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
- The Lakers, Rockets and Mavs followed through with their interest in Jordan Hill and made contact over night, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Hill, like Pau Gasol, warmed to the idea of a remaining with the Lakers when coach Mike D’Antoni left, as Sean Deveney of The Sporting News details.
- The Mavs are interested in unrestricted free agent Al-Farouq Aminu, according to MacMahon.
- Dallas is making progress toward new deals with Devin Harris and Vince Carter, tweets Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
- The Lakers were extremely active in the hours after free agency began, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. The Lakers were working the phones “like crazy” and talked to a lot of free agents, Kennedy says.
Zach Links contributed to this post.