Western Notes: Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Gasol
The Grizzlies are looking to upgrade their small forward spot via trade, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. Tayshaun Prince is starting for them there, having easily the worst shooting season of his career and contributing to Memphis’s lack of spacing issue offensively. Here’s more from around the West:
- Flip Saunders, Timberwolves president of basketball operations, says that he isn’t hearing anything “imminent” on Minnesota’s trade front, per Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Saunders says the hype surrounding upcoming drafts is a barrier to transactions, “Either everyone wants to keep their picks or if you want to trade players, people are trying to get your pick and people aren’t as apt to do something like that — not only this year, but next year, too.”
- Saunders also downplayed the importance of trades in general, citing research the Timberwolves have conducted on 189 trades over the last 10 seasons. Only 14 percent of teams trading with a .500 or worse winning percentage go on to make the playoffs, and only 55 percent of teams with winning records have held or improved their record after trading over that period. “When you look, I think a lot of time teams make trades to satisfy fans, to make them look like they are really trying to do something to make their team better. And I think sometimes teams make trades to make it look to their owners like they are working.” Hard to disagree with him there.
- The Lakers couldn’t convince the Suns to send a first round pick in return for Pau Gasol during recent trade talks, per Mitch Lawrence of The New York Daily News. Although a deal wasn’t reached and Gasol is missing time with a groin injury, Lawrence says the teams are expected to pick trade talks back up.
- Terry Stotts is having a strong season as coach of the Trail Blazers, but team sources say he could improve his locker room standing by strengthening his relationship with star LaMarcus Aldridge, according to the same Lawrence article. Stotts’ contract is up this year, and he hasn’t had any extension talks with the team.
Odds & Ends: Bradley, Dumars, D-League
The Celtics have seen Avery Bradley make a leap in production this year, and the third-year guard tells Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders he’s focusing on his play while his restricted agency looms over this summer: “Just like any other process, you try not to worry about it–it’s just like the trade deadline and all that stuff. You just don’t worry about it. You can only control your play and your attitude, and that’s all I am focused on.” Here are more notes from around the league:
- Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders says it’s time for teams to part ways with Evan Turner, Greg Monroe, Pau Gasol, Kyle Lowry, and Omer Asik. Hamilton argues that the time for bluffing and driving up values has passed, and that it is always better to be compensated by pre-empting the inevitable loss of players likely to move on in the coming offseason.
- Sasha Pavlovic has agreed to play in Serbia with the Partizan Belgrade team, per Novosti.rs (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). The 10-year NBA veteran was released by the Blazers this offseason and failed to land with another team after scoring 2.6 points on .353 shooting and 13.5 minutes per game last year.
- Joe Dumars is still running the Pistons front office, but is a rumored candidate for the GM opening with the Cavs, per a tweet from HoopsHype. Dumars is in the last year of his contract, and is reportedly under pressure after splurging this offseason to construct an atypical, playoff-hopeful roster that hasn’t stopped Detroit’s losing woes to this point.
- Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report says that, despite the trend to rely on drafting and under the CBA’s tax structure, the Lakers‘ strongest advantage and best strategy as an organization lies in their ability to draw free agents to Los Angeles. Ding contrasts the gambles and limitations small market teams like the Cavs and Thunder have to take to secure and keep talent like Andrew Bynum and James Harden with the ability the Lakers have to sign stars and afford luxury tax payments. Ding says the Lakers should be optimistic they can bounce back faster than teams in major rebuilding modes, keeping up their championship history.
- Howard Beck and Reese Waters of Bleacher Report discussed the Bucks‘ options heading into the trade deadline with a disappointing league-worst record. Beck thinks the only untouchable player in Milwaukee should be rookie forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
- Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders sees a lot of parallels in the Magic‘s current rebuilding process with the successful rebuild that brought the Thunder to the top of the Western Conference. Orlando isn’t winning many games this year, but their roster is filled with promising young players, and another high pick likely awaits them in the upcoming 2014 draft. The Thunder perfected the art of bottoming out while acquiring and developing assets, and the Magic hope to duplicate their success.
- Dakota Schmidt of Ridiculous Upside provides a nice rundown of the pro prospects that will be featured in the D-League All-Star festivities. Schmidt looks at young players looking to get their first real shot at the NBA like Pierre Jackson and Justin Hamilton, players who have spent some time with NBA teams this year like Hilton Armstrong, Seth Curry, Dewayne Dedmon, Manny Harris, and Malcolm Thomas (currently on the Jazz roster), along with players looking to revive their NBA careers like DeAndre Liggins, Chris Wright, and Kevin Jones.
Western Notes: Kaman, Williams, Nuggets
After months of setbacks and disappointments, Steve Nash looked great in his second game back in the Lakers‘ lineup last night. The all-time great played 29 minutes on his 40th birthday, scoring a season high 19 points. After the game, Nash said, “I love the game and when you realize it’s almost gone, you love it more,” per Dave McMenamin of ESPN LA. He here’s a look at what else is happening with the Lakers and around the West:
- Lakers center Chris Kaman told reporters he doesn’t care if he’s traded before the February 20 deadline, according to another article from McMenamin. “I honestly don’t care,” said Kaman, who has been frustrated with a lack of playing time much of this year. “It’s not something that I want to do, but it’s not going to make me go to sleep at night and have to stay awake all night tossing and turning thinking about it. I don’t care. If they want to trade somebody, trade me, trade the next guy, it don’t bother me. It’s part of the business. The sooner that you realize it’s a part of the business, the better off you’re going to be.”
- Shawne Williams opened up to reporters about his recent return to the Lakers via a 10-day contract, per McMenamin in another piece. Williams was toiling in the D-League before an injury to Nick Young created a need on the Lakers. Of his initial release by Los Angeles a month ago, Williams said, “It was like a funeral. It was like somebody died. I ain’t even going to lie.”
- Despite the fact that disgruntled Nuggets point guard Andre Miller is selling his home in anticipation of being dealt, Denver GM Tim Connelly tells Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post that nothing “definitive” is planned for Miller’s future. “It’s not ideal,” Connelly said. “I talk to Andre quite a bit. It’s a situation where we have to make sure whatever decision we make it’s the best for the organization.” Many thought that injuries to point guards Nate Robinson and Ty Lawson would force the team to go ahead and reactivate the veteran, but that didn’t happen and Lawson has returned to action.
- Ken Berger of CBS Sports adds to the analysis of the Knicks/Nuggets trade centered around Carmelo Anthony three years ago, painting a fairly bleak picture for both organizations. Berger agrees with the sentiment that there is no clear trade winner yet, but notes that both teams have messy, less than ideal roster situations that have been compounded since the deal. The Nuggets lack what they gave up–a true superstar–and the Knicks have depleted their assets and still have combustible elements swirling around the future of Carmelo and coach Mike Woodson.
Odds & Ends: Young, Bulls, Kuzmic
The Lakers‘ Nick Young will be out at least two weeks with a patella fracture, writes Zach Harper of CBS Sports.com. Young injured his left knee in last night’s game at Cleveland, and had an MRI exam today in Philadelphia. Results of the MRI show that Young has a non-displaced fracture of the patella and a bone bruise. Young joins Pau Gasol, Kobe Bryant, Xavier Henry, and Jodie Meeks, amongst the ranks of the team’s injured players. Young is averaging 16.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.5 APG, in 28.8 MPG.
More from around the league:
- The Warriors have recalled Ognjen Kuzmic from the Santa Cruz Warriors of the D-League, according to a press release. Kuzmic was assigned to Santa Cruz on January 17th and appeared in seven games during this assignment, averaging 6.9 PPG, 11.1 RPG, in 22.9 MPG. He’s appeared in 13 games for the Warriors this season, averaging 0.6 PPG.
- With the trade deadline approaching fast, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.com looks at the contracts most likely to be moved by their teams.
- Tom Thibodeau would like the Bulls to add a “player or two” prior to the trade deadline, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The Bulls only have 12 players on their roster currently, and Thibodeau would love to have the maximum of 15, just to provide flexibility. The team has to add at least one player by February 13th, in order to meet the league’s minimum requirement of 13 players. Mike James is the primary candidate to fill that spot.
Western Notes: Kings, McGee, Mavs, Harris
Adam Silver traveled to Sacramento on Wednesday in his first trip as commissioner to check in on the Kings and their efforts to construct a new arena. Silver was effusive in expressing confidence that owner Vivek Ranadive and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson will overcome arena opponents and have the arena ready in advance of a league-imposed 2017 deadline, notes USA Today’s Sam Amick. Here’s more from the West:
- There’s a chance JaVale McGee will miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left leg that’s been slow to heal properly, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Nuggets have already lost Danilo Gallinari and Nate Robinson for the year.
- The Mavericks are taking a patient approach and aren’t keen on making a splash at the deadline, and any trade they make will be small-scale, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Their priority in any deal appears to be finding a big man or someone who can score, and Kyler mentions Spencer Hawes and Jordan Hill as possibilities. Hawes, for whom the Sixers are demanding a first-round pick, would represent a fairly significant acquisition, though Kyler may merely be speculating about any interest Dallas has in either of those players.
- The Lakers didn’t re-sign Manny Harris when his second 10-day contract expired this week, but they expect him to re-sign with their D-League affiliate if he doesn’t wind up with another NBA deal, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com. The shooting guard made quite an impression with 19 points in his final game before the Lakers let him go, and Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside examines his worth.
Lakers Re-Sign Shawne Williams To 10-Day Deal
4:27pm: The team has officially announced the signing.
3:11pm: The Lakers will re-sign Shawne Williams, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The news comes right after the Lakers announced that Nick Young will miss at least two weeks with a non-displaced patella fracture and a bone bruise (Twitter link). Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com speculated earlier this week that Williams, who’s been playing with the Lakers D-League affiliate, would get a look. It’ll be a 10-day contract, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, who says (on Twitter) that the 27-year-old forward will join the team tonight.
Williams was with the Lakers on a partially guaranteed deal until they let him go last month, shortly before the contract would have become fully guaranteed. The Happy Walters client averaged 5.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game in his first go-around with the Lakers this season.
Injuries have wreaked havoc on the Lakers, who had only five healthy players at the end of last night’s game, forcing them to evoke a rule that allowed Robert Sacre to remain in the contest even though he’d fouled out. Williams will fill the team’s open roster spot, but the Lakers are allowed to ask the league for permission to add a 16th man if they expect at least four of their injured players to continue to be unavailable.
The Lakers opted not to re-sign Manny Harris earlier this week after his pair of 10-day contracts had expired. Players can’t sign more than two 10-day contracts with a single team each season, so L.A. would have to sign him for the rest of the season if it brought him back. Adding Williams, who hasn’t been on a 10-day contract with the Lakers this year, gives the team greater flexibility.
Lakers, Bulls, Bobcats Eye Lance Stephenson
The Lakers, Bulls and Bobcats are among the teams who are planning to target Lance Stephenson in free agency this summer, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Deveney hears from a GM who expects Stephenson to draw offers with an eight-figure starting salary. Other NBA executives pegged his annual value at between $7-9MM in December, but his continued strong play this season may be boosting his value.
Stephenson has expressed a desire on multiple occasions to re-sign with the Pacers, who’ve signaled that they’re prepared to offer him a sizable contract. It’ll be a tight squeeze to fit such a deal onto the payroll, given Indiana’s reluctance to pay the luxury tax. Deveney examines the variables and suggests the Pacers would have to trade away other salaries to pay Stephenson at market value. Some of his calculations are based on the notion that Paul George could wind up receiving 30% of the cap when his extension kicks in next season, but he agreed to take only 27% of the cap if he triggers the Derrick Rose Rule.
In any case, the Pacers will face tough decisions unless Stephenson is willing to take a hometown discount. Deveney suggests trading Chris Copeland and his two-year, $6.135MM as a solution, but finding a team to absorb that deal without sending salary back to Indiana will be difficult, particularly considering Indiana can’t trade any first-round draft picks before this month’s deadline.
Odds & Ends: Cavaliers, Nelson, Afflalo, Melo
Tonight might have been the low point of the season for the Cavaliers. Cleveland fell by double digits at home to an ice-cold Lakers squad that ended the contest with only five available players. Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio writes that the Cavs are in desperate need of an immediate change, even if it means making a difficult personnel decision. Here’s a look at some other notable tidbits from the NBA’s Wednesday night:
- Jameer Nelson has been mentioned in various trade rumors, but the longest tenured Magic player says he hasn’t had any discussions with management about the possibility of being shipped away from Orlando, reveals Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Schmitz also passes along in the same piece that he hears Magic GM Rob Hennigan would be “comfortable” retaining both Nelson and the often discussed Arron Afflalo through the deadline.
- Add Carmelo Anthony‘s former college coach Jim Boeheim to the list of those in favor of Melo leaving the Knicks in free agency this summer. “The problem in the NBA, you’re judged on winning championships,” Boeheim said to ESPN Radio. “He’s got to try to go and play where they can win a championship or else he’s going to be a failure. That’s the bottom line.” Al Iannazzone of Newsday has the full story.
- Rudy Gay is enjoying his time as a member of the Kings and harbors no hard feelings against the Raptors and their decision to deal him to Sacramento, according to Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. In another piece, Gatner breaks down his take as to why Gay is playing better since leaving Toronto.
- Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com takes a look at how second-round picks can be turned into valuable assets, either through crafty trades or focused player development.
Lakers Rumors: Johnson, Kupchak, Gasol
Magic Johnson hasn’t suited up for the Lakers since the 1995/96 NBA season, but he’s still trying to help benefit the club’s performance on the court, reports Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Regarding the Lakers’ attempt to secure top free agents next summer, Johnson had this to say:
“I love [the Lakers]. I’m going to support them. I asked Mitch [Kupchak] the other day if you want me to recruit this summer. People don’t know that was my role with Dr. Buss for a while. I was the first to call [Metta World Peace], Lamar Odom, all these guys. That was my job, calling them and recruiting them.”
The Lakers are riding a seven game skid and currently sit tied for the bottom spot in the Western Conference, so it looks like they’ll need all the help they can get. Here’s the latest out of LA:
- Kupchak spoke with Jared Greenberg and Rick Fox on SiriusXM NBA Radio, and the latest piece from Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times passes along the most notable bits from their sit down: “There is no plan to secure a player at a certain time,” said Kupchak, “We don’t know what the opportunities are going to be for the next two weeks, in terms of the trade deadline. We don’t know who is going to opt in, who is going to opt out, who may or may not be a free agent this summer.“
- Kupchak on a potential deal involving Pau Gasol: “On one hand I really feel for the situation [Gasol is] in but on the other hand our guys are very, very highly compensated professionals and this is the business that they chose… He’s a great player and regardless of what happens, he’ll go down as one of the great players in Laker history.“
- We heard yesterday that the Lakers and Suns still might still be in discussions for a potential Gasol/Emeka Okafor swap, and Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders opines in his weekly chat that such a deal would be a win-win for both clubs.
Odds & Ends: Embiid, Boozer, Turner
Jeff Goodman of ESPN released his report about Joel Embiid “strongly considering” a return to Kansas for his sophomore season, noting that while the Cameroon native recently stated he didn’t feel ready for the NBA, those feelings could change depending on his development over the rest of the year. Earlier this evening, we noted that Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog relayed the first scoop from Goodman via Twitter.
After tonight’s game against Baylor, Embiid spoke with reporters: “I’m not even thinking about (going pro) right now…I’ll make a decision after the season, but I’m definitely considering coming back to school.”
Many NBA executives told ESPN.com that Embiid is their frontrunner to be selected first overall in June, according to Goodman. The Kansas center – who admittedly thought of redshirting prior to the start of the season – is averaging 11.2 PPG, 7.7 RPG, and 2.7 BPG thus far during his freshman campaign, and is reportedly shocked at the impact he’s been able to make.
Here are the rest of the notable links we’ve gathered up tonight:
- Carlos Boozer hasn’t been happy with being benched in favor of Taj Gibson once the fourth quarter rolls around, letting reporters know about his frustration on Monday: ‘‘I think I should be out there, but it’s [Tom Thibodeau’s] choice,…He makes the decisions out there. I play; I don’t coach. He coaches, so he decides that. But, honestly, he’s been doing that a lot since I’ve been here, not putting me [in the game] in the fourth quarter. Sometimes we win. More times than not, we don’t. But that’s his choice’ (Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times).
- Boozer continued: ‘‘It’s very frustrating, especially when I’ve got a great game going or what have you. Obviously, as a competitor, you want to be out there to help your team win. Especially when the game is close, you can do things that can help your team win. And not being out there, all you can do is really cheer them on. But that’s [Thibodeau’s] choice.’’
- Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweeted that nothing has changed since the beginning of the season regarding the Timberwolves’ interest in 76ers guard Evan Turner. Although Minnesota covets Turner, President of Basketball Operations Flip Saunders is still not willing to include a first rounder that Philadelphia would want in return.
- During his chat with readers, Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW downplayed the possibility that the Bucks would deal Larry Sanders. Additionally, Sefko doesn’t believe that the Mavericks would be interested in pursuing the Milwaukee big man, especially with frontcourt positions already occupied by Samuel Dalembert, DeJuan Blair, and Brandan Wright.
- Sefko doesn’t foresee the Mavs making a huge splash on the trade market, saying that if any move is to be done, it’ll involve players at the bottom of the roster instead of the top. One deal he thinks would make sense involves trading Wayne Ellington for an expiring contract, thus allowing Dallas to free themselves of $2.5MM next season.
- As for the Pau Gasol sweepstakes, Sefko gets the sense that Dallas has at least made cursory inquiries and labels their chances at landing him as a “long-shot.” As for LeBron James potentially becoming available this summer, Sefko says that not being among the top on the list of preferred destinations won’t deter the team from making their free agent pitch.
- With the Thunder owning and operating their D-League affiliate Tulsa 66ers, it has allowed Oklahoma City to create an infrastructure which maximizes player development, writes Anthony Slater of NewsOK.