Odds & Ends: Scott, Irving, Nowitzki, Gordon
There's a lot of concern over Danilo Gallinari's season-ending injury, but Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post doesn't think it puts much of a dent in the Nuggets' playoff chances. Most Hoops Rumors readers believe the Nuggets had no chance of a title anyway, though our readers picked Denver as the most likely "Cinderella" team to make the NBA Finals this year. Here's more from around the Association..
- When asked whether he supports Byron Scott and would be disappointed if he were fired, Cavs guard Kyrie Irving said he did not want to address the topic at this time, according to Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer (on Twitter). Scott is one of many NBA coaches perceived to be on the hot seat after the season and a lack of support from Irving could hurt his case.
- Dirk Nowitzki reiterated his desire to stay with the Mavericks, but also says that he wants to play for a championship again in his final couple of years, tweets Dwain Price of the Star Telegram.
- The Hornets will probably still be open to trading Eric Gordon this summer, sources tell John Reid of The Times-Picayune.
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer gives his take on end-of-season awards with the final night of the regular season just 10 days away. Not surprisingly, he has LeBron James winning his fourth MVP award in five years.
- Kobe Bryant says that he doesn't want to play point guard just to extend his career, but he has looked awfully good doing it, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times.
Pacific Rumors: Lakers, D’Antoni, Kings, Marshall
The Lakers held on to their half-game lead for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference with a two-point win against the Grizzlies last night, and if L.A. makes the postseason, they could get some reinforcements. Coach Mike D'Antoni revealed that Metta World Peace could be back by the end of the month, knocking two weeks off the original six-week timetable for his recovery from a left knee injury, tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. Jordan Hill tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News he's seeking medical clearance to return at about the same time, though D'Antoni is skeptical about that. Either way, there's reason for optimism in a season that's left Lakers fans with little of it. Here's more on the purple and gold and other news from the Pacific:
- Most signs, including the three years left on D'Antoni's contract, point to him returning to coach the Lakers next season in spite of the team's disappointing play, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Stein also suggests that while Dwight Howard may have sway over D'Antoni's future if the big man threatens to sign elsewhere, Howard won't have nearly the clout that fellow soon-to-be free agent Chris Paul will wield on the Clippers' coaching situation.
- Regardless of who's in charge of the Kings next season, the "leaguewide presumption" is that neither GM Geoff Petrie nor coach Keith Smart will return, Stein adds in the same piece.
- Kendall Marshall wasn't among the 10 players I mentioned yesterday when I examined 2012 first-round picks who've seen limited action this season, but his 568 total minutes would make him the 11th player on the list. He's been seeing more action of late with the Suns, and Marshall tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that he's finally starting to feel comfortable.
Rockets Believe They Can Clear Space For Dwight
The Rockets aren't currently in line to have the cap space necessary to offer Dwight Howard a maximum-salary contract this summer, but the team is confident it can swing trades to clear room for his max deal if he's willing to sign with Houston this summer, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Sources tell Stein an "obvious option" would be to trade Thomas Robinson for a future draft pick.
Salary Cap FAQ author Larry Coon this week broke down the Rockets' ability to make a run at Howard, pegging their available space for this summer at between $16.7MM to $18.2MM, depending on how high the league sets the salary cap in July. Opening up that much room without making a trade would require the team to decline its option on Francisco Garcia and waive seven others whose contracts aren't fully guaranteed for next season, including starting small forward Chandler Parsons, whose deal is partially guaranteed for $600K.
Dwight Howard's maximum first-year salary would check in at $20,513,178, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors detailed. Howard's max is larger than any other free agent this summer because the collective bargaining agreement ensures a player can always sign for 105% of his previous salary, and Howard's $19,536,360 salary this season is the largest of anyone hitting the open market.
In order to give Howard the max, the Rockets would have to make a trade. Giving up on Robinson, the 2012 No. 5 overall pick whom the team acquired at the trade deadline from the Kings, and Parsons, perhaps the NBA's best bargain, would be difficult to stomach, but I don't think the Rockets would hesitate to do so if they knew they were getting Howard.
Stein also writes that, even as the play of James Harden is making Houston an increasingly attractive destination, the Mavericks have long been considered the greater threat to sign Howard. Coon looked at the Mavs' ability to land D12 as well, noting that they're set to have less cap space than the Rockets this summer. That means Dallas, too, would have to swing a trade to fit a max contract for Howard under the cap. Both the Mavs and Rockets could also try to work out a sign-and-trade with the Lakers for Howard, Coon adds, noting that while the CBA bars taxpaying teams like the Lakers from receiving a player via sign-and-trade, it doesn't preclude them from sending players out in such a deal.
Pacific Rumors: Lakers, Kings, Clippers
If the Lakers fail to make the playoffs, they'll have no one but themselves to blame, opines Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. They sit a half-game up on the Jazz for eighth place in the Western Conference heading into tonight's action, with Utah playing host to the Hornets while the Lakers face a much tougher opponent in the Grizzlies. It's the same position both clubs found themselves in yesterday, when we asked Hoops Rumors readers which of the teams fighting for the last playoff spot would make it. A strong majority favored L.A. over Utah and the fading Mavericks. As the Lakers, through all their struggles, continue to deal with expectations, here's more from around the Pacific Division:
- Michael Lee of the Washington Post summarizes the state of affairs in the tug of war over the Kings, and lays out the case for both Sacramento and Seattle.
- Legal analyst Michael McCann believes there's little grounds for a threatened referendum on Sacramento's public funding plan for a new arena, tweets Aaron Bruski of NBCSports.com. The city would raise money for its contribution to the building through the lease of parking garages and land.
- Blake Griffin doesn't put much stock in a recent column by T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times suggesting immaturity is causing problems for the Clippers, and downplays the idea of chemistry problems on the team. Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com has the details.
Lakers Rumors: D12, Gasol, World Peace, D’Antoni
Although the Lakers' short-term focus is on finishing the regular season strong and earning a playoff spot in the Western Conference, the team will face a number of questions this summer and beyond, with luxury-tax penalties set to increase starting in 2013/14. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com spoke to a number of agents, executives, and players about the Lakers' cap situation, so let's round up the highlights:
- One general manager on free agent big man Dwight Howard: "No matter what, they have to re-sign Dwight. Even if they don't want to move forward with Dwight, you gotta re-sign him because he's a tradable asset no matter what he makes…. You can always move him, but if you don't have him under your control, then you've got nothing."
- The general belief is that if Howard is re-signed, the Lakers will look to move Pau Gasol, but there are mixed opinions on how much trade value he would have, and how strong a package the Lakers could acquire. Said one GM: "He'll have value as a super expiring contract. There are 12 teams with $12MM or more in [cap space] this summer. Multiple teams will be open to doing an uneven deal to acquire him…. They would probably have to take back a multiyear deal at a lower number. Say, somebody with two or three years left at 6 million a year. They can't incentivize a deal because they have no assets — no [draft] picks and no young players of value."
- Gasol could also be amnestied, which would significantly lessen the Lakers' tax burden, but it would be a purely financial move rather than a basketball one. Rival GMs are skeptical that the team would make such a move in what could be Kobe Bryant's last year.
- Metta World Peace is a more likely amnesty candidate, though if he decides to opt out of the final year of his deal, Steve Blake could be amnestied as well. World Peace told NBA.com last week that he'd consider declining his '13/14 option, and the knee surgery he underwent since then hasn't changed that stance, according to Shelburne.
- One Lakers player said he believes World Peace would like to secure a two- or three-year contract rather than exercising his one-year player option.
- There were also varying opinions among GMs on coach Mike D'Antoni's future with the Lakers. One GM's thoughts: "I like Mike D'Antoni, but if I was them, that's the move I'd make (letting him go). You can talk about amnestying players and trades, but players are still assets. Coaches are different."
Pacific Notes: Howard, World Peace, Kings, Clips
Earlier today, the Clippers signed DaJuan Summers for the season, and we passed along word that Grant Hill is likely to retire at season's end. Here are a few more Thursday items from out of the Pacific Division:
- Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Insider-only link) expects Dwight Howard to re-sign with the Lakers, but notes that there are other potentially attractive destinations in play. Broussard breaks down the pros and cons of three likely Howard suitors, the Hawks, Rockets, and Mavericks.
- Metta World Peace's rehab from knee surgery is off to a good start, though his future is still uncertain, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- As Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld explains, when the NBA Board of Governors votes on the future of the Kings, the decision won't necessarily come down to Seattle vs. Sacramento, since the Board can't force the Maloofs to sell to the Sacramento group. The Board of Governors will simply be voting on whether or not to approve the sale to the Seattle group, so if the sale is to be declined, there will need to be real cause.
- In his latest column for the Los Angeles Times, T.J. Simers argues that the immaturity of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan is dragging the Clippers down, and says Jordan "blames [head coach Vinny] Del Negro for burying him on the bench."
Texas Rumors: Rockets, Mavs, Griner
The chances of all three Texas clubs making the playoffs took a hit last night when the Mavericks lost to the Lakers, falling two and a half games off the pace for the final Western Conference postseason berth. That didn't stop the Mavs from making a roster move today, replacing Justin Dentmon with Josh Akognon, another 10-day contract signee. That's not the only Mavs-related news we have this evening, as we detail:
- Salary Cap FAQ author Larry Coon looks at the flexibility the Rockets and Mavs will have this summer, concluding that both will fall short of the cap space needed to offer Dwight Howard a max contract. The teams can clear additional cap room by trading one of their players or waiving someone who signed under the current CBA and spreading out his remaining cap hit using the stretch provision. They could also try to entice the Lakers into giving up Howard via sign-and-trade.
- Mavs owner Mark Cuban told reporters, including Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, that he'd have "no problem whatsoever" drafting Baylor women's star Brittney Griner or having her on the Mavs' Summer League team if she was the best option available. "She'd still have to make the team," Cuban said. "I'm not going to carry her just to carry her. I don't think, anyways. But I certainly wouldn't be opposed to giving her the opportunity."
- Griner's agent, Lindsay Kagawa Colas, wouldn't rule out the possibility her client would play in the NBA, but said she doesn't think Griner needs to prove her mettle by playing against men, notes Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter links). "I am sure a lot of WNBA teams would love if she played for the Mavs!" the agent said.
- An NBA Western Conference exec laughed and said, "No way," when HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy asked him if he thought Griner could play in the league (Twitter link).
Josh Smith On Hawks, Max, Free Agency, Dwight
As the end of the 2012/13 season draws near, Josh Smith could be in his last few weeks as a member of the Hawks. Of course, it seemed we were just seconds away from hearing he'd been traded on deadline day, when Smith remained in Atlanta. Hawks GM Danny Ferry spoke to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com about the circumstances leading up to the deadline.
"I think our situation was unique in terms of still being competitive but also having cap space and flexibility going forward," the GM said. "We looked at all of our options at the end of June up until the trade deadline. Josh and I have had a positive and honest relationship from Day 1. He's been professional this season despite a lot of change and obviously a lot of distractions. I've enjoyed working with him."
Smith also opened up to Shelburne, and said he's open to re-signing with the Hawks. Still, he's looking forward to exploring unrestricted free agency for the first time. We'll round up the highlights of Smith's conversation with Shelburne here:
On why he answered affirmatively when asked if he deserves a max contract:
"The question was asked to me, 'Do I feel like I'm a max player?' And I gave him an honest answer. I said, 'Yes I do.' And the reason why I say this, is because if you don't know your worth, who will? I can't set my standards low. If you set them low, that's how people are going to view you. Like when you sell a house, you don't sell the house for $2 million. You put the $5 million sticker on there … and then you work it out. You negotiate."
On what he's looking for in his next team:
"Winning. That's all I care about. I want to have an opportunity to have a legitimate shot at getting a ring. I've been successful in high school, AAU, I want to have a legitimate shot at winning a title."
On his experience in restricted free agency in 2008, when he signed an offer sheet with the Grizzlies that the Hawks matched:
"I went to Philadelphia and sat down with the Clippers for dinner because I was already out here in Los Angeles (where he now lives during the offseason) for an adidas photo shoot. So this is going to be exciting for me to travel to different cities, and sit down and talk to executives and GMs."
On friend and fellow free agent Dwight Howard:
"Is Dwight serious about (Atlanta)? That's the question. Everybody would probably want to have him on the team. But Dwight is global now. That's in his mindset. He's addicted to it now. He's addicted to being global and international. That was the whole reason he wanted to leave Orlando is he wanted to have that big market."
On whether Howard would sign with the Hawks, who may make a push for him:
"I'm not going to say it's farfetched, but it is going to be kind of difficult to be able to persuade him."
Lakers Assign Sacre, Morris To D-League
We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls right here, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day….
- The Lakers have assigned a pair of players to the Los Angeles D-Fenders, according to the D-Fenders' official Twitter account. Robert Sacre and Darius Morris are headed back to the Lakers' D-League affiliate. Despite having been assigned to the D-League multiple times this season, neither player has logged much time with the D-Fenders. Sacre has averaged 11.0 PPG and 8.8 RPG in his six contests with the club, while Morris recorded 21 points in his lone game with the D-Fenders.
Odds & Ends: Calderon, Maxiell, Kobe
Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..
- David Mayo and Brendan Savage of MLive Media Group give their take on whether the Pistons should re-sign free-agent-to-be Jose Calderon, who the team acquired in January from the Raptors. In 26 games in Detroit, Calderon has become a more efficient shooter but has been the same defensive liability that he’s been his entire career.
- Jason Maxiell tore his retina and will miss the final eight games of the 2012/13 season. That means that he has likely played the last game of his Pistons career as he isn’t expected to be retained this summer, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- If things go off the rails this summer, the smartest thing for the Lakers could be to accelerate the post-Kobe Bryant rebuild while Kobe is still on the team, opines Bryan Kamenetzky of Land O’ Lakers.