Odds & Ends: Scola, Grizzlies, Kobe, Telfair
It's been a relatively quiet day as far as NBA rumors and transactions go, but a year ago today, things were heating up in anticipation of a later-than-usual March 15th trade deadline. No deals were consummated on the 14th, but the Bucks and Warriors had finalized a five-player blockbuster the day before, and plenty of rumors were swirling in advance of a deadline day that saw nine more trades completed. We won't be seeing any trades happen on March 14th this year, but while we wait to see if the evening brings any more minor deals or major rumors, let's round up a few odds and ends….
- Luis Scola experienced an emotional, bittersweet return to Houston last night, eight months after being amnestied by the Rockets, as Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic details.
- Although trading Rudy Gay was viewed as a financially-motivated decision by the Grizzlies, ESPN.com's Tom Haberstroh (Insider link) examines the team's performance since the deal and concludes that moving Gay may have been "addition by subtraction."
- At ESPNLosAngeles.com, Arash Markazi and Mark Saxon debate what Kobe Bryant's career holds after his current contract expires in 2014.
- Ian Thomsen of SI.com talks to Sebastian Telfair about his evolution from a hyped-up lottery pick to a solid NBA role player.
- Former NBA veterans Melvin Ely and Andres Nocioni are among the players tracked down in Max Ogden's latest "Where Are They Now?" piece for Sheridan Hoops.
Lakers Won’t Use Disabled Player Exception
Back in January, the Lakers picked up a disabled player exception for power forward Jordan Hill, who underwent surgery on his left hip. However, a team source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times that the club plans to let their $1.78MM exception expire without being used.
The Lakers didn't use the exception prior to the February 21st trade deadline but they still had the option of using it to sign a free agent. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has repeatedly suggested they will stay put with their current 14-player roster and their push to get an exception for Hill was believed to be a precautionary move from the get-go. Los Angeles' payroll already stands at a hefty $100MM for 2012/13.
Pacific Notes: Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Seattle
Last season, Stan Van Gundy went viral when he told reporters that Dwight Howard was pushing the Magic front office to fire him before leaving the big man to face the scrum all by himself. One would assume that the outspoken coach and the Lakers star are not on speaking terms, but that's not the case, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "We never stopped communicating even if there have been times he was very angry with me," Van Gundy said. "Dwight and I may not have always seen eye to eye. But I think there is mutual respect." More on the Lakers and the rest of the Pacific..
- Maalik Wayns is looking to make the most of his time with the Clippers, writes Eric Patten of NBA.com. You can keep up with all of this year's 10-day deals with our handy 10-day contract tracker.
- Chris Hansen, the prospective owner of the Kings, is calling on fans in Seattle to sign up for a "priority ticket waitlist" as a way to show the NBA how much interest there is in bringing pro basketball back to the area, according to the Associated Press. Commissioner David Stern said last week that Hansen's group currently has a significantly larger bid on the table than the competing Sacramento group.
- Howard will return to Orlando on Tuesday night and Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun isn't sure if the Lakers star has the mental toughness to thrive in that environment.
Pacific Notes: Howard, Gasol, Kings, McMillan
With the Lakers preparing to play the Magic in Orlando tomorrow night, Dwight Howard will be returning to the city where he spent the first eight years of his NBA career. In advance of the game, Howard spoke to Sam Amick of USA Today and expressed some regrets about the way he handled the situation in his final year with the Magic.
"In Orlando, I handled a lot of stuff the wrong way," Howard said. "If any of those people in Orlando are upset with how I did it, I apologize for the way I handled it and the way it was handled in the media."
Here's more from Howard and the rest of the Pacific Division:
- Howard and Amick spoke about several other topics, including his recovery from back surgery and his recent comments about his former Magic teammates. USA Today has a transcript of the Q&A.
- Amnestying Pau Gasol this summer may be an option for the Lakers if the team can't find a suitable trade, says Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (via Sulia). Clearing Gasol's near-$20MM cap hit from the books wouldn't get the Lakers out of the tax, assuming they re-sign Howard, but it would greatly reduce their bill. Still, I'd be pretty shocked if it came to that for the Lakers and Gasol.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee takes a look at the transition Patrick Patterson has been making as he takes on a new role with the Kings.
- Appearing on 710 ESPN in Seattle, Nate McMillan said he's "definitely looking to get back into coaching" and suggested that if the Kings were moved to Seattle, that job is one that would interest him. Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews has the details.
- Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee provide an update on the latest news related to the Kings sale.
Odds & Ends: Bulls, Gasol, Nuggets, Kings
Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- The Bulls may have the best trade package for the Lakers if they try to trade for Pau Gasol, but Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) can't really see the big man playing for coach Tom Thibodeau.
- The Nuggets roster has been shaped by the club's blockbuster Carmelo Anthony deal of 2011, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. "It was a great trade," said former NBA guard Steve Kerr. "The pieces all fit really well with a coach who is renowned for player development and up-tempo basketball… In the end, it's not as if the team was winning in the playoffs with Carmelo anyway."
- There's an eight-figure gap between the bids being put up by the Sacramento group and the Seattle group for the Kings, sources close to the situation tell Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
- The Mavericks cut guard Dominique Jones over his unwillingness to go to the D-League, but Dirk Nowitzki hopes that Jones finds new work rather quickly, according to Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram (on Sulia).
- Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Sulia) hears from sources that the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is adopting an NCAA tournament-style elimination format.
Los Angeles Notes: Clark, Dwight, Clippers
To say that the Lakers' season has been a roller coaster ride would be an understatement, and with a 7-2 record over their last nine games amidst a strong push for a spot in the Western Conference playoff picture, the purple and gold faithful have reason to hope that the car keeps climbing up. However, one of the biggest pleasant surprises seems to have hit a slump, as ESPN Los Angeles' Ramona Shelburne notes that Earl Clark has only reached double figure scoring once in the team's last seven games. We have a few links to share out of Los Angeles tonight, and you can find them below:
- Chauncey Billups opens up about the adjustments that he's had to make with the Clippers, from moving to shooting guard and returning from an achilles injury (Broderick Turner of the LA Times).
- Although he's had his share of struggles from the free throw line, Dwight Howard is too valuable in other areas of the game to be kept off the court during crunch time, opines Janis Carr of the OC Register.
- Howard tells Eric Pincus of the LA Times about what he's learned by playing alongside Kobe Bryant, particularly about getting over his fear of missing shots and improving off the court habits. "I think this is a blessing for me, to experience the stuff that I've experienced this year. It's just going to make me a better man and a better player…Just from watching Kobe — this has been great for me. I wouldn't have it any other way."
- Defending the three point line has been a glaring concern for the Clippers, who may find themselves unable to advance in the playoffs if things don't change, writes Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles.
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer notes the importance of the Lakers making the playoffs for the Cavaliers, as Cleveland will have the option of swapping Miami's first round pick with the Lakers' if it falls out of the lottery.
Kyler On Dwight, Gasol, Monta, Collins
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld took to Twitter tonight to offer thoughts on various questions about the NBA. Here are some of the highlights:
- He thinks that Dwight Howard will remain with the Lakers beyond this summer.
- The Lakers could possibly deal Pau Gasol in the offseason for smaller pieces, similar to what the Grizzlies did with Rudy Gay.
- On the subject of Monta Ellis opting in, Kyler notes that there could be a lucrative market for him in free agency this summer too.
- Doug Collins' coaching days in Philadelphia would seem to be numbered by now.
- Gilbert Arenas or Tracy McGrady probably won't sign anywhere this season, for the same reasons why they haven't been able to get anything done since the beginning of the year. He also doubts that Allen Iverson will get another opportunity in the NBA.
- It wouldn't be surprise if the Trail Blazers targeted Josh Smith, but re-tooling the bench appears to be the bigger need.
- Jerry Sloan would have to be in the right situation to consider returning, but it isn't likely that he'll find it.
Lakers Assign Morris, Sacre To D-League
The Los Angeles Lakers have assigned center Robert Sacre and guard Darius Morris to the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League, the team announced.
You can view every D-League assignment and recall of the 2012/13 season Hoops Rumors' D-League assignment tracker.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Nash, Gasol, Patterson
The latest news and notes from around the Pacific Division on Saturday morning:
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com discusses the importance of David Stern's implication that the Maloofs have no leverage in the sale of the Kings to the Seattle or Sacramento groups.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that Steve Nash is growing increasingly comfortable in his new role on the Lakers.
- Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports that Pau Gasol is still at least two weeks away from returning to action.
- Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com writes that the Kings traded for Patrick Patterson in part because of his close relationship with DeMarcus Cousins dating back to their time as teammates at the University of Kentucky.
- Wendell Maxey of RidiculousUpside.com chronicles Malcolm Thomas' journey from Israel to the D-League to the Warriors.
Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Bucks, Mavs, Rockets
As rumors fly long past the NBA's trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com checks in with a Weekend Dime that's heavy on items about Josh Smith, as well as plenty of news about the Rockets. There's even a link between Smith and Houston, so let's dig in.
- The Bucks came closest to acquiring Smith at the deadline, as a source tells Stein that Atlanta's talks with the Sixers were never as serious as they were with Milwaukee.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that the Hawks nearly sent Smith to the Celtics, but Stein hears Atlanta's brass shared the concerns of many NBA teams that C's basketball president Danny Ainge would get cold feet about dealing one of his stars. Paul Pierce would have been sent to the Mavs in the rumored Smith-to-Boston trade.
- The Hawks preferred to send Smith to the Western Conference, but were rebuffed by the Mavs, who refused to add a draft pick to a package that already included Vince Carter, Chris Kaman, Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright and Dahntay Jones. Many of those Mavericks were also part of the proposed three-way trade with the Celtics.
- If the Rockets don't land top target Dwight Howard this summer, they'll turn their attention to Smith and Andrew Bynum next, sources tell Stein.
- Aaron Brooks forfeited just under $3.4MM in his buyout from the Kings, Stein hears. Brooks was set to make $3.396MM next season on a player option, so presumably the buyout simply entailed him declining that option.
- I took a look in January at all the former Rockets the team still has on the payroll, a list that's since grown even longer, as Stein notes. Houston has waived or bought out 10 players this season, all of whom are still on the team's cap.
- Stein catches up with Thomas Robinson, who was surprised when the Kings drafted him last year and "shocked" when they traded him to the Rockets at the deadline.
- There's a schism in thought around the league about whether Monta Ellis is leaning toward staying with the Bucks next season or exercising his early-termination option to hit free agency this summer.
- Samuel Dalembert is hitting free agency no matter what, but echoing his report before the trade deadline that Milwaukee was no longer trying to move Dalembert, Stein says the Bucks have some interest in re-signing the Haitian center.