Pacific Notes: Kings, Bryant, Clippers
With Andrew Bynum conceding the fact that he is not a sneaker guy while also making demands for the ball late in the game, let's take a look around the rest of the Pacific Division to see what else is going on:
- The city of Sacramento and the NBA continue to make progress toward reaching a financing deal for a new arena, reports Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee. The topic of discussion for today has been agreeing on what the Maloof family, the owners of the Kings, should be contributing monetarily to the project. While Saturday's talks have extended beyond the expected two hour meeting and delayed a press conference on the arena discussions, USA Today's J. Michael Falgoust reports (via Twitter) that the Kings are going to be asked to provide between $70MM and $90MM to help fund the arena.
- After skipping out on Friday's All-Star media availability due to illness, Lakers star Kobe Bryant met with the press on Saturday and discussed Dwight Howard's uncertain future. Bryant conceded that there has been a sense of awkwardness surrounding Howard's situation during All-Star Weekend in Orlando, but also empathized with how he perceives Howard must be feeling, writes Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com. "He just wants his team [to win]… with players, sometimes there's a certain level of frustration when we don't feel like we're moving in the right direction."
- The Clippers' trade to acquire All-Star point guard Chris Paul just prior to the start of the season has done wonders for the franchise both on and off the court, says Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. Not only does the team occupy the top spot in the Pacific, the Clippers are also selling out all of their home games, have doubled their regional television ratings and seen merchandise sales sky-rocket since Paul's arrival.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Paul, Aldridge, Durant
Here's a look at links from around the league as we look ahead to All-Star Saturday night..
- Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News doesn't like the current look of the Lakers and places the blame on the shoulders of VP Jim Buss. Goodwill writes that he doesn't seem willing or able to put the necessary resources into making them a real threat in the postseason.
- Recent All-Star weekends have been dominated by talk of where star players could be dealt, writes Peter Kerasotis of the New York Times. Last year, Carmelo Anthony was the focus just before the Nuggets sent him to the Knicks.
- Since acquiring Chris Paul, the Clippers' turnover percentage has improved dramatically, writes Justin Kubatko of the New York Times.
- Meanwhile, John Reid of the Times Picayune writes that Paul is happy in Los Angeles and confident that the club can sustain the talent level.
- Jeff McDonald of the Express-News wonders what could have been at the University of Texas if LaMarcus Aldridge hadn't declared early for the draft in 2006 and instead teamed up with incoming freshman Kevin Durant.
Odds & Ends: Celtics, Gasol, Hornets
After two furious months of nights packed with basketball, the first evening of the All-Star break has given the league a chance to exhale. As usual, the celebrity game provided comic relief, and Kyrie Irving's MVP performance in the Rising Stars game provided the only mildly competitive action of the night. Here's what's up as the All-Star rumor mill gets going:
- Celtics team president Danny Ainge, who earlier this year left the door open to a major shakeup in Boston, will "only do things that help us in the long-term," he told Paul Flannery of Sportsradio WEEI. He said he won't make a trade before the March 15th deadline just to bring about change, according to the report. Elrod Enchilada of RealGM outlines a plan for if Ainge does decide to break up the team.
- The Lakers would seek significant return for Pau Gasol, and nothing appears in the works, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
- Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com rounds up the latest on possible buyers for the Hornets. The group that appears to have the inside track is led by Los Angeles businessman Raj Bhathal and includes former NBA player, coach and executive Mike Dunleavy as well as Larry J. Benson, brother of New Orleans Saints owner Tom Benson.
- Tyler Zeller of North Carolina is currently the only college senior projected by NBADraft.net to be a lottery pick this year, but Pacers All-Star Roy Hibbert demonstrates why teams shouldn't overlook four-year college players, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet.
- Jason Kidd, who will be a 39-year-old free agent at season's end, is already seeing the least playing time of his career, averaging 28.3 MPG. Dirk Nowitzki tells Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that he doubts Kidd will play in every game during a stretch of nine games in 12 days for the Mavs after the All-Star break.
- Mavs guard Delonte West will be out on the market again this summer after signing a one-year deal for the veteran's minimum with Dallas before the season. In a piece by Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News examining West's ups and downs, including his struggle with mental illness, he admits he's been affected by unsubstantiated rumors that he had an affair with LeBron James' mother two years ago. West again denies the claims.
- Ryan Anderson, a restricted free agent this summer, was overshadowed in the Vince Carter trade three years ago, is overlooked as Orlando talk centers around Dwight Howard, and is overmatched in the race for Most Improved Player against Jeremy Lin. Still, he continues his sterling play for the Magic this season, writes Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star wonders whether the lockout achieved its purpose, as players are still using their leverage to get to large markets, a culture of haves and have-nots persists, and two franchises remain in flux.
Rasheed Wallace Plans To Sign With Lakers
Over a year and a half since he last played in an NBA game, Rasheed Wallace will come out of retirement and sign with the Lakers, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com.
Wallace played for the Celtics in 2009/10, but had the rest of his contract bought out by the team and retired that summer. While the 37-year-old hasn't played since Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, he was said to be contemplating a comeback earlier this season.
The Lakers, with 14 players on their roster, won't have to make a move to clear a spot for Wallace. There had been speculation that the team could sign Gilbert Arenas using that roster spot, but the Lakers didn't make a move after watching Arenas work out in L.A. As for Wallace, Blakely hears from sources that a renewed conditioning regimen has the veteran big man looking better than he has "in years." Still, as a rival executive tells Blakely, Wallace will merely provide bench depth for the Lakers — adding him doesn't necessarily mean the team is more inclined to move Pau Gasol.
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports reported in early February that the Lakers may have some interest in Wallace if Kenyon Martin signed elsewhere. Martin, of course, ended up in Los Angeles, but signed with the Clippers, not the Lakers.
Pacific Notes: Nash, Lakers, Kings
In the 2005/06 season, the Clippers finished 47-35, topping their L.A. rivals by two games. Since then, the Lakers have finished ahead of the Clippers in the standings every season, but the two teams are in a neck-and-neck race for the Pacific Division crown this year. The Clippers will head into the All-Star break with a slight lead, as even a win for the Lakers in Oklahoma City tonight would only reduce the Clips' lead to a half-game. Here are a few afternoon links out of the Pacific:
- At the end of his midseason awards, Ken Berger of CBS Sports names Stephen Jackson the "most disgruntled" player and Steve Nash the "most likely to be traded." The Nash note is interesting, since it still appears the Suns have no intention of dealing Nash unless he asks out. Presumably, Berger believes that's a real possibility.
- Magic Johnson continues to weigh in on the Lakers, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times writes. In addition to suggesting a meeting between Kobe Bryant and Jim Buss, Magic also said the team needs to make "one or two trades" before the deadline.
- Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee continues to hear that the threat to the Kings staying in Sacramento comes from Anaheim rather than Seattle. Seattle is years away from opening the doors on a new building and would need to find someone willing to sell a franchise.
- Earlier this afternoon, we looked at the Warriors' asking price for Monta Ellis.
Rose Rejects ‘Trade Blessing’ Claim
When asked about a report that he gave the Bulls his blessing to pursue a trade for Lakers forward Pau Gasol, Bulls star Derrick Rose vehemently denied any involvement. The initial rumor of Rose approaching the Bulls front office about bolstering the roster for a playoff run came on Sunday from Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com. According to the article, Rose alluded to the fact that he would like to play with Gasol and hoped the organization could acquire him in exchange for Bulls forward Carlos Boozer and another unnamed player.
In a press conference before Wednesday's game against the Bucks, Rose said he would never go out of his way to try get rid of a teammate. Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times says Rose met with Boozer to discuss the report and said that his teammate understood that the rumors were untrue. "I'm good with the teammates I have," Rose said. "I've been saying that. We've been winning games. We're not in position to trade anyone right now."
A former Blue Devil, Boozer is in his second season with the Bulls and has started in all of the team's games this season. After missing time in his first year with Chicago, Boozer's improved health has led to steady production from the 10th-year veteran as he's averaging 15.6 PPG and 8.3 APG. Signed as free agent after spending time with the Cavaliers and Jazz, Boozer has $47.1MM remaining on his contract over the next three seasons.
Magic: Kobe Needs To Talk With Buss
During a conference call on Wednesday to promote his new ESPN film, "The Announcement," former Lakers great Magic Johnson addressed the need for Kobe Bryant to meet with Lakers management to discuss a series of unresolved issues. Johnson made it clear that Bryant must speak with Jim Buss, the Lakers' vice president of player personnel, rather than general manager Mitch Kupchak as the chain of command has shifted within the organization. Kupchak and Bryant have been bantering back and forth through the media regarding Pau Gasol's future as a Laker.
According to ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin, Johnson believes any decisions related to trades or free agency run through Buss rather than Kupchak. The goal of a conversation between Buss and Bryant would be to keep the star informed on key issues that surround the team with hopes of keeping in-house bantering out of the media. Buss' father, Dr. Jerry Buss, was known to have taken Bryant out for meals to keep him up to speed on any important decisions that would affect the team.
When questioned by the media about Johnson's recommendation for a meeting between Bryant and Buss, Bryant responded by saying, "perhaps." Amidst all of the trade rumors surrounding the Lakers, Bryant has supported Gasol and said that he would like him to remain on the team along with Andrew Bynum. Regardless of his supporting cast, Bryant has stated on multiple occasions that his lone focus remains on securing a sixth NBA championship, which would tie him with Michael Jordan.
Pau Gasol Rumors: Wednesday
Despite a public plea from Kobe Bryant, GM Mitch Kupchak doesn't intend to take Pau Gasol off the trade block yet. Just under 58% of Hoops Rumors readers who responded to yesterday's poll expect the Lakers to deal Gasol, but with just over three weeks until the trade deadline, Gasol figures to be the subject of trade rumors and speculation right up until March 15th. Yesterday's Gasol updates can be found here, while today's items are rounded up below, with the latest on top:
- A Western Conference executive tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that the Lakers are seeking too large a return for Gasol: "I doubt Pau goes anywhere…. I love Pau, but the Lakers are asking for way too much."
- The most logical trade rumors involving Gasol are the ones that involve point guards, says Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, who names Rajon Rondo and Kyle Lowry as two trade targets that make sense for L.A. Whether or not the Celtics or Rockets would part ways with their point guards to acquire Gasol is another issue. As much as the Rockets are said to like Gasol, they don't seem inclined to make Lowry available.
- No moves involving Gasol are imminent, adds Deveney.
- The Lakers are receiving below-average production from so many players in their rotation that trading Gasol may be the only logical way to fill their holes, says John Hollinger in an Insider-only ESPN.com piece.
- Lee Jenkins of SI.com notes that it was a public tirade from Kobe that ultimately led to the Lakers acquiring Gasol, and explores what Kobe's latest rant could mean for the team.
Poll: Will The Lakers Trade Pau Gasol?
Player-only meetings often happen as the result of a lengthy losing streak or a particularly embarrassing defeat, but this wasn't the case for the Lakers, who called a players-only meeting after a resounding win over the Trail Blazers yesterday. According to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant gathered the team to try to set the tone for the rest of the season, making sure no one was distracted by trade rumors.
Many of those trade rumors have involved Pau Gasol, who has been linked to the Rockets, Timberwolves, Magic, and Celtics, among other teams. While we continue to follow today's Pau-related updates here, today's poll question is simple: Will Gasol be traded? Whether or not the Lakers should trade the Spaniard is another discussion altogether, one which you can weigh in on in the comments section. But will the Lakers trade Gasol before this season's trade deadline?
Will The Lakers Trade Pau Gasol?
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Yes 57% (803)
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No 43% (598)
Total votes: 1,401
Pau Gasol Rumors: Tuesday
While Pau Gasol appeared a little more at ease last night with the trade rumors swirling around Los Angeles, relations between Kobe Bryant and GM Mitch Kupchak still seem tense. After Kupchak released a statement that essentially said he wasn't going to give in to Kobe's request for the team to make a decision quickly on Gasol, Bryant told reporters, "I already said what I had to say. I'm done."
Kobe's public frustration may be a result of the team's lack of private communication with him, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
"Kobe's exploding, and he should," a source with ties to the Lakers told Berger. "Your lead player, you should always have communication with him let him know what's going on. There's no communication, and that's ridiculous."
As drama continues to surround the Lakers, here are today's updates on Gasol, with the newest items up top:
- Los Angeles won't send Gasol to Minnesota if Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio are off-limits, according to Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld. Pincus says the Lakers may have trouble finding a two-team deal for Gasol, though the Rockets and Timberwolves make some sense in three-team deals.
- The Lakers have resolved not to trade Gasol unless they get a "young star" in return, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
- Peter Vecsey of the New York Post explains why the Knicks should deal Carmelo Anthony for Pau Gasol. Not sure I can get behind that argument.
- Vecsey also hears that the Timberwolves and Lakers haven't discussed any deals in two months, including anything involving Gasol and Derrick Williams.
- Bryant's public rant hurts the Lakers and Gasol, says T.J. Simers of the L.A. Times.