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Odds & Ends: Andersen, Grizzlies, Lakers, Nash

January 21st, 2013 at 12:51pm CST by Luke Adams

Happy Martin Luther King Day to our American readers. For the NBA, the holiday means plenty of afternoon basketball, with Pacers/Grizzlies and Kings/Hornets contests already underway. As we look forward to a few more daytime games, including the Nets and Knicks playing in Madison Square Garden, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

Although Chris Andersen just signed a 10-day contract with the Heat, the club would like to keep him for the rest of the season if things work out, tweets Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld hears from sources that it would probably be easier for the Grizzlies to find good value on the trade market for Zach Randolph, rather than Rudy Gay. However, Memphis isn't actively looking to move either player at this point, according to Kyler.
Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com points out that, despite not being asked about whether the Lakers need to make a trade or signing, Kobe Bryant made an interesting comment when talking about the team's struggles: "Unless they're going to do something roster-wise, I got to continue to push through it. If this is what we're rolling with, then I can't make excuses. I got to go out there and do my job."
Chris Smith, J.R. Smith's younger brother, would like to return to the Knicks next season once he gets healthy, as he tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv. Smith was expected to make the team this fall but was waived after suffering a knee injury.
Although Steve Nash seriously considered returning to his home country and signing with the Raptors last summer, Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star argues that Nash wouldn't have been an ideal fit in Toronto.

Heat Recall Dexter Pittman From D-League

January 20th, 2013 at 5:50pm CST by Alex Lee

Two days after being assigned to Sioux Falls Skyforce, Dexter Pittman has been recalled by the Heat, according to a team release. Pittman will be available for Miami's home game against the Raptors on Wednesday night.

Pittman was recalled to the Heat on January 17 for one game and was then re-assigned to the D-League. He was initially sent down on December 26 after nearly two months in the NBA. In 12 games for Sioux Falls, Pittman has averaged 13.3 points and 9.2 rebounds and was named to the 2013 NBA D-League Showcase Second Team.

Winderman On Jones, Miller, Scola, Bosh

January 20th, 2013 at 3:41pm CST by Sean Highkin

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has a new mailbag column covering a variety of Heat-related topics. Here are the highlights:

James Jones and Mike Miller would be the most logical trade candidates on the Heat's roster, although Jones has repeatedly said he only wants to play in Miami, and Miller's contract would prevent the Heat from getting anything of value in return.
Winderman doesn't see Luis Scola as a viable option for the Heat, given the restrictions on trading him due to the amnesty clause, and the fact that he would have to take a buyout with the Suns in order to sign.
Winderman isn't buying the recent talk that the Heat should trade Chris Bosh, arguing that he makes them better and they wouldn't be able to get equal value on the trade market.

Odds & Ends: Prigioni, Hawks, Kupchak, Bonner

January 20th, 2013 at 1:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Here's news from around the league on a busy Sunday, with one month and a day to go before the trade deadline:

The Knicks would have offered Pablo Prigioni a contract long before last summer if former coach Mike D'Antoni hadn't been so doubtful of the Spanish leaguer's foot speed, as Marc Berman of the New York Post reveals.
Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer sees plenty of complications to any return of LeBron James to the Cavs.
If Hawks GM Danny Ferry decides to change coaches over the summer, Quin Snyder and Mike Brown would be early favorites, according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link).
There's speculation Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak could lose his job if the team doesn't make the playoffs, writes Bob Finnan of The News Herald. Finnan rounds up the week's rumors from around the league, and chronicles the rise of agent Rich Paul.
Players union vice president Matt Bonner shared his reaction to a law firm's report about its investigation into the organization's practices, and said he's not interested in succeeding Derek Fisher as union president, as Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News recounts.

Heat Sign Chris Andersen, Jarvis Varnado

January 20th, 2013 at 9:54am CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat have signed big men Chris Andersen and Jarvis Varnado, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter links). Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com tweets confirmation of the Andersen signing, which Winderman had indicated by revealing the Birdman was practicing with the team this morning. The team has sent out a release making their deals official. Both are on 10-day contracts. It's the second 10-day deal with Miami for Varnado after his first deal expired Friday night.

Andersen is returning to the NBA after the Nuggets placed him on amnesty waivers this summer. The Heat has shown interest in him multiple times since then, bringing him in for a workout earlier this month. Shortly after the workout, the team signed Varnado and Josh Harrellson to 10-day deals instead, but elected not to bring Harrellson back when his short-term pact ended last night.

The Heat ostensibly made the moves to shore up their rebounding, as no team has collected fewer boards this year. Andersen has averaged 5.2 rebounds in 17.9 minutes per game over his 10-year career. Even though his minutes were down to 15.2 per contest last season in Denver, the 6'10" Andersen still notched 11.0 rebounds per 36 minutes, better than his career rate of 10.5.

Varnado, a rookie, has seen just 30 minutes of playing time in stints with the Celtics and Heat this year, but put up 10.0 RPG in 30.5 MPG over 10 D-League games this season. He was in traning camp this fall with the Heat, who originally drafted him 41st overall in 2010.

Amico On Gay, Kings, Millsap, West, Oden

January 20th, 2013 at 8:38am CST by Chuck Myron

The latest piece from Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is brimming with juicy material, so let's dive right in.

Even though the Grizzlies are reportedly in a "holding pattern" regarding trades, Memphis is still talking to other teams about moving Rudy Gay. The clubs engaged most heavily in those discussions are the Bobcats, Timberwolves, Suns and, more recently, Hawks. Nonetheless, a source tells Amico not to expect a Gay trade until after the All-Star break.
Speaking of holding patterns, that appears to be the current state of any potential Kings sale, Amico writes. Whatever happens, it's "pretty clear" this is the final season for Geoff Petrie as GM. He's in the final year of his deal, and the 64-year-old reportedly wants to retire.
We heard Friday about the Nets' possible interest in Paul Millsap, and Amico confirms Brooklyn, along with the Bucks and Nuggets, are among teams that could make a push for Millsap at the deadline. Most of the teams in that mix would want to offer Millsap an extension immediately upon acquiring him, since he's in the final year of his contract.
Like Millsap, David West is another power forward set to hit the unrestricted free agent market, but the Pacers are confident they can re-sign him, Amico reports. That's why the team is largely ignoring trade offers for him.
Greg Oden hopes to sign with a team around the All-Star break or right after the trade deadline. Interested clubs include the Celtics, Heat, Mavericks and Cavaliers.

Odds & Ends: LeBron, Miles, Harrington

January 19th, 2013 at 11:33pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With LeBron James currently slated to become a free agent in 2014, Mary Schmitt-Boyer of The Plain Dealer thinks that speculation about a possible return to the Cavaliers could become a hot topic over the next 18 months. Don't count former Cleveland guard Mo Williams among those who thinks about the notion much, telling Schmitt-Boyer when asked about the possibility of LeBron's homecoming: "I don't know, I don't know. I think that is a question for him only." Here's more links from the rest of the NBA tonight:

In another article, Schmitt-Boyer extracts thoughts from C.J. Miles' former coach Tyrone Corbin about the shooting guard's solid development in Cleveland.
In what is considered a big step in the right direction during his recovery, Al Harrington participated in 3-on-3 scrimmages with the Magic at the end of Saturday's practice (Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports).
Rockets coach Kevin McHale, who says that he hasn't seen or spoken with Royce White in over a month, responded with "Out of sight, out of mind" when asked about the rookie forward's current status with the team, notes Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press.
In another article regarding the Timberwolves' newly signed wing player Mickael Gelabale, Richardson writes that the Frenchman garnered recommendations from fellow Olympic teammates Tony Parker, Nicolas Batum, and Ronny Turiaf. Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune says that Gelabale looks at his opportunity at an NBA comeback as something that has been on his mind for the last five years.
Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida delves into Vince Carter's goal of someday making it into the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Lawrence On Suns, Babby, Blanks, Heat, Europe

January 19th, 2013 at 4:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News consistently delivers at least few noteworthy rumors in his weekly column, and this week's edition is no exception. He touches on the state of the Nets and some chirping between Dwight Howard and former Lakers sharpshooter Robert Horry, and we'll round up the rest right here:

Suns president Lon Babby is in the final year of his contract, and is "probably done" in Phoenix, where owner Robert Sarver, not known for his patience, appears anxious to make changes, Lawrence hears, adding that GM Lance Blanks could also be on his way out.
In addition to a big man, the Heat are also looking for an upgrade at point guard. Lawrence suggests the Heat, who aren't re-signing Josh Harrellson to another 10-day contract, are still mulling whether to sign Chris Andersen, who worked out for the team earlier this month.
Lawrence doesn't think London, which played host on Thursday to the Knicks–Pistons game, is anywhere near ready for an NBA franchise, and believes the league might be better off expanding into Barcelona or Rome, where there's greater interest in the game. Commissioner David Stern foresees multiple NBA teams based in Europe within 20 years.

Heat Won’t Bring Back Josh Harrellson

January 19th, 2013 at 2:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

Josh Harrellson's 10-day contract expires at midnight tonight, and it will signal the end of his tenure with the team, according to Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, who tweets that the team will not give the second-year big man another 10-day deal. The same appears to be the case for Jarvis Varnado, who became a free agent today after the Heat failed to re-sign him to another deal when his 10-day contract ended last night.

Harrellson will explore other options that will net him more playing time, Goodman notes. He made the Heat out of training camp on a non-guaranteed deal before he was waived January 7th, and he returned January 10th on his 10-day pact. Still, the 6'10" University of Kentucky product appeared in just six games for a total of 31 minutes after averaging 14.6 minutes across 37 contests for the Knicks last year. New York let him go over the summer in the sign-and-trade deal that brought Marcus Camby to the Knicks, and the Rockets waived Harrellson shortly thereafter.

The Heat are set to have 13 players on their roster once Harrellson's deal is finished tonight, giving them plenty of flexibility to shore up their rebounding woes. The Heat recently auditioned Chris Andersen, and Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors examined the Birdman and other options who could help the team improve its work on the boards. Miami is 30th in the league in total rebounds this season.

Odds & Ends: Andersen, Knicks, Gay, Bobcats

January 19th, 2013 at 12:24pm CST by Zachary Links

The Birdman has likely flown across the Knicks' radar, but the club has yet to engage Chris Anderson in serious talks or bring him in for a workout, according to Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (on Twitter). The free agent has obvious Knicks ties thanks to his time playing with J.R. Smith in Denver and his ties to GM Glen Grunwald. Here's more from around basketball on this Saturday afternoon..

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter links) wonders if the Bobcats are willing to take on Rudy Gay's sizable contract. The forward will earn $17.9MM next season and $19.3MM in 2014/15. Charlotte is reportedly very interested in the Grizzlies star.
Meanwhile, GM Rod Higgins tells Bonnell (on Twitter) that there is no limit as to what the Bobcats might try to do before the deadline.
After their recent west coast swing, it's safe to say that this Heat roster is more than qualified to win another title as currently assembled, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
The Raptors need to seek out talented veterans with winning experience in the opinion of Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Star (via Twitter).
The Suns' front office is responsible for the club's woes, not former coach Alvin Gentry, opines Tom Ziller of SB Nation. I had a similar take in this morning's edition of Hoops Links.