Heat Unlikely To Make Deadline Move
The Miami Heat are unlikely to make a trade before Thursday's deadline, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Pat Riley has a history of making splashy moves at the deadline, dating back to the mid-1990s when he acquired Tim Hardaway and Jamal Mashburn. But Winderman writes that these moves have decreased in recent years, and there isn't any indication that he will make a move before Thursday.
Winderman writes that the most attractive trade asset the Heat have is the Sixers' lottery-protected 2013 first-round pick, acquired for the rights to Arnett Moultrie in June of 2012. Joel Anthony and Mike Miller are unlikely to be moved due to their contracts, and Winderman notes that Miller is very likely to be waived via the amnesty clause this summer. Mario Chalmers could be moved, but Winderman does not believe there is a deal out there for the point guard that the team must make.
Odds & Ends: Knicks, Randolph, Josh Smith
Kyrie Irving is willing to listen to any pitch LeBron James might make about joining forces on the Cavaliers in 2014, a source tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who wonders if All-Stars from around the league will use this weekend to hatch plots to form more superteams. While we wait to hear if any such whispers emanate from Houston, here's the latest from the Association:
- Jared Zwerling, speaking with fellow ESPNNewYork.com scribe Ian Begley, says he's hearing the Knicks will "hold tight" and not make a move before the trade deadline (video link).
- Zach Randolph agrees with owner Robert Pera's view that the Grizzlies are stronger after the Rudy Gay trade, as Kyle Veazey of the Memphis Commercial Appeal details.
- The Grizzlies have reportedly assured Randolph that he won't be traded, and the power forward spoke today about his desire to remain in Memphis. Jeff Zillgitt and Kevin Spain of USA Today have more.
- Trade candidate Josh Smith talked about dealing with speculation about his post-deadline address and his belief that he deserves a max deal with Lang Whitaker of GQ.
- Jeff Teague believes rumors involving Smith and others have been a huge distraction for the Hawks, as HoopsWorld's Bill Ingram tweets.
- Billy Hunter ally and former players union executive vice president Maurice Evans told Jason Whitlock of FoxSports.com he's received a letter warning him to stay away from tomorrow's meeting that will decide whether Hunter remains executive director. Evans, who has not played in the NBA this season, also contends the only reason Derek Fisher signed with the Mavs is so he could remain union president and engineer Hunter's exit.
- HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy checks in with a few points to keep in mind as the trade deadline approaches.
Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Gordon, Heat, Rose
Despite Mark Cuban's belief that adding an overpaid player with a massive contract would be a huge mistake considering the framework of the current CBA, Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas wonders if the Mavericks would explore trading for Hornets guard Eric Gordon as a possible fallback option if the team falls short in its effort to land Dwight Howard this summer. On another note, Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops explains why it would be wise for Dallas to deal Vince Carter and Shawn Marion for expiring contracts and draft picks now if they want to give themselves a legitimate chance at going after Howard, Chris Paul, or Andrew Bynum in upcoming free agency.
Here are more of this evening's odds and ends:
- A report from ESPN (via the Associated Press) states that NBA Commissioner David Stern expects a concrete plan from Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson within the next two weeks regarding the Kings' future. Although the NBA Board of Governors does not meet until April 17-18, Stern believes that the official proposal could be made by March 1st "if (Mayor Johnson) follows through on what he's told us." He also put the kibosh on the idea of expansion and doesn't foresee a scenario where both Seattle and Sacramento wind up with teams.
- With 15 guaranteed contracts and the team on a roll as of late, Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida figures that the Heat will be very quiet at the trade deadline next week (Twitter link).
- Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago gets the sense that Bulls superstar Derrick Rose won't be returning this season.
- Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside provides a rundown of the top available point guards in the D-League and organizes them in groups by what they specifically have to offer.
- After suffering a torn ACL on Tuesday night, Kentucky big man Nerlens Noel figures to be on a six-to-eight month recovery. Once touted by some to be the number one overall pick in this June's draft, Noel has slid to number three in Chad Ford's ESPN rankings of the top 30 prospects (Insiders only). On a side note, Darren Rovell (also of ESPN) tweets that Noel has a $10MM insurance policy in the event that he suffers a career ending injury.
- In a statement issued to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, David Falk (the former agent of Michael Jordan) apologized for his disparaging comments about John Wall and the Wizards recently.
- There have been a flurry of reports today about Lakers owner Jerry Buss' bout with terminal cancer, which was first reported by Amber Goodhand of Radar Online this morning. In a statement issued by the team today, it was made clear that there is no intention of selling the team to an outside group and that the Buss family plans to keep ownership of the Lakers for many generations to come (Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News).
D-League Moves: Pittman, Miller, Stone
We'll keep track of today's D-League assignments and recalls right here, with any additional moves added to the top of the page:
- Dexter Pittman has been recalled from the D-League by the Heat, according to a team release. Pittman averaged 9.0 PPG and 7.3 RPG in three games during his most recent stint with the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
- The Nuggets have recalled Quincy Miller and Julyan Stone from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. While Miller has averaged 11.3 PPG for the Iowa Energy in 23 D-League games, Stone struggled during his stint with the club, going scoreless in his last four contests. Neither player figures to see much action with the Nuggets, but they'll provide depth for tonight's game in Brooklyn, particularly if Andre Iguodala, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and JaVale McGee remain sidelined.
Oden Leaning Toward Cavs; Heat Out Of Mix?
WEDNESDAY, 10:53am: Sources tell Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that Oden appears to be leaning toward the Cavaliers.
MONDAY, 1:58pm: The field of suitors for Greg Oden may have decreased by one, as Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports (via Twitter) that the Heat have removed themselves from the running. Miami had been considered one of the frontrunners for Oden, according to a report last month.
On Friday, we heard that the Cavaliers were preparing to make Oden a contract offer after the trade deadline. Amico confirms that report, adding that the Bobcats are also expected to make an offer. While the Cavs have about $4MM in cap space that they could use for their offer, the Bobcats have a pro-rated portion of the $2.5MM mini mid-level exception available.
Although Oden isn't expected to appear on the court until the 2013/14 season, his agent has suggested he may sign a contract this season in order to rehab with an NBA club. If the former first overall pick were to wait until the summer to sign, perhaps the Heat could re-emerge as an option, since they'd have their $3MM taxpayer mid-level exception available at that point. That's just my speculation though — it's not clear if an inability to offer more than the minimum this year is the reason why the Heat are out of the running for Oden.
In addition to the Heat, Cavs and Bobcats, the Celtics, Spurs, Pacers, Hornets, and Mavericks have also been mentioned as potential destinations for Oden.
Spurs Talked Blair Trade With Raptors, Pistons
The Spurs offered forward DeJuan Blair to the Pistons and discussed a deal involving him with the Raptors, but nothing has come of those talks so far, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Broussard hears that the Celtics, Heat, and Trail Blazers are among the teams that could have interest in the 23-year-old.
Blair has been considered a trade candidate for quite some time and there has been friction between him and the club ever since he was effectively 86'd from the rotation in the 2012 postseason. The Pitt product is seeing less playing time than ever this season, averaging 13.9 minutes per contest versus 20.2 per game over the previous three years in San Antonio.
Recently, it was reported that the Warriors also have interest in acquiring Blair.
Odds & Ends: Jazz, Millsap, Marion, Andersen, MJ
Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..
- Between Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, the Jazz are more likely to deal Millsap, several opposing team executives tell Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Sulia). The consensus is that Utah can’t afford to keep both with Gordon Hayward soon to be eligible for an extension and the belief that he is in the team’s long-term plans.
- If Shawn Marion’s deal was expiring at season’s end, we would be hearing trade speculation about him on a daily basis, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Marion has attracted attention because of his strong play as of late, but his $9.3MM player option for next season is something of a deterrent.
- Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) likes what Chris Andersen has brought to the Heat and believes that he has fixed the club’s only glaring weakness. The Heat signed Birdman for the remainder of the season late last week.
- Lakers forward Antawn Jamison believes that Michael Jordan could still play at the age of 50 if he was on the right team alongside the likes of a LeBron James or Kobe Bryant, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Eastern Notes: Knicks, Heat, Pistons, Harkless
The latest news and notes from around the Eastern Conference on Saturday morning:
- Al Iannazzone of Newsday.com talks to a longtime NBA coach about the difficulty of gameplanning for the Knicks because of their depth. The coach cites Amare Stoudemire, J.R. Smith, and Steve Novak as bench players teams have to plan for in addition to New York's starters.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that the Heat will be faced with a challenge posed by the new CBA when it comes to keeping their big three together in the future.
- David Mayo of MLive.com takes a look at the ways in which the Pistons will compensate for Andre Drummond's absence.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel talks to Magic guard Arron Afflalo about rookie Maurice Harkless' impressive play.
Eastern Rumors: Drummond, Nets, Collins, Bulls
Pistons center Andre Drummond will miss four to six weeks with a stress fracture of the fifth lumbar vertebra in his back, as first reported by MLive's David Mayo (Twitter link), and confirmed by the team, via press release. Since Detroit has only faint hope of a playoff spot and has been limiting the rookie's minutes this year, it seems unlikely the injury will prompt a move, but the Pistons do have pro-rated portions of their mid-level and biannual exceptions available. While Detroit fans endure another test to their patience, here's more on a handful of squads they'd like their team to someday surpass in the Eastern Conference:
- With a pair of rumors surfacing today that link the Nets to Josh Smith and Ben Gordon, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News shares responses from Joe Johnson (via Sulia), Kris Humphries and coach P.J. Carlesimo that suggest the team may be open to a move (Twitter links).
- In the midst of a frustrating season for the Sixers, Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News wonders whether coach Doug Collins will return next season.
- In an Insider piece, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com shares insight from executives who believe the Bulls, with a healthy Derrick Rose, will be the Heat's most significant threat in the East.
- Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times runs down a list of reasons the Bulls should keep Carlos Boozer, opining that Andrea Bargnani, the centerpiece of a proposed deal with the Raptors, wouldn't be a fit in coach Tom Thibodeau's system. I looked at Boozer's trade candidacy earlier tonight.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com gives his take on Boozer and other issues surrounding Chicago and the rest of the league as part of a lengthy mailbag piece.
Heat Sign Chris Andersen For Season
9:49am: The Heat have officially signed Andersen for the rest of the season, the team announced today (Twitter link).
9:32am: Chris Andersen's second 10-day contract with the Heat is set to expire at midnight tonight, but the Birdman won't be out looking for work tomorrow. According to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post (via Twitter), Andersen's agent says his client will be signed for the remainder of the season by the Heat.
Andersen, 34, will be the 15th man on the Heat's roster, meaning the team won't have any open spots remaining. If Miami wants to add another body, the team could always release a player on a guaranteed contract and absorb the extra cap hit. It's also possible that the club opens up a roster spot before the trade deadline by moving a player or two.
After seeing limited minutes during his first 10 days in Miami, Andersen has been worked into the team's rotation during his second contract, averaging 4.3 PPG and 4.3 RPG in four February contests. His rest-of-season contract will be worth a pro-rated portion of the minimum salary, though it's not clear whether or not it will include a team option for next year.