Southwest Rumors: Grizzlies, Asik, Dalembert
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News reveals the details behind the Grizzlies‘ bizarre parting with assistant coach Barry Hecker in the middle of last season’s playoffs. Hecker butted heads with former head coach Lionel Hollins as well as Dave Joerger, who was then a fellow assistant, and he alleges that Joerger was after Hollins’ job as early as two years ago. There’s more on the Grizzlies coaching situation among the latest news from the Southwest Division:
- The Grizzlies front office is beginning to wonder if they made the right hire with their decision to promote Joerger, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports notes in his weekly power rankings. Joerger’s job is nonetheless safe, Spears adds.
- An executive tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio not to rule out the Celtics and Bucks as possible destinations for Rockets center Omer Asik. Other recent reports have also linked those teams to Asik.
- The Mavericks planned to make Samuel Dalembert their starting center when they signed him to a two-year deal this past offseason, but he’s in danger of falling out of the rotation, observes Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
- The Spurs recalled Aron Baynes and Nando De Colo from the D-League today, the team announced. De Colo had 32 points, eight rebounds and six assists while Baynes put up 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Austin Toros last night, hours after the Spurs sent them down along with Malcolm Thomas.
Kings/Raptors Trade Reaction
News of the pending trade between the Raptors and Kings overshadowed Kobe Bryant‘s return to the Lakers, which was supposed to be the story of Sunday night around the NBA. There are plenty of reverberations in the wake of the deal that featured Rudy Gay, and we’ll round them up here:
- The Raptors were at the 15-man roster limit before the trade, and since they’re acquiring four players and giving up three, they’ll have to cut someone. Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun initially figured D.J. Augustin was ripe for the chopping block before hearing Dwight Buycks was most likely to go (Twitter links). HoopsWorld’s Steve Kyler pegs Julyan Stone as the probable cut, but Wolstat (on Twitter) thinks Stone is most likely to stick.
- There was increasing mutual dissatisfaction between the Raptors and Gay, note Adrian Wojnarowski and Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. It’s almost certain that Gay will exercise his $19.3MM option for next season, Wojnarowski and Spears write, and the Kings didn’t ask Gay about his plans regarding the option before agreeing to the trade, USA Today’s Sam Amick tweets.
- The Raptors might not be weakening their team this season, Kyler writes in his NBA AM piece, figuring the players they’re acquiring might be much better than the ones they’re sending out. Kyler also suggests the Kings may use the next couple of months to evaluate Gay to decide whether to flip him at the trade deadline.
- Raptors coach Dwane Casey remains on shaky ground, sources tell Grantland’s Zach Lowe. The Raptors spoke to nearly every team in the league about Gay, Lowe writes, specifically mentioning the Pistons, Bucks and Cavs.
- Toronto brass had already decided to rebuild before they found a taker for Gay, but sources told SportsNet’s Michael Grange just two days prior to the deal that GM Masai Ujiri had essentially given up on what seemed like a futile search for a trade partner.
- In the same piece, Grange writes that league sources were stunned that the Kings were willing to take on Gay, with one executive asking rhetorically, “Doesn’t Sacramento watch the games?”
- Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro has been struggling to accept the idea of another losing season for Sacramento, which helps explain why he’s been so active on the trade market, according to Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
Central Rumors: Butler, Pistons, Cavs
The Pistons met the Bulls on Saturday in a game that would allow the winner to hit .500, and Detroit came away with the victory. That gives the Pistons the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, where everyone’s looking up at the Pacers, now 18-2 after a resounding win against the Spurs. Here’s more from the Central Division:
- Caron Butler would be interested in putting a group together to buy the Bucks from Herb Kohl, reports Rich Kirchen of The Business Journal. Butler also says he’d like to take an active role in managing the team, but the 33-year-old would have to retire from playing first to accomplish either objective.
- The Pistons aren’t likely to send Tony Mitchell on a D-League assignment this season, according to Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, contradicting his report from before the season. The team feels differently about Peyton Siva, who could wind up in the D-League once Chauncey Billups and Will Bynum return from injury, Ellis adds.
- Some Cavs players haven’t been enamored with Mike Brown‘s strict coaching this season, the Plain Dealer’s Terry Pluto observes. The team gave Brown license to use a heavy hand with his four-year contract, Pluto writes.
Sixers, Hawks, Bucks In Mix For Omer Asik
The Rockets prefer to trade Omer Asik to an Eastern Conference team, and the Sixers, Hawks and Bucks are three clubs that appear to be strong candidates to land the 7’0″ center, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Portland had seemed to be an aggressive suitor based on the team’s reported discussions with Houston, but the Trail Blazers are enamored with what Robin Lopez has given them, and they aren’t planning to make a run at Asik, Stein writes.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie was with the Rockets front office when they signed Asik in 2012, and his affinity for the 27-year-old from Turkey is one reason Stein believes many around the league are mentioning Philadelphia as a viable destination for Asik. Sixers power forward Thaddeus Young could fit together with Dwight Howard, Stein points out, adding that Philly isn’t likely to be able to find a player like Asik in the 2014 draft.
The Bucks are about to start looking for trades in the wake of a disappointing 4-16 start, Stein hears, concluding that Milwaukee could be Asik’s next home. That would seem to suggest the Bucks would be willing to trade Larry Sanders, whom they signed to a four-year, $44MM extension this past offseason, but that’s just my speculation.
Houston is no doubt one of many teams eyeing Paul Millsap‘s two-year, $19MM contract as an attractive bargain, so Stein figures the Rockets and Hawks could hook up on an Asik trade. Grantland’s Zach Lowe discussed the possibility of such a swap a few weeks ago, writing that it would work well for both teams and that Hawks GM Danny Ferry might take flak from Western Conference executives for giving such a significant boost to the contending Rockets.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey is also concerned about strengthening his Western Conference competitors, and that’s why he wants to send Asik to the East. Stein doesn’t think Morey will be doctrinaire about the idea, but the ESPN scribe points out that Asik is just the sort of defensive force who could cause Dwight Howard trouble in the playoffs.
Odds & Ends: Bulls, Hayward, Sanders
With league action on the court beginning for the evening, some action around the league occurring off the court.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com doesn’t think the Bulls will apply for the Disabled Player Exception worth 50% of Derrick Rose‘s salary. With the Bulls already in luxury tax territory, adding a player under this exception would still cost Chicago double what they pay that player and no available player is worth that money to the Bulls.
- With the departure of Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap this past offseason, the Jazz have turned to Gordon Hayward as their “go-to-guy”. The Jazz use Hayward 25% of the time he is on the court and have increased his playing time by 10.5 MPG more this season than his career average of 26.4 MPG. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today discusses whether this increase in playing time could hurt the Jazz since they were unable to reach a contract extension before this season allowing Hayward to become a restricted free agent next season.
- Following a breakout season last year, Larry Sanders earned himself a contract extension with the Bucks this offseason. Wondering if that contract extension will pay off, Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times asked (via Twitter) an NBA exec the trade value of Sanders, who has only played three games this season due to thumb surgery. Combining the surgery with his new contract, the exec speculates few, if any, teams would want him at the moment.
Eastern Links: Rose, Sanders, Anderson
Derrick Rose was asked to comment on the idea that the Bulls should look to move on without him after his latest injury, and he had this to say: “What do you mean?…You can be a fool if you want to…I know I’m going to be alright…I know I am (going to be the same player). A better player…If anything, this should even me out. When I think about it, the injury, I just turned and this happened, kind of like a freak accident. I put all I had into coming back and if this was to happen 10 more times I’d be able to deal with it” (Sam Smith of Bulls.com).
Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference tonight:
- Earlier today, we made note that Rose wouldn’t rule out a return to the court if he managed to get healthy in time for the postseason. On the other hand, head coach Tom Thibodeau didn’t seem willing to entertain the thought of looking that far ahead: “To me, he’s out for the season…If something changes along the way…We want him to be completely healthy before he moves forward…We can’t worry about whether he may come back. Right now, it’s been determined that he’s out for the season, so that’s the way we’re going to approach it” (Sean Highkin of USA Today).
- In responding to one of his Twitter followers, Steve Kyler of Hoopsworld said that the notion of dealing Larry Sanders for a lottery pick next year would not even be a consideration (Twitter link).
- Keith Pompey of Philly.com talks about how James Anderson has excelled in his reserve role as of late after beginning the season as a starter for the 76ers.
- We’ve relayed quite a bit from the Knicks and Nets this evening, and five ESPN writers decided to chime in on why both teams have been playing poorly, who has the hotter seat between Mike Woodson and Jason Kidd, which team will be worse in April, and which has a rougher future ahead.
- Hawks GM Danny Ferry voiced his support for Cavaliers coach Mike Brown, telling FOX Sports Ohio’s Sam Amico: “(Brown’s) a relentless worker and a quality, high character person. He is a good teacher and holds players accountable. His will and passion for defense will always give any team a strong chance to be successful. This will have such a strong impact for a team establishing a foundation for years to come.”
- There may have been a chorus of boos for Kidd tonight at the Barclays Center during the pre-game introductions, but the Nets coach gets a vote of confidence from his former teammate J.R. Smith: “Criticism is going to come…He’s a first-year coach and he’s a great basketball mind. Just unfortunately, he’s going through it early. Some coaches have success early, some struggle early. He just happens to be struggling right now…I think he’s the best fit for that job and he knows how to get out of it. He’s got a great core of vets, so he’ll be fine” (Roderick Boone of Newsday).
- The Celtics sit atop the Atlantic Division, but the team isn’t letting their early success get to their head and remains focused on continuing to work hard (Marc D’Amico of Celtics.com).
Western Rumors: Lakers, Claver, Casspi
The majority of Hoops Rumors readers who voted today think at least one New York team will make the playoffs this season, in spite of a combined 7-24 record for the Knicks and Nets. That might not be the case if those clubs were in the much tougher Western Conference. The Hawks are in third place in the East with a 9-8 record, while the Lakers have the same mark and sit in 10th place in the West. The imbalance figures to soften to some degree as the season wears on, but it’s still troubling for Western teams competing for a postseason berth. Here’s more from the West:
- Wesley Johnson could have signed for more money and years to play with that Atlanta team and its much easier road to the playoffs, and the Bucks also offered a better deal than the Lakers, tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Coach Mike D’Antoni‘s system prompted Johnson to instead choose the L.A. and a one-year contract for the minimum salary.
- César Nanclares of TuBasket.com hears that Victor Claver is strongly considering a return to Europe amid disappointment over a reduced role this season with the Blazers (translation via HoopsHype). Nanclares points out the Spanish native’s contract runs through this season and next and that Portland isn’t likely to let him engineer a buyout this season, though the scribe wonders if the Blazers might be willing to cut ties this summer.
- Rockets forward Omri Casspi is leaving agent Steven Heumann of the Creative Artists Agency and will sign with Dan Fegan of Relativity Sports, as Fegan tells Sportando contributor David Pick.
- Former second-round draft pick Chukwudiebere Maduabum has signed with Tin Kalev Tallin of Estonia, Sportando’s Enea Trapani reports. The Nuggets hold the rights to Maduabum, the 56th overall pick in 2011.
Central Notes: LeBron, Cavs, Bulls, Bucks
LeBron James and the Heat play in Cleveland tonight, which means we’re in for another round of rumors and speculation about the possibility of the reigning MVP returning to the Cavaliers next summer. However, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer believes becoming fixated on the idea of signing LeBron next summer is the worst thing the Cavs and their fans can do. As Pluto notes, James may not even hit free agency in 2014, since he has the option to continue playing under his current contract. “Staring starry-eyed at James” won’t fix what’s wrong with the Cavs, who need to explore the trade market in hopes of upgrading their roster, writes Pluto.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- If the Cavs are hoping to entice LeBron back to Cleveland, they’ll have to encourage him to use his imagination, since the team hasn’t looked good on the court, says Bud Shaw of the Plain Dealer.
- Asked after the Bulls‘ Monday loss to the Jazz if he thought entering rebuilding mode was a viable option for his team’s front office, Joakim Noah replied, “I think it’s possible. I mean, yeah.” Still, GM Gar Forman insists the Bulls won’t make any “rash decisions.” Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times has the details and more quotes from Forman.
- Luol Deng also acknowledged that he’s probably more likely to be traded following Derrick Rose‘s injury, but said he’s trying not to listen to speculation, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
- A fan website, SaveOurBucks.com, has started a fundraising campaign in the hopes of securing a high-visibility billboard encouraging the Bucks to tank. The campaign is already more than 80% of the way to its $5,000 goal. Bucks owner Herb Kohl has publicly stated that he doesn’t believe in bottoming out in a rebuild, but given Milwaukee’s record, roster, and arena situation, along with the tantalizing 2014 draft class, all signs point to it being in the team’s best interests.
Central Links: LeBron, Deng, Bulls, Scola
It’s not easy to build a six-and-a-half game lead in less than a month, but that’s what the Pacers have done in the Central Division, where they’re the only team above .500. The Bulls are in second place, and the hole they’re in would have been somewhat of a challenge to overcome even if Derrick Rose were coming back this season. It’s probably impossible now that he’s done for the year, though Chicago at least has a strong chance of making the playoffs in the watered-down Eastern Conference. Here’s more on Indiana and the Central Division also-rans:
- Anderson Varejao would welcome former Cavaliers teammate LeBron James if the four-time MVP decides to re-sign with Cleveland this summer, a prospect Varejao believes could become reality, as Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio observes. The Brazilian big man thinks James will likely return to the Cavs at some point, even if it’s not for next season.
- Other reports suggest Luol Deng isn’t going anywhere soon, but executives from around the league who spoke to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune expect trade talks involving the Bulls small forward to pick up.
- Johnson also notes in his piece that the Bulls chose to sign Mike Dunleavy over Marco Belinelli because they believed Dunleavy was a better fit with Rose. That points to the challenge the team faces opposed to last year, when they went into the season knowing Rose would be out. Despite his latest injury, Bulls GM Gar Forman says he’d be OK with Rose playing in the basketball World Cup this coming summer, according to Johnson.
- Pacers coach Frank Vogel is impressed with offseason acquisition Luis Scola, and didn’t expect the 33-year-old would defend as well as he has so far, writes Michael Pointer of the Indianapolis Star.
- The Bucks had the most turnover of any NBA team this summer, but they didn’t expect to have the worst record in the Eastern Conference a month into the season, as Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel examines.
Ford’s Latest: Raptors, Kings, Cavs, Bucks
Before fielding questions on the NCAA and the 2014 draft, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford addressed a number of NBA inquiries in his latest chat. Let’s dive in and round up a few of the highlights from ESPN’s draft guru….
- Rival general managers tell Ford that Raptors president Masai Ujiri has been active on the phones. However, Ford has heard “mixed responses” from those GMs on whether Ujiri is looking to blow up his roster or trying to improve in the short term.
- The Kings have “a lot of interest” in Derrick Williams, and could be a logical trade partner for the Timberwolves. Ford cites Chuck Hayes and “Jason Williams” as possible trade candidates, though presumably he means Jason Thompson.
- There are “rumblings” that Dion Waiters has been a source of chemistry issues in the Cavs‘ locker room. Still, even if Cleveland were to shop the second-year guard, Ford isn’t convinced the return would be great.
- In Ford’s view, the Cavs will likely need to make a roster move soon to either attempt a playoff push or a run at another high lottery pick.
- When the Rockets explore Omer Asik trades, they’ll likely be targeting a player such as Ryan Anderson or Ersan Ilyasova. says Ford, adding that both of those guys might be available. Asik may not be the right fit for either the Pelicans or Bucks though, according to Ford, so a third team might have to get involved.
- Even though Bucks owner Herb Kohl is known to be anti-tanking, Ford suggests John Hammond should be sending Kohl video of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, and Jabari Parker every day until he reconsiders. The insinuation there, of course, is that a poor finish this season will be the Bucks’ best chance to land a star.