Minor Moves: Freeland, Lee, May
We'll track the day's D-League and international transactions of note right here….
- Former Trail Blazers draft pick Joel Freeland has agreed to a contract extension with his Spanish team, according to La Opinion de Malaga (hat tip to Sportando). The report suggests Freeland would have to pay a hefty buyout to Unicaja Malaga if he wanted to get out of the contract to pursue an NBA career. However, Portland's acting GM Chad Buchanan told Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge (Twitter link) that the Blazers still hope to have Freeland next year, and that nothing is finalized between Freeland and Malaga.
- The Timberwolves have recalled Malcolm Lee from their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Rehabbing following early-season knee surgery, Lee played in three games for the Skyforce after being assigned by Minnesota last week.
- North Carolina basketball fans will remember Sean May, who was drafted 13th overall in 2005 by the Bobcats after graduating from UNC. May, who saw his last NBA action in 2010, has signed with Italy's Sutor Montegranaro, according to the team's official site (hat tip to Sportando).
Paul: Clips’ Chances Of Signing Smith “Very High”
The Clippers may not be able to offer J.R. Smith as much money as most NBA clubs can, but Chris Paul likes his team's chances anyway. Paul told ESPN.com's Marc Stein he thinks the Clips' chances of landing Smith are "very high."
Smith, 26, is set to return from China this week, with Paul one of the NBA players said to be recruiting him before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. Joining the Clippers would reunite Smith with three former teammates, in Paul, Kenyon Martin, and the injured Chauncey Billups. However, the Clips aren't the only club interested.
Stein reported on Friday that the Knicks were still thought to be the frontrunner for Smith, though perhaps that's changed over the last few days. While Stein adds the Timberwolves and Pacers to the list of interested clubs, Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star says Indiana's early interest has died down (Twitter link).
Yesterday, Hoops Rumors readers narrowly picked the Clippers (29%) as the favorite to sign Smith over the Knicks (26%).
Northwest Notes: Afflalo, Blazers, Timberwolves
The Nuggets re-signed Arron Afflalo to a five-year, $43MM deal six days before the season began, and have since watched him lose a point off his scoring average (11.6 PPG this year) and turn the ball over a career-high 1.3 times a night. He's had a pair of his best performances of the season the last two times he stepped on the floor, lending credence to the idea that his unsettled contract situation and resulting lack of preparation time led to his poor early-season play, says Aaron J. Lopez of NBA.com.
Here's more from the Northwest Division:
- After hinting that lineup changes could be coming, Blazers coach Nate McMillan said he's sticking with his current starting five, reports Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Fellow Oregonian writer John Canzano suggests that, in the wake of Jeremy Lin's surprising play, McMillan should find more minutes for young, unproven talent like Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams.
- The Timberwolves, who have been starting Luke Ridnour, a point guard, at the two, are likely to acquire a true shooting guard via trade, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
Odds & Ends: Jennings, Deng, Spurs
On this date last year, Jerry Sloan stepped down after 23 seasons as coach of the Jazz. Earlier today we passed along the news that at least six teams are trying to convince Sloan to come back to the bench. Here are some more tidbits from around the league today:
- Bucks GM John Hammond told Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he was caught off guard by what Brandon Jennings said about possibly leaving the team for a larger market. While Jennings is under team control until the summer of 2014, Ersan Ilyasova will be an unrestricted free-agent at the end of this season. There's a strong possibility Ilyasova, from Turkey, may favor a return to Europe, as HoopsWorld's Stephen Brotherston examines.
- Luol Deng's selection as an All-Star reserve vindicates the Bulls for hanging on to him amidst many trade rumors over the years, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Manu Ginobili's return, set for Saturday against the Nets, creates a rotation puzzle for Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to figure out, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
- When Tyson Chandler went to the Knicks, the Mavs championship defense supposedly went with him, writes Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News. But, Gosselin opines that the team's ability to play defense even without last year's shot-blocking center will help them defend their title. (Subscription link)
- DeMarre Carroll, who was picked up Wednesday by the Jazz, was close to signing with Utah before the season started, Salt Lake Tribune writer Brian T. Smith tweets. Carroll signed instead with the Nuggets, who waived him Feb. 4.
- Chicago, the hometown of Derrick Rose and Dwyane Wade, has also produced Anthony Davis, who is projected as the top overall pick this June, and Jabari Parker, the consensus No. 1 high school player. That makes the Windy City the center of the hoops universe, opines ESPN's Scoop Jackson.
- Dirk Nowitzki, who watched Ricky Rubio in Europe, didn't think the Wolves rookie sensation would have quite the impact he's having in the NBA, notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star Telegram.
Odds & Ends: Heat, T-Wolves, 76ers, Jackson
On this day in 2008, the Heat parted ways with Shaquille O'Neal, shipping him to Phoenix in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. Although Shaq saw a boost in his production for the next year and a half, he didn't win a playoff series in Phoenix — the Suns fell to the Spurs in the first round in 2008, then failed to make the postseason a year later. Here are a few items of note from around the league, starting with one of Shaq's former teams:
- In a perfect world, the Heat would add a bulkier center and a veteran point guard, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Teams can begin signing players to 10-day contracts today, as Chuck Myron outlined in our primer over the weekend. At SB Nation, Scott Schroeder looks at a few D-League players who are candidates for NBA contracts.
- The Timberwolves have assigned Malcolm Lee to their D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. A 2011 second-round pick, Lee had knee surgery in December and has yet to make his NBA debut.
- John Hollinger of ESPN.com (Insider link) wonders if the 76ers could clear cap space and pursue Eric Gordon this offseason.
- Magic GM Otis Smith shouldn't have acted on Dwight Howard's personnel suggestions and signed Glen Davis this offseason, argues Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.
- Meanwhile, Chris Paul, who's all too familiar with trade rumors, has some words of advice for Howard, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes.
- Stephen Jackson told Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he couldn't say whether or not he's asked Bucks management for a trade.
Poll: Will Love Face Suspension After Stomping?
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love seemingly retaliated Saturday night against Houston Rockets big Luis Scola after an incident earlier in the week left Love writhing with pain. After getting rebound after rebound over Scola and finally netting a basket, Love appeared to have fouled Scola on the other end of court, causing the fifth-year player to drop to the floor. Love quickly turned to head back down the court and stepped on Scola’s chest and face with his size 19 left sneaker. Talking heads from around the NBA having varying opinions on what actually transpired at the Target Center.
- Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune hasn’t taken a stance on the stomping but allows for the possibility that the incident may have just been a poorly timed accident on Love’s end.
- Houston Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen describes the attack on Scola as a no-brainer one-game suspension for Love.
- SB Nation’s Bomani Jones (via Twitter) says that the time for retaliation against Scola was last game, not last night.
How should the NBA respond to Kevin Love's stomping of Luis Scola?
-
Two game suspension 53% (100)
-
Do nothing 18% (33)
-
One game suspension 12% (23)
-
Fine 11% (20)
-
Warning 6% (12)
Total votes: 188
Northwest Links: Sloan, Rubio, Batum
Another element in the dustup between Karl Malone and the Jazz about the end of Jerry Sloan's lengthy tenure as head coach last year came into play today. Utah-area media outlets apparently weren't privy to a team statement that made its way to national writers, according to Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune. (Twitter link)
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports tweeted the statement, which contained Sloan's denial that he was forced out, in piecemeal fashion this afternoon. Smith then passed it along as part of a larger piece on the saga.
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com tweets that amidst all the back-and-forth, Sloan would listen if another team becomes interested in hiring him.
Elsewhere in the Northwest Division:
- Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post offers an appreciation of durable Nuggets guard Andre Miller, who recently passed the 1,000-games-played mark:
- The Salt Lake Tribune's Jazz beat reporters spoke with Earl Watson about the advanced treatment he received on his sprained ankle.
- Jake Appleman of The New York Times looks at how Ricky Rubio is helping turn around the Timberwolves.
- Nicolas Batum, who will be a restricted free-agent this summer, will have a chance to show off his versatility against the Nuggets tonight. His agent, Bouna Ndiaye, has suggested he will look at other teams before negotiating again with the Blazers after the two sides failed to agree on an extension last month.
Odds & Ends: Bucks, Williams, Beasley, Raptors
Here are some notes from around the NBA on a quiet Thursday night…
- Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the Bucks and their chance at becoming one of the league's pleasant surprises this season. He says the team is sharing the basketball, swarming on defense and scoring triple-digit points on a regular basis. In fact, the loss of Andrew Bogut to a broken ankle could be a reason why the ball is moving so well on offense. All this despite Stephen Jackson's touchy situation. "And it is my understanding that he has requested a trade," writes Hunt.
- Deron Williams is staying positive in New Jersey, according to Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. The Nets have been hit hard by injuries lately, even playing with just eight players in uniform on Wednesday against the Pistons. "But, you know, hopefully we get some guys back here soon," Williams said of his depleted team. "What can you do?" This is a sign of progress for Williams, who used to pout and show his frustration on the court. Williams' rosy perspective could be something of a positive sign for the Nets, who will be looking to retain the 27-year-old point guard when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. He's still considering his one-year, $17.8MM player option.
- Michael Beasley might have a reputation for being a detrimental black hole, but the numbers tell a different story, according to Rob Parker of the New York Times. "The Wolves are not, as has been suggested, better without Beasley; the Wolves’ offense may be a bit more fluid when he sits, but the skill that produced Beasley’s volume scoring last season is still present and still valuable," writes Parker. An analysis of on/off data from this season shows that the Timberwolves benefit from having Beasley on the court. The 23-year-old forward should hope NBA teams see this — he's a restricted free agent after this season.
- The Raptors are struggling, so coach Dwane Casey is going back to the basics. For one thing, he's focusing on the team's poor 2-6 record at home. While taking away comforts would be one way to shake up his players, "there really are no visible extras this team enjoys," writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. Ganter also notes that Amir Johnson's recent struggles might be tied to personal issues off the court.
Northwest Links: Chandler, Thunder, Timberwolves
In a must-read New York Times piece, Jim Yardley discusses the relationship between the NBA and China, with a focus on Wilson Chandler's decision to sign with the Zhejiang Lions. Agent Chris Luchey was fielding offers for Chandler from Italian teams as well — offers that allowed for an opt-out if and when the lockout ended.
"We had 15 different conversations about what happens when the lockout ends," Luchey said. "I told him 100 times: 'The season is going to go. There is going to be a season.'"
Ultimately, the Nuggets' restricted free agent decided to sign in China, meaning he can't return to the NBA until the CBA season ends. When he makes it back, it sounds like he'll draw plenty of interest.
Here are the rest of this afternoon's links on the Nuggets and their Northwest division rivals:
- In a mailbag for the Denver Post, Benjamin Hochman discusses the likelihood of the Nuggets adding Chandler or Kenyon Martin later in the season.
- Russell Westbrook, who recently signed a long-term extension to remain in Oklahoma City, tells SI.com's Sam Amick that all the questions about his relationship with Kevin Durant just brought the two players closer together.
- Rick Adelman's offense makes it easy to succeed, and the Timberwolves shouldn't have any regrets about parting ways with players who struggle with it, opines Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune.
- The Timberwolves' strong play is having a significant impact on the Hornets/Clippers Chris Paul trade, as Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes.
Odds & Ends: Wizards, Adelman, Irving
Notes from around the league on Monday night:
- Washington's rebuilding efforts must begin with buying out Rashard Lewis and using the amnesty clause on Andray Blatche, writes Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com. Blatche will be out three to five weeks with a strained calf muscle, coach Randy Wittman reported. The Wizards announced they're recalling center Hamady Ndiaye from the Iowa Energy, the team's D-League affiliate.
- Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman, formerly with the Rockets, says there was a lack of communication between himself and Houston owner Leslie Alexander, reports Jonathan Feigan of the Houston Chronicle.
- Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio analyzes the progress of top-pick Kyrie Irving.
- Ben Rohrbach of WEEI's Celtics Blog says Boston's struggles this season can't be pinned on the team's bench play.
- The injury-depleted Nets may be primed to make a move. They figure to have only 10 players available for Tuesday's game with Indiana, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
- Teams in need of depth on the wing won't be able to turn to Sonny Weems. His Lithuanian team told Sportando they won't be letting him out of his contract before the team's season is over.