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Kyler On Gordon, Lakers, Redick, Expirings

February 10th, 2013 at 9:41am CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler took to Twitter for his latest round of trade deadline updates, and we'll round up the highlights here:

We heard Friday that the Hornets are willing to discuss offers for Eric Gordon, but the team says its interest in trading him is overstated, according to Kyler, who adds that New Orleans is looking for "tremendous value" in return for the 24-year-old shooting guard.
The Lakers, winners of seven out of nine games, have an open roster spot, and are without big men Pau Gasol and Jordan Hill because of injury. Still, they're unlikely to make an addition unless they start losing again.
The Bucks, Bulls, Pacers and Knicks have all emerged as suitors for J.J. Redick, but the Magic's price is "very high" because they'd like to retain the sharpshooter.
Answering a question about Cole Aldrich's $2.445MM expiring contract with the Rockets, Kyler says expiring deals aren't as sought-after this season as usual, because most teams that want to clear cap space for the summer have already done so, and teams looking to unload players to avoid the tax wouldn't be able to get under the tax line by dumping anyone in the last year of his deal. It's a trend he expects to continue under the new CBA, with shorter contracts and fewer teams likely to become taxpayers.

Hornets Willing To Engage In Eric Gordon Talks

February 8th, 2013 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Last summer, when he signed a four-year, maximum-salary offer sheet with the Suns, Eric Gordon released a statement saying that his heart was in Phoenix, rather than New Orleans. The Hornets matched the Suns' offer and retained Gordon, and while there's been uncertainty about the relationship between the player and team, the 24-year-old has told Hornets officials he's content in New Orleans, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.

Even though Gordon hasn't requested a trade and the Hornets haven't actively explored a deal, New Orleans has been willing to engage in trade discussions about Gordon, a rival executive tells Amick. Agent Rob Pelinka has also been open to the idea of his client being moved, according to Amick. However, any deal this season would require Gordon's approval, and no discussions about where he may want to go have taken place between him and the team.

Speaking to Amick, Gordon expressed a commitment to the Hornets, though he stopped short of saying he envisioned himself in New Orleans long-term.

"You never know what could happen," Gordon said. "The main thing right now is to really focus on this team. After thinking about my injuries and everything, everything is year by year with me. I have to focus on this year. I don't know what's going to happen. You never know what's going to happen."

Looking back on the offer sheet he signed with the Suns last summer, Gordon also questioned whether the Hornets are 100% committed to him long-term, since GM Dell Demps didn't share his vision for the club with Gordon and the team wasn't interested in offering him a five-year deal.

"At the end of the day it was all about what's the best situation for me," Gordon said. "I knew the Hornets were going to go through a rebuild, and Phoenix was also going through somewhat of a rebuild, but they were going to have more older guys. I just focused on what I felt was going to be best for me and it was very mind-boggling when the Hornets were talking about having me very, very long-term and then you have to sign with another team.

"You can say one thing and do another, but at the end of the day I don't get into it," Gordon continued. "With the things that I've been in with GMs, where I had one GM (former Clippers GM Neil Olshey) say that you'll never get traded and the next thing you know that ends up happening a few days later. And now you have another GM who says you're going to be here long-term, so you would expect that to be the longest term that you can for being a part of this team (contractually). And I am here long-term, but I could've had an opportunity to have five (years) instead of four."

For now, Gordon is simply happy to be healthy and back on the court, and is focused on the Hornets' success in the short-term, even if his long-term future isn't entirely clear.

Western Notes: Burks, Carter, Lakers, Kings

February 7th, 2013 at 3:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's check out a few afternoon links related to Western Conference clubs….

In his report about Luke Ridnour's availability, Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops mentioned Alec Burks as a player the Timberwolves have discussed with the Jazz. However, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that Burks has been given some sort of assurance that he won't be moved in a deal for Ridnour.
A league source tells NBA.com's Jeff Caplan it's a "long shot" that the Mavericks will decide to trade Vince Carter in the next two weeks.
Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni expects to meet with GM Mitch Kupchak soon to discuss the team's roster, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Dwight Howard is growing tired of people questioning his shoulder injury, telling reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, that his career and future would be at stake if he tries to play through it.
Although he said last July when he signed an offer sheet with the Suns that his heart was in Phoenix, Eric Gordon is happy to still be a member of the Hornets, as he tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. "Whether I was here or there, I would’ve been fine with it," Gordon said. "It was nothing over the top that I wanted to be here or there."
Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty is very pleased that commissioner David Stern seems to be suggesting the NBA's Board of Governors will be taking a holistic approach when evaluating Seattle's and Sacramento's bid for the Kings.

Amico On Josh Smith, Cavs, Blatche, Granger

February 4th, 2013 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

Water-cooler conversation this morning may be dominated by talk of Super Bowl XLVII, but at Hoops Rumors, we're still focused on the NBA, including the latest trade rumors from around the league. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has a few updates on players and teams that could be in the mix as the February 21st deadline approaches, so let's round up the highlights from his piece….

Amico names the Mavericks, Bobcats, Rockets, Hornets, and Kings as potential suitors for Josh Smith. Many recent reports have suggested the Kings likely won't be too active at the deadline, but Amico notes that expiring contracts typically appeal to new ownership groups.
Cavaliers GM Chris Grant wouldn't mind making another move before the deadline. Nothing concrete is in the works yet, but Grant is still working with some cap space and a few expiring contracts (Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi).
Amico hears from multiple sources that the Nets have made Andray Blatche available in hopes of landing a draft pick. The Trail Blazers may have some interest, according to Amico.
The Rockets are keeping a "keen eye" on Danny Granger, who has missed the entire season with a knee injury. The Pacers aren't actively shopping Granger, but could be more open to moving him given the emergence of Paul George.
The Mavericks figure to be more active in trade talks as the deadline nears, as plenty of clubs are interested in Chris Kaman's expiring contract.

Heat, Cavs Frontrunners For Greg Oden

January 30th, 2013 at 9:40pm CST by Luke Adams

9:40pm: There's mutual interest between the Cavs and Oden, Conley tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. The agent noted that the proximity of the Cleveland Clinic helps the Cavs, as Conley wants to make sure that there's proper care for his oft-injured client wherever he winds up.

3:09pm: In addition to the potential Oden suitors we've already heard about (including the Spurs and Mavericks), the Pacers, Hornets, and Bobcats also have interest, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Broussard, Oden is expected to make his decision in three or four weeks.

WEDNESDAY, 1:26pm: Speaking to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida, agent Mike Conley essentially confirmed Goodman's report, referring to both Miami and Cleveland as potential fits for his client. He also confirmed that he and Oden would like to go down to Miami and meet with the Heat soon, noting that he has been in touch recently with team president Pat Riley.

TUESDAY, 11:08am: As Greg Oden continues to eye an NBA comeback, the Heat and the Cavaliers have emerged as the favorites to land the former first overall pick, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. According to Goodman, Oden is hoping to visit Pat Riley and the Heat in Miami within the next week or so.

We heard earlier this month that Oden is considering signing an NBA deal this season, with the intention of rehabbing with the club this year and then returning to the court for the 2013/14 season. Multiple reports have identified the Heat as a possible landing spot for the seven-footer, but the Cavaliers have a couple factors working in their favor — Oden has a history in the area, having attended Ohio State, and the Cavs could also offer a higher salary. While the Heat only have minimum-salary deals at their disposal, Cleveland still has about $3-4MM in cap space.

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reported last week that Oden was hoping to sign with a team shortly after the All-Star break or trade deadline, which means we could get resolution within the next few weeks. Besides Miami and Cleveland, the Celtics, Mavericks, and Spurs are among the teams that have been linked to Oden.

Kyler’s Latest: Pierce, Josh Smith, Redick, Lakers

January 30th, 2013 at 9:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler chimed in with roundup of trade rumors in advance of the Rudy Gay deal, and though his info about that swap quickly became outdated, he delivered much more from around the league. Let's hit the highlights here:

The Celtics were entertaining offers for Paul Pierce before Rajon Rondo went down with a torn ACL, but for the moment they want to evaluate their team in the wake of the injury before making a move. Pierce wants to retire with Boston, and Celtics basketball president Danny Ainge and company will consider his special place in the team's history in deciding whether to move him. The C's will seek deals for their other players first.
Though rumblings seem to indicate Josh Smith may be on his way out of Atlanta, the Hawks haven't considered any deal for him to this point. Still, Kyler believes that if they decide to deal Smith, they already know where they can send him. According to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, the Raptors probably aren't one of the teams that would make a deal for the power forward (Twitter link).
More than half the league has tried to trade for J.J. Redick, but the Magic have rebuffed all offers for the soon-to-be free agent. The Magic front office has kept Redick informed about all the possible deals, and it seems more than likely he'll opt to re-sign this summer.
The Lakers continue to discuss Pau Gasol deals, but as it stands now, they're more likely to hold off until the summer, when they'll know whether Dwight Howard, a free agent, will be back.
Kyler also shares Lang Greene's pre-trade video interview with Raptors coach Dwane Casey, and catches up with Greivis Vasquez and new Grizzlies big man Jon Leuer, who revealed that it was former teammate Kyrie Irving who broke the news to him about last week's trade.

Hornets Recall Darius Miller From D-League

January 27th, 2013 at 11:03am CST by Chuck Myron

We'll round up the day's D-League assignments and recalls in this post, with the latest moves on top.

The Hornets announced they've recalled rookie Darius Miller from the D-League's Iowa Energy. In his nearly monthlong assignment, the 6'8" small forward didn't exactly light it up for Iowa, averaging 9.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 27.2 per game over 11 contests. Still, the Kentucky product has seen a fair amount of playing time for the big club this year, getting in 23 games and posting 2.0 PPG in 13.6 MPG.

Western Notes: Kobe, Ridnour, Odom

January 26th, 2013 at 10:49pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Although Kobe Bryant registered a season low of 10 field goals on Friday night, his 14 assists proved to be instrumental in the Lakers' rout of the Jazz. Mike D'Antoni praised his star shooting guard's approach, saying that the dip in field goal attempts shouldn't be looked at as a sacrifice if the team ultimately comes out on top, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. McMenamin also takes a closer look at the impending return of Steve Blake, who practiced with the team today and could return to game action next week. You'll find the rest of tonight's Western Conference notes here:

Earlier today, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler answered some of his followers' questions on Twitter, saying that he doesn't think the Lakers aren't looking to move Dwight Howard before the deadline, Mike D'Antoni's job isn't necessarily safe right now, and that the Grizzlies aren't currently looking to make a deal with the Celtics (All Twitter links).
Luke Ridnour has been a productive and dependable stop gap for the Timberwolves in spite of all the injuries he's handled this year, notes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro wants Lamar Odom to be more aggressive on the offensive end, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Another 6'10 forward has been making waves in Los Angeles, albeit for the purple and gold. In another article, Ben Bolch examines Earl Clark's breakout year as a starter for the Lakers.
Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin tells Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune that he wants to groom Gordon Hayward into a player who can be counted on to close games.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says there's no doubt in his mind that Dirk Nowitzki will be an All-Star again, writes Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW.
Jason Smith has played with
a reckless abandon that has earned the attention and respect from his
teammates and the Hornets coaching staff, observes John
Reid of NOLA.com.
Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post makes a case for why Warriors guard Stephen Curry was the biggest snub of this year's All-Star game.

Western Notes: Jazz, Lakers, Pelicans, Suns

January 24th, 2013 at 10:51pm CST by Daniel Seco

Kyrie Irving, Paul George and Jrue Holiday (all Eastern Conference players) all have become the first players born in the 1990s to make an NBA All-Star Game. Here's what's happening right now in the Western Conference.

The Jazz and the Lakers are headed in different directions in the standings even though Los Angeles boasts a vastly more talented roster than Utah, writes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
There's much more to the story of why the Benson family elected to change the name of New Orleans' professional basketball team from the Hornets to the Pelicans, says Henry Abbott of ESPN.com.
Suns GM Lance Blanks faces a franchise in turmoil after making a head coaching change that saw the departure of two assistant coaches, writes Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports. "In this business, you can't wiggle your nose and manufacture success, or rub rocks together. You've got to roll up your sleeves and do the things that are necessary to be successful."

Hornets To Change Nickname To Pelicans

January 24th, 2013 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

5:33pm: NBA Vice President Mike Bass says that the league is continuing to work with the Bobcats to determine whether a name change would make sense for the franchise long-term, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

THURSDAY, 2:34pm: Owner Tom Benson made it official today, announcing that the Hornets will become the Pelicans for the 2013/14 season, and unveiling the team's new colors and logo.

WEDNESDAY, 10:49am: The Hornets have scheduled a press conference for 3:00pm tomorrow to make a "special announcement," according to a team release. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter) reports that the team press conference was lined up to announce that the team is changing its nickname to the Pelicans. The club will also unveil a new logo, which figures to feature the club's new colors: blue, gold, and red (Twitter link via Spears).

Spears reported back in December that the Hornets were expected to change their nickname to the Pelicans for the 2013/14 season. The new ownership group, led by Tom Benson, is responsible for the decision to change the Hornets moniker, which came to New Orleans from Charlotte.

The pelican is Louisana's state bird, making it a more suitable symbol for a New Orleans franchise, as it has been in the past — the New Orleans Pelicans were a minor league baseball team that existed at various points in the 19th and 20th centuries.

When the Hornets officially become the Pelicans, the Charlotte Bobcats will have the opportunity to reclaim the Hornets nickname. According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter), the Bobcats will conduct deliberate market research before deciding whether or not to make a change.