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Washburn On Hunter, Rivers, Kings, Celtics

January 20th, 2013 at 4:35pm CST by Sean Highkin

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe has a new column in which he reports and comments on several topics of importance from around the NBA.

Washburn touches on the recent controversy around NBPA director Billy Hunter's handling of the union's finances, writing that Hunter has made it clear he has no intention of resigning as union boss.
Hornets rookie Austin Rivers has had a rough rookie season, but is trying to remain confident through his struggles, Washburn writes.
NBA insiders tell Washburn that although the feeling around the league is that the Kings will ultimately move to Seattle, the commissioner's office has made it clear that the city of Sacramento will have a fair shot at making a competitive offer.
The Celtics recently waived Kris Joseph and Jarvis Varnado not because of their play, but because the team was approaching the $74MM hard cap.
The Celtics are among the teams interested in Greg Oden, although the former Trail Blazers center is not close to being healthy enough to return to the court.

Southwest Notes: Randolph, Rockets, Douglas, Lin

January 20th, 2013 at 11:38am CST by Chuck Myron

We've already heard news on Rudy Gay and Royce White this morning, and that's not the only news coming out of the Southwest Division. The latest is right here:

Gay isn't the only high-dollar asset the Grizzlies may be looking to unload, as the team has also reportedly been gauging Zach Randolph's value. HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy hears that one possible destination for Randolph is Houston, as the Rockets would love to bring him on board (Twitter link).
Guard Toney Douglas, who's dropped out of the Rockets rotation in favor of recent signee Patrick Beverley, plans to ask coach Kevin McHale why his minutes have disappeared once the team returns from its road trip, notes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. "They didn’t tell me anything," Douglas said. "I don’t know what’s the reason. I will (ask). We’ve been traveling. I’ll give it time to develop, see how it is. I just want to know the reasoning, that’s all, and I’ll feel better."
After McHale benched three starters, including Jeremy Lin, to begin the second half last night, SB Nation's Tom Ziller delves into what's gone wrong with the Rockets point guard amid a seven-game losing streak.
The future is bright in New Orleans, where the Hornets have begun to play better with the return of Eric Gordon, as fellow SB Nation scribe Paul Flannery chronicles.

Western Notes: Grizzlies, Baynes, Sloan, Lakers

January 18th, 2013 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

A year ago, fans voted Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, and Andrew Bynum to be the Western Conference's starting lineup for the All-Star Game. This season, fan voting produced nearly the same result, with four of the same five guys returning as All-Star starters. The only difference? One Lakers center replaces another, as Dwight Howard, rather than Bynum, will start for the West.

Here are a few more notes from around the conference:

Zach Randolph and the Grizzlies are still adjusting to the new ownership group in Memphis, as Randolph tells Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal: "It was definitely (former owner Michael) Heisley's plan to keep us all together and make a run for the championship. So when you come in with something different, of course, it kind of bothers you."
Australian big man Aron Baynes is on his way to San Antonio to take a physical and begin completing his paperwork with the Spurs, tweets David Pick of Eurobasket.com and Sportando. We heard earlier this month that the Spurs were working to sign Baynes.
The Hornets don't plan to sign Donald Sloan to another 10-day contract at this point, tweets Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Sloan's first 10-day deal expired Wednesday at midnight.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (Twitter link) believes Kyle Korver makes sense as a trade target for the Lakers.

Ford On Cousins, Gortat, Gay, Celtics

January 16th, 2013 at 7:53pm CST by Zachary Links

Damian Lillard is the odds on favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award right now, but there's still plenty of games to be played, said Chad Ford of ESPN.com in today's chat. The Hornets' Anthony Davis is back in action and very much in the picutre while Andre Drummond can't be ruled out either. Here's more from Ford..

There is a lot of interest around the league in DeMarcus Cousins, but from what Ford can gather, no GMs have had any success in making progress with the Kings on trade talks so far. The Kings appear to want to hold onto him, though plenty can change in the next five weeks.
Even though the Suns are eager to make a move, Ford sees Marcin Gortat remaining with Phoenix beyond the February 21st trade deadline. It's more likely that the club parlays their draft picks into pieces that are ready to contribute more immediately.
Ford believes that Rudy Gay is as good as gone in Memphis. The new ownership group is looking for ways to tighten their belt and moving the forward is the quickest way to accomplish that. Recent comments by coach Lionel Hollins against analytics would appear to be a shot at recent hire John Hollinger and, by extension, the thinking of the Memphis front office.
The Suns, Wizards, Magic, and Mavericks could all be trading away their lottery picks this summer as they'll look to win sooner rather than later. However, this isn't a terribly strong draft and it's far from a seller's market.
Danny Ainge is downplaying the trade talk surrounding the Celtics but Ford doesn't seem to be buying it. If there's a great deal out there for Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, or anyone else, Ford expects him to pull the trigger.

Western Rumors: Mavs, Barea, Gelabale, Kings

January 14th, 2013 at 11:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Western Conference appears to be the stronger than the East once again this season, and the Heat's struggles on their Western road trip further drive home that point. Miami lost again tonight, to the Jazz, and face another stiff test Wednesday against the Warriors. We rounded up news from a couple Pacific Division teams earlier tonight, and we'll do the same for the rest of the Western Conference here.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reiterated his willingness to take on salary to make a trade, and said he's constantly trying to come up with ideas for GM Donnie Nelson, observes Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
Jose Barea said he thinks every day about what might have happened if the Mavs had made an effort to match the deal he signed with the Wolves in 2011. Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com has the details.
At the bottom of his story on Barea, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune notes the hangup in the Wolves' plan to sign Mickael Gelabale might be whether they can get him a work visa and administer a physical before Lazar Hayward's 10-day contract is up on Thursday.
Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com ponders what would happen if the Maloofs decide to wait a while longer before selling or moving the Kings (Sulia link).
John Reid of The Times-Picayune checks in with Austin Rivers, the 10th pick from last June who's fallen to the fringes of the rotation for the last-place Hornets.
It's the first year of a hybrid partnership between the Blazers and the D-League Idaho Stampede, and Stampede owner Bill Ilett indicated that there's been some friction, in his comments to KTIK Radio 93.1 FM in Boise. Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge provides a transcription.

Southwest Notes: Asik, Hornets, Hollins

January 14th, 2013 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Spurs hold a 2.5-game lead over the Grizzlies in the Southwest Division, the two teams are actually even in the loss column, with the Spurs (29-11) having played five more games than the Grizzlies (24-11). The Grizz will play one of those extra contests tonight, but it won't be easy to pick up a game in the standings on San Antonio, with the Clippers coming to town. As we look forward to what should be the game of the night in Memphis, let's round up a few items out of the Southwest….

Within his mailbag at NBA.com, Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes that even after signing Omer Asik away from the Bulls last summer, the Rockets had talks about packaging him in a deal for a higher-level player. Smith suggests that perhaps the Heat could be a match in such a trade, with Chris Bosh going the other way, but it appears that's just his own speculation.
Hornets GM Dell Demps spoke to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld about finally getting a chance to see his team's core players all healthy at the same time and evaluate the roster. Demps indicated that he could be active at the trade deadline, though he isn't expecting to aggressively pursue a move: "I think we’ll listen. If there’s something out there that will make us significantly better for the long-term I think we’ll look at it. Actually, I like our group. I like our young guys. I want to really evaluate them over the next month playing together and see that chemistry there. For the last week or so I think we’ve been playing pretty good, we’ll see how it goes over the next few games."
There have been no talks about a contract extension between new Grizzlies ownership and coach Lionel Hollins, who's in the last year of his deal, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Kyler On Dwight, Hornets, Beasley, Gay, Magic

January 12th, 2013 at 3:34pm CST by Sean Highkin

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com answered some questions from his Twitter followers on Saturday regarding various free agency and trade rumors.

Just as they plan to make a run at Chris Paul (link below), the Hawks will aggressively pursue Dwight Howard as well, Kyler says.
Hornets GM Dell Demps tells Kyler he wants to give his roster more time to play together, so New Orleans is unlikely to be active at the deadline.
The Lakers almost traded for Michael Beasley last year, but Kyler can't see them doing so again (Twitter links).
Kyler speculates that the Wizards are the most logical destination for Rudy Gay.
The Magic, who possess a trade exception worth more than $17.8MM from the Dwight Howard deal, aren't likely to use it for a "splashy" move.
If the Magic deal away J.J. Redick, he'll look to sign with a contender as a free agent this summer.

Earlier updates:

Kyler tweets that the Hawks intend to make a strong push for Chris Paul this summer. The Bobcats will also attempt to lure him, but Kyler does not think he will leave the Clippers.
Kyler says that Andrew Bynum will be seeking a max contract on the open market, although there is some doubt that he will get such an offer. He points to the Rockets as one team willing to take a gamble.
The Magic value J.J. Redick highly, and it would cost several draft picks for them to move him.
Kyler sees the Grizzlies' recent Rudy Gay trade discussions as an attempt to understand roster value.
If Derrick Williams continues his strong play, Kyler thinks the Timberwolves may opt to move Kevin Love instead.
The Celtics may be open to trading Paul Pierce, Kyler writes, if the return makes them more competitive right now.

Latest On Trade Candidates From Reno

January 11th, 2013 at 7:40pm CST by Sean Highkin

Marc Stein of ESPN.com attended the NBA D-League Showcase in Reno, Nevada this week, where many NBA GMs and executives were present. He posted a roundup of trade-related chatter he heard during the event:

The Raptors are making the hardest push for Rudy Gay, offering the Grizzlies a package that includes Jose Calderon and Ed Davis. Memphis is still undecided as to whether they will move Gay.
There is a growing sense from front offices around the league that the Lakers will not ultimately trade Pau Gasol this season.
Teams have continued to ask the Kings about DeMarcus Cousins, and were told that he is not available.
A source told Stein that it is highly unlikely the Bucks will move Brandon Jennings before the end of the season.
The Jazz are more likely to trade Al Jefferson than Paul Millsap, even though both are free agents this summer.
The Hornets are not expected to trade Eric Gordon, despite previous rumors that he may be available.
Despite his recent statement that he intends on staying retired, the Nets are still making a hard push to convince Phil Jackson to be their next head coach.
Stein lists several players as having been made known to be available by their teams, including the Raptors' Andrea Bargnani, the Spurs' DeJuan Blair, the Cavs' Omri Casspi, the Rockets' Cole Aldrich, and the Bucks' Drew Gooden, Samuel Dalembert, and Beno Udrih.

Odds & Ends: Redick, Turkoglu, Lakers, Livingston

January 11th, 2013 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Let's round up some Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:

Although J.J. Redick doesn't want to be traded by the Magic, he's not exactly thrilled with the team's 10-game losing streak, as Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida tweets.
Tomasson also spoke to Hedo Turkoglu, who said he's not actively trying to be bought out by the Magic, though he understands if the team decides to trade him.
After telling Sheridan Hoops earlier this week that he doesn't expect to coach again, Phil Jackson reiterates the point to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times (Twitter link), writing in an email that there's no chance he returns to the Lakers.
A collection of SI.com writers discuss what's next for the Lakers, including potential pre-trade-deadline moves, and the team's chances of re-signing Dwight Howard this summer.
Shaun Livingston tells Richard Hardy of HoopsWorld that he's hoping to stay with the Cavaliers for longer than just this season.
Having recently parted ways with agent Joel Bell, Trail Blazers guard Nolan Smith has replaced him with former Bull B.J. Armstrong of the Wasserman Media Group, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
David Mayo of MLive.com explores whether the Pistons should attempt to trade for Rudy Gay, while multiple Celtics writers discuss whether Boston should take a flier on Greg Oden (link via CSNNE.com).
In an Insider piece, ESPN.com's Chad Ford looks at some potential fits in June's draft for the Hornets.

Paul: Bledose Capable Of Running Own Team

January 11th, 2013 at 10:55am CST by Luke Adams

With Chris Paul manning the point for the Clippers, backup guard Eric Bledsoe has only played about 18 minutes per game this year, despite performing admirably off the bench. Bledsoe's production hasn't gone unnoticed by Paul though — CP3 tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that he thinks the 23-year-old is capable of running an NBA team.

"He deserves to run his own team, he deserves to be a starter somewhere,'' Paul said. "So when the time comes, I'm going to be the biggest advocate for him to get the money he deserves.''

Bledsoe is only in the third year of his rookie contract, so he'll be extension-eligible in the summer of 2013, but won't be eligible for restricted free agency until the summer of '14. And it's unlikely that he's going anywhere anytime soon. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported last week that the Clips expect to hang on to Bledsoe at least until they're 100% sure that Paul will re-sign with the team this summer.

Broussard echoes Stein's report, noting that clubs inquiring on Bledsoe are "quickly and decisively told no." However, he says that a trade around the time of the June draft is a real possibility. Paul can't officially re-sign with the Clippers until after the moratorium period in July, so L.A. may also wait until that point to seriously consider dealing Bledsoe.

According to Broussard, the Hornets and Wizards are among the teams that have shown interest in Bledsoe. Presumably, Washington's interest came when the team was first faced with the possibility of being without John Wall for significant time. If the Clippers were to make Bledsoe available this coming summer, I'd expect plenty more clubs to inquire.