Western Notes: Burks, Carter, Lakers, Kings
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
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
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
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
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
- 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
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
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.
Washburn On Hunter, Rivers, Kings, Celtics
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
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.