Odds & Ends: Nowitzki, 76ers, Hornets, Nuggets
With three of the top five trending New York Times stories involving Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (via tweet from NYT reporter Michael Luo), let's take a look around the rest of the league to see what else is happening.
- Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has responded to Charles Barkley's proclamation that the 11-time All-Star is in decline with a strong showing of vintage Dirk in recent play. Sherrington contends the 14-year veteran still has enough talent and drive left to challenge Jerry West's record of 14 consecutive All-Star nomations. Simply put, Nowitzki's slow start should be attributed to a long offseason rather than diminished skills.
- The 76ers need to make a trade if they want to compete for a championship this season, writes Mike Missanelli of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Missanelli points to the erratic nature of the 2011/2012 season as a reason why the road to the NBA championship remains wide open just two weeks before the start of the 2012 All-Star Game. Paul Pierce and Monta Ellis are mentioned as two possible pieces that could take a young, balanced 76ers roster to the next level without having to sacrifice the future.
- The departure of All-Star point guard Chris Paul via trade has led to a difficult path for Hornets head coach Monty Williams, says John Reid of The Times-Picayune. After losing Eric Gordon, the centerpiece of the Paul trade, to injury in early January, the Hornets have spiralled to the worst record (4-23) in the Western Conference. As such, Williams has turned to his peers around the NBA for wisdom including Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
- Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post examines how the Nuggets can get by without having a true closer to win games for the team like the Lakers closer Kobe Bryant. Barring a trade, the Nuggets will have to continue to rely on Al Harrington toward the end of the game. Harrington is shooting 56% when there are less than five minutes to play in games separated by five points or less.
Stein’s Latest: Kaman, J.R. Smith, Nash
Marc Stein's latest column at ESPN.com included an update on the Dwight Howard saga, as we discussed earlier. Stein also shared a few other items of note, so let's check those out….
- Because rules had to be amended to adjust for the season's late start, more than 100 players are ineligible to be traded until March. This is one reason trade chatter hasn't picked up much yet. One Eastern Conference executive told Stein that teams are "eager" for March 1st to arrive.
- Although the Hornets say they intend to hold on to Chris Kaman for now, teams still expect him to be traded "sooner rather than later." The Pacers and Rockets are the most interested clubs, with the Hornets thought to be seeking at least one good draft pick or young player.
- The Knicks appear to be the frontrunner for J.R. Smith, who should be eligible to sign an NBA contract in a week or so.
- Sources close to the Steve Nash situation continue to say that the Suns will hold on to their All-Star point guard past the deadline.
Hornets Sign Donald Sloan To 10-Day Contract
The Hornets have signed Donald Sloan to a 10-day contract, tweets John Reid of the Times-Picayune. Sloan is the second player to sign a 10-day deal with the Hornets, who added Lance Thomas earlier this week.
Sloan, 24, appeared in five games for the Hawks earlier this season before being waived. That was the first NBA action for former Texas A&M guard, who went undrafted after graduating in 2010.
NBA teams were allowed to sign players to 10-day contracts as of February 6th. For a breakdown of how the deals work, check out our primer.
Decisions On Non-Guaranteed Contracts
February 10th marks the day that all players on non-guaranteed contracts will have their deals guaranteed for the remainder of the season. However, if a team wants to meet that Friday deadline, it will need to make its decisions today, allowing its player(s) to pass through waivers in time.
Some non-guaranteed players, such as DeJuan Blair and Jeremy Lin, are in no danger of being waived. However, with a few dozen players on non-guaranteed deals across the league, there will be plenty of cuts before the day is out. Some of those players will sign 10-day contracts shortly after being cut, while others could join the D-League or find a place on our list of current unrestricted free agents.
We'll track all the day's decisions on non-guaranteed contracts right here, with the latest news up top:
- Other players who will have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the year: Ivan Johnson, Jannero Pargo, Jerry Stackhouse (Hawks), Cory Higgins (Bobcats), Brian Scalabrine, John Lucas (Bulls), Samardo Samuels, Alonzo Gee (Cavaliers), Sean Williams (Mavericks), Julyan Stone (Nuggets), Vernon Macklin, Damien Wilkins (Pistons), Dominic McGuire, Chris Wright (Warriors), Sundiata Gaines, Keith Bogans (Nets), Steve Novak, Jerome Jordan (Knicks), Ryan Reid (Thunder), DeAndre Liggins (Magic), Lavoy Allen, Francisco Elson (Sixers), Danny Green, Gary Neal (Spurs), Jeremy Evans (Jazz).
- The Jazz will guarantee Jamaal Tinsley's contract, according to Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter).
- The Pistons are keeping guard Walker Russell, agent Giovanni Funicello told HoopsHype (via Twitter).
- The Hornets have waived DaJuan Summers and Carldell Johnson, league sources tell Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
- The Rockets waived Jeff Adrien, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The move clears a roster spot for Greg Smith.
- The Wizards have waived Hamady N'Diaye, according to a team release.
- Chris Johnson received a call from Trail Blazers GM Chad Buchanan this morning saying his contract would be guaranteed, tweets Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
- The Celtics will hang on to Greg Stiemsma and guarantee his deal, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- The Lakers have waived Derrick Caracter. Caracter broke the news himself, tweeting "It's over before it begun!!! …. On to the next chapter of my life" (Twitter links). The Lakers will hang on to Devin Ebanks, Andrew Goudelock, and Darius Morris, tweets Mike Breshnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
- The Clippers have cut Solomon Jones, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter).
- The Heat have waived Mickell Gladness, the team announced (Twitter link). Miami's other two players on non-guaranteed deals, Eddy Curry and Terrel Harris, look safe, tweets Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- The Grizzlies have waived Josh Davis, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
- The Spurs announced they've waived Malcolm Thomas, who was assigned to the team's D-League affiliate last week.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: Iverson, Lin, Green, Kaman, Heat
A few late-morning links for Tuesday:
- A Puerto Rican source told Sportando (Twitter link) that it's hard to picture Allen Iverson playing in Puerto Rico, since "no teams [are] looking for that kind of player." We heard yesterday that Iverson was drawing interest from Puerto Rico's professional league.
- Newest Knicks starter Jeremy Lin was a candidate to be waived as recently as last week and would have considered playing overseas had that happened, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside thinks Gerald Green should get a shot at an NBA roster on a 10-day contract. I mentioned Green on Friday when I looked at a few notable former NBA players in the D-League.
- By not playing Chris Kaman when they were shopping him, the Hornets subtracted one of their few resources, says John DeShazier of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) polled NBA scouts, asking which college freshmen would be better off staying at college for their sophomore seasons. Andre Drummond and Austin Rivers were among the players named.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel fields Heat-related questions in a mailbag.
Odds & Ends: Lin, Billups, Williams, Kaman
Lakers star Kobe Bryant eclipsed former teammate Shaquille O'Neal as the fifth all-time leading scorer in NBA history as he put up 28 points in a 95-90 loss to the 76ers. Personal records aside, Kobe's main focus remains on securing a sixth championship ring which is becoming increasingly difficult as the Lakers dropped to 14-11 on the season, with nine of those losses coming on the road. Let's take a look around the league on what was a busy Monday night for the NBA.
- Jeremy Lin scored 28 points in his first start for the Knicks this evening in a 99-88 victory over the Utah Jazz. Lin, 23, wouldn't have even received this opportunity if Baron Davis' recovery had stayed on track, tweets NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper. With his strong performances of late, Lin is nearly assured of his contract becoming guaranteed on Friday.
- Isiah Thomas' career came to an end thanks to an Achilles injury against Orlando back in 1994, says Pistons beat writer Vincent Goodwill (via Twitter). A similar fate may hold true for Chauncey Billups who left Monday's game against the Magic in the fourth quarter with what may be a left Achilles tear.
- If Billups' injury turns out to be as severe as predicted, Clippers GM Neil Olshey should be commended for his decision to not shop Mo Williams even when his team's roster was overloaded with point guards.
- Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune describes the Hornets' decision to return Chris Kaman to the active roster as a way to build a highlight-reel in order to improve trade offers. In his first game back with the Hornets, Kaman, 29, scored 10 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and made two blocks in a 100-92 loss to the Kings.
Southwest Notes: Kaman, Barea, Rockets, Hornets
Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki doesn't feel his performance this season warrants a selection to the 2012 NBA All-Star Game in Orlando. Nowitzki, 33, is averaging 17.2 PPG and 6 RPG for a Dallas squad that is underachieving with a 14-11 record this season. If tapped to represent the Western Conference, Nowitzki would be making his 11th consecutive All-Star appearance. Let's take a look around the league to see what else is happening in the Southwest Division:
- Chris Kaman was completely understanding when the Hornets shut him down last month in an attempt to find a trade suitor, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. Kaman, 29, returned to the team on Sunday morning for practice as the Hornets conceded that they were unable to finalize a deal.
- Life after winning a championship with the Mavericks in June has not been easy for Timberwolves guard J.J. Barea. According to The Dallas Morning News, Barea, 27, blames his low FG% (.367) and 2.4 APG on a series of hamstring injuries that has led to the sixth-year player missing 15 games this season.
- Rockets beat writer Jonathan Feigen suggests the team is comfortable pursuing a championship with superstar-less squad similar to the Nuggets. While a star-free locker room may do wonders for team chemistry, the Rockets should take note that only two teams have ever won a championship without an All-NBA player.
- While the Hornets have struggled this season with the worst record in the Western Conference (4-20), Sam Amico of FoxSportsOhio.com points to three bright spots for the league-owned franchise moving forward.
Hornets Sign Lance Thomas To 10-Day Contract
The Hornets have officially signed Lance Thomas to a 10-day contract, the team announced today. The 23-year-old Thomas participated in New Orleans' training camp earlier this year, and was waived on December 31st.
Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune first reported that the team would sign Thomas to serve as a replacement for Carl Landry, who announced Sunday that he's suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain. Landry's injury could have a significant impact on the Hornets going forward, as Sean Highkin of Hoops Rumors wrote yesterday.
Today marks the first day of the season that teams can sign players to 10-day contracts. For an idea of what other players could sign 10-day contracts in the near future, and a refresher on how these deals work, check out our 10-day contract primer.
How Landry’s Sprained MCL Affects The Hornets
New Orleans forward Carl Landry announced via Twitter that he has suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain. The injury is expected to keep him out for several weeks, and is likely to have a significant impact on moves the Hornets make in the coming weeks.
The Hornets will sign Lance Thomas to a 10-day contract on Monday as a short-term fix, it was reported earlier today.
More importantly, Landry's injury makes the prospect of New Orleans trading center Chris Kaman even more unlikely. After Kaman was shelved by the Hornets until they found a trading partner, it was reported that the Pacers and Rockets were pursuing the veteran center aggressively.
However, on Friday the Hornets appeared to take Kaman off the market. Landry's injury leaves New Orleans in need of frontcourt help, making it harder for them to have a change of heart and deal Kaman. The 29-year-old is in the final year of a contract that will pay him approximately $14MM for 2011/12. He will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
Hornets To End Trade Talks, Retain Kaman
2:56pm: The Hornets intend to shut down trade discussions for Kaman and bring the center back to the team, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chris Broussard. It's unclear whether the stance is firm or whether New Orleans will field more offers before March 15th.
2:40pm: After reporting earlier this week that the Hornets and Rockets have had "extensive discussions" about Chris Kaman, Sam Amick of SI.com tweets that talks between the two sides have backtracked as of yesterday.
There were indications following Amick's initial report that the Hornets and Rockets weren't moving any closer to a deal, as Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston said the chances of a trade were "low." Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune also suggested that the Pacers, not the Rockets, may be the frontrunner to land Kaman.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported yesterday that the Hornets are seeking players on their rookie deals or a first-round pick in this year's draft. It's awfully hard to imagine any team offering even a late first-rounder to take on Kaman's $14MM+ salary, but as the Chris Paul negotiations showed, the league-owned Hornets likely won't make a deal unless they receive compensation they perceive to be fair.