Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Butler, Celtics
At Canada’s Lakehead University, coach Scott Morrison took one of the nation’s worst programs and developed them into one of the better teams in just two seasons. Now, he seems to be working a similar turnaround with the Celtics‘ D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, as A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes. In his first season as the team’s head coach, Morrison has led the squad to an impressive 20-10 record in addition to leading the “Futures” D-League All-Star team to a 129-94 win over the “Prospects” All-Star team on Sunday.
“Learning how to win is what coaching is,” said Danny Ainge, Boston’s president of basketball operations. “When you win, that’s fun. That keeps players’ attention; that gives the coach credibility when you win. Scott has guys listening a little bit more because he’s had some success.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division..
- The Sixers did not sign Tim Frazier to a second 10-day deal, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (on Twitter). The Penn State product appeared in three games for the Sixers and started in two of those contests. He averaged 5.0 PPG, 8.7 APG, and 4.7 RPG in 35.7 minutes per game. Pompey notes that by not re-signing Frazier, the 76ers now have an available roster spot to take on an expiring contract before Thursday’s deadline. That could be an indication that the 76ers won’t be inking anyone to another 10-day pact in the coming days.
- In an alternate universe, Bulls standout Jimmy Butler could have been a member of the Knicks this season, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes. If Carmelo Anthony had decided to go to Chicago, Butler quite possibly would have been one of the pieces coming to the Knicks in a sign-and-trade with the Bulls. Butler, of course, has emerged as a rising star in the NBA while the Knicks are out of playoff contention.
- With Celtics coach Brad Stevens and his players making a public pitch for continuity, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com wonders if Ainge might take the cautious approach at the deadline. If a team offers a first-round pick for Brandon Bass or Marcus Thornton, Forsberg thinks he should jump on it. If it’s just a mid-to-late second round pick for a player like that, however, there’s little reason for the C’s to do it, especially when they’ll likely have to take back salary to complete a swap.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sixers, Nets, Patterson
Who would want to come to a freezing city with a lousy team? The Knicks are hoping one of the NBA’s top free agents will, reports Mark Herrmann of Newsday. A bitter cold snap wasn’t very welcoming to the free-agents-to-be who were selected for this year’s All-Star Game in New York, but LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol and Paul Millsap brushed off the weather, just as they did questions about their future from the New York media. “I don’t think about free agency yet,” Gasol said. “It’s going to come to one point in time when I’m going to have to do that and I’ll weigh all my options. And when that happens, I’ll look at everything on the table.” None of the players had anything bad to say about New York, with Gasol calling it “one of the capitals of the world,” and Aldridge expressing admiration for team president Phil Jackson and the triangle offense.
There’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- Expect Sixers GM Sam Hinkie to go full-speed ahead into Thursday’s trade deadline with his tanking strategy, writes Bob Ford of The Inquirer. He sees two goals for Hinkie: taking on bad contracts to acquire assets, and reducing Philadelphia’s talent level in hopes of moving up the draft board. The Sixers stand a little more than $13MM below the cap floor, the amount they are bound by the collective bargaining agreement to spend on player salary. They rank third in the Hoops Rumors Reverse Standings.
- If the Nets are sold, Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil expects a huge price tag, reports Cork Gaines of Yahoo! Finance. “I think they go for $1.4, $1.5 billion,” O’Neil said on Bloomberg Television’s “Market Makers.” “[the exact amount] depends on what’s included, what the lease looks like, how much of the arena you get. There is a whole bunch of different factors. But I would say, given the current set up, the current structure now, $1.5-ish [billion].”
- Patrick Patterson’s stats may not show it, but he has become one of the Raptors‘ most valuable players, writes Eric Koreen of The National Post. Patterson averages 8.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, but his versatility and agility on defense make him a valuable piece in Toronto. “Defensively, he fits in a lot of different schemes,” coach Dwane Casey said, “doing different things: double-teaming in the post, showing in the pick-and-roll, walling in the pick-and-roll.” Patterson is in the first season of a three-year, $18MM contract.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Prokhorov, Celtics
When asked how quickly the Knicks would be able to improve as a franchise, Carmelo Anthony said he believes that the impetus for change begins off of the court, and not with the players, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “The fate is in the front office now,” Anthony said. “As players, the only thing we can do is go out and try to compete on a nightly basis and try to get wins and try to get better. But I think the onus is on the front office, and they’ve got a task ahead of them to start building for now and for the future.”
Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division:
- Knicks team president Phil Jackson says that he won’t be using the All-Star weekend in New York City to recruit potential free agents, Mitch Abramason of The New York Daily News writes. “That can’t be what I do here,” Jackson said. “I’ve got to be even-handed and friendly and this isn’t a recruiting tool.” NBA tampering rules would also prevent Jackson from trying to entice players to join the Knicks this offseason, Abramson notes.
- The moves that the Nets have made since Mikhail Prokhorov took over as owner have done more to raise the value of the franchise than to bring the team closer to raising a championship banner, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes.
- Jackson says that despite the Knicks‘ considerable struggles this season, he remains confident the franchise is on the right course, Neil Best of Newsday writes. “Things are working out just the way we want them to,” Jackson said. “They may not have gone splendidly in the first month, but you know, whatever. We’re forward. We’re forward thinking.”
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com doesn’t think that the Celtics should make an attempt to trade for Utah’s disgruntled center, Enes Kanter. The big man doesn’t appear to be a player who could significantly improve Boston’s frontcourt situation enough for Danny Ainge, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, to try and get a deal deal done with Utah, Blakely notes.
Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 2/8/15-2/14/15
In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have added a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:
“The Hawks are at the top the league right now. Is there a move for them to make now that will help them come playoff time?” — Jason C.
The Hawks are indeed on a roll, despite entering the All-Star break with a loss, and that means acting GM and coach Mike Budenholzer needs to be extremely careful when tweaking his team. Locker room chemistry is such a delicate formula, and it isn’t wise to fiddle with the roster when a team is playing this well. But having said that, I can see two areas that the Hawks may do well to take a shot at strengthening.
Atlanta could use more offensive firepower on the wing, and I would suggest that it targets the Nuggets’ Arron Afflalo, whom Denver is reportedly requesting a first round draft pick for. The Hawks have an open roster spot thanks to dealing Adreian Payne to the Wolves, and with a very real shot to make it to the NBA Finals the team should maximize this opportunity. Bringing Afflalo to Atlanta would be a solid move, though making the trade work under the cap without impacting its overall roster strength would be a bit tricky.
The other area the Hawks could benefit from addressing is at the center position. If Al Horford were to suffer an injury the team would have only Pero Antic and Mike Muscala to man the pivot. While I like Muscala’s potential quite a bit, neither player strikes me as a starting center on a contending team this season. I think the Hawks should take a run at prying Enes Kanter away from the Jazz. Sure, he’s not a great defender, but his offensive skillset would blend in nicely with Atlanta’s system.
“Who is the biggest name that will be dealt before the deadline?” — Kenny R.
If I have to take a stab at predicting this, I’ll go with Reggie Jackson of the Thunder. I haven’t been sold on his long-term future in Oklahoma City since the arrival of Dion Waiters from Cleveland. With Jackson set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and him more than likely in line to garner player friendly offer sheets from a number of teams, OKC may decide to part ways with him and reap something of value in return at the deadline.
Since Waiters’ arrival Jackson’s minutes have taken a hit, which more than likely hasn’t sat well with a player who is in a contract year. This means that there could be some cracks in the relationship between Jackson and the team, and if that is indeed the case, it’s not a great start to negotiating a new deal if the team wished to retain the guard for the long-term.
I wouldn’t be shocked to see Jackson head to Brooklyn, New York, or Miami via a trade. The Knicks have already tried to acquire Jackson, though they likely lack the assets needed to entice Thunder GM Sam Presti into pulling the trigger on a deal. The Nets are a much likelier landing spot, and a trade centering around Brook Lopez and Jackson wouldn’t be a shocker. The Heat could also factor in since their point guard situation is far from settled, and Miami could offer a number of interesting pieces in return, though no one quite as appealing as Lopez.
My second choice for the biggest name to be dealt would be the Suns’ Goran Dragic. But I think that would happen only if Phoenix could nab a star player in return, or if Dragic has informed GM Ryan McDonough that he has no intentions of returning to Phoenix next season. With McDonough dropping hints that he needs to part ways with one of his guards, Dragic could very well be wearing a new uniform come Friday.
“What do the Sixers end up doing with Andrei Kirilenko? What kind of trade value does he have?” — Ron
I would speculate that Kirilenko has very little value as a trade chip at this point of the season. I can’t see a team giving up a worthwhile player or a second round pick for him, which is GM Sam Hinkie‘s likely asking price, since there are still a few of those between now and 2020 that he doesn’t own yet. If Philadelphia and Kirilenko arrange a buyout, which is the likely outcome of this relationship, interested teams could simply sign him for the veteran’s minimum instead of picking up the remainder of the Russian’s $3,326,235 salary for 2014/15.
“What are your thoughts on the hiring of George Karl? Do the Kings make the playoffs next season? — Bobby S.
I like the concept of hiring Karl, but loathe the execution. The Kings have made a mess of themselves this season, and a new coach, no matter who he is, isn’t going to right the ship in 2014/15. I’d also like to get on record that Tyrone Corbin, a true gentleman and professional by all accounts, deserves much better than the treatment he has received by Sacramento throughout this very public process. I’ll also add that the team would have been much better served to stick with Michael Malone for the entire season, and if a change was needed, have it take place during the summer, not when the Kings were off to such a solid start, and the team’s difficult star, DeMarcus Cousins, appeared to be firmly in his former coach’s corner.
Speaking to what Karl will bring to the organization, I think it will be good for a boost in the short-term. But unless Karl has mellowed a bit, or Cousins is ready to grow up and buy in fully to what Karl is selling him, this is a tabloid-worthy relationship waiting to happen. Karl had difficulties with some of his players in Denver, notably his star at the time, Carmelo Anthony, and ‘Melo is a church mouse compared to Cousins when he gets his ire up. So this pairing is a potentially volatile situation that could make for good theater, but rough seas on the hardwood if the two men don’t click.
As for whether or not this will mean a playoff spot for the Kings, I’d say the draft (if the Kings don’t convey their first-rounder to Chicago), and the team’s offseason moves will have much more of an impact on next season’s outcome. The NBA is a player’s league, and coaches can instill a culture conducive to winning, but unless Sacramento improves its roster, we’ll likely see similar results no matter who is calling the timeouts on the sidelines.
“Who are the biggest potential sleepers in the 2015 draft?” — Malik
This is going to be an intriguing draft since after the top four players (Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl-Anthony Towns, and D’Angelo Russell), the second tier becomes a true tossup. There are a number of players who seem interchangeable between picks 5-20 in the upcoming draft, and I’m glad that I’m not the one who has to put his job on the line in making the final call on whom to select with those picks. This year’s pre-draft workouts are going to be vital and extremely stressful for a large number of players, as well as teams’ evaluation staffs. If I had to pick a few players who could outperform their likely draft slots, I’d go with R.J. Hunter (Georgia State), Dakari Johnson (Kentucky), and Delon Wright (Utah). All three players are likely to be mid-to-late first-rounders, but all of whom I believe will become pleasant surprises at the next level.
That’s all the space I have for this week. Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you. Gentlemen, hopefully you didn’t forget to take care of your significant others today, or else you may have to monitor all the trade deadline activity from the dog house. Keep sending in your questions, and I’ll see you back here next Saturday.
Eastern Notes: James, Millsap, Allen
Cavs superstar LeBron James has been elected as the vice president of the NBPA, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter links). Chris Paul, the NBPA president, has been pushing for James to join him as the No. 2 man in the player’s union for some time now, Wojnarowski adds. The announcement of James’ election was soon overshadowed by the reports that the NBPA had voted to reject the league’s salary cap smoothing proposal for 2016. This news sets the stage for a potential lockout in 2017, when both the league and the union can opt out of the current CBA, though that is merely my speculation.
Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:
- Paul Millsap said that the support he has received from Hawks fans and the community in Atlanta would not factor into his decision-making when he becomes a free agent this summer, Nick Powell of NJ.com relays. “It’s a good thing, but I’m not one to base my decision off emotions,” Millsap said. “I base my decisions off of everything else. Where our team is at, can I grow with this team, how’s the coach, how’s the community? There’s a lot of things that factor into it besides emotions.” When asked his feelings about potentially playing in New York, Millsap said, “It’s a good place. I consider myself a guy who could fit in anywhere.“
- When Patrick Beverley was asked about potentially joining the Knicks as a free agent this summer, he stated that his first desire was to remain in Houston, Powell adds. “That’s not up to me, that’s up to my agent and stuff like that,” Beverley said. “I’m extremely happy with Houston, that’s one of the teams that kind of took a chance on me for me getting to the NBA, but at the end of the day this is a business, and I’ll let my agent handle that.” Beverly will become a restricted free agent at season’s end.
- Though the Heat were indeed in contact with free agent Ray Allen last summer, the team never made a contract offer to the veteran guard, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes.
Latest On Amar’e Stoudemire, Possible Buyout
FRIDAY, 4:27pm: Stoudemire’s representatives are still discussing a buyout with the team, but the player still hasn’t made a definitive decision about his future yet, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
11:13pm: Stoudemire’s representatives are pushing for a buyout, and the Knicks seem inclined to grant it, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report notes. New York has no interest in re-signing Stoudemire this summer, and the team prefers to use its salary-cap room to chase a younger star, Beck adds.
WEDNESDAY, 11:36am: No “real” discussions have taken place between Amar’e Stoudemire and the Knicks about a buyout, agent Happy Walters tells Marc Berman of the New York Post, adding that his client is loyal to the Knicks and won’t make a move unless Knicks owner James Dolan is on board with it. Dolan doesn’t oppose the idea, sources tell Berman, and in one buyout scenario, Stoudemire would relinquish the amount of money he would make on a prorated minimum-salary contract. The veteran big man echoed sentiments of loyalty to the Knicks in comments Tuesday, as Berman notes in a separate piece.
“I gave it all, man — my heart, my body and my soul,’’ Stoudemire said. “I truly gave it all. I’m still giving, still dedicated to the game of basketball, still dedicated to New York State and the Knicks.”
Carmelo Anthony is lobbying Stoudemire to stick around, as Berman notes. The 32-year-old Stoudemire has spoken of playing several more years and said recently that he expected he’d talk soon with the Knicks about a future with the team beyond this season. Stoudemire later said he and the Knicks would discuss the possibility of a buyout after the All-Star break. He’d have to hit waivers no later than March 1st to be eligible to play for another team in the postseason.
The Mavs are reportedly the favorites to sign Stoudemire should he buy his way off the Knicks and clear waivers, and the Clippers and Warriors would apparently have interest as well. It’s almost certain that Stoudemire would clear waivers, since no team, including the Sixers, currently has the cap space necessary to take on his salary of nearly $23.411MM. The Knicks could recoup a portion of his salary via set-off if he clears waivers and signs with any other team, though teams and players often agree to waive set-off rights in the event of a buyout. The Mavs, Clippers and Warriors are all limited to paying out no more than the minimum salary anyway, so any set-off wouldn’t amount to much.
Central Notes: Monroe, LeBron, Haywood, Allen
Stan Van Gundy insists that the Pistons won’t trade Greg Monroe, citing his hope that the big man will re-sign this summer as well as the team’s playoff chase, as Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News observes. Monroe has a de facto no-trade clause and agent David Falk has said he doesn’t want to be dealt.
“It’s not gonna happen,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t know where Greg’s head will be in the offseason, but we’re still hopeful of Greg Monroe for the long term. And with him going into free agency, you won’t get a lot, maybe a pick. I’m not gonna walk in that locker room and give up a piece like that and then tell the guys we’re trying to make the playoffs. They deserve the chance to ride this out. You never say never to anything, but I can tell you about 99.9%, Greg Monroe’s not going anywhere.”
The Lakers reportedly asked the Pistons about Monroe earlier this month, but it seems like their chance to nab him won’t come until the summer, when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. There’s more on the Pistons amid the latest from around the Central Division:
- Van Gundy also said that he won’t trade a first-round pick but is willing to take on a short-term salary dump from another team, Wojnowski notes in the same piece.
- LeBron James expressed fondness for Madison Square Garden today while speaking to reporters for All-Star weekend, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays (Twitter link). Still, it’d be a stretch to suggest that the Cavs star, who has a player option for next season, has any interest in playing for the Knicks. “If I could have 82 regular season games anywhere they’d be at Madison Square Garden, because it’s the mecca of basketball,” James said.
- The Cavs believe Brendan Haywood is “done” as an on-court contributor, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes in his Final Thoughts column. Of course, Haywood continues to have value thanks to his unique contract, and the Cavs are reportedly shopping him in advance of the deadline.
- The Bulls seem like a less likely contender for Ray Allen than they had been, as Sam Smith of Bulls.com opines in his latest mailbag column.
Carmelo Anthony To Miss Rest Of Season?
FRIDAY, 11:24am: Anthony told reporters today that he has “not at all” ruled out playing after the All-Star break this season, notes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter links). “I’m going to see, I’m going to try,” Anthony said. “We have a whole week to figure that out.” The Knicks next play a week from today.
THURSDAY, 2:53pm: Carmelo Anthony acknowledged that “it’s very likely” that he will discontinue playing after the All-Star Game because of his sore left knee, adding that the All-Star Game could represent the final time he plays this season, as Anthony said today on ESPN Radio, as ESPN.com transcribes. The Knicks star has been dealing with the pain for months and aggravated the injury in Monday’s game. Anthony said earlier this week that it was growing increasingly likely that he’d undergo surgery that would knock him out for at least eight weeks, and the “prevailing theory” has been that he’d sit out once the All-Star Game was through, as Marc Berman of the New York Post wrote last week.
The deadline to apply for a disabled player exception has passed, and there’s little urgency for the Knicks to play well the rest of the season, since they have the league’s worst record and pole position for the No. 1 overall pick. The suggestion that the team would allow Anthony to play in the All-Star Game, even though it will take place in Madison Square Garden, and then sit out the rest of the season would signal the club’s lack of investment in its win-loss record down the stretch. The Knicks have four trade exceptions, three of which range in value from nearly $2.617MM to more than $5.982MM, but it seems unlikely Anthony’s absence would prompt team president Phil Jackson and company into using them before the trade deadline if they weren’t otherwise going to do so.
It’s already been a lost season in many ways for Anthony and the Knicks after the high-scoring forward re-signed with the team in free agency this summer. The Leon Rose client inked a five-year deal worth more than $124MM that was about $5.071MM less than the max. The 30-year-old has already missed 13 of the team’s 53 games this year, and he’s averaged fewer minutes, points and rebounds per game than he did a year ago.
And-Ones: Buyouts, Dragic, Stauskas, Magic
Andrea Bargnani, Brandon Bass, Marcus Thornton, Andrei Kirilenko, Willie Green, Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur are all likely buyout candidates if they’re not traded before the deadline, league sources tell Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Beck also mentions Tayshaun Prince, who’ll probably strike a buyout deal with the Celtics if he’s not traded, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported last month. The Bleacher Report scribe also reiterates that Kevin Garnett isn’t seeking a buyout, seconding an earlier report from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Here’s more from around the NBA:
- The Suns want a first-round pick if they’re to give up Goran Dragic in a trade, as Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times hears (Twitter link). Woelfel suggests that opposing teams will be willing to pay that price and believes the Rockets, who’ve reportedly tried to trade for Dragic this season, will consider going after him again.
- There are rumors connecting the Bucks to Kings rookie Nik Stauskas, according to Woelfel (Twitter link). Still, it’s unclear if there’s truly interest from Milwaukee’s end.
- James Borrego says the Magic haven’t told him whether or not he’ll be the head coach for the rest of the season, and he takes it as a signal that he’ll remain in place, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. The timing of the situation and the Magic’s track record don’t suggest they’ll make a move before season’s end, though “it’s widely believed” the team will eventually replace Borrego with a proven coaching veteran, Schmitz writes. Rumored coaching candidate Scott Skiles indeed has interest in the job, but the Magic’s players seem to be supporting Borrego, Schmitz adds.
- Blazers GM Neil Olshey is exploring possible trades to help shore up the team’s depth, The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman writes, noting that Thomas Robinson and Will Barton seem unsure if they’ll remain on the team past the deadline. Olshey declared earlier this week that he wouldn’t trade any of the team’s starters and also talked up the value of his bench players in an interview during a game broadcast, as Mike Richman of The Oregonian transcribes.
- Former Mavs guard Dominique Jones is drawing renewed NBA interest following an impressive showing in China, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Jones, who last played in the league in 2012/13, averaged an eye-popping 36.8 points per game over 41 appearances in China this season.
Atlantic Notes: Nets, ‘Melo, Kirilenko
The Raptors appear to be in buying mode if they’re to make a deadline move, while the Sixers and Knicks are probably sellers, and the Celtics have already demonstrated their willingness to part with immediate assets with their flurry of trades so far this season. That leaves the Nets, amid persistent rumors surrounding Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson for the past two months. Still, coach Lionel Hollins doesn’t expect that the Nets will make any deadline moves, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post observes. Here’s more from around the Atlantic while we wait to see if Hollins is correct about what GM Billy King and company do:
- Heat team president Pat Riley said he called agent Leon Rose about Carmelo Anthony this past summer when Anthony was already deep into his free agent decision-making, but the Knicks star insists he never personally heard from the Heat, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
- Andrei Kirilenko‘s wife gave birth to a healthy baby son this week, according to Robert Windrem of NetsDaily (Twitter link), and that’s a signal that movement might be afoot for Kirilenko’s NBA career. Kirilenko, without specifying the issue that’s kept him from playing since November 13th, told reporters in December that it would be resolved by February. The veteran forward has been on suspension while taking leave to tend to his wife for the past few months, and the Sixers have reportedly viewed him as a trade chip.
- Xavier Thames, the No. 59 pick in the 2014 draft whose rights belong to the Nets, is joining the D-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants, reports Reggie Hayes of The (Fort Wayne) News-Sentinel. Thames had been playing with Baloncesto Sevilla of Spain.