Latest On J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith is eligible to be traded starting today, and while it doesn’t appear as though any deal is imminent, all is not well between last year’s Sixth Man of the Year and the Knicks. Smith didn’t appear in last night’s game against the Bobcats, even though he says Mike Woodson hadn’t told him he would be benched, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Smith didn’t directly answer a reporter’s postgame question of whether he wants to be traded, but he nonetheless hinted at discontent with his situation in New York.
“I’ll figure out what I can do better to help this team and go from there,’’ Smith said, as Berman notes. “If I can’t help the team, no point in me being here.’’
A reporter also asked Smith whether he would try to talk to Woodson about the benching, but Smith replied that, “The communication from my end is over,” Newsday’s Al Iannazzone tweets. The latest discord seems to have started with Smith repeatedly trying to untie opponents’ shoelaces earlier this month, but Smith says it’s “ridiculous” that such pranks have led to so much trouble, according to Berman.
Trading Smith, who signed a three-year contract for nearly $18MM in the offseason, wouldn’t fetch the Knicks much in return, as there’s apparently no market for the swingman. The Knicks have been trying to find a way to trade for Andre Miller, but the Nuggets have no interest in Smith and wouldn’t entertain the idea of a Miller-for-Smith swap, reports Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link).
Bucher’s Latest: Griffin, Anthony, Lowry
A majority of the league believes Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan don’t fit together, and Jordan’s improvement has made Griffin the more obvious trade candidate, according to Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. The consensus is that the Clippers need a big man who can shoot, and even Chris Paul wishes Griffin were more like former teammate David West, sources tell Bucher. A general manager who possesses the sort of power forward who might mesh better with Jordan said to Bucher that the Clippers haven’t contacted his team and added that he hasn’t heard that the Clippers are shopping Griffin at all. The GM thinks owner Donald Sterling would never agree to such a deal, though Bucher hears from a Clippers source confident that Doc Rivers will talk him into it before the trade deadline. Bucher has more on the Clippers and scuttlebutt around the league, as we detail:
- Bucher suggests that if the Clippers were to trade for Carmelo Anthony, there’d be no certainty that they could re-sign him.
- The Warriors decided against trading for Kyle Lowry over concerns about how he’d fit into their locker room. The Raptors have upped their asking price for Lowry in the meantime, and executives around the league aren’t sure whether Lowry, Andre Miller or Kirk Hinrich is the best oversized point guard who might be available.
- Several GMs believe the Bulls will trade Mike Dunleavy for a draft pick, with Chicago setting its sights on a retool for next season. The Rockets are reportedly targeting Dunleavy, and Bucher shares insight from a rival executive on why Houston might be inclined to deal for him.
Odds & Ends: Love, Spurs, Lee, Thunder
With the Wolves struggling and Kevin Love‘s frustration level rising, clubs are likely salivating at the chance to land him via trade. However, Sam Smith of NBA.com hears that Love, a free agent in the summer of 2015, favors the Knicks and Lakers. In Smith’s mind, there really isn’t a point to trading for the forward if he isn’t willing to extend his deal or re-sign with your club. More from around the Association..
- The Spurs announced that Danny Green will miss about four weeks with a broken left hand, but the team isn’t likely to sign a replacement, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
- Michael Cohen of the Commercial Appeal chatted with new Grizzlies guard Courtney Lee and those who helped shape his game. “He’s a system guy. He’s not Paul George. He’s not this alpha male-type player. You put him in a specific role on a good team with good players, and that’s where he’s really strong. That’s what we see in him here,” said Stu Lash, Grizzlies director of player personnel and basketball development.
- Thunder GM Sam Presti told a local sports radio station that while he’ll do his “due diligence” on the trade market, he’s happy with where the team is currently, tweets Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman.
- Jerryd Bayless can do more for the Celtics than just help their finances, writes ESPNBoston.com’s Chris Forsberg.
Andrew Bynum Rumors: Monday
At this time a week ago, Andrew Bynum was still a member of the Cavaliers, though it was clear he’d never play another game for that team. Since then, he’s been traded and released, and since he cleared waivers, there’s been plenty of chatter about his free agency. His next step won’t come quite as quickly as his previous few have, as a couple of weekend reports demonstrate. Here are the latest details:
- The Heat aren’t expected to pursue Bynum, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who includes the tidbit in this morning’s power rankings. The team’s full roster and Greg Oden‘s presence are the reasons why, the source said.
Earlier updates:
- The Knicks are among the teams with interest in Bynum, but most clubs are taking a cautious approach with the former All-Star, and the race for his services is more marathon than sprint, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. New York, like many of the teams in the running for Bynum, can offer only the minimum salary, and he’s seeking more than that, Stein says.
- The Clippers, at one point considered co-favorites with the Heat to sign Bynum, are leaning against doing so, Stein writes in the same piece, adding that the Thunder are similarly disinterested.
- Count Portland out, too, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports the Trail Blazers haven’t inquired about the client of agent David Lee. Portland is wary of Bynum’s health as well as how he might affect a seamless locker room culture. Plus, the team already has 15 fully guaranteed contracts, as Haynes points out.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Smith, Patterson
After topping the Heat in double overtime, can the Nets good fortune continue? Maybe not. Star guard Deron Williams won’t be back in action in time for the club’s London tilt against the Hawks, the club announced earlier today. Here’s more out of the Atlantic..
- The Knicks are said to be working their way into the mix for Nuggets guard Andre Miller, but Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com is less-than-enthused about that idea. While the Knicks need help at the one-guard position, the club’s only real assets are Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr., and Miller isn’t worth parting with either guy.
- J.R. Smith is in the Knicks‘ doghouse, but he says that he’s learned from his benching, writes ESPNNewYork.com’s Begley. The Knicks are said to be shopping Smith around, but that’s said to be more of a tactic to scare him straight, especially since there isn’t much of a market out there for him anyway.
- Patrick Patterson says that he has been a great fit with the Raptors thus far, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The forward says he’s comfortable playing alongside Amir Johnson because of the similarities in their games. Patterson came north of the border in December’s Rudy Gay deal with the Kings.
Mutual Interest Between Tom Thibodeau, Knicks?
In his latest piece for the New York Daily News, Mitch Lawrence says there are rumors around the Bulls’ camp that Tom Thibodeau might have a deal in place to become the head coach of the Knicks next season.
Thibodeau was an assistant coach in New York from 1996-2001 and is represented by CAA, Knicks owner James Dolan’s favorite agency. Lawrence is quick to note that Thibodeau is under contract through the 2016/17 season, and a regular season transition is extremely unlikely because there would be a major tampering case that might prevent Thibodeau from returning to New York at all. Doc Rivers proved last summer that coaches under contract can be shipped to another squad for the right price, and after the season ends, Thibodeau will be a viable candidate to land a job leading the Knicks.
Lawrence hears from league sources that Thibodeau was “kept in the dark” about certain details during the development of the Luol Deng trade, namely when Deng was being shipped and where he was heading. Since Deng was one of Thibodeau’s favorite players, withholding these details surely rubbed him the wrong way. Plus, we heard last week that Thibodeau wasn’t thrilled with the prospect of rebuilding, and the Deng deal certainly indicates the Bulls are interested in changing the core of their team. It’s possible that the club might want to reshape itself and form a new identity that doesn’t include Thibodeau.
Of course, Mike Woodson would need to be fired by the Knicks before any of these rumors could come to life, and right now he’s under contract through the end of the 2014/15 season. It’s worth mentioning that Dolan spoke out and gave Woodson his full support in late November. However, no one from upper management has spoken publicly on Woodson’s job status since then, leaving some to speculate that he’s on the hot seat. These are only rumors right now, but it doesn’t seem out of the question that Thibodeau might land a job with New York sometime in the not-so-distant future.
Knicks Notes: Smith, Woodson, Hardaway
The Knicks are preparing to face the 76ers on the road tonight, and we heard earlier today that J.R. Smith is once again unlikely to see any action. Much has been said about the still-developing Smith saga, but all the attention hasn’t seemed to negatively affect the team’s play. They’ve won four out of their last five games, including key victories against the Spurs and Heat. Here’s the latest on Smith and the Knicks:
- Smith spoke to reporters, including Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) about his reaction to the Knicks souring on him as of late. “What have you done for me lately, pretty much. You miss shots, it’s going to happen,” the guard said. Smith has been in the doghouse thanks to his public reaction to his younger brother getting cut. His proclivity for untying his opponent’s shoes probably doesn’t help things either.
- Rather than taking responsibility for his actions, Begley hears that Smith is frustrated at how much his name’s been in the media lately and doesn’t understand what all the fuss is over. Smith says he’s simply misunderstood. “I guess some people don’t have a sense of humor that others have… I’ve been misunderstood my whole life. it’s not going to change now.” Coach Mike Woodson has gone on the record as saying Smith needs to grow up.
- Meanwhile, Keith Schlosser from Knicks Journal suggests Tim Hardaway Jr. might be ready to take over Smith’s role as sixth man. Schlosser argues that despite Hardaway’s lack of experience and sometimes poor shot selection, the rookie guard has the skills necessary to warrant more minutes.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, D-League, Boogie, Melo
LeBron James has a lot of reasons to be unhappy following last night’s double overtime loss to the Nets, but he’s especially irked over Mirza Teletovic‘s foul on him in the fourth quarter. The horsecollar tackle has been outlawed in football, but Teletovic apparently wanted to give it a try on the hardwood. At any rate, the game saw the Nets beat the Heat for the second time this year behind Joe Johnson‘s team high 32 points. Here’s more from around the Association..
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com runs down his All-D-League Showcase team. Stein’s five: Pierre Jackson, Seth Curry, Devin Ebanks, James Nunnally, and Jarvis Varnado. No NBA assignees made the cut, but the Wolves’ Shabazz Muhammad and Nando De Colo and Malcolm Thomas of the Spurs all received something of an honorable mention.
-
Count DeMarcus Cousins among those who are happy to see Rudy Gay with the Kings. “He helps this team out so much. Another option offensively – I think he’s great addition,” Boogie said, according to the Kings’ official Twitter account. Since joining Sacramento, Gay is averaging 20.6 PPG and, perhaps more importantly, a career-high PER of 19.7.
- Before last night’s game, James offered up some unsolicited advice for free-agent-to-be Carmelo Anthony, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com observes. “You got to do whatever makes [you] happy at the end of the day. If you’re happy, the game of basketball is going to be fun for you,” the Heat star said. “Strive to be great every day, and you can live with whatever else happens.“
Eastern Notes: Smith, Boozer, Knicks, Heat
Indications are that J.R. Smith is still on the outs with the Knicks and his benching will probably continue today against the SIxers, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The benching appears to have the full support of owner James Dolan and, as Berman notes, most people that cross the Knicks owner can’t get back into his good graces. More from the East..
- In today’s mailbag, a reader asks Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel if Carlos Boozer could be a fit for the Heat if the Bulls use the amnesty clause on him. While he’s likely to available come July and has South Florida ties, Winderman doesn’t see it happening. Boozer has always gone for top dollar and that probably wouldn’t change this summer.
- With Luol Deng in the mix, the Cavs suddenly seem to have a balanced roster and much better ball movement on offense, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Cleveland is now 2-0 in the Deng era.
- James Nunnally, whose ten-day deal with the Hawks should be finalized today, made the D-League Showcase first-team, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Stein On Raptors, Lowry, Chandler, Afflalo
For the first time, there’s real talk from Toronto that the Raptors might keep point guard Kyle Lowry for the rest of the season, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Word is that GM Masai Ujiri won’t commit to any firm position and is open to moving Lowry if the offers suddenly get sweeter. However, team officials appear to prefer the idea of going for what would be just Toronto’s third playoff berth in 13 seasons rather than attempt a colossal tank and go from .500 to Andrew Wiggins territory. Here’s more from Stein’s latest offering..
- The Knicks were linked heavily to Lowry just a few weeks ago but they’re now said to want to work their way into the bidding for Nuggets guard Andre Miller. Unfortunately for them, they have the same problem in chasing Miller that they did with Lowry: a lack of assets to offer.
- The Knicks are still getting calls for center Tyson Chandler but sources close to the situation tell Stein that they’re brushing each one of them off. At this stage, New York has no interest in parting with its defensive anchor, which makes sense if the Knicks are set on re-signing Carmelo Anthony this summer.
- The Magic, meanwhile, continue to stiff-arm teams registering interest in shooting guard Arron Afflalo. The difference there, though, is that some rival clubs aren’t convinced that the Magic’s stance is as absolute as the Knicks’ stance is with Chandler. The lure of the 2014 draft is strong, but it’s not out of the question that someone could offer up a first-round pick for Afflalo. In that event, Orlando would have to give serious thought to pulling the trigger.