Odds & Ends: Crawford, Smith, Knicks, Miller
J.R. Smith‘s production so far this season clearly outweighs his pay this season and the guard looks like a mortal lock to opt out of his $2.9MM option for 2013/14. However, Smith tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he hopes to stay in New York beyond this season. “Right now, I’m just trying to play it out and do the best I can throughout this year and hopefully I’ll be back here. That’s my plan. I don’t want to play anywhere else. I love it here,” said Smith. Here’s more (non-Nets) news from around the Association..
- The Celtics could have had Jamal Crawford for the right offer, but they were still going after Ray Allen when Crawford inked his deal with the Clippers, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
- Amick also spoke with guard Andre Miller about his reasons for re-signing with the Nuggets despite his desire to be a starter. The 36-year-old explained that at this stage in his life, stability was a major factor for him and his children.
- Blazers center J.J. Hickson is playing exceptionally well as of late and Sam Amico of FOX Sports (on Twitter) sees him as a a trade candidate. The big man, who is set to hit the open market at the end of the season, has nine straight double-doubles.
- Blazers veterans Sasha Pavlovic, Ronnie Price, and Jared Jeffries have been good soldiers in taking a backseat to Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge, Hickson, and Nicolas Batum, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
Odds & Ends: Wall, Felton, Raptors, Harden
A pair of teams at opposite ends of the standings received news about their point guards that conflicts with the way their seasons have gone so far. John Wall told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's targeting sometime next month for his return to the Wizards from a left patella injury that's kept him out all season. Raymond Felton of the Knicks, meanwhile, told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link), that he'll likely have surgery on his broken right pinkie finger that will keep him out four to six weeks. While we don't normally cover injuries at Hoops Rumors, we do so when an absence could have an effect on personnel moves, and there's news on a couple more guys whose health could signal change.
- Raptors officials said that center Jonas Valanciunas will miss the next four to six weeks with a broken ring finger on his right hand, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star notes, which might complicate matters if the team intends to trade Andrea Bargnani anytime soon while remaining competitive this season. With Bargnani still recovering from a torn elbow ligament, Aaron Gray has become a starter.
- Smith also writes that coach Dwane Casey has decided he'll keep Jose Calderon in the starting lineup even when Kyle Lowry returns from a torn right triceps muscle. Calderon has long been a trade candidate, but the team could dangle Lowry instead, as we heard earlier today.
- The Timberwolves had contact with the Thunder about acquiring James Harden, but Minnesota was rebuffed, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. It's unclear how far talks got, but it's no surprise that the Wolves at least made an inquiry, as just about every team surely did this summer while Oklahoma City stared down the dilemma over whether to grant Harden an extension.
- The numbers show top pick Anthony Davis has played more efficiently than any other 2012 lottery selection, and he credits some of that success to the mentorship of Ryan Anderson, as Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweets.
New York Notes: Kidd, Stoudemire, Blatche
This afternoon's game vs. the Celtics was the equivalent of a lump of coal in the Nets' stocking, as Brooklyn suffered a 17-point defeat on its home court. The Knicks are hoping for a better result in Los Angeles, currently engaged in a tight game with the Lakers in the second half. As we wait to see if one of the two New York teams can pull out a Christmas Day victory, here are a few links out of the Big Apple:
- While some fans and pundits were skeptical when the Knicks signed Jason Kidd to a three-year contract this summer, the veteran point guard has been at the heart of the team's success, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
- Also at ESPNNewYork.com, Begley asks whether the Knicks should trade Amare Stoudemire. I think a better question would be whether the Knicks can trade Stoudemire.
- Andray Blatche tells NBA.com's Jeff Caplan that after being amnestied by the Wizards in July, it was a while before he received any interest from NBA teams: "During the summer, I didn’t get no phone calls." Blatche ended up working out in Houston with former coach John Lucas, and Caplan notes that if Nets coach Avery Johnson didn't live just outside of Houston, allowing him to work out Blatche at his home, the ex-Wizard may not be playing in the NBA right now.
- Earlier today, I examined Kris Humphries as a trade candidate.
Odds & Ends: Cousins, Rockets, Humphries
With one game still in progress from tonight's docket, let's take a look around the Association..
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee notes that the Rockets have had interest in Kings big man DeMarcus Cousins in the past. However, Houston may not want to take on the troubled center at the cost of breaking up what they already have in place. James Harden & Co. are two games above .500 and riding a three game winning streak.
- It would not surprise Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) to see the Nets try and deal forward Kris Humphries and two-guard MarShon Brooks. The early returns on tonight's poll concerning Hump's future in Brooklyn show that 85% of Hoops Rumors readers see the Nets shopping him prior to the deadline. Humphries cannot be traded until January 15th.
- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle watched a Texas Legends game in order to check out Jared Cunningham and wound up coming away impressed by Chris Douglas-Roberts, who signed with the club earlier today, tweets Earl K. Sneed of NBA.com. The arrival of CDR meant that Dallas had to let Derek Fisher go after his short stint with the club.
- The Knicks may be "stuck" with Amare Stoudemire, but Tommy Beer of HoopsWorld doesn't necessarily see that as a bad thing. The forward was reportedly offered around the league for next-to-nothing this summer but there were no takers due to his contract and injury woes.
- With Fisher gone, now could be the time for Rodrigue Beaubois to steal the spotlight for the Mavericks, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. The 6'0" guard has been mentioned as a trade candidate this season.
New York Notes: Nets, Humphries, Amare, Knicks
We ran down some news out of the Atlantic in the afternoon, now it's time to zero in on the New York teams..
- After inking a two-year, $24MM deal with the Nets in the offseason, Kris Humphries has been pushed out of the starting lineup and to the bench. Against the Sixers today, Hump was left in his warmups for the entire 48 minutes despite being healthy. The forward admitted that the it bothered him and even though coach Avery Johnson warned him that his minutes would fluctuate, he never expected a DNP – coach's decision, Roderick Boone of Newsday tweets.
- Johnson said that Humphries isn't in the doghouse, tweets Andy Vasquez of the Bergen Record (on Twitter). "Basically a coach's decision… He's healthy,he's fine,he's not in the doghouse.We just had to try something else," Johnson said. If Johnson is being diplomatic and Humphries doesn't have a place in the Nets' rotation, one has to think that he could be a valuable trade chip between now and February.
- Knicks coach Mike Woodson still says that Amare Stoudemire won't suit up for the D-League's Erie BayHawks, despite his recent assignment, tweets Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal (on Twitter). The forward worked out with the Knicks affiliate in Westchester, New York in preperation for his on-court return.
- Some have wondered if Stouemire and Carmelo Anthony will be able to play well together this time around, but Anthony has no such concerns, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Atlantic Notes: Stoudemire, Ross, Raptors
Despite the Knicks' early season success, one important question revolves around how Amare Stoudemire will integrate himself within the team's current chemistry once he is finally ready to return from injury. With that in mind, the answer to that question will have to be put on hold a little bit longer, as Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes that Stoudemire isn't quite ready to participate in games just yet. Coach Mike Woodson, who met with his forward earlier today, said that he'd like to see Amare go through more practice time and gave the impression that a return during the team's three-game road trip was unlikely. Here's the rest of what we've heard out of the Atlantic Division tonight:
- Certain players who will have an important role in how well Amare will fit in, namely Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd, appear ready for the challenge and confident about their ability to make things work, says Iannazone.
- Among the brighter spots of the Raptors' five game winning streak is Terrence Ross, who coach Dwane Casey insists is earning minutes out of merit rather than an attempt to develop him (Doug Smith of TheStar.com reports).
- Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun says that despite the team's hot streak, Casey has tempered the hoopla surrounding the team and remains focused on the work that still needs to be done. Also, Ganter discusses Aaron Gray's role as a viable stopgap at center while Jonas Valanciunas is out with an injury.
- Ronnie Brewer has seen nearly a 33% drop in his three point percentages this month compared to November, though Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York writes that his shooting struggles aren't related to any lingering effects from the knee injury he suffered before the season started.
Odds & Ends: Stoudemire, World Peace, Lillard
Saturday afternoon linkage from around the Association..
- Concern about the health of Amare Stoudemire, who's set to return to the Knicks soon, led Team USA officials to pass him over for a spot on this year's Olympic team, even though the squad was short on big men, as Marc Berman of the New York Post reveals.
- Lakers forward Metta World Peace has been relegated to the bench, but he won't be asking for a trade over it, writes Janis Carr of the Orange County Register. In fact, the veteran seems to be taking it all in stride. “I just want to win, that’s our focus,” World Peace said. “I can’t speak for other players, but its all about us wining. That’s our whole purpose.”
- The Blazers' Damian Lillard remembers being considered the No. 2 point guard in the draft at one point behind the Suns Kendall Marshall, but refuses to knock the North Carolina product, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
- Brian Geltzeiler of Sheridan Hoops issued a letter of apology to Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan for his criticism of the Dwight Howard trade. At the time, it appeared that Orlando allowed themselves to be pillaged by three NBA teams, but they ultimately made the best move for the club in the long-term.
Atlantic Notes: Amare, Nets, Celtics, Brooks
The Knicks expect to have Amare Stoudemire back in action early next week and coach Mike Woodson says that they intend to plant him in the post, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com. It was reported this week that the Knicks were practically looking to give Stoudemire away this summer, but after flying the Erie BayHawks to New York for the express purpose of practicing with the forward, it would appear that they are committed to him. Here’s more out of the Atlantic Division, including the cross-town rival Nets.
- MarShon Brooks has been buried on the Nets bench after a breakout rookie campaign, but the youngster says he isn’t unhappy with the franchise over it, writes Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld. Brooks scored 12.6 PPG in almost 30 minutes per game last season but is now averaging 5.3 PPG in eleven minutes per contest as he plays behind Joe Johnson.
- The Celtics‘ Leandro Barbosa is another guard who would like to see some more burn, Brigham writes. Barbosa isn’t sure why the Suns and Pacers didn’t look to bring him back this year, but he says that he was happy to join the Celtics, even if it meant seeing less time on the floor. “They called me,” Barbosa said. “They gave me the opportunity and I was very appreciative that they wanted me to be a part of this team… I knew that my game would fit with this team. I wasn’t really worried about the amount of minutes I would play.”
- Nets coach Avery Johnson says that he isn’t concerned about job security, but he is willing to point the finger at himself somewhat, writes Roderick Boone of Newsday. The coach confessed that he is the man to blame for the club’s inability to close out quarters.
Stein On Lakers, Evans, Holiday, Stoudemire
Marc Stein of ESPN.com unveils his award winners for the first third of the NBA season, splitting the MVP award between the two conferences, with Carmelo Anthony besting LeBron James for the Eastern Conference honor and Kevin Durant getting the nod for the West. As usual, the ESPN scribe also checks in with a few rumors from around the league in his Weekend Dime, and we'll round them up here.
- The Lakers gave strong consideration to signing Delonte West, but the desire for stability, which has been in short supply for L.A. this season, kept them from doing so, a source tells Stein. The Lakers remain in the market for a point guard, but they're in no rush to do so, preferring to wait and see how the team looks with a healthy Steve Nash.
- Tyreke Evans wasn't rattled when he didn't receive a contract extension from the Kings, and he's likewise unfazed by his inclusion in trade rumors this season. "I'm just here to play basketball," Evans said. "If I get traded, that's what happens."
- Unlike Evans, Jrue Holiday did get an extension on his rookie deal, and while he believes the new deal took some pressure off of him, he doesn't think it's had any effect on his play. He's been thrust into a leadership role with Andrew Bynum out, and he's anxious to see how he and the big man fit together on the Sixers. "More so than curious, I'm just excited," Holiday said. "I'm excited for him to finally play, and I'd love to play with him. (But) I think the season at hand is the most important thing."
- Earlier today we heard the Knicks shopped Amare Stoudemire over the summer and found no takers. A source tells Stein that Stoudemire has come to grips with his reduced value and leverage, and understands that when he returns, he has to fit into whatever role coach Mike Woodson has for him.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Amare, Celtics, Garnett
Items out of the Atlantic Division..
- Some have wondered how Amare Stoudemire will fit in with the Knicks' future, but a team source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that the club brought the Erie Bayhawks to New York specifically to work out with the forward. That gesture is a sign that the Knicks are committed to Stoudemire long term in the eyes of Berman. Earlier today, we learned that the Knicks were practically looking to give Stoudemire away for free over the summer.
- Coach Mike Woodson doesn't seem to think that today's report will have an effect on Stoudemire, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. "Amare is a big piece of the New York Knicks and that's why he's still here," said the coach.
- Jim Cavan of the New York Times writes that a lower turnover rate has been a key to the Knicks' success this season.
- The Celtics need a big man who will help give Kevin Garnett and Chris Wilcox help down low, writes Rich Levine of CSNNE.com. Levine suggests that the C's can package Courtney Lee and Fab Melo for Jason Thompson of the Kings or the Blazers' J.J. Hickson.
- If the Celtics don’t show improvement on the defensive end before the trade deadline, expect team president Danny Ainge to find better complementary pieces for Garnett, writes Dan Guttenplan of WEEI.com.
- Louis Williams reflects on his years with the 76ers as he prepares to face his former team as a member of the Hawks.
- Jason Kidd believes that Deron Williams is struggling with his shooting, which is to blame for his poor recent play, and not Nets coach Avery Johnson.