Northwest Notes: Durant, Blazers, Stiemsma
The latest news and notes from around the Northwest Division on Wednesday evening:
- Kevin Durant tells Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman that he feels the Thunder have played well in adjusting to James Harden's absence.
- Abby Chin of CSNNW.com writes that Blazers coach Terry Stotts is trying to instill confidence in the team's bench, which has underperformed this season.
- Timberwolves center Greg Stiemsma reflects on his rookie season in Boston as they prepare to play the Celtics.
Berger On Lakers, White, Thunder, Fisher
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com has a new column dealing with several high-profile topics from around the NBA. Here are the highlights:
- Berger writes that if the Lakers choose to trade Pau Gasol, they should look for wing defenders and bench depth.
- The Rockets and Royce White appear to be making progress in working through the issues that have prevented the rookie from seeing playing time. Berger reports that White has begun seeing the therapist the team assigned to him to assist with his anxiety disorder.
- Kevin Martin is having a fantastic season for the Thunder, who Berger believes have been vindicated for their decision to trade James Harden.
- Thunder guard Russell Westbrook praised the Mavericks' signing of Derek Fisher, citing the veteran point guard's impact on the Oklahoma City locker room last season.
Odds & Ends: Kings, West, Thunder, Raptors
The Kings are reportedly exploring options for a potential move and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson appears to be running out of patience. "I don't like not being able to fight and not being able to determine the outcome," he said. "The Kings and the owners have to want to be here." The Kings have reportedly spoken with officials in Seattle, San Diego, Kansas City, and St. Louis in recent weeks. More from around the Association..
- Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes that the Heat should look into signing free agents Kenyon Martin and Delonte West. Both players have picked up less-than-sterling reputations in recent years but would provide Miami with some badly needed defense off the bench. Earlier today we learned that the Celtics haven't checked in on K-Mart despite speculation to the contrary.
- While the Jazz haven't been off to a hot start, they are likely to keep their core in place so long as they are in the mix for the playoffs, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Utah currently sits at 9-10 after losing 105-104 to the Clippers on Monday night.
- It looks like the new-look Thunder are going to be much better than anyone expected them to be, writes Zach Lowe of Grantland.com. Luxury tax concerns were the main reason for the James Harden trade but the club hasn't lost a step thanks to their increased defensive focus.
- It's time for the Raptors to trade Andrea Bargnani in order for both parties to get a fresh start, opines Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. However, Wolstat notes that league chatter indicates that the market for the former No. 1 pick is underwhelming.
- The Lakers' justifications for firing Mike Brown and hiring Mike D'Antoni aren't holding up, writes ESPN.com's J.A. Adande. D'Antoni insists that things will improve upon Steve Nash's return, but Adande points out that he won't help solve their defensive woes.
Martin Says Return To Thunder A Strong Possibility
Kevin Martin is set to become a free agent next summer, and though he and his agent have not spoken with the Thunder about an extension, the 29-year-old shooting guard made it clear that re-signing with Oklahoma City is a strong possibility, according to Michael Scotto of RealGM.com. Still, Martin is excited about the prospect of hitting unrestricted free agency for the first time.
"I’m a Midwest guy and it’s going to be an interesting summer for myself, because I never got a chance to really be a free agent and I’m going to be high in the shooting guard class, so hopefully everything works out here," Martin said. "We have a great thing right now and I’m just living in the moment."
Martin, who's making $12.44MM this season, has inherited the team's sixth man role from James Harden, for whom he was traded just before the season began. It's no surprise that he and the Thunder aren't talking about his contract right now, since the team would only be able to give him three more years in an extension, while they could re-sign him for up to five years when he's a free agent in July.
According to Martin, "everything's been positive" since he joined the Thunder. He's averaging 16.1 points per game on 46.2% shooting, but those numbers are down from the 16.8 PPG and 49.1% shooting Harden gave them last year. Still, the Thunder are off to a fast start, at 14-4. The team wasn't willing to give Harden a max deal, but reportedly made him a four-year offer for a few million dollars less than that. I'm not sure if they're prepared to pay Martin the same money they'd have given Harden, but if they decide to keep the Western Carolina product around, four years and $50MM would probably be enough to convince Martin to return.
Unless Monta Ellis exercises his early termination option to leave the Bucks, Martin figures to be at the top of a relatively weak market for shooting guards next summer. O.J. Mayo, J.R. Smith and Manu Ginobili are other intriguing names who could be available, as our Hoops Rumors list of 2013/14 free agents shows.
Thunder Assign Perry Jones To D-League
The Thunder have assigned rookie forward Perry Jones to the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). The Baylor product was taken with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 draft.
In ten games this season, Jones has logged 76 minutes of play with 12 points and 14 rebounds. The 6'11" forward was widely expected to be a late-lottery pick but suffered a free fall due to concerns over a potential meniscus issue.
Amico On Thunder, Burks, Varejao, Fisher
At the quarter-mark of the year, Sam Amico of FOXSports.com offers up his rookie review. The Blazers' Damian Lillard is proving that big talent can come out of small schools and figures to be a top candidate for the Rookie Of The Year award. Fourth-overall pick Dion Waiters has been streaky from the outside but has been extremely impressive at times for the Cavaliers. Not every rookie is off to a hot start, however, as Thomas Robinson of the Kings is struggling along with the rest of his team. More from today's column..
- The Thunder are loaded with young players that aren't getting a ton of burn and are also loaded with draft picks, making them very attractive trade partners. However, Sam Presti & Co. have no interest in making a trade at this time since the team is playing well, according to a team source. Oklahoma City is tied with the Spurs for the second-best record in the West (14-4) as they get set to face the Nets (11-5) tomorrow night.
- If the Jazz placed Alec Burks on the trading block, it seems he’s played his way off of it. Utah's injuries have given the second-year shooting guard increased minutes and he has made the most of them. Burks was said to be available in a trade roughly two weeks ago.
- Despite the insistence of some that the Cavaliers should trade center Anderson Varejao while his value his high, it's not likely that Cleveland will move him. The big man is off to a career start, but non-contenders with assets don’t want to trade them at this point and most contenders don’t have the assets – save for the aforementioned Thunder. More than 70% of Hoops Rumors readers said yesterday that the Cavs should trade Varejao.
- Veteran guard Derek Fisher made a positive impression in his Mavericks debut over the weekend. “Fisher solidifies the (second) unit, he keeps us tight and he’s a proven veteran,” said forward Elton Brand.
Odds & Ends: Martin, Blatche, Lillard, Gibson
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Sunday evening:
- Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman writes that Kevin Martin is performing up to expectations since being acquired by the Thunder in the James Harden trade.
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel thinks, in hindsight, that the Heat would have been wise to sign Andray Blatche this summer. Miami was held back by concerns about his effect on the locker room, as well as their belief in Josh Harrellson and Dexter Pittman, Winderman adds.
- Joe Freeman of the Oregonian admires the poise of Damian Lillard as the Trail Blazers rookie continues to impress.
- Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com likes what he's seen from Taj Gibson since signing a four-year extension with the Bulls.
- Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times adds to the praise of Gibson while also singling out Jimmy Butler for his defensive impact.
- Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun writes that Raptors bigs Amir Johnson and Ed Davis have not received due attention for their contributions.
- Rick Bonnell of the Oklahoman examines the Bobcats' defensive successes this season.
- Keith Langolis of Pistons.com says that rookie Kyle Singler has made a fan of head coach Lawrence Frank with his work ethic.
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle praises Patrick Patterson's improvement.
Anderson Varejao Drawing Heavy Interest
We rounded up rumors on the Cavs earlier today, but Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal has more on Anderson Varejao, whom one league executive believes would be the top target on the trade market if the Cavs decide to dangle him. The 30-year-old Varejao has been a revelation this year after returning from a broken wrist that ended his season in 2011/12, averaging a career high 15.1 points and a league-leading 15.3 rebounds per game.
The Cavs thought they found Varejao's eventual replacement when they landed Tyler Zeller in a draft-night trade with the Mavericks, believing Zeller could eventually put up numbers similar to those Varejao has posted over his career, according to Lloyd. Cleveland entered the season thinking this could be the year for a Varejao trade, especially if his value escalated after a strong start. Varejao's performance has been much better than anyone imagined, however, and that means the Cavs may have trouble finding fair value, Lloyd writes.
The Cavs would be interested in the Raptors pick that's currently held by Oklahoma City, but the Thunder are not in the market for Varejao, Lloyd says. He hears the Thunder would be unlikely to meet Cleveland's demands, which might include Serge Ibaka.
Varejao's value figures to be high again next season, and the Cavs believe Varejao can be effective beyond his current contract, which runs through 2015 at an average of more than $9MM per season, as Lloyd points out. So, it seems there's plenty of reasons why Cavs GM Chris Grant and company wouldn't make a deal this year. The Cavs believe he's on par with the other top big men in the league, but there's no guarantee they'd be able to get one of those guys or a comparable player if they traded Varejao for assets with greater long-term potential but smaller immediate return.
Thunder Recall DeAndre Liggins
The Thunder have recalled DeAndre Liggins from the D-League, reports Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). The 6'6" swingman is with the team in New Orleans for the game against the Hornets tonight.
Liggins was sent down on November 22nd, along with fellow University of Kentucky product Daniel Orton. We heard on Thursday that the team had also assigned rookie Jeremy Lamb to the D-League, so Liggins' promotion seems to be a corresponding move, since the limit on the number of players a team may have at its D-League affiliate at a single time is believed to be two.
In three games with the Tulsa 66ers, Liggins averaged 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 38.7 minutes per contest. He's seen just 11 total minutes over four games with Oklahoma City this year. Liggins signed a minimum-salary deal that's partially guaranteed for $25K with the Thunder before the season, after having spent his rookie year with the Magic.
Western Rumors: Dwight, Fisher, Mavs, Marshall
It was a whirlwind first month of the season for the Lakers, but nothing has changed Dwight Howard's affection for L.A., tweets Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. "From 1 to 10, I'd give it a good 12," Howard said. "I love it. It's been a lot of fun. Just everything here." Still, unless Howard signs an extension during the season, which is unlikely, the big man's answer about whether he likes his surroundings only really matters next summer, when he's due to hit free agency. While await that, here's more news out of the Western Conference.
- Among other NBA news in his Weekend Dime, Marc Stein of ESPN.com passes along that Derek Fisher will be making a prorated minimum salary with the Mavericks.
- The Mavs have serious rebounding problems, and the team's release of Troy Murphy in favor of Fisher this week doesn't help matters, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
- Suns GM Lance Blanks insists the team's assignment of Kendall Marshall to the D-League this week is not an indictment of the rookie point guard, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. "There’s nothing negative about developing and having a team that supports you," Blanks said. "It’s been really cool to watch his maturation from college to summer league to the pros. We’re just as excited as the day we drafted him."
- Gordon Hayward recently lost his starting job, and the timing is poor, since he'll be up for an extension to his rookie-scale contract with the Jazz this summer. Still, he's not making any fuss about his new role, as Susan Bible of HoopsWorld documents.
- The Thunder gave Scott Brooks a four-year extension this summer, but Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com wonders if he's the right coach for the team, taking him to task in particular for his over-reliance on amnesty candidate Kendrick Perkins.