Odds & Ends: Repeater Tax, Bobcats, T-Wolves
Yahoo's Marc J. Spears says (via Twitter) that trade talk has been quiet, as teams are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith first. One major factor which undeniably has affected discussions around this time has been the looming "repeater tax," which Adrian Wojnarowski tweets is the reason why most teams have been reluctant to take back long-term deals at the deadline. We'll round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links below:
- In addressing the biggest issues for the Lakers moving forward, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times puts the chances of Dwight Howard re-signing next season at 25%. If Howard stays, Bresnahan thinks the Lakers could possibly amnesty Pau Gasol. If Dwight chooses to leave, Bresnahan opines that L.A. would likely keep Gasol and amnesty Metta World Peace.
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune directs attention to Luke Ridnour and the Timberwolves' multiple first-round picks as their most attractive pieces in trying to acquire a legitimately-sized shooting guard.
- According to Wojnarowski, the Bobcats have been trying to find takers for Gerald Henderson and are looking for a first-round pick in return.
- John Reid of NOLA.com hears that the Hornets would be interested in trading Eric Gordon to the Warriors in any package that includes Klay Thompson, although Golden State is said to be reluctant in parting ways with the second-year guard right now. Reid notes Gordon has the power to veto any trade, and while he showed a strong interest in signing with Phoenix over the summer, the Hornets are prohibited from dealing him to the Suns.
- With no first-round picks or salary cap space to use, Tim Kawakami of Mercury News believes that the Warriors aren't looking or aren't likely to make a deal soon.
- ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that Derrick Rose appeared good enough to return to in-game action judging by the way he looked during 5-on-5 practice, according to eyewitnesses (Twitter link). On the same token, head coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN Chicago earlier today that Rose might not make his return this season.
- Paul Coro of AZCentral.com says that Sebastian Telfair and Jermaine O'Neal could be sent to title contenders in minor deals, and that Telfair would be the most likely candidate to be moved.
- While there aren't any concrete trade connections between Oklahoma City and the following list of players, Royce Young of Daily Thunder names five reasonable targets for the Thunder: Luc Mbah a Moute, J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour, Darren Collison, and Rodney Stuckey.
Thunder Aggressively Shopping Eric Maynor
The Thunder aren't expected to make another blockbuster move in the next couple days, but a smaller deal is a possibility. Such a move could include Eric Maynor, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Oklahoma City is "aggressively shopping" Maynor.
Maynor, 25, was considered one of the league's more promising young backup point guards coming into the season, but has lost his place in the Thunder's rotation to Reggie Jackson. Since Christmas Day, Maynor has only appeared in 11 games for Oklahoma City, never playing more than 10 minutes.
Despite Maynor's lack of playing time, the Thunder's asking price remains high, according to Broussard. The former 20th overall pick has some value due to his contract. He's earning about $2.34MM this season, and will be eligible for restricted free agency at season's end, so his team could either extend him a qualifying offer or simply let his cap hit come off the books this summer.
Northwest Links: Aldridge, Thunder, Harden
Three Northwest Division teams are on track to make the playoffs, but only one of them is sending any players to the All-Star Game. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will represent the first-place Thunder, and they're joined by LaMarcus Aldridge of the Trail Blazers, the Northwest's other All-Star whose Portland team hits the break three games out of the last playoff spot in the West. All three All-Stars are making noise as the events begin in Houston, where James Harden, the Thunder's erstwhile third All-Star, plays the role of unofficial host. Here's more on all of them:
- Aldridge will have the chance this weekend to try to recruit some fellow All-Stars to the Blazers, and he said his pitch will center on the team's fans, its young core of players and this summer's cap space, which could exceed $13MM, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com writes.
- Westbrook and Durant acknowledged that the Thunder haven't missed a beat following the Harden trade, notes Jason McDaniel of the Houston Chronicle. "We’re different, but I think we’re just as good," Durant said. "James, don’t get me wrong, he’s a phenomenal player, but we lost him and we got Kevin Martin back, who’s a really good player as well. And I think for the passing ability that we lost with James, and his defense, we make up for it with Russell and myself, and the guys on the bench that help.”
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman chronicles Harden's remarks to reporters on his feelings about Durant and Westbrook and what it will be like to play with his old teammates at the All-Star Game, among other topics.
Amico On Smith, Nets, Nuggets, Sixers, Thunder
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has just published a piece rounding up a few of the latest trade rumblings from around the NBA, so let's dive in and tackle the highlights….
- Josh Smith is viewed by Amico's sources as a near-lock to be moved, though there's no consensus on where he'll be headed. The Nets, Suns, and Mavericks are mentioned as potential destinations, with the Spurs in the mix as well.
- One source isn't so sure the Hawks will move Smith by next Thursday: "They won’t just give the guy away. (Smith) is practically an All-Star. You can deal with the contract situation later."
- The Nets haven't completely given up on the idea of making a play for Dwight Howard, but they'd likely need to get a third team involved. I'd consider that one a real long shot.
- While the Nuggets are fairly content with their roster at the moment, they could explore a smaller move involving someone like Wilson Chandler, Corey Brewer, or Anthony Randolph. Denver has some interest in J.J. Redick, but Amico says conversations have "all but disappeared after he indicated he wants to stay with the Magic."
- The Bulls and 76ers have started to get more active in trade talks within the last week.
- The Raptors have engaged the Sixers in trade talks involving Andrea Bargnani, though it's not clear what would be going Toronto's way in a hypothetical deal — Spencer Hawes is one possibility.
- After losing twice to the Heat this season, the Thunder are "strongly considering" making a move to bolster their lineup, according to Amico.
Spears On Spurs, Smith, Maynor, Knicks, Grizzlies
Not content to simply rank the NBA's teams, one through 30, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports also includes plenty of interesting trade rumors and nuggets within his power rankings. Here are the items of note from Spears in this week's installment:
- The Spurs, who used to employ current Hawks GM Danny Ferry, are among the teams interested in Josh Smith.
- Eric Maynor has been drawing some interest, and Spears suggests that he could be a fit for the Jazz, the team that initially drafted him.
- The Knicks are still trying to decide whether they should wait on injured bigs Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace or sign a free agent.
- Zach Randolph appears safe in Memphis, but the Grizzlies could still try to make a deal using one or more of their seven trade exceptions.
- Spears hears from a source that it's been nearly three weeks since the Raptors and Bulls last discussed a Carlos Boozer/Andrea Bargnani swap.
- No Suns player is untouchable via trade.
- Talks between the Bobcats and Nets involving Kris Humphries and Ben Gordon remain at a standstill.
Thunder ‘Open-Minded’ About Eric Maynor Swap
Coming into the season, there figured to be a competition for the Thunder's backup point guard spot between second-year man Reggie Jackson and Eric Maynor, who returned from missing most of last year with a torn ACL. Jackson has gained the upper hand, and with Maynor's rookie deal set to expire at the end of the season, several other teams have asked the Thunder about Maynor's availability, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Still, Spears says GM Sam Presti and company are inclined to keep Maynor, even as they keep open minds about the possibility of trading him.
A report about a month ago indicated the Sixers had explored the possibility of acquiring Maynor, who hasn't seen as many as 10 minutes in a game since December 17th. He's putting up career-worst numbers almost across the board, and wasn't particularly efficient even before his injury. The VCU product's best per-36-minute averages for points (10.8) and assists (7.5) were set during his rookie season, when the Jazz traded him to Oklahoma City. His career PER is a below-average 11.1.
The Thunder passed on an extension for Maynor before the season. If they don't trade him, they'll have to decide whether to tender him a $3.351MM qualifying offer before July 1st that would allow the team to retain the right to match offers for him when he hits free agency in the offseason. Maynor, the 20th pick in the 2009 draft, makes $2.339MM this year.
Northwest Notes: Jazz, Thunder, Rubio, Williams, Oden
The latest news and notes from around the Northwest Division on Saturday evening:
- Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that the Jazz' rebuilding efforts over the past two seasons have not yielded much progress.
- Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that the Thunder may not be able to keep their core together because of the new CBA.
- Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune praises Derrick Williams' play since Ricky Rubio returned to the Wolves' lineup.
- John Canzano of The Oregonian reflects on Greg Oden's tenure with the Trail Blazers as he gears up to sign with a new team.
Odds & Ends: Harkless, Clark, Bynum, Oladipo
With only five games on the NBA schedule for Tuesday night, let's round up some odds and ends from around the league here:
- Now getting extended minutes, Magic rookie Maurice Harkless – acquired from Philadelphia in the Dwight Howard trade – has begun to show the skills that made him the 15th overall selecton last June, writes Josh Robbins of Orlando Sentinel. Coupled with the pleasant surprise that is Nikola Vucevic, Harkless' development makes the haul that Orlando received for Howard look better and better, especially considering past deals involving a departing superstar.
- Another forgotten piece of the Howard deal, Earl Clark has thrived since joining the Lakers, writes Josh Newman of Zags Blog. Now in his fourth year out of Lousiville, Clark has seen his minutes double in Los Angeles.
- Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops calls the Pistons' Will Bynum a prime trade target, mentioning the Thunder as an ideal candidates for a match. With James Harden in Houston and Eric Maynor and Reggie Jackson unlikely solutions to spelling Russell Westbrook, Sheridan says Bynum would be a better pick up for Oklahoma City than Derek Fisher was a year ago.
- Scheduled for June 27, the NBA Draft is just less than five months away. But as the NCAA calendar moves towards March, draft talk should start to heat up. Jeff Goodman, CBS Sports' NCAA guru, provides his updated prospect rankings as well as a mock draft.
- Three days following Indiana's thrilling win over No. 1 Michigan, Draft Express publishes a scouting report on Hoosiers' guard Victor Oladipo. Previously thought to be a defensive specialist, the ultra-athletic Oladipo has nearly ensured himself a first round grade with a breakout offensive performance as a junior.
D-League Moves: Thunder, Mavs, Rockets, Suns
Here are today's D-League assignments and recalls, with the latest moves at the top of the page:
- Jeremy Lamb and Daniel Orton, who have been shuttled back and forth between the Thunder and the Tulsa 66ers all season, were recalled from the D-League, the club announced today in a press release.
- The Mavericks have re-assigned Jared Cunningham to the D-League, according to a team release. The move will give Cunningham a chance to play more minutes, as he'd only appeared briefly in one game for the Mavs since being recalled from the Texas Legends on December 31st.
- The Rockets have recalled rookie big man Donatas Motiejunas from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team announced in a press release. Motiejunas had been on his third assignment to the D-League, where he has averaged 20.3 PPG and 9.7 RPG for the Vipers in seven games this season.
- Diante Garrett has been recalled from the D-League by the Suns, the team announced today (Twitter link). In seven games for the Bakersfield Jam since being assigned to the team earlier this month, Garrett averaged 15.1 PPG and 7.4 APG, shooting a blistering 62.5% on three-pointers.
- The Nets have recalled Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor from the Springfield Armor, the team announced today in a press release. Both players have played extremely well in their two D-League stints this season, with Shengelia averaging 28.3 PPG, 13.7 RPG, and 7.0 APG in three games, while Taylor has recorded 26.5 PPG and 7.5 APG in four contests. However, Shengelia is currently out indefinitely with concussion symptoms.
Odds & Ends: Kevin Martin, Kenyon Martin, Celtics
With the NBA trading deadline mere weeks away, teams such as the Cavs and Rockets are among those aggressively pursuing ways to make roster upgrades midseason, writes Sam Amico of FOXSportsOhio.com. Let's catch up around the league on the latest whispers, rumors and news…
- Thunder veteran Kevin Martin sees himself returning to Oklahoma City next season as he hits free agency this summer, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. "I love playing with this group of guys. The organization is great to me. The community has been great to me. It's the happiest I have been during my NBA career."
- Former NBA star Kenyon Martin's looking for a new home, specifically with the Knicks, but roster space and salary demands remain issues unless injured Rasheed Wallace decides to call it a season, says Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
- Celtics head coach Doc Rivers spoke on ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption" on Wednesday about his outburst after Sunday's game. The good folks at ESPNBoston.com have a partial transcript of the conversation for your perusal.