Earl Watson, Ryan McDonough Talk Trade Rumors
It wasn’t long ago that Earl Watson was in an NBA locker room as a player rather than a coach, so he knows how to help his young Suns team deal with the trade rumors that will surface this month, writes Doug Haller of AZCentral.com.
“Communication is key,” the Suns head coach said. “And it’s not communication (as far as) who’s going to get traded and who’s not going to get traded, it’s more of transparency (regarding) how much we appreciate you now. All we can control is this moment and our actions and our attitude. Everything else will take care of itself.”
Meanwhile, in the wake of a report that the Suns and Kings had trade discussions about DeMarcus Cousins, Suns general manager Ryan McDonough appeared this week on Arizona Sports 620. While McDonough stopped short of confirming any interest in Cousins, he acknowledged that he’s doing due diligence on any opportunity that may be available.
“What I will say, generally, is that we have conversations with every other team in the league about every elite player in the league,” the Suns GM said. “Our interest level, obviously, differs on those players. … This time of year I think some of the rumors get a little bit out of control. Some of them, there is a shred of truth to them. Some of them, there’s no truth to them. And obviously, from the team side, it’s not great when your own players are mentioned in a deal either individually or in a package, but that’s part of the business.”
- Among our Pacific-related items from Wednesday: Kings guard Garrett Temple is expected to miss two to three weeks, and former Suns guard John Jenkins is headed to the D-League.
Suns, Kings Discussed DeMarcus Cousins
FEBRUARY 1, 8:18am: There’s “nothing to” the reported talks between the Suns and Kings, according to Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee, who tweets that the Kings don’t have interest in moving Cousins, especially without getting a high-level player in return.
Considering the original report came from a Phoenix outlet, with a Sacramento outlet throwing cold water on it, I would guess that any Cousins talks were initiated by the Suns. The Kings may have listened to Phoenix’s pitch, but there’s still no indication that they’re looking to move their star big man.
It’s also worth noting that members of rival teams have said that Sacramento’s front office structure is confusing to navigate, as Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com wrote last week. It’s possible that the Suns discussed Cousins with one Kings executive even if Sacramento – as an organization – ultimately wouldn’t have signed off on a trade.
JANUARY 31, 4:52pm: The Suns have had discussions with the Kings about big man DeMarcus Cousins, says John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports, although there’s no indication that the trade talks ever developed into anything serious.
The deal, Gambadoro reports, was said to center around a package involving at least T.J. Warren, Alex Len and the Suns’ first-round pick in 2017.
Worth noting is that both Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker were specifically exempt from the alleged proposal. Not only are Bledsoe and Booker two of the more intriguing assets on Phoenix’s roster, they’re Kentucky alumni like Cousins.
This isn’t the first time that Cousins’ name has been involved in trade speculation and it’s not likely to be the last. The center looked to be a likely trade target prior to Sacramento’s emergence as a contender in the Western Conference but then the team started to win more games. Now that Rudy Gay is expected to miss the rest of the season with an Achilles injury, they’ve fallen into a three-way tie for 10th in the West.
Earlier this month news broke that the Kings and Cousins were on track for a $200MM contract extension this summer but that may not deter Sacramento’s front office from moving their young superstar should it net them a suitable return from Phoenix or elsewhere.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Pacific Notes: Booker, Lakers, Durant
The Suns haven’t experienced much success this season, but Devin Booker believes the team’s future is bright, as he tells Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders.
“We have a really good young core,” Booker said. “Our young players are developing, including myself, very well. Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, Tyler Ulis have been getting some time now. And then we have a mix of really good veterans, Tyson Chandler, Jared Dudley, Leandro Barbosa, P.J. Tucker; they’re leading us on the right way. Each and every day, they push us every day in practice. They’re patient with us. We’re messing up a lot. That’s what you expect coming into this league, playing against grown men. We’re still learning, but at the same time, I think the future is really bright here.”
Phoenix has a record of 15-33 and currently sits in the second spot in our Reserve Standings. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders examines the trade market for Lou Williams and Nick Young, and finds it difficult to envision the Lakers netting a first-round pick for either of the veterans. Pincus believes Los Angeles could flip one of them for a young player with untapped potential akin to the team’s 2014 Steve Blake trade. In that deal, the Lakers brought in Kent Bazemore, a player who flashed promise once he was given meaningful minutes.
- The Lakers may need to move Williams and Young in order to open up the cap space necessary to sign a max-level player, such as Blake Griffin, Pincus writes in the same piece. Young holds a player option for next season worth slightly under $5.7MM and Williams will make $7MM next season in the final year of his deal.
- Kevin Durant told Stephen Curry to stop trying so hard to incorporate him in the Warriors‘ offense, as Chris Haynes of ESPN.com relays. “I just said to [Curry], ‘Don’t worry about me,'” Durant told Haynes. “I’ll figure it out around you. You’re the engine of this team, and I know that. I’m not trying to come over and feel like everything just revolves around me. Just do you, man. I’m going to play around you. I’ve played this game long enough. I know how to score. I know how to find the ball. Just go out there and play your game.’ And that’s what he’s been doing.”
Six NBA Teams Still Below Salary Floor For 2016/17
With the NBA’s 2017 trade deadline fast approaching, it’s worth taking a look at which teams around the league remain below the salary floor for the 2016/17 season. Each NBA club is required to spend at least 90% of the cap in each league year — if a team doesn’t meet that requirement, it will have to make up the difference at year’s end by paying it out to its players.
While teams will make up the shortfall at year’s end if they have to, it makes more sense to find a way to reach the floor in the coming weeks. It’s why multiple teams below the salary floor acquired – or re-acquired – Mo Williams earlier this month, as I explained last week. It’s also why some of these teams may get involve in deadline deals to take on unwanted salary in exchange for a future draft pick or another asset.
Last February, for instance, the Trail Blazers reached the salary floor after agreeing to take on Anderson Varejao‘s contract from Cleveland, giving the Cavaliers a significant trade exception and allowing the Cavs to substantially reduce their luxury tax bill. In return, Portland secured a first-round draft pick for 2018 that the team later turned into a first-round pick for 2017. So, in exchange for taking on a contract and paying some money that they would’ve been on the hook for anyway, the Blazers ended up with an extra first-round pick in a strong ’17 draft.
The teams listed below will likely be on the lookout for that sort of opportunity in the coming weeks, and some of them will also be active in taking a look at various players on 10-day contracts.
Here’s the full list of teams that remain below the salary floor ($84.729MM), along with their accompanying cap data:
Brooklyn Nets
Team salary: $76,507,540
Amount below salary floor: $8,221,460
Note: Quincy Acy‘s new two-year deal, which is expected to move the Nets about $1.7MM closer to the floor, is not yet included in this total.
Philadelphia 76ers
Team salary: $76,986,092
Amount below salary floor: $7,742,908
Denver Nuggets
Team salary: $77,117,054
Amount below salary floor: $7,611,946
Utah Jazz
Team salary: $80,498,192
Amount below salary floor: $4,230,808
Phoenix Suns
Team salary: $80,921,006
Amount below salary floor: $3,807,994
Minnesota Timberwolves
Team salary: $81,427,199
Amount below salary floor: $3,301,801
Will Suns Rebuild, Or Pursue Playoffs?
- Suns GM Ryan McDonough must choose between pursuing a playoff spot and rebuilding, Doug Franz of Arizona Sports writes. As Franz notes, it could be a positive experience for 20-year-old Devin Booker to play in a postseason atmosphere.
Suns Sign Ronnie Price To 10-Day Contract
January 27th, 12:47 pm: Phoenix has officially signed Price to a 10-day deal, according to the team’s website.
January 26th, 5:43 am: The Suns have a plan in place to sign Ronnie Price to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of The Vertical. The 32-year-old veteran played 62 games in Phoenix last season but hasn’t seen NBA action yet in 2016/17.
Price was last seen with the Thunder in training camp before he was cut prior to the start of the regular season. On October 29, we relayed that the guard had been offered an assistant coaching position with the Suns, but ultimately passed on the offer.
Last season Price averaged 5.3 points, and 2.5 assists in 19.5 minutes per game and even started 18 times.
The Suns have had an open roster spot on their 15-man squad since waiving John Jenkins earlier this month, so they won’t need to make a corresponding cut to create an opening for Price.
Watson Vocal About Desire To Keep Chandler
Though Earl Watson is well aware that the final decision isn’t up to him, the Suns head coach wants big man Tyson Chandler to stay in Phoenix. According to Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, Watson cites Chandler’s willingness to teach his younger teammates as the biggest reason why he remains so valuable.
NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 1/21/17
Here are the D-League transactions for the day:
- The Suns have recalled Derrick Jones Jr. from their D-League affiliate, the team announced via Twitter. Jones Jr. has averaged 14.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in 18 games in the D-League.
- The Thunder have recalled Josh Huestis and Semaj Christon from their affiliate in the D-League, according to a press release issued by the team. The pair have averaged 18.7 points and 14.2 points respectively during their stints in the D-League.
- The Sixers have recalled big man Richaun Holmes, tweets Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Holmes hasn’t played in an NBA game since suffering a concussion on December 14.
Tucker Familiar With Suns Trade Rumors
- No stranger to trade rumors, P.J. Tucker is well aware of the business side of basketball, writes Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic. “It’s part of business,” the Suns forward said Thursday. “Contract year. Being a defensive player, a lot of teams are looking to make an addition to (help) fight for a championship.”
Cavaliers Notes: Smith, Korver, Tucker, Shumpert
It will be a long time before J.R. Smith is back in uniform for the Cavaliers, writes Joe Vardon of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Smith, who broke his right thumb December 20th, has a doctor’s appointment today and hopes to be cleared to start cardio work. But basketball drills are a long way off as the thumb continues to heal. Smith was given a 12- to 14-week prognosis after suffering the injury, which would put him on track for a return in late March or early April, right before the playoffs begin. “I need to be able to do something to get my heart rate up before I can even think about playing again,” said Smith, who signed a four-year, $57MM deal before the season started. “It’s crazy cuz it’s still a long ways away. From when I start being able to work out, it’s still a long ways away from me being able to get on the court.”
There’s more news out of Cleveland:
- Smith gave his approval to the deal that brought Kyle Korver to the Cavs, Vardon writes in the same piece. Korver is averaging 8.4 points in five games since the trade and has given the team another outside shooter to make up for Smith’s absence. “He’s good,” Smith said. “Space the floor. Gives a great effort on the defensive end. And we really need the shooting.”
- The Cavaliers are among the teams rumored to be interested in Suns’ forward P.J. Tucker, but Sam Amico of Amicohoops doesn’t see Tucker as a good fit in Cleveland. Phoenix is looking for young players and draft picks, which the Cavs don’t really have to offer, and he wouldn’t be guaranteed playing time with Cleveland’s current roster.
- Iman Shumpert has scored in double figures in all three games since replacing DeAndre Liggins in the starting lineup last week, notes Chris Fedor of The Plain Dealer. Shumpert had a season-high 17 points in Thursday’s win over Phoenix. “He started off the season shooting the ball great and I thought in the second lineup trying to have him play the backup point asking him to do too much,” said coach Tyronn Lue. “Now he’s back in his comfort zone.”