Odds & Ends: Cunningham, Suns, Abdul-Jabbar
Welp, this figures to be a fun MVP race. In case you were leaning towards the likes of Kevin Durant or Chris Paul, LeBron James re-stated his case tonight in a big, big way. The Heat star put up a career-high 61 points on 22-33 shooting, 8-10 from three-point range, with seven rebounds, and five assists. LeBron bested his previous career-high of 56 (2005 against the Raptors) and blew past Glen Rice‘s franchise record of 56 points. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..
- Former Oregon State star Jared Cunningham says he plans to sign with an NBA team this week, writes Conner Letourneau of The Oregonian.
- The Morris twins will be eligible for contract extensions in the fall and both players are hoping they’ll be with the Suns, together, for the long-term, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. “The game is more fun when I have my brother. I look forward to it every day. look forward to getting better. I look forward to watching him get better and I know he looks forward to me improving and having good games. I’m excited when he plays good, even when I don’t play good. If I see him scoring and all the small stuff to win, I’m excited and that brings me up no matter what,” Markieff Morris said of playing with brother Marcus Morris.
- Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says he’s interested in returning in some capacity to the Bucks, writes Andrew Wagner of the Associated Press. “If I get a call, I will definitely offer my services,” said the Bucks’ career leading scorer with 14,211 points. “There’s nothing on the table right now. A couple of people have asked me and if I had the chance to be part of this franchise again, I would take it.“
- If Dwyane Wade continues to play at his current level and helps lead the Heat to another championship, there won’t be much negotiating when it comes to his contract, writes Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders. Wade recently re-iterated his desire to stay put in Miami to David Aldridge of NBA.com.
Western Notes: Thunder, Granger, Iguodala
One of the bigger stories of the week was the Clippers signing Danny Granger for the rest of the season. Despite being in uniform he was unable to play in last night’s game thanks to a “clerical error” that accidentally listed him as inactive. But going forward, Granger should help bolster the team’s weak front line, writes Arash Markazi of ESPNLos Angeles.com. Coach Doc Rivers thinks that his best fit on the team might be as a starter, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. This would allow Matt Barnes to return to a bench role and have Granger be more of a defensive asset for the first-team.
Here’s more from out west:
- The Spurs didn’t land Granger, but Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News doesn’t think the team needs him. Instead, he points to how Boris Diaw‘s numbers and production are comparable to Granger’s.
- Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman explores the possibility of the Thunder signing Ben Gordon if he is waived by the Bobcats. Since March 1st has passed, Gordon would be able to play for another team in the regular season, but not in the playoffs.
- In a separate article, Mayberry looks at 15 possible players the Thunder could sign to fill their 15th roster spot.
- The recently signed Caron Butler is expected to be in uniform for Tuesday’s game when the Thunder take on the Sixers, tweets Mayberry.
- Suns GM Ryan McDonough says the team’s long-term approach hasn’t changed, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. “We’re trying to get great players, through the draft or trade or free agency, but in the short term I think we’re ahead of what most people thought we would be. If we can use things like our cap space to help solidify our team we’ll do that, but at the same time we’re happy with the group we have”, McDonough said. Washburn also analyzes how the Suns are set heading into the offseason and some moves the team might make.
- Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders analyzes the dividends that the signing of Andre Iguodala has paid to the Warriors.
Suns Sign Shavlik Randolph, Waive Kravtsov
3:46pm: The contract will cover the remainder of this season with a team option for 2014/15, according to Shams Charania of RealGM. It’s rare for team options to be a part of free agent contracts, so it wouldn’t be surprising if it’s a non-guaranteed year rather than an option year.
1:21pm: The Suns have signed Shavlik Randolph, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. The team also officially announced the moves. Randolph is a 30-year-old power forward who’s played for four teams NBA teams over the course of his career, most recently for the Celtics in 2012/13, where he averaged 4.2 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16 games. The specifics of the contract haven’t been revealed yet.
Randolph had been playing overseas in China, where he put up impressive marks of 22.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per night, albeit in just six appearances. This move should help bolster the Suns frontcourt depth as the team looks to make some noise in the playoffs after missing three straight postseasons.
In order to make room for Randolph, the Suns have waived rarely used center Slava Kravtsov. Throughout 20 contests, Kravtsov played just 59 minutes, and averaged one point per night. Phoenix will be on the hook for the remainder of his $1.5MM salary.
Odds & Ends: Nowitzki, Colangelo, Fredette
Rockets GM Daryl Morey said today that he asked Mark Cuban about acquiring Dirk Nowitzki this summer out of fears the Warriors would keep Dwight Howard from coming to Houston, according to ESPN (Twitter link). Cuban didn’t realize Howard hadn’t committed to the Rockets, and interpreted the proposal as a taunt over the Mavs‘ failed pursuit of Howard. Morey made his remarks at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and we’ve got more from that meeting of the minds as we pass along the latest from the NBA:
- Former Raptors and Suns GM Bryan Colangelo admitted that he attempted to tank a few seasons ago, tweets Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com. Presumably, that happened during his Raptors tenure.
- Jimmer Fredette piqued the interest of the Celtics, but it “wasn’t a good fit for either side,” as president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told reporters today, including Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (Twitter link).
- The Timberwolves have no interest in Fredette for “myriad reasons,” according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
- Some within the Lakers organization wanted to retain Pau Gasol through the trade deadline to keep his Bird Rights, but Gasol writes in his blog that L.A.’s financial advantage to re-sign him won’t play into his decision (translation via HoopsHype). The 7-footer says he wants to go where he can help a team win a title, but he’s not ruling out a return to the Lakers.
- Caron Butler‘s role on the Heat would have been similar to the one Mike Miller played in recent years, and part of his decision to instead join the Thunder centered on the chance for more playing time, notes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (Twitter links).
- The top half of the lottery picks in this year’s draft will be a star-studded bunch, but there are still other potential franchise-changing players in the mix, writes Zach Harper of CBSSports.com, who examines five potential steals.
Pacific Notes: Suns, Smith, Gasol, Kings
The Suns have what it takes to attract top-level free agents, as team president of basketball operations Lon Babby tells Bob Young of The Arizona Republic.
“I don’t think we ever lost our status as a destination, because of the history of the franchise, the weather, the medical and training staff,” Babby said. “Those are constants that make it an attractive place. I wouldn’t deny that we have enhanced our position. I think we were always above average. Now I think we’re in the upper echelon because there’s an excitement and a spirit about the atmosphere and the culture here that is palpable.”
Young thinks Kevin Love should be the team’s next free agent target, though that would require waiting until the summer of 2015. In the meantime, here’s more on the Suns and their Pacific Division rivals:
- Ish Smith is poised to spend an entire season with a single NBA team for the first time in his four-year career, and he’s been an important contributor for the Suns, as fellow Republic scribe Paul Coro examines. Smith’s deal is non-guaranteed for next season.
- Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times interprets Pau Gasol‘s postgame comments Tuesday as veiled criticism of Mike D’Antoni, but Gasol didn’t hide his thoughts about whether all the expiring contracts the Lakers have are creating a negative atmosphere. “Probably. That’s part of it,” Gasol said. “But that’s why you have to be disciplined and implement discipline. That’s how you kind of make that better or make that not a factor. I don’t think there’s a lot of discipline right now.”
- It’s as if Kings executives think that they should keep making moves until they get it right, opines Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee, who examines the team’s decision to let go of Jimmer Fredette and audition others on 10-day contracts. Sacramento is set to sign Orlando Johnson and reportedly worked out Royce White.
Pacific Notes: Clippers, Suns
Clippers coach Doc Rivers will actively recruit bought out players that L.A. wants to sign in the coming days, he tells reporters including Arash Markazi of ESPN LA. “You always do. I’m not going to say any names, but there’s more than one team that wants all these guys, at least a lot of the guys. You have to talk to them, for sure.” Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- Rivers also discussed Glen Davis per Markazi, who was recently bought out and is expected to pick between the Clippers and Nets for the rest of the year. In Davis’s case, Nets veteran Kevin Garnett is reportedly in a recruitment competition with Rivers. This doesn’t surprise Rivers, who coached both players to a championship with the Celtics: “I think they always liked him. It doesn’t surprise me at all. That group won a title together and came one game away from winning another one. You’d think there’s a kinship.”
- In the same piece, Markazi suspects the Clippers need to add multiple players to bolster their title hopes, even if Davis is the most noteworthy name on the market. Injuries to J.J. Redick and the team’s parting with Byron Mullens leaves the team thin in both the backcourt and frontcourt.
- The Suns went through Thursday’s trade deadline without making any changes, and players, coaches, and management all echo their comfort level with the team as constructed to Matt Peterson of Suns.com. Head Coach Jeff Hornacek is happy the team that has surprised with success will remain intact, saying, “It’s great that the team stays the way it is and we just keep going.” GM Ryan McDonough adds, “Unless there was a superstar or a blockbuster deal, we didn’t want to affect our group because they’ve done everything we’ve asked them to do and they’ve played well. We’re 11 games over .500 as we get into late February. We didn’t want to make a move in-season just for the sake of doing something. We’re fine doing nothing because we’re happy with the guys we have.”
- In the same piece, McDonough tells Peterson that the Suns timed their trades for Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee, and two first round picks over last summer because they didn’t think picks would be as easy to come by closer to the draft. He appears to be right, considering no first round selections swapped hands in the month of February.
Odds & Ends: Miller, Neal, Cavs, Warriors
In a radio appearance this morning with William Qualkinbush on WCCP-FM in Clemson, South Carolina, I praised the Pacers‘ acquisition of Evan Turner and deemed the inability of the Suns to find a taker for Emeka Okafor and his expiring contract a missed opportunity. There’s plenty more reaction to Thursday’s trade deadline amid our latest look around the NBA:
- The Nuggets are relieved to move on from the Andre Miller situation, writes Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. For his part, GM Tim Connelly took the high road when discussing the 37-year-old guard. “There’s always going to be issues that pop up,” said Connelly. “There’s no villain here. Unfortunately what happened, happened. We have to have the full support of our coach. I think it’s important that everyone understands that is Brian (Shaw)‘s locker room. (Miller) was out of character. He’s a pro. I’m sure he’s excited to move on to D.C. and help that team make a playoff push.“
- Gary Neal didn’t see a whole lot of playing time with the Bucks and head coach Larry Drew acknowledged that the rapid progress of rookie Nate Wolters was partially responsible for that, writes Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel. Neal will now hope to see more burn with the Bobcats.
- GM David Griffin says the Cavs will “take a swing at someone” in an effort to fill the open roster spot that Thursday’s trade created, notes Bob Finnan of The News-Journal.
- The Warriors would have more interest in Earl Clark than Glen Davis, tweets Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. Both hit waivers today and should become free agents on Sunday.
- The Hawks have recalled Jared Cunningham from the D-League, the team announced. The 24th overall pick in 2012 has made 22 appearances for the Bakersfield Jam this year and only five for Atlanta.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Nets, Pelicans Slow Pursuit Of Jordan Hill
1:51pm: Discussions surrounding Hill are either “dying or dead,” tweets Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
1:01pm: Brooklyn has cooled on Hill because the Lakers were seeking a “decent” second-round pick for him, and because bonuses in his contract could have added another $1MM to the Nets’ already astronomical tax bill, according to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
12:47pm: The Nets appear ready to pass on Hill, tweets David Aldridge of TNT.
11:15am: The Lakers want a pick for Hill but, meanwhile, the Nets want a pick from the Lakers for saving them $7MM+, according to Stein (via Twitter).
9:37am: New Orleans is backing off its pursuit of Hill, Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link). That would appear to make the Nets the leading contender for him.
7:40am: The Lakers are looking for a second-rounder in return for Hill, Stein tweets. Atlanta’s interest is not as strong as that of the Nets and Pelicans, Stein adds in a second tweet.
THURSDAY, 7:14am: The Nets and Pelicans appear to be in the lead for Hill, according to Shelburne (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 10:12pm: There is a strong chance that Hill is moved, per Shelburne, who adds that the Lakers may want more than just cap relief now that they have (at least) the Nets, Bobcats and Pelicans involved. In light of the Steve Blake deal, moving Hill and Kaman would allow the Lakers to hang onto Gasol and his Bird Rights (Twitter links here). Ken Berger tweets that both New Orleans and the Nets hope to use their disabled player exceptions on Hill.
8:44pm: ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne adds the Hawks to the mix of teams in on Hill as well as center Chris Kaman, with the deals being discussed in parallel (Twitter links).
5:29pm: Sean Deveney of Sporting News contests the report that the Suns are no longer a player for Hill (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Eric Pincus from the L.A. Times reminds us that the Lakers wouldn’t move Hill if they had any hope or desire to re-sign him. Hill doesn’t have the stamina for a big minute role, per Pincus, and would therefore be better suited for an energy role off the bench (Twitter links here).
3:59pm: The Suns are no longer in talks for Hill, Wojnarowski tweets.
3:42pm: Stein casts it as a two-team race between the Cavs and Nets for Hill (Twitter link).
1:44pm: The Suns, as well as the Mavs, have engaged the Lakers in talks about Hill, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter).
1:12pm: It’s unlikely the Nets will acquire Hill, tweets Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck
1:00pm: The Suns may get involved as a suitor for Hill, Wojnarowski hears (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 12:43pm: The Nets have decided they’d like to go ahead and take Hill if the Lakers are willing to send him their way, but L.A. is talking to multiple teams about the power forward, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).
TUESDAY, 10:30pm: Brooklyn values Hill as being worth a “second round pick and a trade exception,” according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
3:40pm: The Nets’ discussions with the Kings wouldn’t preclude the team from trading for Hill, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. That suggests the deal is a greater possibility than Medina’s source indicated.
TUESDAY, 12:50pm: The deal will probably not happen, a source tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, who hears the Nets have cold feet about the hefty tax penalties that acquiring Hill without giving up a player would entail.
MONDAY, 10:31pm: It’s doubtful that the big man will want to re-sign with the Lakers if Mike D’Antoni is still the coach, sources tell Wojnarowski.
3:59pm: The Lakers and Nets have spoken about a deal that would send Jordan Hill to the Nets, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Brooklyn would absorb Hill’s $3.5MM salary into its $5.15MM disabled player exception granted in compensation for Brook Lopez‘s injury, Wojnarowski notes. It’s unclear precisely what the Lakers would get in return. Meanwhile, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) hears that the talks are very preliminary.
Hill has been indentified as one of the Lakers’ prime trade candidates in the lead-up to the February 20th deadline, along with Steve Blake, Chris Kaman, and, of course, Pau Gasol. The former lottery pick obviously doesn’t offer the same kind of frontcourt boost that Gasol would, but he’ll cost a lot less in terms of both the trade and salary. Any team acquiring Hill would be on the hook for what remains on his $3.5MM salary for 2013/14. He’ll be eligible for free agency in the summer.
Unfortunately for the Nets, their tax situation means that acquiring Hill would cost them a small fortune – $17MM by the estimation of Wojnarowski (link). Even though the deadline is in a few days, the Nets have until March 10th to use their DPE.
Hill, 26, is averaging a career-highs in points (8.5 PPG) and rebounds (7.0 RPG) in 19.5 minutes per contest.
Cavs Exploring Options For Luol Deng Trade
1:15pm: Cleveland’s still looking for a first-rounder for Deng, but no one will bite without assurance from Deng that he’ll re-sign this summer, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).
12:54pm: The Cavs still have multiple “irons in the fire” and talks are likely to go right up to the deadline, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
11:32am: The Wizards and Cavs have discussed Trevor Ariza as part of a potential Deng deal, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal, though it’s unclear if those talks are ongoing (Twitter link). The Cavs have shifted away from seeking a first-round pick for Deng and are now seeking a veteran, per Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
10:14am: There’s “no traction” with either the Wizards or Pistons on Deng, Berger tweets, but the Cavs continue to survey the market. The Cavs sought a first-round pick from the Suns for Deng, but Phoenix isn’t biting, Berger adds in a second tweet.
THURSDAY, 9:24am: The Wizards are among the teams talking to the Cavs about Deng, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com, who notes that Washington tried to acquire Deng from the Bulls this past summer.
WEDNESDAY, 4:24pm: Deng would be hesitant to commit to an extension with any club, and that makes a trade unlikely, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Of course, anxiety surrounding his free agency was the very reason noted earlier for why the Cavs might trade him. Wojnarowski adds the Pistons and Pacers to the list of teams that have had conversations with the Cavs about Deng, but there’s no traction toward a deal as clubs are reluctant to surrender assets for a player who can walk away this summer. Deng has expressed a willingness to at least consider re-signing with the Cavaliers, according to Wojnarowski, who adds there’s increasing doubt around the league that the Lakers will make a run at him in the offseason.
2:21pm: The Mavs have contacted the Cavs about trading for Deng, but they lack the assets to get a deal done, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com reports in a pair of tweets.
10:35am: Windhorst, in his full story, clarifies that the Cavs aren’t determined to trade Deng, but are gauging the market to see what they could get for him. The ESPN.com scribe identifies the Lakers and Mavs as among the teams expected to chase him in free agency this summer.
10:28am: The Cavs have made Deng available to several teams, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (on Twitter). Still, the team is not looking to trade him, a source tells The Plain Dealer (Twitter link).
10:04am: Cleveland has spoken to the Kings and Warriors about Deng, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio (Twitter link). There’s been no shortage of inquiries from clubs around the league, and the Cavs are “clearly” open to hearing pitches, Amico also tweets.
9:46am: The Cavs are worried that Luol Deng won’t re-sign with them this summer, and have begun to investigate the willingness of other teams to trade for the small forward they acquired just last month, tweets Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Rival executives have expressed a belief that Cleveland should try to trade him for a top-level first-round pick in this year’s draft.
Sources told Marc Stein of ESPN.com earlier this month that there was little or no chance Deng would re-sign. That story came out shortly after the Cavs replaced former GM Chris Grant with David Griffin, but before the club began its ongoing five-game winning streak.
The Bulls extracted salary relief, a pair of second-round picks, a protected first-rounder and the right to swap first-round picks with the Cavs in 2015 when they traded Deng in January, and it’s doubtful his value has changed much. Chicago sent Deng out alone in that deal, and Cleveland would have to do the same. Teams aren’t allowed to package any players with someone they acquired via trade within the last two months, though the Cavs could attach draft compensation or cash to Deng if they like.
Bobcats, Bucks Close To Gary Neal Swap
11:28am: Caron Butler and Ben Gordon could also be involved, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
11:10am: Charlotte is trying to sell Milwaukee on the idea that acquiring Sessions makes it easier for them to trade Luke Ridnour, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
10:59am: The proposed deal would send Sessions to the Bucks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Sessions, making $5MM, earns more money than Neal’s $3.25MM, so apparently Kohl would have to get involved.
10:56am: The Bobcats and Bucks are nearing an agreement that would send Neal to Charlotte, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Still, Milwaukee owner Herb Kohl would have to sign off on an increase in team salary as part of the deal, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (Twitter link).
THURSDAY, 6:45am: The Bobcats are trying to convince the Bucks to take on Ramon Sessions in return for Neal.
11:06pm: While they may be looking for a shooter, the Thunder’s interest in Neal could be overstated, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick also confirms interest in Neal from the Bobcats.
4:39pm: Woelfel adds the Suns, Wolves and Kings to the list of suitors for Neal (via Twitter).
1:15pm: The Bucks have progressed with several teams on the Neal front, but they’re still holding off on agreeing to a deal, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com (Twitter link).
WEDNESDAY, 12:29pm: The pursuit of Neal is the only active discussion the Bobcats are engaged in, with talks for Evan Turner having flamed out early, tweets Ken Berger of CBSSports.com.
TUESDAY, 8:24pm: The Bobcats and Thunder are both interested in acquiring sharpshooting Bucks guard Gary Neal, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com and Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter links). Stein reports that Neal has been being openly shopped by Milwaukee since January, and we heard on Friday that the fourth year guard is unhappy with the Bucks. A recent Woelfel piece labeled Brandon Knight, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton as the only untouchable assets on the Bucks roster, so it’s not a surprise the club is open to moving Neal.
After a solid postseason performance with Spurs en route to finals loss versus Miami, Neal signed with Milwaukee on a two-year, $6.25MM deal. While he hasn’t put up extraordinary numbers so far this season, he’s proven throughout the course of his career that he can be a good shooter capable of putting up solid numbers on some nights.
Charlotte has been very active so far this deadline. News broke earlier today that they were close to a deal with the Bucks that would’ve brought in Neal and Caron Butler, but the alleged move fell through at the last minute. It’s unclear if a new deal would involve Butler, but reports have indicated the Bobcats are willing to give up a draft pick for the right price.
Neal’s other potential suitor, the Thunder, are said to be looking for a shooter. Neal would certainly welcome a move to Oklahoma City since we’ve heard reports suggesting he wants to play for a contender. The Thunder would have to send some salary out in return however, since trading for Neal would put the team over the tax line.