Pacific Rumors: Warriors, Suns, Kings, Blake
The Warriors remain in the market for additional trades following Wednesday’s acquisition of Steve Blake, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Here’s more from the Pacific Division:
- The Suns aren’t close to any deals, and it’s more likely they stand pat than make a move today, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). That counters a report from Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who says the Suns and Kings are “trying to hit a home run before the deadline” (via Twitter).
- Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee identifies Jason Thompson, Jimmer Fredette and Travis Outlaw as trade candidates as the Kings remain on the lookout for yet another swap. A second-round pick could be what it takes for other teams to land Fredette as the Kings continue to shop him, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Kings would “love” to get a second-rounder in some sort of deal before the deadline, Jones notes (Twitter link).
- Blake won’t rule out return to Lakers in free agency this summer, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times observes.
- Jordan Hill dismisses the notion that he doesn’t like Mike D’Antoni, and says he’d at least like to finish the season with the Lakers, observes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- A source tells Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders that the Lakers are unlikely to trade Nick Young, and that the club envisions him as part of its long-term plan. Young has on multiple occasions expressed a desire to stay in purple-and-gold for the foreseeable future, Greene notes.
- The Lakers appear pretty confident they can move Jordan Hill, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com, noting that the team is holding out for a second-rounder. Usually teams seeking to get out of tax territory, as the Lakers are, have to give up picks, rather than acquire them, Stein points out (Twitter link).
- Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro envisions the newly acquired Jason Terry playing a role on the Kings, but no one is dismissing the notion of a buyout, Howard-Cooper reports via Twitter.
- Tucked inside an earlier trade story, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports noted that Isaiah Thomas, a free agent this summer, has expressed a strong desire to stay with the Kings.
Latest On Pau Gasol
2:10pm: The Gasol-to-Suns deal is “dying on the vine,” according to TNT’s David Aldridge, who hears the Suns are moving on to other talks (Twitter link).
8:50am: The Lakers, with an eye on Kevin Love, gauged the Wolves’ interest in a deal that would send Pau Gasol to Minnesota, but those talks didn’t go anywhere, a source tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. There’s a growing sentiment within the Lakers that it’s more worthwhile to retain Gasol and his Bird Rights heading into the offseason than unload him by tomorrow’s trade deadline, Shelburne writes. The Lakers remain in contact with the Suns and Cavs about potential deals, but there’s been no significant progress with either team, as Shelburne notes.
The Bobcats and Lakers have reportedly been in talks about Gasol, though such a deal is unlikely, and Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, who broke the story, wonders if the Lakers leaked the news to prompt the Suns into more serious conversations (Twitter link). The Suns and Lakers are expected to engage once more in negotations about Gasol before the deadline.
The Lakers have been active, canvassing the market for Gasol, Jordan Hill, Steve Blake and Chris Kaman, Shelburne writes. A groin injury has kept Gasol out of action for the past six games, perhaps slowing trade chatter surrounding him, but he’s listed as questionable for tonight.
Gasol is eligible for an extension, so the Lakers could lock him up, as they’ve done with Kobe Bryant. The big man says he’s had no conversations with the team about an extension, but that doesn’t bother him, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
“Actually, it makes it easier for me,” Gasol said. “[I can] wait until that moment comes and then see what I got.”
Lakers, Suns To Resume Gasol Trade Talks
Rival executives from around the league believe the Lakers and Suns will likely resume trade discussions that will culminate in a deal that sends Pau Gasol to Phoenix in exchange for Emeka Okafor, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (via these tweets). Executives believe Gasol is the best player the Suns could receive for Okafor’s expiring, insured contract. Kennedy says it’s expected that Gasol will leave in free agency this summer if he remains with the Lakers, and executives believe LA would like to receive assets for Gasol at the trade deadline rather than letting him walk away this summer for nothing.
Talks between the two teams came to a halt earlier this month because the Suns believed the Lakers’ asking price for Gasol to be too high. Still, discussions were expected to continue through the deadline, and it appears Phoenix may now be under the belief that trading for Gasol might be worth sacrificing one of their potentially four 2014 draft selections.
Like Okafor, Gasol’s contract expires at the end of the season, and there’s no indication either way if he’d remain in Phoenix beyond this year if the Suns were to acquire him. However, Phoenix is fighting for a playoff spot, and acquiring Gasol might help supplement the club as a group that could potentially make some noise this postseason.
Western Notes: McGee, Westbrook, McDonough
Nuggets center JaVale McGee has been out of action since November with a stress fracture in his left tibia. The team’s original plan was to allow McGee to take time to let his injury heal without having surgery. But now, with little progress having been made, the 7-footer has to decide whether or not to undergo season-ending surgery. A resolution on whether he will play again this season is expected by March 1st, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. His mother, Pamela McGee stated, “By March 1, we’ll know exactly what strategy to use and when he’ll be definitely be back, or not back.” McGee has been able to start doing lower-body activity such as light work on the elliptical machine, but the leg has not healed enough for McGee, or the Nuggets, to be confident the efforts will work to get him back on the court this season. McGee only appeared in five games this season and had averages of 7.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG.
More from the west:
- The Thunder might be getting Russell Westbrook back this week, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The team had announced back on December 27th that Westbrook had surgery on his right knee for the second time since late October. He was projected to be out until after the All-Star break without a specific return date. According to the article, Westbrook will be re-evaluated on Tuesday in Oklahoma City, which could open the door for a return against the visiting Heat this Thursday. Before his injury Westbrook averaged 21.3 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 6 RPG in 25 appearances. The Thunder are 22-8 without Westbrook, mainly due to the stellar play of Kevin Durant and his 31.5 PPG.
- Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald takes a look at the job GM Ryan McDonough has done in his first year with the Suns. He has the team in the enviable position of having the assets and picks for long-range planning, as well as fielding a team that can compete in the short term, writes Murphy.
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Suns, Bulls, Mirotic
At least three NBA GMs won’t be in New Orleans for All-Star weekend, as technology has changed the way deadline deals take shape, observes Ian Thomsen of SI.com. Thomsen’s piece is a revelatory examination of what goes on in the hidden world of NBA executives, and it’s worth a read. We’ll pass along another tidbit from it here among our look at the league’s latest:
- Executives think Pau Gasol is the most significant player with a strong chance to be dealt, Thomsen writes. The likehihood of a Gasol deal has grown as the Lakers have dropped further from contention, Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding writes, identifying Chris Kaman, Jordan Hill and Steve Blake as other prime trade candidates on the Lakers.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com hears the Suns, who’ve been pursuing Gasol and his expiring contract, aren’t looking for short-term help and would prefer to trade for a player who can be a mainstay for years to come.
- Smith also says that the Bulls are targeting veterans and buyout candidates rather than D-Leaguers for their 13th roster spot, suggesting Marcus Camby as a possibility, though it’s unclear if the Bulls truly have interest in signing the 39-year-old big man.
- An NBA executive thinks that if Nikola Mirotic were eligible for this year’s draft, he’d be a top-three pick, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
- Jameer Nelson says the Magic haven’t indicated to him they have any plans to trade him, and, according to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling, he has no plans to test free agency this summer. Of course, Nelson might not have a choice, since the Magic can save $6MM of his $8MM salary for next season if they waive him on or before July 15th.
- Adam Silver isn’t quite sure why players would be opposed to the idea of raising the age limit to 20, which he supports, as the commissioner tells Sam Amick of USA Today. Silver also suggests that allowing teams an extra year to scout prospects will help clubs with high draft picks make the right choice more often, leading to more leaguewide parity.
Odds & Ends: Suns, Bobcats, Pietrus
Executives from around the league say the Bobcats and Suns are the teams to watch with the trade deadline a week from today, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Both teams are buyers looking to improve their postseason chances, and Charlotte in particular has been involved in numerous trade rumors of late. Here’s more from around the Association:
- A recent conversation with Nicolas Batum sold Mickael Pietrus on the idea of joining the Blazers, but Portland, with a full 15-man roster, declined the free agent swingman’s pitch to join the team, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.
- Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post figures Mike Woodson has coached the Knicks for the last time at Madison Square Garden, since New York follows up Wednesday’s home loss to the Kings with a tough road trip after the All-Star break.
- Dan Gadzuric has signed with Petrochimi of Iran, Sportando’s Enea Trapani reports. The 36-year-old is continuing his career overseas after retiring from the NBA this past fall.
- Hawks first-round draftee Lucas Nogueira is headed back to Spain to rejoin Estudiantes next week, observes fellow Sportando scribe Emiliano Carchia. The 16th overall pick this past June has been in the care of Hawks doctors, who’ve treated the severe tendinitis that’s sidelined him since December.
- The Rockets have sent Robert Covington to the D-League, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (Twitter link). The assignment will allow the rookie to take part in the D-League All-Star Game this weekend.
Odds & Ends: Cavs, Jackson, Gordon, Ennis
The Cavs have won four straight since firing former GM Chris Grant. One of interim GM David Griffin‘s priorities was to improve the rumored chaos in the Cleveland locker room according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter). Amico says that Griffin told both Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters they would not be traded, and urged the team to have fun and avoid stress (Twitter link), which could explain some of the team’s sudden positivity. Here are the rest of the notes from around the league:
- Mark Jackson took some critical comments made earlier by Warriors owner Joe Lacob in stride, per Tim Kawakami of Bay Area News Group. Jackson said he “understands” why the owner is disappointed with the team’s performance, adding, with a laugh: “I stopped reading [Lacob’s comments]. I was getting depressed.”
- Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders said he wouldn’t be surprised if Ben Gordon wound up on the Suns before the upcoming trade deadline, in response to a tweeted question he received (Twitter link). This would fall in line with the Suns’ reported preference of landing a perimeter player.
- Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim doesn’t think consensus top-10 draft prospect Tyler Ennis will enter the draft this summer, per Seth Davis of SI.com. “I think he knows and his father knows that he’s a really good college player. He has to become a better shooter and get stronger to go to the next level,” said Boeheim. “He’d go in the first round, but look at the number of first-round picks who are already out of the league in the last two years. It’s a huge number.” (hat tip to Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv)
- Representatives from the Bulls attended a Eurobasket game to get a look at Nolan Smith, per David Pick of Eurobasket.com. The 25-year-old point guard spent two years with the Blazers, and was expected to join the Celtics for training camp this summer before heading overseas. Smith has averaged 9.9 minutes per game in his NBA career, and declined in nearly every statistical category last year.
- Free agent Brian Cook is attempting to make an NBA return, according to a source for Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter). The 33-year-old has nine years of NBA experience, but he hasn’t played in the NBA since splitting time with the Clippers and Wizards in the 2011/12 season.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Bledsoe, Nash
Matt Steinmetz of Bleacher Report covers some of the growing concerns around Warriors small forward Andre Iguodala. The team currently sits in the sixth seed for the playoffs, and is on track to finish with about the same number of wins as last year despite inking the former All-Star to a four-year, $48MM contract this offseason. Steinmetz points out that his contract left Golden State no room for the team to retain key rotation players Jarrett Jack or Carl Landry, so the transition wasn’t simple roster addition. Still, Iguodala’s performance has dipped on his new team, with a near-career low in shot attempts a sign of his lack of presence on the offensive end. Here’s more from around the division:
- Suns president of basketball operations Lon Babby echoed earlier remarks from owner Robert Sarver, telling the Doug and Wolf Show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM that the team intends to match any offer for Eric Bledsoe this summer in restricted free agency. Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com has the transcription.
- Steve Nash left last night’s game early with nerve issues in his back and hamstrings, but his appearance nonetheless means the Lakers are ineligible to wipe his contract off their books for next season if he retires for medical reasons. Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times has the details on what would have been a long shot, anyway.
- The Warriors have recalled Kent Bazemore, MarShon Brooks, and Ognjen Kuzmic from the D-League, per the team’s site. This comes a day after the team sent the three-man group to Santa Cruz for a one-game stint.
Chuck Myron contributed to this post.
Suns, Warriors, Bobcats, Thunder Eye Bass
WEDNESDAY, 1:31pm: An NBA GM tells Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio that the Thunder have interest in Bass, too, as Amico shares in a chat with readers.
MONDAY, 2:42pm: The talk of Bass going to the Warriors has “little to no legs,” tweets Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, who isn’t sure how Golden State could pull off the deal unless the Celtics agreed to take on Marreese Speights.
10:30am: The Suns, Warriors and Bobcats are among a wide array of teams interested in Celtics power forward Brandon Bass, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The power forward is the most frequent subject of trade talk on the Celtics, a team that rival executives believe could be one of the busiest at the trade deadline, according to Deveney. The Celtics are willing to trade just about any player on the roster, short of Rajon Rondo, whom Danny Ainge wouldn’t give up for anything short of an “overwhelming offer,” Deveney writes.
Ainge has expressed a fondness for building through the draft, and to obtain Bass, the Bobcats would most likely give up Portland’s first-rounder, which the Blazers owe Charlotte, Deveney says. The Warriors don’t have much in the way of draft assets to offer Boston, but they could give up young players like Festus Ezeli, Nemanja Nedovic and Ognjen Kuzmic, as Deveney speculates. Golden State also has the flexibility of a sizable trade exception they acquired when they sent Richard Jefferson to the Jazz in the summer. The Suns see Bass as an alternative to a Pau Gasol deal, a source tells Deveney.
Bass was linked to the Rockets in December, when Houston was pushing to trade Omer Asik. The 28-year-old Bass is putting up 10.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 27.4 minutes per game this season, numbers all somewhat above his career averages. He’s making $6.45MM this season, and will get $6.9MM next season in the final year of his deal.
Lawrence On Nash, Stotts, Gasol
During the All-Star break in New Orleans, the players will ask the league to try and put an end to the “Tennessee Tax,” writes Mitch Lawrence of the Daily News Every NBA player who visits Memphis for a game against the Grizzlies is subject to the tax, which takes up to $7,500 per season per player. Somehow, the money totaling $1.5MM per season, ends up in the pocket of Memphis owner Robert Pera. More from Lawrence’s column..
- Lakers guard Steve Nash has told a few friends that this season will be his last, even though he still has another season on his contract beyond 2013/14. Nash will be leaving $9.7MM on the table if he decides to hang them up after this season. Meanwhile, Nash has denied talk that he is planning on retirement, tweets Mark Medina of the L.A. Daily News.
- No one with the Blazers is complaining about the job coach Terry Stotts is doing, but team sources tell Lawrence his standing in the locker room would be helped if he made more of a concerted effort to strengthen his relationship with LaMarcus Aldridge. The big man is nearing the end of his contract and no extension has been hammered out yet.
- Even as Pau Gasol misses the next ten days or so due to injury, the Suns and Lakers are expected to talk trade. Los Angeles was open to moving Gasol until they couldn’t get Phoenix to part with one of their first-rounders in the 2014 draft.
- High-profile attorney David Cornwell, who was part of Alex Rodriguez’s team in the Yankee’s steroid appeal, is among the candidates to head the player’s union. He’s not considered the favorite, however.