Northwest Notes: Iguodala, Brewer, Maynor
The Nuggets escaped last night's game against the Mavericks with a 95-94 win, maintaining their hold on the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, but the bad news outweighed the good. Danilo Gallinari left the game with a knee injury that both Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports and Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post hear is likely an ACL tear. As the Nuggets wait for more information on an injury that could be a huge blow to the team's title chances, let's check in on a few other notes out of the Northwest….
- Andre Iguodala spoke to Hochman about a recent report suggesting he'd likely opt out of his contract with the Nuggets this summer, stressing that no decision has been made yet, and that he'll explore every option. "It would be hard for me to win a championship here, or get to the Finals or get to the Western Conference Finals and say, 'You know, I'm out,'" Iguodala said. "I don't want to make any guarantees, but if that happens, it would be obvious, [Nuggets GM] Masai [Ujiri] and them would understand my worth to the team and we could come to an agreement. But who knows what is going to happen? I could get hurt tomorrow and then have to opt in."
- Corey Brewer has blossomed as a crucial piece of the Nuggets' rotation in Denver, but Mark Cuban and the Mavericks don't have any regrets about trading him, as Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com writes.
- While Eric Maynor's future with the Trail Blazers remains in limbo, GM Neil Olshey says the team has thoroughly evaluated Maynor and is satisfied that the point guard fits with the team's core pieces, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. I would be a little surprised if Maynor receives a qualifying offer, since that would put a sizable dent in the Blazers' cap space, but I'd still expect the club to try to re-sign him.
- Olshey on the Blazers' offseason plan: "We'll be very proactive this summer. What we've seen this season is that this team isn't very far away. We'll have the flexibility to make a move if we choose to do so or not, but it has to be the right move for the organization."
Iguodala To Likely Opt Out
According to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida, Nuggets swingman Andre Iguodala will likely opt out of his contract this summer. He is currently averaging 12.7 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 5.1 RPG while shooting 44.5% from the field in 34.4 MPG.
Though Iguodala is eligible $16.1MM player option next year, Tomasson writes that the ninth-year veteran would rather sign a multi-year deal that pays him less next season but brings a long-term commitment:
“Yeah, definitely…You got to weigh options. Security-wise, a player would opt, especially with the type of season we’ve had as a team. Teams know what I can bring to them, and I know (the Nuggets) know what I can bring to a team here…Players get like $50, $60 or $70 or $80 (million over multiple years), whatever the number was, they gave up a big number (in an option season by opting out). But in the grand scheme of things, pretty much get it back. You got security.’’
The University of Arizona product offered no guarantees that he would stay in Denver beyond this season if he opts out, but added that he likes the direction that the team is headed:
“Obviously, it’s a business, so you’re going to look at your options. Here we have some good (prospects). But I’m not making any promises. But I’ve liked the last month and a half, two months, three months or however long (that Denver has been on a roll). It’s important for the future, so I’m just trying to win.’’
Western Notes: McGuire, Iguodala, Kings, Mavs
As we look forward to an eight-game evening slate that includes Dwight Howard's return to Orlando, let's round up a few of today's stories relating to Western Conference clubs….
- The Warriors elected not to sign Dominic McGuire after the trade deadline using one of their open roster spots at least in part because coach Mark Jackson didn't want McGuire taking minutes away from rookie Draymond Green, according to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (via Sulia).
- Andre Iguodala admits to Paola Boivin of the Denver Post that his 2013/14 player option is in the back of his mind, but says he won't make a concrete decision on whether or not to exercise it until after the season.
- Despite David Stern's insistence that the Kings sale won't result in a bidding war, a source tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that the Sacramento group may be in trouble if the Seattle group "keeps pushing up the price."
- Part of the reason the Mavericks released Dominique Jones was to give him an opportunity to find playing time with another club, as GM Donnie Nelson explains to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "The playing time that Dominique probably deserves wasn’t here and available," Nelson said. "Hopefully that presents itself with another team some place."
- Darren Collison isn't complaining about coming off the bench for the Mavericks, but when he becomes a free agent this summer, he'll hit the market believing that he's capable of being a starter somewhere, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
Odds & Ends: Dieng, Iguodala, Howard, Kennedy
With the NCAA tournament approaching, it won't be long before we begin to receive reports on college underclassmen declaring their intent to enter this year's NBA draft. One player who may leave school early is Louisville junior Gorgui Dieng, who I profiled back in December. As Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reports, Louisville coach Rick Pitino is nearly certain that Dieng will enter this June's draft class.
"If he is projected as a first-rounder, he is leaving," Pitino said. "And I'm almost sure he'll be taken in the first round."
Here are a few more Wednesday afternoon odds and ends:
- "Every indication" is that if Andre Iguodala opts out of his contract this season, he'll do so to lock up a long-term deal with the Nuggets, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Iguodala has a 2013/14 player option worth about $16.15MM.
- Count George Karl among those who is hoping the Kings remain in Sacramento, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. "I think everybody knows I'm a Seattle guy and I want basketball back in Seattle, but I don't want basketball out of Sacramento," the Nuggets coach said. "It's a politically correct answer, but it's a truthful answer on how I feel."
- Dwight Howard told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, that he'd thought "plenty of times" about how the season may have played out if he hadn't returned from back surgery so quickly. However, Howard doesn't regret his decision to come back early. D12 also mentioned that he has received encouragement from Phil Jackson via text messages.
- Ian Thomsen of SI.com ranks the top ten most powerful people in the NBA, with David Stern beating out LeBron James for the No. 1 spot.
- The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (the Rockets' D-League affiliate) have acquired D.J. Kennedy in a five-player trade, as Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside details. Kennedy, who had a brief NBA stint at the end of last season with the Cavaliers, had been having an excellent year for the Erie BayHawks, averaging 18.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 5.5 APG.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford fielded exclusively draft-related questions in his usual Wednesday chat.
Odds & Ends: Lakers, Johnson, Oden
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News says that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak will likely know by tomorrow about whether or not the NBA will approve their Disabled Player Exception for the injured Jordan Hill (Twitter link). With the roster currently at 14, an exception worth $1.78MM would be a very valuable asset for a team that would have otherwise only have a veteran's minimum deal or a small, pro-rated portion of their mini mid-level exception to offer free agents at this point during the season. You'll find the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links from around the NBA here:
- Celtics President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge says the team currently has no needs and will wait and see what transpires over the next few weeks to get a better feel if a move has to be made or not (Adi Joseph of USA Today reports).
- Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman, who recently returned from an 11-game absence for family reasons, sounded like he wanted the team to keep Chris Johnson (LSU) and Mickael Gelabale for the rest of the season, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- Grizzlies guard Chris Johnson, whose 10-day contract is set to expire on Friday night, is making a strong case to be brought back for another deal, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. GM Chris Wallace described Johnson as a "seamless fit" so far.
- Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald doesn't think the Heat are the best fit for Greg Oden, citing that if healthy, the former number one overall pick could find more playing time and a better comfort level elsewhere. Even if the team uses its taxpayer mid-level exception to land Oden this summer, Goodman thinks that the luxury tax impact might not be worth the investment either.
- When asked directly about the possibility of playing for the Cavaliers, Oden replied: "I'm worried about the knee. That's it," later saying that it was too early for him to be thinking of a destination. Oden added that he wants to take his rehab slow, and that while he could possibly play today if he wanted to, he wants to avoid the risk of having the same setbackthat he had in Portland (Doug Lesmerises and Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer report).
Iguodala Wants To Stay With Nuggets
Andre Iguodala can opt out of the final year of his contract this summer and become an unrestricted free agent, but the veteran forward tells Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post that he would like to remain with the Nuggets long-term. He says that he is undecided about opting out, and that decision will come down to how much he thinks he can command on the open market:
“A lot of players have done it where they’ve gave up a large bulk of their contract, say, giving up $16 million to get $60 million,” Iguodala said. “In the grand scheme of things that makes sense. But if you give up $16 million and you get $20 million (it doesn’t make sense). So it’s all about playing your cards right and seeing where you’re at. At the end of the day winning takes care of everything, so if we win here, then hopefully the organization and myself will come to an agreement and we’ll continue to build on what we have here.”
Iguodala's player option pays him $16.1MM for the 2013/14 season. He is averaging 13.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 4.5 APG in his first season with the Nuggets since being traded from Philadelphia as part of the four-team trade that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers.
Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Redick, Magic
Ric Bucher of CSN Bay Area (Sulia link) hears that the trade rumor involving Rudy Gay to the Suns in exchange for Jared Dudley and Michael Beasley was leaked in order to facilitate more offers from around the league. In terms of the Grizzlies dealing Gay for luxury-tax purposes, Bucher notes that the Wizards and Warriors only have trade pieces that would relieve Memphis of the super luxury tax in two years, but not after this season. You can find more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from the Association here:
- David Baumann of Bright House Sports Network tweets that the Celtics covet J.J. Redick as a possible trade target before February's trade deadline.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel provides a primer of what the Magic front office has to think about heading into next month's deadline. He thinks that GM Rob Hennigan might want to deal for more young players and draft picks while shedding salary, adding that Redick, Glen Davis, Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and Josh McRoberts are among the team's most tradeable assets. Lastly, Robbins thinks that Orlando is unlikely to part with Nikola Vucevic and that the team has almost no interest in dealing for Rudy Gay.
- Noting that Chris Johnson had been a member of Timberwolves' training camp before the season, Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press says that his familiarity with the team provided an advantage during the team's search for help at center.
- The recent struggles of Nuggets swingman Andre Iguodala prompted him to admit after today's practice that he's "probably behind the curve" and has had trouble finding his comfort level this season (Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post reports).
- HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy (Sulia link) anticipates a quiet trade deadline for the NBA considering a busy offseason that saw 31 deals involving 96 players.
- Alex Raskin of HoopsWorld looks at Jeff Teague, one of four players who are guaranteed to remain in Atlanta beyond this season, as a viable long-term investment for the Hawks.
Odds & Ends: Nets, D-Will, Heat, Iguodala
The Nets are looking to win their third straight game under P.J. Carlesimo tonight in San Antonio, and whether or not they can pull it out, the team appears to be in no rush to begin searching for a replacement for Carlesimo. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com echoes what we've heard over the last couple days, writing that the interim head coach will get a "legit shot" to finish the 2012/13 season. Phil Jackson remains Brooklyn's "dream hire," but the club recognizes that it's difficult to hire an established coach to take over mid-season (all Twitter links). As the Nets and Spurs play one of the final games of 2012, we'll take a look at a few Monday evening odds and ends:
- According to Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops, Deron Williams is "a Ferrari with engine problems" at the moment, which is particularly troublesome after the Nets signed Williams to a five-year, maximum-salary contract over the summer. D-Will says Avery Johnson's dismissal was a big wake-up call for the team as a sign of "what happens when you lose" (Twitter link via Rod Boone of Newsday), so we'll see if the point guard's performance improves in the coming weeks.
- Asked about the possibility of the Heat signing Kenyon Martin, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel suggests it's hard to argue that he wouldn't be an upgrade.
- Despite being in a potential contract year, Andre Iguodala hasn't had to think about trade rumors this season, which has been a relief, as he tells Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.
- The Celtics still have plenty of time to turn things around, and the impending return of Avery Bradley should provide a boost, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
Western Rumors: Cousins, Brown, Iguodala, Fisher
A matchup of fourth-place teams, as the Mavs travel to take on the Suns, is the only Western Conference tilt on a two-game night in the NBA, but the action off the court is much juicier. We delivered the latest on the Pau Gasol saga earlier this morning, and now here's more from the West.
- Slumping as he begins his third season, DeMarcus Cousins is nonetheless coveted by several teams around the league, according to Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee, who adds that the Kings remain uninterested in trading the 22-year-old center.
- Mike Brown, still owed $10MM from the Lakers after the team let him go just five games into the season, tells Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times that he'll eventually get back into coaching, but is in no rush.
- Andre Iguodala, who can exercise an early-termination option this summer, is a safer bet to remain with the Nuggets than Carmelo Anthony was as his deal neared an end, according to Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
- Joe Kaiser of ESPN.com, after examining all the other options, believes the Mavs' signing of Derek Fisher was sound (Insider only).
- The Blazers have already declined their 2013/14 option on Luke Babbitt, but they might have to give him another look as an unrestricted free agent next summer now that he's jumped into the rotation, observes Mike Tokito of The Oregonian.
- Rockets interim coach Kelvin Sampson reached out to Carlos Delfino during the summer and touted the ability for the Argentinian swingman to play a significant role with Houston, helping convince him to sign with the team. Jason Friedman of Rockets.com has the details.
Northwest Links: Rubio, Iguodala, Burks, Jeffries
Here are the latest updates from around the Northwest Division:
- Ricky Rubio practiced with the Timberwolves for the first time since tearing his ACL in February. He told reporters that his knee felt good. (Associated Press link via the New York Times)
- Since coming to the Nuggets, Andre Iguodala's defense has exceeded its already high expectations, observes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
- Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that young players such as Alec Burks have been taking advantage of the minutes opened up by injuries on the Jazz.
- Jared Jeffries has had a positive impact as a veteran presence on a young and rebuilding Trail Blazers team, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.