Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyler’s Latest: Carmelo, Magic, W’s, Kings

February 12th, 2014 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Lottery picks will be hard to come by at the deadline, which means there’s a strong chance that clubs, like the Sixers, with hopes of trading for one will have to settle for less, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Kyler has a lot more from around the league in his latest NBA AM piece, as we detail:

Knicks executives have had a “very open and candid dialogue” about the notion that Carmelo Anthony could leave as a free agent this summer, but they remain confident enough in re-signing him that they’re not looking to trade him at the deadline, Kyler writes. New York appears intent on adding to its roster rather than selling off assets, Kyler observes, though the Knicks are still reluctant to include a draft pick in a deal for either Kenneth Faried or Kyle Lowry.
The Magic are open to moving Glen Davis, but there’s essentially no market for him because of concerns about his attitude and his contract, which pays him $6.6MM next season, Kyler writes. Orlando is listening to offers for Jameer Nelson, too, but the Magic’s unwillingness to take back long-term money makes it a long shot he’ll be dealt. Nelson’s deal, which gives him $8.6MM this season, is an impediment to a deal, too, according to Kyler, even though it’s partially guaranteed for just $2MM next year. Orlando also continues to rebuff offers for Arron Afflalo.
The Warriors are interested in acquiring players who are either on expiring contracts or relatively short-term deals, and in spite of last month’s trade for Jordan Crawford, they continue to look around for point guard help, according to Kyler. They’re also looking to acquire draft picks, Kyler adds.
The Kings remain the front runners for Andre Miller, Kyler says, though Miller’s lack of value on the market is making Denver hesitate. The Basketball Insiders scribe also reiterates that Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette are prime trade candidates for Sacramento and adds Aaron Gray to that list.
Executives from the Magic, Wizards, Pacers and Grizzlies are downplaying their willingness to make deadline trades, but all of those teams are nonetheless on the lookout for some kind of deal between now and next Thursday.

Eastern Notes: Bobcats, Turner, Celtics

February 11th, 2014 at 11:33pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said before tonight’s game against the Mavericks that the chances of Charlotte making a deal soon depends on who’s available and what makes sense. GM Rod Higgins couldn’t put a percentage on the likelihood that something gets done, but went so far as to say “…the thing you should know is we’re definitely shaking the tree (and hope) a trade pans out” (Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer).

You can find several links worth sharing tonight out of Eastern Conference below, including more from the above piece:

Sorensen hears that the Bobcats are interested in 76ers guard Evan Turner and presumes that Ben Gordon and a first round pick are on the table (whether it’s the one owed to them by the Trail Blazers or Pistons is unclear).
Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears says that in addition to Turner, Thaddeus Young is another starter who could be moved soon.
Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW shared some of what he’s heard from around the Eastern Conference: Turner and Spencer Hawes are the most likely to be traded from Philadelphia; the Celtics are reportedly bound and determined to make moves before the deadline; the Cavaliers think pretty highly enough of their key pieces and aren’t likely to deal them for anything less for a “king’s ransom.”
Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that tales of stars trying to make recruiting pitches during the All-Star break are blown out of proportion by the media and says it “never happens.”
Earlier tonight, we relayed a piece from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports about the Cavs’ recent misfortune over the last few years. Another interesting thing to note is about how Anthony Bennett – who aside from his double-double performance tonight has otherwise failed to impress this season – would likely have fallen into the back end of the top 10 picks or further on draft night if Cleveland didn’t select him first overall.

Odds & Ends: David Griffin, Deng, Mbah a Moute

February 11th, 2014 at 9:41pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Since drafting Kyrie Irving in 2011, ex-Cavaliers GM Chris Grant made one draft mistake after another in the following years and spent his final months in Cleveland offering overvalued young players in lopsided proposals for LaMarcus Aldridge, Anthony Davis, and Andre Drummond, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. Eventually, Wojnarowski says, few NBA executives had the inclination to listen to Grant’s one-sided offers.

Now that the Cavs have elevated David Griffin into the role of interim GM, the team may have a chance to make some improvements through trades based on Griffin’s superior standing with other executives from around the league. Wojnarowski reports that until the deadline, Griffin will be working the phones with a mandate to keep pushing for the playoffs.

You can find tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes below, including more from the above piece:

Though one Eastern Conference executive views Griffin’s current situation as an opportunity to impress Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, Wojnarowski writes that Gilbert’s plan nevertheless is to search the NBA landscape for Grant’s replacement.
Wojnarowski says that in order to keep Luol Deng in Cleveland after this season, the Cavs would likely have to exceed his market value; letting him walk would be too embarrassing after paying such a steep price to acquire him, the Yahoo! scribe adds.
Timberwolves forward Luc Mbah a Moute could be the most likely to be dealt from Minnesota right now, says Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (via Twitter).
Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said on ESPN 98.7 FM’s “The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show” that if New York makes a deal between now and the trade deadline, he expects to be involved in the discussion: “I would like to think that if something goes down, I’m sure they will include me…It’s been that way since I’ve been here and I don’t see that changing. We just have to let it play out and see what happens” (Ian Begley of ESPN New York). Woodson’s job security has been a hot topic as of late on Hoops Rumors, and multiple reports over the last week suggest that his days in New York could be numbered.
Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders outlines several potential trading partners and scenarios for the Knicks if they were to trade Carmelo Anthony.

Eastern Notes: Magic, Cavs, Knicks

February 11th, 2014 at 6:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Magic GM Rob Hennigan tells Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel that he’s not actively looking to pursue deals right now: “We’re exploring all options that may improve our team…But in terms of aggressively, actively trying to do something? I would say no [we’re not].”

In that same piece however, Robbins adds that Orlando could make at least one move before the deadline, and much of the trade speculation has revolved around Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and Glen Davis. Afflalo – whose 19.6 PPG and 5.0 FTA this season represent career bests – is likely drawing the most interest at this point.

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference this evening:

Looking at what he calls a “mess” in Cleveland, Ric Bucher of the Bleacher Report revisits some of the Cavaliers’ roster decisions since Kyrie Irving‘s arrival in order to describe how they got to this point, including their decision to bypass Jonas Valanciunas in the 2011 draft, hiring Mike Brown, and failing to provide a veteran mentor for Irving. In spite of this, he believes there’s still time to right the ship, especially if the front office- led by interim GM David Griffin – can piece together a roster that compliments rather than saddles Irving.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News doesn’t buy speculation about Knicks owner James Dolan considering a Carmelo Anthony trade to the Bulls, and thinks that the seven-time All-Star will ultimately stay in New York beyond this summer. Even if Anthony were to bolt, Isola doesn’t believe it’d be the end of the world; with Andrea Bargnani, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler coming off the books in 2015, New York could target a star like Kevin Durant with their ample cap space (All Twitter links).
ESPN New York’s Ian Begley weighs in on the rumblings surrounding Iman Shumpert and Kenneth Faried from the Knicks’ persepctive, saying that acquiring Faried – though he’d be a plus – doesn’t address their backcourt needs and cuts into their 2015 cap flexibility.
As for the Wizards’ reported interest in Beno Udrih, Begley notes that a one-for-one swap for either Glen Rice Jr. or Al Harrington is feasible, but only from a salary-matching standpoint. Regardless, I think Begley would agree that Washington probably wouldn’t be open to giving up a 23-year-old prospect like Rice Jr. in order to solely acquire a 31-year-old backup point guard.

Amico On Celtics, Melo, Irving, Dumars

February 10th, 2014 at 10:44pm CST by Zachary Links

Most executives who spoke with Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio say it seems more and more likely that the Celtics want to build around point guard Rajon Rondo, forward Jeff Green, and second-year big man Jared Sullinger. Everyone else, however, appears to be available, and even those three aren’t considered untouchable. More from Amico’s column..

The Knicks‘ struggles are fueling talk that Carmelo Anthony could be moved at the deadline but league sources say that seems considerably less likely and Melo will remain a Knick at least until the end of the season.
Could the Cavs be giving thought to moving Kyrie Irving given their own troubles? “Absolutely, positively untouchable, now and forever,” said one opposing General Manager.
There’s been some talk that Pistons GM Joe Dumars could step down at the end of the season if the team fails to make the playoffs. If so, league insiders suspect Dumars won’t be out of the game for long. Despite Detroit’s struggles, Dumars helped build a title team and still has a lot of respect around the league.
The Spurs typically aren’t major players at the trading deadline, but sources say that could change this year. For an outstanding return, Kawhi Leonard could be made available.

Spears’ Latest: Carmelo, Bobcats, Wizards

February 10th, 2014 at 8:56am CST by Chuck Myron

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports hears there’s “no chance” the Knicks will trade Carmelo Anthony before the deadline. That’s no surprise, since most reports have suggested that New York’s top priority will be re-signing Anthony this summer, and the Knicks have batted down rumors of a trade with the Clippers. Spears stuffs a lot more into his latest power rankings, and we’ll pass along the best of it here:

The Bobcats are “actively pursuing” a deal for perimeter shooting, Spears writes. Charlotte is looking to buy at the deadline.
A source tells Spears that the Wizards will try to trade for a backup point guard, but there’s little optimism they’ll be able to find one. Washington has been using minimum-salary signee Garrett Temple in that role.
The Kings are high on Isaiah Thomas, but that hasn’t stopped them from pursuing a true point guard, Spears observes.
The Magic are willing to talk trade about everyone on their roster except Victor Oladipo, but no deals are close, according to Spears.
The Timberwolves are more focused on making internal defensive improvements than a deadline trade, Spears writes.

Amick On Expected Buyers, Sellers At Deadline

February 7th, 2014 at 10:12pm CST by Cray Allred

In his most recent column, Sam Amick of USA Today passed on a lot of information gathered from six NBA executives speaking anonymously regarding what he thinks will be a “very active swapping season.” Talk includes teams from around the league looking to win now or bolster rebuilding efforts. The entire article is worth the read, but here is a brief roundup:

The Knicks “have decided to think big” as the deadline approaches, and believe that the Celtics‘ Rajon Rondo is more available than Boston general manager Danny Ainge is letting on. Trading Carmelo Anthony is not being given serious consideration, despite all the speculation surrounding his willingness to re-sign this summer.
Rival executives think that if Ainge were to make any Rondo move, he would wait until just before the deadline to do so.
The Pelicans are thought to be willing to trade Eric Gordon, although moving the two-year, $29MM left on his contract would be a challenge.
If the Suns don’t acquire Pau Gasol, Thaddeus Young is another possible trade target before the deadline. It’s also believed that Phoenix would have strong interest in Rudy Gay this off season should he opt out of his player option.
The Spurs and Bobcats were mentioned by an executive as possible destinations for the Sixers‘ Evan Turner, either through a trade this season or when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer.
It’s more likely that the Pistons move players with expiring deals (Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva or Jonas Jerebko, for instance) than for them to part with Greg Monroe before the deadline.
The Timberwolves have great urgency to make the playoffs and keep Kevin Love content, and are thought to be willing to part with J.J. Barea, Dante Cunningham, and Alexey Shved for a deal that would help them avoid finishing another season outside the playoffs.
While the Grizzlies‘ Zach Randolph hasn’t said whether he will opt out of his contract this summer, he has indicated that he wants to remain with Memphis. For their part, the Grizzlies don’t appear to be shopping him. The Suns inquired about the power forward, but were told he wasn’t available.
The Magic aren’t eager to move Arron Afflalo, and it would likely take a proven player in addition to any draft picks to pry him away from Orlando.

Knicks Rumors: Woodson, Melo, Boeheim

February 6th, 2014 at 8:03pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With all the rumors flying around about coach Mike Woodson‘s job security, any issue can become a major one rather quickly. The players might not have quit on Woodson, writes Ian Begley of ESPN.com, but they are growing tired of having their effort questioned by him. Last month some players expressed their frustration privately to reporters, and a few players communicated their frustration directly to Knicks management, according to Begley. This discontent could be indicative of a schism between the players and their coach, or simply a product of the toll losing takes on a team.

More notes out of the Knicks realm:

In light of all the speculation about Woodson’s job security, some players are growing weary of their coach, Begley writes in a separate piece The players might possibly be tuning out Woodson, unsure if he will be their coach for much longer. Begley also touches more on the players becoming frustrated with having their effort questioned, which was mentioned in Begley’s previous article. J.R. Smith, who had earlier spoken out in support of his coach, admitted he’s worried Woodson ultimately will take the fall for the Knicks’ poor performance.
Woodson called this season a “disaster from a coaching standpoint,” but he doesn’t want to see it end prematurely for him, writes Al Iannazzone of New York Newsday. Woodson said the failure of the coaching staff to get the players to consistently play at a high level is the most difficult thing for him to accept about his performance. He also stated, “That’s the frustrating part about it because I know we’re better than we’ve shown. We still got a chance though.”
Carmelo Anthony‘s college coach Jim Boeheim believes Melo needs to play for a contender, Begley notes in a third piece. Boeheim stated, “The problem in the NBA, you’re judged on winning championships. He’s got to try to go and play where they can win a championship or else he’s going to be a failure. That’s the bottom line.” Boeheim disagrees with the notion, but understands that is how superstar players are ultimately judged. He also believes that Melo is happy in New York, but will ultimately choose winning over comfort, wherever that might be. In the same article, Woodson says he hopes Melo looks at more than just this season when making his choice. “He’s got to look at really the last two years, too, what he’s built here. And not just use this year as a year where you throw in the towel,” Woodson said. Anthony will opt out of his contract after the season and become an unrestricted free agent. The Knicks can offer the most money, but if winning is a priority, that edge might not be enough to retain their star.

Atlantic Links: Brown, Stoudemire, Carmelo

February 4th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Ryan Raroque

After previously being part of a Spurs coaching staff that helped San Antonio win three titles, Philadelphia head coach Brett Brown tells Keith Pompey of The Inquirer that bringing a championship culture to the 76ers is much tougher than he anticipated:

“It’s much harder…It’s something that I didn’t judge properly. It doesn’t diminish my enthusiasm being here. I just recognize the monster ahead of us…Trying to build a program to the level we hope to build it to requires so much work and so much luck. And there is no wiggle room. You can’t skip a single step.”

You can find some more miscellaneous links worth passing along out of the Atlantic Division below:

Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire is more than eager to be a contributor and asserted that he’s ready to play without minute restrictions: “From a doctor’s standpoint, there hasn’t been (minute) limitations since the first week of the season…So we can’t keep saying limitations; that’s a coach’s decision at the end of the day. I feel great. I am ready to play. But it’s up to him if he wants to play me or not” (Frank Isola of the New York Daily News).
Stoudemire added that he’s spoken with head coach Mike Woodson about increasing his role: “Yeah. I talk to Coach all the time about it. He knows I am ready. He knows how hard I train. He watches me in the weight room and also on the basketball court. The whole training staff knows, the Knicks organization knows how hard I train. I am ready to play. But it depends on how the game is played.”
In response to Mike Wilbon’s recent argument on ESPN that the Bulls should look to add Carmelo Anthony on the premise that stars win in this league, ESPN New York’s Ohm Youngmisuk thinks the same can be said for why the Knicks must do what they can to keep him in New York.
Henry Abbott and David Thorpe of ESPN discuss why Tyson Chandler hasn’t been able to make the same defensive impact we’re used to seeing from seasons past.
Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News explains why Raymond Felton isn’t fit to be the team’s starting point guard.
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post looks at how Shaun Livingston orchestrated his mid-season turnaround. The Peoria native put up 9.2 PPG on 46.1% shooting to go with 4.5 RPG and 1.5 SPG in 29.7 MPG during Brooklyn’s 10-3 stretch in January, and is averaging 18.5 PPG on 51.9% shooting over his last two contests.

Odds & Ends: Heat, Melo, Durant, Nuggets

February 2nd, 2014 at 11:28am CST by Eddie Scarito

If the Heat fall to the Pacers because of the Andrew Bynum signing, then the Heat weren’t going to win the title anyway, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Bynum doesn’t figure to rise any higher in the Pacers rotation than the ninth or tenth man, and if that is the determining factor, then Miami has deeper issues with their roster than one player can change. Winderman believes the Heat tandem of Chris Bosh and Chris Andersen versus Roy Hibbert and Bynum should still be fine, as Andersen is a match for Bynum defensively. The Heat also tend to favor playing with smaller lineups, which won’t change their strategy against the Pacers.