Chris Paul Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Trade Rumors: Gasol, Hawks, Bucks, Bobcats

December 20th, 2012 at 9:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The trade deadline is two months and one day away, and we'll be hearing a lot about trade candidates in the coming weeks. HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler provides an update on a few teams and players we're likely to hear more about soon.

While Kyler believes it's "inevitable" the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol, he doesn't think there's much of a market for him, having heard there are only three or four teams in the mix. No one is offering a "home run" deal, and trading Gasol now would mean selling low. The Lakers would like to swap Gasol for a pair of players on less lucrative deals who would be better fits, but no such deal is out there at the moment. L.A. has a full roster with 15 players, and the team would like to open up a spot. Kyler speculates that the Lakers could move Jordan Hill, Devin Ebanks, Darius Morris or Darius Johnson-Odom for a second-round pick or a backup point guard.
The Hawks want to trade some of their expiring contracts for a player who can help the team this season, but they won't make a deal unless it's an obvious win. They still want to have enough cap space to fit Dwight Howard or Chris Paul on the team, and with only about $18.5MM in commitments for next season, not including cap holds for free agents like Josh Smith, whom they're optimistic about re-signing and, according to Kyler, not planning to trade. The Hawks could probably add a player who helps now while maintaining enough flexibility this summer.
We heard yesterday that the Bucks have told Brandon Jennings they'll match any offer he'll get in restricted free agency. That makes Monta Ellis the more likely to be traded among the team's pair of backcourt aces, but Kyler hears that there are teams with interest in both. If Milwaukee elects to hang on to Jennings and Ellis, it isn't worried about losing either in free agency.
Everyone on the Bobcats is available in a trade, a source tells Kyler. That's not a shock, considering the team has lost 13 in a row, but Kyler cautions that Gerald Henderson probably won't be dealt unless it's as part of a package with others.
While the Magic are open to sending J.J. Redick away in a deal that offloads other contracts, the team doesn't want to let him go, as GM Rob Hennigan and the revamped front office has become more fond of the veteran two-guard than they were at the beginning of the season.
Kyler believes the Raptors must trade Jose Calderon to recoup value for him before he becomes a free agent next summer, and while it seems like Andrea Bargnani is headed out of Toronto, too, uncertainty about GM Bryan Colangelo's future is complicating potential deals.
If the Jazz remain in the playoff picture, a deal is less likely, but if not, Utah will look to unload one of its big men for draft picks and players on rookie contracts.

Bucher On Granger, CP3, Raptors, Cavs, McGuire

December 18th, 2012 at 4:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game is covering the Warriors these days, but the former ESPN reporter still comes across plenty of leaguewide news, as he did with his story today on the Magic, who are in no hurry to trade J.J. Redick, as Bucher reports. He shared a few more tidbits in a chat for CSNBayArea.com, and we'll round up the highlights:

The Pacers "desperately" want Paul George to emerge as their No. 1 option so they can trade Danny Granger, who's out for the first half of the season. The problem is George hasn't exactly distinguished himself as such this year. Many of his numbers are up, but that's partly because of his increased responsibilties with Granger out. George's field goal percentage is down, as are his win shares per 48 minutes, while his PER is up only slightly, to 16.7 from 16.5 last season. Granger is due about $13MM this year and $14MM for the final year of his deal in 2013/14.
Executives on teams other than the Clippers have told Bucher that Chris Paul isn't as satisfied in L.A., or playing with Blake Griffin, as he seems, though Bucher isn't sure whether the executives might be spinning that information in the hopes Paul will turn his attention elsewhere in free agency next summer.
The Raptors and Cavs are eager to make a trade, according to Bucher, who adds that he thinks at least one deal will get done either this month or next. Aside from that, most teams are playing it cool with still more than two months to go before the trade deadline.
Dominic McGuire signed with the Hornets this weekend, but Bucher says he really wanted to go back to the Warriors, for whom he played last season. Golden State, off to a 16-8 start, is content with its roster, which is at the 15-player limit.

Lawrence On Horford, Dwight, Thibodeau, Paul

December 15th, 2012 at 2:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News examines the fast starts of the Knicks, Warriors, and Hawks, but believes the script could have been drastically different for Atlanta this season. Here's a roundup of a few rumors he's sharing.

The Hawks offered up Al Horford as part of a strong push to acquire Dwight Howard in August, according to Lawrence, who notes the Hawks will have enough cap flexibility to pursue the Atlanta native when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Tom Thibodeau and Bulls management are waging a "cold war" over the coach's heavy minutes for his starters this season, Lawrence hears. Thibodeau offered his side of the argument to reporters yesterday, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago documented.
Chris Paul, a free agent next summer, had been privately griping about Blake Griffin's play, but has ceased doing so amid an eight-game winning streak for the Clippers, Lawrence writes.

Atlantic Notes: D-Will, Carmelo, Nets, Lowry, 76ers

November 27th, 2012 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony matching up in Brooklyn for the first time last night, Ken Berger of CBS Sports takes a look back at the February 2011 trade deadline. Nets general manager Billy King believed he had a chance to acquire Anthony right up until the moment he got the call saying Carmelo had been sent to the Knicks, says Berger. The CBS scribe speculates that, if things played out a little differently at the '11 deadline, Anthony and Williams could still be cross-town rivals now, with 'Melo in Brooklyn and D-Will in Manhattan.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Atlantic:

Also from Berger's piece, King spoke about his three top targets when he assumed the role of Nets GM: "I got the job and I knew there was… the potential for three guys to be available. I made a run at Chris [Paul], [the Hornets] said no right away, and then I made the run at Carmelo. I figured if I got him, then I could go after Deron as a free agent. Really, I was getting Carmelo to get Deron."
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, while King was "privately maligned" by rival GMs for the March 2012 trade that sent out a lottery pick for Gerald Wallace, the Nets GM recognized that Williams needed a veteran addition to help him get through the final few months before free agency.
The Raptors love the toughness and swagger of new point guard Kyle Lowry, and would like those traits to be part of the team's identity, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Despite Andrew Bynum's injury woes, the Sixers are better off having made the blockbuster deal that brought him to Philadelphia, argues Danny Pommells of CSNPhilly.com.
With the Mavericks set to play in Philadelphia tonight, Elton Brand will get a chance to see family in the area and to reunite with his old head coach Doug Collins, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes.
Speaking to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, Jeff Green says it was a "no-brainer" to sign with the Celtics this offseason.

Odds & Ends: Bledsoe, Paul, McDyess, Pacers

November 4th, 2012 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus examines the depth of the Clippers, and says that the team has received numerous inquiries about reserve point guard Eric Bledsoe. The Clippers won't consider moving Bledsoe until they sign Chris Paul to a long-term contract, Pincus hears, adding that most executives expect Paul, an unrestricted free agent next summer, to stay with the team. There's plenty of other news from around the Association on the first weekend of the regular season, so let's dive right in.

We heard yesterday that Antonio McDyess is considering a comeback, but he has no interest in joining the Wolves, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
In his third season, Lance Stephenson is finally making an impact for the Pacers as he receives minutes for the injured Danny Granger, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Montieth adds that Granger, who's out indefinitely, could face surgery on his sore left knee.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com examines the options for the Warriors in the wake of Brandon Rush's season-ending injury, and mentions Mickael Pietrus, Maurice Evans, Josh Howard and Kenyon Martin as "free agent names arising" in case the team goes looking for a replacement.
C.J. Watson drew interest from other teams that could have offered more money, but he decided to sign with the Nets on a minimum-salary deal instead, notes Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post.
Jeff Teague is using the Hawks' decision not to extend his rookie-scale contract this week as motivation, but he isn't upset with the team, the point guard tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
In the same piece, Greene also checks in with Rockets swingman Daequan Cook, who's looking to prove his worth as a teammate after his inclusion in the James Harden trade caught him off guard.
Neil Olshey took the Blazers' offer to become GM after owner Paul Allen put it on the table with the condition that Olshey was not to give the Clippers a chance to match, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
Trey Johnson, who spent 11 games with the Hornets last year, was close to signing with Angelico Biella, but it appears the deal is falling apart, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports.

Odds & Ends: Paul, Mavs, Curry, DeRozan

November 2nd, 2012 at 4:48pm CST by Luke Adams

We've got a busy NBA slate lined up for tonight, with the Knicks, Timberwolves, and Hawks among the teams opening up their seasons at home. As we look forward to a 12-game evening, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the league:

Despite receiving some criticism for giving Chris Paul too much power in the Clippers' decision-making, GM Gary Sacks tells Sam Amick of USA Today he has no problem with listening to "the guy with the highest IQ in the NBA, maybe."
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com examines whether Mark Cuban will be able to rebuild the Mavericks without bottoming out.
We heard this morning that Eddy Curry will be waived by the Mavericks, and according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld, a number of teams have already reached out to Curry's camp. The big center figures to join another club soon, says Ingram.
Grantland's Zach Lowe calls DeMar DeRozan's extension a bad contract, but not a catastrophic one. Lowe prefers the deals signed by Jrue Holiday and Taj Gibson to DeRozan's.
Responding to the criticism DeRozan's extension has received, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo defended the team's decision, as Eric Koreen of the National Post transcribes.
Sam Smith's latest mailbag at Bulls.com features discussion on the James Harden trade, Quentin Richardson, and potential Bulls targets.
A federal court judge has dismissed the claims that agency Priority Sports & Entertainment filed against NBA agent and former Priority employee Aaron Mintz, according to Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal.

Paul, Howard Not Planning To Play Together

November 1st, 2012 at 6:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Just over a year ago, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard hoped to formulate a plan to team up and form one of the NBA’s most formidable cores. While the two are both playing in the same city and in the final year of their respective contracts, both say that they won’t try to pair up as free agents this summer, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.

Starting in 2009, the two began talking regularly and trying to figure out a way to play together. Howard tried to convince Paul to come to the Magic while the guard tried to lure Howard to the Hornets. When they couldn’t come to an agreement, they considered looking for a common destination. Sources close to both players said that destination was Dallas, knowing that owner Mark Cuban could clear cap space for them. The Mavericks tried to trade for both players, but didn’t have enough assets to pull it off.

Paul was willing to opt out of his deal last year with the Clippers in order to join the Mavs, provided that Howard would also commit. When that didn’t happen, Paul chose to stay put in Los Angeles, not unlike fellow star guard Deron Williams in Brooklyn. Whether Paul makes a long-term commitment to his club like Williams remains to be seen, but he doesn’t envision going to a cap-rich club like the Mavs or Hawks with Howard this summer:

“He’s on the other side. I don’t worry about that.“

Clippers Notes: Paul, Odom

October 27th, 2012 at 5:40pm CST by Sean Highkin

Here are the latest updates on the Los Angeles Clippers leading up to the start of the 2012/13 season:

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times has a story on Chris Paul's future with the Clippers. Paul is not thinking about whether he will stay with the team beyond this season, but he is impressed with the efforts they have made to change the culture of the organization.
Zach Harper of CBSSports.com predicts that Paul will play at a level this season that he has not reached for the last several
NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper has an article on Lamar Odom, who is attempting to rehabilitate his reputation after a disastrous season in Dallas.

Odds & Ends: Mavs, Brooks, Suns, Bucks

October 23rd, 2012 at 11:32pm CST by Chuck Myron

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News believes the Mavs will go "hard" after Chris Paul, and perhaps Dwight Howard, in free agency next summer. That would be no surprise, given the team's effort to position itself to pursue another marquee name next summer after its push to sign Deron Williams fell through. It's hard to envision either turning down a five-year deal in L.A. for a four-year contract in Dallas, especially considering Paul's involvement in the Clippers' offseason moves and Howard's enthusiasm about being with the Lakers, but plenty can happen between now and July. In the meantime, here's a late night look around the Association:

Before signing with the Kings this summer, Aaron Brooks was expecting to return to the Suns, who held the right to match offers for him until they pulled their qualifying offer to him in July, as Paul Coro and Zach Buchanan of the Arizona Republic report.
P.J. Tucker, whose contract with the Suns is partially guaranteed for $150K, has emerged as the team's best perimeter defender, coach Alvin Gentry said, according to Coro and Buchanan.
Camp invitee Alando Tucker is "nearly certain" to be let go by the Bucks, who have 15 other players on fully guaranteed deals, and is considering playing in Europe this season, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes.
Geoff Calkins of the Memphis Commercial Appeal argues that incoming Grizzlies owner Robert Pera should keep GM Chris Wallace around.
After the Spurs ran counter to coach Gregg Popovich's previous indication and cut both Eddy Curry and Derrick Brown today, Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News does his best to size up the remaining competitors for the end of the Spurs bench.
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy identifies 15 players who have surprised with their performances in the preseason.
Alexey Shved will see significant minutes backing up Brandon Roy at shooting guard for the Wolves, but life in the NBA has been an adjustment on and off the court for the offseason signee from Russia, as Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune details.
The Clippers' signing of Matt Barnes looks shrewd now that Grant Hill is out with a bone bruise in his right knee, Ben Golliver of SI.com believes.

Pacific Notes: Barnes, Gasol, Kings, Suns

October 22nd, 2012 at 1:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Last night, we linked to a Los Angeles Times piece detailing the impact Matt Barnes has had in Clippers' camp. Within Broderick Turner's story on Barnes, there are a few more details on the influence Chris Paul had in recruiting the former Laker to L.A.'s other team.

"I've told everybody this: I hate playing against Matt," Paul said of Barnes. "But I knew him on my team, I would love it. He's passionate on defense, just like I am."

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Pacific Division:

Appearing on XTRA Sports 1360 in San Diego, Pau Gasol admitted that the trade rumors swirling around him last season made for an "uncomfortable situation," but said he's excited about the new-look Lakers and the coming season (link via Sports Radio Interviews).
The Kings will have to make at least two more cuts before the regular season gets underway, even if coach Keith Smart isn't looking forward to it, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee. "I wish this could be our team, I really do," Smart said of the Kings' current 17-man roster. "I feel we've had a lot of growth from the young guys on our team. I thought all the guys we brought in, if we could keep them and have a true farm system because we've seen those guys develop."
As the Suns prepare to make their own cuts, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic notes that roster hopefuls Diante Garrett and Luke Zeller would only earn the rookie minimum (about $473K) if they were on the team, while Ike Diogu and Solomon Jones would each cost the Suns the veteran's minimum (about $854K).