Elton Brand Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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: Redick, Kapono, Brand, Grizzlies

November 19th, 2012 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards will be looking to win their first game of the season tonight, while the Spurs and Grizzlies will aim to be the first teams to nine wins. As we await the evening's seven-game slate, let's check out a few odds and ends from around the NBA:

J.J. Redick is on an expiring contract and there's been speculation that he's a candidate to be traded, but if it were up to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel, the Magic would keep Redick and re-sign him at season's end.
Jason Kapono and Greek team Panathinaikos finalized a contract agreement last week, but the deal may have hit a sang after complications with Kapono's wife's pregnancy, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net. The two sides are in constant contact to determine whether Kapono will be able to travel to Greece this week, but there's a chance the contract could be voided.
Speaking to Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld, Elton Brand talked about the 76ers' decision to amnesty him this summer, noting that the team informed him of its intentions early on and that there are no hard feelings there.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio talked to Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace about putting together a team that's off to the best start in the NBA this year.
Current Knicks GM Glen Grunwald acquired Tyson Chandler and a number of other players during the last two offseasons, but Donnie Walsh deserves plenty of credit too for the Knicks' turnaround, considering the moves he made before Grunwald took over, says George Willis of the New York Post.
After all the offseason additions the team made, the Clippers will now have to figure out how to balance minutes and egos, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders if Juan Dixon will be the latest NBA veteran to use the D-League as a means of auditioning for NBA clubs.

Western Notes: Grizzlies, Wolves, Jefferson, Brand

November 16th, 2012 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Insider piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger explores the concept of the "second draft," an idea that involves acquiring players who had the talent to be high draft picks but who fell out of favor with their previous teams, for whatever reason. Hollinger points to the Grizzlies as one team taking full advantage of the "second draft" concept this season, with Jerryd Bayless, Quincy Pondexter, Wayne Ellington, and Marreese Speights making the club's bench one of the best in the NBA so far.

Here are a few more notes from around the Western Conference:

Before the Timberwolves signed Josh Howard, they "politely turned down" interest from Kenyon Martin's camp, and made the same minimum-salary offer to Mickael Pietrus, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Howard accept the team's proposal first, as Pietrus' camp is still holding out for the mini mid-level.
Al Jefferson was upset after the Jazz' game against the Celtics that Boston media had interpreted his comments about his C's history to mean he wanted to return to Boston, according to James Patrick of the Deseret News.
While Mike D'Antoni won over the media when he was introduced in Los Angeles yesterday, it will be more important long-term for the Lakers' new coach to win over Dwight Howard, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
After he didn't land the Lakers' coaching job, Phil Jackson is unlikely to be considered a serious candidate for the next Team USA coach, according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, who says (via Sulia) that newly re-elected chairman Jerry Colangelo and Jackson aren't exactly close.
Elton Brand appeared on ESPN Radio Dallas to discuss the eventual return of Dirk Nowitzki and the adjustments that fellow offseason acquisition O.J. Mayo has had to make with the Mavericks (link via Sports Radio Interviews).

Fraley On Dirk, Beaubois, Crowder, Mayo

October 19th, 2012 at 8:49pm CST by Sean Highkin

On Friday morning, the Dallas Mavericks announced that Dirk Nowitzki had undergone arthroscopic knee surgery, which will sideline him for up to six weeks. Gerry Fraley of SportsDayDFW.com has posted several new articles outlining various aspects of this Mavs season, including how the team will move forward after Nowitzki's injury and various new members of the roster.

Fraley and Brad Townsend write that new signees Chris Kaman and Elton Brand, as well as rookie Bernard James, are among the players who will be expected to step up in Nowitzki's absence.
Rodrigue Beaubois sprained his right ankle on Oct. 6 in an exhibition game, but is making progress in his recovery and has begun practicing again, Fraley writes.
Fraley says that the Mavs are impressed with the play of second-round pick Jae Crowder.
New guards O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison are having trouble getting to the free-throw line, Fraley writes.

Mavericks Links: Media Day, Dirk, Brand, Nash

September 28th, 2012 at 9:34pm CST by Alex Lee

As we saw yesterday, the Mavs look like they're putting the finishing touches on their training camp roster, adding Josh Akognon, D.J. Mbenga and Tu Holloway to what look to be non-guaranteed deals. The team, coming off a dissapointing offseason, held their media day on Friday. Here are some of the links that have come across the wire since:

Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram has some additional quotes from Rick Carlisle, who thinks that the Mavs have what it takes to win an NBA championship this season. Carlisle references the NFL and MLB as leagues where wild cards routinely win titles, and he likens it to his 2011 title team. It is a tough sell, as those leagues are parity striken unlike the NBA. But Carlisle's optimism should nevertheless be encouraging for the Mavericks faithful.

Earlier updates:

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News provides us with some more content from Rick Carlisle and Elton Brand. With the presence of Nowitzki and Kaman, Brand is excited to, for once, not draw the opposition's best defensive big. Carlisle expects good chemistry to develop between Brand and Kaman.
Dirk Nowitzki was predictably the most popular quote of the day. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas, Nowitzki addressed the loss of former running mates in Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, and was particularly surprised with Kidd's departure. Nowitzki said: “We won the championship together, so they’re like brothers to me. That was tough to see those two guys go somewhere else. It’s going to be weird to see them in different uniforms, for sure.”
MacMahon adds that Nowitzki said that the Mavs, despite missing out on Dwight Howard and Deron Williams, are still of a "heck of a team" without either of them.
After missing out on Howard and Williams, the Mavs added Elton Brand, Darren Collison, Chris Kaman and O.J. Mayo. Brand said that group could combine to give Dallas what adding two superstars could have, according to Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News. Earl Sneed of NBA.com tweets that Brand looks in "insane shape" entering camp.
Nowitzki also commented on the Lakers compilation of stars, and more specifically on their addition of his good friend and former teammate, Steve Nash, via Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. “On paper, they’re really, really good,’’ he said. “You look at their starting lineup, it’s almost an All-Star Game starting lineup. They’re stacked. They’re going to be great. They’re going to be tough to beat if they stay injury free.’’

Southwest Notes: Spurs, Mavericks, Cuban, Davis

September 13th, 2012 at 10:17pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation interestingly points out that eleven NBA teams either have a coach, general manager, or both that have strong ties to the Spurs franchise. Former San Antonio assistant GM and current Thunder GM Sam Presti acknowledged t RC Buford, Gregg Popovich, and owner Pete Holt and the important role they played in his development as a front office executive, saying, "(They) have created an infrastructure that has afforded many of us tremendous learning and development opportunities…It is important to acknowledge that they generally have an even more profound impact on their people on a personal level than simply professionally.”

Here are other rumblings from the Southwest Division tonight…

Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW writes that both Chris Kaman and O.J. Mayo are ready to take advantage of their new opportunity with the Mavericks. Mayo has already started working out with head coach Rick Carlisle for the last month.
Sefko also documented some thoughts from Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who implied that it's refreshing to observe practices and finally see centers on the team, namely Kaman and Elton Brand, being able to knock down a mid-range jump shot. Cuban also commented on the Lakers, adding that he's not sure "if all their guys want to be there."
Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated relayed Maurice Evans' take on Hornets number one pick Anthony Davis, saying that the hype surrounding the former Kentucky star has been "over the top" (Sulia link).

Sefko On Mavericks, Crowder, Dwight

July 31st, 2012 at 9:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW engaged in a chat with fans about the Mavericks' offseason. Among his more notable thoughts were that the team's interest in Steve Nash was never that serious, Mark Cuban deserves to be applauded for their attempt to land Deron Williams despite falling short, and that he gives the team a grade of "B" for their work this summer. Here are some more of the highlights:

The additions of Darren Collison, Dahntay Jones, O.J. Mayo, and Elton Brand should give Dirk Nowitzki plenty of reasons to be excited about the upcoming season.
Sefko has continued to hear good things about Jae Crowder (selected 34th overall in last month's draft) and thinks that Crowder, along with first-round pick Jared Cunningham, should receive long looks in training camp.
Being able to reserve cap room along with the collection of assets and one-year contracts that Dallas obtained this summer, he believes that the team still feels they have a shot at landing Dwight Howard, whether via trade or during free agency next summer.

Mavericks Claim Elton Brand

July 13th, 2012 at 5:38pm CST by Luke Adams

5:38pm: According to NBA.com's David Aldridge, the Mavericks have not yet decided on whether they'll place an amnesty bid on Luis Scola, and they'll wait to see if other prominent players are amnestied before making a decision. All teams have until 5 PM EST on Sunday to place a claim on Scola.

4:06pm: The Mavericks have submitted the winning bid and claimed Elton Brand off amnesty waivers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Brand and his $18.16MM salary were amnestied on Wednesday by the 76ers, giving under-the-cap two days to bid on him. The Mavs' winning bid was $2.1MM, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link), which will reduce the amount of money the Sixers owe the veteran big man to somewhere in the $16MM range.

Lakers Eyeing Jamison, Brand, Jermaine O’Neal

July 12th, 2012 at 8:04pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles reports that the Lakers are in the market for big men, with Antawn Jamison, Elton Brand, and Jermaine O'Neal on their short list of targets. While the team is still currently in negotiations with Jordan Hill, they also hope that the above listed players would be available for the veteran's minimum. Although the Lakers still have their $3MM mid-level exception to use, they would prefer to set it aside in the event that a deal for Dwight Howard gets done and a glaring void consequently arises.

Winning Bid For Brand To Be Announced Friday

July 12th, 2012 at 5:06pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The winner among teams that place a bid on recently-amnestied forward Elton Brand will be announced on Friday after 4:00pm CST (Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas reports). Only teams below the salary cap have the opportunity to bid. The Mavericks are expected to be "aggressive" suitors for the 13-year-veteran, who have high hopes of paring Brand with Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Kaman. Other teams with cap space, such as the Suns and Trail Blazers, also have a chance to vie for Brand's services.

In the unlikely situation that no team places a bid, Brand would become an unrestricted free agent and could then sign with any team.