Jason Kidd Rumors | Hoops Rumors

New York Notes: Kidd, Stoudemire, Blatche

December 25th, 2012 at 3:53pm CST by Luke Adams

This afternoon's game vs. the Celtics was the equivalent of a lump of coal in the Nets' stocking, as Brooklyn suffered a 17-point defeat on its home court. The Knicks are hoping for a better result in Los Angeles, currently engaged in a tight game with the Lakers in the second half. As we wait to see if one of the two New York teams can pull out a Christmas Day victory, here are a few links out of the Big Apple:

While some fans and pundits were skeptical when the Knicks signed Jason Kidd to a three-year contract this summer, the veteran point guard has been at the heart of the team's success, writes Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
Also at ESPNNewYork.com, Begley asks whether the Knicks should trade Amare Stoudemire. I think a better question would be whether the Knicks can trade Stoudemire.
Andray Blatche tells NBA.com's Jeff Caplan that after being amnestied by the Wizards in July, it was a while before he received any interest from NBA teams: "During the summer, I didn’t get no phone calls." Blatche ended up working out in Houston with former coach John Lucas, and Caplan notes that if Nets coach Avery Johnson didn't live just outside of Houston, allowing him to work out Blatche at his home, the ex-Wizard may not be playing in the NBA right now.
Earlier today, I examined Kris Humphries as a trade candidate.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Amare, Celtics, Garnett

December 21st, 2012 at 3:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Items out of the Atlantic Division..

Some have wondered how Amare Stoudemire will fit in with the Knicks' future, but a team source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post that the club brought the Erie Bayhawks to New York specifically to work out with the forward. That gesture is a sign that the Knicks are committed to Stoudemire long term in the eyes of Berman. Earlier today, we learned that the Knicks were practically looking to give Stoudemire away for free over the summer.
Coach Mike Woodson doesn't seem to think that today's report will have an effect on Stoudemire, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. "Amare is a big piece of the New York Knicks and that's why he's still here," said the coach.
Jim Cavan of the New York Times writes that a lower turnover rate has been a key to the Knicks' success this season.
The Celtics need a big man who will help give Kevin Garnett and Chris Wilcox help down low, writes Rich Levine of CSNNE.com. Levine suggests that the C's can package Courtney Lee and Fab Melo for Jason Thompson of the Kings or the Blazers' J.J. Hickson.
If the Celtics don’t show improvement on the defensive end before the trade deadline, expect team president Danny Ainge to find better complementary pieces for Garnett, writes Dan Guttenplan of WEEI.com.
Louis Williams reflects on his years with the 76ers as he prepares to face his former team as a member of the Hawks.
Jason Kidd believes that Deron Williams is struggling with his shooting, which is to blame for his poor recent play, and not Nets coach Avery Johnson.

Atlantic Notes: Kidd, Amare, Bargnani, Raptors

December 12th, 2012 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

After a tight intra-division game in Brooklyn last night between the Nets and Knicks, the Nets head to Toronto for a matchup with the Raptors tonight. The Air Canada Centre won't have the same energy the Barclays Center did, but at least one team will snap a long losing streak tonight — both Brooklyn and Toronto have dropped five straight games. Here are a few afternoon notes out of the Atlantic:

Tyson Chandler tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that he called former Mavericks teammate Jason Kidd a few times over the summer in an attempt to recruit him to the Knicks. "I told him, 'We have some other guys that we may get in free agency, so this could be a really deep roster and we need a guy like you.'" Chandler said. "I felt like he could be the key to put us over the hump."
Kidd also said on the radio that Amare Stoudemire could be back by the end of the month, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley (via Twitter).
Andrea Bargnani has been ruled out indefinitely with an elbow injury, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The injury will likely curb the Bargnani trade rumors and speculation at least temporarily.
There are some within the Raptors organization who say that Dwane Casey's job status has been discussed, but president Bryan Colangelo flatly denies it, says Bruce Arthur of the National Post.
Colangelo's tenures with the Suns and Raptors have been polar opposites, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com points out that even without Andrew Bynum, the Sixers have the most wins of the four teams involved in the Dwight Howard trade this summer, a point of pride for coach Doug Collins.
Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com tweets that Collins is no longer planning to send rookie Arnett Moultrie to the D-League.

Atlantic Notes: Evans, Celtics, Kidd, Nets

November 21st, 2012 at 10:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

Nets big man Reggie Evans today became the first, and assuredly not the last, player to draw a fine under the league's new anti-flopping measures, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported and the league confirmed with a link to the video of Evans' violation (hat tip to Howard Beck of The New York Times). If the league's video review catches Evans flopping four more times this season, he'll be suspended for a game, but it's not as if the Nets are in any danger of losing his services soon. We'll round up the rest of the night's items from the Atlantic Division here.

We heard on separate occasions before the Celtics waived Darko Milicic that they weren't looking to immediately fill his roster spot should he leave, and now that the big man's gone, Celtics coach Doc Rivers reiterated that there have been no discussions about a replacement, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Rivers hasn't spoken to Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge on the matter. "Danny’s out looking at college players, so that tells you how much of an urgency (filling the roster spot is) for us right now," Rivers said. "We’re not thinking about it at all; we haven’t talked about it at all."
Jason Kidd picked the Knicks over the Mavs because he thought New York had a better chance to win, and the veteran's presence betters the Knicks chances, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone.
Kidd was looking forward to mentoring Jeremy Lin, but is just as pleased about the chance to do so with Raymond Felton, as Iannazzone documents.
Nets Daily shares Mikhail Prokorov's comments about his Nets on Russian radio station Echo Moskvy.

Odds & Ends: Kapono, Kidd, Muhammad, Pacers

November 15th, 2012 at 10:57am CST by Luke Adams

The owners of the D-League's Sioux Falls Skyforce received an offer from an unnamed NBA team this offseason to sell the franchise, according to Terry Vandrovec of the Argus Leader (hat tip to Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside). However, the proposal, which would have made the Skyforce a one-on-one affiliate for the unknown team, would have required the team to relocate, which didn't appeal to owners Mike and Greg Heinman.

The Skyforce are one of five D-League teams without a single affiliation, as Sioux Falls is currently the affiliate for the Heat, Magic, Timberwolves, and 76ers. With a new arena set to open next season, the Heinmans are hoping to land a hybrid single affiliation with the neighboring T-Wolves.

Here are a few more Thursday morning odds and ends from around the NBA:

After a pair of disappointing seasons with the Sixers and Lakers, Jason Kapono didn't land an NBA contract this summer. However, according to reports out of Greece, the sharpshooter could be headed overseas to join Panathinaikos. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando has the details.
Jason Kidd tells Marc Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link) that he was "very, very close" to signing with the Spurs in 2003 before he decided to return to the Nets.
Many members of the Knicks, including Kidd, Tyson Chandler, and GM Glen Grunwald, were happy to see Mike D'Antoni land the Lakers' coaching job, as Berman writes in a piece for the Post.
An overheard conversation has raised questions about whether the NCAA has prejudged the case on Shabazz Muhammad's eligibility, reports Baxter Holmes of the Los Angeles Times. Muhammad's representatives believe the revelation is enough for the NCAA to declare the UCLA freshman eligible immediately.
Discussing how to "fix" the Pacers, Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star essentially rules out the possibility of a trade, since David West's expiring contract is one of Indiana's only real assets.

Atlantic Notes: Woodson, Bynum, Celtics

November 10th, 2012 at 10:42pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Knicks coach Mike Woodson has the team off to its first 4-0 start since the 1993-94 season, but their promising start hasn't been without some sacrifices from the players. J.R. Smith, who originally wanted to be a starter at the beginning of training camp, had to concede to accepting a sixth man role. Kurt Thomas, who started three of the team's pre-season games, recorded his first DNP-CD last night against the Mavericks. Al Iannazonne of Newsday explores how Woodson resiliency has meshed with his players' desire to win and thus given them early success.

Here's the rest of what we're hearing out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

Near the end of this article, Mitch Lawrence of the NY Daily News mentions that the 76ersare becoming a little "panicky" about when Andrew Bynum will finally be able to make his debut for the team.
In a separate article, Lawrence provides an update on the injured Amare Stoudemire, saying that the Knicks forward may not be ready until late December.
Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe examines the struggles of the Celtics when Kevin Garnett is on the bench and the need for other players to shoulder the load.
Kristie Ackert of the NY Daily News writes about Joe Johnson's "inconsistent" transition with the Nets and how he feels that the players still need some time to become acclimated with each other.
Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York describes some key factors behind the Knicks' efficiency, particularly with Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton as their starting back court.
Eric Koreen of the National Post details the ripple effect that Kyle Lowry's ankle injury has had on the Raptors thus far.

Atlantic Notes: Felton, Kidd, Shurna, 76ers, Nets

November 9th, 2012 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

After losing a pair of games to the Knicks early in the season, the Sixers will continue to square off against Atlantic Division rivals this weekend, playing the Celtics in Boston tonight before heading to Toronto to face the Raptors. As we await those games and others, let's round up a few of the latest items out of the Atlantic, where the Knicks are the league's only remaining undefeated team….

Raymond Felton told WFAN in New York that he was "hurt" when he was initially traded out of New York in the Carmelo Anthony deal, and "felt like a newborn kid again" when he got the chance to rejoin the Knicks. Steven Cuce of Sports Radio Interviews passes along the quotes.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News believes it's time for Mark Cuban to get over Jason Kidd's departure from the Mavericks to the Knicks.
John Shurna, who was a Knicks camp invitee last month, is currently weighing his overseas and D-League options, according to Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside.
With his star player out of action and a number of new additions still adjusting to the team's system, head coach Doug Collins is preaching patience when it comes to the Sixers, writes Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Like the 76ers, the Nets are another team caught between offseason hype and their regular-season results so far, says Howard Beck of the New York Times.
Appeaing on WEEI in Boston, Rajon Rondo spoke about a number of topics, including wanting to establish chemistry with new Celtics Jason Terry and Courtney Lee in offseason workouts (link via Sports Radio Interviews).

Atlantic Rumors: Kidd, Knicks, Richardson, Pierce

October 28th, 2012 at 1:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

The seismic NBA news in the last 24 hours has come out of the West, but that doesn't mean the East is all quiet with the season two days away. Here's the latest from around the Atlantic Division.

Jason Kidd turns 40 in March, but said he wants to play until the end of his three-year contract with the Knicks, and also spoke highly of his time with the Mavericks in a wide-ranging Q&A with Steve Serby of the New York Post.
Chris Smith was waived by the Knicks this week, but he's rehabbing his injured patella at the team's facility, observes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
Nate Taylor of The New York Times examines the unlikely training camp success story of 28-year-old rookie Chris Copeland, who made the team's opening-night roster on a non-guaranteed deal.
Jason Richardson was pleased with the trade to the Sixers, where coach Doug Collins was sold on Richardson after a glowing recommendation from Grant Hill, reports John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Paul Pierce isn't a trade candidate, and Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said that the team had no serious discussions about trading Pierce last season, either, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald notes.
Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas, the fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft, knows he has a long way to go to live up to expectations as he begins his NBA career, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.

Knicks Notes: Amare, Copeland, Point, Prigioni

October 21st, 2012 at 11:11pm CST by Alex Lee

Carmelo Anthony makes his return to the Carrier Dome in Syracuse tomorrow night when they take on the Sixers in their fifth preseason game. The Knicks currently stand at 2-2, but announced today that Amare Stoudemire will miss two to three weeks with a ruptured cyst behind his left knee. While the time period isn't devastating, it is another medical issue for the oft-injured Stoudemire. Here are some other notes from the Knicks preseason:

Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York posts his reaction to the Stoudemire news, reiterating that it is not a serious injury and the time off may help a knee that was still recovering from a bone bruise on October 10. Zwerling also says to expect Kurt Thomas to start and Chris Copeland to make the team.
Keith Schlosser of KnicksJournal.com mentions Copeland and Steve Novak as two candidates to step up in Stoudemire's absence. On Saturday night, Copeland exploded for 34 points in Boston on 11-for-18 shooting and has impressed throughout the preseason.
Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld takes a look at the Knicks point guard situation, where the team has replaced Jeremy Lin with a trio of veteran guards that have 42 combined years of pro hoops experience in Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni.
Speaking of Prigioni, Nate Taylor from the New York Times writes that Suns big man and fellow Argentinian Luis Scola gave him the final push that he needed to come over from the Euroleague and join the Knicks. Prigioni, at 35, is the oldest rookie to enter the NBA in the last 40 years.

Atlantic Notes: Johnson, Downs, Knicks, Hawes

October 14th, 2012 at 4:03pm CST by Michael Pina

Here are some notes from around the Atlantic Division.

Howard Beck from the New York Times writes that Joe Johnson is looking to shed his "iso-Joe" nickname now that he's with the Nets.
Micah Downs was one of the last players brought into the Celtics training camp not only for his size, but his athletic potential, writes CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely.
The Sixers are expecting re-signed center Spencer Hawes to be a consistent force at the power forward position for them this year, writes CSNPhilly.com's John Finger.
Coming off an overtime preseason victory against the Celtics, the Knicks aging backcourt duo of Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni could be an intriguing one this season, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone.