Pau Gasol Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Gooden, Aldridge, Gasol, Bulls

November 27th, 2012 at 4:56pm CST by Luke Adams

With most of the Bench Mob gone, this year's version of the Bulls isn't built for 48 minutes, opines Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com. However, Luol Deng seems to disagree with that view, as he told reporters today.

"It's not fair to the guys that are here, the new guys, to be compared to the guys from the last two years," Deng said, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "They’re still getting used to it. Even the Bench Mob, the first year we had them, it took a while to get going. When we got going, it clicked. The year after that, last year, what helped us a lot was we had a lot of guys returning so we knew how we play and how to play with each other. We’re still learning how to play with each other."

Here are a few more Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the NBA:

While the Bucks would like to move Drew Gooden's contract, there's no urgency to "dump" him, since he's still a mentor and leader in Milwaukee, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
Dwight Jaynes of CSNNW.com makes his case for why the Trail Blazers should consider trading LaMarcus Aldridge. Blazers GM Neil Olshey reportedly told Aldridge last month that the team has no intentions of dealing him.
Although Pau Gasol has a 15% trade kicker, he'd actually only receive about a 3.4% bonus if the Lakers dealt him, as Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times explains.
Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman believes Derrick Williams could be a realistic target for the Thunder if GM Sam Presti gets involved on the trade market again this season.
Several NBA scouts told Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv that it's unfair to compare Kentucky freshman and potential 2013 No. 1 pick Nerlens Noel to former Wildcat Anthony Davis. "I think Anthony Davis’s IQ is so high that he’s unique that way," said one scout. "This is a guy that was a small player, a two guard, who could handle the ball, do all those things. I mean, Nerlens could never be a ball-handler. He’s not a passer, ball-handler guy."

Lakers Not Looking To Trade Pau Gasol

November 27th, 2012 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Despite a flurry of new trade speculation that surfaced when new head coach Mike D'Antoni arrived in Los Angeles, the Lakers aren't actively looking to trade Pau Gasol, according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times. The team is waiting to see what the roster looks like when Steve Nash returns from the small fracture in his leg that has sidelined him for most of the season.

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported a similar sentiment yesterday, noting that the Lakers would simply like to see Gasol play better, rather than trying to move him. According to Bresnahan, D'Antoni believes the Spaniard can be a solid fit in his system, though there's been an up-and-down adjustment period so far.

"He can easily play our system and he's going to be a very important player for us," D'Antoni said of Gasol after he recorded 13 points and nine boards against the Mavericks on Saturday.

With Nash, Kobe Bryant, and Dwight Howard obviously not going anywhere, Gasol represents the most likely trade candidate of the Lakers' stars, given his declining numbers and his sizable contract ($38MM+ over the next two seasons). For now though, without having seen those four star players together on the court under D'Antoni, the Lakers have no interest in exploring a deal.

Kyler On Gasol, Rockets, Celtics, Knicks, Gortat

November 26th, 2012 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler addresses the Pau Gasol trade rumors that have been floating around recently, and touches on a couple other topics around the league. Let's dive in and round up the highlights….

From a financial standpoint, the Lakers would love to move Gasol's contract for younger players and smaller deals, says Kyler. However, having explored his market value for the last couple years, the Lakers realize there's not an obvious fit out there. The Lakers aren't actively looking to move Pau — they just need him to play better.
Although the Rockets have had interest in Gasol in the past, that depended in part on the players they felt they could add around the Spaniard. With those players no longer available, Houston's interest in Gasol has lessened.
The Celtics have also had previous interest in Gasol, but aren't currently motivated to pursue him, according to Kyler.
Lakers and Knicks sources both tell Kyler that a Gasol/Amare Stoudemire swap is highly unlikely.
Following up on news that Marcin Gortat turned down an extension offer from the Suns, Kyler says that sources close to the Suns big man jokingly asked this summer: "If Brook Lopez is worth $62MM, what’s Gortat worth?"
Despite some indications that Gortat has been frustrated in Phoenix this season, the Suns are far more inclined to try to make him happy and keep him long-term than to trade him.

Lakers Rumors: Gasol, D’Antoni, Jamison, Nash

November 25th, 2012 at 12:06pm CST by Chuck Myron

A day after criticizing Pau Gasol, coach Mike D'Antoni was quick to reaffirm his support for the big man Saturday after the Lakers blew out the Mavs, as Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times chronicles. Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register notes the 7'0" Spaniard has also been slowed by tendinitis in his knees. The Gasol situation bears watching, but after his 13-point, nine-rebound performance last night, it doesn't seem like there's too much wrong with him or his fit on the team. There's more on the purple and gold, and we'll round it up here:

In the same piece, Ding also points out the uptick in performance from offseason signee Antawn Jamison since D'Antoni moved him from small forward to power forward.
The Lakers are banking heavily on the idea that Steve Nash, who turns 39 in February, can help turn around the team's slow start when he returns from injury, writes HoopsWorld's Derek Page. Yesterday, I asked whether the Lakers should make a move or wait until Nash returns, and so far, a majority of readers aren't believers in a patient approach.
Lakers training camp invitee Greg Somogyi may sign to play in his native Hungary for the club Szolnoki Olajbanyasz, Sportando's David Pick reports.

Western Notes: Lopez, Gasol, Mavericks

November 24th, 2012 at 8:43pm CST by Michael Pina

Robin Lopez admits that the Suns gave him a fair contract offer this offseason, but decided to sign with the Hornets because he needed a "fresh start," writes AZCentral.com's Paul Coro.

CBSSports.com's NBA writer Zach Harper writes that Pau Gasol's shooting trend is worrisome; more jump shots and less action in the paint. This only supports the theory that Gasol might be on his way out of Los Angeles before this season ends.
Dallas Morning News reporter Eddie Sefko writes about Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle's "dog house," in regards to his inconsistent rotations so far this season.

Odds & Ends: D’Antoni, Roy, Fisher, Gasol, Bucks

November 18th, 2012 at 11:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mike D'Antoni was expected to make his debut as Lakers coach tonight, but his balky knee forced Bernie Bickerstaff to continue as interim coach for one more night. D'Antoni, who'll try to hit the sidelines again Tuesday, has told Bickerstaff he'll remain on the staff this season, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. D'Antoni did make one change to the coaching staff, however, bringing brother Dan D'Antoni aboard as expected, the team announced. Here's more from an eight-game day and night around the NBA.

Knee trouble has kept Brandon Roy out for the past 10 days, and now he'll undergo arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, reports Jason Quick of The Oregonian (Twitter links). Quick doesn't indicate how long he'll be continue to be out, but says he'll miss what would have been his return to Portland with the Wolves on Friday.
The Mavs aren't interested in free agent point guard Derek Fisher, since owner Mark Cuban wants to see what the current roster can do, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. That means the team will continue to give backup minutes to Dominique Jones, whom the Mavs twice sought to trade earlier this season.
Larry Coon of HoopsWorld won't rule out a Pau Gasol trade, but doesn't think the Lakers are likely to pull the trigger (Twitter link).
"Everyone agreed" the Bucks needed a fast start with GM John Hammond and coach Scott Skiles in the final year of their respective deals, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and at 6-2, the team has delivered.
Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star calls out Roy Hibbert for his struggles this season, just months after the big man signed a four-year, $58MM deal.
Before Damian Lillard came into the league, he watched a lot of video of fellow point guard Derrick Rose and picked up a few of the former MVP's habits, observes Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.

HoopsWorld On Biggest Disappointments

November 18th, 2012 at 5:27pm CST by Sean Highkin

HoopsWorld.com has a new roundtable feature in which several of the site's writers weigh in on who they believe is the biggest disappointment thus far in the 2012/13 season. Here are the highlights:

Lang Greene pinpoints Roy Hibbert, signed to a four-year, $58MM contract this summer, as a major reason why the Pacers are underperforming early in the season.
Alex Kennedy believes that the Raptors' strategy of targeting Landry Fields to make it harder for the Knicks to land Steve Nash backfired. He points to Fields' disappointing start to the season as a reason why the signing is a failure for Toronto.
Stephen Brotherston writes that Ersan Ilyasova has regressed following what appeared to be a breakout season last year with the Bucks.
Bill Ingram is frustrated by the continued inconsistent play of JaVale McGee following his re-signing with the Nuggets this summer.
Derek Page points out that Pau Gasol's offensive efficiency has dropped this season, even more so than expected following the Lakers' addition of Dwight Howard.
While there is still time for him to mature, Joel Brigham writes that Jeremy Lin has been a disappointment since signing with the Rockets.

Stein On Gasol, Hawks, Smith, Frank, Harden

November 16th, 2012 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

Leading off his Weekend Dime piece at ESPN.com, Marc Stein follows up on yesterday's tweet about the possibility of the Hornets and Matt Carroll reaching a buyout agreement. According to Stein, New Orleans "immediately commenced" buyout talks with Carroll upon acquiring him, meaning the ex-Bobcat should be on the open market soon. Here are the other highlights from Stein's Weekend Dime:

While some pundits, including Grantland's Bill Simmons, continue to speculate about the Lakers trading Pau Gasol to the Hawks, Atlanta has no interest in sending Josh Smith to Los Angeles in a deal for Gasol, says Stein. The Hawks have "not been in enticed in the least" by the prospect of moving Smith, and are telling interested teams that they value the 26-year-old highly.
Atlanta's stance doesn't mean that the Lakers haven't spoken internally about the possibility of making a run at Smith, adds Stein. But it looks like an unlikely fit unless another team or two gets involved.
Even if the Pistons hadn't snapped a winless streak that saw them open the season 0-8, head coach Lawrence Frank likely wouldn't have been in immediate danger, according to Stein. Detroit views this season as a developmental one for its young core, and player development is considered one of Frank's strengths.
Stein also passes along details on the final year of James Harden's max contract, via Mark Deeks of ShamSports. As we heard earlier this week, that fifth year is only 50% guaranteed. However, it would become fully guaranteed if Harden makes even one All-Star team from 2013/14 to 2016/17. There are other conditions related to personal statistical benchmarks and the Rockets' postseason performance that would also guarantee that final year for Harden. You can check out the complete details at ShamSports.

Pacific Notes: Lillard, Gasol, Lakers, Biedrins

November 14th, 2012 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA's Tuesday night schedule concluded with two west coast games, in Sacramento and Los Angeles, with the home team falling in both instance. The Lakers were in it down to the final seconds against the visiting Spurs, but lost 84-82 when Pau Gasol missed a last-second three-point attempt. The Kings, meanwhile, fell behind big in the third quarter and never recovered, losing by 17 points to the Trail Blazers. The Pacific will look to rebound tonight, with the Suns, Warriors, and Clippers all hosting Eastern Conference contenders. In the meantime, here's the latest out of the division:

Facing the Blazers, the Kings got a first-hand look at a player they passed up on draft night, and may have experienced some regret over not selecting Damian Lillard, writes Mike Tokito of the Oregonian.
Larry Coon of ESPN.com and HoopsWorld wonders if Pau Gasol trade rumors could resurface, since the Spaniard isn't an optimal fit for Mike D'Antoni's system (Twitter link).
ESPNLA.com's Dave McMenamin and Ken Berger of CBS Sports both published articles detailing Kobe Bryant's comments on the Lakers' coaching search. McMenamin notes that Kobe feels Phil Jackson is underappreciated, while Berger writes that the Lakers star is happy with D'Antoni, but would've preferred Jackson.
Andris Biedrins has a ways to go before his on-court performance will justify the $9MM he'll earn with the Warriors this season, but it's hard not to notice his improved play, says Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group.

Odds & Ends: Muhammad, Brown, Ferry, Jackson

November 9th, 2012 at 11:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

The NCAA declared UCLA shooting guard Shabazz Muhammad ineligible for an unspecified number of games, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. The 6'6" Muhammad is rated the No. 1 draft prospect for 2013 by DraftExpress.com and others, but Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com doesn't think the ruling will affect his draft status, believing he'll be a top three pick regardless of whether he plays this season (Twitter link). Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty has a different reaction, saying via Twitter that the NBA's age limit, which kept him from entering the 2012 draft out of high school, is hurting Muhammad's career. While the NBA seems to be in Muhammad's future regardless, there's plenty more on people who are in the NBA right now, a group that no longer includes former Lakers coach Mike Brown.

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel wonders whether Hawks GM Danny Ferry could reunite with Brown, who served as Cavs coach when Ferry was Cleveland's GM (Twitter link).
A return of Phil Jackson to the Lakers sideline could be a boon for Pau Gasol, but it wouldn't mean he couldn't be traded if the team wants to improve its footspeed, according to Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register (Sulia link).
Jazz forward Paul Millsap can't envision former coach Jerry Sloan with the Lakers, as Randy Hollis of the Deseret News observes.
Dwight Howard, who wants the Lakers to hire Jackson, once asked the Magic to pursue the Zen Master, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
A pair of Western Conference teams are keeping tabs on Australian big man Aron Baynes, agent Daniel Moldovan told David Pick of Sportando.
Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com breaks down the reasons behind each of the deadline extensions for players coming off rookie-scale contracts, concluding that the fear of bloated offer sheets motivated several GMs into the deals.