Rudy Gay Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Knicks, Cousins, Fernandez, Cavs

January 10th, 2013 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pacers and Trail Blazers head into today having each won 11 of their last 14 contests, but both teams will be in for tough matchups at home tonight, as the Knicks arrive in Indiana and the Heat play in Portland. As we look forward to what should be a fun TNT doubleheader, let's check in on a few afternoon links from around the NBA:

While the Knicks have inquired on Kenyon Martin, they won't make a decision on the free agent big man one way or another until they determine Rasheed Wallace's timetable, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
One NBA team executive predicts to Ian Thomsen of SI.com that if DeMarcus Cousins becomes available, there won't be as much interest as there might have been in the past. "We do all of this research and background work on players now before we draft them," said the exec. "I think half of the consideration when we look at players now is trying to understand who these guys are as people. I really do think that most teams are going to say they don't want any part of him."
Vincent Bonsignore of the Los Angeles Daily News thinks that the Lakers should trade Dwight Howard for Dirk Nowitzki. However, even if the Lakers were interested in such a move, which seems extremely unlikely, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wouldn't be, as he tells David Baumann of Sports Talk Florida: "No knock on Dwight, I just won't trade Dirk" (Twitter link).
Although he signed a three-year deal overseas this past offseason, Rudy Fernandez isn't ruling out an eventual return to the NBA, writes CNN.com's Paul Gittings.
The Cavaliers should attempt to make a play for Rudy Gay, suggests Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post wonders if Wilson Chandler's return to the Nuggets lineup could lead to a trade, either of Chandler or another player.

Kings’ Evans Wouldn’t Mind Being Traded

January 9th, 2013 at 5:27pm CST by Zachary Links

Trade demands aren't Kings guard Tyreke Evans' style, but he isn't thrilled about not receiving a contract extension this year and has had other issues with the club's front office. He's not about to make an issue of it, but Evans says that he would be neither shocked nor devastated if he were traded before the February 21st deadline, writes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.

Evans is also upset the organization didn't arrange for a second opinion on his sore left knee. Instead, his brothers and his agent were left to schedule a visit with Lakers orthopedist Dr. Steve Lombardo. The visit led to a different prognosis than the first look.

"The Kings need to do whatever they can to help the team win," said Evans, who also admitted that he has been extra cautious about his knee because of his contract situation. "I just want to go out there and play every night. That visit to (Lombardo)? That let me know that I wasn't totally wrong. I just need to get treated right. That was pretty much it."

Voisin writes that the Grizzlies have inquired on Evans and are known to be shopping small forward Rudy Gay. However, a deal involving Gay and Evans would require the Kings to make up the difference in salary on their end with contracts that extend beyond this season. The Lakers, Nuggets, and Celtics have also been interested in the past.

Raptors Seriously Interested In Rudy Gay

January 9th, 2013 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

A flurry of Rudy Gay rumors on Tuesday suggested that the Suns and Grizzlies were discussing a possible deal for Gay that could include Jared Dudley, and that the Warriors, Kings, and Celtics were among the other teams that had at least preliminary talks with Memphis. With six weeks still to go before this season's trade deadline, it's unlikely that the Grizzlies make a move this early, but the reports continue to pour in, so we'll round up today's Gay-related rumors right here, with the latest added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Nuggets also spoke to the Grizzlies about Gay, but those discussions appear to be fruitless, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick adds that the Mavericks aren't currently pursuing Gay.

Earlier updates:

The Raptors are seriously interested in making a run at Gay and are believed to be dangling young big man Ed Davis and Jose Calderon's expiring contract, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein. Toronto previously made a run at Gay, offering packages headlined by Calderon and their No. 8 pick in last year's draft, which eventually became Terrence Ross.
The Grizzlies haven't made a decision one way or the other yet on whether they'll trade Gay, says Stein, who adds that some rival GMs believe Memphis could wait until the summer to make a move. According to Stein, the Grizzlies don't intend to just move Gay's salary if it significantly weakens the team in the process.
Responding to Stein's report, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun expresses uneasiness about the Raptors parting ways with Davis, and suggests that Ross may make more sense as a target for the Grizzlies (all Twitter links).
At least eight teams have expressed some interest in Gay, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Kyler adds in a second tweet that the Grizzlies are "geniunely torn" on whether or not to move the veteran forward.
If the Grizzlies have contacted the Timberwolves about Gay, it was a very casual conversation, says Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Finding a big man is the more pressing concern for Minnesota, according to Wolfson.

Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Murray, Bucks

January 8th, 2013 at 11:14pm CST by Ryan Raroque

With Kevin Love's uncertain health status for the rest of the season, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN says that the Timberwolves have made it a "pressing priority" to add another big man to their roster, and that there is a strong likelihood that Minnesota makes a move by the trade deadline. Also, Wolfson writes that the team has not been engaged by the Grizzlies in exploratory trade talks involving Rudy Gay. Here's more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from around the NBA:

Eliot Shorr-Parks of NJ.com wonders if it may be time for the 76ers to make a drastic move the way Brooklyn did in order to right their ship. Although firing Doug Collins may not be the answer, dealing Thaddeus Young might be a painful-but-necessary move worth considering.
Several months removed from telling the Hornets that he wanted to be in Phoenix, Eric Gordon is ready and willing to take on the leadership role expected from him in New Orleans (Steve Kyler of USA Today reports).
Ronald Murray has signed with Azovmash Mariupol of the Ukraine, according to Basket-Planet.com (credit goes to HoopsHype for the translation). The 6'3 guard's resume includes an eight-year stint in the NBA from 2002 to 2010, last playing for the Bulls and subsequently the Bobcats during the 2009-10 season.
Zach Lowe of Grantland explains why Scott Skiles was not the Bucks' main problem and looks into the bigger decisions ahead with regards to the futures of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings. Lowe mentions that if Ellis decides to opt-out this summer, Milwaukee could have max-level cap room to work with at that point.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside examines Demetris Nichols and Sean Evans, two former standouts from New York colleges who have started to make some waves in the D-League. Schlosser thinks that both have shown some characteristics of being possible contributors in the NBA.
Emilio Carchiano from Sportando.net notes that Gary Forbes has officially signed a deal with Atleticos de San German.

Rudy Gay Rumors: Tuesday

January 8th, 2013 at 9:19pm CST by Luke Adams

9:19pm: The Cavaliers would appear to be an ideal trading partner considering the amount of cap space, draft picks, and young talent they have, but the Grizzlies have not had any discussions with them about Gay nor would they likely be interested in what Cleveland would be willing to concede (Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reports).

6:25pm: Matt Moore of CBS Sports writes that the Grizzlies are said to only be interested in a salary dump and view draft picks as the only value return.

4:37pm: The Kings and Celtics are other teams that have had conversations with the Grizzlies about Gay, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Kennedy also points out that the Rockets and Raptors have shown interest in Gay in the past, and are candidates to re-enter the mix.

12:37pm: The Warriors also engaged in preliminary discussions with the Grizzlies about Gay, but talks didn't go anywhere, reports Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. The Warriors like Gay, but the Grizzlies aren't interested in taking on any of Golden State's bad contracts (ie. Richard Jefferson), and the Warriors likely don't have the combination of young players and draft picks that Memphis is seeking, according to Thompson.

Zach Lowe of Grantland reported last week that the Warriors had "long coveted" Gay, but said they didn't seem to be a good match as a trade partner for the Grizzlies.

Grizzlies Gauging Value Of Randolph, Others

January 8th, 2013 at 4:11pm CST by Luke Adams

Already today, we've heard that the Grizzlies have engaged in trade talks with the Suns involving Rudy Gay, and have spoken to the Warriors as well. According to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, however, Gay isn't the only Memphis player who the team has discussed as a trade candidate.

Tillery reports that the new management group is gauging the value of several players on the team's roster, including power forward Zach Randolph. According to Tillery, the Kings are one club that the Grizzlies engaged in preliminary talks, though it's not entirely clear if Randolph, Gay, or someone else was discussed in those conversations. Most of the team's talks have been cursory in nature, so there's no framework for any deals, and nothing is imminent.

Still, Tillery echoes what we've heard from other reports, suggesting that the Grizzlies have been actively exploring potential trades to avoid becoming a perennial taxpayer. Randolph, like Gay, still has two years remaining on his contract after 2012/13, at an annual average salary of over $17MM. Gay appears to be the players most likely to be on the move, according to Tillery, but he didn't sound as if he was bothered by the swirling trade rumors.

"This is every year," Gay said. "If it happens, it happens. So what? I'm playing today as a Grizzly. It's a business. People are going to talk and stuff will happen."

Odds & Ends: Pargo, Celtics, Gordon, Carlesimo

January 7th, 2013 at 4:55pm CST by Luke Adams

With the contract guarantee deadline looming and the 10-day-contract period underway, there have been plenty of roster moves made around the NBA today. We don't want to let anything slip through the cracks though, so while we await word of the next signing or cut, we'll check out a few odds and ends:

Jannero Pargo is drawing fresh interest from multiple teams and is talking about a potential 10-day contract with two of them, agent Mark Bartelstein tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com.
Sources tell Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay, and Marcin Gortat are all potential trade targets for the Celtics. Gortat makes more sense to me than the other two, who seem like long shots for Boston.
Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld speculates that Andrea Bargnani could be another possible target for the Celtics. The HoopsWorld scribe also writes that Eric Gordon is talking like someone who expects to be with the Hornets long-term.
Tom Ziller of SBNation.com questions how the Celtics could possibly acquire Cousins without giving up Rajon Rondo, and explores the trade rumors surrounding Gay.
Nets head coach P.J. Carlesimo appeared on WFAN in New York last week to discuss shedding the interim tag and working for Mikhail Prokhorov, among other topics. Steven Cuce of Sports Radio Interviews has the quotes.

Odds & Ends: Guaranteed Contracts, Nowitzki, Lakers

January 6th, 2013 at 8:13pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Tomorrow at 5PM EST marks a significant deadline in the NBA, as players who are currently on non-guaranteed contracts kept after that point will have their deals guaranteed for the rest of the season. While the official deadline for contracts to become fully guaranteed is listed as January 10, ESPN's Marc Stein pointed out yesterday that teams who decide to release a player on a non-guaranteed contract will have to do so by tomorrow in order for them to clear waivers by Thursday. We've seen quite a handful of teams release some of their non-guaranteed pacts today, and with less than 24 hours left to go, there could be more of those types of transactions to come. With that in mind, you can find tonight's miscellaneous links from around the NBA here:

Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune talks about the need for Minnesota's Derrick Williams to step up and contribute with Kevin Love sidelined by a hand injury.
Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas notes Dirk Nowitzki's feelings of uncertainty with the direction of the Mavericks' franchise and expressed thoughts on whether or not he should be traded. After acknowledging the team's failed attempt of luring Deron Williams or Dwight Howard, Nowitzki didn't seem too enthused about Dallas' chances of adding a marquee name of that caliber in the near future.
HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler thinks that Lakers' rookies Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom could be the next in line to be waived in order to avoid paying more luxury tax on their deals. He also thinks that Johnson-Odom would be more likely to be released than Sacre (Twitter links).
Michael Lee of The Washington Post wrote that tonight's matchup with the Heat and tomorrow's game against the Thunder are critical for Wizards guards Garrett Temple and Shelvin Mack, who are both currently on non-guaranteed contracts.
During an interview on NBC's Chris Mannix Show, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said that there is a very good chance that the Grizzlies move Rudy Gay or one of their high-salaried contracts by the February trade deadline. Also, he does not believe Royce White will ever play in the NBA (Twitter links).
Mark Deeks of ShamSports tweets that it's not unusual for teams to waive a player before their contract becomes guaranteed before subsequently re-signing him for the rest of the season.
After last night's win at the Target Center, Trail Blazers swingman Nicolas Batum admitted that he drew some motivation from wanting to prove to the Timberwolves and their fans that he was worth the offer sheet that Minnesota presented to him last summer (Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports).

Odds & Ends: Cavs, Gay, Ibaka, Cuban, Pachulia

January 6th, 2013 at 1:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sunday's NBA action has already begun with a matinee between the Thunder and Raptors. It could be an even more active day off the court, as teams must make decisions on players with non-guaranteed contracts by the end of tomorrow. Here's the latest from around the Association.

The Cavs won't rush to fill the open roster spot they'll have once Samardo Samuels clears waivers, tweets Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
While the Grizzlies have made it known that Rudy Gay might be available in a trade, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld doesn't think the team is in any hurry to pull the trigger, and may wait for a better deal at draft time (Twitter links).
Serge Ibaka's four-year, $49MM extension doesn't kick in until next season, but he's already rewarding the Thunder with improved play, as Jeff Latzke of The Associated Press examines (link via the National Post).
Mark Cuban, who is once more complaining about officiating, thought about selling the Mavs after they lost the 2006 NBA Finals, but now he wants to keep the team in his family for generations to come, notes Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News.
Zaza Pachulia is pulling down more rebounds per 36 minutes than he ever has, but he isn't giving much thought to his unrestricted free agency this summer, as HoopsWorld's Lang Greene chronicles.
Fellow HoopsWorld scribe Tommy Beer categorizes the league's best bargains at multiple price points.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune details the twists and turns of Patrick Beverley's life that have led him to the verge of a deal with the Rockets.
Ryan Ripley of Ridiculous Upside argues that Ron Howard deserves to be listed among the top prospects in the D-League.

Grizzlies Making Rudy Gay Available?

January 4th, 2013 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

Rudy Gay is no stranger to trade rumors, having been the subject of a few rumblings as recently as last summer. And it appears that 2013 will bring even more rumors surrounding the veteran forward, with Zach Lowe of Grantland reporting that the Grizzlies have made it known in preliminary talks with NBA teams that Gay could be available.

Lowe clarifies that it doesn't sound as if Memphis is actively shopping the 26-year-old. However, the club is about $4MM into the luxury tax this season, and could be heading back into tax territory in the next two seasons, based on the contracts currently on the books. As such, moving Gay's three-year, $53MM+ deal might be an attractive option.

Former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said back in June that the team had no plans to deal Gay, and a September report from the Memphis Commercial Appeal suggested that Memphis turned down a number of lowball offers for Gay over the summer. However, with a new owner (Robert Pera) in place, and new faces in the front office, such as John Hollinger and Jason Levien, the Grizzlies may be more open to revisiting the possibility of a move.

While Lowe doesn't specify which teams the Grizzlies may have spoken to about Gay, he does speculate on which clubs may be a fit, naming the Timberwolves, Bucks, Celtics, Hawks, Raptors, Rockets, and Jazz as "sensible candidates." Lowe also adds that the Warriors have "long coveted" Gay, but points out they don't really have the pieces to make a deal work at the moment.