Rudy Gay

Western Notes: White, Bogut, D’Antoni, Gay

You'd be hard-pressed to argue that the undefeated Knicks and the defending champion Heat aren't currently the two best teams in the Eastern Conference. Both clubs head west tonight to take on a pair of Western Conference contenders, with the Knicks in San Antonio to face the Spurs, and the Heat playing the Nuggets in Denver. As we await what should be a great night of NBA action, let's round up the latest updates out of the West….

  • In a pair of columns for the Houston Chronicle, Jerome Solomon argues that the Rockets are handing the Royce White situation poorly, and that patience, not fines, should be central to the team's approach.
  • Discussing his ankle injury on KNBR in San Francisco, Andrew Bogut said the Warriors have been supportive and haven't pressured him since he arrived in Golden State, but that he still feels as if he's let people down. Brad Gagnon of Sports Radio Interviews has the quotes.
  • Timberwolves president David Kahn is expecting great things from his club when everyone starts getting healthy, as he tells Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  • It was Jerry Buss who had the final say on the Lakers hiring Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson, a source tells Joe McDonnell of FOX Sports West.
  • ESPN.com's five-man panel weighs in on how D'Antoni's arrival will affect the performances of the Lakers' stars, supporting cast, and defense.
  • The list of head coaches that Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld believes could be on the hot seat are mostly from Eastern Conference clubs, but Kyler identifies Keith Smart of the Kings as one coach who might be in trouble if his team continues to struggle.
  • In a piece for the New York Times, Beckley Mason asks whether Rudy Gay, the Grizzlies' highest-paid player, is the team's centerpiece or an expensive accessory.

Odds & Ends: Harden, Gay, Wolves, Mavs, Gibson

We're a few days removed from the Rockets' acquisition of James Harden, but that doesn't mean that reaction pieces or additional details have stopped rolling in. Today, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel wonders if the Thunder got as much for Harden as the Magic did for Dwight Howard, and DeMar DeRozan talks to Eric Koreen of the National Post about how he, Harden, and other members of the 2009 draft class approach their contract situations. Meanwhile, Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game hears from one GM that Sam Presti didn't canvass the entire league for the best deal for Harden, presumably since Presti didn't want to create an avalanche of rumors (Twitter link). And finally, Bill Simmons of Grantland adds that Harden and his agent were seeking a 15% trade kicker as part of extension talks with the Thunder.

Now that we've rounded up today's Harden-related links, let's turn to the afternoon's non-Harden notes:

  • Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld examines a few players who could be trade candidates between now and the deadline, including Rudy Gay, who Kennedy says would be open to a move.
  • The Timberwolves have inquired on the recently-waived JaJuan Johnson, but don't figure to be a match, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities.
  • Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star Telegram spoke to Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson about a number of topics, including the team's chemistry with so many new players on board.
  • Extension talks between Taj Gibson and the Bulls are ongoing and are expected to push up against tomorrow's 11:00pm CT deadline, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports (Twitter links).
  • Scottie Pippen is interesting in eventually becoming a head coach in the NBA, as he told The Waddle & Silvy Show on ESPN 1000 in Chicago (ESPNChicago.com has the details and quotes).
  • Mark Deeks of ShamSports tweets the details on a pair of contract buyouts: Jordan Williams will receive $420K from Atlanta after being waived by the Hawks, while Keyon Dooling will receive $400K from the Celtics following his retirement.
  • Dionte Christmas, who was released by the Celtics this month, appears headed for CSKA Moscow, according to Eurohoops.net (hat tip to Sportando).
  • A Spurs' second-round pick in 2009, Jack McClinton is hoping to earn a spot in the D-League this year and eventually receive an NBA call-up, writes David Pick at Eurobasket.com.

Grizzlies Rumors: Power Forward, Gay, Randolph

The Grizzlies were dealt some tough news this week when Darrell Arthur and Hamed Haddadi went down with injuries, leaving the team thin up front. Arthur will be out four to six weeks, while Haddadi will be down for eight. That's a challenge for a team that GM Chris Wallace says has "more talent across the board and more depth than in any other season" that he's been on the job, as Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal writes. Tillery has plenty of news on the Grizzlies as training camp begins, and we'll round it up here. 

  • The Grizzlies are considering signing "an athletic power forward" to a non-guaranteed deal to make up for the losses of Arthur and Haddadi. Hoops Rumors list of remaining free agents shows some of the most prominent free agent power forwards include Kenyon Martin, Chris Andersen, Troy Murphy and Jordan Williams, though it's unclear which, if any of them, fit the "athletic" profile Wallace and company are looking for.
  • The team fielded several offers for Rudy Gay over the offseason, but Wallace turned them down because the team still values him highly and because the perception around the league that the Grizzlies simply wanted to dump Gay's contract led teams to lowball offers, Tillery writes. Gay's contract has three years and $53.667MM left on it. 
  • Zach Randolph addressed concerns that he and Gay aren't a good mix, saying, "I don't understand where that comes from. Me and Rudy play well together. Before he got hurt a couple of years ago we were winning. Me, Coach and Rudy used to laugh when people said that. We complement each other very well."    

Nine Assured Of Team USA Spot; Odom Withdraws

TUESDAY, 11:41am: Blake Griffin is expected to take Chris Bosh's spot on the U.S. roster, tweets Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. As Goodman adds in a second tweet, that would leave five players competing for the final two spots.

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Kyler On Gordon, Nash, Thunder, Randolph

In an earlier post, we passed along the latest on the Rockets' pursuit of Dwight Howard, courtesy of HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler. Kyler's NBA AM piece at HoopsWorld has a few other items of note though, including updates on Eric Gordon, Steve Nash, and the Thunder. Let's round up the highlights….

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Rockets Rumors: Howard, Gay, Smith, Lowry

The amount of rumors circulating around the Houston Rockets is dizzying to say the least.  They currently have picks 12, 16 and 18 after making two draft-related trades in the past few days.  There are multiple rumors about them trying to move into the top five of tomorrow night's draft, most frequently being connected with the Kings at 5.  They could plan to use that pick or they could be trying to stockpile picks to make a run at Dwight Howard.  Right now, for us, it's a waiting game.  Let's round up the latest Rockets rumors here:

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Warriors Rumors: Trades, Draft, Thompson, Curry

Earlier today, we heard from ESPN.com's Chris Broussard that the Nuggets and Warriors had discussed the possibility of a trade that would send the No. 7 pick to Denver and Wilson Chandler to Golden State. Broussard is back with more Warriors info this afternoon, tweeting that the team is eyeing other small forwards besides Chandler, including Rudy Gay, Andre Iguodala, and Marvin Williams. No deals are imminent, according to Broussard, but the Warriors are a good bet to be active either today or tomorrow. Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group has a few more Warriors items, so let's check those out:

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Rockets Rumors: D12, Martin, D-Will, Smith, Gay

When the Rockets and Timberwolves agreed to swap Chase Budinger for a first-round draft pick this morning, the T-Wolves' motives were clear, as Budinger gives the team a perimeter shooting threat it has lacked in recent years. For the Rockets though, the deal looked like the first in a series of bigger moves. We've heard that Houston is targeting Dwight Howard, or perhaps Josh Smith, but what exactly is the next step for GM Daryl Morey and the Rockets? Here's the latest from Sam Amick of SI.com and from Bill Ingram and Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld….

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HoopsWorld On Deng, Lowry, Gay, Gasol, Draft

Luol Deng's decision to play in this summer's Olympics rather than immediately undergoing wrist surgery has created some tension between the player and his NBA team, and Deng said this weekend that he wouldn't be shocked if the Bulls traded him. Both Alex Kennedy and Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld looked at the possibility of a deal, with Kennedy noting that the Bulls would "love to add a young star" in the draft lottery. Kyler adds that Deng's trade value takes a bit of a hit since he's expected to miss the start of the season, but says the Raptors and Warriors have shown "more than a passing interest."

Here are a few more Monday morning notes from the pair of HoopsWorld scribes on potential trades that could be consummated this week:

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Southwest Notes: Gay, Rockets, Mavs, West, Green

The day's biggest news so far came out of the Southwest Division, when ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that Michael Heisley had found a buyer for the Grizzlies. While we wait to hear whether an agreement between current ownership and prospective buyer Robert Pera will be finalized, let's check in on a few more Southwest updates, including the latest Rudy Gay trade rumors….

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