Kyler’s Latest: Pistons, Bucks, Raptors, Jazz
With 10 days left until the trade deadline arrives, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld surveys the market in his latest NBA AM piece, covering the latest rumors related to the Pistons, Bucks, Raptors, and Jazz. Here are the highlights from Kyler:
- The Pistons are "open for business," and would have interest in unloading Rodney Stuckey and/or Charlie Villanueva. There's also been speculation that Detroit could be convinced to move some of their own players on expiring contracts, such as Will Bynum and Jason Maxiell.
- Josh Smith and Gerald Henderson are expected to be among the Pistons' free agent targets this summer, according to Kyler.
- Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis are unlikely to be dealt by the Bucks, but Drew Gooden, Samuel Dalembert, and perhaps even Ersan Ilyasova could be had. The price for Ilyasova would be high, however, and so far potential suitors such as the Raptors and Nets seem unwilling to pay that price.
- The Raptors are seeking frontcourt help and looking to find a taker for Andrea Bargnani, but haven't made significant progress on either front.
- Although Ric Bucher reported yesterday that the Jazz are more likely to trade Paul Millsap than Al Jefferson, Kyler suggests the opposite may be true, since Millsap is viewed as the free agent more likely to be re-signed or signed-and-traded in July.
- Any team willing to take Raja Bell off Utah's hands, perhaps in a larger deal, might receive more consideration from the Jazz, says Kyler.
Odds & Ends: Harkless, Clark, Bynum, Oladipo
With only five games on the NBA schedule for Tuesday night, let's round up some odds and ends from around the league here:
- Now getting extended minutes, Magic rookie Maurice Harkless – acquired from Philadelphia in the Dwight Howard trade – has begun to show the skills that made him the 15th overall selecton last June, writes Josh Robbins of Orlando Sentinel. Coupled with the pleasant surprise that is Nikola Vucevic, Harkless' development makes the haul that Orlando received for Howard look better and better, especially considering past deals involving a departing superstar.
- Another forgotten piece of the Howard deal, Earl Clark has thrived since joining the Lakers, writes Josh Newman of Zags Blog. Now in his fourth year out of Lousiville, Clark has seen his minutes double in Los Angeles.
- Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops calls the Pistons' Will Bynum a prime trade target, mentioning the Thunder as an ideal candidates for a match. With James Harden in Houston and Eric Maynor and Reggie Jackson unlikely solutions to spelling Russell Westbrook, Sheridan says Bynum would be a better pick up for Oklahoma City than Derek Fisher was a year ago.
- Scheduled for June 27, the NBA Draft is just less than five months away. But as the NCAA calendar moves towards March, draft talk should start to heat up. Jeff Goodman, CBS Sports' NCAA guru, provides his updated prospect rankings as well as a mock draft.
- Three days following Indiana's thrilling win over No. 1 Michigan, Draft Express publishes a scouting report on Hoosiers' guard Victor Oladipo. Previously thought to be a defensive specialist, the ultra-athletic Oladipo has nearly ensured himself a first round grade with a breakout offensive performance as a junior.
Eastern Notes: Lopez, Jerebko, Bobcats, Raps
Despite being the subject of trade rumors over the summer, Brook Lopez's strong play this season means he's likely to remain with the Nets at this year's trade deadline. If it were up to Deron Williams, there wouldn't even be a conversation about it.
"We’re happy with Brook," Williams told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. "Brook is our center. He’s having an All-Star year. I don’t see Brook going anywhere."
Here are a few more Wednesday links from around the Eastern Conference:
- Jonas Jerebko downplayed a story out of Sweden that suggested he was unhappy with the Pistons, as Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press writes. "I didn't read the story," Jerebko said. "So I don't know what it said. Everybody has a right to their own opinion. It's media. They probably twisted it."
- In a piece for MLive.com, David Mayo examines a few possible Pistons trade candidates, including Jerebko, Jason Maxiell, and Will Bynum.
- The Bobcats have begun conducting market research on a potential nickname change, now that the Hornets are set to become the Pelicans, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The Bobcats are sending surveys to season-ticket holders and polling the Charlotte market to see if a name change would affect buying habits, says Bonnell (Twitter links).
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun takes a look at the Raptors' looming decisions on Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon.
- In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addresses the unlikely possibility of the Heat acquiring Dwight Howard and the impact he expects Chris Andersen to have in Miami.
Pistons Players Questioning Lawrence Frank
The Detroit Pistons are off to a horrendous start to the 2012/13 season, with a 3-10 record tied with Toronto for second-worst in the NBA behind only the winless Washington Wizards. The organization has insisted that head coach Lawrence Frank's job is not in question. However, some of Detroit's players have begun questioning his methods and rotations in the media.
Veteran forward Tayshaun Prince told Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News that he disagreed with Frank's decision to sub out all five players at once during a loss to the Magic:
"If I was Coach, I would've made a decision sooner than he did," Prince said. "A 6-0 run, call a timeout. Bam-bam, we come back out, nothing happens, bam (make a substitution). If you gotta make a choice, you have to make a choice. (He) went too long."
Guard Will Bynum has also expressed his displeasure with Frank's rotations, telling Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press that it's been difficult for him to find a place in the many lineups Frank has been juggling:
"I'm having to adjust to everybody. I'm playing with so many different people. First I go from not playing with [Rodney] Stuckey to playing with Stuckey every day. I go from playing with Kyle [Singler] all the time to never playing with Kyle. I'm playing with Tayshaun [Prince]. Early on I was playing with Brandon [Knight] and I never played with him in two years since I've been here. It's all over the place right now."
The Pistons front office reportedly views this season as a rebuilding year and thus isn't prone to letting Frank go. However, this will be an interesting story to keep an eye on if the Pistons' struggles continue.
Eastern Notes: Bynum, Celtics, Daye, Magic
Here are a few pieces of news from around the Eastern Conference.
- Pistons guard Will Bynum appears much more comfortable heading into the second season with Lawrence Frank's system in Detroit, writes MLive.com's David Mayo.
- The Celtics aren't worried about their lack of a true back up point guard, writes ESPNBoston.com's Greg Payne.
- The Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis writes that Pistons forward Austin Daye is headed into what could be the third make-or-break season of his three year career.
- Kyrylo Fesenko passed up more than one other offer to join the Bulls training camp, tweets RealGM.com's Shams Charania.
- To the untrained eye, it would appear the Magic are a franchise in rebuild mode, but as the team prepares to begin training camp, Orlando head coach Jacque Vaughn says the word "rebuilding" isn't allowed around his team, writes the Orlando Sentinel's Josh Robbins.
Odds & Ends: Harris, Aguilar, 2014 Draft, Bynum
Let's round up a few Tuesday afternoon odds and ends from around the Association….
- Before he re-signed with the Heat, Terrel Harris turned down contract offers from the Cavaliers and teams in Spain and Russia, says Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link).
- Former Philippine Basketball Association first overall pick Japeth Aguilar is trying to earn an invite to an NBA training camp, writes Joseph Pimentel of ABS-CBN News. According to his agent, Aguilar has a workout scheduled with the Spurs and is trying to line one up with the Magic as well.
- Sean Deveney of the Sporting News lists his choices for the top ten most toxic contracts in the NBA.
- For the draft buffs who are already looking ahead to 2013 and beyond, Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com has published his mock draft for 2014.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic wonders if any of the Suns' new acquisitions will fill the leadership void left by Steve Nash's and Grant Hill's departures.
- Will Bynum should have a clearer path to playing time this season with Ben Gordon out of the picture for the Pistons, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com.
- Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside makes the case for why Marvin Phillips deserves an opportunity to earn an NBA roster spot.
Lakers Notes: Lowry, Bynum, Price
The Lakers are about to tip off their game with the Timberwolves tonight, and they catch a break, as Kevin Love is out with back spasms. Still, on the heels of ugly losses to the Pistons and Wizards in their last two outings, the Lakers must know they can't take any team for granted. There's been talk of a deal between the Lakers and Rockets for Pau Gasol today, but for now nothing appears imminent. In the meantime, here's the rest of what's going on in L.A.:
- Kyle Lowry is not a part of any talks between the Lakers and Rockets about Pau Gasol, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated.
- James Jahnke of the Detroit Free Press passes along a rumor that the Lakers are looking at Will Bynum of the Pistons and A.J. Price of the Pacers as secondary options if they don't get a juicier name at point guard.
- John Hollinger of ESPN weighs in with eight trades he thinks teams would be smart to make before the deadline, including a deal involving Pau Gasol and the Rockets that would net the Lakers a grand haul of Luis Scola, Goran Dragic, Hasheem Thabeet, Marcus Morris, Chase Budinger and a 2012 first-round pick. (Insider only)
Pistons Notes: Wallace, Gordon, Villanueva, Bynum
Ben Wallace is expected to call it a career at season's end, and while Detroit's current roster isn't quite in the same league as Wallace's Pistons squad that won a title in 2004, the veteran big man feels like the team has plenty of promise.
"I like the direction this team is headed," Wallace told Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. "I think the future is very bright for the young guys – Greg [Monroe], Brandon [Knight]. I wouldn’t have a problem with how I left them. I would be leaving them in a better position than what I found them."
Here's the latest on a Pistons club coming off a convincing home win over the Bobcats:
- The Pistons aren't expected to shake things up much at the trade deadline, though they'd love to move Ben Gordon or Charlie Villanueva if they could, says Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.
- Austin Daye and Will Bynum are among the Pistons unfazed by the approaching deadline, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. "I don't really care, it doesn't matter where (I play)," Bynum said. "Could be Africa, L.A., Orlando, I don't care for the business…. All I do is control how I work, and I'm waiting for my opportunity."
- Langlois fields Pistons-related questions in a mailbag, including a handful that focus on trade possibilities or potential offseason moves. Langlois says a deadline deal for Detroit is possible, but a blockbuster is a long shot.