Odds & Ends: Thibodeau, Lowry, Jazz, Bobcats
Despite some speculation to the contrary, Joe Cowley of the Sun-Times insists that Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t going anywhere. It was recently reported that the Knicks could make a run at the defensively-minded coach. More from around the Association..
- With the Nets unwilling to give up a first-round pick for Kyle Lowry and the Knicks saying they won’t part with a first rounder or Tim Hardaway Jr., Al Iannazone of Newsday (on Twitter) wonders if the Knicks will wind up caving.
- The Jazz announced that they have assigned rookie guard Ian Clark and rookie center Rudy Gobert to its D-League affiliate, the Bakersfield Jam. Gobert, a 7’1″ rookie center has made 17 appearances for the Jazz in a reserve role, averaging 2.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 0.82 blocks in 10.7 minutes. Clark, 22, has appeared in eight games as a reserve for the Jazz, averaging 2.8 points in 8.8 minutes.
- The accountability of first-year coach Steve Clifford sets a good tone for the Bobcats, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.
- Blazers forward Dorell Wright doesn’t sound terribly upset about the Sixers‘ decision to not re-sign him. “You see what direction they were going in. That was not in my plan at all,” said Wright, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter).
- Magic officials have challenged Andrew Nicholson to become more physical since taking him with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 draft and he’s finally responding, writes Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel.
Lawrence On Bulls, Stotts, Heat, Grizzlies
In his latest column for the New York Daily News, Mitch Lawrence surveys the entire league, bringing us some tidbits out of Chicago, Portland, and Miami, among others. Let’s dive in and check out the highlights from Lawrence….
- According to Lawrence, Derrick Rose has told some confidantes that he’s concerned about the Bulls potentially losing key players in free agency. “Derrick is worried that the Bulls are going to lose what they have,” a league source told Lawrence. “He doesn’t want to go through rebuilding.” Reading between the lines, it sounds as if Rose might like to see the team keep free-agent-to-be Luol Deng around beyond this season.
- Sources tell Lawrence that an offseason chat with Blazers coach Terry Stotts has made all the difference in LaMarcus Aldridge‘s outlook, though Stotts himself doesn’t believe he deserves the credit for Aldridge’s strong start: “There was talk that he was disgruntled, but when I talked to him I didn’t hear that from him. I just told LaMarcus that I felt like we had a chance to be very good this season and that he had a chance to have a great year. He’s growing into his leadership role at this stage and it’s all coming together for him. But it would be a disservice to him if I took the credit for what he’s been doing on the floor.”
- Multiple GMs have identified Jordan Crawford of the Celtics as a potential trade target for the Heat, according to Lawrence.
- Some people with the Grizzlies say the club needs a starting small forward, though many of those same sources think Memphis shouldn’t have traded Rudy Gay in the first place, says Lawrence.
Knicks Links: Anthony, Griffin, Aldridge
The Knicks have won three out of the first five contests in a nine-game stretch against Eastern Conference opponents. The run doesn’t include any meetings with the Pacers or Heat, so it’s a chance for New York to start its climb out of the Atlantic Division cellar, and for coach Mike Woodson to shush speculation about his job security. Here’s the latest on the Knicks:
- Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling proposes a swap centered on Carmelo Anthony and Blake Griffin and shares insight from sources close to the Clippers and Knicks about the idea. Zwerling also hears that the Knicks wanted to pursue LaMarcus Aldridge this summer but the Creative Artists Agency goaded them into trading instead for Andrea Bargnani, one of their clients.
- The only way Knicks owner James Dolan would agree to an Anthony-Griffin swap is if Anthony tells him he’s signing elsewhere in free agency this summer, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- Metta World Peace tells reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, that he signed with the Knicks with the intention of winning a title in New York (Sulia link). The veteran forward says the Raptors would gain a “championship mentality” if the Knicks throw him in a Kyle Lowry trade, as has been rumored.
Lakers Lead NBA In Expiring Contracts
Expiring contracts aren’t quite as coveted in trades as they used to be, in part because the shorter deals called for in the latest collective bargaining agreement makes them a plentiful commodity. They’re nonetheless useful trade chips as teams look to clear cap room for a star-studded 2014 free agent class.
The Lakers seem focused on pursuing free agents this summer, but if they had a change of plans and wanted to use some of their expiring contracts to trade for a player who could help them down the stretch this year, they have plenty to offer. They’re the only NBA team with as many as 10 expiring deals this year. Pau Gasol‘s nearly $19.3MM salary is the only expiring deal they have above $4MM, but they could package several of their small contracts for a trade if they wish.
The Trail Blazers are on the opposite end of the list, with just a pair of ending deals, both of which are for the minimum salary. If they start to falter after their hot start, they can’t look to expiring contracts to help them trade for an experienced hand.
This list includes de facto non-guaranteed players — those whose contracts aren’t fully guaranteed past this season — as well as players on deals that aren’t fully guaranteed this year or in subsequent seasons. It doesn’t include players who can’t be traded because they signed after November 19th, putting them within three months of the trade deadline. Teams can’t trade any player they sign for three months after the contract is finalized. Not all of the players below are immediately eligible to be traded, but all of them will become so before the deadline.
- Lakers (10): Pau Gasol, Steve Blake, Jordan Hill, Chris Kaman, Jodie Meeks, Jordan Farmar, Xavier Henry, Wesley Johnson, Shawne Williams, Ryan Kelly
- Jazz (9): Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins, Marvin Williams, Brandon Rush, Gordon Hayward, John Lucas III (de facto), Mike Harris, Ian Clark (non-guaranteed), Diante Garrett
- Raptors (9): John Salmons (de facto), Patrick Patterson, Greivis Vasquez, Amir Johnson (de facto), Kyle Lowry, Tyler Hansbrough (de facto), Austin Daye (de facto), Julyan Stone (non-guaranteed), Dwight Buycks (de facto)
- Wizards (9): Trevor Ariza, Marcin Gortat, Jan Vesely, Kevin Seraphin, Trevor Booker, Chris Singleton, Al Harrington, Garrett Temple, Glen Rice (de facto)
- Heat (8): Mario Chalmers, Shane Battier, Ray Allen, James Jones, Rashard Lewis, Michael Beasley, Roger Mason Jr., Greg Oden
- Magic (8): Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson (de facto), Jason Maxiell (de facto), Ronnie Price (de facto), Solomon Jones, E’Twaun Moore, Doron Lamb (de facto), Kyle O’Quinn (de facto)
- Mavericks (8): Dirk Nowitzki, Shawn Marion, Samuel Dalembert (de facto), Vince Carter, DeJuan Blair, Devin Harris, Jae Crowder (de facto), Bernard James
- Pelicans (8): Al-Farouq Aminu, Greg Stiemsma, Jason Smith, Darius Miller, Brian Roberts, Jeff Withey (de facto), Josh Childress, Louis Amundson
- Cavaliers (7): Andrew Bynum (non-guaranteed), Anderson Varejao (de facto), Earl Clark (de facto), Alonzo Gee (de facto), C.J. Miles, Henry Sims (non-guaranteed), Matthew Dellavedova (non-guaranteed)
- Hawks (7): Elton Brand, Gustavo Ayon, Jared Cunningham, Pero Antic (de facto), Shelvin Mack, Cartier Martin, Mike Scott
- Rockets (7): Ronnie Brewer (non-guaranteed), Omri Casspi (de facto), Chandler Parsons (de facto), Aaron Brooks, Greg Smith, Patrick Beverley (non-guaranteed), Robert Covington (de facto)
- 76ers (7): Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, Lavoy Allen, James Anderson (de facto), Daniel Orton (non-guaranteed), Brandon Davies (non-guaranteed), Hollis Thompson (non-guaranteed)
- Bobcats (6): Ben Gordon, Ramon Sessions, Jeff Adrien, Jannero Pargo, Anthony Tolliver, Jeff Taylor (de facto)
- Celtics (6): Kris Humphries, Keith Bogans (de facto), Avery Bradley, Jordan Crawford, MarShon Brooks, Phil Pressey (de facto)
- Pacers (6): Danny Granger, Luis Scola (de facto), Lance Stephenson, Rasual Butler, Donald Sloan (de facto), Orlando Johnson (de facto)
- Pistons (6): Charlie Villanueva, Rodney Stuckey, Greg Monroe, Chauney Billups (de facto), Josh Harrellson (non-guaranteed), Peyton Siva (non-guaranteed)
- Suns (6): Emeka Okafor, Eric Bledsoe, Viacheslav Kravtsov, Ish Smith (de facto), P.J. Tucker, Dionte Christmas (non-guaranteed)
- Spurs (6): Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner, Nando De Colo, Patrick Mills, Aron Baynes
- Bulls (5): Luol Deng, Kirk Hinrich, Mike James, Nazr Mohammed, Erik Murphy (non-guaranteed)
- Clippers (5): Jamal Crawford (de facto), Willie Green (de facto), Ryan Hollins, Antawn Jamison, Maalik Wayns
- Grizzlies (5): Ed Davis, Jerryd Bayless, Kosta Koufos (de facto), Mike Miller, Nick Calathes (de facto)
- Kings (5): Jimmer Fredette, Hamady N’Diaye, Isaiah Thomas, Aaron Gray, Quincy Acy (de facto)
- Knicks (5): Cole Aldrich, Kenyon Martin, Beno Udrih, Toure’ Murry, Chris Smith (de facto)
- Warriors (4): Jermaine O’Neal, Toney Douglas, Draymond Green (de facto), Kent Bazemore,
- Bucks (4): Caron Butler, Ekpe Udoh, Luke Ridnour, Khris Middleton (de facto)
- Nets (4): Paul Pierce, Shaun Livingston, Tornike Shengelia, Tyshawn Taylor
- Thunder (4): Thabo Sefolosha, Hasheem Thabeet (non-guaranteed), Derek Fisher, Ryan Gomes
- Nuggets (3): Andre Miller (de facto), Jordan Hamilton, Quincy Miller (de facto)
- Timberwolves (3): Dante Cunningham, A.J. Price, Robbie Hummel
- Trail Blazers (2): Earl Watson, Will Barton (de facto)
ShamSports was used in the creation of this post.
Western Notes: Gay, Corbin, Aldridge, Jackson
The heavily discussed Kings/Raptors swap has spurred a discussion on advanced basketball metrics, mostly due to Rudy Gay. Some statheads have suggested Gay’s presence in Sacramento might stand to hurt Isaiah Thomas and DeMarcus Cousins‘ chemistry on the floor, but the latest piece from Alex Kennedy at HoopsWorld examines why numbers might not tell the whole story for Gay. Here are some tidbits on Gay and the Western Conference as a whole:
- In his piece, Kennedy suggests it’s not unthinkable that Gay might turn his efficiency numbers around, pointing to Monta Ellis as an example of a player who didn’t reach his full potential until a later stage of his career than most players.
- Conversely, Mark Deeks of ShamSports breaks down the reasons why he believes the Kings spent too much to acquire Gay in his piece at SB Nation. Among his list of reasons, Deeks believes Gay’s presence will add nothing to Sacramento that they didn’t already have besides another expensive contract.
- Richard Jefferson doesn’t blame the Jazz‘s lack of success on Tyrone Corbin, reports Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. The forward recently blasted critics who have tried to fault his coach for the team’s struggles : “As far as lashing out and putting pressure on a coach, that’s unfair… Everybody’s an armchair quarterback.”
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports speculates that LaMarcus Aldridge probably won’t participate in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, based on his lack of history in international competition.
- The Clippers’ recent signing of Stephen Jackson will help bolster a squad that’s recently been bit by the injury bug. Losing J.J. Redick, Matt Barnes, and Reggie Bullock will be a challenging hurdle for Los Angeles to overcome, and Jovan Buha from ESPNLosAngeles.com examines how Jackson might fit in and help ease the club’s pain.
West Notes: Augustin, Freeland, Asik, Kings
There are 16 teams in action tonight in what is largely an East Coast-based slate. We do have five Western Conference teams playing, however, including the Suns and Lakers later tonight. Let’s take a look at what else is going on out West on Tuesday night:
- The Timberwolves don’t appear to be targeting D.J. Augustin, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. The Raptors waived Augustin to make way for yesterday’s trade, and the Bulls are the front runners to land him.
- Joel Freeland looks much tougher than he did last year, and Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com wonders if it stems from a fight he and Luke Babbitt had during practice late last season. For what it’s worth, Freeland has become a mainstay in the Blazers‘ rotation, and Babbitt is out of the league.
- The Rockets are targeting a proven veteran small forward in an Omer Asik trade, one of the many kinds of assets the team is looking for as it seeks to deal its backup center, as HoopsWorld’s Steve Kyler notes. Kyler also examines the Thunder’s approach to player development.
- Speaking of Asik, the Rockets center is changing agents, switching from Andy Miller to the high-powered Arn Tellem of Wasserman Media Group, reports Ken Berger of CBS Sports. As Berger details, Tellem must wait 10 days before his representation of Asik becomes official. Assuming the proper paperwork is submitted today, Tellem can take over for Asik on December 20th, which is a day after Houston’s original target trade date of the 19th. It is also worth noting that Miller has taken legal action in the past when his clients have been poached.
- Responding to news that the campaign for a vote on the Kings‘ arena subsidy has turned in up to 40,000 signatures for their cause, Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson cautioned the public that the group is “not folks who have Sacramento’s best interests in mind,” reports Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee.
Sixers, Hawks, Bucks In Mix For Omer Asik
The Rockets prefer to trade Omer Asik to an Eastern Conference team, and the Sixers, Hawks and Bucks are three clubs that appear to be strong candidates to land the 7’0″ center, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Portland had seemed to be an aggressive suitor based on the team’s reported discussions with Houston, but the Trail Blazers are enamored with what Robin Lopez has given them, and they aren’t planning to make a run at Asik, Stein writes.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie was with the Rockets front office when they signed Asik in 2012, and his affinity for the 27-year-old from Turkey is one reason Stein believes many around the league are mentioning Philadelphia as a viable destination for Asik. Sixers power forward Thaddeus Young could fit together with Dwight Howard, Stein points out, adding that Philly isn’t likely to be able to find a player like Asik in the 2014 draft.
The Bucks are about to start looking for trades in the wake of a disappointing 4-16 start, Stein hears, concluding that Milwaukee could be Asik’s next home. That would seem to suggest the Bucks would be willing to trade Larry Sanders, whom they signed to a four-year, $44MM extension this past offseason, but that’s just my speculation.
Houston is no doubt one of many teams eyeing Paul Millsap‘s two-year, $19MM contract as an attractive bargain, so Stein figures the Rockets and Hawks could hook up on an Asik trade. Grantland’s Zach Lowe discussed the possibility of such a swap a few weeks ago, writing that it would work well for both teams and that Hawks GM Danny Ferry might take flak from Western Conference executives for giving such a significant boost to the contending Rockets.
Rockets GM Daryl Morey is also concerned about strengthening his Western Conference competitors, and that’s why he wants to send Asik to the East. Stein doesn’t think Morey will be doctrinaire about the idea, but the ESPN scribe points out that Asik is just the sort of defensive force who could cause Dwight Howard trouble in the playoffs.
Northwest Rumors: Aldridge, Lillard, Hayward
LaMarcus Aldridge spoke to Jim Rome of CBS Sports Radio this week about the trade rumors that surrounded him this summer, chalking it up to passing frustration, as Ben Golliver of Blazer’s Edge notes in his transcript of the most notable passages.
“It was just me being overly emotional at the time,” Aldridge said. “Nobody wants to lose. I’m in my prime right now. At the time, I was a little emotional about not winning or what not. After I had time to talk to (Blazers GM) Neil (Olshey) and the team, I knew they were going to make some moves, bring some guys in.”
Aldridge is eligible to sign an extension, and when Rome asked whether he’d sign one, Aldridge said he’ll deal with the matter in the offseason. His decision will be a key story next summer, and as we await that, there’s more out of the Northwest Division:
- Damian Lillard, the Blazers‘ other linchpin, doesn’t seem at all reticent about his willingness to commit to the team long-term, judging by his comments to Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune. “I love it here,” Lillard said. “Hopefully this is where I’ll always be. I’m not saying that just to be politically correct. I really hope so. My family likes it here. Hopefully it will be a career-long thing for me.”
- Gordon Hayward discusses this year’s steep increase in his on-court responsibilities with USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt. Hayward professes his love for the team and calls himself a “Jazz guy” in response to a question about his upcoming restricted free agency.
- Brian Shaw had been passed over multiple times for head coaching jobs, but before landing his Denver gig this summer he was confident he’d wind up with the Nuggets, Nets or Clippers, tweets Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
Western Links: Trail Blazers, Bogut, Mavericks
Beckley Mason of the New York Times examines the chemistry and cohesiveness that have galvanized the Trail Blazers this season, prompting LaMarcus Aldridge to call this the ‘happiest time in his career’: “Guys are playing so (unselfishly) — our team chemistry is unreal right now…Coach Stotts gives us the freedom to play loose and make plays, and guys aren’t abusing it.”
Veteran point guard Earl Watson also weighed in: “Everyone accepts their role, and the roles were never defined. It’s the truth of our team, the DNA of our team. The way we fit together, it’s like the perfect storm, so to speak.”
Here’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:
- Sean Meagher of OregonLive.com provides a roundup of the latest links coming out of Portland (including Mason’s piece).
- Andrew Bogut is well past the the talk of the Warriors’ efforts to acquire Dwight Howard this past offseason and doesn’t think it’s worth discussing anymore since he’s shown team brass the type of production that he’s capable of, says Carl Steward of the San Jose Mercury News.
- The 7th or 8th seed should remain a goal for the Mavericks, writes Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW, who adds that tanking wouldn’t really guarantee anything for them.
- Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (via Twitter) reports that the Thunder have named Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson as their NBPA team player representative and alternative player rep, respectively.
- Matthew Coles of the Associated Press discusses the notable difference that Trey Burke has brought to the table for the Jazz from a point guard standpoint (hat tip to The Detroit News).
- Paul Coro of AZcentral.com talks about the competitive Western Conference playoff chase that lies ahead as it pertains to the Suns.
Odds & Ends: Beasley, Wilkins, Claver, Lakers
If it looks like Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is only now starting to formulate a plan for offseason pickup Michael Beasley, you’re not far off, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. “With Michael,” Spoelstra said, “it was more about, initially, we felt he was part of our family. We drafted him. We spent a lot of time with him, not only during those two regular seasons, but during the offseasons and we just wanted to open up our arms back into our family,” the coach said. Here’s more from around the Association..
- Damien Wilkins, who was in training camp with the Hawks over the summer, has reached agreement on a deal with Beijing in China, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.
- Victor Claver spoke with El Mundo after the rumors about his future published by Spanish media and Emiliano Carchia of Sportando provides the translation. “Portland is the team where I want to play. But at the same time I want to play more and here I don’t have chances to. The season is very long, let’s see if something will change. Right now I am not thinking about returning to Europe. I have no idea if there is a chance to be traded. But if it happened, I hope it is for the better,” said the Spanish forward.
- Nick Young has jokingly touted himself as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate at times this season, but coach Mike D’Antoni believes the swingman has a legitimate shot at the award, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
- D’Antoni is overseeing a locker room with ten players on expiring contracts, but he appears much more effective at building camaraderie with this Lakers team than with last year’s, as Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times observes.
- In this week’s mailbag, Mary Schmitt-Boyer of the Plain Dealer fields questions on the possibility of the Cavs trading for Luol Deng and more.