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Northwest Notes: Hickson, Wolves, Nuggets

February 7th, 2013 at 1:26pm CST by Luke Adams

With the Grizzlies and Warriors not playing their best ball as of late, another team has quietly passed them in the standings and assumed the fourth seed in the Western Conference: the Nuggets. Heading into tonight's game against the Bulls, Denver has won seven straight, and has posted a 21-3 record at home. The Lakers/Celtics matchup will draw most of the headlines, but it may be that late game at the Pepsi Center that turns into the evening's best contest.

As we look forward to tonight's action, here are a few notes out of the Northwest Division:

Although he's played out of position at center for much of the season, J.J. Hickson has excelled with the Trail Blazers, and is increasing his chances of landing a big deal in unrestricted free agency this summer, according to Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. "I’d be lying if I wasn’t looking forward to it, but that’s something I’ll get more excited about when that period hits," Hickson said. "It’s something that me and my agent will talk about, but right now I’m just worried about playing basketball and trying to make these playoffs."
Commissioner David Stern is involved in Minnesota's plan to refurbish the Target Center and remains apprised on Glen Taylor's process of eventually selling the Timberwolves, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes.
In his latest mailbag for the Denver Post, Benjamin Hochman fields multiple questions on trade possibilities for the Nuggets, discussing Timofey Mozgov, Jordan Hamilton, and the team's $13MM trade exception.
Karl Malone is willing to work for free if it means getting a chance to join the Jazz's coaching staff as an assistant, says Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.

Odds & Ends: NBPA, Joseph, Lakers, Burks

February 6th, 2013 at 10:50pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Wednesday evening:

Agent David Falk tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype that the NBPA needs to band together to force a change in union leadership.
Kris Joseph is returning to the D-League, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that Dwight Howard should look to Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant as an example of how to play through injuries.
Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that Alec Burks is succeeding in playing out of position at point guard to replace Earl Watson for the Jazz.
The Bulls' rash of injuries have forced Tom Thibodeau to improvise his rotations, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that J.J. Hickson has been a smart pickup for the Blazers.

Odds & Ends: Jennings, Pekovic, Flynn, Draft

February 4th, 2013 at 1:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Perhaps the most accomplished fourth-year player not to receive a contract extension before the season, it appears Brandon Jennings is preparing for restricted free agency this summer. According to Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal (Twitter link), Jennings has parted ways with agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports Management. It's not clear yet who will be representing Jennings as he approaches free agency, but Duffy indicated that he wishes the Bucks guard "nothing but the best" (Twitter link). Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:

Past reports have suggested the Trail Blazers have interest in Nikola Pekovic, and Pekovic considers that a compliment, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. "That's really nice when you hear that other teams like Portland really want to bring you in," Pekovic said. "That means that I'm doing a good job and they like what I'm doing. That's something nice."
Productive players on rookie deals are among the league's most valuable commodities, but sometimes maximizing their value means trading them at the right time, says Tom Ziller of SBNation.com.
Jonny Flynn's All-Star season in Australia may put him back on the NBA radar, writes Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside.
In his weekly Morning Tip piece at NBA.com, TNT's David Aldridge explores the Grizzlies' decision to trade Rudy Gay and speculates on who might be the next executive director of the NBPA.
In their latest look at this June's potential draft class, Jay Bilas and Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider link) examine the nation's best big-men prospects.

Amico On Josh Smith, Cavs, Blatche, Granger

February 4th, 2013 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

Water-cooler conversation this morning may be dominated by talk of Super Bowl XLVII, but at Hoops Rumors, we're still focused on the NBA, including the latest trade rumors from around the league. Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has a few updates on players and teams that could be in the mix as the February 21st deadline approaches, so let's round up the highlights from his piece….

Amico names the Mavericks, Bobcats, Rockets, Hornets, and Kings as potential suitors for Josh Smith. Many recent reports have suggested the Kings likely won't be too active at the deadline, but Amico notes that expiring contracts typically appeal to new ownership groups.
Cavaliers GM Chris Grant wouldn't mind making another move before the deadline. Nothing concrete is in the works yet, but Grant is still working with some cap space and a few expiring contracts (Luke Walton, Daniel Gibson, Omri Casspi).
Amico hears from multiple sources that the Nets have made Andray Blatche available in hopes of landing a draft pick. The Trail Blazers may have some interest, according to Amico.
The Rockets are keeping a "keen eye" on Danny Granger, who has missed the entire season with a knee injury. The Pacers aren't actively shopping Granger, but could be more open to moving him given the emergence of Paul George.
The Mavericks figure to be more active in trade talks as the deadline nears, as plenty of clubs are interested in Chris Kaman's expiring contract.

Stein’s Latest: Gasol, Celtics, Smith, Jazz

February 2nd, 2013 at 8:53am CST by Sean Highkin

ESPN.com's Marc Stein has posted his latest Weekend Dime column, featuring updates on several prominent players whose names have been featured in trade rumors ahead of the February 21 deadline. Here are the highlights of Stein's report:

Stein doesn't believe the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol before the deadline, although the Raptors are making a push to acquire him with a package built around Andrea Bargnani.
Although the Clippers have shown no indication of wanting to trade Eric Bledsoe, a swap of the third-year guard to the Celtics for Paul Pierce could make the most sense for both sides, Stein writes.
Celtics GM Danny Ainge recognizes that Pierce and Kevin Garnett don't have the value that would likely make it worth trading then, so he may instead look to move Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, or Jeff Green to get the team under the luxury tax threshold.
The Hawks have been gauging trade interest in Josh Smith, Stein reports. Although they are very open to moving the forward, there is hesitance because other teams don't want to risk him walking in free agency and Atlanta doesn't want to take on long-term salary.
Executives around the league don't expect the Jazz to trade Al Jefferson, saying they will either move Paul Millsap instead or stand pat.
Given their ownership situation, the Kings will likely not make any moves before the deadline. There has been interest in Tyreke Evans, although DeMarcus Cousins remains untouchable.
The Trail Blazers are not looking to make any moves that will help them in the short term, preferring to preserve their flexibility.
Teams expect the Magic to trade J.J. Redick, but executives tell Stein that GM Rob Hennigan is asking for young talent or draft picks for the veteran sharpshooter.

Odds & Ends: Rondo, Dragic, Speights, Rumors

January 28th, 2013 at 10:01pm CST by Alex Lee

With seven NBA games on the docket for Monday night, here are some odds and ends from around the Association:

J.J. Redick has made Orlando his home and hopes to stay, he told Michael Scotto of RealGM. But Redick also realizes that trade speculation is inevitable and therefore has stayed in close contact with his agent and the Magic general manager Rob Hennigan.
Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge provides a transcript of an interview of Neil Olshey in which the Blazers GM discusses his team's roster and potential future moves.
Andrei Kirilenko handpicked Minnesota as his destination this offseason because he found the roster intriguing as well as conducive to his game. Unfortunately, due to the Timberwolves' long list of injuries, Kirilenko has yet to find out if his vision was as good as it seemed this offseason, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Danny Ainge said that he fully expect Rajon Rondo to be ready for training camp come October, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. How realistic that truly is will go a long way in determining the Celtics' next move.
Despite sitting at 15-30 and in last place in the Pacific division, the Suns have a reason for optimism in Goran Dragic, writes Derek Page of HoopsWorld. Dragic, Page says, is the most important piece of Phoenix's rebuilding plans.
We've already heard that Marreese Speights could be moved before the trade deadline despite rumors that the Cavaliers have coveted him for years. The Plain Dealer rounds up some Speights-related buzz, linking to a Sam Amico article that says whether the team keeps Speights depends on whether it can do so without sacrificing its financial flexibility. Amico, of Fox Sports Ohio, says that Speights will likely opt out of his deal after the season and seek a payday.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News addresses several popular rumors that are floating around the NBA of late, the most notable of which include Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce and Pau Gasol.

Western Notes: Bledsoe, Grizzlies, Lakers, Howard

January 28th, 2013 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

While one Eastern Conference team lost a star for the season this weekend, a Western Conference club could be preparing to welcome one back to the court. According to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, Andrew Bogut may return to action for the Warriors tonight in Toronto. Here are a few more notes out of the West:

Before they drafted Damian Lillard, the Trail Blazers tried hard to make Eric Bledsoe their point guard of the future, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, who says the Blazers offered Jamal Crawford and a first-round pick for the Clippers' backup point guard last year. "Yeah, I knew [the Trail Blazers] were calling for me," Bledsoe said. "They have a great fan base, but I wasn't too worried about it at the time."
Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien tells Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Memphis isn't in a rush to make another trade, and "it's more likely than not that we do nothing." According to Tillery, the team has received a number of proposals for Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph since December, but none were viewed as fair-value offers.
The Lakers are still waiting to find out whether they'll receive a disabled player exception after losing Jordan Hill for the season. GM Mitch Kupchak is expecting to hear from the league sometime this week, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Appearing on 103.3 KESN-FM in Dallas, ESPN.com's Marc Stein suggests that the Mavericks have a better chance at landing Dwight Howard via free agency rather than via trade (link from the Dallas Morning News).
For his part, Howard tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he doesn't have time to focus on free agency at this point.

West Notes: Kings, Howard, Gay, Blazers

January 27th, 2013 at 8:50pm CST by Alex Lee

Here are some notes from around the Western Conference on Sunday night:

The uncertainty surrounding the sale of the Kings comes at an unfortunate time for a front office that has some important decisions to make, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Dwight Howard is currently operating with the mindset that the Lakers' roster, himself included, will stay intact for the remainder of the season, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. It's clear Howard is waffling once again and if the Lakers don't straighten this season out soon, the Howard situation could escalate. "My mind-set? Nobody's going anywhere," Howard told Amick.
Stan Van Gundy, talking on an Orlando radio show, said that he had suspicions from the start that Howard may not fit in right away in Los Angeles, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel. Van Gundy says that because Kobe Bryant probably isn't willing to adjust his game, that obligation falls completely on Howard. If they don't win and Howard remains an afterthought in the Lakers offense, Van Gundy says, there isn't much reason to expect Howard to remain in Los Angeles.
Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien says that despite the constant trade speculation, the team is more than likely not going to make a trade before the February 21 deadline, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Despite Levien's words, Tillery says that the team believes it will start to get better offers for Rudy Gay in light of Tuesday's trade.
Heading into tonight's home-and-home finale with the Clippers, Blazers' GM Neil Olshey sees some positive parallels between his current and former teams, writes Jason Quick of the Oregonian.

Odds & Ends: Magic, Webster, Leonard, Speights

January 25th, 2013 at 10:39pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Friday evening:

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the Magic's recent losing streak is a difficult adjustment for the team's veterans, who are used to playoff contention.
Schmitz also writes that the Magic have yet to identify a permanent starter at the small forward position.
Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press catches up with former Timberwolves forward Martell Webster, who has found a steady role and better injury luck this season with the Wizards.
Joe Freeman of the Oregonian writes that Trail Blazers rookie center Meyers Leonard found a new perspective on his role while missing several weeks with an ankle injury.
Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer notes that the Cavaliers have coveted big man Marreese Speights for several years. They acquired him this week from the Grizzlies.

Odds & Ends: Cavs, Blazers, Grizzlies, McCants

January 24th, 2013 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Even after pulling off one deal that used up a chunk of their leftover cap space, the Cavaliers are still aggressively exploring the trade market, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Of course, as Amico adds, about 20 other teams are doing the same thing, and there's no guarantee the Cavs will make another move before February 21st. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Association:

When weighing trade possibilities, Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey is looking for players who are good influences in the locker room as well as good fits on the court, as he tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com.
Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien isn't expecting the Grizzlies to make another deal before the trade deadline, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
The Mavericks' D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, officially announced today that they've added former UNC standout Rashad McCants. We heard yesterday that McCants may be on his way back to the Legends.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld examines the teams that will have the most cap flexibility going forward.
Robert Dozier, who was in camp with the Heat during the preseason, has signed with the Alaska Aces in the Philippines, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.