Odds & Ends: Bulls, Gasol, Nuggets, Kings
Here's tonight's look around the Association..
- The Bulls may have the best trade package for the Lakers if they try to trade for Pau Gasol, but Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (on Twitter) can't really see the big man playing for coach Tom Thibodeau.
- The Nuggets roster has been shaped by the club's blockbuster Carmelo Anthony deal of 2011, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. "It was a great trade," said former NBA guard Steve Kerr. "The pieces all fit really well with a coach who is renowned for player development and up-tempo basketball… In the end, it's not as if the team was winning in the playoffs with Carmelo anyway."
- There's an eight-figure gap between the bids being put up by the Sacramento group and the Seattle group for the Kings, sources close to the situation tell Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
- The Mavericks cut guard Dominique Jones over his unwillingness to go to the D-League, but Dirk Nowitzki hopes that Jones finds new work rather quickly, according to Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram (on Sulia).
- Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Sulia) hears from sources that the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas is adopting an NCAA tournament-style elimination format.
Odds & Ends: Mavericks, Leslie, T’Wolves, Mayo
Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW writes that the Mavericks are now in the market for adding a player after severing ties with guard Dominique Jones. Sefko comprises a list including Mike Bibby, Michael Redd, Earl Boykins, and Gilbert Arenas as available veterans who could be worth a look. Among the D-League hopefuls who could warrant an opportunity, Justin Dentmon, Chris Wright, or Sean Singletary come to mind. Sefko rules out the chances of Delonte West making a return to Dallas, citing that the team wouldn't want to reconnect after how badly things ended with him last year. You can find more of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes below:
- Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer thinks Tristan Thompson should be a candidate for the NBA's Most Improved award.
- Alex Kramers of The Kings Blog recognizes how Tyreke Evans has improved his perimter accuracy with daily extra work.
- Jody Genessy of the Deseret News says that the Jazz haven't and won't make a roster move today, and the Salt Lake Tribune's Bill Oram echoes that those expecting Utah to sign Travis Leslie will have to wait (Twitter links).
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune introduces his list of college guards who would be ready to help the Timberwolves immediately with their size and skilled-shooting abilities.
- MLive's David Mayo and Brendan Savage argued yesterday that the Pistons should take a look at O.J. Mayo this summer if he opts out of his deal with the Mavs, and Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News joins the chorus, believing the 25-year-old shooting guard would fill the team's need for perimeter scoring.
- Considering the need for a small forward, the health of Anderson Varejao, and the possibility that Marreese Speights leaves for free agency, Terry Pluto of the Plain Dealer discusses the Cavaliers' pressing issues heading into the offseason.
Odds & Ends: Oden, Mavs, Rose, HGH, Kings
Greg Oden and the Cavs appeared to engage in heavy flirtation last night, as the former No. 1 overall pick sat in one of owner Dan Gilbert's courtside seats at the Cavs-Grizzlies game. While Oden regards Cleveland as one of his favored destinations for a return to the league, the Cavs haven't made him an offer, agent Mike Conley Sr. tells Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida (Twitter link). Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld believes the big man will eventually sign with the Heat, based on multiple sources who insist Miami will be his choice, in spite of the ability other teams have to offer him more money and a longer contract (Twitter links). Oden isn't expected to sign with any team until the summer, so we'll likely be hearing plenty more about him in the coming months. In the meantime, here's more from around the league:
- Coach Rick Carlisle expects the Mavs will look at players to fill the roster spot vacated today when the team waived Dominique Jones, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com.
- Bulls GM Gar Forman says there's no rift between Derrick Rose and the team's front office over the timing of the former MVP's return from injury, notes Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune.
- Henry Abbott of ESPN.com reported yesterday that the NBA and the players union were nearing an agreement that would subject players to blood tests for human growth hormone as soon as next season, but Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News hears no deal is close.
- Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com interprets David Stern's call for Sacramento bidders to pour more money into their efforts to buy the Kings as a sign that the commissioner isn't as closely aligned with the city as it might have otherwise appeared.
- Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic caught up with Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, who spoke at length about his push to keep the Kings in town.
- For draft prospects on college teams that might not make it to the NCAA tournament, the week ahead will be their final opportunity to make an impression before the combine. Chad Ford of ESPN.com, in an Insider piece, takes a look at five prospects who could be seeing their last collegiate action.
Pacific Notes: Kings, Nash, Gasol, Patterson
The latest news and notes from around the Pacific Division on Saturday morning:
- Tom Ziller of SBNation.com discusses the importance of David Stern's implication that the Maloofs have no leverage in the sale of the Kings to the Seattle or Sacramento groups.
- Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that Steve Nash is growing increasingly comfortable in his new role on the Lakers.
- Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports that Pau Gasol is still at least two weeks away from returning to action.
- Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com writes that the Kings traded for Patrick Patterson in part because of his close relationship with DeMarcus Cousins dating back to their time as teammates at the University of Kentucky.
- Wendell Maxey of RidiculousUpside.com chronicles Malcolm Thomas' journey from Israel to the D-League to the Warriors.
Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Bucks, Mavs, Rockets
As rumors fly long past the NBA's trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com checks in with a Weekend Dime that's heavy on items about Josh Smith, as well as plenty of news about the Rockets. There's even a link between Smith and Houston, so let's dig in.
- The Bucks came closest to acquiring Smith at the deadline, as a source tells Stein that Atlanta's talks with the Sixers were never as serious as they were with Milwaukee.
- Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that the Hawks nearly sent Smith to the Celtics, but Stein hears Atlanta's brass shared the concerns of many NBA teams that C's basketball president Danny Ainge would get cold feet about dealing one of his stars. Paul Pierce would have been sent to the Mavs in the rumored Smith-to-Boston trade.
- The Hawks preferred to send Smith to the Western Conference, but were rebuffed by the Mavs, who refused to add a draft pick to a package that already included Vince Carter, Chris Kaman, Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright and Dahntay Jones. Many of those Mavericks were also part of the proposed three-way trade with the Celtics.
- If the Rockets don't land top target Dwight Howard this summer, they'll turn their attention to Smith and Andrew Bynum next, sources tell Stein.
- Aaron Brooks forfeited just under $3.4MM in his buyout from the Kings, Stein hears. Brooks was set to make $3.396MM next season on a player option, so presumably the buyout simply entailed him declining that option.
- I took a look in January at all the former Rockets the team still has on the payroll, a list that's since grown even longer, as Stein notes. Houston has waived or bought out 10 players this season, all of whom are still on the team's cap.
- Stein catches up with Thomas Robinson, who was surprised when the Kings drafted him last year and "shocked" when they traded him to the Rockets at the deadline.
- There's a schism in thought around the league about whether Monta Ellis is leaning toward staying with the Bucks next season or exercising his early-termination option to hit free agency this summer.
- Samuel Dalembert is hitting free agency no matter what, but echoing his report before the trade deadline that Milwaukee was no longer trying to move Dalembert, Stein says the Bucks have some interest in re-signing the Haitian center.
Stern: Sacramento Bidders Must Increase Offer
10:28pm: Mark Mastrov is confident his offer will be ready in time to present to NBA owners, as the Bee's Ailene Voisin tweets. "It's early," Mastrov said. "We are working on a very aggressive bid."
9:39pm: Stern said "there is a substantial variance" between the Mastrov and Hansen offers, as Bizjak, Dale Kasler and Ryan Lillis of the Bee note. The report also clarifies that a group of NBA owners will meet to see where bids stand on April 3rd, a few weeks before the April 18th Board of Governors meeting that's expected to decide the outcome of the tug-of-war over the Kings.
9:21pm: There might be other bids that could keep the Kings in Sacramento if the Mastrov-fronted effort falls through, according to Bizjak. Stern said he's spoken with investors other than Mastrov and Ron Burkle, who's a secondary partner in Mastrov's effort, as well as current Kings minority owner John Kehriotis, who's preparing a backup bid for the team (Twitter links).
8:36pm: Commissioner David Stern told reporters in Oakland tonight that the Mark Mastrov-led bid to keep the Kings in Sacramento must come up with more money in order to keep the team in town, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Stern is optimistic the bid will increase, but as of now it's not comparable to the package Chris Hansen and his team of investors has put together to move the team to Seattle (Twitter link).
The Seattle group has an agreement with the Maloof family, which owns the Kings, to commit $341MM for a controlling 65% stake in the team. Mastrov and company have come in with a figure slightly lower than that, though there are mitigating factors, since a Sacramento ownership group wouldn't have to repay a $75MM loan to the city, as anyone who moves the team would have to do.
The NBA's Board of Governors is expected to decide between the competing offers at a meeting in April. Yet unless Mastrov and his partners kick in more money, it might not even get that far, as Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee notes that Stern said the bid must increase to "get to the state of consideration" (Twitter link).
Western Notes: Harden, Warriors, Kings, Mavs
After looking at the NBA's most cap-friendly deals a week ago, Grantland's Bill Simmons returns today with his picks for the league's top 30 worst contracts. Within the piece, Simmons passes along an interesting nugget regarding the Thunder's James Harden trade talks.
Multiple sources tell Simmons that the Warriors were the first team Sam Presti called when he explored a Harden deal, as Oklahoma City hoped to land Klay Thompson. However, Golden State, wary of future tax bills, wanted the Thunder to take back Richard Jefferson or Andris Biedrins, rather than cheaper or shorter-term contracts, which resulted in Presti exploring other options and eventually reaching an agreement with the Rockets.
While the Warriors would have been in line for a huge tax bill for 2013/14 if they'd extended Harden to go along with all the other big-money contracts on their books, it's hard not to be intrigued imagining what a Harden/Stephen Curry backcourt would have looked like.
Here are a few more Friday notes from around the Western Conference:
- Sports marketing expert David Carter spoke to Sam Amick of USA Today about the Kings sale, exploring whether Sacramento is a better basketball market than Seattle, why a public subsidy in Sacramento's arena proposal could appeal to the NBA, and a handful of other topics.
- ESPN.com's Chris Broussard explains why he believes it's in Dwight Howard's best interests to re-sign with the Lakers this summer.
- Another busy summer is in store for the Mavericks, as the team continues to seek a talent that would make Dirk Nowitzki the second-best player on the roster, writes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
- Despite the team's projected cap space, the future isn't looking particularly bright for the Mavericks, according to Gil Lebreton of the Star-Telegram.
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kobe, Richmond, Kings
Following their loss last night in Denver, the Clippers added a 15th man to their roster, signing ex-Sixer Maalik Wayns to a 10-day contract. That's the top headline out of the Pacific so far today, but let's check in on a few other stories from the Clips' division rivals….
- Warriors sources recognize that the team could use an "explosive offensive player" who can make plays off the dribble, according to Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. That's one of the reasons Golden State had interest in Dion Waiters at last year's draft, says Kawakami.
- Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night, Kobe Bryant was asked when he'll retire and said it would happen "soon," although he didn't specify exactly how soon, as Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register writes.
- Mitch Richmond isn't just hoping to keep the Kings in Sacramento and invest in the franchise. He's also eyeing a possible front-office position, writes Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee.
- Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee have the latest details on the Sacramento group's PR effort in its quest to save the Kings.
Western Notes: Wolves, Mavs, Robinson, Kaman
Tonight's NBA schedule only features two games, but they should be good ones. Three of the Western Conference's top five teams will be in action, including the Clippers and Nuggets squaring off in Denver. As we wait for the evening's games to tip off, here are a few updates on Western teams and players:
- The Timberwolves don't intend to put in a waiver claim for Jeremy Tyler, who was released yesterday by the Hawks, but the team is still "kicking around" the idea of signing a big man to a 10-day contract, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. The Wolves have 15 players under contract, so they'd have to waive someone or get an injury exception from the NBA allowing them to add a 16th man.
- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban values the input of Donnie Nelson, Rick Carlisle, and other members of the organization, but as he tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, there will never be any confusion about who has the final say on basketball decisions. "Me, because I have to write the check," Cuban said. "So it’s my ultimate judgment, not so much on which guy, but does he fit economically into the big picture?"
- In an interview with Maurice Bobb of SLAM, Thomas Robinson says he felt disrespected being traded so early in his career by the Kings. However, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) hears that some people around the league believe Sacramento was wise to move Robinson, who one scout says is a player with no position.
- ESPN.com's Joe Kaiser doesn't see a future for Chris Kaman with the Mavericks, so he takes a shot at naming five potential offseason suitors for the free-agent-to-be, including the Trail Blazers.
Odds & Ends: Dieng, Iguodala, Howard, Kennedy
With the NCAA tournament approaching, it won't be long before we begin to receive reports on college underclassmen declaring their intent to enter this year's NBA draft. One player who may leave school early is Louisville junior Gorgui Dieng, who I profiled back in December. As Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com reports, Louisville coach Rick Pitino is nearly certain that Dieng will enter this June's draft class.
"If he is projected as a first-rounder, he is leaving," Pitino said. "And I'm almost sure he'll be taken in the first round."
Here are a few more Wednesday afternoon odds and ends:
- "Every indication" is that if Andre Iguodala opts out of his contract this season, he'll do so to lock up a long-term deal with the Nuggets, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Iguodala has a 2013/14 player option worth about $16.15MM.
- Count George Karl among those who is hoping the Kings remain in Sacramento, as Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. "I think everybody knows I'm a Seattle guy and I want basketball back in Seattle, but I don't want basketball out of Sacramento," the Nuggets coach said. "It's a politically correct answer, but it's a truthful answer on how I feel."
- Dwight Howard told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com, that he'd thought "plenty of times" about how the season may have played out if he hadn't returned from back surgery so quickly. However, Howard doesn't regret his decision to come back early. D12 also mentioned that he has received encouragement from Phil Jackson via text messages.
- Ian Thomsen of SI.com ranks the top ten most powerful people in the NBA, with David Stern beating out LeBron James for the No. 1 spot.
- The Rio Grande Valley Vipers (the Rockets' D-League affiliate) have acquired D.J. Kennedy in a five-player trade, as Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside details. Kennedy, who had a brief NBA stint at the end of last season with the Cavaliers, had been having an excellent year for the Erie BayHawks, averaging 18.8 PPG, 8.3 RPG, and 5.5 APG.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford fielded exclusively draft-related questions in his usual Wednesday chat.