Minor Moves: Gadzuric, Cavs, Ford, Tyler, Cousin
We'll keep tabs on all of Tuesday's notable international and D-League-related moves right here:
- Less than a week after signing with the D-League, Dan Gadzuric has already been traded, and will join the Texas Legends, tweets Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside.
- The Cavaliers have assigned Christian Eyenga and Luke Harangody to the Canton Charge, the team's D-League affiliate, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer (Twitter link). It's the second D-League assignment this season for both players.
- Having finished his one-day stint with the Austin Toros, T.J. Ford has been recalled by the Spurs, the team announced today. Ford is returning from a torn left hamstring that has sidelined him for all but ten games this season.
- The Warriors have recalled Jeremy Tyler from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Tyler played five games for the Dakota Wizards during his assignment, averaging 15.6 points and 7.8 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game.
- Marcus Cousin, not to be confused with DeMarcus Cousins, has signed with Venezuela's Guaiqueries de Margarita, according to Sportando. The 6'11" Cousin appeared in four games with the Jazz last season.
Minor Moves: T.J. Ford
We'll round up any notable international and D-League-related moves here throughout the day:
- The Spurs announced they've assigned T.J. Ford to the Austin Toros for a one-day rehab stint. The Spurs' D-League affiliate doesn't play its next game until Thursday, so Ford will simply practice with the team before rejoining San Antonio on Tuesday. Ford tore his left hamstring earlier in the new year and has missed nearly two months of action.
Kyler On Thunder, Howard, Crawford, Young
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld wraps up his look at trade options for all 30 NBA clubs today, running alphabetically from Oklahoma City through Washington. You can find our recaps of the first two installments in the series here and here. Now, let's round up a few of the highlights from Kyler in part three….
- The Thunder aren't actively engaged in any trade talks, but if they're concerned about Thabo Sefolosha's foot injury lingering, they could look into acquiring a defensive-minded replacement.
- Sources close to the Dwight Howard process say the Magic are at least 50% sure they can keep D12 around for another season, if not longer. If that's the case, a blockbuster trade involving Howard is unlikely. Orlando is working hard to acquire pieces around its star center, though the team's lack of assets is making it a challenge.
- Daniel Orton is "a safe bet" to be traded by the Magic.
- While the 76ers have trade chips, they're unlikely to make a move before the deadline.
- The Suns would gladly move Josh Childress, Hakim Warrick, or Robin Lopez.
- Kyler hears from sources close to Jamal Crawford that the Blazers guard hasn't requested a trade, but that he wouldn't be opposed to being sent to a less chaotic situation.
- The Spurs haven't had "meaningful discussions" with any potential trade partners, and will probably stand pat at the deadline.
- The Raptors may be active in the next ten days, but Toronto continues to turn away proposals for Andrea Bargnani.
- Although the Jazz have some strong trade assets, they probably would want to include Devin Harris in any deals, which could turn off potential suitors for other players.
- Having accepted a qualifying offer from the Wizards this season, Nick Young can veto any deal that sends him out of town. However, Kyler hears that Young would welcome a move.
Spurs Notes: Joseph, Dawson
Tim Griffin and Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News have a couple of minor news updates about Spurs rookies.
- Griffin reports that Cory Joseph, the 29th overall pick in the 2011 draft, has been assigned to the D-League's Austin Toros for the second time this season. Joseph is averaging 1.8PPG and 1.2APG with the Spurs this season.
- Monroe notes that Eric Dawson, recently cut by the Spurs, lost his roster spot for financial reasons, not because of his play.
Odds & Ends: Nash, Beasley, Dawson
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Thursday night:
- The Arizona Republic's Dan Bickley writes that the Suns are taking a risk by not attempting to trade Steve Nash, pointing out that he's a longshot to re-sign in Phoenix after the season.
- HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus explores the possibility of the Lakers making a trade for Michael Beasley after reportedly turning down an offer from the Timberwolves this week.
- The San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald reports that the Spurs are unlikely to re-sign Eric Dawson, who just finished up his first 10-day contract with the team.
Odds & Ends: Rondo, Curry, Lin
With just about every team back in action after the All-Star break, here are a few leap day notes from around the league:
- The Celtics have intensified their efforts to trade Rajon Rondo, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN. Broussard says sources have told him the Celtics consider Rondo to be too high maintenance, and so the team is considering a deal with the Warriors for Stephen Curry that's been percolating since December. Other players would have to be in such a deal for it to work. ESPN's Chris Forsberg also contributed to the report.
- Shabazz Muhammad, a premier college prospect who currently sits atop the class of potential 2013 draftees according to NBADraft.net, could be in trouble with the NCAA, report Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com. The NCAA has informed schools recruiting Muhammad that his amateur status is in question. According to Goodman and Parrish, there are concerns that the 6'5", 210-pound shooting guard has been receiving payments for unofficial visits to campuses, among other benefits. Since NBA draft rules prohibit Muhammad from entering the league until a year after his high school class graduates, he may be forced to head overseas next year.
- Matt Moore of CBSSports.com doesn't see much truth in the rumored swap of Lamar Odom and Steve Nash, unless several other components are involved.
- It seems every other day we find out about another team that came close to signing Jeremy Lin, but whiffed. Today that team is the Italian club Banca Tercas Teramo, reports Adam Zagoria of SNY. The team was "extremely close" to signing him, Lin said, but they went with Charles Jenkins instead.
- The Chris Paul trade may have transformed the Clippers, but since amnesty claim Chauncey Billups was lost for the year with an Achilles' tear, the Clips have gone 5-5 and appear to have lost their mojo, as Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times examines.
- Before handing the Spurs just their second home loss of the season, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau praised San Antonio's ability to identify and nurture the talent necessary to keep the team on top, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago. Thibodeau hopes the Bulls can copy that model.
- Jazz swingman Josh Howard, an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, has responded well since Raja Bell's injury forced him into the starting lineup, notes Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune.
Odds & Ends: Howard, Lakers, Durant, Nash
With the likes of Chase Budinger and Jeremy Evans among the Slam Dunk contestants set to do battle on Saturday evening in Orlando, let's take a look around the league to see what else is happening:
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel (via Twitter) says he's having a hard time with Dwight Howard's constant line of wanting to push aside distractions and focus on winning. It's Howard, not anyone else, who has created such distractions by making trade demands and by telling his agent to ask for permission to pursue possible deals.
- Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com is looking forward to the NBA trade deadline (March 15) and wonders if the Lakers should blow up their roster now or simply wait until the summer. He says that the Celtics are in a similar situation, but is excited to see another group of aging players in the Spurs continue to do well and perhaps threaten for an NBA Finals appearance.
- Kevin Durant believes the Hornets can rebuild their franchise through the draft in a similar fashion to his own team, writes John Reid of The Times-Picayune. ''Losing C.P. and David West was tough for the Hornets, but they have Trevor Ariza and I like Gustavo Ayon. You know it's just a matter of time before everything starts to click. But losing your point guard in a lockout shortened season is tough. I love Monty for what he does and stands for.''
- Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com says Steve Nash believes Jeremy Lin is the type of player that can succeed in any type of NBA system. While Lin is expected to re-sign with the Knicks this summer, such an endorsement from a marquee player may go a long way to drive up the asking price for the restricted free agent.
Southwest Notes: Anderson, Odom, Hornets
If the NBA season ended today, the Southwest would be the only division to send four teams to the postseason. Only the Hornets would fall short, with the Spurs, Mavericks, Rockets, and Grizzlies already a combined 31 games over .500 (81-50). Let's check in on the latest updates from one of the league's strongest divisions….
- James Anderson's agent has encouraged the Spurs to trade his client, reports Buck Harvey of the San Antonio-Express News (via Twitter). The 22-year-old has appeared in 49 career games (11.2 MPG) for the Spurs since San Antonio drafted him 20th overall in 2010. While Anderson may not be receiving as much playing time as he'd like, it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to leave a team on an 11-game winning streak.
- Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle says expectations for Lamar Odom should be kept in check, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas. "I would love for Lamar to be the kind of high-impact player that he is supposedly advertised as being," Carlisle said. "But the truth is, he has been a consistent player…. I think we’re really looking for spectacular things from him on a night-in, night-out basis; that’s not who he is." Odom's 9.8 PER since joining the Mavs in a preseason trade is a significant drop-off from his career rate entering the year (17.1).
- The Hornets are going through some growing pains, but GM Dell Demps tells John DeShazier of the Times-Picayune that he's happy to see some of the team's young players get an opportunity to play.
Spurs Sign Eric Dawson
The Spurs have signed Eric Dawson to a 10-day contract, the team announced today. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter) first reported that San Antonio would sign the 27-year-old.
Manu Ginobli (strained oblique) and Tiago Splitter (sprained calf) both suffered injuries this week, so Dawson will provide some depth while the Spurs get healthy. The 6'9" forward had been playing for the D-League's Austin Toros, averaging 15.9 PPG and 10.1 RPG on 56.3% shooting in 18 games. Dawson has yet to make his NBA debut.
Odds & Ends: Martin, Hickson, Ginobili
Yesterday’s game between the Clippers and Spurs was one of the most exciting endings we’ve seen this season. Here’s a bit of news regarding some of the players involved in that exciting finish, as well as some others notes from around the league.
- Clippers forward Kenyon Martin told SI.com’s Sam Amick that upon his return, Carmelo Anthony will be more than helpful in making the Knicks an even more potent team than they already are. Martin also said that he doesn’t appreciate George Karl’s remarks regarding Anthony as a selfish player.
- Even though Omri Casspi hasn’t played lights out basketball since joining the Cavaliers, FoxSportsOhio.com’s Sam Amico says the team was right to acquire him in exchange for J.J. Hickson. In Amico’s story, one Western Conference general manager said if the Kings knew exactly what they were getting with Hickson, they never would’ve made the deal.
- After suffering an oblique injury in yesterday’s win against the Clippers, Spurs guard Manu Ginobili will head back to San Antonio for treatment as his team continues on their west coast road trip, according to the San Antonio Express’ Mike Monroe. Ginobili said the injury wasn’t as bad as he originally thought, and that his anti-inflammatory medicine is already working.