Eastern Notes: Frank, Bulls, Beasley
The Eastern Conference will have a few chances to improve its dismal record against the West tonight, as the Cavs and Hawks host the Nuggets and Clippers respectively, while the Pacers play in Utah. As we look forward to a night of NBA action, let’s check out a few items from around the East….
- Having been demoted by the Nets, Lawrence Frank will retain “high-powered” legal counsel, likely in the hopes of working out a buyout agreement with the team, a source tells Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. As various reports have noted since Frank’s “re-assignment” yesterday, the Brooklyn assistant signed a lucrative six-year contract with the club this summer.
- In spite of Derrick Rose‘s season-ending injury, the Bulls are still excited about their future, GM Gar Forman said on ESPN Radio on Tuesday. Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com has the key quotes from Forman.
- Along with ESPN’s Scoop Jackson and Doug Padilla, Friedell debates whether the Bulls believe they’ll re-sign Luol Deng next summer, in a separate piece.
- Given the way Michael Beasley has played this season, it’s clear that at least one of the Heat‘s two non-guaranteed players will have his salary guaranteed, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Roger Mason is the other Miami player on a non-guaranteed contract.
- Beasley ranks among the best bargain signings of the offseason, according to Lang Greene of HoopsWorld, who also includes Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll in his list.
D-League Updates: Teague, Schröder, Marshall
The Rockets were upset by the Jazz on Monday, but had won eight of their previous nine games before that, and are comfortably in the playoff picture in a competitive Western Conference. So far though, Houston’s D-League affiliate is off to an even better start. Led by Rockets camp invitee Troy Daniels, as well as assignees Isaiah Canaan and Robert Covington, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers sit atop the D-League standings with a 5-0 record, and have averaged an incredible 133.4 points per game so far.
Here are a few more Wednesday notes from around the D-League:
- Bulls GM Gar Forman indicated yesterday that Marquis Teague wouldn’t have a long-term stay in the D-League, but Forman probably didn’t expect to recall Teague quite so early. The Bulls guard has been recalled from the Iowa Energy due to Mike James‘ knee injury, according to the team. “As soon as I landed they told me to come right back,” Teague told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).
- The Hawks have assigned rookie guard Dennis Schröder to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The 20-year-old has appeared in just 11 of 19 games for Atlanta this season, so he should see more playing time in the D-League. Schröder will join Hawks teammate Jared Cunningham on the Bakersfield Jam.
- The Delaware 87ers made their acquisition of Kendall Marshall official today, sending out a press release to formally announce the addition of last year’s 13th overall pick.
Odds & Ends: Nets, Shaw, Odom, Hansbrough
Divergent coaching styles and philosophies ultimately prompted Jason Kidd to demote Nets assistant coach Lawrence Frank, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com, but that doesn’t appear to be the only reason for the move. Frank has been badmouthing Kidd around the league, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has additional details on the troubled relationship between the two coaches. Here’s more on the Nets soap opera and the rest of the NBA:
- The Nets maintain their strong support of Kidd, and they still believe he’ll develop into an effective head coach, Mannix writes. Brian Shaw, whom the Nets passed on when they hired Kidd, has “thrilled” Nuggets brass so far, Mannix notes via Twitter.
- Lamar Odom isn’t yet performing basketball drills in workouts, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. The earliest he could be ready to play is mid-January, Berger hears. The Clippers appear in no rush to sign him, even with other teams in the mix.
- Tyler Hansbrough wasn’t pleased with his limited role on the Pacers last season, and while he signed with the Raptors hoping to be a more integral part of his team, he never expected to become the starter he is now, as Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun details.
- A short-term injury to Mike James will force the Bulls to cut Marquis Teague‘s D-League assignment short, reports K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. The Bulls are down to 10 healthy players, but they don’t plan on signing anyone, Johnson says.
- Amid a rough week for the top four college prospects, Kansas center Joel Embiid‘s performance made him a legitimate candidate to become the No. 1 overall pick in June, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his latest Insider piece on the draft landscape.
L.A. Notes: Nash, Luxury Tax, Frank
The two New York teams are making plenty of headlines lately, thanks in large measure to their poor play. There’s lots of drama going on in Los Angeles, too, where the Clippers are mulling a Lamar Odom signing and the Lakers await the returns of Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash. Here’s the latest on both teams, including an update on Nash:
- The Lakers had reportedly planned to gauge Nash’s progress in practice this week before deciding whether to pursue another point guard, but Nash said he isn’t rushing his recovery in light of Jordan Farmar‘s injury, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Nash doubts he’ll return in time for the team’s next game on Friday.
- The Clippers are set to pay the luxury tax for the first time in franchise history, and Mark Deeks of ShamSports explains why now might be the right time, as part of a piece for SB Nation that juxtaposes L.A.’s tax quandary with that of the Thunder. There’s a risk the expenditure could go for naught, as in the case of the Bulls, but it could help the Clippers re-sign Blake Griffin in a few years.
- Doc Rivers tried to recruit Lawrence Frank to join the Clippers coaching staff this summer, but the Nets wooed Rivers’ former Celtics assistant with a six-year deal worth more than $1MM per year, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter links). Frank and Nets head coach Jason Kidd appear to be at loggerheads.
Eastern Rumors: Knicks, Nets, Frank, Bulls
This morning, we rounded up several of the latest rumors out of New York, with both the Nets and Knicks off to brutal starts to the 2013/14 season. Throughout the day, a few more Nets and Knicks items have trickled in, along with a few updates on their Eastern Conference rivals. Let’s dive in and check in on the latest….
- Ian Begley of ESPN New York hears from league sources with knowledge of Knicks trade talks that GM Steve Mills has been citing Mike Woodson‘s coaching as a reason why Iman Shumpert has struggled this season. According to one source: “They’re saying that Shumpert’s a better player [than he’s shown], but Woodson isn’t using him right.”
- Carmelo Anthony acknowledged that Knicks players are concerned about Woodson’s job security, but stressed that the blame should fall on the players rather than on the coach. Begley has the details and quotes in a separate piece.
- Asked about a report that indicated he wants to be traded, Mirza Teletovic denied knowing anything about it, according to Newsday’s Rod Boone (via Twitter).
- Nets assistant Lawrence Frank has been re-assigned, and will no longer be on the bench for games, Jason Kidd told reporters today, citing “different philosophies” (Twitter links via Howard Beck of Bleacher Report).
- GM Gar Forman told ESPN Radio in Chicago that he still hopes to work out a new deal with Luol Deng next summer, but Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com believes the Bulls will want Deng to accept a hometown discount. In a column, Friedell explains why there’s no better time than the present for Forman and the Bulls to trade deng.
- The Bulls assigned Marquis Teague to the Iowa Energy earlier today, but according to Forman, Teague’s stint won’t be long-term — the young point guard could be assigned and recalled occasionally throughout the season (Twitter link via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune).
- Examining the Wizards in a column for The Score, Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com suggests the acquisition of Marcin Gortat should be the last move the team makes this year that involves adding a veteran with little upside. In fact, Washington shouldn’t rule out trading away a veteran like Trevor Ariza in the right deal, says Deeks.
Teague, Roberson Assigned To D-League
Derrick Rose‘s season-ending knee injury was expected to result in an increased role for Bulls point guard Marquis Teague. However, for at least the short term, Teague will play for the D-League’s Iowa Energy rather than for the Bulls. Chicago announced today that the team has assigned Teague to its D-League affiliate.
Teague, 20, received a bump in minutes for the Bulls in the three games following Rose’s injury, but failed to score a single point in about 45 minutes of action in those contests, missing all 11 shots he attempted from the field. While the Bulls don’t use their D-League affiliate often, they’ll take advantage of the opportunity to get the 2012 first-round pick more developmental time, as Kirk Hinrich and Mike James handle point guard duties in Chicago.
Meanwhile, the Thunder have also made their first D-League assignment of the year, announcing that Andre Roberson will join the Tulsa 66ers. Oklahoma City used its D-League affiliate more than any other NBA team in 2012/13, so this likely won’t be the last time we see Roberson assigned to the 66ers. The 22-year-old rookie out of Colorado has appeared briefly in six games for the Thunder so far this season.
To keep tabs on all of this season’s D-League assignments, be sure to check out our full list.
Odds & Ends: Booker, Kobe, Wade, Exum
After receiving eight DNP-Coach’s Decisions this year, Trevor Booker is none too pleased with the Wizards. A source close to the power forward said recently that if the Wizards don’t extend him a qualifying offer and let him become an unrestricted free agent, he would look elsewhere for employment based on how the season has gone, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. It’s been a strange quarter-season for Booker, who started the first three games of the season but has seen little burn since. More from around the Association..
- Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com looks at how Kobe Bryant‘s lucrative two-year extension could affect the Heat and Dwyane Wade.
- In today’s column, David Aldridge of NBA.com looks at how Kobe’s deal will affect the Lakers over the next couple of years.
- Dante Exum is a mortal lock to go top five in the 2014 Draft, but he says that he hasn’t decided whether to go pro, writes Joe Pierik of the Sydney Morning Herald. ”To be honest, I haven’t been thinking about it too much,’‘ Exum said. ”I am back home but my mum is still in Singapore, so she is going to head back soon. After that I will make my decision with my whole family. I want to get it done by February. It shouldn’t be too hard [a decision] to make. But I just want to make sure I use my time right so I make the right decision.’‘
- The Bulls might be thinking about rebuilding or retooling in the wake of Derrick Rose‘s injury, but Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com isn’t sure if coach Tom Thibodeau would be on board for that.
- Guard Jose Calderon is going out of his way to assist rookie point guards Gal Mekel and Shane Larkin with their transition to the NBA, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. While coach Rick Carlisle appreciates Calderon passing along his veteran wisdom, he says he’s more concerned with seeing him back on the hardwood. Calderon is currently dealing with a bone bruise on his right ankle.
- The Lakers announced that they have recalled Ryan Kelly back from their D-League affiliate, the L.A. D-Fenders. To keep track of all of this year’s D-Leage assignments, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
Eastern Rumors: Shumpert, Afflalo, Cavs
Following up on Carmelo Anthony‘s recent comments suggesting that the Knicks were missing the veteran leadership of players like Jason Kidd, Rasheed Wallace, and Kurt Thomas, Mike Woodson agreed, but stressed that the team must move on.
“They’re not here this season and they’re not going to walk through that door,” Woodson said of those ex-Knicks, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday. “We’ve got to go with what we have. And I think what we have is good enough to win with.”
Let’s round up a few more stories on the Knicks and several other Eastern Conference teams…
- In their stories on the Knicks‘ Sunday loss to the Pelicans, Marc Berman of the New York Post and Frank Isola of the New York Daily News both suggest that the strong play of Tim Hardaway Jr. and Iman Shumpert‘s confrontation with Carmelo Anthony might make Shumpert even more available.
- Arron Afflalo is playing the best ball of his career so far this season, which could put him in the All-Star conversation, but also means his trade value may never be higher. Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel takes a look at Afflalo’s unusual situation with the Magic.
- In addressing the possibility of the Cavaliers starting Anthony Bennett at small forward, Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio passes along a tidbit from a scout this past offseason. In the scout’s opinion, no matter what other moves the Cavs made, “if they’re still starting [Alonzo Gee] at small forward, they’re not gonna be that great.”
- While many Bulls fans would like to see the team tank and grab a pick near the top of a strong 2014 draft, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times cautions against that approach. Speaking to Cowley, Bulls GM Gar Forman suggests it’s possible to find value in the first round no matter where the team’s pick lands.
Eastern Rumors: Marquis Teague, Beasley, Bosh
The Bulls and Heat were perhaps the strongest Eastern Conference title contenders to start the season, but they’ve taken divergent paths, thanks to Derrick Rose‘s injury. The Bulls probably won’t win the title this year, while the Heat appear only to have the Pacers in their way as they try for their fourth straight conference title. Here’s more from Chicago and Miami:
- There were four teams interested in trading for Marquis Teague at the start of the season, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. The Wolves and Jazz were reportedly two of them, but it’s not clear who the other teams were or if any clubs maintain their interest. The Bulls have hoped that Teague would improve this year, with Kirk Hinrich set to hit free agency.
- Michael Beasley‘s has assumed a “significant” role on the Heat, coach Erik Spoelstra says. It’s Spoelstra’s strongest endorsement of Beasley this year, observes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald, who examines how the team’s minimum-salary gamble is paying dividends so far. Beasley’s deal remains non-guaranteed.
- The Heat might be able to find a better bargain on the free agent market in the summer, but Chris Bosh‘s slow start has done nothing to affect his value to the Heat this season, as Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes in his mailbag column.
Central Links: Cavs, Asik, George, Hinrich
The Pacers are the class of the NBA, but next they face a tough Western road trip that includes tough tests against the Clippers, Blazers, Spurs and Thunder. The only breather appears to be their matchup with the league-worst Jazz. There’s more from Indiana as we check the latest from the Central:
- The Cavs have “kicked the tires” on Omer Asik in the past, writes Bob Finnan of The News-Herald. It’s not clear when Cleveland showed interest in the Rockets center, but it doesn’t appear from the report like the Cavs are in on him now.
- In the same piece, Finnan asserts that the Cavs shouldn’t trade Dion Waiters because he might be the team’s best player, even with Kyrie Irving around. Irving is off to a slow start, but Waiters hasn’t been any better statistically, so I’m not sure that part of the argument holds any water.
- Paul George spoke to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune this week about a variety of topics, including whether he gave thought to signing with a glamour team in free agency before he agreed to a long-term extension with the Pacers. “Of course everyone does, but you have to look at the bigger picture and the bigger picture here is we’re all young, we did so well last year, we have a core group of guys who are going to be here for a while,” George said. “There’s no need to go to a big market when I have a market where I can win here.”
- George also told Zgoda about his predraft workout with the Timberwolves in 2010, revealing that they didn’t show much interest in him because they were sold on Wesley Johnson. George, the 10th pick that year, still holds a grudge against the nine teams that passed him up, as Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star details.
- The Bulls signed Kirk Hinrich last year with the thinking that they’d reduce his role this season, but the 32-year-old soon-to-be free agent is again a key player for the team after another Derrick Rose injury, observes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.