California Rumors: Lakers, Lee, Fredette
Injuries to Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar have left the Lakers short on point guards, and they planned to assess the progress of Nash’s recovery in practice this week before exploring the idea of a roster move. Nash isn’t rushing his return, but another player who’s back to health might fit the bill. Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni tells reporters that Kobe Bryant will see time at the point when he makes his season debut Sunday against the Raptors (Twitter link). Here’s more from the state with the most NBA teams:
- The Warriors place a high value on David Lee, and his bloated contract, worth nearly $44.4MM through 2016/17, virtually ensures the team won’t find offers worthwhile enough to trade him, tweets Tim Kawakami of the Bay Area News Group.
- James Ham of Cowbell Kingdom hears from a source that there was nothing substantial to a recent report that the Raptors were talking to the Kings about acquiring Jimmer Fredette, and spoke to Fredette about being the subject of trade rumors.
- The Kings recalled Hamady N’Diaye from the D-League in time for tonight’s game against the Jazz, according to a press release. N’Diaye appeared in just one game for the Reno Bighorns during his assignment, contributing to a win over the Santa Cruz Warriors by recording seven points, seven boards, and four blocked shots.
- The Los Angeles D-Fenders, the D-League affiliate of the Lakers, announced their acquisition of former Cavs swingman Manny Harris in a trade (on Twitter). Harris was in an NBA training camp this fall with the Magic.
Luke Adams contributed to this post.
Kings, Raptors In Talks On Jimmer Fredette Deal?
11:14am: Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee hears conflicting information, and suggests that no talks are ongoing. Still, the connection between Raptors GM Masai Ujiri and Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro, who worked together in the Nuggets front office, should lead to plenty of rumors, Jones points out (All Twitter links).
10:43am: The Kings and Raptors are discussing a swap of Jimmer Fredette for Aaron Gray, tweets Kevin Bryant of Canada.com. The one-to-one deal would be a near even match of salaries, and it could take place before December 15th, since neither player signed new contracts in the offseason.
Fredette has been a frequent trade candidate, and Sacramento’s decision to decline its 2014/15 team option on him means he’s on an expiring contract, perhaps lifting his value. Gray is also in the last year of his deal. Fredette, the 10th overall pick in 2011, has appeared in just six games so far for the Kings, averaging 12.2 minutes per contest. Gray has seen even less playing time, appearing for a total of 20 minutes this season.
The Kings were reportedly taking an aggressive posture in trade talks as of last month, and they’ve already pulled off one deal, acquiring Derrick Williams for Luc Mbah a Moute. Hoops Rumors readers identified Fredette as the second most logical trade candidate, though I’m not sure if many would endorse a trade for so little in return. Gray is the 49th overall pick from the 2007 draft, and apart from having managed to stay in the league each season since, he doesn’t have much to offer in exchange for a former lottery pick. Perhaps there’s more to this deal, even though the salaries match. Both teams are interested in a swap, but there’s nothing imminent at this point, Bryant notes (Twitter link).
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.
Poll: Who Will Win The Atlantic Division?
The futility of the Eastern Conference has been a major theme of the first few weeks of the NBA season. Eastern teams have now played the equivalent of a full season’s worth of games against Western Conference clubs, and have compiled an abysmal 23-60 record, good for a .277 winning percentage.
As bad as the East has been, the Southeast and Central divisions at least each have an elite team at the top of the standings. The Pacers are off to a 16-2 start, while the defending champions in Miami have gone 14-3. In the Atlantic, however, the division-leading Raptors are just 6-10.
Toronto was expected to be a borderline playoff contender this season, and many pundits pegged the Celtics and 76ers for spots near the bottom of the conference. The Atlantic’s two New York teams have been the real disappointments, combining to go just 8-25 so far. The Knicks have lost nine games in a row and are now tied for the NBA’s worst record at 3-13, and the Nets’ 5-12 mark isn’t much better.
It’s easy to say that at least one of the New York teams will turn things around, but we’re nearly a quarter of the way through the season, and neither team has shown signs of improvement so far. When we asked over the weekend whether the Nets and Knicks would make the playoffs, the most popular answer suggested neither team would earn a spot.
So what do you think? Which team ultimately ends up at the top of the division that’s on pace to be the worst ever in any major North American sport?
Who will win the Atlantic Division?
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Toronto Raptors 24% (292)
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Brooklyn Nets 22% (275)
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New York Knicks 21% (259)
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Boston Celtics 19% (237)
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Philadelphia 76ers 14% (170)
Total votes: 1,233
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Raptors, DeRozan, Knicks
Will the Knicks trade Iman Shumpert? Two Knicks beat writers who don’t agree on much seem to think that the strong play of Tim Hardaway Jr. coupled with Shumpert’s recent confrontation with star Carmelo Anthony makes him even more available. Tonight’s look at the Atlantic Division..
- When Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett moved on from the Celtics, they warned Avery Bradley that the rebuilding process wouldn’t be easy, writes Shams Charania of RealGM. “They told me this was going to be hard,” Bradley said. “At some point in their careers, they both played on teams that were very young, and that’s how our team is now. It takes time, but if everybody buys into what we’re trying to do, everything works out.”
- With the Raptors‘ struggles starting to wear on DeMar DeRozan, Eric Koreen of the National Post wonders if it’s time for Toronto to trade him. Outside of the struggling Jonas Valanciunas, DeRozan is likely the most valuable commodity on the Raptors’ roster and he is playing the best basketball of his career.
- As if the Knicks didn’t have enough problems, offseason pickup Metta World Peace got into it with teammate Kenyon Martin, sources tell Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. One has to imagine that the club’s recent discord doesn’t bode well for coach Mike Woodson.
Odds & Ends: Tanking, DeRozan, Vucevic
While ownership, team executives, and coaches may sometimes choose to tank games (usually referred to by some as “focusing on the future”), Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld writes that players aren’t in on it, especially if they’re trying to prove themselves or avoiding the possibility that their potential replacement gets drafted.
Here’s more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes:
- Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (via Twitter) wonders if the Raptors should look to move DeMar DeRozan while his value is high, especially if they can’t find a taker for Rudy Gay.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel writes that the Magic are trying to figure out center Nikola Vucevic‘s worth and thinks that the potential numbers on an extension could be between what Larry Sanders and Nikola Pekovic got from their respective teams this past summer.
- Looking back at how his tenure as the Trail Blazers’ head coach came to an end, Pacers assistant Nate McMillan tells Joe Freeman of the Oregonian that his one regret was trying to fit Gerald Wallace into the starting lineup (to keep the veteran from becoming disgruntled) despite Nicolas Batum needing the development.
- ESPN looked to 5 of its writers to give their thoughts on how much hope that Knicks, Nets, Cavaliers, Bulls, and Lakers fans should have moving forward this season.
- Hoopsworld’s Moke Hamilton discusses what he calls the “Derrick Rose dilemma” for Chicago – deciding whether or not to stay the course or start tear down the current team in order to build for the future.
- Although it’s possible that the Bulls will make a move or two to address the team’s current situation, Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times points out that the return of Jimmy Butler to the lineup will help and how Chicago already proved they can at least stay competitive during the regular season without Rose.
Atlantic Links: Raptors, Livingston, Knicks
The Raptors weren’t among the list of teams initially reported to be a possible suitor for Dion Waiters, but Doug Smith of the Toronto Star says GM Masai Ujiri has surely considered Waiters and thought about whether there’s a deal to be made. That’s not to say that Toronto is pursuing Waiters, but if there are players on the trade market even a little interesting to Ujiri, he’ll be making calls and weighing those options, says Smith.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News takes a look at Shaun Livingston‘s long road back to NBA relevancy, following injuries that wiped out several years early in his career. Livingston, who is on a one-year contract with the Nets, has recorded a career-high 14.7 PER so far this season, while his 24.7 minutes per game are the most he’s averaged since 2006/07.
- You can debate whether or not Knicks coach Mike Woodson has lost Iman Shumpert, but Woodson has taken preemptive steps to ensure he doesn’t lose the rest of the team, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
- Having lost Jason Kidd and other veteran players over the summer, the Knicks are lacking chemistry and leadership, in Carmelo Anthony‘s opinion. Peter Botte of the New York Daily News has the details.
- Gerald Wallace, Evan Turner, and Shumpert are among the trade candidates to watch this season, says Lang Greene of HoopsWorld, as he examines a few players believed to be on the block.
Eastern Notes: Amar’e, Raptors, Bulls, Magic
Knicks owner James Dolan spoke glowingly of Amar’e Stoudemire last week, telling the New York Post that he has no regrets about the signing and that he credits Stoudemire for making the team a desirable landing spot for players like Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler. As Marc Berman of the New York Post details, Stoudemire was appreciative of Dolan’s comments, and indicated that he hopes to get healthy and productive again for the Knicks.
“My mission is to become a great player and hopefully become a future Hall of Famer,’’ Stoudemire said. “My goal is to do it in New York, to finish out my career here. That’s the goal. That’s the mission — trying to get better and better and try to dodge injuries.”
Here’s more from around the East:
- GM Masai Ujiri and the new decision-making group in the Raptors‘ front office are trying their best to be patient and evaluate the roster before making any changes, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune argues that, with Derrick Rose sidelined for another season, the Bulls ought to blow up the current roster and do what it takes to become a lottery team. However, a team source tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that Chicago has “no interest in playing the draft lottery.” Given how weak the Eastern Conference looks this year, it would likely take several big moves for the Bulls to bottom out, so I’d be surprised if they chose that route.
- Expect the Magic to be active in exploring potential trades this season, but they won’t make a move unless it advances their long-term goals, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
- In addition to discussing the Sixers‘ surprising start and his success early on in the season, Evan Turner said he isn’t thinking about his uncertain future with the team, according to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Stoudemire, Nets
Knicks owner James Dolan reportedly told the team’s coaches before the season that he expects them to win the championship this year, but Marc Berman of the New York Post hears that the owner never said he “expects” a title, and didn’t issue any edict. Dolan nonetheless said recently in a rare public statement that he thinks the team is one of many that could win it all this year. For now, that seems like a pipe dream for the 3-9 Knicks and everyone else in the Atlantic Division, where all five teams are below .500. Here’s more from the division that’s been the NBA’s worst so far:
- Amar’e Stoudemire wants to retire as a member of the Knicks and tells reporters, including Berman, that he has a genuine affection for Dolan.
- Garnett told reporters on Friday that, “You’re going to have the business of basketball come into play, I’m sure, and management is probably going to do what they’ve got to do,” and Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News sees it as a hint at roster changes for the Nets.
- Celtics forward Gerald Wallace isn’t as surprised as most that the Nets are struggling, having figured the team would sputter at first without having had much experience playing together, observes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- It’s an awkward fit for Wallace and three other veterans Boston acquired in its blockbuster offseason trade with Brooklyn, but Celtics GM Danny Ainge isn’t concerned they’ll become disruptive malconents, as fellow Herald scribe Mark Murphy notes.
- Doug Smith of the Toronto Star answers reader mail and shares his thoughts on the Raptors, believing GM Masai Ujiri will be hesitant to take on much long-term salary in a trade this year.
Coach/GM Rumors: Jazz, Wizards, Raps, Cavs
It may seem a little early in the season for any NBA teams to make a coaching change, but it’s worth noting that each of the league’s 30 coaches have already survived twice as long this year as Mike Brown did with the Lakers a year ago. While there may not be any coaching or front office shake-ups right around the corner, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com examines situations of potential unrest around the league, offering up a few tidbits along the way. Let’s round them up….
- Despite leading the Jazz to a 1-12 start, coach Tyrone Corbin doesn’t appear to be in any danger, since the focus in Utah is on player development rather than wins and losses. Berger adds that there’s also no logical in-house candidate to serve as an interim coach now that former assistant Jeff Hornacek is in Phoenix.
- League sources question how much longer Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld “can remain in self-preservation mode,” says Berger.
- If the Wizards and Raptors continue losing, Randy Wittman and Dwane Casey could be in a dead heat for the first coach to be replaced. According to Berger, the feeling around the league is that new Toronto president Masai Ujiri would be quick to make a change and start putting his own stamp on the franchise if things go south for Casey and the Raptors.
- Cavaliers GM Chris Grant is on “shaky ground,” sources tell Berger. While coach Mike Brown may have pushed for the drafting of Anthony Bennett, Brown just signed a four-year contract with the team, so Grant’s seat is much hotter than his coach’s.
- Pelicans GM Dell Demps and Pistons GM Joe Dumars are among the other executives who could be in danger of losing their jobs if their respective teams aren’t in the playoff hunt, writes Berger.