Odds & Ends: Bogut, Gasol, Kings
Peter Vecsey, in the same column in which he revealed the Knicks as potential suitors for Dwight Howard, hears that the Bucks are "definitely open to offers" for Andrew Bogut, who's currently out with a fractured left ankle. He also says the rumored signing of Rasheed Wallace by the Lakers lends credibility to the idea that the team could send Pau Gasol to the Celtics for Rajon Rondo and Jermaine O'Neal. Here's the rest of what's being whispered around All-Star weekend.
- Restricted free agent Wilson Chandler's Chinese team has been eliminated from the playoffs, and he's expecting FIBA clearance soon, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld. Yesterday we noted that Chandler's clearance has been delayed. He's been a target of the Nuggets, his former team, and the Raptors of late.
- A meeting today between Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, the Maloof brothers and league officials could be make-or-break for the city's hopes to keep the Kings, writes Sacramento Bee columnist Ailene Voisin.
- Ken Berger of CBSSports.com delves into the finer points of the lockout negotiations, and notes how close the league came to canceling the entire season.
- Celtics team president Danny Ainge and coach Doc Rivers must turn into salesmen to attract top free agent talent to Boston as the team looks to replace its aging core, writes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
- To get the Hornets to trade Chris Kaman to the Heat, it would take Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, a price Miami is unwilling to pay, observes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
- Swingman Mike Dunleavy, who signed a two-year, $7.5MM free-agent deal with the Bucks this past offseason, is getting comfortable in what was already familiar territory in Wisconsin, writes Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. It's worth noting, though, that Dunleavy's dad is part of what's reportedly the leading potential ownership group for the Hornets.
- Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside chronicles the fall of one-time top prospect Reeves Nelson.
- Fred Kerber of the New York Post looks at how free-agent-to-be Deron Williams is showcasing his talents with little help in New Jersey.
Wilson Chandler’s NBA Return Delayed
According to Yahoo! Sports writer Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter), free-agent forward Wilson Chandler may have to continue to wait before he can sign with a team thanks to the China Basketball Association. The CBA is refusing to provide Chandler with a letter of clearance, which would grant him the ability to play in the NBA. While Chandler will file an appeal with hopes of reaching a resolution within a week, there is a possibility that an agreement may not be reached until mid-March.
Chandler had reached an agreement with his team, the Zhejiang Lions, to release him from his contract once he helped the squad secure a playoff spot. Unfortunately for the former first-round pick, the CBA has full control over the letter of clearance rather than his team. Currently a restricted free-agent, the fifth-year player out of DePaul is being recruited heavily by the Raptors but is expected to return to the Nuggets.
After arriving in Denver via the Carmelo Anthony trade just over one year ago, Chandler averaged 12.5 PPG and 5.0 RPG during 21 regular season games before struggling during the playoffs.
Teams With Cap Space
Earlier this morning, we heard that the Pacers are exploring the trade market in search of a roster addition or two. Indiana is in a unique situation, with an incredible amount of cap space and no obligation to spend to reach the minimum cap requirements. While the Pacers' current cap figure falls well short of the minimum required team salary (85% of the cap), James Posey's amnestied $7.6MM salary counts for floor purposes, so the Pacers can stand pat if they so choose.
Although no other club has nearly the cap room Indiana does this season, there are a handful of under-the-cap teams who could make a move without having to use a mid-level or trade exception. Let's run through them, from the team with the most cap space (Indiana) to the least (Houston).
Indiana Pacers
Approximate cap space: $14.27MM
I don't expect the Pacers to make any moves for players under contract past this season. Indiana has a number of players on rookie scale contracts who will start to get more expensive over the next couple years, so the team won't want to chew up future cap space unless it can land a young, talented player. A rental player on an expiring contract is more likely, and I still think Indiana makes sense as the most likely destination for Chris Kaman.
Sacramento Kings
Approximate cap space: $9.43MM
While the Kings have a relatively affordable squad, they don't have quite the same flexibility the Pacers do. With nearly all its players under contract through next season, Sacramento is poised to increase its cap figure significantly this summer if it hopes to sign its lottery pick and hang onto restricted free agents like Jason Thompson, J.J. Hickson, and Donte Greene. Between the Kings' lack of expiring deals and its spot near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, I don't think we'll see Sacramento taking advantage of its cap space this season. The Kings need to add about $723K to reach the minimum salary requirement, but that amount is minimal enough that they may simply accept the end-of-season surcharge.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Approximate cap space: $7.21MM
Here's an interesting case. While it's widely assumed Cleveland will be looking to trade players like Antawn Jamison and Ramon Sessions this March, I'm not sure that'll be the case. The team has talked repeatedly about wanting to gain playoff experience, and as the current ninth seed in the East, it's not out of the realm of possibility. With Jamison's salary coming off the books this summer, the Cavs could afford to add a player who is under contract past this season and still have a ton of cap space in future seasons. If the Cavs can find a player that helps them this season and isn't too expensive going forward, I wouldn't be surprised if they pulled the trigger.
Toronto Raptors
Approximate cap space: $4.3MM
While the Raptors would probably love to use this cap room to sign Wilson Chandler to an offer sheet, any contract they offered Chandler could easily be matched by the Nuggets. If the Raptors make moves before the deadline, they're more likely to become sellers, gaining even more cap room to take advantage of this summer.
Washington Wizards
Approximate cap space: $2.17MM
Like the Raptors, the out-of-contention Wizards will be looking for deals that create even more cap space. They almost certainly won't use their remaining cap room to acquire anyone.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Approximate cap space: $1.2MM
Golden State Warriors
Approximate cap space: $813K
Houston Rockets
Approximate cap space: $777K
These three teams consider themselves playoff contenders, and should all be active on the trade market, trying to upgrade their rosters. However, their cap space isn't significant enough to play a major role in any trades.
Atlantic Notes: Iguodala, Celtics, Raptors
Here are a few Friday items out of the Atlantic Division, which was home to a Guiness World Record holder for less than an hour this morning….
- The Sixers were discussing Andre Iguodala with several teams prior to last year's draft, but the team's new owner have nixed plans to trade him, says Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News.
- Recent frontcourt injuries shouldn't prompt the Celtics to make a major splash, but they need to bring in a big man who can defend, rebound, and learn the system, writes Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Washburn names Earl Barron and Kyrylo Fesenko as two potential options for Boston.
- After grading Raptors players on their first halves, Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun runs through what the future may hold for each player, at the trade deadline and beyond.
Options For Wilson Chandler
Following Wilson Chandler's visit to Toronto yesterday, a lot of misinformation on the 24-year-old's options has been floating around the web. Because of Chandler's unique situation, returning from a season in China as a restricted NBA free agent, there's some confusion about where he can sign, and for how much. So let me run through Chandler's situation as I see it….
- Typically, restricted free agents can sign offer sheets with opposing teams, which the free agent's team then has three days to match. In this case, the Nuggets still hold Chandler's rights, so they'd have the option of matching any offer sheet he signs elsewhere.
- To become a restricted free agent, Chandler had to be extended a qualifying offer by Denver. Generally, the deadline to accept that one-year deal is March 1st. Assuming the Nuggets didn't move that deadline up, Chandler should be able to accept that qualifying offer (worth $3.1MM, pro-rated) and be eligible for unrestricted free agency after the season, if he doesn't get a long-term offer he likes. He could also sit out the rest of the season and become a restricted free agent again in the summer, when teams have more financial flexibility.
- Restricted free agents aren't permitted to sign offer sheets after March 1st, according to CBA expert Larry Coon, so if Chandler intends to sign an offer sheet with the Raptors or any other team, he'll have to do so within the next few days.
- ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, and SI.com's Sam Amick are among those writing that the Raptors have cap space (about $4.3MM) to put toward an offer for Chandler. It had previously been thought that the Raptors had used their mid-level exception and bi-annual exception to sign Aaron Gray and Gary Forbes respectively. If the team has available cap space, however, it must have renounced its $16MM in cap holds, signed Forbes using cap space, and signed Gray using its $2.5MM room exception for teams under the cap. Still, a contract starting at $4.3MM won't be enough to scare off the Nuggets, so if the Raptors are serious about Chandler, they could try to make a trade that clears more cap space, as Kyler reports.
- If Chandler accepted his qualifying offer from the Nuggets and became an unrestricted free agent this summer, the Raptors and a number of other teams would have the flexibility to make him a much larger offer than they can right now. So it makes sense that agent Chris Luchey suggested to Amick that GM Masai Ujiri and the Nuggets are more interested in a long-term contract than a rest-of-season deal. Denver is in a good position to outbid rival suitors at this point, but bidding could get more competitive this summer.
Atlantic Notes: Calderon, Lin, Celtics
With the Knicks scorching the Hawks through three quarters thanks to strong play from Landry Fields, let's take a look around the Atlantic Division to see what else is going on:
- Hasan Alanam of Canada.com suggests five possible destinations for Raptors guard Jose Calderon to end up prior to the trade deadline. A trade to the Trail Blazers may be a good fit for both teams as Raymond Felton has struggled immensely since arriving in Portland from Denver last June. The 30-year-old Spaniard has spent his entire seven-year career with the Raptors and is currently averaging 11.2 PPG and 8.8 APG on the season.
- On the heels of becoming the first New York City athlete to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated two weeks in a row, Nike announced that they will release a shoe for Knicks guard Jeremy Lin. According to Nina Mandell of the New York Daily News, the shoe will feature the Knicks' orange and blue colors with "Lin" appearing on the back. The 23-year-old star out of Harvard joins Pistons center Ben Wallace as one of the few undrafted NBA players to score a signature sneaker deal.
- Celtics head coach Doc Rivers and team general manager Danny Ainge will discuss adding a big man over the All-Star break, says Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. The Celtics have suffered from depth issues due to injuries to Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Wilcox among others. Former Lakers forward Derrick Caracter may become an option as he is set to join the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League (via Twitter).
Wilson Chandler Talking To Raptors
Wilson Chandler is in Toronto to discuss the possibility of signing with the Raptors, according to Sam Amick of SI.com (via Twitter). Agent Chris Luchey tells Amick that his client is staying in touch with the Nuggets, but is exploring all his options (Twitter link).
Chandler has already met with the Nuggets and expressed interest in joining the team on a long-term deal, if possible. As a restricted free agent, however, the 24-year-old is eligible to sign an offer sheet with another club before March 1st — the Nuggets would then have the opportunity to match it. Chandler, who still requires clearance by FIBA before he officially signs with an NBA team, hopes to get a deal done within a week.
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported late last month that the Raptors planned to "make life hard" for the Nuggets when Chandler returned from China. While I expect Chandler to end up signing with Denver, the DePaul product could become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he and the Nuggets don't work out a multiyear deal. The Raptors will have plenty of salary, including Leandro Barbosa's $7.6MM, coming off their books, so they could make a run at Chandler at that point if he's available. Chandler and Luchey may use that as leverage in the next few days as they make their case for a long-term deal with Denver.
Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Davis, Johnson, Knicks
The Nets are pulling out all the stops tonight with Dwight Howard in town — a pyrotechnic display is among the events lined up for the evening. Howard himself doesn't appear eager to answer questions about playing in New Jersey though, having ducked past reporters this morning without comment, as Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. While Howard and the Magic get ready to face a Nets team missing Kris Humphries, let's check out a few links from around the Atlantic Division….
- Paul Flannery of WEEI.com examines what the Celtics' future will look like if the team doesn't make a move before the trade deadline.
- A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com lists a few potential trade targets for the Celtics, in slideshow form.
- Don't expect both Ed Davis and Amir Johnson to be Raptors next season, says Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who thinks the team will trade one of the two.
- Though signing J.R. Smith is its only significant recent roster move, the Knicks have the feeling of a team that has been totally overhauled. Marc Berman of the New York Post says the club will need some time to make all its pieces fit.
Broussard On Beaubois, Williams, Raps, Sessions
In addition to reporting on the Lakers' interest in Michael Beasley, ESPN.com's Chris Broussard has a number of other interesting tidbits to share in his latest column. Let's check out the highlights:
- The Mavericks are "about ready to move on" from the Rodrigue Beaubois experiment. It was only a week ago that Mark Cuban insisted Beaubois remained in the team's long-term plans, but the young guard would be an intriguing trade chip. Including him in a deal for a player on an expiring contract could improve the Mavs' roster in the short-term and help clear a little extra cap space in the long-term.
- Marvin Williams is frustrated with his role in Atlanta and would like to play somewhere where he could contribute more on offense.
- The Raptors are receiving plenty of inquiries on Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani. Bargnani isn't likely to be moved, and the team would want a point guard in return for Calderon.
- The Lakers want to see if they can trade for a point guard before giving Gilbert Arenas a shot. According to Broussard's sources, the Lakers should be able to acquire Ramon Sessions for one of their first-round picks before the deadline, if they want to pull the trigger. According to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (on Twitter), the Lakers are expected to "accelerate" their pursuit of Sessions this weekend.
Atlantic Links: Smith, Nets, Celtics, Raptors
A pair of intriguing games involving Atlantic teams are on the schedule tonight — the Celtics play in Dallas, while the Nets, the first victim of Linsanity, get a rematch against Jeremy Lin and the Knicks. Here are a few Atlantic Division notes in the meantime….
- Following his Knicks debut, J.R. Smith gave Carmelo Anthony credit for bringing him to New York, as Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. The godfather of one of his Smith's daughters, Carmelo "sealed the deal," according to the newest Knick.
- In light of Stephen Jackson's comments about wanting to play with Deron Williams and Dwight Howard, Fred Kerber of the New York Post explores trade scenarios that could get both Jackson and D12 to New Jersey this season.
- Although a trade is a possibility for the Celtics, coach Doc Rivers thinks the team's current roster can turn things around, says A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Boston has lost three straight games and five of its last six.
- The Raptors are getting healthier, but Andrea Bargnani will be out at least past the All-Star break, according to Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.