Wizards Interested In Rudy Gay
There's no shortage of suitors for Grizzlies small forward Rudy Gay and the field just got even larger. The Wizards are now in the mix of teams that are interested in the services of the Memphis standout, one league source tells Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (on Twitter).
It's unclear what the Wizards' offer might be but the source says that it is "a good one." Bucher opines that the Grizzlies should stick with the squad that they have as it has the talent and experience to make a serious run at the title. Regardless, the Grizzlies seem open to the idea of trading their star. All indications are they're aggressively looking for a deal, Bucher writes.
The Raptors are reportedly making the hardest push for Gay of any team. The Warriors, Suns, and Kings have also shown a great deal of interest in making a trade for the seven-year veteran.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Wall, Pacers, Rose
The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Friday evening:
- Nuggets coach George Karl told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida that he wouldn't be surprised to see LeBron James return to the Cavaliers in the future.
- John Wall will return to action for the Wizards on Saturday.
- Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star writes that chemistry has trumped star power for the Pacers this season.
- Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune reports that Derrick Rose is not rushing his rehab from knee surgery and doesn't know when he will return to the Bulls.
- Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune talks to Hawks teammates Devin Harris and Kyle Korver about their time playing for the Jazz.
Paul: Bledose Capable Of Running Own Team
With Chris Paul manning the point for the Clippers, backup guard Eric Bledsoe has only played about 18 minutes per game this year, despite performing admirably off the bench. Bledsoe's production hasn't gone unnoticed by Paul though — CP3 tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com that he thinks the 23-year-old is capable of running an NBA team.
"He deserves to run his own team, he deserves to be a starter somewhere,'' Paul said. "So when the time comes, I'm going to be the biggest advocate for him to get the money he deserves.''
Bledsoe is only in the third year of his rookie contract, so he'll be extension-eligible in the summer of 2013, but won't be eligible for restricted free agency until the summer of '14. And it's unlikely that he's going anywhere anytime soon. ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported last week that the Clips expect to hang on to Bledsoe at least until they're 100% sure that Paul will re-sign with the team this summer.
Broussard echoes Stein's report, noting that clubs inquiring on Bledsoe are "quickly and decisively told no." However, he says that a trade around the time of the June draft is a real possibility. Paul can't officially re-sign with the Clippers until after the moratorium period in July, so L.A. may also wait until that point to seriously consider dealing Bledsoe.
According to Broussard, the Hornets and Wizards are among the teams that have shown interest in Bledsoe. Presumably, Washington's interest came when the team was first faced with the possibility of being without John Wall for significant time. If the Clippers were to make Bledsoe available this coming summer, I'd expect plenty more clubs to inquire.
DeMarcus Cousins Talks Reputation, Kings, Future
When DeMarcus Cousins hired Dan Fegan as his new agent, the assumption, given Fegan's reputation, was that the big man wanted out of Sacramento. But so far, neither the player or the team has given any indication that such an option is being considered. Fegan met with Geoff Petrie yesterday, but reportedly didn't request a trade for his client. And according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, the Celtics, Bobcats, Hawks, Wizards, and Mavericks were all recently rebuffed when they inquired about Cousins' availability.
Mannix spoke to the 22-year-old about playing in Sacramento and the reputation he has developed, and Cousins had a number of interesting things to say. Here are a few of the highlights from the conversation:
On the public perception of Cousins:
"I'm not going to sit here and say I'm innocent, because I've done things. But to get the reputation that I've got, I don't think I've done enough. I don't have a criminal record. Some of the guys with the cleanest image in the league have a record. I don't think I was given a fair chance. I don't know what I did in college that was so bad to get that reputation. Okay, there is footage of me and Coach Cal going at each other. That happens in sports. Coming into the league, everyone said I was going to be fat, I was the next Oliver Miller. I had all these red flags. I just feel I was never given a fair chance coming in."
On the Kings' perception of Cousins when they drafted him in 2010:
"They wanted to get to know me but they were scared because of my reputation. I felt like it was bad on their part. I'm your player and you don't take the time to get to know me? You just go by what the rest of the world says?"
On whether the Kings always have his back now:
"I'm still not [given a chance]. It flip flops. When everything is good, [the organization] is good. When things go bad, there is nothing about that good person they remember. I just want that balance. You are either with me or you're not."
On the Kings' request that he seek counseling:
"I took it as an insult. That's another thing, our organization doesn't even know me. They were looking for an excuse. I don't believe that is the way to solve issues. I'm an emotional guy. It's as simple as that."
On trying to move on after his recent suspension:
"I can't sit here and say I'll never do anything again. This is a frustrating sport. There are a lot of emotions involved. It's easier said than done to just come in and be a professional. I can't sit here and say nothing will happen again because I would be lying. I really don't know. But at the same time I'm not going to go out of my way to cause an incident or a ruckus. I want to make things right."
On his desire to remain with the Kings and help turn things around:
"That's like a trophy to me. Taking a team no players really want to go to, a team considered the worst in the league, and through all the struggle and all the negativity, they found the way to win. I want to put Sacramento back on the map. I want to be an instrumental part of things changing here."
Wizards Waive Shelvin Mack
The Wizards have released Shelvin Mack, the team announced today in a press release. It's the second time Mack has been cut by Washington this season, and it ensures that his salary won't become guaranteed.
Mack inititally received a $300K guaranteed on a minimum-salary contract from the Wizards, but was waived prior to the start of the regular season. He rejoined the team just before Christmas on a non-guaranteed deal and appeared in seven games, averaging 5.3 PPG and 3.3 APG in just over 20 minutes per contest.
The Wizards now have 14 players remaining on their roster, including Garrett Temple, whose contract will become guaranteed for the remainder of the season, according to Michael Lee of the Washington Post (via Twitter).
Odds & Ends: Guaranteed Contracts, Nowitzki, Lakers
Tomorrow at 5PM EST marks a significant deadline in the NBA, as players who are currently on non-guaranteed contracts kept after that point will have their deals guaranteed for the rest of the season. While the official deadline for contracts to become fully guaranteed is listed as January 10, ESPN's Marc Stein pointed out yesterday that teams who decide to release a player on a non-guaranteed contract will have to do so by tomorrow in order for them to clear waivers by Thursday. We've seen quite a handful of teams release some of their non-guaranteed pacts today, and with less than 24 hours left to go, there could be more of those types of transactions to come. With that in mind, you can find tonight's miscellaneous links from around the NBA here:
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune talks about the need for Minnesota's Derrick Williams to step up and contribute with Kevin Love sidelined by a hand injury.
- Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas notes Dirk Nowitzki's feelings of uncertainty with the direction of the Mavericks' franchise and expressed thoughts on whether or not he should be traded. After acknowledging the team's failed attempt of luring Deron Williams or Dwight Howard, Nowitzki didn't seem too enthused about Dallas' chances of adding a marquee name of that caliber in the near future.
- HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler thinks that Lakers' rookies Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom could be the next in line to be waived in order to avoid paying more luxury tax on their deals. He also thinks that Johnson-Odom would be more likely to be released than Sacre (Twitter links).
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post wrote that tonight's matchup with the Heat and tomorrow's game against the Thunder are critical for Wizards guards Garrett Temple and Shelvin Mack, who are both currently on non-guaranteed contracts.
- During an interview on NBC's Chris Mannix Show, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports said that there is a very good chance that the Grizzlies move Rudy Gay or one of their high-salaried contracts by the February trade deadline. Also, he does not believe Royce White will ever play in the NBA (Twitter links).
- Mark Deeks of ShamSports tweets that it's not unusual for teams to waive a player before their contract becomes guaranteed before subsequently re-signing him for the rest of the season.
- After last night's win at the Target Center, Trail Blazers swingman Nicolas Batum admitted that he drew some motivation from wanting to prove to the Timberwolves and their fans that he was worth the offer sheet that Minnesota presented to him last summer (Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports).
Southeast Notes: Howard, Hawks, Wizards, Heat
Every Southeast team except the Magic is in action tonight, but before the evening's slate of games gets underway, here are a few Friday afternoon items from around the division:
- The Magic don't intend to pursue Dwight Howard in free agency this summer, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, in perhaps the week's least surprising story. Robbins acknowledged via Twitter that Orlando likely wouldn't have had a shot at Howard anyway, but clarified that the team isn't even planning to try.
- One Western Conference general manager told ESPN.com's Marc Stein that another Southeast team could be in the running for D12 this July, however. "I have it as Lakers, Dallas or Atlanta for Dwight," said the unnamed GM.
- ESPN.com's Chad Ford (Insider link) examined the best possible fits for the Wizards in June's draft, eventually concluding that Shabazz Muhammad probably makes the most sense for Washington right now.
- In today's mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addressed the possibility of the Heat acquiring Samuel Dalembert from the Bucks.
Aldridge On Nets, Phil Jackson, Cousins
It may be New Year's Eve, but that doesn't mean TNT's David Aldridge is taking a break from his weekly Morning Tip piece on NBA.com. In this week's column, Aldridge recaps the top 10 stories of 2012, including the Lakers' coaching carousel, the Dwightmare, and LeBron James' first NBA championship. He also dishes a few rumors on the Nets' coaching search and DeMarcus Cousins' availability, so let's check out the highlights:
- According to Aldridge, the Nets thought that Avery Johnson carried his desire for a contract extension too far, considering plenty of other respected coaches around the league began coaching in the final year of their respective contracts without extensions.
- While the Nets are saying P.J. Carlesimo will get a shot to prove he deserves to be the team's permanent head coach, Phil Jackson is still expected to get the first call if and when Brooklyn begins a coaching search in earnest. "It's Phil," a league coaching source tells Aldridge. "That's coming straight from Russia."
- Kings GM Geoff Petrie insists that Cousins is not on the trade block in Sacramento: "He's not going anywhere. You can lay that to rest. Some of that stuff lives in its own reality." However, Aldridge hears from sources that the Kings are ready to consider moving the volatile big man for "a package of less talented, perhaps, but more emotionally grounded players."
- Some members of the Kings were surprised when Cousins was reinstated and showed up for practice so soon after being suspended, and weren't overly moved by his attempt to apologize. "When he apologized to the team, two players stood up and said 'we've heard this bull(bleep) before,'" a source tells Aldridge. "'You're either going to be with us, or you're not. We don't want to hear any more excuses.'"
- Examining teams with rumored interest in Cousins, Aldridge makes note of some potential roadblocks: The Celtics would be reluctant to part with Avery Bradley in any trade, the Pistons wouldn't be eager to pair Cousins with Andre Drummond, who Aldridge says "has his own growing up to do," and the Wizards likely wouldn't want to take on someone of questionable character after clearing the roster of that sort of player within the last year.
Kings Rumors: Petrie, Relocation, Cousins
Last night, we heard from Sam Amick of USA Today that there's a growing belief in some circles that Geoff Petrie, the NBA's longest-tenured GM, won't be back with the Kings next season. Additionally, the decision to reinstate DeMarcus Cousins two days into his "indefinite" suspension was made unilaterally by ownership, against the wishes of the front office. Amick, a former Kings beat writer, has passed along even more rumblings out of Sacramento, so we'll round them up right here:
- Even if the Maloofs were to offer Petrie a new deal, one source close to the 64-year-old says he's "99.9% sure [Petrie] wouldn't take it," since he wants to retire soon.
- According to Amick, the Maloofs continue to discuss the possibility of relocation with several cities, and have let it be known that they believe bidding should start at $500MM. Amick calls that figure "astounding," noting that the last two NBA teams to be sold, the Hornets and Grizzlies, were in the $330-380MM range.
- Amick hears from multiple sources close to the situation that a trade to the Wizards would be considered ideal for Cousins and new agent Dan Fegan, since it would reunite the big man with Kentucky teammate and Fegan client John Wall.
- Amick writes that the Nuggets, Pistons, Rockets, and Celtics have shown interest in gambling on Cousins in the past, though it's not clear whether all those teams would still have interest now. We heard yesterday from ESPN.com's Marc Stein that the Pistons and Celtics, at least, are still thought to be very interested.
- It was "strongly suggested" to Cousins that he see a psychologist, a request he declined, which was his prerogative — the NBA's collective bargaining agreement doesn't allow players to be forced into mental health counseling, as Amick explains.
- Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee writes that Petrie's refusal to meet with the media regarding Cousins' suspension speaks to his increasingly strained relationship with the Maloofs. According to Voisin, the Kings should resolve their front office issues before the trade deadline, and hang on to Cousins.
Odds & Ends: Wall, Felton, Raptors, Harden
A pair of teams at opposite ends of the standings received news about their point guards that conflicts with the way their seasons have gone so far. John Wall told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports that he's targeting sometime next month for his return to the Wizards from a left patella injury that's kept him out all season. Raymond Felton of the Knicks, meanwhile, told reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post (Twitter link), that he'll likely have surgery on his broken right pinkie finger that will keep him out four to six weeks. While we don't normally cover injuries at Hoops Rumors, we do so when an absence could have an effect on personnel moves, and there's news on a couple more guys whose health could signal change.
- Raptors officials said that center Jonas Valanciunas will miss the next four to six weeks with a broken ring finger on his right hand, as Doug Smith of the Toronto Star notes, which might complicate matters if the team intends to trade Andrea Bargnani anytime soon while remaining competitive this season. With Bargnani still recovering from a torn elbow ligament, Aaron Gray has become a starter.
- Smith also writes that coach Dwane Casey has decided he'll keep Jose Calderon in the starting lineup even when Kyle Lowry returns from a torn right triceps muscle. Calderon has long been a trade candidate, but the team could dangle Lowry instead, as we heard earlier today.
- The Timberwolves had contact with the Thunder about acquiring James Harden, but Minnesota was rebuffed, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. It's unclear how far talks got, but it's no surprise that the Wolves at least made an inquiry, as just about every team surely did this summer while Oklahoma City stared down the dilemma over whether to grant Harden an extension.
- The numbers show top pick Anthony Davis has played more efficiently than any other 2012 lottery selection, and he credits some of that success to the mentorship of Ryan Anderson, as Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com tweets.