2012 March | Hoops Rumors

Steve Nash Discusses Free Agency

March 29th, 2012 at 2:03pm CST by Luke Adams

One of the biggest potential trade chips on this season's trade market never seemed close to being dealt. The Suns insisted they'd keep Steve Nash unless the point guard asked to be traded, and Nash never made that request. While the 38-year-old didn't want to ask out of Phoenix, he definitely intends to explore his options when he becomes a free agent this summer. Nash appeared on the Dan Patrick Show this morning and addressed the topic (hat tip to Royce Young of CBSSports.com).

"It's going to be interesting this summer," Nash said. "Being a free agent, I didn't really want to leave at the deadline. I felt I owed it to me teammates and the Suns organization and the fans. I could possibly be back for sure. but that will be more interesting than the trade deadline."

Nash didn't rule out the possibility of joining former teammate Dirk Nowitzki and said he'd "definitely listen" if the Heat were interested. I can't picture Miami making a serious play for Nash with only the $3MM taxpayer mid-level exception to offer him, but it would certainly solidify the team's position as a title favorite.

As I wrote when I began examining the free agent market earlier this week, Nash might be the most attractive piece out there for contenders in need of a point guard. However, the Suns will almost certainly make a competitve bid, perhaps offering their star a multiyear deal. Would a return to Phoenix interest Nash?

"I'm not going to come back to the Suns if there isn't an improvement," Nash said. "If they're not ambitious and they're not looking to upgrade the roster seriously. And I think they are. They'll have a lot of flexibility in free agency. I think I've been standing pat so they could do some things this summer. I think they'll become a definite possibility for me, but I do want to win and I do want to consider all my options."

10-Day Contract Tracker

March 29th, 2012 at 11:54am CST by Luke Adams

The 10-day contract signing period began later than usual in this lockout-shortened season, but a number of teams have still taken full advantage of 10-day deals, using them to shore up their bench with a veteran, or to get a brief look at a young prospect or two.

With teams continuing to hand out these contracts frequently as the season winds down, Hoops Rumors has created a database to keep track of all the 10-day contracts signed this year and in previous seasons (dating back to 2007). A number of search filters make it easy to find 10-day information sorted by team, player, year, or contract type.

For instance, if you want to find out which players have signed rest-of-season deals for 2011/12 after playing out two 10-day contracts with their teams, you can find that info here. If you want to see the 10-day deals signed only by the Hornets over the past few years, you can view those here.

A link to our 10-day contract tracker can be found at any time in the Tools menu at the top of the page, or in the right sidebar. We'll be keeping it up to date for the rest of the season, so be sure to check back to keep tabs on the latest signings.

Categories:
Uncategorized

Free Agent Market For Shooting Guards

March 29th, 2012 at 11:10am CST by Luke Adams

Many of the contending teams who were seeking a shooting guard upgrade at the trade deadline will once again be in the market this summer, regardless of whether they were able to make a deadline deal. The Pacers and Clippers, for instance, shored up their backcourts by adding Leandro Barbosa and Nick Young, respectively, but both players will be free agents at season's end. With a number of shooting guards poised to hit the free agent market this offseason, let's take a look at some of the options for summer shoppers….

Unrestricted Free Agents

Barbosa and Young fall into this group, as players who are still young enough to be worthwhile multiyear additions, but whose upsides are limited. Ray Allen and Jason Terry may be the top two options among this summer's unrestricted free agents. Both players will be on the wrong side of 35 next season, but they continue to provide consistent scoring and outside shooting for contenders. On the other end of the age spectrum, C.J. Miles, Shannon Brown, and Marco Belinelli are among the 27-or-younger players for teams who prefer to go younger, though the jury's still out on whether any of those guys will become more than a productive bench scorer.

Restricted Free Agents

Eric Gordon, who won't turn 24 until December, should be the prize of the restricted free agents, assuming he shows he's healthy over the season's final few weeks. The Hornets are expected to make every effort to re-sign the centerpiece of the Chris Paul trade. I'm not sure if the same can be said of the Grizzlies and O.J. Mayo though. Given all the trade rumors that have surrounded Mayo during his time in Memphis, it wouldn't be surprising to see the former Trojan sign elsewhere. I expect the Pacers to make a strong effort to keep George Hill in Indiana, but Courtney Lee, Rudy Fernandez, and Brandon Rush are candidates to be on the move.

Players With Options

The list of 2012/13 options provides at least three intriguing names at shooting guard — Jamal Crawford, Louis Williams, and J.R. Smith. All three players are able to opt out at season's end, and considering the relatively modest salaries on their option years, it wouldn't be a surprise if all of them elect free agency. The 76ers' Williams is a strong candidate for an extension, but I could see Crawford and Smith switching uniforms over the summer.

Previously:
Free Agent Market For Point Guards

Categories:
2012/13 Free Agent Market

Grizzlies Owner Ends Sale Talks With Ellison

March 29th, 2012 at 10:33am CST by Luke Adams

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has instructed his attorney to stop negotiating with billionaire Larry Ellison about a potential sale of the franchise, reports Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal. Ellison made "repeated overtures" about moving the team, something Heisley is looking to avoid at all costs.

"We’re not even considering Ellison," the Grizzlies owner said. "This team cannot be moved."

Ellison recently had exploratory talks about buying the Grizzlies, inquiring for at least the third time about buying the team. The Oracle founder and CEO is reportedly interested in bringing an NBA franchise to San Jose, but if Heisley sells his team, he intends to find a buyer who will keep the team in Memphis.

Heisley, who is seeking $350MM, acknowledged to Tillery that another suitor is in the mix: "But I don’t know how if he’s serious. I think I’ll own the team for a while."

Categories:
Memphis Grizzlies

Pacific Notes: Brooks, Rush, Warriors, Lakers

March 29th, 2012 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

Aaron Brooks will return from China soon, but the Suns are unlikely to sign him this season unless he agrees to a cap-friendly, multiyear deal, says Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. The Suns hold Brooks' rights, so if they decide not to sign him this season, they could renounce his rights and let him become an unrestricted free agent. It's more likely, however, that the team will keep its rights to Brooks, resulting in him becoming a restricted free agent this summer.

Here are a few more Thursday morning notes out of the Pacific Division:

The Warriors may have a logjam of wing players next season, which makes Brandon Rush's future uncertain, as he tells Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle: "I just want to finish the season out strong and showcase what I can do. I know I'm auditioning for 29 other teams. I've had a great opportunity here, because the coaches are letting me play all kinds of positions, and I appreciate that." Rush will be a restricted free agent this summer if the Warriors extend him a $4.09MM qualifying offer.
Barry Stavro of the Los Angeles Times rounds up reactions from members of the Lakers, among others, on Magic Johnson's involvement in buying MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers.
Lakers executive vice president Jim Buss deserves more credit than he gets for his roster decisions, according to T.J. Simers of the Los Angeles Times.

Nets Expected To Sign Dennis Horner

March 29th, 2012 at 8:15am CST by Luke Adams

Following injuries to Shelden Williams and Jordan Williams in last night's win over the Pacers, the Nets are planning to sign Dennis Horner, reports Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside. According to Schroeder, New Jersey will likely sign Horner to a 10-day contract, making it official before tomorrow's game to take full advantage of the ten days.

Horner, 24, made the Nets' roster to start the season, but only appeared in five games before being waived in January. Since then, the 6'9" forward has been playing for the D-League's Springfield Armor, averaging 17.0 PPG and 8.5 RPG in 25 contests with the team.

The Nets won't need to waive anyone to add Horner, since Jerry Smith's 10-day contract expired earlier this week, opening up a roster spot.

Southwest Notes: Lee, Hornets, Odom

March 28th, 2012 at 11:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

As it stands now, four of the five Southwest Division teams would make the playoffs, with the league-owned Hornets the only exception. Still, only the Spurs seem assured of a spot, as the Mavs, Grizzlies and Rockets are all no more than two games above the Suns, who are occupy ninth place in the Western Conference. Here's the latest from the Southwest:

Courtney Lee of the Rockets will be a restricted free agent this summer, and with Kevin Martin out, he's getting a chance to show teams he can handle the starting shooting guard spot, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes.
The Hornets acquired Al-Farouq Aminu and Jason Smith before the season, and are committed to both through 2012/13. Neither has provided much of a lift this season, but Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com points to some encouraging numbers for both of them (Twitter links).
Kobe Bryant has some advice on how to coach Lamar Odom and also suggested he may recruit the free agent to return to the Lakers this summer, but Mavs coach Rick Carlisle isn't paying much attention to what Bryant has to say, notes HoopsWorld's Derek Page.
Randy Galloway of the Fort Worth Star Telegram isn't optimistic the struggling Odom will be able to turn it around.

Odds & Ends: Garnett, Randolph, Kings, Warriors

March 28th, 2012 at 10:24pm CST by Chuck Myron

Don't look now, but the playoffs begin just one month from today. Most NBA teams are in action tonight with 10 games on the schedule, so let's dive in and check on the news from around The Association:

Kevin Garnett will be a free agent this summer, but a return to the Wolves might not be at the top of his wish list. He gave a nod to Minnesota fans, but says he had "nothing positive to say" about the franchise, tweets Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee noticed Shavlik Randolph walking through the Kings' locker room tonight, though there's no word if the team is looking to sign him (Twitter link). Randolph reportedly worked out for the Heat earlier this month and has apparently spoken to at least two clubs regarding a deal.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com looks ahead to next year for the Warriors and concludes they need to get a solid third guard, a quality backup for David Lee and Andrew Bogut, and an upgrade at small forward:
Don Nelson, the NBA's all-time winningest coach, says he's been informed he'll be inducted into the Hall of Fame, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas. Nelson coached the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Mavs after a playing career spent mostly with the Celtics. The official announcement of the 2012 Hall class will come Monday.
Chris Broussard of ESPN.com takes a look at stars who've changed teams in recent years and says what's happened to them since should be a cautionary tale to Dwight Howard and others who could be looking to make a move (Insider link).
A year after the Jazz parted ways with Jerry Sloan in the wake of a rift between the coach and Deron Williams, new coach Tyrone Corbin has established rapport with his players, which has been key to the team's playoff push this year, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News.
The Nets have an open roster spot and might look to fill it after finishing tonight's 100-84 victory over the Pacers with only eight healthy players, as the Associated Press reports, via The New York Times. Centers Shelden Williams and Jordan Williams went down, so if those two are to miss any time, the team may target a big man.
Rookie Malcolm Lee is adjusting to life as an NBA point guard as he finds his way into the Wolves' rotation, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.

2011/12 D-League Assignments And Recalls

March 28th, 2012 at 9:19pm CST by Chuck Myron

The relationship NBA teams have to the D-League continues to evolve. It's a far cry from the intricate system of farm teams that baseball has, and the 16-team league has a ways to go before it grows large enough for every NBA team to have an affiliate. Still, in the D-League's 11th year, NBA teams have come to make liberal use of their ability to send players down for seasoning. While the D-League also provides a haven for players seeking NBA contracts, this post focuses on those who already have NBA deals. Here is a team-by-team list of all the in-season D-League assignments and recalls this year.

Bucks
December 28: Send down Darington Hobson
January 4: Call up Darington Hobson
January 18: Send down Darington Hobson
February 1: Call up Darington Hobson

Cavs
January 4: Send down Christian Eyenga
January 23: Call up Christian Eyenga
January 26: Send down Luke Harangody
February 1: Call up Luke Harangody
March 6: Send down Luke Harangody
March 6: Send down Christian Eyenga
March 15: Call up Christian Eyenga
April 14: Call up Luke Harangody
April 15: Send down Luke Harangody
April 18: Call up Luke Harangody

Hinrich Wouldn’t Mind Return To Bulls

March 28th, 2012 at 8:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his nine-year career this summer, and he's open to returning to the Bulls, where he spent his first seven seasons, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

"I wouldn't be opposed to it," he said. "It's still a ways away, and a lot can happen. We'll see. I have no preconceived thoughts on what will happen."

Hinrich, 31 is on the last year of a five-year, $48.75MM deal he signed the Bulls before the traded him to the Wizards in 2010 to clear cap space for that year's heralded crop of free agents. The Wizards sent him to the Hawks at the trade deadline a year ago.

Johnson points out that Hinrich will have to take a pay cut to go back to Chicago, as the Bulls' commitments will put them over the cap and close to the luxury tax line next season. That would leave only cap exceptions or a minimum-salary deal at their disposal. Hinrich also said he's enjoyed his time with the Hawks, who possess his Bird rights and only have $60.9MM on next year's payroll.

The former Kansas standout is suffering through perhaps his worst season, putting up career lows in points (9.8) and assists (3.7) per 36 minutes. The Bulls have shown they have plenty of backcourt depth this season when Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton have been sidelined by injury, but Rose, Hamilton and rookie swingman Jimmy Butler are the only guards whose contracts are fully guaranteed next year. Bringing back Hinrich is not a move the Bulls have a pressing need for, but if Hinrich is willing to make it happen at a bargain, they may take him up on that.

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