2013 January | Hoops Rumors

Celtics Have Increasing Interest In J.J. Redick

January 25th, 2013 at 8:09am CST by Luke Adams

Even before a poor outside-shooting performance against the Knicks last night, the Celtics had "ramped up their interest" in acquiring J.J. Redick from the Magic, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). According to Stein (Twitter link), adding some frontcourt size remains Boston's top priority, but the team would also like to find a way to add Redick, if possible.

Although we heard earlier in the season that the Magic would be in no rush to trade Redick, a recent report suggested that the team would be open to making a move if it's unsure about its ability to re-sign the sharpshooter this summer. Redick, who is in the final year of his contract, has posted career-best marks of 14.9 PPG and 16.4 PER, and will reportedly be seeking a raise on this season's $6.19MM salary.

This isn't the first time we've heard about the Celtics' interest in Redick, as David Baumann of SportsTalkFlorida.com reported last week (via Twitter) that the C's "covet" the 28-year-old. In order to make any trade work financially, Boston would have to send out at least a few million in salary, and that's assuming the Magic wouldn't try to include any of their less-desirable contracts. When Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities discussed potential Timberwolves' interest in Redick three weeks ago, he noted it would take Derrick Williams and a first-round pick to get Orlando's attention, so the Duke product won't come cheap.

Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors took an in-depth look at Redick's trade candidacy last week.

Western Notes: Jazz, Lakers, Pelicans, Suns

January 24th, 2013 at 10:51pm CST by Daniel Seco

Kyrie Irving, Paul George and Jrue Holiday (all Eastern Conference players) all have become the first players born in the 1990s to make an NBA All-Star Game. Here's what's happening right now in the Western Conference.

The Jazz and the Lakers are headed in different directions in the standings even though Los Angeles boasts a vastly more talented roster than Utah, writes Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
There's much more to the story of why the Benson family elected to change the name of New Orleans' professional basketball team from the Hornets to the Pelicans, says Henry Abbott of ESPN.com.
Suns GM Lance Blanks faces a franchise in turmoil after making a head coaching change that saw the departure of two assistant coaches, writes Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports. "In this business, you can't wiggle your nose and manufacture success, or rub rocks together. You've got to roll up your sleeves and do the things that are necessary to be successful."

Odds & Ends: Kevin Martin, Kenyon Martin, Celtics

January 24th, 2013 at 9:06pm CST by Daniel Seco

With the NBA trading deadline mere weeks away, teams such as the Cavs and Rockets are among those aggressively pursuing ways to make roster upgrades midseason, writes Sam Amico of FOXSportsOhio.com. Let's catch up around the league on the latest whispers, rumors and news…

Thunder veteran Kevin Martin sees himself returning to Oklahoma City next season as he hits free agency this summer, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. "I love playing with this group of guys. The organization is great to me. The community has been great to me. It's the happiest I have been during my NBA career."
Former NBA star Kenyon Martin's looking for a new home, specifically with the Knicks, but roster space and salary demands remain issues unless injured Rasheed Wallace decides to call it a season, says Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (via Twitter).
Celtics head coach Doc Rivers spoke on ESPN's "Pardon The Interruption" on Wednesday about his outburst after Sunday's game. The good folks at ESPNBoston.com have a partial transcript of the conversation for your perusal.

Lakers Rumors: Trades, Job Security, Howard

January 24th, 2013 at 6:32pm CST by Daniel Seco

Here's the latest news and notes making headlines at the Staples Center…

While Lakers fans may expect the franchise to move either Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol or both before the trade deadline, one GM says it's more liklely that the team retains both players, writes Sam Amico of FOXSportsOhio.com.
After already having three head coaches man the bench for the Lakers this season, don't look for Los Angeles to consider a buy-out or firing of Mike D'Antoni, says Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register (via Twitter).
Struggles have dominated the first half of the Laker's season but the unlikely performance of Earl Clark has been a bright spot for Los Anglees, writes Alex Kennedy of Hoops World.
Arash Markazi and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com consider whether trading Dwight Howard now in hopes of the Lakers winning a championship is worth sacrificing the future of the franchise for the long-term.

Hornets To Change Nickname To Pelicans

January 24th, 2013 at 5:33pm CST by Luke Adams

5:33pm: NBA Vice President Mike Bass says that the league is continuing to work with the Bobcats to determine whether a name change would make sense for the franchise long-term, tweets Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer.

THURSDAY, 2:34pm: Owner Tom Benson made it official today, announcing that the Hornets will become the Pelicans for the 2013/14 season, and unveiling the team's new colors and logo.

WEDNESDAY, 10:49am: The Hornets have scheduled a press conference for 3:00pm tomorrow to make a "special announcement," according to a team release. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter) reports that the team press conference was lined up to announce that the team is changing its nickname to the Pelicans. The club will also unveil a new logo, which figures to feature the club's new colors: blue, gold, and red (Twitter link via Spears).

Spears reported back in December that the Hornets were expected to change their nickname to the Pelicans for the 2013/14 season. The new ownership group, led by Tom Benson, is responsible for the decision to change the Hornets moniker, which came to New Orleans from Charlotte.

The pelican is Louisana's state bird, making it a more suitable symbol for a New Orleans franchise, as it has been in the past — the New Orleans Pelicans were a minor league baseball team that existed at various points in the 19th and 20th centuries.

When the Hornets officially become the Pelicans, the Charlotte Bobcats will have the opportunity to reclaim the Hornets nickname. According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter), the Bobcats will conduct deliberate market research before deciding whether or not to make a change.

Odds & Ends: Cavs, Blazers, Grizzlies, McCants

January 24th, 2013 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Even after pulling off one deal that used up a chunk of their leftover cap space, the Cavaliers are still aggressively exploring the trade market, tweets Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio. Of course, as Amico adds, about 20 other teams are doing the same thing, and there's no guarantee the Cavs will make another move before February 21st. Here are a few more odds and ends from around the Association:

When weighing trade possibilities, Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey is looking for players who are good influences in the locker room as well as good fits on the court, as he tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com.
Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien isn't expecting the Grizzlies to make another deal before the trade deadline, tweets Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
The Mavericks' D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, officially announced today that they've added former UNC standout Rashad McCants. We heard yesterday that McCants may be on his way back to the Legends.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld examines the teams that will have the most cap flexibility going forward.
Robert Dozier, who was in camp with the Heat during the preseason, has signed with the Alaska Aces in the Philippines, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Kings/Seattle Rumors: Thursday

January 24th, 2013 at 1:54pm CST by Luke Adams

The Maloof family has reached an agreement to sell the Kings to a Seattle investment group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer, but Sacramento isn't going down without a fight. Mayor Kevin Johnson is putting together a team of investors willing to make a counter-offer to buy the franchise and keep it in Sacramento. As we wait for the next major development in this ongoing story, let's round up some of the latest reports….

Sacramento's "big-money investors" are doing due diligence on the Kings, but don't have access to detailed information on the Seattle bid against which they'd be competing, according to Dale Kasler, Tony Bijzak, and Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee. Johnson is expecting to finalize his lineup of potential investors next week, according to the Bee's report.
David Flemmer, a bankruptcy trustee who oversees the 7% of the Kings owned by limited partner Bob Cook, says that Cook and other minority owners should have the "right of first refusal" to match the Seattle offer and buy the club, writes Kasler in a separate Sacramento Bee piece. "Bankruptcy is a tool; this tool can be effective," Flemmer said. "We are very, very, very concerned that there's a deal being cut that's going to (ignore) that right."
If Johnson can put together a viable Sacramento-based bid for the Kings, it's not clear what would happen next, since a one-on-one showdown for a franchise would be unprecedented, writes Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times.

D-League Moves: Josh Selby, Cory Joseph

January 24th, 2013 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are today's D-League assignments and recalls, with additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Cavaliers have assigned newly-acquired Josh Selby to the Canton Charge, according to a team release. Selby was one of three players the Cavs landed from the Grizzlies, along with Marreese Speights and Wayne Ellington, in exchange for Jon Leuer.
Involved in his third transaction in the last two days, Cory Joseph has been re-assigned to the Austin Toros, the Spurs announced today in a press release. When Joseph was assigned to the D-League yesterday, I noted that the timing was unusual, considering the Spurs were set to be without Tim Duncan and Kawhi Leonard last night. The team apparently reached the same conclusion, quickly recalling Joseph in time to dress against the Hornets, though he didn't appear in the game.

Western Notes: Suns, Turner, Clark, Baynes, Mavs

January 24th, 2013 at 12:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The Suns' decision to name Lindsey Hunter their interim head coach after letting Alvin Gentry go has now resulted in the team losing two assistant coaches. According to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, lead assistant Elston Turner and the Suns have agreed to part ways. The decision came on the heels of assistant Dan Majerle, upset that he didn't receive a shot at the head coaching job, leaving the organization.

Let's check in on a few more updates on the Suns and a handful of other Western Conference clubs….

Suns owner Robert Sarver remains confident in his staff and his long-term plan for the team, as Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic writes.
Earl Clark, who is in the last year of his contract, has raised his stock with his recent play for the Lakers, but he's not looking ahead to the summer quite yet, as he tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "It's not like I'm this big free agent where I'll be at SportsCenter and people are asking me where I'm going," Clark said. "I'm focusing on the game and trying to continue to play well."
The newest Spur, Australian center Aron Baynes, spoke to David Pick of Sportando about his decision to sign with San Antonio and what Spurs fans should expect from him.
In his latest column for the Dallas Morning News, Eddie Sefko explores whether coach Rick Carlisle's ability to connect with players could help the Mavericks in recruiting free agents.

Update On Traded 2013 First-Round Picks

January 24th, 2013 at 11:04am CST by Luke Adams

We're about halfway through the 2012/13 regular season, with many teams having already reached the 41-game mark, and the remaining clubs set to get there within the next few days. At this point, the sample size is certainly large enough to take teams' win-loss records seriously and make reasonable predictions about how the rest of the year will play out.

For some teams, the final place in the standings will impact whether or not they keep their first-round picks in 2013. The Timberwolves, for instance, will send their '13 first-rounder to the Suns if it doesn't land in the top 13. At the moment, according to our tentative 2013 draft order, the T-Wolves' pick is projected to land at exactly 13th overall, meaning Minnesota would keep it if the season ended today and the draft order held to form.

Here's an update on the likelihood of each of the traded 2013 first-round picks changing hands:

Traded picks likely to stay put:

Team: Bobcats (10-32)
Traded pick to: Bulls
Protection: Top-12
Current projection: 2nd

Team: Kings (16-27)
Traded pick to: Cavaliers
Protection: Top-13
Current projection: 8th

Team: Pistons (16-26)
Traded pick to: Bobcats
Protection: Top-14
Current projection: 9th

Team: Mavericks (18-24)
Traded pick to: Thunder
Protection: Top-20
Current projection: 12th

Traded picks likely to change hands:

Team: Warriors (26-15)
Traded pick to: Jazz
Protection: Top-6
Current projection: 24th

Team: Grizzlies (27-14)
Traded pick to: Timberwolves
Protection: Top-14
Current projection: 26th

Team: Heat (27-12)
Traded pick to: Cavaliers
Protection: Top-10
Current projection: 27th

Still up in the air:

Team: Raptors (15-27)
Traded pick to: Thunder
Protection: Top-3 and 15-30
Current projection: 7th

Team: 76ers (17-25)
Traded pick to: Heat
Protection: Top-14
Current projection: T-10th

Team: Lakers (17-25)
Traded pick to: Suns/Cavs
Protection: None
Current projection: T-10th

Team: Timberwolves (17-22)
Traded pick to: Suns
Protection: Top-13
Current projection: 13th

Team: Rockets (22-22)
Traded pick to: Hawks
Protection: Top-14
Current projection: 14th

Team: Trail Blazers (21-21)
Traded pick to: Bobcats
Protection: Top-12
Current projection: 16th

Additional notes:

It's highly unlikely that the Raptors' pick will reach the 15-30 range that would protect it. However, it's still possible that Toronto could luck out in the lottery and jump into the top three, which is why I have that pick listed as questionable.
The Lakers' first-rounder will head directly to the Suns if L.A. misses the playoffs. If the Lakers sneak into the postseason, the Cavs will have the option of swapping Miami's first-round pick with the Lakers' pick, in which case Phoenix would end up with the Heat pick. So while that Lakers' pick is a lock to change hands, it's not clear yet which team will land it.
The Sixers' pick is trending toward likely to stay put, but for now I don't want to rule out the possibility of an Andrew Bynum return and a late-season surge.
Not all of these draft picks were traded directly to the receiving team by the sending team. The Raptors' and Mavericks' picks, for instance, were owned by Houston before being sent to the Thunder in the James Harden trade.

Categories:
2013 NBA Draft

Month: November 2024