2013 January | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Redick, Crawford, James, Crowder

January 23rd, 2013 at 12:01am CST by Chuck Myron

Just as we crossed into the final month before the trade deadline, the first deal of the new year went down today, and the action will no doubt pick up going forward. Here are a few more notes from a busy evening.

J.J. Redick, an unrestricted free agent at season's end, wants a raise on his $6.19MM salary, but the Magic want him to take a hometown discount, reports USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt. If the team doesn't believe it can re-sign him when the trade deadline rolls around, Zillgitt won't be surprised to see the Magic trade Redick, since they don't want to lose him without any return.
The Wizards are looking to make moves, and Jordan Crawford is drawing the most interest of any of the players they'd make available, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler reveals, noting rookie Bradley Beal isn't among the players they're dangling, Kyler adds.
Damion James is heading back to the D-League's Bakersfield Jam, as the Nets have opted not to renew his 10-day contract, which expires tonight, tweets NetsDaily.com.
Jae Crowder's contract with the Mavs is fully guaranteed through next season, but he doesn't want that to be the end of his tenure in Dallas, where he wants to play his entire career, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reveals.
Elliot Williams, who tore his left Achilles tendon in September, isn't ruling out the possibility he could return at some point this season, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The league, believing he was done for the year, has already granted the Blazers a disabled player exception, but the team will get to keep it even if he makes it back.
Ben Baroff of SheridanHoops.com believes there will be more deals similar to today's Cavs-Grizzlies trade in the years to come, as luxury tax penalties become more severe.
Amid another round of Dwight Howard rumors, Nets brass has assured Brook Lopez he won't be traded, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Suns Notes: Gentry, O’Neal, Blanks

January 22nd, 2013 at 11:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Suns are at the bottom of the Western Conference, but like the Lakers and Kings, the other sub-.500 teams in the Pacific Division, they've had no trouble generating headlines of late. Here's the latest out of Phoenix:

The end of Alvin Gentry's tenure with the Suns was characterized as a mutual parting of ways, but Gentry indicated that wasn't so in his comments Tuesday to Arizona Sports 620's Burns and Gambo. Adrian Martinez of ArizonaSports.com has the story. "Decisions are made that you don't agree with," Gentry said. "They have the right to do that."
Jermaine O'Neal denied via Twitter that he and GM Lance Blanks took part in an altercation, and said they didn't exchange words over the team's coaching situation (hat tip to Matt Moore of CBSSports.com). Blanks acknowledged the two had an argument, but downplayed the incident, also saying it wasn't about the coaches, as Sam Amick of USA Today documents.
I looked at the trade candidacy of Marcin Gortat earlier this evening, arguing that a combination of market demand and the Suns' need to move forward with rebuilding will lead to the departure of the Polish Hammer.

Kings/Seattle Rumors: Tuesday

January 22nd, 2013 at 10:41pm CST by Luke Adams

The Maloof family reached an agreement over the weekend to sell the Kings to the Seattle investment group led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer, a deal confirmed yesterday by all involved parties. However, even with the agreement in place, the sale is far from finalized. Here are Tuesday's rumors related to Sacramento, Seattle, and the future of the Kings, with any new updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

Ron Burkle and Mark Mastrov, the "heavy hitters" among the five investors rumored to be interested in heading up a bid for the Kings, are considering teaming up, USA Today's Sam Amick reports.

Earlier updates:

The NBA board of governors meeting, in which Sacramento's group is expected to make its formal pitch to keep the Kings in town, is scheduled for April 18th and 19th, tweets Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
Johnson has already added a 20th local investor willing to pledge $1MM to the group of 19 he unveiled today, reports Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link).
Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson confirmed last night that an announcement is coming this afternoon regarding efforts to put together a local ownership bid, tweets Bryan May of News10 in Sacramento.
Sports-law expert Michael McCann tells the Sacramento Bee that he doesn't think the Kings' potential move to Seattle is a slam-dunk, but "the odds are highly in favor of the move."
California politician Darrell Steinberg has sent a letter to the California Department of General Services outlining his concerns about Ballmer's involvement in the purchase and relocation of the Kings, as Sam Amick of USA Today details.
While Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported yesterday that the Seattle group would target Spurs GM R.C. Buford to run the team's front office, a source tells Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News that Buford isn't going anywhere. TNT's David Aldridge also hears that Buford has no interest in leaving San Antonio (Twitter link).

Dwight Howard’s Frustration Could Lead To Trade

January 22nd, 2013 at 10:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

Dwight Howard has professed elation about his new home in L.A. for most of the time since he was traded to the Lakers in August, but the shine appears to be wearing off. Howard's growing unhappiness with his role under coach Mike D'Antoni has led sources to indicate to Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com that the Lakers might consider trading the big man before the February 21st deadline. The Lakers still believe they can re-sign him, and are continuing to reject Howard offers from other teams, Shelburne and Stein report, confirming what we heard earlier from Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Still, they don't want to be left with nothing should Howard leave as a free agent this summer.

Howard has privately dropped hints about how uncomfortable he feels in D'Antoni's up-tempo system, and that he might leave if there isn't improvement or change. D12 is recovering from back surgery and has shown signs of his old form of late, but his numbers of 17.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game are off significantly from his last few seasons with the Magic. The three-time defensive player of the year has had little apparent effect on the team's ability to stop opponents from scoring, as the Lakers are giving up 102.6 PPG, the fifth most in the league.

There were conflicting reports today about whether the Nets are considering a trade for Howard, who seemingly made Brooklyn his top choice during last year's back and forth with the Magic. Shelburne and Stein note that the Mavericks and Hawks appear to be teams Howard would consider if he doesn't re-sign with the Lakers. Howard is making a little more than $19.5MM this season, which, like Pau Gasol and his $19MM salary figure, would make it challenging to construct a trade that would satisfy the league's salary-matching requirements.

Still, the Lakers may have motivation to deal him away if their belief that they can re-sign him begins to dissolve. Given their current commitments, the Lakers will be well over the cap regardless of whether they bring Howard back in the summer. So, if he signs with another team, the Lakers wouldn't have any cap room to show for it; they'd simply lose Howard for nothing, aside from the savings they'd collect from not having to pay him and the luxury tax his contract would incur.

There's plenty of financial motivation for Howard to stay with the Lakers as well, since they could give him an extra year on his next contract. Of course, if the Lakers trade Howard away, his new team, and not the Lakers, would be the only one capable of giving him a deal for five years, instead of four.

L.A. Rumors: Howard, Jackson, Gasol, Clippers

January 22nd, 2013 at 8:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

With the Clippers taking on the Thunder tonight with the league's best record at stake, and the Lakers just trying to keep pace for the last playoff spot, it's clear the usual script has been flipped in Tinseltown. Here's the latest on a pair of clubs going in opposite directions:

The Lakers, intent on re-signing Dwight Howard this summer, have been rejecting all trade offers for him, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, who cautions that the team's stance could change before the deadline (Twitter links). There have been conflicting reports today about whether the Nets are considering another trade push for Howard.
Sam Smith of Bulls.com hears the Lakers' initial pursuit of Phil Jackson this season came on the suggestion of Howard's camp.
Mike D'Antoni has been a "disaster" for the Lakers, but Matt Moore of CBSSports.com makes the case that Pau Gasol should shoulder as much, if not more, of the blame for his poor play.
Even though the other L.A. team made flashier moves, it's the Clippers' offseason that's paying dividends so far, observes J.A. Adande of ESPN.com, who examines each of the Clips' moves one by one.
The Clippers announced they've signed a 10-year extension to their Staples Center lease that will keep them in the building until at least 2024.

Nets Mulling Another Run At Dwight Howard?

January 22nd, 2013 at 8:07pm CST by Luke Adams

8:07pm: Tim Bontemps of the New York Post hears the Nets have no interest in going after Howard again, in spite of the earlier report.

10:10am: With the Lakers struggling and Dwight Howard frustrated, the Nets are considering making another run at the All-Star center, according to Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com (Sulia link). Rudolph reports that Nets GM Billy King has been quietly searching for a third team that could include an attractive piece that would help facilitate a trade between the Lakers and Nets.

When the Magic were attempting to find a trade partner for Howard at last year's deadline and again over the summer, the Nets topped D12's wish list. However, Orlando ultimately ended up sending Howard to another one of the clubs on a wish list that also included the Lakers and Mavericks. While Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported this morning that trading Howard again isn't something the Lakers are currently considering, the Nets feel like L.A. would at least think about it, for the right price, according to Rudolph.

Rudolph indicates that King was preparing an offer that would have included Brook Lopez going to the Timberwolves and Kevin Love heading to the Lakers, with a handful of smaller pieces also included in the deal. The Nets believed the Lakers would be intrigued by Love, but the plan suffered a blow when the Wolves' big man was sidelined for two months with a broken hand.

King will continue to search for a third team that could facilitate a Howard trade, but won't make landing the big man the priority that he did a year ago, according to Rudolph.

Trade Candidate: Marcin Gortat

January 22nd, 2013 at 7:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

One of the reasons Alvin Gentry is no longer coaching the Suns is reportedly because the team wants to focus on developing younger talent, and doesn't think Gentry's the guy to lead that effort. Marcin Gortat, who turns 29 next month, isn't exactly a perfect fit in a youth movement, either, so it's reasonable to expect he could be the next guy heading out of Phoenix. It's harder to get rid of a player than it is to dump a coach, but despite a regression in his performance this year, there should be no shortage of teams lining up to acquire the 6'11" center.

Gortat is coming off a career year in 2011/12, when he put up 15.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in his first full season as a starter. This year, those numbers are down to 11.6 PPG and 9.0 RPG, but he's not the first player who hasn't looked as sharp when he's no longer part of nightly pick-and-rolls with Steve Nash. Gortat is seeing 9.4 shots per game as opposed to 11.7 last season in a nearly idential amount of minutes. Still, his 16.5 PER is lower than in any of his six NBA seasons, aside from 2009/10. The sudden lack of efficiency probably can't be pinned on Gortat breaking down, as he hasn't missed a game the past two seasons, so it likely has to do either with the absence of Nash or the indifference that comes from playing on a last-place team.

Gortat vented his frustration earlier this season about the Suns' style of play and his role in the offense to a reporter in his native Poland, and he turned down Phoenix's offer of a contract extension over the summer. Still, he said he won't ask for a trade, feeling an obligation to stick it out with his struggling team.

The Suns might let him off that hook, and if they do, the Celtics have been linked to him as a potential suitor. That stands to reason, given Boston's rebounding deficiencies and lack of a true center. The C's could give up someone from their crowded backcourt — perhaps Courtney Lee, who was reportedly drawing interest around the league a couple of weeks ago. No one has collected fewer rebounds this year than the Heat, who would no doubt love to bring Gortat back to Florida, but they probably don't have enough assets to engage the Suns other than their three stars, whom they're reluctant to break up. The Rockets have been eyeing Gortat as well, and they certainly have enough young players to fit Phoenix's new player development focus, but I'm not sure the Suns would be willing to give up Gortat for anyone Houston would probably dangle.

What the Suns do with Gortat before the trade deadline will have a lot to say about the direction of the franchise. If they deal him, it clearly signals full-scale rebuilding, a step forward with the process that began when they let Nash go last year. If they keep him, it either means they see him as a building block for the future or believe they'll get a better deal for him next year, when he'll be on an expiring contract. Much will depend on the market, but competent NBA centers are usually in high demand. With whispers that the jobs of basketball president Lon Babby and GM Lance Blanks are in jeopardy, I'd bet that a team will come forward with enough of an enticement to get the Suns to trade Gortat before this year's deadline passes.

Fallout From Cavs/Grizzlies Trade

January 22nd, 2013 at 6:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Cavaliers and Grizzlies hooked up today for the first trade of 2013, and though it was by no means a blockbuster, it's not without significant implications. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors looked this morning at how the trade affects Rudy Gay, and the swap already set off a series of other moves. The Cavs waived Jeremy Pargo to fit the three incoming players on their roster, while Memphis signed Chris Johnson (the small forward from Dayton, not the center from LSU who's with the Timberwolves). The Grizzlies reportedly considering a handful of others for the other roster spot they have to fill to get up to the league minimum of 13 players.

There's other news in the wake of the trade this evening, and we'll round it up here:

Amico, characterizing the deal as a clear win for the Cavs, delves into what the trade means for Cleveland, speculating that the expiring contracts of Luke Walton, Omri Casspi and Daniel Gibson could be part of the team's next deal.

Earlier updates:

While Marreese Speights upgrades the team's corps of inside players in the short term, the first-round draft pick is what most interested the Cavs, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. Boyer also breaks down the details of the protection attached to the pick.
Neither Cavs GM Chris Grant nor Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace plans to step back from discussions about other deals, as both are still aggressively pursuing other trades, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com, in an Insider-only piece, examines the winners and losers of the swap, naming new Memphis owner Robert Pera the biggest winner of all for avoiding the tax this season.

Sacramento Putting Together Offer To Keep Kings

January 22nd, 2013 at 4:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson has worked feverishly to hold on to the Kings over the last few years and despite this weekend's agreement for the club to be sold to Seattle investors, Johnson is not ready to give up his fight. The mayor called a presser this afternoon to announce that he has put together a group of perspective owners and hopes to unfurl his plan in full soon, possibly by the end of the week, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com.

Johnson originally hoped to line up three to five local owners for the Kings but in three days he has already found 19 people to commit at least $1MM to buying the team (Twitter link). There is a sense of urgency about the committee and Johnson says that he even 86'd plans to attend President Obama's inauguration to help put together the plan, Aldridge tweets.

You can check out the rest of today's news on the future of the Kings right here.

D-League Moves: Jones, Nets, Grizzlies, Rockets

January 22nd, 2013 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

We’ll track Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls right here, with additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Rockets announced today that they have re-assigned forward/center Donatas Motiejunas to the Vipers. The move will create roster space for Terrence Jones, who was recalled earlier today.
The Nets announced that have assigned forward Tornike Shengelia and guard Tyshawn Taylor to the Springfield Armor. This will be the second stint for both players in the D-League this season. Shengelia was a practice favorite of former coach Avery Johnson.
On the heels of their trade with the Grizzlies, the Cavaliers have recalled Kevin Jones from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Jones, who was assigned to the Canton Charge just yesterday, helped lead the team to a 78-69 victory over the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, racking up 25 points and 11 boards.
The Rockets will recall Terrence Jones from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. In his four D-League stints this season, Jones has appeared in 12 games, averaging 19.1 PPG and 9.8 RPG.

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