2013 January | Hoops Rumors

Colangelo: Bargnani Would Be Open To Trade

January 31st, 2013 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of his acquisition of Rudy Gay, Raptors president Bryan Colangelo suggested to reporters, including Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, that he may not be done dealing yet. Colangelo referred to Andrea Bargnani as a player who has "definitely garnered interest," adding that the former first overall pick would likely be open to a trade.

"He’s a unique talent, but sometimes a change of address is not bad," Colangelo said. "I’m not saying he’s asked for a trade, but he would certainly not fight or resist a situation if it was the right situation."

Colangelo went on to say that there are no assurances the Raptors will deal Bargnani, and that for now the focus is on getting him healthy and back on the court. But Bargnani has long been viewed as a potential trade candidate, and with Gay's sizable salary potentially on the books through 2014/15, moving Bargnani's contract could help alleviate some of Toronto's cap and tax concerns.

Bargnani tore a ligament in his shooting elbow earlier in the season, and has been out of action since December 10th. His injury issues, along with an eight-figure annual salary, will make him a tricky trade chip to move within the next three weeks. If Toronto doesn't trade Bargnani at this year's deadline, it's not out of the question that the 27-year-old becomes an amnesty candidate this summer. He's one of three Raptors still eligible to be amnestied.

Wojnarowski On LeBron, Cavs, Grizzlies

January 31st, 2013 at 8:32am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies' decision to trade Rudy Gay is the latest sign that the NBA's era of three-star "super-teams" is coming to an end, writes Adrian Wojnarowski in his latest piece for Yahoo! Sports. Wojnarowski had harsh words for the Grizzlies' new ownership and management groups following the Gay deal, arguing that the new CBA ensures that team owner Robert Pera can "mismanage the Grizzlies into oblivion and still make money on the enterprise." Here are the rest of the notable items from Woj's piece:

LeBron James' agent, Rich Paul, has been privately discussing the idea of LeBron returning to Cleveland as a free agent in 2014 for the last two years. Wojnarowski notes that James will ultimately make his own free-agent decision, but says Paul figures to be one of the most important voices in his ear.
As one "high-level associate" of LeBron's inner circle tells Wojnarowski: "[Heat president Pat] Riley has never given them the run of the place in Miami, and they could all be back in business together in Cleveland. For Rich and [business manager] Maverick [Carter], they all see the benefits of getting the credit for bringing LeBron home again."
Front offices around the NBA were "incredulous" after the Grizzlies dealt Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, and Josh Selby, along with a future first-rounder, for cap relief, says Wojnarowski. Many league executives believed Memphis could have waited until closer to the deadline and potentially received a better return on Speights and Ellington individually.
Said one Eastern Conference GM on the Grizzlies' trade with the Cavs: "Beyond a panic move. Cleveland would always be there with that deal."
Although GM Chris Wallace made a statement in the Grizzlies' press release announcing the Gay trade, Wallace had little to do with the process, according to Wojnarowski. Wallace isn't making calls to teams and isn't consulted by the new management group — he's simply waiting until they reach an agreement on his "inevitable parting," says Wojnarowski.

Glen Davis Breaks Left Foot, Likely Out For Season

January 30th, 2013 at 11:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

11:51pm: Davis is likely out for the rest of the season, according to John Denton of Magic.com.

9:31pm: Magic coach Jacque Vaughn told reporters tonight that power forward Glen Davis has suffered a left broken foot, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The injury happened in the first quarter of tonight's game. It's the second significant injury of the season for Davis, who just made it back two weeks ago after missing nearly a month with a shoulder injury. There's no word on just how long Davis will be out, but with the trade deadline in three weeks, it likely spoils any plans the Magic had of including Davis in a deal to shed salary, as they have reportedly been interested in doing.

Davis, in the second year of a four-year, $25.7MM contract, was averaging career highs in points (15.5), rebounds (7.5) and minutes (32.1) entering tonight's contest. The 27-year-old is Orlando's second leading scorer and rebounder, so his loss will be felt on a team that's fallen eight games behind the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The losing may be a blessing in disguise, as Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel noted before tonight's game that the Magic's odds of winning the No. 1 pick in the lottery are increasing. The chances of doing so figure to improve further with Davis out. As our reverse standings show, the Magic currently have an 11.9% chance of landing the top pick, fourth best in the league.

Odds & Ends: Warriors, Splitter, Kings, Cousins

January 30th, 2013 at 11:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

Two-time MVP Steve Nash made his first trip back to the city where he enjoyed his greatest success, but his Phoenix return has been overshadowed by the first major trade of the year. It's been quite a busy evening, with Rudy Gay heading to the Raptors, retirement talk surrounding Kevin Garnett, and another weapon in the quiver for the Lakers. Here's even more from the Association:

Even with Andrew Bogut back, the Warriors still want to upgrade their front line and would love to trade for Timofey Mozgov or DeJuan Blair, Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reports. Still, chances of a move are "remote," a source tells Thompson.
Barring an unreasonable offer from another team, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News believes the Spurs intend to re-sign Tiago Splitter, who'll be a restricted free agent this summer (Twitter link).
In the tug-of-war between Sacramento and Seattle for the Kings, Jason Thompson says the California capital has the players on its side, notes Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com.
Though he was one of the more prominent trade candidates earlier this season, DeMarcus Cousins claims he's unaware of his name having come up in trade talk, as Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe observes, passing along some revealing comments from the mercurial Kings center. "I'm a loyal guy," he said. "I'm a family-orientated guy. But not so much in this league. You've kind of got to look out for yourself most of the time and always do what's best for you."
The Mavs could have been involved in today's three-team deal, but reportedly refused to part with Vince Carter, and that was the right move, opines Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com.
No team has more former lottery picks under the age of 25 than the Jazz, and that has them set up for a bright future, writes Mike Sorensen of the Deseret News.

GMs: ‘No Chance’ Garnett Plays Out Contract

January 30th, 2013 at 10:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

Two GMs who spoke to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game believe there's "no chance" that Kevin Garnett plays the final two seasons of the three-year, $36MM contract he signed this past offseason (Sulia link). The executives believe the 36-year-old won't be able to coax any more out of his aging legs, and wouldn't want to hang around as an albatross to the Celtics. The GMs also aren't expecting any team to take him on in a trade, given his outsized salary, though only $6MM of his $12MM for 2014/15 is guaranteed.

If Garnett were to walk away, the Celtics would still be on the hook for the guaranteed portion of his deal, unless the two sides arrange a buyout. Clearly the dynamics in Boston have changed after Rajon Rondo's ACL injury, though Celtics basketball president Danny Ainge is reportedly waiting to evaluate this year's post-Rondo team before making a move. The specter of Garnett's looming retirement may prompt Ainge to decide the championship window for this iteration of the Celtics has finally closed.

Garnett, in his 18th season, is averaging 15.0 points and 7.3 rebounds in 30.4 minutes a game. He also chips in 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks every night and remains the linchpin of the Celtics defense, which allows the 10th-fewest points per game in the league. Still, his 18.7 PER, his lowest since his second season in the league, indicates that he isn't as efficient as he once was, and he's been unable to lift Boston to better than a 22-23 record this year.

Not counting this year's salary, Garnett has earned in excess of $291MM over his career, according to Basketball-Reference.com. That's a figure Bucher believes is the most any NBA player has ever made. Others will soon pass him for that distinction, to be sure, but it's enough of a sum to suggest that Garnett may be willing to leave a significant portion of his current contract on the table if he's ready to hang it up.

Fallout From Rudy Gay Deal

January 30th, 2013 at 10:07pm CST by Chuck Myron

Reaction has been pouring in since the Grizzlies, Raptors and Pistons struck a deal that's headlined by Rudy Gay going to Toronto. Couper Moorhead of Heat.com thinks the trade is a win for the Grizzlies, who pulled off the rare trifecta of shedding salary while improving short-term and long-term (Twitter link). Ken Berger of CBSSports.com sees it as a step back for Memphis, and another reminder of the harsh reality of the new CBA for small and mid-size markets. Here's more of what we're hearing:

Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo said to expect more deals from the Raptors before the deadline, notes Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun via Twitter.
Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free-Press, after discussions with those around the Pistons, wouldn't rule out the idea of the team keeping Jose Calderon around (Twitter link). I assume he means the team would try to re-sign him this summer, rather than merely pass up opportunities to flip him to another team before the trade deadline.

Earlier updates:

Berger, in the same piece, says it would behoove the Pistons to trade some of the $26.5MM in expiring contracts they have as a result of the deal.
As Chad Ford of ESPN.com notes via Twitter, the trade nets the Grizzlies an additional three wins according to trade machine metrics that were created by Memphis executive and former ESPN.com scribe John Hollinger.
Not all of Hollinger's prior work portends the future, as Ford also points out, since Hollinger had new Grizzlies big man Ed Davis, the 13th pick in 2010, rated as the 54th-best prospect that year (Twitter link).
The Grizzlies and Raptors were calling many other teams in their efforts to faciliate the trade, and the momentum toward the deal picked up steam this afternoon, recounts Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (Twitter link).
The Pistons' cap space for this summer increases from $25MM to $33MM as a result of the trade, as Keith Langlois of Pistons.com notes via Twitter. Langlois speculates that the majority of that space will be used in trades rather than to sign free agents (Twitter link).
The Pistons, who tried to acquire Jose Calderon around the time of the 2011 draft, have been high on Calderon for a while, Langlois notes. (Twitter links).
Grantland's Zach Lowe thinks Andrea Bargnani and Linas Kleiza could be the next Raptors on their way out of Toronto (Twitter link).
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, who also believes Bargnani is on his way out, hears that the Grizzlies tried to send Darrell Arthur to the Raptors as part of the deal, but Toronto opted instead for Haddadi, whom they will reportedly waive (All Twitter links).

Heat, Cavs Frontrunners For Greg Oden

January 30th, 2013 at 9:40pm CST by Luke Adams

9:40pm: There's mutual interest between the Cavs and Oden, Conley tells Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer. The agent noted that the proximity of the Cleveland Clinic helps the Cavs, as Conley wants to make sure that there's proper care for his oft-injured client wherever he winds up.

3:09pm: In addition to the potential Oden suitors we've already heard about (including the Spurs and Mavericks), the Pacers, Hornets, and Bobcats also have interest, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Broussard, Oden is expected to make his decision in three or four weeks.

WEDNESDAY, 1:26pm: Speaking to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida, agent Mike Conley essentially confirmed Goodman's report, referring to both Miami and Cleveland as potential fits for his client. He also confirmed that he and Oden would like to go down to Miami and meet with the Heat soon, noting that he has been in touch recently with team president Pat Riley.

TUESDAY, 11:08am: As Greg Oden continues to eye an NBA comeback, the Heat and the Cavaliers have emerged as the favorites to land the former first overall pick, reports Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com. According to Goodman, Oden is hoping to visit Pat Riley and the Heat in Miami within the next week or so.

We heard earlier this month that Oden is considering signing an NBA deal this season, with the intention of rehabbing with the club this year and then returning to the court for the 2013/14 season. Multiple reports have identified the Heat as a possible landing spot for the seven-footer, but the Cavaliers have a couple factors working in their favor — Oden has a history in the area, having attended Ohio State, and the Cavs could also offer a higher salary. While the Heat only have minimum-salary deals at their disposal, Cleveland still has about $3-4MM in cap space.

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio reported last week that Oden was hoping to sign with a team shortly after the All-Star break or trade deadline, which means we could get resolution within the next few weeks. Besides Miami and Cleveland, the Celtics, Mavericks, and Spurs are among the teams that have been linked to Oden.

Kyler’s Latest: Pierce, Josh Smith, Redick, Lakers

January 30th, 2013 at 9:12pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler chimed in with roundup of trade rumors in advance of the Rudy Gay deal, and though his info about that swap quickly became outdated, he delivered much more from around the league. Let's hit the highlights here:

The Celtics were entertaining offers for Paul Pierce before Rajon Rondo went down with a torn ACL, but for the moment they want to evaluate their team in the wake of the injury before making a move. Pierce wants to retire with Boston, and Celtics basketball president Danny Ainge and company will consider his special place in the team's history in deciding whether to move him. The C's will seek deals for their other players first.
Though rumblings seem to indicate Josh Smith may be on his way out of Atlanta, the Hawks haven't considered any deal for him to this point. Still, Kyler believes that if they decide to deal Smith, they already know where they can send him. According to Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun, the Raptors probably aren't one of the teams that would make a deal for the power forward (Twitter link).
More than half the league has tried to trade for J.J. Redick, but the Magic have rebuffed all offers for the soon-to-be free agent. The Magic front office has kept Redick informed about all the possible deals, and it seems more than likely he'll opt to re-sign this summer.
The Lakers continue to discuss Pau Gasol deals, but as it stands now, they're more likely to hold off until the summer, when they'll know whether Dwight Howard, a free agent, will be back.
Kyler also shares Lang Greene's pre-trade video interview with Raptors coach Dwane Casey, and catches up with Greivis Vasquez and new Grizzlies big man Jon Leuer, who revealed that it was former teammate Kyrie Irving who broke the news to him about last week's trade.

Grizzlies, Raptors, Pistons Finalize Rudy Gay Deal

January 30th, 2013 at 8:23pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:23pm: The Raptors sent out a press release confirming the deal for all three teams. The second-rounder headed to the Grizzlies is Toronto's own 2013 pick, and Memphis is receiving cash from the Raptors as part of the deal, the statement notes.

8:20pm: Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tweets that Detroit's side of the deal is official, and that Calderon will join the team in time for Friday's game. Since it was the Pistons-Grizzlies part that seemed to have hit a snag earlier, rather than the Raptors-Grizzlies end of it, the swap appears to be squared away. Pistons GM Joe Dumars has released a statement, as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News passes along (All Twitter links).

7:28pm: The trade call has ended, meaning the deal is now official, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).

6:55pm: The trade call has been delayed slightly, but it's still going on, tweets Doug Smith of the Toronto Star, who adds that the deal is still going to happen.

6:18pm: Goodwill now hears from a source who says the trade will indeed go down (Twitter link).

6:06pm: A source tells Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News there's "one hangup" in the deal, though Goodwill doesn't specify what it could be (Twitter link).

5:56pm: The Pistons' side of the trade has not yet been finalized, Aldridge notes via Twitter, though with the trade call scheduled in a few minutes from now, it's likely we'll soon have official word. Both Prince and Daye are inactive for Detroit's game tonight.

5:33pm: The Raptors will likely waive and buy out the rest of Haddadi's two-year contract, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Haddadi is making $1.3MM this year and is due a partial guarantee of $200K on his fully $1.398MM salary next year. Under terms of the new CBA, the Grizzlies will not be allowed to sign Haddadi again for one year.

5:13pm: The Grizzlies, Raptors and Pistons have all reached agreement on a three-team trade. ESPN's Marc Stein reported the Grizzlies have acquired Jose Calderon and Ed Davis from the Raptors in exchange for Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi. TNT's David Aldridge reports the Pistons will receive Calderon from the Grizzlies in exchange for Tayshaun Prince (Twitter link). Stein added that Austin Daye is also headed to Memphis, and noted the Grizzlies will get a second-round pick from the Raptors as well.

The trade call will be placed to the league office at 7pm Eastern, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. When the trade becomes official, it will end several weeks of speculation about Gay's future in Memphis, as the Grizzlies look to avoid becoming a repeat taxpayer. It also ends months of chatter about Calderon in Toronto. The Pistons apparently beat out the Mavericks for the point guard, as Dallas refused to part with Vince Carter in any potential deal, Stein tweets.

The Grizzlies save significant money in the deal, as the combined salaries of Prince, Daye and Davis add up to $11.9MM, much less than the total of $17.8MM that Gay and Haddadi are getting. Daye can come off the books next season, as he's a restricted free agent this summer. Davis has one more season left on his rookie deal, at $3.15MM, and is set to hit restricted free agency in 2014 unless the Grizzlies extend his deal. Gay's contract runs through 2014/15, a player option season in which he's due to make $19.3MM. The Grizzlies are now $8MM under the luxury tax, which could give them more flexibility to make other moves this season, as Ken Berger of CBSSports.com points out (Twitter link). The Grizzlies will pay out $37.2MM less as a result of the moves, Berger adds.

Technically, the deal is actually a pair of two-team trades, rather than one three-team trade, notes Mark Deeks of ShamSports (Twitter link). The Raptors, operating exclusively with the Grizzlies, wind up with Gay's sizable contract, adding roughly $5MM to their payroll, which was at about $61.2MM. They're still well below the $70.307MM tax line, and figure to remain that way even when DeMar DeRozan's four-year, $38MM extension kicks in next season.

The Pistons, meanwhile, part ways with the last remaining member of their 2004 championship team, bringing in a point guard to mentor second-year man Brandon Knight. It also clears cap room, since Calderon's expiring $10.56MM contract will come off the books this summer, while Prince is signed through 2015.

Lakers Get Disabled Player Exception For Hill

January 30th, 2013 at 5:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

The league has granted the Lakers their request for a disabled player exception for power forward Jordan Hill, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. It will be worth $1.78MM, or half of Hill’s salary for this season. The Lakers aren’t likely to use the exception, as Medina notes via Twitter, but it does give them one more way to acquire help down the stretch in case they need it.

L.A. already had a prorated portion of their midlevel exception remaining, worth about $1.235MM at this point, so now they possess multiple tools other than the midlevel exception to bring someone aboard. They can add $100K to the disabled player exception to acquire a player via trade. The Lakers have 14 players on their roster, so a spot is open.

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