2014 January | Hoops Rumors

Sixers Looking For First-Round Picks In Trades

January 15th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers are going to be one of the more heavily talked about teams leading up to the February 20th trade deadline. The reason for that is their three prime trade assets: Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner, and Spencer Hawes. The Sixers, though, won’t be willing to take back a “lesser player” in any deal without receiving a first-round pick, preferably from the upcoming 2014 draft, in return, tweeted Tom Moore of Philly Burbs.com. With the premium that most teams place on first-round picks, especially with the upcoming draft looking to be one of the strongest and deepest in years, this could have a negative effect on the Sixers chances to jump start their rebuilding process.

Young is obviously the most desirable asset for other teams, talent-wise. The 25 year-old forward is averaging 17.8 PPG and 6.6 RPG with a slash line of .499/.393/.719. He has expressed his desire not to be part of a rebuilding process and is the kind of player that could be a major factor on a contending team. He’s not a player that can carry a franchise, but paired with another star player or two, can be a difference maker. He has one more year on his contract after this one, with a player option for 2015/2016. His salary of $8,850,000 this season and $9,410,870 the next, is reasonable, but a difficult one to trade without having to take back similar dollars in return. With the Sixers looking to rebuild, they would most likely prefer an expiring deal, plus a first-round pick.

The other two players mentioned also have value, both being productive and just 25 years old. Turner is currently averaging 18.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 3.9 APG. His slash line is: .438/.293/.816. He’s in the final year of his deal and earning $6,679,867. Hawes is contributing 14.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 1.5 BPG, and a line of .485/.434/.775. He’s also on an expiring contract which pays him $6,500,000. Nice pieces for contending teams, but with expiring contracts not being deemed as valuable as in the past, they would fetch a lesser return than trading Young.

The Sixers desire for a first-round pick in return for trading these players for non-stars is a logical one. The team is in full-on rebuilding mode, and want to capitalize on the strength of the upcoming draft. They have two potential building blocks in Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel. Adding another young building block or two could put them into the weak Eastern Conference playoff picture next season. Even if they fall short next year, another lottery trip could set them up for a successful future run for years to come. Plus, by shedding more salaries, they could potentially be players for a free-agent score if they so chose. So any general managers should be prepared to sacrifice draft picks if they want to acquire one of the Sixers available players.

Western Notes: Fisher, Jackson, Turkoglu

January 15th, 2014 at 7:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Derek Fisher is breathing a little easier today with the news that the judge, Huey Cotton, who is presiding over Billy Hunter’s wrongful termination lawsuit had dismissed most of the allegations against Fisher, and all against his former business manager, Jamie Wior, writes Ken Berger of CBS Sports.com. Hunter had alleged that the two conspired to oust him and seize control of the NBPA during and after the 2011 lockout. Cotton ruled that Hunter’s claims against Fisher regarding breach of contract and intentional interference with contractual relations may go forward, but struck 12 other allegations against the former NBPA president from the lawsuit, including defamation. The judge also ruled that Hunter must pay legal fees for Fisher and Wior related to the claims that were dismissed. The rest of Hunter’s lawsuit is cleared to continue against the NBPA.

Here’s some other notes from around the Western Conference:

Pierre Jackson still hasn’t been able to reach a deal with the Pelicans, who hold his rights after drafting him 42nd overall in last year’s draft. Not long before Jrue Holiday was ruled out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his right tibia on January 10th, Jackson’s representatives requested and received permission to explore trade opportunities. Jackson’s agents, who also represent Holiday, met with Pelicans general manager Dell Demps this week, but Jackson still doesn’t have a contract with the team. This has Jackson and his camp disappointed, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Jackson is currently the D-League’s second-leading scorer at 29.9 PPG, and feels his production warrants some NBA playing time.
The Warriors will be keeping MarShon Brooks, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. Brooks was acquired as a part of today’s three-team trade involving Boston and Miami. An earlier tweet by Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe had indicated the team might waive Brooks.
Spurs guard Nando De Colo‘s agent denied reports that the player was attempting to return to Europe and play for Fenerbahce, as he told French newspaper L’Equipe (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). De Colo is currently averaging 2.0 PPG in limited action.
The Clippers continue to have interest in Sasha Vujacic even as they near a deal with Hedo Turkoglu, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.

Atlantic Rumors: Smith, ‘Melo, Young

January 15th, 2014 at 6:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

J.R. Smith expressed his displeasure both during and after Monday’s game to Mike Woodson, who had decided against starting him for overtime that night, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith was late for a meeting Tuesday, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, and Woodson benched him for the entirety of last night’s game. Begley hears Smith is still angry at the team for waiving his brother last month. Still, Woodson said today on The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show on ESPN New York 98.7 that he’s not “kicking J.R. to the curb,” and that he’ll remain a “big part” of the club, Berman notes. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division on the day that Smith and six others become eligible to be traded.

Woodson also said on radio that he’s “concerned” that the events of this season might lead Carmelo Anthony to sign elsewhere, but the coach nonetheless believes Anthony will play for the Knicks his entire career, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone observes.
The Sixers are ramping up discussions with other teams about potential Thaddeus Young trades, and executives around the league consider it a “lock” that they’ll try to trade Evan Turner, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe in a piece on today’s three-team swap.
The Warriors reportedly passed on Kyle Lowry because they were worried he’d be a poor fit for their locker room, but the Raptors point guard tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that he’s unaware of how the team would get that impression.
Nerlens Noel has been medically cleared to play, and while Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com hears he could make his NBA debut in four to six weeks, Sixers coach Brett Brown says there’s no such timetable, and that he still may sit out the season, notes Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link).
Conversely, Jason Richardson says there’s a “good chance” he’ll come back from injury to play for the Sixers this season, Moore tweets.
The Sixers recalled Lorenzo Brown from the D-League today, one day after sending him down, the team announced via Twitter. He had 22 points and eight assists for the Delaware 87ers last night.
Rajon Rondo‘s brief trip to the D-League today didn’t involve any travel, as the Maine Red Claws came to the Celtics practice facility in Waltham, Massachusetts, to practice with him, as Chris Mannix of SI.com explains (on Twitter).

Fallout From Warriors/Celtics/Heat Trade

January 15th, 2014 at 4:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat made initial inquiries about Kyle Lowry prior to today’s three-team trade with the Celtics and Warriors, but those talks with the Raptors went nowhere, Grantand’s Zach Lowe reports. Lowe predicts the Heat will cut either the newly acquired Toney Douglas or Roger Mason Jr. to open a roster spot for Andrew Bynum. Regardless, the trade is a “no-brainer” for Miami, Lowe believes. We’ve roundup up more news and reaction in the wake of today’s deal below:

Even if the protected first-rounder the Celtics acquired turns into a pair of second-round picks after next season, the trade still provides Boston with a “small bounty,” Lowe writes in the same piece, as teams around the league are valuing second-rounders more highly.
The departure of Joel Anthony prompts Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel to wonder if Udonis Haslem might be the next to go as the Heat continue to pursue a strategy of freeing money to keep their three stars and supplementing them with bargains.
The Warriors are still “thrilled” to have essentially passed on Jarrett Jack in favor of Andre Iguodala this summer, even though Douglas proved ineffective as a replacement at backup point guard, forcing today’s move, notes Sam Amick of USA Today.
Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com figures the depature of Crawford, who was developing into a serviceable point guard, strengthens the chances that the Celtics will keep Rajon Rondo long-term (Twitter link).
Today’s trade means the Heat have cut their projected luxury tax bill by more than 50% since the start of July, as Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com explains (Twitter links).
The Timberwolves weren’t among the teams interested in Jordan Crawford, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).
Crawford played point guard for the Celtics, but he’s otherwise been a shoot-first gunner, and Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group believes he’ll benefit the Warriors most as a pure scorer.

Players Eligible To Be Traded As Of Today

January 15th, 2014 at 3:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s been an active season for trades in the NBA. We’re still more than a month away from the deadline and we’ve already seen five swaps, including today’s three-teamer between the Warriors, Celtics and Heat. The door to the action opens just a little bit wider today, as seven more players become eligible to be included in trades. It’s not quite a landmark sort of occasion like December 15th, when most free agents signed in the offseason, along with a few others, become fair game for trades, but the arrival of January 15th nonetheless represents one fewer obstacle to player movement.

Players who received a raise of better than 20% this summer when they re-signed via Bird or Early Bird rights with a team that was over the cap weren’t eligible to be traded until today, as long as they were making more than the minimum salary last season. That narrow distinction applies to the following players:

Tony Allen, Grizzlies
Chase Budinger, Timberwolves
Timofey Mozgov, Nuggets
J.R. Smith, Knicks
Tiago Splitter, Spurs
Nikola Pekovic, Timberwolves
Brandan Wright, Mavericks

The Wolves are the only team with two players on that list, but J.R. Smith seems far and away the most likely trade candidate, and he’s uncertain about his future in New York, as we passed along this morning. It doesn’t seem as though there’s much of a market for him, but if a team wants to engage in talks with the Knicks about the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, collective bargaining agreement rules won’t forestall a move any longer.

ShamSports, RealGM, and Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ were used in the creation of this post.

Ford’s Latest: Embiid, Wiggins, Jazz

January 15th, 2014 at 2:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Chad Ford has made the season’s first change to the top spot of the Insider-only Big Board for ESPN.com, bumping Andrew Wiggins from the No. 1 one spot in favor of Kansas teammate Joel Embiid. Wiggins doesn’t fall far, landing at No. 2, right in front of Jabari Parker, Julius Randle and Dante Exum. Ford joined readers to chat about the new projected No. 1 overall pick and other draft topics, and we’ll run down the highlights:

Wiggins hasn’t demonstrated that he’s a franchise player capable of immediately turning around a moribund team, and neither has anyone else in this year’s draft class, Ford observes.
Parker is a “lock” to go to the Jazz if they wind up picking first, Ford writes. The Celtics also prefer him to Embiid, but they’re more open to changing their minds. The Magic and Sixers still prefer Wiggins, but they, too, seem flexible enough to switch to Embiid over time.
Most people around the league think the Celtics would like to end up with a top three pick in this year’s draft, but Ford isn’t so sure, noting that GM Danny Ainge isn’t as high on this year’s prospects as other teams are.
The Kings would probably choose between Parker and Embiid with the No. 1 pick, though their urgency to win soon could turn them off from Embiid, according to Ford, who adds that Sacramento also regards Exum highly.
There’s a significant drop-off in talent after the top five prospects, and another after the top 10, according to Ford, who says the middle of the first round isn’t as deep as in years past.

Celtics Recall Rajon Rondo From D-League

January 15th, 2014 at 1:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:25pm: The team has recalled Rondo, according to a press release, meaning the assignment lasted less than two hours, apparently just long enough for him to get in the workout that Ainge referred to.

11:28am: The Celtics have assigned Rajon Rondo to the D-League, the team announced. The move had been rumored in recent weeks, but it nonetheless represents one of the most high-profile assignments in the history of the D-League.

“Rajon is progressing terrifically in his rehab and this is the next step,” GM Danny Ainge said in a statement. “This is a brief assignment so that Rajon can participate in a workout this afternoon with the Red Claws and he will be called back up to the Celtics upon the conclusion of the workout.”

Rondo tore his right ACL last season, but he appears close to returning to the Celtics. Boston agreed to trade Jordan Crawford, who had been playing the point in Rondo’s absence, as part of a three-team swap today.

The move required Rondo’s approval, as well as that of the union, since NBA teams can only unilaterally send down players with less than three years of experience. Rondo, a veteran of seven seasons, initially proposed the idea of the assignment, so it doesn’t sound as if the Celtics faced too much difficulty in making it happen. Still, Rondo probably won’t appear in a game for the Maine Red Claws, and will instead just practice with the club, as Amar’e Stoudemire did with the Knicks’ affiliate last season.

Bulls Notes: Thibodeau, Augustin, Teague

January 15th, 2014 at 12:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Last week’s Luol Deng trade has done nothing to worsen the relationship between Tom Thibodeau and Bulls GM Gar Forman, since the coach understands owner Jerry Reinsdorf must approve every move, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Thibodeau feels that Reinsdorf appreciates him, and the owner is usually supportive of his employees, writes Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald, so it appears as though Reinsdorf’s blessing of the trade has been key to Thibodeau’s acceptance of it. There’s more from Cowley, McGraw and other reporters on the Bulls beat here:

Thibodeau is unlikely to try to force his way out of his contract, and the fact that the Bulls gave him his first shot to be an NBA coach weighs heavily on his thinking, a source close to Thibodeau tells Cowley. On top of that, Reinsdorf wants to keep Thibodeau around, according to McGraw.
Recent signee D.J. Augustin has lived through Hurricane Katrina, so his NBA struggles don’t bother him much, and he doesn’t resent the way his tenures with the Bobcats, Pacers and Raptors ended, as he tells Sam Smith of Bulls.com. “Toronto, I really don’t know what happened there,” Augustin said. “When I signed with them I thought it would be a good opportunity. It just didn’t work out. Coming here [to Chicago], it’s been a blessing. I love being here, love the city, love coach Thibs, love my teammates.”
The Bulls recalled Marquis Teague from the D-League, the team announced. The point guard averaged 12.0 points and 4.8 assists per game in eight contests for the Iowa Energy.
Cowley writes that the Bulls “would love to nab Lance Stephenson” in free agency, but that probably represents a general observation rather than a reflection of the team’s plans for the summer.

Nuggets Rumors: Miller, Gallinari, Draft

January 15th, 2014 at 9:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Denver is perhaps the NBA’s streakiest team, having won seven in a row at one point and five in a row at another, with an eight-game losing skid in between. So far, it’s all more or less evened out, as Denver has a 19-18 record. Monday’s loss to the Jazz snapped their five-game win streak, perhaps signaling another string of defeats is on its way. Here’s the latest from the Rocky Mountains:

The Nuggets have no interest in acquiring J.R. Smith, be it in a trade for Andre Miller or otherwise, as Chris Mannix of SI.com reported earlier this morning, and it doesn’t look like there will be a Miller trade involving the Mavericks, either. In reference to the veteran point guard, Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson told the BaD Radio program on 1310 The Ticket in Dallas that he’s satisfied with his backcourt and won’t be “looking to mess around with that” (transcription via the Dallas Morning News). Nelson also said the notion of Andrew Bynum joining the Mavs is “a long to long-long-long shot.”
Danilo Gallinari says the thought of missing the entire season has crossed his mind, but it’s still possible that he’ll return this year from his torn left ACL, as he tells Massimo Lopes Pegna of La Gazzetta dello Sport (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). That’s a change from his comments two months ago, when it appeared likely that he would come back at some point in 2013/14.
Gallinari also told Pegna that the Nuggets are scouting Italian draft prospect Alessandro Gentile, who could be a second-round pick (translation via Carchia). The swingman is No. 69 in the DraftExpress prospect rankings, but No. 127 at ESPN.com.

Latest On J.R. Smith

January 15th, 2014 at 9:00am CST by Chuck Myron

J.R. Smith is eligible to be traded starting today, and while it doesn’t appear as though any deal is imminent, all is not well between last year’s Sixth Man of the Year and the Knicks. Smith didn’t appear in last night’s game against the Bobcats, even though he says Mike Woodson hadn’t told him he would be benched, observes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Smith didn’t directly answer a reporter’s postgame question of whether he wants to be traded, but he nonetheless hinted at discontent with his situation in New York.

“I’ll figure out what I can do better to help this team and go from there,’’ Smith said, as Berman notes. “If I can’t help the team, no point in me being here.’’

A reporter also asked Smith whether he would try to talk to Woodson about the benching, but Smith replied that, “The communication from my end is over,” Newsday’s Al Iannazzone tweets. The latest discord seems to have started with Smith repeatedly trying to untie opponents’ shoelaces earlier this month, but Smith says it’s “ridiculous” that such pranks have led to so much trouble, according to Berman.

Trading Smith, who signed a three-year contract for nearly $18MM in the offseason, wouldn’t fetch the Knicks much in return, as there’s apparently no market for the swingman. The Knicks have been trying to find a way to trade for Andre Miller, but the Nuggets have no interest in Smith and wouldn’t entertain the idea of a Miller-for-Smith swap, reports Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link).

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