Executives from other teams tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders that they believe the Bobcats will be buyers at the trade deadline, as Kennedy notes amid a chat with readers. Charlotte is clinging to a one-game lead for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Bobcats are 28th in the league in points per game, and despite a regression defensively in the past month, Charlotte’s most pressing needs appear to come on offense. The ‘Cats are also without backup small forward Jeff Taylor for the season because of injury, so they may look to add depth at that position. The Bobcats are over the cap but more than $10MM away from tax territory, so they appear to have the flexibility to add salary.
Ben Gordon‘s $13.2MM expiring contract could appeal to other teams looking to clear cap space, so president of basketball operations Rod Higgins and GM Rich Cho could dangle him in talks if they’re willing to take on long-term salary in exchange. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors looked at a few plausible scenarios involving Gordon earlier this month.
Charlotte’s 2014 first-round pick is ticketed for the Bulls if it falls outside the top 10, but the Bobcats could receive two other first-rounders this June, including a potential lottery pick from the Pistons. The ‘Cats could use one of those draft choices as trade bait, too.
It’s no surprise that front office types around the league have come away with this impression of the Bobcats’ plans, given Charlotte’s investment in Al Jefferson this past offseason and the team’s struggles in recent years. A playoff berth would help generate interest in the club as it prepares to rebrand itself with the Hornets nickname next season. While the allure of keeping their own pick could be a reason for the Bobcats to abandon their playoff push, the team wasn’t thinking that way when it signed Jefferson, and it seems unlikely the ‘Cats will reverse course now, as Kennedy explains.
After being waived recently by the Pelicans, Tyshawn Taylor has been claimed off waivers by the Maine Red Claws, according to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest.com. Taylor will play in the NBA D-League with the Celtics’ affiliate. Taylor has averaged 21.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in 10 career NBA D-League games (two games this season and eight games last season). He had also spent time with the Nets this season, where he appeared in 29 games, averaging 3.9 points and 1.6 assists in 11.7 minutes per game.
The D-League will probably be a better place for the Jeff Schwartz client than heading overseas to play, since it might be his best chance to try and showcase what he has to offer, especially if Taylor hopes to land a 10-day contract this season. Taylor is also still collecting his NBA paychecks, as his salary of $788,872 was fully guaranteed for the year.
The upcoming 2014 NBA Draft is being touted as one of the deepest in years. Since last year, experts have been hyping the talent level of the college prospects that will be available, and team executives have been salivating over quite a few of the projected lottery picks. Unlike last year’s draft, there are a number of players that can be a true franchise changer.
Basketball is a team sport, and one player won’t get a team a championship on his own. Just ask the Cavaliers, who made the Finals in 2006/07, but were swept by the Spurs, during what would be their only appearance during LeBron James‘ tenure with the team. Even the great Michael Jordan needed the right pieces to fall into place before he led the Bulls on their incredible run.
A draft pick is simply a building block. Making the right pick might not get your team a ring, but it can be the first step in the right direction. It’s with that thought in mind we look ahead to draft night. The draft order is still in flux, as there is still half the schedule left to play, and the ping-pong balls yet to be chosen for the lottery order. In addition, team need will play a role in what player gets the honor of being the first name new commissioner Adam Silver calls. The other factor involved is whether or not all of the projected picks will declare for the draft. Top prospects like Joel Embiid and Jabari Parker have hinted that they might stay in school another year, which would alter the draft projections greatly.
Joel Embiid (Kansas): Embiid is a 7’0″, 240-pound center, and is 19 years-old. He is currently averaging 11.2 PPG, 7.4 RPG, and 2.8 BPG. He is easily the most talented big man in the draft, and in addition to being a defensive presence in the middle, he is developing an offensive game to match. He has mentioned that many of the great NBA big men have stayed in school for more than one season. So it remains to be seen if he’ll stay another year to refine his game, or declare for the draft, where he’s all but assured of being a top 3 pick.
Andrew Wiggins (Kansas): Wiggins is a 6’8″, 200 pound swingman, and is 18 years-old. He was the preseason pick for the top player in the draft, but his inconsistent play has called that into question. He’s averaging 15.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, and 1.6 APG. Despite Wiggins’ occasional disappearing acts, such as a three point effort against Oklahoma State, he still has a ton of raw potential.
Jabari Parker (Duke): Depending on who is asked, this 6’8″, 241-pound, small forward might be the most talented player in the draft. Parker has the potential to be a stat sheet filler, and is currently averaging 18.8 PPG, 8.1 RPG, and 1.3 APG. Parker has also hinted that he might stay in school, not just to refine his game, but also to play alongside his friend, and incoming freshman Jahlil Okafor. There is also the possibility that Parker might go on a Mormon mission after the season. Would a team picking first overall be willing to wait a full season before having his services on the court?
Dante Exum (Australia): The son of former player Cecil Exum has made it known that he’s skipping college to enter the NBA Draft. This 6-6, 188 pound 18 year-old can play either guard spot, but scouts project him to be a star at point guard. Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider) was quoted as saying: “Exum hasn’t played basketball since December and it’s probably helping his stock right now. As scouts start to become disillusioned with the players they are seeing every night, it’s easy to pine for players like Exum who left a sweet taste in the mouth the last time they played (in Exum’s case, last summer). … Strong workouts could push him all the way to the top of this draft. But more likely, he’ll fall in the 3-5 range on draft night.” Exum averaged 18.0 PPG, and 4.0 RPG in FIBA under-19 competition.
Julius Randle (Kentucky): Randle, the 6’9″, 225 pound forward isn’t as athletic as some scouts would like. Scouts also worry how his short wingspan will translate to the pro game. He’s currently averaging 16.6 PPG, 10.5 RPG, and 1.7 APG. His offensive game is well above his defensive production, which means that if he has a difficult time getting his shot off against taller defenders, his value will be diminished greatly.
Marcus Smart (Oklahoma State): If Smart would have entered last year’s draft, there is a very good chance he would have been the first overall pick. His production has been inconsistent this year, and he’s losing ground as the top point guard to Exum and Tyler Ennis. Exum because of his upside and physical tools, and Ennis because of his more consistent play. Smart is no slouch though, and is averaging 17.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG, and 4.4 APG. Smart already has an NBA body, but is seen as a “tweener” in the backcourt. His outside shot is suspect, which would limit his value if a team wanted to move him to shooting guard.
Aaron Gordon (Arizona): Gordon is a long-shot for the number one pick, but thanks to his athleticism has quite a bit of upside and potential. He’s 6’8″, 210 pounds, and has been compared to the Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried as far as NBA potential goes. His numbers are 12.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, and 1.6 APG.
Noah Vonleh (Indiana): Vonleh, a 6’10”, 240 pound forward, is starting to move up the draft boards. Scouts like his length, and outside shot better than Randle’s, and he is statistically a better defender. His numbers are 12.0 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 1.3 BPG.
Dario Saric (Croatia): Saric is a bit of a wildcard. The word is that a number of NBA scouts and GMs will be heading overseas once the trade deadline is passed to get a better assessment of him. He’s 6’10”, 223 pounds, and has a great outside shot. He projects as a small forward in the NBA, though he could see action as a stretch-four. His numbers in Europe are 15.5 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 2.5 APG.
Tyler Ennis (Syracuse): This freshman is shooting up the draft boards. He’s 6’2″, 180 pounds, and isn’t a spectacular athlete. His value is in how steady his play is, and his excellent basketball IQ. His numbers are 12.0 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 5.4 APG. He’s the starting point guard on the No. 2 ranked team in the country, which speaks volumes for his maturity. He has a 4-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, shoots 40 percent from 3-point range, and averages 2.5 steals a game. With the premium placed on the point guard position in the NBA, he has a chance to be off the board quickly. If he continues to produce the way he has, and leads Syracuse deep into the tournament, his stock could skyrocket.
There are the top prospects in this year’s draft. Quite a bit can change between now and draft night. A hot NCAA tournament, players staying in school, as well as potential injuries, can all impact where a player is taken. Plus, if an NBA team drafts for positional need, then the order can be altered even further. So, who do you think will end up being the first overall pick? Vote below, and don’t be shy about telling us whom you picked and why in the comments section.
The Cavaliers are going through a bit of a rough patch lately. They’ve just completed a homestand during which they went 1-4. Their overall record is now 16-29, which is good for 11th in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, leaving them 2 1/2 games behind the Bobcats for the eighth seed. Cavs GM Chris Grant tells Bob Finnan of The News-Herald and Morning Journal that the team’s lack of effort isn’t acceptable. This view might inspire him to make some moves prior to the trade deadline. Grant also spoke with Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, and stated the team would be open to the possibility of dealing, but it would be difficult to predict the market. In regards to the recently acquired Luol Deng, Grant said, “We’re happy with Deng, so if we don’t do anything, we feel like we’ve added a quality player. If there’s an opportunity to improve the team, we’ll take advantage of it.”
Some more notes from around the East:
Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times had a Q&A session with Emily Gruver of The Sixer Sense.com. Moore opined that the Sixers‘ Evan Turner was more likely to be traded than Thaddeus Young. He also was intrigued by the raw potential of Dewayne Dedmon, who is on his second 10-day contract, and the Sixers have until this Sunday to make a choice on keeping him for the rest of the season or letting him go.
There are a number of different people to blame for the Pistons rough season, writes Drew Sharp of The Detroit Free Press, including team owner, Tom Gores. Sharp opines that it was Gores’ “playoffs-or-else ultimatum” that led to the signings of Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings, and created the “ill-matched” roster they currently have.
Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson says he’s confident his team is attractive to marquee free agents, the sort he confirms the club will again be chasing this summer, observes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
“The hope is … we’ll be able to [make a marquee hire] sooner than later,” Nelson said. “I think we’ve made an attempt to do that the last two summers. So much for second place. But, yes, that would be the plan and the hope at some level to be able to do that.”
Nelson also suggests the team won’t be aggressive before the trade deadline, and Sefko outlines the reasons why in a separate piece. As we wait to figure out what the Mavs do with the chance to open up roughly $30MM worth of cap space, here’s more on their rivals from around the league:
A group opposed to a $258MM civic expenditure for a new Kings arena has sued the city of Sacramento, report Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of The Sacramento Bee. The legal action has been anticipated since last week, when the city rejected a petition to put the funding up for a public vote.
The NCAA has cleared draft prospect Chris Walker to play for the University of Florida, according to Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, who adds via Twitter that the decision makes it a near-certainty that the small forward will return to school for next season. Walker, ranked as the 25th-best prospect for 2014 on the ESPN.com Insider list and No. 27 at DraftExpress, could become a lottery pick in 2015, Goodman says.
Cavaliers GM Chris Grant expressed confidence today in coach Mike Brown and said he’s unsure if the team will make any changes to the roster in advance of the trade deadline. Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer has more from Grant’s rare chat with reporters today.
The Cavs have assigned Sergey Karasev to the D-League, the team announced. Carrick Felix, Karasev’s usual traveling partner on trips to the Canton Charge, is out for the next six to eight weeks with a stress fracture in his left knee.
The February 20th trade deadline will bring an end to swap talk until the end of the season, and it also coincides with a day that an asset will vanish for a half-dozen NBA teams. Those clubs all have trade exceptions that expire on February 21st, the one-year anniversary of last year’s trade deadline. Trade exceptions can be used to claim a player off waivers, so it’s possible one of the six teams could make such a move on the 21st, but waiver claims are rare, so the trade deadline will effectively make these exceptions go away.
Another team faces a much more accelerated timetable if it wants to use its pair of exceptions that expire Thursday. The Grizzlies created two exceptions in the Rudy Gay trade that transpired on January 30th, 2013. They already missed last week’s deadline to use two exceptions, worth $2,083,042 and $762,195, that came about via last year’s three-for-one deal. Still, it seems there’s little chance that Memphis will make a move today or tomorrow that would allow the team to use its exceptions from the Gay trade, as I explain below.
Grizzlies
$2,264,453 (Expires 1/30/14) — Memphis used most of what once was a $7,489,453 exception generated via the Gay trade to accommodate Courtney Lee‘s $5.225MM salary earlier this month.
$1,300,000 (Expires 1/30/14) — The Grizzlies also created this exception in the same trade that sent Gay to the Raptors. The $1.3MM is a vestige of Hamed Haddadi‘s salary. Still, with less than $1MM separating Memphis from luxury tax territory and little talk of a deal in the works, it seems doubtful that the Grizzlies will use either of these exceptions.
Heat
$854,389 — This exception is left over from the trade that sent Dexter Pittman to the Grizzlies, but it doesn’t provide much flexibility, since it could only be used to a minimum-salary player or a pro-rated contract.
Knicks
$854,389 — Created in the deal that sent Ronnie Brewerto the Thunder, this exception will be of little use, just like Miami’s expiring trade exception. New York can only use it to absorb a minimum-salary player or a pro-rated contract.
Magic
$1,500,000 — The J.J. Redick deal already netted Orlando a key piece of its core in Tobias Harris, and the Magic could reap more even more benefits if they use this exception created from the salary of Gustavo Ayon, who also went to Milwaukee in the Redick trade.
Thunder
$2,338,721 — Oklahoma City created this exception in the Eric Maynor trade last year, and it seems there’s a decent chance the Thunder will use it. They can use nearly the entire exception without going over the luxury tax line to bolster their roster for the playoffs.
Warriors
$762,195 — Much like the trade exceptions for the Heat and Knicks, Golden State has limited flexibility. The only way the Warriors can use the exception they created when they shipped Jeremy Tyler to the Hawks is if they acquire a rookie or one-year vet making the minimum salary or another veteran on a pro-rated deal.
Wizards
$314,387 — Washington already used most of this exception, originally valued at $1,198,680, to absorb Malcolm Lee‘s salary in the trade that brought in Marcin Gortat at the beginning of the season. The only sort of player the Wizards could acquire with the remaining portion of the exception, created when they offloaded Jordan Crawford, is someone on a tiny pro-rated contract. And that acquisition would have to come as a waiver claim, since no one with a salary small enough to fit is eligible to be traded.
To see all of the league’s outstanding trade exceptions, check out our updated list, which you can access year-round on the Hoops Rumors Features menu on the right side of the website.
Chad Ford of ESPN.com Insider and Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com have updated their lists of the top draft prospects, with both in agreement that Joel Embiid, Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker are first, second and third, respectively. Embiid has begun to pull away from the pack in the eyes of scouts and GMs in recent weeks, according to Ford, who shares plenty of thoughts about his latest rankings, as we highlight below amid today’s draft chatter:
Some scouts who’ve spoken to Ford believe that Tyler Ennis of Syracuse may have eclipsed Australia’s Dante Exum and Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart as the best point guard prospect. Ennis is No. 10 in Ford’s rankings and No. 13 for Givony.
Teams have stopped discussing Julius Randle as a potential No. 1 pick, Ford writes. The Kentucky power forward checks in at No. 5 for Ford and is at No. 4 with Givony.
P.J. Hairston explains to Jim Hlavac of DraftExpress.com what he’ll say in pre-draft interviews with NBA teams about the transgressions that led to the end of his college career. Hairston, playing for the Texas Legends of the D-League, is draft-eligible this year. He’s No. 28 on Givony’s board and No. 33 in Ford’s eyes.
1:09pm: The Pelicans and Babbitt were in the final stages of reaching a deal that would have covered the rest of the season, but BC Nizhny Novgorod refused to yield, reports Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. It’s not clear if New Orleans will continue to try to extract Babbitt from his contract with the Russian team, which would be “a battle,” a source tells Haynes, who nonetheless hears that two other NBA clubs remain in the mix for the ex-Blazer.
9:37am: An NBA team has been in contact with BC Nizhny Novgorod of Russia to see if it would let Luke Babbitt out of his contract, but the Russian club says it won’t sign a FIBA letter of clearance that would allow Babbitt to return to the NBA. Ben Golliver of Blazer’s Edge provides a loose translation of a statement that appears on BC Nizhny Novgorod‘s website, and the Russian team has provided a brief English-language summary via Twitter (hat tip to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).
Babbitt left the club to fly home to the U.S. when it refused to let him out of his deal, an act that BC Nizhny Novgorod views as breach of contract. That prompted the team to vow that it won’t sign a letter of clearance, which FIBA requires anytime a player leaves a team in one country to play for another. NBA teams are not necessarily bound by FIBA governance, but they’ve honored the letter of clearance system as a matter of practice in the past.
It’s unclear which NBA team was in contact with BC Nizhny Novgorod about the Bill Duffy client, just as it’s not certain what Babbitt’s recourse will be. He signed his one-year deal with the Russian team in August, when it was apparent that the contract didn’t include an escape clause that would allow him to return to the NBA until the end of BC Nizhny Novgorod’s season. The Russian team indicated in its statement that it’s in the midst of an important stretch, helping explain why it’s reluctant to part with Babbitt.
The 24-year-old forward is averaging 13.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in Russia. Most impressively, he’s shooting 57.4% from three-point range on 3.4 such attempts per contest. The 16th overall pick in 2010 spent the past three seasons with the Trail Blazers, who opted not to re-sign him this past summer, when Babbitt failed to generate much buzz on the market.
The Knicks earned a measure of revenge Tuesday night for their 41-point loss to the Celtics earlier this season, turning the tables in a 26-point victory. Still, the Knicks are a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and mystery surrounds the matter of where Carmelo Anthony will play next season. There’s more on that amid the latest from Madison Square Garden.
Anthony brushed off inquiries on Tuesday about a weekend report suggesting he’d like to join the Bulls, cutting off a reporter in the middle of a question that seemingly was to be about whether he’d ever considered playing in Chicago. Anthony did allow for a full question about whether he had a relationship with Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, but last year’s scoring champ replied that he didn’t, as Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times observes.
The Knicks have assigned Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry and Jeremy Tyler to the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. All three will practice today with the Erie BayHawks, who are spending the next few days at the Knicks training facility. The Knicks plan to recall them tomorrow, the team also tweets.
The BayHawks also spent a break in their schedule last season working at the facility, and that’s when New York assigned Amar’e Stoudemire, Chris Copeland and James White to join the BayHawks as they practiced, notes Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside. Schlosser didn’t count on the Knicks making similar assignments this year, but New York doesn’t play again until Thursday night, so it doesn’t sound like Aldrich, Murry or Tyler will miss any time for the big club.
Teams around the NBA are unwilling to give Andrew Bynum more than the minimum salary, as the client of agent David Lee continues to demand, in part because of questions about his desire to play, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitterlinks). Most of the teams linked to Bynum since the Bulls waived him January 7th have backed away from the center who made the All-Star Game two years ago, including the Heat and the Clippers, the pair of clubs Bynum reportedly has the most interest in playing for.
Of his preferred destinations, the Heat have the most to offer, since they still have their $3.183MM taxpayer’s exception available. The Clippers are limited to the minimum. Bynum has reportedly viewed the Celtics as a fallback option, but they’d be hard-pressed to offer much more than the minimum, since doing so would push them over the tax line. In any case, midseason signings for greater than the minimum are rare, even for teams with money to burn.
Questions regarding Bynum’s commitment to the game have dogged the center as he’s battled through an array of knee injuries. He didn’t play at all last season with the Sixers, and while he showed occasional glimpses of his one-time stellar level of play with the Cavs this year, Bynum admitted that he remained physically limited, and he said that the thought of retirement continued to cross his mind.
The 26-year-old averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per game for Cleveland this season. The Cavs sent him home in the days leading up to January 7th as they attempted to trade him before his contract, which was partially guaranteed for $6MM, would become fully guaranteed for $12.25MM. Cleveland sent him to the Bulls on the eve of that deadline, and Chicago promptly cut Bynum loose to avoid paying his full salary.