2014 January | Hoops Rumors

Emeka Okafor Could Be Trade Chip For Suns

January 27th, 2014 at 6:18pm CST by Zachary Links

As we approach the February 20th trade deadline, notable names like Kyle Lowry and Andre Miller figure to see lots of time on the pages of Hoops Rumors. However, one of the most desirable players on the trade block might be someone you wouldn’t quite expect – Emeka Okafor. The big man has been sidelined all season long with a neck injury, but with insurance picking up the tab on 80% of what remains on his $14.5MM salary, he could bring quite a return for Phoenix.

The Suns, who are determined to make the postseason despite losing Eric Bledsoe to injury, have expressed a willingness to absorb a veteran player on a short-term deal who wouldn’t wreck their future cap space, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. With clubs looking for ways to dump payroll and avoid luxury-tax penalties, Phoenix could have a multitude of deal possibilities to consider over the next few weeks.

The Suns could have up to six first-round draft picks over the next two years, including four in the talent-packed 2014 draft. GM Ryan McDonough has said he is willing to explore using his draft picks, young assets, and cap space (~$5MM) to explore possible deals for All-Star-level caliber players.

Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Sixers, Casey

January 27th, 2014 at 5:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Will Carmelo Anthony stay in New York? We’ve heard lots of opinions on the matter and earlier today, his wife La La Anthony weighed in. “I definitely think he will stay [in New York]. I know that he wants to stay and I support him wherever he wants to go,” La La said in an interview with Bravo TV, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. “Listen, I used to live in Denver with him. If I can live in Denver, I can live anywhere. I just want him to be happy.” The latest from the Atlantic Division..

Anthony badly wants to win a championship, writes Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. “(Winning a championship is) the only thing I care about. Anything else is irrelevant to me as far as when it comes to basketball,” Anthony said. “A championship is the only thing that’s on my mind, is the only thing I want to accomplish, I want to achieve and I’m going to do what I got to do to get that.” As Knicks fans are well familiar with, the Larry O’Brien trophy hasn’t come to New York since 1973.
The Sixers have recalled Lorenzo Brown from the Delaware 87ers of the D-League just hours after assigning him, tweets Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. Brown, as our running list shows, was sent down for a single day in his previous two trips and set a new personal record today with a stint that lasted just a few hours.
There have been, “no really significant discussions,” on extending Raptors coach Dwane Casey‘s contract, a source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. Instead, it appears that the Raptors will finish out what has been strange year so far and re-evaluate. That’s perfectly fine with Casey, who would have no problem returning to his home in Seattle and getting back to another passion of his. “I never worried about having a job,” Casey said. “I say that with all sincerity. I never worried about losing a job, getting a job. Because I learned a long time ago how to fish.”

Odds & Ends: Millsap, Monroe, Lakers

January 27th, 2014 at 3:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Paul Millsap is outplaying his two-year, $19MM contract, which is no surprise. Still, he tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com that he’s content with the Hawks.

“I hope to stay here, but we haven’t discussed [it],” Millsap said. “Now where I’m at, I feel comfortable and, hopefully, it can turn into a long-term thing. Right now, we’re focused on these two years, seeing what we can do. I felt this was the right move for me.”

Here’s more on other teams and players determined to make the right move for themselves:

The Pistons are “aggressively” sending out signals that they’re not going to trade Greg Monroe to the Wizards, who are reportedly interested in the big man, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes in chat with readers. Kyler cautions that Detroit’s stance could change before the deadline.
Kyler also hears that the Lakers have canvassed the entire league in search of young players and picks, but there’s little interest in what the purple-and-gold have to offer.
DeMar DeRozan is under contract through 2016/17, but with trade rumors surrounding the Raptors, he made it clear that he prefers to stay in Toronto for the long haul, as part of an interview with BALLnROLL.com (hat tip to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News).
With J.J. Redick returning to Milwaukee as a member of the Clippers for tonight’s game, Doc Rivers explained to reporters how Redick’s shot-making ability persuaded him to pursue the sharpshooter in free agency this past summer. Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel has the details, including input from Redick on what went wrong with the Bucks last year.
The personal trainer for Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith has left the Knicks over differences with the coaching staff, reports Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. The hiring of Idan Ravin was widely viewed as a favor to Anthony and Smith, and it’s unclear what role, if any, the split will play in Anthony’s decision regarding free agency this summer, Begley writes.
Michigan shooting guard Nik Stauskas has been impressing NBA teams of late, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). The sophomore is No. 16 on the DraftExpress rankings and No. 19 on the ESPN Insider board.

Rockets Shopping Francisco Garcia

January 27th, 2014 at 2:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets have been offering Francisco Garcia to other teams in trade talks of late, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, who passes along the news amid his weekly power rankings. Rumors about Garcia have been virtually non-existent since he re-signed with Houston in August to a two-year deal for the minimum salary, so this appears to represent a change in course for GM Daryl Morey.

The 32-year-old swingman hasn’t played over the last 10 days while suffering from left knee tendinitis, but he’s been part of the team’s rotation all year, averaging 20.3 minutes per game. His offensive production has been paltry, as he’s averaged only 5.8 points on 5.5 shot attempts per contest, with a career-low 9.5 PER. His three-point accuracy this season, at 34.2%, is off from his career mark of 36% and down even more from last year’s 37.4% rate. His lack of a long-range threat may be fueling Houston’s desire to move him, since the team relies heavily on outside shooting from its wing players.

Garcia’s deal includes a player option for next season. He’s significantly cheaper than he was last season, when he made $6.1MM. The Kings traded him to the Rockets at the 2013 deadline.

Shawne Williams Signs With D-League

January 27th, 2014 at 2:34pm CST by Ryan Raroque

3:34pm: The team officially announced the move via Twitter, moments after Wojnarowski broke the story.

JANUARY 27TH, 2:27pm: Williams will play for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The D-Fenders are the affiliate of the Lakers.

JANUARY 23RD: Gino Pilato of DLeagueDigest.com reports that former Lakers forward Shawne Williams is heading to the NBDL. Williams had been waived by Los Angeles earlier this month, and likely figures that showcasing himself in the D-League will help him eventually land another 10-day contract with an NBA team.

Initially, I thought Williams would find a way to replicate some of the success he displayed with Mike D’Antoni in New York two seasons ago, especially considering his 20.2 MPG this season were pretty much on par with the 20.7 MPG he received back then. With that being said, his shooting percentages from the field overall and from distance this year (.377 and .327) were noticeably less efficient than his numbers were in 2010/11 (.426 and .401).

Williams appeared in 32 games with 11 starts this season, averaging 5.2 PPG and 4.5 RPG. As Pilato notes, this will be Williams’ first stint in the NBDL.

Several Midseason Signees On Multiyear Deals

January 27th, 2014 at 1:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

This time of year, most of the contracts that NBA teams hand out are of the 10-day variety. None of this season’s 10-day signees have deals for the rest of the season yet, though some of them likely will after the expiration of their second 10-day contracts with their respective teams.

Still, there are several midseason signees on non-10-day deals who remain under contract, and the majority of of their teams included extra, non-guaranteed seasons on their deals when they were signed. Many of those contract details weren’t reported at the time, but thanks to Basketball Insiders, ShamSports, and Storytellers Contracts, we know which teams have given themselves an extra bit of leverage and which haven’t, as explained below. All are making the minimum salary:

Diante Garrett, Jazz (signed November 13th): Garrett is on the fringe of the rotation at 14.4 minutes per game, and Utah tacked a pair of non-guaranteed seasons onto his contract, which runs through 2015/16.
Elliot Williams, Sixers (signed November 20th): Like Garrett, he’s on the periphery as a contributor, notching 13.8 MPG, and the Sixers, as is their wont, gave him a four-year non-guaranteed contract.
Chris Douglas-Roberts, Bobcats (signed December 11th): The fifth-year veteran is only signed for this season, but he figures to be a mainstay this year with Jeff Taylor out for the season, even though Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has returned from his injury.
D.J. Augustin, Bulls (signed December 13th): The injury-ridded Bulls are giving Augustin 30.4 MPG, and without much room under the salary cap, they probably couldn’t afford to let him and his guaranteed contract go and sign another player. His deal runs only through this season.
James Johnson, Grizzlies (signed December 16th): The former 16th overall pick has been a revelation for Memphis, which is giving him 22.9 MPG as he solidifies the team’s bench. The Grizzlies may regret only signing him for this season.
Kendall Marshall, Lakers (signed December 20th): Since moving into the starting lineup for his fifth game with the Lakers, the 2012 lottery pick is averaging 12.1 points and a whopping 11.4 assists in 38.7 MPG, resurrecting his career. It seems a strong bet the team will keep him next year, since his contract includes a non-guaranteed season for 2014/15.
Alexis Ajinca, Pelicans (signed December 20th): The center’s contract is fully guaranteed for next season, so he’ll be around New Orleans for a while. He’s started seven times despite seeing just 13.9 MPG as the Pelicans reportedly shop for another big man.
Jeremy Tyler, Knicks (signed December 31st): The player the Knicks cut J.R. Smith‘s brother to accommodate has barely seen the floor more than Smith did in his time with New York, notching just 7.0 MPG. His contract includes a non-guaranteed season for 2014/15.
Hedo Turkoglu, Clippers (signed January 16th): Freed from Orlando, Turkoglu is averaging 11.2 MPG in L.A. as he attempts to knock the rust off, having played in just 17 games over the past two seasons. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end, since the Clips only signed him for this year.

Honorable mention: Malcolm Thomas, Spurs/Jazz (signed December 3rd) — An injury to Kawhi Leonard forced Thomas off the Spurs roster, but the contract he signed with San Antonio is still valid, since the Jazz claimed him off waivers this weekend. The deal includes a non-guaranteed season for 2014/15.

Lakers Rumors: Carmelo, D’Antoni, Free Agents

January 27th, 2014 at 11:47am CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers stood at .500 on December 20th, but since then, they’ve won only three of their last 19 games, leaving them without a realistic chance of making the playoffs this season. That doesn’t happen often in Lakerland, but even with a high draft pick coming, the team is focused on solving its woes via free agency. That’s the focus of the chatter around the Lakers today, less than 24 hours after could-be target Carmelo Anthony scored 35 points to help send the purple-and-gold to their latest loss. Here’s the talk:

Marc Berman of the New York Post detects an icy edge to the relationship between Anthony and Mike D’Antoni, his former coach. Berman figures the hard feelings make it unlikely that Anthony would sign with the Lakers this summer.
If Anthony does sign with the Lakers, it would be an ominous sign for D’Antoni’s job security, opines Harvey Araton of The New York Times.
Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding lays out seven reasons why Anthony won’t sign with the Lakers, suggesting that ‘Melo’s ball-stopping, defensive shortcomings, and character flaws are already giving the Lakers pause.
Within the same piece, Ding notes that Lakers brass is pleased with the job D’Antoni has done this season.
As a free agent destination, the Lakers “might be less desirable than at any point in their history,” writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who points to changing economics and increased leaguewide television exposure as reasons why.
Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com answers reader questions in a Laker-themed mailbag column. Markazi can envision the Lakers and Pau Gasol agreeing on a much cheaper deal for the big man this summer.

Eastern Notes: Pierce, Lowry, Pistons

January 27th, 2014 at 10:17am CST by Chuck Myron

It was an emotional Sunday evening in Boston for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, who returned for the first time as Nets players, but it might have been especially awkward for Pierce, who had spent his entire career in green before this summer’s trade. The move devastated Pierce, writes Jackie MacMullan of ESPNBoston.com, who says the C’s second all-time leading scorer was near tears almost the entire time she interviewed him this past summer. Pierce told MacMullan that he wondered why the Celtics didn’t allow him to finish his career in Boston.

“I loved it here,” Pierce said Sunday. “Never wanted to leave.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The sense around the league is that the Raptors are more likely to keep Kyle Lowry than to trade him, but that could simply be a matter of Toronto’s high price tag for the point guard, which no other team has accepted yet, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Lowry will be a free agent at season’s end, and Stein suggests that’s motivation for Raptors GM Masai Ujiri to continue trade talks
Jose Calderon says the Pistons never made him an offer to re-sign with the team this summer, observes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free-Press. “They were in contact with me, but I think they were waiting for Josh Smith, so I was just waiting and waiting, and Dallas came with a great offer … I couldn’t say no to that,” Calderon said.
The Wizards spent their bi-annual exception this summer on Eric Maynor, who’s fallen so far out of the rotation that he isn’t even playing in blowouts, notes J. Michael of CSNWashington. Still, there’s plenty of reason why Maynor and the Wizards won’t soon be parting ways. His guaranteed contract includes a $2.1MM player option for next season, and he probably wouldn’t command as much if he were to become a free agent, Michael points out.
The Sixers have assigned Lorenzo Brown to the D-League, the team announced. It’ll be the third time the point guard has gone to the Delaware 87ers this season, but his last pair of D-League stints lasted only a single day.

Odds & Ends: Pelicans, Cavs, Bennett, Wade

January 26th, 2014 at 10:04pm CST by Zachary Links

Pelicans owner Tom Benson bought in to the NBA at the right time, writes Jimmy Smith of the Times-Picayune. The Pelicans, purchased for $338MM by Benson in April 2012, are now worth $420MM. It wasn’t an attendance boost that helped fill out Benson’s wallet even further but rather the new Collective Bargaining Agreement which is more owner-friendly than the previous one. More from around the league..

The Cavs announced that they have recalled Carrick Felix and Sergey Karasev from the D-League. Both players were recalled and re-assigned to the Canton Charge last week but are back in the fold with the varsity squad today. Felix has played in nine games for the Charge this season, averaging 11.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 28.7 minutes per game. Karasev has appeared in six games for the Charge and is averaging 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 28.8 minutes per game.
Meanwhile, NBA executives are stumped as to why the Cavs won’t demote Anthony Bennett, tweets Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2013 draft picked up yet another DNP-CD tonight.
In today’s mailbag, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel wonders if Dwyane Wade might take a financial sacrifice for the Heat by opting out and re-working his deal. Instead of taking $40MM over the next two seasons, Winderman suggests a five-year, $60MM deal for the veteran.

Celtics To Re-Sign Chris Johnson

January 26th, 2014 at 9:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

JANUARY 26th: A source tells Mark Murphy (via Twitter) that Johnson will probably get a second 10-day deal.

JANUARY 17th, 11:19am: The team announced the signing, via press release. Having waited an extra day to make the deal official means the club gets to squeeze in an extra game for Johnson, whose contract won’t expire until after Boston’s game against the Nets on January 26th, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald points out (Twitter link).

THURSDAY, 12:44pm: The Celtics plan to sign Johnson on Friday, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

11:14am: Chris Johnson and the Celtics are finalizing a deal, and the expectation is that he’ll sign a 10-day contract, tweets Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Adrian Wojnarowski reported overnight that Johnson was in town for a workout with the club. The small forward from Dayton is not to be confused with the Chris Johnson from LSU who played with the Celtics during the 2010/11 season. The move brings Boston’s roster to 14 players.

Johnson has been averaging 19.4 points and 6.8 rebounds in 37.2 minutes per game for the D-League’s Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season, after spending training camp with the Nets. His only official NBA action came on a pair of 10-day contracts with the Grizzlies last season, when his averages were 3.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG and 12.8 MPG.

The Celtics traded away Jordan Crawford and MarShon Brooks yesterday, and they’ve excused Keith Bogans from the team, so Johnson will bolster the team’s dwindling wing depth. Boston will have an open roster spot even after adding Johnson, and Wojnarowski’s report seemed to suggest the team might be working out other players.

Johnson is a client of Pinnacle Management Corp., as our Agency Database shows.

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