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Texas Notes: Howard, Foye, Powell, Anderson

February 19th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavericks and Bulls were among the teams the Rockets spoke to about Dwight Howard in the days leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com, reiterating earlier reports that Houston talked with the Hawks, Celtics, Hornets, Heat and Bucks. The Rockets held out for one “frontline player” and a first-round pick in return, sources told Stein, though it’s not entirely clear whether he means “frontline” as in “frontcourt” or as in “of importance.” GM Daryl Morey provided a hint, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle relays.

“It was going to have to take something significant to make us look at anything and even then we probably wouldn’t have,” Morey said in part.

Morey also said that he believes in the combo of Howard and James Harden and was never close to trading Howard, Feigen notes, but according to Chris Mannix of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports, the Rockets understand that Howard and Harden are simply a poor fit on the court. The Rockets and other teams had considerable differences about what a Howard trade would look like, even though executives around the league believe Howard is a better scorer than his numbers in Houston show, Mannix writes. See more from the Texas Triangle:

The Mavericks had some level of interest in Randy Foye before the Nuggets traded him to the Thunder instead Thursday, but the Mavs weren’t going to offer either Devin Harris or Raymond Felton for him, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.
The Mavs are always looking for another shooter, president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said, according to Sefko, who indicates in the same piece that the team wouldn’t mind signing a big man, either, as the post-deadline buyout market develops.
Teams offered picks likely to fall in the middle of the first-round to the Mavs for Dwight Powell and Justin Anderson, a source tells Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Presumably that means each of them would have netted that sort of pick individually, and not the two of them as a package.
Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News wouldn’t be surprised to see the Spurs replace former assistant GM Sean Marks with Spurs D-League GM Brian Pauga, also noting that ex-Spurs executive Danny Ferry has been hanging around the team of late (Twitter links). Young made his remarks on the evening before the Nets hired Marks as their GM.

Thunder, Nuggets Swap Augustin, Novak, Foye

February 18th, 2016 at 11:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

November 6, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Randy Foye (4) dribbles the basketball during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 119-104. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Terada / USA TODAY Sports Images

8:52pm: The Thunder have acquired Randy Foye from the Nuggets, sending D.J. Augustin, Steve Novak, two second-round picks and cash to Denver, the teams announced, confirming the original report from Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The second-rounders the Nuggets get are Oklahoma City’s 2016 second-rounder and Charlotte’s bottom-five protected 2016 selection, according to RealGM. Oklahoma City confirms the receipt of a trade exception, which will be worth $3,750,001, the equivalent of Novak’s salary.

It appears to be quite a haul for Foye, who is making $3.135MM on an expiring contract. Foye was said to be available as of mid-December, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported then, and that made sense considering his role had increasingly shrunk with Denver. Foye is averaging career lows in points and minutes per game while shooting a career worst 29.6% from 3-point range, well beneath his career mark of 37.0%. The move to add Foye brings a veteran to the Thunder’s bench, at the very least.

Novak, despite not being used much, proved to be a decent trade chip. The 10th-year veteran is on an expiring contract, and he and the Nuggets will reportedly discuss a buyout. Denver tried to arrange another deal to flip him before the deadline, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter).

Augustin, who’s making $3MM in the final season of his contract, will likely serve as a backup to Emmanuel Mudiay for the Nuggets, with Jameer Nelson battling a potentially season-ending wrist injury. Through 34 appearances with the Thunder this season, Augustin has averaged 4.2 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 15 minutes per game.

The deal saves Oklahoma City an estimated $9.8MM in combined luxury taxes and salary, notes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Denver used the $5,224,719 disabled player exception it received for Wilson Chandler to accommodate the uneven exchange of salaries.

Will Joseph contributed to this post.

Nuggets To Work Buyout With J.J. Hickson

February 18th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nuggets will do a buyout with J.J. Hickson no later than March 1st, sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Stein indicates that Denver has already committed to place Hickson on waivers by that date, though he says Hickson’s situation is the same as that of Steve Novak, whom Stein previously indicated would merely engage in buyout talks with the Nuggets. Regardless, the Hickson news is no surprise, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reported earlier this week before the trade deadline that Hickson was almost certain to end up with a buyout.

The 27-year-old power forward is making $5,613,500 on an expiring deal, so it appears he’ll be giving up some of that money to secure his release in time to latch on with a playoff team. Players who hit waivers after March 1st aren’t eligible to appear in the postseason for another club.

Stein reported in January that Denver was actively shopping Hickson, about a month after Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders wrote that the Hickson was said to be available. The Jeff Schwartz client and his representatives at Excel Sports Management pushed hard for a trade, according to Sam Amico of Amico Hoops (on Twitter), but none materialized before the 2pm Central time deadline today.

Hickson has appeared in just three games since December 8th. He averaged 7.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game across 17 appearances this season prior to that date, with coach Michael Malone going so far as to put him in the starting lineup on nine occasions.

Nuggets, Steve Novak To Talk Buyout

February 18th, 2016 at 3:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nuggets and Steve Novak, whom they’re acquiring as part of a package in their Randy Foye deal today, will work on a buyout arrangement, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The veteran sharpshooter is on an expiring contract worth $3.75MM for this season. He’ll be eligible to appear in the postseason for another team as long as Denver waives him by the end of March 1st.

Novak hasn’t contributed much since his solid 2012/13 campaign for the Knicks when he averaged 6.6 points per game on 42.5% three-point shooting. He was virtually a forgotten man in Oklahoma City this season, making just seven appearances and notching 2.4 points in a meager 3.4 minutes per night. The 32-year-old’s career numbers are 4.7 points, 1.7 rebounds and 0.3 assists to accompany a slash line of .438/.432/.876.

It is unclear what the market would be for Novak if he does agree to a buyout with Denver. The Heat, who are in dire need of outside shooting, were mentioned as potential suitors for Novak heading into today’s trade deadline by Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel, though his report was speculation and not necessarily indicative of Miami’s thinking.

Thunder, Nuggets Discuss Randy Foye Trade

February 18th, 2016 at 11:49am CST by Will Joseph

The Thunder and Nuggets are in advanced talks on a trade involving Randy Foye, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (on Twitter). Wojnarowski reported yesterday that Foye’s eminently positive locker room presence appeals to the Nuggets, so it will be interesting to see what it takes to acquire him.

Foye is making $3.135MM on an expiring contract. Foye was said to be available as of mid-December, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported then. His role has increasingly shrunk with Denver. Foye has also been linked to the Heat.

And-Ones: Johnson, Celtics, Pelicans, Lee

February 18th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Cavaliers think would-be post-buyout target Joe Johnson wants to stay in Brooklyn and that he’ll seek to sign an extension with the Nets, a source told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. People around Johnson say he won’t take a buyout, tweets Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.

There’s more from around the basketball world as the trade deadline approaches:

The Celtics are willing to trade the unprotected 2016 first-round pick they have coming their way from the Nets if it would shake Blake Griffin loose from the Clippers, sources tell Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. However, Boston wouldn’t deal the pick for either Kevin Love or Al Horford, Bulpett hears.
The Pelicans shopped Eric Gordon and Omer Asik, but they haven’t found much interest, sources tell John Reid of The Times Picayune. New Orleans reportedly offered Gordon and Alonzo Gee to the Kings for Rudy Gay earlier this season, and the Pelicans apparently had talks with the Cavs that involved Asik after making him available in December.
The Grizzlies shipped $542,714 cash to the Hornets as part of the Courtney Lee trade, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reveals.
Jameer Nelson is running out of alternatives to season-ending surgery on a severely sprained left wrist, but he’ll continue to try to play for the time being after receiving an injection meant to ease the pain he’s feeling, as Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post details. He missed the Nuggets‘ last six games before the All-Star break.
The Bulls were interested in Trevor Ariza and Corey Brewer earlier this season, but the Rockets rebuffed their entreaties, reports Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com (Twitter link).
The Pistons would love to make one more move before the trade deadline, GM Jeff Bower said today in an appearance on WDFN-AM radio, notes Rod Beard of The Detroit News (Twitter link). The team is reportedly scanning the market for veteran guards, but Bower said the Pistons are looking at the options available at every position and added that coach/executive Stan Van Gundy has confidence in Steve Blake as the team’s backup point guard, Beard also relays (on Twitter).
The Grizzlies recalled James Ennis from the team’s D-League affiliate in Iowa, the team announced today. Ennis has appeared in 15 games with the Energy, averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists per night. He has played in 10 games for Memphis, averaging 1.3 points in 3.6 minutes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Northwest Notes: Martin, Cheeks, Pleiss, Burke

February 17th, 2016 at 6:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Martin is hoping the Wolves will trade him to a winning team before Thursday’s deadline, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. A source said Martin would like to see the deal done as a reward for his “professionalism and mentoring of young teammates.” The 12th-year shooting guard is making $7.085MM this year and has a player option worth nearly $7.38MM for next season.

There’s more news from the Northwest Division:

Thunder assistant coach Maurice Cheeks will be out of action for about six weeks after undergoing hip surgery, the team announced today. Mark Daigneault, head coach of the Thunder’s D-League affiliate, will take Cheeks’ place, while OKC Blue assistant Jarell Christian will coach that team for the rest of the season.
The Jazz recalled center Tibor Pleiss from the D-League today, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. However, the move was just so Pleiss could attend practice, and he was sent back down later in the day.
Jazz point guard Trey Burke, who is rumored to be in a proposal that would send him to Houston in exchange for Ty Lawson, works better as a backup than a starter, according to Bobby Marks of the Vertical on Yahoo Sports. In his guide to the trade deadline for Utah, Marks says the Jazz have been missing a floor leader in the absence of Dante Exum, who is out for the season after undergoing knee surgery last summer. Marks advises the Jazz to hang onto Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward and rookie Trey Lyles as they push for a playoff spot.
Randy Rigby will retire as president of the Jazz at the end of the season and will be replaced by Steve Starks, Genessy tweets. “I am excited about the future of the Jazz and my continued involvement as an adviser,” said Rigby, who has been with the organization since 1986.
The Nuggets may be able to get a second-round pick for J.J. Hickson, Marks writes in his trade deadline guide for Denver. Hickson has fallen out of the team’s rotation and has been on the market for weeks. Marks credits the Denver front office with being on the right track for rebuilding and says the team should consider moving either the Rockets’ or Blazers’ first-round picks, which are both conditional, in exchange for a future pick or veteran player.

Northwest Notes: Rubio, Martin, Foye, Green

February 17th, 2016 at 10:00am CST by Chuck Myron

Bucks coach Jason Kidd, who holds sway over the team’s personnel decisions, has a longstanding admiration for Ricky Rubio, and while the Timberwolves haven’t been looking for Rubio trades, they’re likely to do so this summer, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Other recent reports have indicated that Rubio is currently on the block, though Minnesota doesn’t appear to be in a hurry to deal him for the time being, judging by Wojnarowski’s reporting. See more from Minnesota amid the latest from around the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves shooting guard Kevin Martin is unlikely to end up in a trade unless he turns down his player option, worth nearly $7.378MM for next season, league sources told Wojnarowski for the same piece. Martin probably won’t do that, since he’d have a tough time making up that money on the free agent market this summer.
Randy Foye‘s eminently positive locker room presence appeals to the Nuggets, who won’t be quick to give him up, according to Wojnarowski. The Heat reportedly have interest, and Wojnarowski suggests others do as well.
Erick Green, whose second 10-day contract with the Jazz expired Sunday, will return to the D-League affiliate of the Kings, a league source tells Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor (Twitter link).
Joey Dorsey, whom the Nuggets acquired in the Ty Lawson trade this past summer and later waived in a buyout, has left Turkey’s Galatasaray and will sign with Barcelona of Spain, international journalist David Pick reports (Twitter links).

Western Notes: Griffin, McRae, Durant

February 16th, 2016 at 10:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It’s likely the Clippers hang on to Blake Griffin through at least the rest of this season, but he isn’t “untouchable” in trade talk and the Clippers are listening to offers, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. Still, while the team is liable to take a more aggressive stance about trading Griffin if it finds out before the trade deadline that it has no shot at Kevin Durant this summer, the Clips would demand a huge offer just to trade him away before draft time in June, much less Thursday’s 2pm Central trade deadline, according to Lowe. Clippers executives are adamant that they don’t intend to trade their star power forward, with one of them telling Dan Woike of The Orange County Register that the team never offered Griffin and Lance Stephenson to the Nuggets for a package of four players, as had been reported.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Kings are seeking a major upgrade at shooting guard and are not looking for younger players who couldn’t provide significant contributions immediately, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee notes (on Twitter). Sacramento is said to be desperate to deal away shooting guard Ben McLemore, with the Timberwolves and other teams reportedly interested in the young wing.
The Mavericks would be interested in Wolves shooting guard Kevin Martin if he works a buyout with Minnesota, Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter). Dallas would be reluctant to trade for Martin because of the fear he would pick up his player option for next season worth $7,377,500, MacMahon notes.
Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers said the team is looking to add a guard via a 10-day deal, but that isn’t likely to occur prior to the team’s next two contests, Dan Woike of The Orange County Register tweets.
The Warriors find themselves in a difficult position at trade deadline time as the team attempts to repeat as NBA champions while trying to set itself up for a run at Durant, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group writes. Golden State has to weigh its pursuit of the all-time regular season victory mark against the chance to land Durant this offseason, Kawakami notes. In order to clear enough cap room to ink Durant outright, the Warriors would need to part ways with a significant chunk of talent, which could derail the team’s chances at bringing home a title in 2015/16, Kawakami adds.
The Suns have recalled shooting guard Jordan McRae from their D-League affiliate in Bakersfield, the team announced. McRae, who is with Phoenix on a 10-day deal, was sent to the D-League so he could participate in the league’s All-Star game, wherein he notched seven points and five assists in 14 minutes of action.
The Kings don’t appear to want to bring George Karl back next season even though they’ve committed to him through the end of this season, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. He’ll have $6.5MM in guaranteed salary remaining on his contract once this season is done.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Nuggets Get $5MM-Plus Disabled Player Exception

February 16th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nuggets have been granted a disabled player exception for injured swingman Wilson Chandler, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). The value of the exception is worth $5,224,719, which is precisely half the amount of Chandler’s $10,449,438 salary for this season. The Nuggets will be permitted to exceed the salary cap in order to add a player thanks to the exception, though the team is still confined to using a maximum of 15 roster slots.

The exception allows Denver to sign or trade for a player, or claim one off waivers, as long as it goes toward someone whose contract doesn’t run past the end of the season. Its value is slightly higher, $5,324,719, for use in trades.

Chandler was diagnosed with a labral tear in his hip back in November and underwent season-ending surgery as a result. The 28-year-old signed a four-year, $46.5MM extension with Denver during the offseason and he was expected to play a major role for the team. This isn’t the first time Chandler has dealt with hip issues, and all told, hip woes have cost him a total of 133 games since 2011.

The swingman’s career numbers are 13.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists through 445 career contests. Chandler was the No. 23 overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft.