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Pacific Notes: Rivers, Bryant, Wright, Kerr

January 11th, 2015 at 10:33pm CST by Arthur Hill

Clippers coach Doc Rivers isn’t sure if he is permitted to talk to his son about joining the team, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. Austin Rivers is expected to be moved from Memphis to Boston Monday as part of a three-team deal. Rumors emerged that the Celtics don’t want to keep Rivers and could be shipping him to the Clippers, although a third team may be needed to facilitate the deal. “I maybe should call the league,” Doc Rivers said. “It may be tampering. Listen, if it got to that point, yeah, we would talk, clearly.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Lakers coach Byron Scott said he played Kobe Bryant too many minutes early in the season and dropped a hint about shutting Bryant down for the rest of the year, according to Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Bryant has missed six of the team’s last 11 games, but Scott said any decision will be made gradually. “I keep thinking about game-to-game right now,” he said. “So I haven’t gotten to that point. Maybe after the All-Star break, maybe we will start talking about something like that if necessary.”
New Suns center Brandan Wright impressed the opposition coach in Sunday’s double overtime loss to Memphis, reports Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Wright had seven points and two rebounds in 15 minutes of action in his first game since Friday’s trade from the Celtics, but the Grizzlies’ Dave Joerger sees him as a perfect fit. “He plays off the ball as well as anybody in the league, being able to get into pick-and-rolls and then separate and get out of pick-and-rolls,” Joerger said. “What you do on that deal is then you either have dunks or you create long close-outs of two guys who are very willing and capable of making perimeter shots. Then if you have to run out too fast, whew. You just keep chasing your tail.”
The Warriors‘ Steve Kerr is coaching the best team in the NBA, but he could have been with the worst, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Kerr admits he had a verbal commitment to join the Knicks before opting for Golden State. “I told [Knicks president Phil Jackson] that I was going to come as long as we could work a contract out,” Kerr said. “And we didn’t ever work a contract out.”

Grizzlies, Celtics Close To Deal For Jeff Green

January 11th, 2015 at 12:03pm CST by Eddie Scarito

SUNDAY, 12:03pm: The Clippers are working to find a third team to help deliver Boston an expiring deal to go along with a second-rounder that the Celtics want in the Clippers/Rivers deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

6:43pm: Stein is also reporting that Smith is headed to Memphis, and adds that the Grizzlies are sending a second round pick to the Pelicans (Twitter link). Washburn says Rivers will likely be moved in a separate deal (Twitter link). Wojnarowski notes the Celtics don’t want to take back any salary beyond this season. (Twitter link).

6:00pm: Officials in the Clippers’ front office and coaching staff are pushing Doc Rivers to bring Austin to Los Angeles, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).

5:39pm: The Clippers are the likely destination for Rivers, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today (Twitter link).

5:21pm: The Celtics are attempting to find a trade partner for Rivers, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).

5:05pm: Salmons was originally going to be included in the trade, but Boston made a push to acquire Rivers instead, John Reid of The Times Picayune reports. This wasn’t the first time the two sides had discussed a deal for Rivers, Reid notes, as New Orleans had conversations with the Celtics last summer about a potential trade involving Rivers, but talks broke off without a deal getting done. The Pelicans, who have been struggling to get consistent play at small forward, pushed to get Pondexter in the deal, Reid adds.

4:36pm: Rivers is reportedly headed to Boston, but he may not stay with the team, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe reports (Twitter link). Whether this means the Celtics intend to waive Rivers or trade him is unclear.

2:15pm: The three sides have agreed to terms, Stein maintains (on Twitter), but it appears there are still some moving parts involved. It’s unclear if they will push the trade through today or wait until Monday when the league office reopens, Stein adds.

2:09pm: Boston would also get a future first-rounder, Stein reports (Twitter link).

1:50pm: The current deal being discussed involves Green heading to Memphis, Prince and Rivers to Boston, and Pondexter to New Orleans, Stein tweets. Stein makes no reference to Smith, who was previously reported by Wojnarowski to be involved, nor any draft picks changing hands.

SATURDAY, 1:42pm: New Orleans is going to send Austin Rivers to the Celtics as part of the proposed deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).

10:04pm: Russ Smith is also heading to Memphis in the proposed deal, Wojnarowski tweets.

8:44pm: The third team involved looks to be the Pelicans, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter links). In this proposed three-way deal, Green would go to Memphis, Prince, John Salmons, and a first-rounder from Memphis to Boston, and Quincy Pondexter would head to New Orleans, Wojnarowski notes. The Grizzlies are discussing various deals involving Pondexter with other teams, Wojnarowski reports, but their focus is on including him in a trade for Green.

FRIDAY, 5:06pm: The Celtics are continuing with their rebuilding process, and the next player on the list to be dealt is Jeff Green, who is likely on his way to the Grizzlies, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Memphis is offering Boston Tayshaun Prince and a first round draft pick in return, Wojnarowski notes. There also appears to be a third team involved in the deal, Wojnarowski adds.

Memphis has been actively trying to acquire either Luol Deng from the Heat, or Green from Boston over the last few days. When the Grizzlies couldn’t make any headway on nabbing Deng, they zeroed in on Green over the last 48 hours and sold Boston on deal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). Boston had initially been asking for two first-rounders in return, Wojnarowski tweets. The Clippers had also inquired about Green, but they didn’t have the expiring contracts that Boston was looking for to make a trade work, Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports (Twitter link).

In 33 games this season, the 28-year-old Green has averaged 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 33.1 minutes per game. His career numbers over six seasons are 14.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 1.6 APG. His career slash line is .440/.340/.788.

Prince is a 12-year NBA veteran, and is averaging 7.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 25 appearances (9 starts) this season. The 34-year-old’s career numbers are 11.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.5 APG. His career shooting percentages are .455/.367/.758.

Southwest Notes: Green, Wright, Shved, Spurs

January 10th, 2015 at 9:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jeff Green is a worthwhile gamble for the Grizzlies, claims Geoff Calkins of the Commercial Appeal. Memphis is expected to acquire Green from the Celtics in a three-team deal that’s on track to become official when the NBA office reopens Monday. Citing an unidentified scout who calls Green a “a high-end complementary player,” Calkins contends that’s just what the Grizzlies need to match up with the elite teams in the West. “If the trade does happen, getting a guy like [Green] would obviously help us, and we all know that,” said Memphis guard Mike Conley. “We’re trying to keep up just as much as everyone else.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Mavericks could regret their decision to part with Brandan Wright, opines Tom Ziller of SB Nation. The young center was sent to Boston as part of the Rajon Rondo deal, but on Friday the Celtics shipped him to the Suns. Not only does that strengthen a potential playoff foe for the Mavericks, it puts him in a winning environment and makes him less likely to return to Dallas when he becomes a free agent in July.
Alexey Shved, who came to the Rockets in a December 19th trade involving the Wolves and Sixers, returned from a left ankle sprain Saturday and should get some playing time, reports Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. Coach Kevin McHale is already a fan of the Russian guard. “He has great vision, he has great height, he really drives to pass,” McHale said. “He is a pass-first guy. We will try to find a way to fit him into our rotation.”
Stan Van Gundy is looking to the Spurs as a model as he tries to build a winner in Detroit, reports David Mayo of MLive. The Pistons’ coach/president has long been a fan of the way the defending champs conduct their business. “There’s all kinds of things that you can learn from this organization,” Van Gundy said. “The hard thing is trying to actually execute and do what they’ve done. It’s not like they’ve got a secret formula that no one else can follow. They’ve just done it better than everybody else.”

Western Notes: Brooks, Clippers, Waiters

January 10th, 2015 at 2:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Though he’s unlikely to be fired mid-season, Thunder coach Scott Brooks‘ job is definitely on the line this year, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman writes. Tramel cites the Thunder’s disappointing record, and how the team has regressed even after getting Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook back from injuries, as major reasons why Brooks’ days in OKC could be numbered.

Here’s the latest out of the Western Conference:

Toure’ Murry, who was waived by the Jazz earlier this month, was acquired by the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League, the team announced. Rio Grande Valley is the D-League affiliate of the Rockets.
The Warriors were one of the Wolves‘ most aggressive suitors for Kevin Love prior to him being dealt to Cleveland, but Love still isn’t sure how close he was to heading to Oakland, Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle writes. “I know that they were a team that was in talks,” Love said. “But that’s really as far as it got.” Love definitely appreciates just how talented a squad Golden State has, Simmons adds. “They’re a great team,” Love said. “They’re a fun team to watch. They get up and down the floor. They shoot the three ball really well. They have a lot of guys that can do a lot of different things.”
Dion Waiters said that he learned that he had been traded to the Thunder after the starting lineup had been announced and the Cavs’ game against the Sixers was just about to begin, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports notes (Twitter link). Waiters still wanted to play in the game, but wasn’t permitted to for obvious reasons, Spears adds.
In light of president of basketball operations Neil Olshey‘s brand new contract extension, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders looks at the success that Olshey has had during his tenure with the Blazers.
The Clippers sent $300K to the Sixers as part of the Jared Cunningham deal, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link).
Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger isn’t happy that trade talks have leaked to the media, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal tweets. “It’s a major distraction,” Joerger said. “Things like that should be kept behind closed doors. It ticks me off.“

Celtics Notes: Stevens, Nelson, Green

January 10th, 2015 at 12:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge understands that trading Rajon Rondo made coach Brad Stevens‘ job tougher, Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald writes. Rondo’s departure has thrown Boston’s rotation for a loop, and Stevens has the difficult task of sorting out who the team should be playing, Murphy adds. “It’s difficult if there aren’t three or four guys who are the stabilizing force for your team,” Ainge said. “Sometimes the second team is capable of beating the first, and sometimes it’s the first that’s better than the second. Sometimes the third is better than both of them. You could see it [last Monday] against Charlotte. He used 13 guys, and the third unit looked hungrier than the other two.”

Here’s more out of Beantown:

Ainge doesn’t place the onus solely on Stevens to keep the Celtics’ locker room content, Murphy adds. “It’s hard to keep everybody happy,” Ainge said. “It’s not Brad’s job to keep everybody happy. It’s a player’s job to make the coach believe that he can’t win without him. This is just a very difficult roster to manage up and down.”
In light of Boston’s recent trades, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com ran down the plethora of draft picks the Celtics have accumulated through the 2019 NBA draft.
Despite the recently acquired Jameer Nelson spending time on the inactive list since arriving in Boston, Stevens has praised the veteran player’s professionalism, Murphy writes in a separate piece. “We talked. I don’t know that it’s a fixture,” Stevens said of whether the veteran guard has a long-term role on the inactive list. “Tonight, yes, but it’s hard for me to predict anything beyond one day right now. We had a talk and he’s been great. He’s a pro, he’s helpful. We had a film session and he was active in the film session helping the young guys. It’s a transition. He played 10 years in one place, and then he chose to go someplace else and gets traded. He’s never lived this before.“
Jeff Green, who is part of the proposed three-way deal with the Pelicans, Celtics, and Grizzlies, is expected to opt out of his contract after the season, Zach Lowe of Grantland reports (Twitter link). Green has a $9.2MM player option for 2015/16, which is the final year of his current deal.

Southwest Notes: Smith, Koufos, Spurs

January 9th, 2015 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets coach Kevin McHale is using Josh Smith in a reserve role rather than as a starter due to Smith’s preference, not his own, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes. “The biggest thing is about getting him comfortable,” McHale said. “He has to get where he’s comfortable. He felt more comfortable with that second team. He’s done everything I’ve asked him to do. I’ve sat him down and said, “Ok, are you more comfortable coming off the bench? Are you more comfortable starting? Where are you at, because this is about you being comfortable, not me being comfortable?’ I just sit over on that bench. I don’t have to be comfortable.”

Here’s more from the Southwest:

Smith is happy for his former Pistons teammates and the success that they have enjoyed since his departure to the Rockets, Feigen writes in a separate piece. Smith also isn’t fazed by the criticism levied against him in regards to being the reason that Detroit was a losing team, Feigen adds. “I have no hard feelings,” Smith said. “I felt great about the opportunity that was given to me and I looked at it more as a blessing than anything. No. 1, I think I was signed under Joe Dumars. You come in with a new group, a new situation. I knew he [Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy] probably wanted his guys in there. There were a lot of young guys that needed to be groomed. They were more in the rebuilding stage. He didn’t want to string me along for the process because he was understanding this is my 11th year and I should have an opportunity to play for a good team.”
Grizzlies big man Kosta Koufos is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, and Koufos will have to decide whether staying in Memphis as a reserve or leaving to pursue a starting role with another team will make him happier in the long-run, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders writes. “I do want to play a lot more,” Koufos said. “You know, who doesn’t [want to play more]? But right now I’m not thinking about the summer. I’m thinking about the now, and right now I’m with the Memphis Grizzlies trying to help them win as many games as possible. That’s my goal. You have to feel confident. This [is] my role right now so I have to go with it.”
In the midst of disappointing stretches, both the Spurs and the Thunder are in danger of sliding to lower playoff seeds, or out of the postseason entirely, Jeff Caplan of FOX Sports Southwest writes.

Grizzlies Pursue Jeff Green, Luol Deng

January 9th, 2015 at 3:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 3:09pm: Discussion is heating up between Memphis and Boston about Green, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). “Hurdles” remain as the teams talk, but the Grizzlies are more serious in their pursuit of Green than any other team in the league, Stein adds (on Twitter).

THURSDAY, 2:12pm: There’s nothing going on regarding Deng, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra insisted today, and Deng added that he isn’t trying to force his way off the struggling Heat, notes Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post (Twitter links).

1:36pm: The Grizzlies called the Heat to see if Deng was available, but the conversation didn’t advance from there, tweets Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel. Presumably, that means the Heat aren’t open to trading him.

12:05pm: Boston’s asking price for Green is high, Zillgitt hears (Twitter link), though while the Celtics have made it known that they want a first-round pick in return for him, the prevailing belief around the league is that they’ll ultimately agree to take less, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter). President of basketball operations Danny Ainge called Green “our best player this year” in a radio appearance this morning with Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Memphis’ first-round pick for 2015 is already promised to the Nuggets, the protections on the pick would make it difficult for the Grizzlies to convey a pick to another team anytime soon.

10:10am: The Celtics, Grizzlies and Cavs had discussed a three-team scenario that would have sent Green to Memphis, Koufos to Cleveland, and draft compensation to Boston, Lowe reports (Twitter links). The Cavs’ acquisition of Timofey Mozgov on Wednesday threw a wrench in that idea, Lowe adds.

9:14am: The Grizzlies are actively trying to pry Luol Deng from the Heat or Jeff Green from the Celtics, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Any offer Memphis makes is likely to include Tayshaun Prince and draft picks, Stein adds. Still, no deal is imminent, the ESPN scribe cautions.

Memphis, along with the Clippers and Pelicans, inquired about Green before the Rajon Rondo trade last month, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt reported then, though the Celtics were uninterested in trading him. Boston turned down an offer from the Lakers that included Jordan Hill, a first-round pick, and perhaps more, Zillgitt also reported at the time. Now, people around the league believe that Green is available, according to Stein, so perhaps Boston’s position has changed. Green has played well this season, as I noted when I looked at his trade candidacy, so the Celtics can capitalize on that to extract a strong return if they’re prepared to do so.

It’s unclear whether the Heat would be willing to part with Deng, who signed with the team just this past summer, though some around the league wonder whether the Heat are ready to start collecting assets for the future, Stein writes. Miami is 15-20 and occupies the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Prince and Kosta Koufos reportedly drew interest from the Cavs prior to their flurry of moves this week, but Memphis resisted a shakeup amid a strong start. The Grizzlies are 25-10 and still in third place in the Western Conference, but they’ve shown an eagerness for an upgrade, making a push to sign Josh Smith before he instead went to the Rockets. They “kicked around” the idea of trading Koufos, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote late last month, around the time Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com identified the Kings as a suitor for the backup center.

A $3.135MM trade exception that Memphis netted from the deal that sent Jerryd Bayless to Boston last year expired Wednesday. Still, it was unlikely that the Grizzlies would have used it, since adding a player with a salary close to that figure would have put the team over the tax line, as Stein points out (on Twitter). Memphis is only about $1MM shy of the tax threshold, so the team would likely be careful to match salaries closely in any trade involving Green or Deng. Green is making $9.2MM this year with a player option for the same salary next season, while Deng is on the books for more than $9.714MM this season and holds a player option worth nearly $10.152MM for 2015/16.

Eastern Notes: Williams, Deng, Thompson

January 8th, 2015 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets‘ Deron Williams, who is the subject of trade rumors, will be out indefinitely after an MRI revealed one of his ribs was fractured, Roderick Boone of Newsday reports. “Deron reported some soreness above this area over the weekend and as a result underwent imaging studies on Monday, which were negative,” team physician Riley Williams III said in a statement. “[Wednesday] during the game, he reported a new onset of symptoms below the prior area of soreness. New imaging studies done [Thursday] demonstrated the fracture. There is no timetable for his return.”

Here’s more from the East:

Luol Deng is rumored to be on the trading block, with the Grizzlies a possible suitor, but despite the Heat‘s struggles this season, Deng insists he doesn’t want out of Miami, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel reports. “I’ve had no issues,” Deng said. “My whole thing I’ve been saying this year is we’ve been trying to get it right, fit everybody in. It’s never that I’m unhappy or anything. Just because they’re trade rumors, I’m not the one asking for trades.“
Surya Fernandez of FOX Sports Florida examined a number of potentially available players with whom the Heat could upgrade their roster, including Andray Blatche, Samuel Dalembert, Tyler Johnson, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson.
When informed that the newly acquired Timofey Mozgov would be taking his place in the Cavs‘ starting lineup, Tristan Thompson handled the news like a true team player, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “I’ve come off the bench most of the season,” Thompson said. “Whatever it takes for us to win. [I’ll] come out and join the bench mob again. Bring the energy with myself, Delly [Matthew Dellavedova] and all the other guys so that’s a role that I embrace and I’m trying to be the X-factor.“
One thing that J.R. Smith will miss about being with the Knicks is his friendship with Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Kernan of The New York Post writes. “I was upset that I don’t get to play with my best friend who I’ve played with for the last nine or 10 years,’’ Smith said. “We’ve been together so long and we complemented each other so well from the inside out game. Off the court too, we hung at each other’s houses.”

Celtics Notes: Green, Nelson, Crowder

January 8th, 2015 at 1:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

There’s a belief around the league that the Celtics will indeed part with Jeff Green before the trade deadline, as Ronald Tillery of The (Memphis) Commercial Appeal writes within a subscription-only piece. The discussions the Grizzlies are having regarding Green, as well as Luol Deng, are internal, a source tells Tillery, though the earlier report from Marc Stein of ESPN.com indicates that Memphis is active on both fronts. The talk had president of basketball operations Danny Ainge suggesting that Green has succeeded Rajon Rondo as the most frequent subject of Celtics trade rumors, as Ainge said this morning to Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb on 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. While we wait to see just what happens with Green, here’s more from Boston:

Ainge would like to clear the team’s logjam of big men, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt tweets, though it’s unknown which of the frontcourt players are most likely to go.
Jameer Nelson insists that he and coach Brad Stevens are on the same page, but the point guard sat out Wednesday’s game and is upset about the playing time he’s seen since arriving in the Rondo trade, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald observes. Nelson, who has a player option worth nearly $2.855MM for next season, is averaging 20.2 minutes per game, which would be a career low if extrapolated over an entire season.
Jae Crowder was the only one of the three players the Celtics acquired in the Rondo trade who played Wednesday, and analytics show he’s been a boon for the team so far, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com examines.

Western Notes: Thunder, Lakers, Buss

January 7th, 2015 at 9:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Thunder sent $550K in cash to the Hawks in the Thabo Sefolosha sign-and-trade this past summer, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. That helped convince Atlanta to make the deal a sign-and-trade instead of a straight signing, a move that allowed Oklahoma City to create the trade exception it used for Dion Waiters, as Pincus confirms and as Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors explained earlier this week. The Thunder also created a $915,243 trade exception for Lance Thomas, Pincus notes (Twitter link).

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

Despite the Lakers‘ struggles this season, team president Jeanie Buss is satisfied with the job that coach Byron Scott is doing, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. “Our record doesn’t show what we’d like it to be. But I like what coach Byron Scott is doing and establishing,” Buss said. “I believe in what he’s trying to do and I see improvement all the time. I support our front office. I support our coach. I support our players.”
Buss also believes that the Lakers will be contending in three years time, something that her brother, vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss, predicted, Medina notes. “By three years, we will be where we should be in terms of the Western Conference,” Buss added. “That’s a challenge he [Jim Buss] presented to himself. Given all the resources that we have, our legacy and who our head coach is and who our front office is, I don’t see any problem progressing to where we need to be. We’ll be in the Western Conference finals in three years. As long as you have Kobe Bryant on your team, anything can happen in the playoffs.”
Now that the trade market has ramped up, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders continues his look at players who might be dealt prior to the February trade deadline. Some of the players whom Kennedy opines may be on the move include Reggie Jackson [Thunder], Jordan Hill [Lakers], Kosta Koufos [Grizzlies], and Jason Thompson [Kings].

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.