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Grizzlies, Raptors Discussing Rudy Gay

January 29th, 2013 at 9:57pm CST by Alex Lee

TUESDAY, 9:57pm: Wojnarowski reports that the final hurdle for a deal that would send Gay to Toronto hinges on finding a third team to take Calderon's contract. He adds that within the deal's current framework, the Grizzlies are likely to receive another young Raptors player along with a future draft pick. Terrence Ross is not one of the names being considered, as the Raptors have reportedly deemed the rookie untouchable. 

8:11pm: Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun says that the Raptors have little interest in taking additional salary in the form of Darrell Arthur's contract, and thus a third team would be needed if he were included into discussions. 

12:46pm: As they try to find a way to land Gay, the Raptors are engaging teams about a possible three-team deal, but are having trouble finding a taker for Calderon, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

MONDAY, 7:00pm: The Grizzlies are engaged in active trade discussions with the Raptors centering on Rudy Gay, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.  Stein says that while the Raptors are Gay's most active suitor, no initial framework for a deal has been agreed upon.  Stein confirms that, due to last week's trade, the Grizzlies feel that they no longer must trade Gay and can instead wait and consider more fair value offers. 

The Raptors have been determined in their pursuit of Gay and also are interested in Grizzlies forward Darrell Arthur.  Toronto is offering up Jose Calderon and third-year forward Ed Davis as two of the main pieces in a potential deal.

Stein says that the Celtics have also inquired on Gay's availability, but was told that they balked at the prospect at giving up Paul Pierce in the deal.  In light of Rajon Rondo's injury, Stein was also told that Boston would be more likely to pursue Kyle Lowry and his cap friendly deal than Gay and his bulky contract.  As talks heat up, Stein says, more teams could become involved in a potential deal.

Grizzlies' coach Lionel Hollins, as well as several of the team's players, have reportedly lobbied management for a chance to play the season out as currently constructed.  But the Memphis front office is worried about its ability to improve the roster in future years, Stein says, and is subsequently seeking first round picks in any deal.

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Atlantic Notes: Raptors, Gay, Celtics, Sixers

January 29th, 2013 at 8:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets pulled a little closer in the standings to the Atlantic-leading Knicks last night, cruising to a comfortable win over the Magic. The two New York teams each have 27 wins so far, though Brooklyn's busier schedule has resulted in three more losses (18) than the Knicks have (15). Here's the latest out of the Atlantic Division:

  • Despite Monday's report on the Raptors' trade discussions involving Rudy Gay, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star still views a deal as unlikely to get done. According to Smith, the Grizzlies' asking price continues to be too high for Toronto. Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld agrees that Memphis is in no rush to move Gay and says there's a good chance the club stands pat.
  • With Rajon Rondo lost for the season, the Celtics don't figure to rush into adding another guard to their roster. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets that Boston is content with the four guards currently on the team — Avery Bradley, Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and Leandro Barbosa. Barbosa will likely see increased minutes with Rondo out.
  • After a recent loss to the Bucks, Doug Collins was "apopletic," according to Chris Mannix of SI.com, who says some league executives are wondering if the 76ers coach is reaching his breaking point. Mannix points out that in his three previous coaching positions, Collins never lasted longer than three seasons. The Philadelphia job seems to be Collins' as long as he wants it, but it will hard to be succeed without Andrew Bynum, whose return date remains up in the air.
  • Deron Williams is finally playing like the $100MM man the Nets signed last offseason and coach P.J. Carlesimo thinks his point guard should be making even more, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
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Odds & Ends: Rondo, Dragic, Speights, Rumors

January 28th, 2013 at 10:01pm CST by Alex Lee

With seven NBA games on the docket for Monday night, here are some odds and ends from around the Association:

  • J.J. Redick has made Orlando his home and hopes to stay, he told Michael Scotto of RealGM.  But Redick also realizes that trade speculation is inevitable and therefore has stayed in close contact with his agent and the Magic general manager Rob Hennigan.
  • Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge provides a transcript of an interview of Neil Olshey in which the Blazers GM discusses his team's roster and potential future moves.
  • Andrei Kirilenko handpicked Minnesota as his destination this offseason because he found the roster intriguing as well as conducive to his game.  Unfortunately, due to the Timberwolves' long list of injuries, Kirilenko has yet to find out if his vision was as good as it seemed this offseason, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
  • Danny Ainge said that he fully expect Rajon Rondo to be ready for training camp come October, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.  How realistic that truly is will go a long way in determining the Celtics' next move.
  • Despite sitting at 15-30 and in last place in the Pacific division, the Suns have a reason for optimism in Goran Dragic, writes Derek Page of HoopsWorld.  Dragic, Page says, is the most important piece of Phoenix's rebuilding plans. 
  • We've already heard that Marreese Speights could be moved before the trade deadline despite rumors that the Cavaliers have coveted him for years.  The Plain Dealer rounds up some Speights-related buzz, linking to a Sam Amico article that says whether the team keeps Speights depends on whether it can do so without sacrificing its financial flexibility.  Amico, of Fox Sports Ohio, says that Speights will likely opt out of his deal after the season and seek a payday. 
  • Sean Deveney of Sporting News addresses several popular rumors that are floating around the NBA of late, the most notable of which include Rudy Gay, Paul Pierce and Pau Gasol.
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Western Notes: Bledsoe, Grizzlies, Lakers, Howard

January 28th, 2013 at 12:41pm CST by Luke Adams

While one Eastern Conference team lost a star for the season this weekend, a Western Conference club could be preparing to welcome one back to the court. According to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, Andrew Bogut may return to action for the Warriors tonight in Toronto. Here are a few more notes out of the West:

  • Before they drafted Damian Lillard, the Trail Blazers tried hard to make Eric Bledsoe their point guard of the future, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, who says the Blazers offered Jamal Crawford and a first-round pick for the Clippers' backup point guard last year. "Yeah, I knew [the Trail Blazers] were calling for me," Bledsoe said. "They have a great fan base, but I wasn't too worried about it at the time."
  • Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien tells Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Memphis isn't in a rush to make another trade, and "it's more likely than not that we do nothing." According to Tillery, the team has received a number of proposals for Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph since December, but none were viewed as fair-value offers.
  • The Lakers are still waiting to find out whether they'll receive a disabled player exception after losing Jordan Hill for the season. GM Mitch Kupchak is expecting to hear from the league sometime this week, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
  • Appearing on 103.3 KESN-FM in Dallas, ESPN.com's Marc Stein suggests that the Mavericks have a better chance at landing Dwight Howard via free agency rather than via trade (link from the Dallas Morning News).
  • For his part, Howard tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he doesn't have time to focus on free agency at this point.
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Celtics Rumors: Pierce, Gay, Lowry, Sullinger

January 28th, 2013 at 8:34am CST by Luke Adams

Even before we learned that Rajon Rondo was done for the year with a torn ACL, we expected to hear plenty of Celtics-related trade rumors leading up to next month's trade deadline. That number of rumors figures to exponentially increase now that Rondo's on the shelf, and we've rounded up a few of Monday morning's rumblings right here:

  • We heard yesterday that the Grizzlies may have interest in Paul Pierce, but according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link), Memphis is unlikely to seriously pursue the longtime Celtic. The Grizzlies are hoping to add depth, shooting, and/or youth if they move Gay, so Pierce wouldn't be an ideal fit, tweets Stein.
  • Stein adds (via Twitter) that the Celtics have shown exploratory interest in Gay but aren't likely to take on significant long-term salary.
  • Stein gets the sense that Kyle Lowry is a probable target for Boston, but isn't sure whether or not the Celtics have the assets to land him (Twitter link).
  • Multiple team executives tell Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link) that Jared Sullinger is considered the most-appealing Celtic, but Mannix says the C's aren't expected to part with the rookie forward.
  • We also rounded up a number of Celtics-related rumors yesterday in the wake of the Rondo announcement.
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Celtics Links: Rajon Rondo Reaction

January 27th, 2013 at 9:51pm CST by Alex Lee

In light of news that Rajon Rondo has a torn ACL, it looks like most readers think the Celtics would be smart to move Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.  It is a question that basketball writers around the league will be tackling for weeks leading up to the trading deadline.  Let's round up all of the media fallout from the Rondo injury here:

  • A. Sherrod Blakely of CSN New England considers adding Delonte West the most likely scenario for the Celtics, adding that a league source told him earlier this season that the Celtics would only consider bringing back West if one of their guards went down with a long-term injury.  Blakely also mentions Andre Barrett, the current D-League assists leader, as a possibility. 
  • The Celtics' television broadcast team takes a shot at answering the question of how the Celtics can replace Rondo, via CSN New England.
  • Blowing up the Celtics' roster is way better in theory than it is in reality, writes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  He says that there simply aren't teams out there with young talent and draft picks that are willing to give them up for Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett.  With this in mind, Wojnarowski opines that it would be a mistake for the C's to do anything drastic.

Earlier updates:

  • Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders whether the Celtics will look to the D-League to fill the void created by Rondo's injury.  Schlosser specifically mentions Delonte West, Courtney Fortson, Chris Wright, Donald Sloan, Sean Singletary and Scott Machado as potential solutions.
  • Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram also tweets that West and the Celtics seem like a match.
  • Danny Ainge and the Celtics have some big decisions to make in the near future as a result of Rondo's injury, writes Matt Moore of CBS Sports.  Moore says the Celts were already contemplating blowing up their roster this season, and the Rondo news certainly makes it more likely.
  • Ken Berger of CBS Sports says that Pierce's contract – with only $4MM guaranteed next year – is "as tradeable as it gets."  Berger adds that rival executives expect the Grizzlies to have interest in Pierce.  He also speculates that a team like the Nets could be interested in Garnett.  Should they decide to become buyers rather than sellers, Berger says Jose Calderon or Kyle Lowry are two possible targets for Boston.
  • Jessica Camerato of CSN New England writes that the Celtics locker room was stunned to hear the news about their floor general after their double overtime win against the Heat.  Camerato's colleague, A. Sherrod Blakely, provides more reactions from the Celtics as well as from Miami's LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.
  • Blakely adds, via Twitter, that he doesn't expect a trade soon.  Instead, Blakely thinks that the Celtics will add a point guard via a 10-day contract, if they choose to do anything.
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West Notes: Kings, Howard, Gay, Blazers

January 27th, 2013 at 8:50pm CST by Alex Lee

Here are some notes from around the Western Conference on Sunday night:

  • The uncertainty surrounding the sale of the Kings comes at an unfortunate time for a front office that has some important decisions to make, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
  • Dwight Howard is currently operating with the mindset that the Lakers' roster, himself included, will stay intact for the remainder of the season, writes Sam Amick of USA Today.  It's clear Howard is waffling once again and if the Lakers don't straighten this season out soon, the Howard situation could escalate.  "My mind-set? Nobody's going anywhere," Howard told Amick.
  • Stan Van Gundy, talking on an Orlando radio show, said that he had suspicions from the start that Howard may not fit in right away in Los Angeles, writes Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel.  Van Gundy says that because Kobe Bryant probably isn't willing to adjust his game, that obligation falls completely on Howard.  If they don't win and Howard remains an afterthought in the Lakers offense, Van Gundy says, there isn't much reason to expect Howard to remain in Los Angeles.  
  • Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien says that despite the constant trade speculation, the team is more than likely not going to make a trade before the February 21 deadline, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.  Despite Levien's words, Tillery says that the team believes it will start to get better offers for Rudy Gay in light of Tuesday's trade.
  • Heading into tonight's home-and-home finale with the Clippers, Blazers' GM Neil Olshey sees some positive parallels between his current and former teams, writes Jason Quick of the Oregonian.
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Western Notes: Kobe, Ridnour, Odom

January 26th, 2013 at 10:49pm CST by Ryan Raroque
Although Kobe Bryant registered a season low of 10 field goals on Friday night, his 14 assists proved to be instrumental in the Lakers' rout of the Jazz. Mike D'Antoni praised his star shooting guard's approach, saying that the dip in field goal attempts shouldn't be looked at as a sacrifice if the team ultimately comes out on top, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. McMenamin also takes a closer look at the impending return of Steve Blake, who practiced with the team today and could return to game action next week. You'll find the rest of tonight's Western Conference notes here:
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Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Bucks, Mike James, Suns

January 26th, 2013 at 3:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz were on the wrong end of one of the Lakers' better performances of the season last night, and now they have to turn around tonight and take on the Pacers, who are just one of two teams in the league giving up fewer than 90 points a game (the Grizzlies are the other). Utah, sitting seventh in the West, is only a game and a half in front of the ninth-place Rockets, and with only five players with guaranteed money on the books for next season, the Jazz will be an interesting team to watch as the trade deadline draws near.

As we await a 10-game night in the NBA, here's more from around the Association:

  • The Grizzlies owe a pair of future first-round picks to other teams, and would look for at least one, and preferably two, first-rounders in any deal for Rudy Gay or Zach Randolph, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis would also make such a deal with the idea of freeing up space to re-sign Tony Allen, an unrestricted free agent this summer.
  • The Bucks have given assistant GM Jeff Weltman a three-year extension, matching the length of the extension GM John Hammond received this week, reports Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Weltman has drawn interest from the Clippers and Suns about their GM jobs in recent years, Woelfel adds.
  • With Mike James' second 10-day contract expiring Sunday night, Mavs owner Mark Cuban was asked whether the team would sign him for the rest of the season, and Cuban indicated that was the plan, notes Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "So far, so good," Cuban said of James. "No reason to think otherwise at this point."
  • Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News hears that former Suns coach Alvin Gentry had player development coordinator Lindsey Hunter removed from practices on multiple occasions, and feared that Hunter, his eventual successor, was a "spy" for the front office.
  • Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel downplays the idea of Jermaine O'Neal rejoining the Heat, pointing out that the center didn't leave Miami on good terms in 2010, and opining that the Suns are unlikely to buy out his minimum-salary contract. 
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Kyler On Grizzlies, Magic, Redick, Leonard

January 26th, 2013 at 12:23pm CST by Sean Highkin

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com answered some questions from followers on his Twitter account Saturday morning, addressing a variety of trade rumors and speculation.

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