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Southwest Notes: Asik, Hornets, Hollins

January 14th, 2013 at 3:24pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Spurs hold a 2.5-game lead over the Grizzlies in the Southwest Division, the two teams are actually even in the loss column, with the Spurs (29-11) having played five more games than the Grizzlies (24-11). The Grizz will play one of those extra contests tonight, but it won't be easy to pick up a game in the standings on San Antonio, with the Clippers coming to town. As we look forward to what should be the game of the night in Memphis, let's round up a few items out of the Southwest….

  • Within his mailbag at NBA.com, Sam Smith of Bulls.com writes that even after signing Omer Asik away from the Bulls last summer, the Rockets had talks about packaging him in a deal for a higher-level player. Smith suggests that perhaps the Heat could be a match in such a trade, with Chris Bosh going the other way, but it appears that's just his own speculation.
  • Hornets GM Dell Demps spoke to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld about finally getting a chance to see his team's core players all healthy at the same time and evaluate the roster. Demps indicated that he could be active at the trade deadline, though he isn't expecting to aggressively pursue a move: "I think we’ll listen. If there’s something out there that will make us significantly better for the long-term I think we’ll look at it. Actually, I like our group. I like our young guys. I want to really evaluate them over the next month playing together and see that chemistry there. For the last week or so I think we’ve been playing pretty good, we’ll see how it goes over the next few games."
  • There have been no talks about a contract extension between new Grizzlies ownership and coach Lionel Hollins, who's in the last year of his deal, writes Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
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Poll: Will LeBron James Return To Cavs In 2014?

January 13th, 2013 at 7:52pm CST by Zachary Links

Anyone who has either visited Miami or has the good fortune of living there knows that it's the kind of place that you don't want to leave.  Fantastic weather, Cuban sandwiches, pretty girls, the ability to wear an abundance of white without getting made fun of – Miami has it all. LeBron James has gotten to toss the Labor Day rule to the wayside while enjoying all of the roast pork he could ever want for two years and change while being at the center of one of the league's most dominant teams.  It's inconceivable to some that James would leave Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh by opting out after the 2013/14 season, yet some league executives and agents are absolutely convinced that he will use the opportunity to make a face turn and reverse the infamous "Decision" by returning to Cleveland in that summer.

On the surface, it seems incredibly unlikely that James would walk away from one of the strongest teams in the NBA in order to join forces with a team that still may be under construction in 18 months, even with a blossoming superstar in Kyrie Irving.  And while some superteams have reportedly dealt with locker room drama (we're looking at you, Dwight and Kobe), the Heat have by and large stayed as a cohesive unit and found enough shots for everyone.  

On the other hand, we already know that LeBron doesn't have any reservations about following his heart and changing zip codes if he feels that it's the best move to make.  When LeBron is faced with the first of his two-opt out years with Miami, he'll be closing in on his 30th birthday and hearing the chatter about his legacy and place amongst the all-time greats more than ever.  Winning a title with a Cavs team that likely won't have the same top-heavy roster as the Heat would be a massive plus for his resume.  Nuggets coach George Karl is a believer.  Are you?

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Cavs Want 2014 Max Player, Possibly LeBron

January 13th, 2013 at 6:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Anderson Varejao is expected to be sidelined through the February 21st trade deadline, meaning that the standout forward likely will remain in Cleveland for the remainder of the year.  The struggling Cavs could conceivably use other assets to get a healthy piece for the future, but Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes that league executives and agents around the league are convinced the Cavaliers won’t do anything to jeopardize their ability to sign a free agent to a max contract in the summer after next season.

Of course, 2014 is the summer where LeBron James can again become a free agent if he exercises his player option.  While it may seem farfetched for a number of reasons, more and more people around the league believe there is a strong possibility James will return to Cleveland after next season.

If the Cavs feel strongly about keeping their financial flexibility for that offseason, then they won’t pull the trigger on any players with three-year deals.  The Cavs may not be stacked with assets, but they do have Luke Walton’s $6MM expiring contract and about $10MM in cap space to dangle to teams looking to move long-term commitments.  In a largely cap-conscious league, those two things could fetch a significant piece in a trade, but it sounds as though the Cavs are looking for something much bigger.

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Winderman On Buyouts, Trade Candidates, Haslem

January 13th, 2013 at 1:00pm CST by Sean Highkin

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel weighed in on a variety of topics about the Heat's roster and trade prospects on Sunday. Here are the highlights:

  • In a new mailbag column, Winderman acknowledges that the Heat need big-man help, but suggests they wait on buyout candidates rather than settle for someone currently on the free-agent market. He lists Milwaukee's Samuel Dalembert as a possible buyout candidate.
  • Winderman considers the Spurs' DeJuan Blair to be a viable trade candidate, and another reason why the Heat should be patient.
  • Winderman gives an update on the legal situation of Chris Andersen, the former Nuggets big man who has been linked to the Heat in recent weeks.
  • In a separate column, Winderman discusses the impact veteran bigs Udonis Haslem and Joel Anthony have had on the Heat since being given bigger roles in the rotation.
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Eastern Notes: Pierce, Sixers, Bynum, Vogel

January 12th, 2013 at 4:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s more than reasonable for the Celtics to consider cashing out on an aging Paul Pierce for young assets to be used towards rebuilding, opines Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld.  In another season and a half, the veteran could retire or walk away from Boston with no compensation.  His trade value may never be as high as it will be now through the 2013 draft, and this may be the time to act, according to Brigham. Here's more from around the Eastern Conference.

  • Sixers GM Tony DiLeo told reporters, including Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com, that the team will try to stay in contention for a playoff spot until Andrew Bynum gets back, and may make short-term upgrades that don't cut into next summer's cap space. 
  • DiLeo also said the Sixers "are still looking at Andrew as a long-term solution," indicating they still plan on trying to re-sign him this summer.
  • The extension Frank Vogel signed with the Pacers this week runs through 2014/15, and will pay the coach $2MM per season, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
  • J.J. Redick doesn’t want to be traded away from the Magic, but after hearing from GM Rob Hennigan that several teams have expressed interest, he's girding himself for the possibility, writes John Denton of Magic.com.
  • The Heat signed Josh Harrellson and Jarvis Varnado to ten-day contracts simply to stall for time until something better comes along, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.  The Heat can get a better sense of what might be available to add at either the trading deadline or buyout deadline.
  • Anderson Varejao's injury isn't devastating to his long-term trade value, as The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer examines.

Zach Links of Hoops Rumors also contributed to this post.

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Odds & Ends: LeBron, Wall, Pacers, Rose

January 11th, 2013 at 10:55pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Friday evening:

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Eastern Rumors: Knicks, Hamilton, Nets, Oden

January 11th, 2013 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

The Eastern Conference's top two teams fell last night, as the Heat lost a nailbiter in Portland and the Carmelo Anthony-less Knicks dropped a low-scoring affair in Indiana. Thursday's results further compress the playoff picture in the East, where the top eight teams, from the No. 1 Heat to the No. 8 Celtics, are all separated by just 5.5 games. Here are a few Friday updates related to four of those eight Eastern contenders:

  • Asked about the Knicks' reported interest in Kenyon Martin, coach Mike Woodson told reporters, including Al Iannazzone of Newsday, "that's news to me." If Marcus Camby is forced to miss time after aggravating a foot injury Thursday night, then the Knicks could look to sign someone, says Iannazzone.
  • Richard Hamilton, who turns 35 next month, tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that he doesn't expect to play past age 38. Hamilton's contract for next year is mostly non-guaranteed, and he would turn 38 during the 2015/16 season, so he'd likely have to sign at least a couple more deals to play that long.
  • Nets management has been impressed with the job done so far by coach P.J. Carlesimo, who will "almost certainly" hold the job until the end of the season, a source tells Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.
  • Greg Oden's agent, Mike Conley Sr., tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that he's 100% certain his client will be playing in the NBA next season. Conley didn't talk extensively about teams that could be in play, but hinted that the Heat aren't necessarily the frontrunners, and said the Trail Blazers definitely aren't an option. I'm not sure the Heat were widely viewed as the favorites — Miami was just the only specific suitor named in Brian Windhorst's report yesterday.
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Oden Eyeing NBA Return; Heat, Others Interested

January 10th, 2013 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

11:58am: Several teams, including the Heat, have expressed interest in signing Oden to a multiyear deal that begins this season, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. However, even if Oden signs during the 2012/13 season, he's unlikely to return to the court until 2013/14, says Windhorst. A multiyear contract that begins this season would allow him to continue his rehab with an NBA club.

9:20am: It has been more than three years since Greg Oden appeared in a regular-season NBA game, but the former first overall pick hasn't given up on his playing career yet. Mike Conley, Oden's former teammate at Ohio State and the son of Oden's agent Mike Conley Sr., tells Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link) that the big man hopes to hit the free agent market and join an NBA team before the end of the 2012/13 season.

According to Conley, Oden is back in Columbus, taking classes and trying to work himself into playing shape. If Oden decides he isn't ready to return to the court by season's end, or if there isn't sufficient interest among NBA teams, the seven-footer intends to look ahead to next season and try again in the fall.

The last we heard from Oden himself, back in August, he was downplaying his chances of returning this season. However, he did admit that if he feels good and is healthy enough to come back, he'd "love to play this year." Oden underwent his most recent microfracture surgery on his left knee last March.

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Heat Re-Sign Josh Harrellson

January 10th, 2013 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

Three days after being released by the Heat, Josh Harrellson has rejoined the team, according to Shandel Richardson of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Richardson reports that Miami has re-signed Harrellson to a 10-day contract.

The Heat opened up two roster spots earlier this week by cutting Harrellson and Terrel Harris before their non-guaranteed contracts became guaranteed for the season. However, the club didn't waste much time in filling those spots. Besides Harrellson, Jarvis Varnado also signed a 10-day contract with Miami yesterday.

The pair of signings means that, for now, there's no room on the Heat roster for Chris Andersen, who worked out for the team this week. However, Miami will have the opportunity to reevaluate their frontcourt options in 10 days, when Varnado's and Harrellson's contracts expire.

Before Harrellson re-signed with Miami, he was in contact with the Timberwolves, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).

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Odds & Ends: Martin, Knicks, Cavs, Andersen

January 9th, 2013 at 9:51pm CST by Zachary Links

Kenyon Martin is one of many talented NBA veterans who has so far been unable to find a home in 2012/13.  That may change soon as the Knicks are showing interest in him, but a source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that they have only discussed him internally to this point.  The Knicks haven't reached out to Martin's representative yet, but that could be around the corner.  Here's tonight's look around the Association..

  • Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert did an on-air interview during the telecast of tonight's game to discuss the current state of the club.  While 2012/13 has been difficult for Cleveland thus far, the owner vowed that better days are ahead, according to the Plain Dealer (on Twitter).  "This year has not been an easy year…Things will improve. There are better days ahead. We will get through it," said Gilbert.
  • One NBA executive told Andrew Perna of RealGM that we likely won't see significant trades go down until February.  “There hasn’t really been a lot of talk going around,” the executive said. “There is general chatter, but nothing serious. A lot of teams are trying to figure out what is going on with [the Grizzlies] and all the names that have been thrown around.”
  • Nuggets coach George Karl gave Chris Andersen a strong endorsement in an interview with Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (on Twitter).  While admitting that the 34-year-old isn't what he once was, he believes that he could be a solid piece for the Heat for 15-25 minutes per night.  The forward known as Birdman auditioned for Miami earlier this week.
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