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Northwest Notes: Love, Lindsey, Blazers, Lawson

December 11th, 2012 at 10:35pm CST by Chuck Myron

The most significant news coming out of the Northwest today was Kevin Love's criticism of the Wolves, and there's plenty of reaction to that along with other notes from the division.

  • Matt Moore of CBSSports.com surmises that Wolves GM David Kahn is at the center of Love's frustration with the franchise, and believes owner Glen Taylor may be forced to choose between the two at some point.
  • Taylor remains a fan of Kahn, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN, who points out the team holds an option on Kahn's contract for next season.
  • The timing of Love's comments could have been much better for a team on the verge of creating excitement in Minnesota for the first time in a while, opines Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
  • Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune agrees with Love's remarks, based on what he's heard from others inside the Wolves organization, and believes that if Love departs in the summer of 2015, it will represent the most significant mistake of Kahn's tenure.
  • New Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey is slowly implementing some of the principles he learned while working with the Spurs, but plenty of similarities already existed between the two franchises, as Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune examines.
  • Blazers GM Neil Olshey hinted at a move around the trade deadline that would help the team's rebounding, but The Oregonian's Jason Quick doesn't think the Blazers have enough assets for a swap, believing the team must instead look to the draft and free agency (Twitter links).
  • Jim Cavan of The New York Times examines how Jrue Holiday, who got a four-year, $41MM extension from the Sixers before the season, has outplayed fellow point guard Ty Lawson, who's fresh off a four-year, $48MM extension from the Nuggets.
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Odds & Ends: Williams, T’Wolves, Mirotic, Gasol

December 10th, 2012 at 10:07pm CST by Zachary Links

On this date in 1995, the (Vancouver) Grizzlies lost to the Raptors 93-81 in the first ever meeting between Canadian NBA franchises.  That Grizzlies squad went 15-67 on the year and finished 14-68 in their sophomore campaign.  Today, they play 2,500 miles away from Vancouver and are lightyears ahead of where they once were as they boast the third-best record in the Western Conference.  Here's more from around the Association..

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Odds & Ends: D-League, Odom, World Peace

December 9th, 2012 at 5:44pm CST by Chuck Myron
Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld spoke with Dan Reed, the president of the NBA's developmental league, and heard that there is growing interest from several NBA teams in either purchasing or having a joint affiliation with a team in the NBDL. According to Reed, Koutropis notes that with an increase in the assignments of young players from the NBA to the D-League, it will make for a great opportunity for developmental affiliates to market themselves with some of the NBA's top young talent. Here are more of today's odds and ends from the Association: 
  • Lamar Odom is starting to get in shape and is displaying flashes of his old Sixth Man of the Year form, as Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News observes.
  • The Lakers' decision not to amnesty Metta World Peace before last season is paying off, writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, who adds that this summer's discovery and treatment of a nerve issue that had been bothering World Peace for four years has reinvigorated his play.
  • Nuggets guard Ty Lawson admits he can do better than his slumping performance this season, and Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post outlines what the point guard must do to return to the form that netted him a four-year, $48MM extension in October.
  • Despite GM David Kahn's denial of Pau Gasol trade rumors, the Timberwolves "would love" to acquire the big man and play him at center, according to Bob Finnan of The News-Herald.
  • Finnan also hears from sources within the ranks of media, agents, assistant coaches, GMs and scouts who tell him they are convinced LeBron James will opt out of his contract in 2014. 
  • Center Solomon Alabi is close to a deal with a Chinese club, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The 7'1" Alabi was let go by the Hornets at the end of training camp. He spent the last two seasons with the Raptors, but saw little playing time, averaging 1.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 7.0 minutes a game over 26 total contests.

 

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Odds & Ends: Cavs, Bargnani, Green, Wolves

December 8th, 2012 at 12:08pm CST by Zachary Links

Now is not the right time for the Raptors to trade Andrea Bargnani, but it might be the right move to make anyway, writes Eric Koreen of the Toronto Star.  The big man doesn't fit the culture that Dwane Casey is trying to instill in Toronto and moving him could help get the locker room back on track.  The Raptors have spent years trying to make the team work around Bargnani and Koreen argues that the relationship should have been working the other way around.  Here's more from around the league..

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Odds & Ends: Raptors, Blatche, Rubio, Kings

December 7th, 2012 at 10:05pm CST by Zachary Links

While the Raptors might not be willing to part with Andrea Bargnani just yet, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com notes that there is plenty of pressure on Bryan Colangelo to win, which might fuel him to pull the trigger on a deal.  The Raptors have a lot that makes sense for the Lakers in a Pau Gasol deal beyond the forward too in Jose Calderon and Linas Kleiza.  The question is whether Raptors believe Gasol will make them contenders and whether he’s worth taking on $19MM next season.  Here’s more Friday night linkage..

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Latest On Pau Gasol

December 7th, 2012 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

As we noted in our round-up of Timberwolves rumors earlier today, president David Kahn spoke to reporters at the team's shootaround today, something that doesn't happen often. Kahn wanted to clear the air on recent trade rumors, telling the media that he hasn't spoken to the Lakers about a deal since the summer, and that he was concerned about the players whose names had been involved — Kahn intends to speak to Derrick Williams and Nikola Pekovic, tweets Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Whether Kahn's comments were made for the sake of P.R. or whether he was telling the truth, Gasol rumors involving Minnesota and other clubs continue to circulate. Here's the latest:

  • The buzz around the NBA suggests that teams aren't eager to trade for Gasol and his $19MM annual salary, according to Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio (via Twitter). One team exec tells Amico that the Heat are the only team that would trade for Gasol, while Amico adds that clubs may be more willing to give something up for Andrea Bargnani. This strikes me as a little odd, since it's not clear what Miami could give up for Gasol beyond one of its Big Three, and as ineffective as Pau has been so far, Bargnani has been even worse for the Raptors.
  • In his latest mailbag, Sam Smith of Bulls.com addresses a few questions on Gasol, writing that he thinks it's "inevitable" that the Lakers trade the big man.
  • Following up on his report about Gasol drawing interest from the T-Wolves and Raptors, ESPN.com's Marc Stein discusses potential suitors for Pau on TrueHoop TV. According to Stein, the Lakers seem committed to making things work with the Spaniard, so they'll take their time assessing how the lineup looks when Steve Nash returns before making any decisions.
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Wolves Rumors: Williams, Gasol, Roy, Pekovic

December 7th, 2012 at 11:19am CST by Luke Adams

Although Ricky Rubio had been angling to make his return to the court for the Timberwolves tonight, the team has announced that he won't play against the Cavs (Twitter link). Still, even though Rubio's debut won't happen today, it seems it's getting close, which is good news for the T-Wolves. Here are a few more items out of Minnesota:

  • Speaking to the media today, David Kahn said there was no truth to any trade rumors involving the Lakers and that he hasn't spoken to them since the summer (Twitter link).

Earlier updates:

  • Rob Pelinka, Derrick Williams' agent, has "voiced his displeasure" about his client's lack of playing time, reports Wolfson. According to Wolfson, Pelinka hasn't requested a trade, but has asked about the likelihood of a deal, and was told the Wolves want to see Williams on the court with Rubio first, since the two worked well together last season.
  • David Kahn has spoken to other general managers, but there's nothing serious in the works yet, says Wolfson. A team source tells ESPN 1500 that the Wolves are interested in Pau Gasol, but that a deal would likely have to include a third team.
  • The T-Wolves are open to going into luxury-tax territory next season if it's necessary, according to Wolfson.
  • The doctor who performed Brandon Roy's latest knee procedure would be surprised if the former Blazer retired, though it's been "loosely discussed."
  • A team source hints to Wolfson that there's a "healthy internal debate" about whether the Wolves want to commit a big, long-term deal to Nikola Pekovic.
  • Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune explores the Pau rumors, and writes that the T-Wolves figure to be interested in Gasol right up until he's traded somewhere. Zgoda also outlines a few reasons why Minnesota would have interest in acquiring the Spaniard.
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Raptors, Wolves Interested In Pau Gasol

December 6th, 2012 at 10:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:51pm: The report connecting Gasol and the Timberwolves is news to the T-Wolves, tweets Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

8:07am: The Raptors and Timberwolves recently attempted to initiate trade discussions with the Lakers about Pau Gasol, but Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak has convinced the club to continue to take a pass on offers until Steve Nash returns, as Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne report for ESPNLosAngeles.com.

Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Linas Kleiza are among those the Raptors are talking about including in a Gasol deal, according to Stein and Shelburne. Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, who's told by rival executives that the Raptors are the most likely destination for Gasol, hears that Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo is currently unwilling to include Bargnani in a deal. That could change, however, if Colangelo starts to feel pressure to win now.

It's an "open secret" that Wolves GM David Kahn has been after Gasol since last season in attempts to put together a core of Kevin Love and Spaniards Gasol and Ricky Rubio, Stein and Shelburne write. Kahn's trade offers have been built around Derrick Williams and Nikola Pekovic, packages that continually meet with rejection from the Lakers.

Hornets power forward Ryan Anderson, reportedly L.A.'s No. 1 target in a Gasol deal, is a "virtual untouchable" as far as New Orleans is concerned, according to the ESPNLosAngeles.com story. The Hawks, Rockets and Nuggets have no interest in obtaining Gasol, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.

The 32-year-old Gasol is making $19MM this year and is due $19.286MM next season in the final year of his deal. He's averaging 12.6 points per game on 42% shooting, both career lows, and has missed the last two games because of tendinitis in both knees.

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Western Notes: Evans, Wolves, Williams, Davis

December 6th, 2012 at 9:14pm CST by Luke Adams

There's only one game on the Western Conference schedule tonight, so as we wait for the Mavericks and Suns to tip off in Phoenix, let's round up a few notes out of the West….

  • Tyreke Evans' play of late shows why he could either be an integral part of the Kings' rebuild or a valuable trade chip later in the season, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com.
  • The Timberwolves are finding success with bringing in international players from overseas, as an Associated Press report details (link via NBA.com). "To me, it's just a natural extension of scouting," said team president David Kahn. "Just as you can't afford to be negligent about the domestic side, you can't afford to not be on top of matters internationally."
  • Andrew Perna of RealGM.com spoke to Derrick Williams about trying to live up to the expectations of being a second overall pick.
  • In an Insider-only piece, ESPN.com's John Hollinger takes a look at some long-term deals signed this summer that have been money well spent so far. Ryan Anderson, Omer Asik, and Alexey Shved are among the names on Hollinger's list.
  • Anthony Davis tells Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld that he's looking forward to a bright long-term future with the Hornets.
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Odds & Ends: Heat, Harden, Gasol, Lakers

December 6th, 2012 at 2:50pm CST by Zachary Links

Whether you love or hate the Heat, you should appreciate the team while it's still in place, writes Ian Thomsen of SportsIllustrated.com.  In 2014/15, the "repeater" tax will kick in and bring the most severe financial penalties for high-payroll teams that the league has ever seen.  One rival GM predicted that owner Micky Arison will have to break up the big three of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh before that happens.  More from around the Association..

  • Rockets star James Harden told KGOW in Houston that he's already working towards recruiting another elite player, writes Steven Cuce of Sports Radio Interviews. “One player is not going to win a championship. Nowadays you need two or maybe more. I’ve definitely started the recruiting process. We need more guys to come over here, so we can win. For right now we are going to stick with the players we have and try to run with that,” Harden said.
  • Pau Gasol's trade value is falling, one GM who previously had interest in the Lakers forward tells Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (via Twitter).  "Now you have to wonder if some of his performance issues are knee-related," said the GM.
  • The Lakers were right to turn down offers from Gasol from the Raptors and T'Wolves, writes Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports.  Minnesota reportedly pitched former No. 2 overall pick Derrick Williams and center Nikola Pekovic while Toronto's package centers around Andrea Bargnani.
  • Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com (video link) looks at a few trade candidates around the league including Jazz big man Al Jefferson.
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