Players Whose Contracts Will Be Guaranteed
As we outlined earlier today, players on non-guaranteed contracts who aren’t released by 4:00pm central time will have their full 2013/14 salaries guaranteed. We’ll be keeping tabs in this post on players who have been informed they’ll remain on their respective teams’ rosters, with new updates added to the top of the list throughout the afternoon:
- Barring an unexpected development, the Pacers will guarantee Rasual Butler‘s contract today, tweets Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star.
Earlier updates:
- The Timberwolves don’t intend to make any roster moves today, which means the contracts for A.J. Price and Robbie Hummel should become guaranteed, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
- As anticipated, the Lakers plan to keep Ryan Kelly, Xavier Henry, and Kendall Marshall, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (via Twitter).
- Ronnie Brewer‘s contract will be guaranteed for the remainder of the season by the Rockets, says Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter).
- The Bobcats will retain Jeff Adrien beyond today, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
- Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com reports (via Twitter) that Chris Douglas-Roberts‘ contract will become guaranteed, as the Bobcats won’t cut him today.
- Kent Bazemore is also safe, with the Warriors informing him he’ll remain on the roster, tweets Haynes.
- The Spurs have informed Malcolm Thomas that he won’t be waived, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Andre Miller Rumors: Tuesday
It’s been nearly 24 hours since we heard that the Nuggets were looking to move Andre Miller within the next 48 hours, and while there’s no deal yet, there are a few updates on the Miller front. Let’s round them up:
- The Nuggets have been telling teams at the D-League Showcase in Reno that they plan to trade Miller by the end of the week, says Sam Amick of USA Today, who adds that the Warriors remain in play for the 37-year-old.
Earlier updates:
- The Nuggets continue to talk to teams and work toward a Miller trade, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post, who tweets that nothing is imminent.
- It sounds as if one team the Nuggets have spoken to is Minnesota. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reports (via Twitter) that the Nuggets and Timberwolves have had a “back and forth” about the veteran point guard. Wolfson also notes that current Nuggets GM Tim Connelly worked with Wolves president Flip Saunders and GM Milt Newton in Washington, so there’s some history there.
- Reiterating what we heard yesterday from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, Marc Berman of the New York Post says the Knicks aren’t pursuing Miller.
Odds & Ends: Gasol, Muhammad, Burke
Pau Gasol has been in trade rumors for years, and he’s once more bracing for the possibility that the Lakers could ship him away, as he tells Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
“I’m ready for it,” Gasol said. “I can’t control what they’re going to do as a team. But I’m going to try to play as well as I can for as long as I’m here. If I’m somewhere else, I’ll try to continue to do that.”
We figure to have at least some resolution to the latest Gasol saga today, and in the meantime, here’s more from around the league:
- With Shabazz Muhammad headed to the D-League and Trey Burke of the Jazz the reigning Western Conference Rookie of the Month, Timberwolves boss Flip Saunders says it’s still too early to judge the result of their draft night swap. The Wolves officially sent Shabazz Muhammad to the Iowa Energy today, according to a press release. Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune originally reported the move Friday.
- Matt Moore of CBSSports.com breaks down the game of potential No. 1 pick Joel Embiid.
- D.J. Kennedy is headed to Israel to play for Hapoel Holon, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia reports. The swingman was in camp with the Mavs this fall and played with Gravelines in France earlier this season. Italy’s Reggio Emilia was also reportedly interested.
- The Grizzlies have assigned Jamaal Franklin to the D-League, the team announced. The 41st overall pick this past June has averaged just 9.2 minutes in 14 games for Memphis this year. I identified him earlier this week as a player who could see time in the D-League.
D-League Notes: Gobert, Clark, T’Wolves
Today’s look at the D-League..
- The Spurs announced that they have recalled guard Nando De Colo from the Austin Toros of the D-League. De Colo made his fifth appearance for the Toros this season Friday evening helping Austin to a 122-97 home victory over the Texas Legends finishing with 21 points, 7 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 steals. For now, teammate Malcolm Thomas remains in Austin.
- Jazz players Rudy Gobert and Ian Clark will be staying in L.A. following last night’s game against the Lakers because they’re both being assigned to the D-League once more, tweets Jody Genessy of the Deseret News.
- The T’Wolves are giving some thought to purchasing a D-League team, writes Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press. “Eventually that might be something that we want to do, where we have a team where we can send (players) back and forth,” president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said. The Wolves plan on sending Shabazz Muhammad to their shared affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa. It’ll be their first D-League assignment since 2011/12.
- Brandon Parker of the Washington Post wonders what kind of impact it will have on the D-League if Celtics star Rajon Rondo is sent down to rehab from injury. Having household names rehab on a farm team would increase the D-League’s exposure and attendance. It also, of course, would give NBA players a great way to ease back into regular action.
D-League Notes: Muhammad, N’Diaye, De Colo
Here’s today’s D-League assignments and recalls..
- The T’Wolves informed rookie Shabazz Muhammad that he’s being assigned to their D-League affiliate in Des Moines, Iowa, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. “He can play more minutes in those four or five games down there than he might play here all year,” team president Flip Saunders said. The 14th overall pick has played sparingly in just 11 of 32 games so far this season. Meanwhile, Saunders says he hasn’t considered asking Robbie Hummel and rookie center Gorgui Dieng to do the same because both have been part of coach Rick Adelman‘s rotation.
- The Kings announced that they have assigned center Hamady N’Diaye to the team’s D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns. The 7-foot Rutgers product is averaging 0.4 points (3-9 FG, 0-1 FT), 1.3 rebounds and 5.3 minutes per game in 14 appearances this season for the Kings. He will be in the Bighorns lineup tonight when Reno faces the Santa Cruz Warriors.
- The Spurs announced that they have assigned guard Nando De Colo and forward Malcolm Thomas to the Austin Toros of the D-League. This will mark De Colo’s fifth assignment to the Toros this season and Thomas’ fourth. In four games in Austin, De Colo has averaged 25.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 3.25 steals in 38.8 minutes. In his four games with the Toros, Thomas has averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 3.25 blocks in 30.3 minutes.
- The Raptors announced that they have assigned guard Dwight Buycks to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Buycks will continue to be included on the Raptors’ roster and will be placed on the team’s inactive list. Buycks has appeared in 12 games for the Raptors this season recording a total of 41 points, 10 assists, 20 rebounds and six steals in 121 minutes. He posted a season-best ten points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals December 10th versus San Antonio.
- To keep up with all of this season’s D-League assignments and recalls, check out Hoops Rumors’ running list.
Contract Details: Wayns, Curry, Price
Here’s an update on a handful of contracts from around the league, courtesy of The Score’s Mark Deeks..
- The guarantee date on the contract of Clippers guard Maalik Wayns‘ was pushed back from December 1st after his injury, meaning that he’s still on a non-guaranteed deal. He’s unlikely to make the cut on Tuesday, January 7th when contracts become guaranteed.
- There’s a good chance Seth Curry will be waived by the Grizzlies before Tuesday as his deal is non-guaranteed. Terms of the guard’s contract were previously unknown.
- A.J. Price‘s deal with the Timberwolves still appears to be non-guaranteed, despite previous reports indicating that he would be locked in after December 8th. Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities tweets that Price’s Player’s Association record seems to be at odds with the T-Wolves’ PR, which says Price remains non-guaranteed. In any case, the 27-year-old may survive decision day, as point guards are in hot demand around the league.
- The terms of Jeremy Tyler‘s deal with the Knicks (whether he is guaranteed or not) are still unknown.
Berger On Asik, Lakers, Clippers, Lowry
Word is the Rockets now expect to keep center Omer Asik past next month’s deadline and beyond, writes Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Houston worked hard to find a deal last month but the market for the big man right now isn’t so great. “Teams that are tanking don’t want him to make them better and winning teams want to steal him,” one rival GM said. On top of that, the teams with room in 2015 can sign him anyway as a free agent on a more reasonable contract. More from Berger’s column..
- For now, the Lakers intend to keep Pau Gasol and ride it out with the current group. In fact, league sources say the Lakers even inquired on Raptors guard Kyle Lowry to help patch up at the one spot, though the talks didn’t go anywhere. Things could change, however, as the temptation to dump salary and avert a date with the dreaded repeater tax will remain given their current position
- Doc Rivers is realizing the Clippers‘ roster has more holes than he initially thought and league sources say he’s is looking for frontcourt help on the trade market. It would help matters if they still had Eric Bledsoe to dangle but he went in the three-team deal that yielded J.J. Redick and Jared Dudley.
- Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are also after frontcourt help in the form of an athletic rim protector.
- League sources say the pairing of Bledsoe and Goran Dragic in the Suns backcourt isn’t expected to be a long-term solution for the Suns. Execs believe Dragic will opt out of his contract following the 2014/15 season, putting pressure on GM Ryan McDonough to make a trade. Jazz standout Gordon Hayward has put his team in a similar spot as his price may prove too high for Utah when he hits restricted free agency this summer.
- The Cavaliers and Kings have been among the most aggressive teams in pursuit of trades, league sources say. On the heels of acquiring Rudy Gay from Toronto, the Kings are “swinging for the fences” on the trade market, one rival executive said. Sacramento wants to shore up the point guard position, but Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro‘s true long-term target is said to be Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson.
- In addition to the Lakers, Knicks, and Nets, the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Celtics are among the teams that have inquired about a deal with the Raptors for Lowry, league sources say. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri is said to have multiple deals he could do for Lowry that would involve receiving an expiring contract in return or slotting him into another team’s trade exception. For Toronto take on future salary, they’d probably demand a first-round draft choice.
- The reception to the proposed “wheel system” to determine NBA draft placement has been mixed. Meanwhile, it has sparked other ideas, including a straight lottery with all 14 non-playoff teams getting an equal shot at the No. 1 pick.
Amick On Knicks, Lowry, Rondo
USA Today’s Sam Amick offered his New Year’s resolutions for a handful of teams who appear badly in need of help, touching base with issues currently encompassing the Knicks, Warriors, and Timberwolves. Aside from lamenting about the Eastern Conference’s shortage of winning records, Amick provides some fascinating tidbits on what’s been going on in New York, particularly with regard to their recent pursuit of Kyle Lowry and their reported interest in Rajon Rondo. Being that Amick’s discussion of Golden State and Minnesota is more-or-less tied to point differential and strength of schedule, we’ll focus on the Knicks-related topics from his piece, and you can find the highlights below:
- New York would be wise to consolidate all their efforts and assets toward acquiring Rondo and not Lowry, especially if they’re willing to discuss trading their already limited supply of draft picks, suggests Amick.
- According to a person with knowledge of the Raptors’ dealings, the Knicks had first raised the idea of sending a 2018 pick to Toronto during trade discussions for Lowry. Interestingly enough, it appears that GM Steve Mills was the one who ultimately vetoed this particular approach altogether, opting to remain patient for more worthwhile pursuits.
- Regardless of how many times Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge insists that Rondo isn’t on the trading block, the belief from rival executives remains that the star point guard can be had for the right price. With two months and change left before the NBA’s trade deadline, it doesn’t look like the rumors of New York’s pursuit of Rondo will go away anytime soon, especially if Carmelo Anthony remains part of the Knicks’ plans. Even if Rondo becomes available, the Knicks face another hurdle of being one of many teams in line looking to make a pitch to the Celtics for his services.
Odds & Ends: LeBron, Lowry, T’Wolves
Fresh off of winning the Associated Press’ 2013 Male Athlete of the Year award, LeBron James spoke in depth about being a role model off the court and having a higher calling outside of basketball in addition to how he’s continued to mature in life. With the possibility of hitting free agency once again since 2010’s “The Decision”, the Heat superstar couldn’t avoid another inquiry about what could happen this summer (Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press). Not surprisingly, LeBron didn’t elaborate on much:
“I’m so zoned in on what my task is here this year that it’s hard to think about anything else…A guy the other day asked me what I’m going to do for New Year’s, and I haven’t even thought about that.”
With that aside, here are more of tonight’s miscellaneous news and notes from around the league:
- Eric Koreen of the National Post examines the trade/free agent value of Kyle Lowry, especially now that the Raptors appear to be thriving since trading Rudy Gay to Sacramento. Koreen argues that talent-wise, Lowry is worth the price of a first-round pick for teams looking to acquire him. On the other hand, if he finishes the season in Toronto looking to stay, then the asking price could start around at least $8MM annually, similar to what Jeff Teague and Brandon Jennings garnered as restricted free agents last summer.
- Sitting at 13-15 through 28 games, the Timberwolves are on par with what president of basketball operations Flip Saunders had expected at this point. Saunders explained his stance to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press: “Of the record, when the season started, I thought we’d be right where we’re at, or maybe 14-14, 15-13…I thought that was a very realistic goal. But we haven’t finished games like I thought we would be able to do right now.” Saunders also pointed to the team’s road-heavy schedule early on as well as the fact that many of the core players don’t have much experience with each other as reasons why he’s optimistic about brighter days ahead this year.
- Prior to this season, Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts compiled an NBA head coaching record of 148-217 over 365 games, with just one playoff appearance and a first-round exit to boot. This year, Stotts is enjoying an .821 winning percentage in Portland in what is currently his most successful season to date thus far. In a special article for ESPN.com, Daniel Nowell discusses Stotts’ long road to becoming an NBA coach.
- Taj Gibson is repaying the Bulls’ investment in him, writes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Subscribers only).
Knicks Want To Trade For Rajon Rondo
Knicks management is confident it can attract the stars necessary to pull the team out of its malaise, and its first target will be Rajon Rondo, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. The Knicks hope Rondo will become discontent with the Celtics and attempt to force them to trade him to New York sometime between now and 2015, when his contract ends. If they come up short on trading for Rondo, the Knicks think they’ll sign him in free agency or land one or two of the following potential 2015 free agents: LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol, Roy Hibbert, Kevin Love and Tony Parker.
The notion of Rondo joining the Knicks isn’t new, since the point guard’s high school coach claimed earlier this month that fellow former pupil Carmelo Anthony has been trying to recruit Rondo. Anthony pointed out that any such talk could constitute tampering, and both he and Rondo denied that they were discussing the idea of teaming up. It’s not clear how the Knicks could sell Rondo on the notion of pushing for a trade to New York, as Anthony did in 2011, without violating tampering rules. Still, much of the Knicks’ confidence in their future comes from the built-in lure of star-making capital New York, Windhorst writes.
Anthony could leave in free agency himself this summer, and there’s talk that the Knicks may attempt to trade him by the upcoming February 20th deadline if they don’t feel as though they can retain him. Windhorst seems to suggest there’s little chance of that happening, given how certain the Knicks seem about the road ahead. An executive from another team says the Knicks expect to re-sign Anthony and have another star player with him in a year’s time, adding that, “They’re so sure about it you’d think they already know what will happen.”
The same attitude explains why Mike Woodson is still coaching the team, according to Windhorst. The Knicks don’t feel there’s an adequate replacement available during the season, but plenty of intriguing candidates may exist in the summer, Windhorst writes. Having traded their potential lottery pick for 2014, the Knicks may be better off trying to make the playoffs this year with Woodson as coach, the ESPN scribe opines.