Andre Miller Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Actively Shopping Andre Miller

January 6th, 2014 at 4:50pm CST by Luke Adams

4:50pm: There’s a strong belief within the league that the Nuggets are looking to move Miller in the next 24-48 hours, tweets Wojnarowski.

4:49pm: The Kings have been proactive in talks for Miller, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).

12:53pm: The Warriors don’t intend to make a move for Miller, TNT’s David Aldridge writes in his weekly Morning Tip column at NBA.com.

8:25am: Despite formally rescinding his two-game suspension, the Nuggets are actively trying to trade Andre Miller, according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Miller has been excused from team activities for the last several days following a confrontation with head coach Brian Shaw, and his suspension was only lifted to allow him to continue receiving his salary.

While a report on Friday suggested that the Nuggets were probably still “a ways away” from moving Miller, and that a deal could happen closer to next month’s trade deadline, Dempsey says the veteran point guard “won’t be part of the Nuggets team much longer after he returns.”

Well before last week’s incident between Miller and Shaw, Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote that rival teams expected Denver to trade Miller before the deadline. More recently, we’ve heard that the Warriors and Kings have some level of interest in the 37-year-old. I’d expect the teams that have been linked to Kyle Lowry, such as the Knicks, Nets, and Timberwolves, to at least kick the tires on Miller as well.

Miller, a 1999 lottery pick, is posting career-worst marks in several categories this year, including PPG (5.9), APG (3.3), and PER (14.0). Still, he’s only a year removed from a season in which he was arguably one of the league’s best backup point guards, averaging more than 26 minutes per game while playing all 82 contests.

Deveney’s Latest: Miller, Hawks, Iguodala

January 3rd, 2014 at 9:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sean Deveney’s latest piece for The Sporting News focuses on Andre Iguodala‘s impact on the Warriors, timed appropriately enough since Iggy’s three-pointer at the buzzer gave the W’s a one-point win over the Hawks tonight. He passes along a few other tidbits of note, and we’ll start with those:

The Nuggets are “a ways away” from trading Andre Miller, a source tells Deveney, adding that a deal would probably come closer to the February 20th trade deadline. Presumably, Deveney isn’t suggesting that Miller will probably be traded and is instead referring to the timing of any deal that might involve the 37-year-old. The Nuggets rescinded Miller’s suspension today, though a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports that it was merely a gesture to allow Miller to receive his salary while he sits for two games (Twitter link).
No moves that would help Atlanta’s front line are imminent, Deveney writes. The latest report we heard indicated that Hawks GM Danny Ferry was still deciding whether to pursue reinforcements in the wake of Al Horford‘s season-ending injury. The team apparently had talks with the Magic about Hedo Turkoglu before Orlando let go of the veteran small forward today.
Deveney points out that Iguodala’s teams have a record of 142-89 (143-89 after tonight) over the past four years in games he plays, and 12-21 when he doesn’t. That was a reason why Golden State sought to acquire him this summer, Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob tells Deveney. “He is a winner,” Lacob said. “He knows how to win. Anyone you talked to about him, coaches or whoever it was, that was what they said.”

Nuggets Suspend Andre Miller

January 3rd, 2014 at 6:25pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 6:25pm: The Nuggets announced that they have rescinded Miller’s suspension. The veteran will return to the team on Monday, January 6th and will be excused from all team activities for personal reasons until then.

THURSDAY, 4:30pm: The Nuggets have suspended Andre Miller two games for conduct detrimental to the team, the club announced today in a press release. Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post, who first tweeted word of the suspension, noted in a story on last night’s game that Miller yelled at coach Brian Shaw about the disrespect he felt he was being shown by sitting.

Last night’s contest against the Sixers represented a low point for the Nuggets, who lost their eight straight game, and for Miller, who received the first DNP-CD of his long career. The veteran point guard has averaged just 19.0 minutes per game this season, by far his lowest mark since he entered the league in 1999.

While no reports yet have indicated that the Nuggets are shopping Miller, I have to imagine the team is at least weighing its options. Even before last night’s incident and the subsequent suspension, Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote that rival teams expected Denver to trade Miller before the deadline.

Miller was the subject of a handful of trade rumors in the offseason as well, as the Nuggets’ front office and coaching staff underwent some turnover. While Lowe suggested last month that the team still “adores” Miller, it’s fair to wonder based on his current role in Denver if he was valued higher by the old regime than the new group.

Warriors, Kings Eyeing Andre Miller

January 2nd, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Chuck Myron

Warriors and Kings executives are mulling the idea of trading for suspended Nuggets guard Andre Miller, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Denver nonetheless remains uninterested in dealing the 37-year-old, and the team intends to smooth over the issues that led to Miller’s punishment, Wojnarowski adds.

The Warriors are in the market for a backup point guard and have been talking to the Raptors for weeks about acquiring Kyle Lowry, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Knicks have also been persistent in their pursuit of Lowry, but the Raptors have become less willing to trade him in the wake of their recent success. Toronto hasn’t abandoned the idea of trading Lowry, but the team isn’t simply looking to unload him to the highest bidder, as Wojnarowski writes.

The Kings see Miller as a veteran mentor who could help Isaiah Thomas, and GM Pete D’Alessandro, a former Nuggets executive, is a longstanding admirer of Miller, Wojnarowski points out.

Miller makes $5MM this season, but next year’s $4.625MM salary is only guaranteed for $2MM, so he’d be easier to unload for a team that sours on him, wants to clear cap space, or both. It’s clear that the 15th-year veteran is slowing down. This season he’s seeing the fewest minutes per game of his career, and his points and assists per minute are also new lows.

Raptors, Knicks Working On Kyle Lowry Trade

December 12th, 2013 at 2:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:47pm: The Raptors are sticking to their asking price of a quality young player or a first-round pick in return for Lowry, notes Chris Mannix of SI.com, tweeting that negotiations could take a while. Lowry has plenty of interest in playing for the Knicks, but Felton’s injury doesn’t help the chances of the Knicks landing Toronto’s point guard, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post, who says several teams including the Raptors have inquired about Hardaway.

1:56pm: The chances that Shumpert is part the deal are slim, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck, who says the Raptors aren’t high on him and the Knicks prefer to keep him for now (on Twitter).

1:39pm: Shumpert’s name has come up in discussions between the Raptors and Knicks, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. In his piece on rumors around the league, Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report wrote that Shumpert, along with Felton, would “most likely” be part of a deal for Lowry.

1:04pm: Isola can’t envision Hardaway being part of the deal, citing owner James Dolan’s affection for the rookie (Twitter link).

12:53pm: The Nets and Warriors are also interested in Lowry, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, while Stein says the Knicks may be forced to put Tim Hardaway Jr. into the deal (Twitter links).

12:47pm: The Raptors are trying to elicit more offers for Lowry, and that’s why they’re leaking the news of their talks with the Knicks, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.

12:38pm: Kyle Lowry has been mentioned prominently among Raptors who could be on the move as GM Masai Ujiri aggressively reshapes the team, and he’s at the center of trade talks between Toronto and the Knicks, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The trade would likely feature Raymond Felton and at least one other Knick heading north of the border unless a third team jumps in, Stein also notes (on Twitter).

The Knicks had interest in trading with the Nuggets for Andre Miller, but they’ve shifted their focus to Lowry, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). The Raptors are looking for a first-round pick in the deal, Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck notes (via Twitter), but the earliest first-rounder the Knicks can deal away is their 2018 pick.

Lowry is among nine Raptors with an expiring contract, as I examined earlier today, and his $6.21MM salary might make him an attractive target for teams looking for a starting point guard. The Knicks will miss Felton for the next two to three weeks as he recovers from a strained hamstring, as Newsday’s Al Iannazzone tweets. While that’s certainly not a long-term absence, New York may feel as though a quick fix is necessary to avoid falling further behind in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are 6-15, but that’s just two and a half games out of a playoff spot, given the struggles of so many Eastern teams this year.

The teams hooked up on the Andrea Bargnani trade over the summer, though that happened while former Knicks GM Glen Grunwald was still in charge in New York. New Knicks GM Steve Mills has yet to make a major move since taking over shortly before the season.

A one-for-one swap of Lowry and Felton, who’s making about $3.6MM, wouldn’t work under salary-matching rules. The Knicks would have to include about $1.5MM more in outgoing salary. They could accomplish that by throwing Iman Shumpert into the deal, and while Shumpert has been at the centerpiece of most of the trade chatter involving the Knicks this year, it’s not clear whether he’s a part of these talks.

Lowe On Nuggets, Faried, Miller, Hamilton

December 10th, 2013 at 9:57am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nuggets have won nine of their last 11 and are in line to receive a high 2014 draft pick from the Knicks, as we explained earlier this morning. Still, their 13-8 record would only be enough for the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, and as the changes after last season’s 57-win campaign demonstrated, playoff success is the only barometer that matters. New GM Tim Connelly tells Grantland’s Zach Lowe he’s prepared for whatever happens this year. “We have the chance to make some noise,” Connelly said. “And if we’re not good enough, we’ve got some alternate plans.”

Lowe has more from Connelly and details what some of those “alternate plans” might be:

Trade talk involving Kenneth Faried has died down, but executives from other teams expect Denver to trade Andre Miller before the deadline. Still, the Nuggets “adore” him, Lowe writes.
Rival front offices think the Nuggets are prepared to trade Jordan Hamilton, and they don’t believe Denver will expect much in return.
Lowe also hears from execs around the league who view the Nuggets roster as one that might benefit from a strip-down, in spite of all the team’s good-but-not-great talent. Denver nonetheless prefers remaining competitive. “I think our owner would have let us do whatever we wanted,” Connelly said. “But a full-scale rebuild is not the be-all, end-all. It’s a four- to five-year process. And coming off a 57-win season, that’s just not something I would have pushed. There are too many good players here. It would be a disservice not to try, and not to try to win big.”
Connelly isn’t sold on the idea that freeing cap space is a panacea. “We have to be realistic about where we stand in the free agency pecking order,” he said.

Western Rumors: Jazz, Miller, Kings, Brown

October 13th, 2013 at 9:01am CST by Chuck Myron

Trey Burke‘s injury has opened up the possibility that the Jazz could trade for Marquis Teague of the Bulls or scour the free agent market for a veteran, and Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin says the team will consider its options, notes Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune.

“We’ll see,” Corbin said. “We’ll put our heads together tomorrow. We’ve got scouts out there. We’ll see what’s available. We’ve got some guys here. … We’ll see what gives us a chance.”

Internal candidate John Lucas III has impressed in camp so far, Luhm writes, so perhaps the Jazz may not have to look too far for their interim starting point guard. Here’s more from the West:

Andre Miller isn’t concerned about offseason trade rumors that invoked his name, and the 37-year-old Nuggets point guard says he wants to play until he’s 40, as Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post writes.
Kings owner Vivek Ranadive struck an agreement to hire Michael Malone as the team’s new head coach before the sale of the team became official, and Malone tells Sactown magazine that he and Ranadive kept their arrangement secret for two weeks. Sactown Royalty’s Tom Ziller has more.
Shannon Brown fell out of the rotation for the Suns last season, and the team could have waived him in June and avoided paying 50% of this season’s $3.5MM salary. They kept him instead, and he’s relishing the fresh start the team’s new regime has afforded him, as he tells Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.

Northwest Rumors: Team USA, Pekovic, Nuggets

July 25th, 2013 at 9:53am CST by Luke Adams

Two Northwest stars, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love, announced yesterday that they'll play for Team USA in the 2014 World Cup of basketball, but we don't know exactly who'll join them. USA Basketball Executive Director Jerry Colangelo says he'll narrow the pool of prospects to 25 or 30 by January, and he'll have until 48 hours before next summer's event begins to name a final roster, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com points out (Twitter links).

Here's more from around the Northwest division:

Durant believes current Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook and former teammate James Harden will play in next summer's World Cup as well, ESPN.com's Marc Stein writes in his latest round-up of tidbits from Team USA's camp. That would leave just eight of 12 roster spots to be filled.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor remains confident that the team will finalize a new deal with Nikola Pekovic, and doesn't think he'll have to call Pekovic personally, though he'd be open to doing so, says Charley Walters of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Within his latest piece on the Nuggets, Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post writes that Denver remains likely to re-sign Timofey Mozgov, and hears from GM Tim Connelly that the team "absolutely" plans to keep Andre Miller.

Latest On Monta Ellis, Andrew Bynum

July 7th, 2013 at 8:17am CST by Chuck Myron

Top-tier free agents are going fast, leaving Monta Ellis and Andrew Bynum among the best options remaining on the list of available players. Marc Stein of ESPN.com has the latest on teams in line for them:

Ellis is the top target for the Hawks, according to Stein, who figures the team could make an offer with a starting salary around $10MM based on its available cap space. GM Danny Ferry and company have also given thought to signing Andrew Bynum.
Bynum is the primary focus for the Mavs, Stein reports, adding that Dallas doesn't appear to have enough cap space left to make a competitive bid on Ellis, whom they've also been eyeing.
The Nuggets also covet Ellis, Stein observes, and that's fueling the team's desire to trade Andre Miller.
If Ellis hasn't signed elsewhere by the time the July Moratorium is over on Wednesday, Stein says the Bucks would have to renounce his rights to clear enough room to officially bring aboard free agents O.J. Mayo and Zaza Pachulia, with whom they have agreements.

Nuggets Considering Trading Andre Miller?

July 2nd, 2013 at 12:10pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran point guard Andre Miller could be traded by the Nuggets this summer, according to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida. Tomasson tweets that Miller isn't part of the team's long-term plans and was a favorite of George Karl, who is no longer coaching the team. Chris Herrington of the Memphis Flyer tweets that Denver put Miller on the table during draft-night trade talks with the Grizzlies, but Memphis wasn't interested.

While Ty Lawson is firmly entrenched as the starter at the point in Denver, Miller provided solid numbers for a backup in 2012/13, averaging 9.6 PPG and 5.9 APG while appearing in all 82 games. The 37-year-old is under contract for $5MM in '13/14 and about $4.63MM in '14/15, though only $2MM of that second figure is guaranteed.

When a report yesterday indicated that the Nuggets had been in contact with free agent point guard Jarrett Jack, I noted that, with Lawson and Miller on board, the position wasn't really a spot of need for Denver. But if the club is considering moving Miller, a pursuit of Jack would make more sense.