Andrea Bargnani Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Martin, Roy, Allen, Brooks

December 29th, 2012 at 8:56pm CST by Ryan Raroque

If Kevin Martin has his way, anyone other than the Thunder will have a tough time signing him this summer, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. The ninth-year veteran is averaging career bests in three point shooting (45.7%) and free throw shooting (93.2%) in addition to producing 15.8 PPG in 30.0 MPG. He is currently in the final year of his contract, and is slated to make nearly $12.4MM this season. Here are some more of tonight's miscellaneous notes from around the Association:

Despite recent reports that Phil Jackson wouldn't be interested in coaching the Nets, Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops talks about why we probably haven't seen the last of the Zen Master just yet.
Cavaliers coach Byron Scott is confident about the front office's patience with him, writes Jodie Valade of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler tweeted that an Andrea Bargnani trade is inevitable since he is no longer in Toronto's long-term plans, and that the Raptors will only play him when he comes back in order to prove that he's healthy.
Kyler (via Twitter) also says that the Lakers aren't currently looking to trade any of their bench players and are more focused on continuing to establish rhythm, Bargnani's elbow injury effectively hurts any if not all of his trade value right now, and that the current feeling around Brooklyn is that P.J. Carlesimo will get a chance to finish the season if none of the candidates they want are available.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune shared some of David Kahn's comments on Brandon Roy's decision to undergo non-invasive treatment, noting that it would not be the same Regenokine therapy that Roy underwent last spring and that the upcoming process could take three to four weeks (Twitter links).
Shams Charania of RealGM says that Ray Allen was not contacted by the Bucks during the free agency period this past summer and admitted that he probably would not have considered a return to Milwaukee regardless.
Nets guard MarShon Brooks is hoping to capitalize on what appears to be a fresh start with coach P.J. Carlesimo after not being able to mesh with Avery Johnson, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
Without much practice time, Carlesimo will have to rely on much of the same offensive schemes that the Nets players have been familiar with up to this point along with additional help from the assistant coaches as he continues to make a transition into his interim head coaching role (Roderick Boone of Newsday reports).
While the departure of Joe Johnson might have signaled a rebuilding year to some, the Hawks' climb to 3rd place in the East after 27 games has definitely contradicted that notion, writes Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.

Eastern Notes: Cousins, Nets, Hibbert

December 29th, 2012 at 5:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons reportedly have plenty of interest in DeMarcus Cousins, but Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News believes GM Joe Dumars has cooled on Cousins as Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond have developed (Twitter link). In another tweet, Goodwill asserts that Detroit won't be dealing any picks and thinks that the Celtics could offer Rajon Rondo in what would be the most attractive trade package for Sacramento. With that aside, here are a few more links we've gathered up out of the Eastern Conference tonight:

Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun believes the Raptors would have to bite if the Kings offered Cousins for Andrea Bargnani, but he's not optimistic Cousins can overcome his volatile personality (Twitter links).
Tim Bontemps of the New York Post dissects Mikhail Prokhorov's remarks to reporters on Friday, concluding that the Nets owner is sold on Phil Jackson and would entertain keeping P.J. Carlesimo for the rest of the season if he can't get the Zen Master of Jeff Van Gundy immediately.
Roy Hibbert got off to a disconcerting start this season after signing a four-year deal for the maximum in the offseason, but his play has picked up of late, as HoopsWorld's Joel Brigham chronicles.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel believes the Magic, at 12-16, have little chance of landing a high lottery pick, and writes that the team should set its sights on making the playoffs instead. Schmitz also speculates that Stan Van Gundy's next coaching job will be on the West Coast, and doesn't foresee Phil Jackson taking the Nets job.
In a Q&A with The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer, Cavaliers guard Shaun Livingston discusses the career-altering injury he suffered six years ago, being cut by the Rockets, and playing alongside Kyrie Irving.

Odds & Ends: Raptors, Jamison, Wolves, Bennett

December 29th, 2012 at 2:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

It's a busy 48 hours on the court, with a dozen games last night and another 11 games on tap this evening. There's plenty of news off the court as well, and we'll round it up here.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears that Andrea Bargnani is "a lock to be moved," and wonders whether the Raptors might try to package him with Kyle Lowry instead of Jose Calderon. The other Raptors appear to prefer playing alongside Calderon, Stein observes, and the team's defense has improved since Bargnani went down with torn ligaments in his right elbow.
Antawn Jamison expressed confusion about his diminished role with the Lakers 10 days ago, and now he doesn't appear pleased as he continues to stay chained to the bench, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. "It doesn't make sense at all," the power forward said. "They're pretty much telling me my services are no longer needed."
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN believes the Wolves may wait to sign a replacement for Josh Howard until January 5th, when teams can begin handing out 10-day contracts. He also thinks Minnesota is high on Mickael Gelabale, whose agent has reportedly been in touch with all 30 teams (Twitter link).
The Wolves made a half-hearted effort to sign O.J. Mayo over the offseason, making just one phone call, according to Wolfson (Twitter link).
UNLV power forward Anthony Bennett is gaining momentum with scouts as he contends for No. 1 overall spot in June's draft, tweets Aran Smith of NBADraft.net.

Odds & Ends: Varejao, Bargnani, Mayo

December 21st, 2012 at 11:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

A night after the first-place Thunder lost to tighten up the Western Conference race, the idle Heat slipped into the top spot in the East by percentage points on Friday when the Knicks fell at home to the Bulls. There's still plenty left to be resolved this season, and with the trade deadline now less than two months away, the level of intrigue is on the way up. Here's more from the Association.

In a HoopsWorld video, Alex Kennedy says consensus around the league is that the Cavs will trade Anderson Varejao this season, and with some executives still high on Andrea Bargnani, Kennedy wouldn't be surprised to see a team take a risk to bring him on board.
O.J. Mayo wasn't caught off guard when the Grizzlies let him walk in free agency, and the two sides didn't have talks about bringing him back this summer, notes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. "Once you see the writing on the wall, you can’t be dumb to the fact," Mayo said. “I didn’t even go to the exit meeting. I pretty much knew what it was.”
Lou Williams had hoped he wouldn't have to come back to Philadelphia with an opposing team, as he did tonight, and wanted to work out a return to the Sixers in free agency last summer, Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com has the details. "I think Philly did a good job of making my decision easy for me," the Hawks guard said. "They made it clear they were going in a different direction and at that time I had to find somewhere else to go, and luckily for me I landed on my feet in my hometown. Both sides moved on. It is what it is, and I am sure they are happy with what they got out of the deal and I am happy to be at home."
Andrei Kirilenko fit the profile of what the Wolves front office identified as the team's most pressing need this past offseason, but Minnesota still had questions about him, writes Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Kirilenko is answering those doubts, and coach Rick Adelman has been surprised at just how much the 31-year-old defensive ace has helped the team.
The Suns recalled Kendall Marshall from the D-League today, but the rookie doesn't appear to be any better from the experience, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.

Knicks Tried To Trade Amare Stoudemire

December 21st, 2012 at 9:58am CST by Zachary Links

Amare Stoudemire is set to return to action for the Knicks, but Howard Beck of the New York Times writes that the big man could have easily been shipped elsewhere prior to the start of this season. The player once viewed as one of the team’s cornerstones was offered up to nearly every team in the league and was “available for free”, according to one rival executive.

In February, the Knicks wanted to send Stoudemire to Toronto in a deal for Andrea Bargnani, according to a person briefed on the discussion. However, that proposal was vetoed by Garden chairman James Dolan before it ever reached the Raptors. Unsurprisingly, Toronto officials told Beck that the club wouldn’t have made that deal anyway. Before that, the Knicks tried to package Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler in a trade with the Magic for Dwight Howard.

The Knicks couldn’t find a taker for Stoudemire because of his diminished production, health concerns, and massive contract, which pays him $65MM through 2014/15. The deal is uninsured against a career-ending knee injury, despite the big man’s injury history.

Atlantic Notes: Amare, Raptors, Prigioni, Copeland

December 20th, 2012 at 9:00pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Marc Berman of the New York Post writes that Amare Stoudemire isn't quite ready to make his return for the Knicks just yet, citing that he is still "not 100 percent yet." Although he looked active during his scrimmage with the Erie Bayhawks today, Stoudemire feels that he still needs more practices and conditioning work before his return. You can find more of tonight's notable links from the Atlantic Division below:

Coach Mike Woodson says that although Iman Shumpert took part in conditioning workouts, the young guard is still "a little ways away" with regard to his rehab (Christian Red of the New York Daily News reports).
Considering the Raptors' recent four-game winning streak, Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun is wary of the possible challenges that Kyle Lowry and Andrea Bargnani will create for the team's current chemistry once they return from injury.
In a brief Q&A Twitter session with followers, renown NBA capologist Larry Coon acknowledged that Knicks rookies Pablo Prigioni and Chris Copeland will be restricted free agents this summer (Twitter link).
Stephen Brotherston of HoopsWorld notes that Raptors big man Ed Davis has made noticeable improvements and is beginning to progress into the talent that Toronto envisioned when they drafted him.
Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston talks about why Jason Terry belongs in the Celtics' starting lineup.

Amick On Clippers, Nuggets, Davis, Raptors

December 20th, 2012 at 2:37pm CST by Sean Highkin

Sam Amick of USA Today has posted a new notebook column covering a variety of topics of interest from around the NBA. Among the subjects touched on are the progress of several Western Conference teams and an update on the Rookie of the Year and MVP races.

Amick is buying the Clippers as a contender, and points out that head coach Vinny Del Negro is making a strong case for himself as deserving of a contract extension. Del Negro appears to have the support of Clippers owner Donald Sterling as the team's long-term head coach.
Following a slow start to the season, the Nuggets are starting to improve following high expectations in the preseason, Amick writes.
Amick catches up with top overall pick Anthony Davis, who says that he is 100 percent healthy following missing several weeks with an ankle injury.
Amick writes that the latest slate of injuries have been a mixed blessing for the Raptors as they attempt to move certain players. Andrea Bargnani has sunk his value on the market by being sidelined with a torn elbow ligament, while Jose Calderon has raised his by doing an excellent job filling in for the injured Kyle Lowry.
Michael Beasley has seen his role diminish with the struggling Suns since signing a three-year, $18MM contract this summer, Amick writes.

Aldridge On Raptors, Varejao, LeBron, Thunder

December 17th, 2012 at 12:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

TNT's David Aldridge checks in as usual on a Monday with his Morning Tip column at NBA.com, and this week's edition is full of trade rumors as talk heats up around the league. Here's a digest of Aldridge's latest scuttlebutt, with a heavy focus on the Raptors.

While Andrea Bargnani's elbow injury will keep him out for a month, delaying trade talk, one rival GM is convinced he'll eventually be leaving the Raptors, feeling as though there's no doubt GM Bryan Colangelo will trade him.
The Raptors are leery of adding another international player, according to Aldridge, which would make them reluctant to trade for Pau Gasol.
Aldridge speculates the Raptors won't deal Jose Calderon to the Lakers, and instead ship him somewhere for a draft pick to create a massive trade exception. Aldridge writes that such a trade exception would be $15.6MM, but I believe it would be closer to $10.6MM, reflecting Calderon's salary.
A league executive speculates that the Cavs will hold on to Varejao through the summer of 2014, when LeBron James can become a free agent, so they can make a pitch to their erstwhile superstar. In any case, the Cavs have set Varejao's asking price too high for other teams' tastes, as they often do with their many of their players, according to Aldridge.
Though the Thunder are reportedly content to stand pat for now, Aldridge believes they could try to move the Raptors pick they got from the Rockets in the James Harden trade, speculating that one of their targets could be Varejao.
Aldridge spoke with a GM who joins the seeming consensus that the Jazz are more likely to deal Paul Millsap than Al Jefferson. The GM believes Jefferson is a better fit with Derrick Favors.
The Bucks want an upgrade at small forward, and Aldridge thinks the team is more likely to move "one of its undersized four or oversized threes" than trade Brandon Jennings or Monta Ellis.
The Wizards are open to trading one of their big men for veteran help at the point, where they're woefully thin in John Wall's absence.
The Pacers are willing to tinker, but aren't putting Paul George or George Hill on the table.
No one aside from Jrue Holiday is off-limits as the Sixers seek a big man, though it would take a lot to pry Thaddeus Young or Evan Turner from their hands.

Bucher On Jennings, Evans, Varejao, Gasol

December 16th, 2012 at 8:35am CST by Chuck Myron

With a few exceptions, yesterday was the day free agents signed this offseason became eligible to be included in trades, so rumors will no doubt begin to intensify. Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game shares a few dispatches via Sulia, and we'll round them up here.

Of the two most prominent names headed for restricted free agency next summer, Brandon Jennings has a better chance of being traded this year than Tyreke Evans. The Bucks are cognizant that several teams are "quietly assessing" Jennings to gauge his worth, though Bucher has been given no indication the team is looking to trade him at the moment.
The Kings, who'll have the ability to match offers to Evans, are content to sit back and wait for another team to set his value on the market. Sacramento is reluctant to let go of Evans' talent even though it's still unclear what position he plays best.
Among prominent veteran trade candidates like Pau Gasol, Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon, Anderson Varejao is the only one with a significant chance of being dealt soon. Gasol isn't going anywhere right now because of the promise the Lakers made to Steve Nash that he and Gasol would get to play together.

Atlantic Rumors: Lin, Toney, Bargnani, Turner

December 15th, 2012 at 4:02pm CST by Chuck Myron

Linsanity will be back in New York this week, if only for a few hours on Monday when the Rockets pay their lone visit of the season to the Knicks. Jeremy Lin knows the game will be special, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes. "It will be wild," said Lin, whose Rockets also travel to Toronto for a matinee Sunday versus the Raptors, who have a large Asian fan base. "It will be fun. I don’t really know what will happen exactly. We’re going to go out there as a team. It’s not about me or any individual. I’m going to go out there and try to play as hard as I can, have some fun. Whatever the crowds are like, I’m sure there will be a lot of energy."

Here are a couple more blasts from the Knicks' past and other notes from around the Atlantic.

Lin isn't the only former Knicks point guard on the Rockets this year, and Toney Douglas, who came to Houston from New York as part of the Marcus Camby sign-and-trade this summer, will return to Madison Square Garden on a roll, Feigen notes.
Andrea Bargnani angrily denied the comments he was reported to have made to an Italian journalist, particulary his supposed assertion that the Raptors are the worst team in the league, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes (Sulia link). Bargnani told Raptors beat writers today that what he said in reference to the team's play was, "Nobody is satisfied. Not me, not DeMar, not coach, nobody."
The Italian reporter, Davide Chinellato of Gazzetta.it, is standing by his story, and says he has a recording of what Bargnani said (Twitter link; hat tip to Sportando's Emiliano Carchia).
Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com posits that Evan Turner has become the best player from the 2010 draft. While that's probably open to debate, Lynam points to Turner's three-point shooting, which has jumped from 22.4% last year to 47.5% this season, and his ability to step in at point guard, as he did last night for the injured Jrue Holiday.
In a Q&A with Joe Brescia of The New York Times, Patrick Ewing reiterated his desire to become an NBA head coach and said his son, Patrick Ewing Jr., has his eyes set on a return to the NBA as he plays in Germany for Telekom Baskets Bonn. The younger Ewing got a cup of coffee in the Association with the Hornets in 2010/11.