Andrea Bargnani Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Spears On Trade Candidates

December 14th, 2012 at 7:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

In addition to the well-documented cases of Pau Gasol, Jose Calderon and Anderson Varejao, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports shares a litany of tidbits from high-ranking executives on trade candidates from around the league. Here's the chatter going on about each player:

Andrea Bargnani, Raptors — "Toronto definitely wants to move Bargnani," a GM told Spears.
MarShon Brooks, Nets — The Nets put him on the trading block over the summer, but his rookie-scale contract is making it hard for the team to part with him, since there are few more valuable players on the market with a matching salary.
Andrew Bynum, Sixers — The Sixers are trying to find another starting center, according to Spears, who hears from a GM who figures the team is starting to get panicked about Bynum health. "They could get a really interesting deal for (Bynum)," the GM said. "I could see them doing that."
Tyreke Evans, Kings — Despite a meeting with GM Geoff Petrie that went well, according to a source close to Evans, the Kings will trade him if they don't think they can afford to re-sign him as a restricted free agent this summer.
Tyler Hansbrough, Pacers — Spears speculates that the team could trade him for help at the wing.
Gerald Henderson, Bobcats — Like Evans, Henderson will likely be dealt if the team decides against re-signing the restricted free agent over the summer.
Kevin Love, Timberwolves — "I don't think that's a match that is permanent in Minnesota," an assistant GM tells Spears. "I'm not saying they're shopping, but if they can get the right deal they would look at it. And I don't think he wants to be there."
Paul Millsap, Jazz — The Jazz are more likely to trade Millsap than Al Jefferson because Millsap, who makes almost half as much money, will "go to the highest bidder" in free agency next summer, according to a GM.
Timofey Mozgov, Nuggets — With Mozgov a restricted free agent next summer, the Nuggets are likely to go with Kosta Koufos and JaVale McGee in the middle instead, and with other Nuggets set to hit the market, a rival GM tells Spears that Denver won't pay the luxury tax.
Derrick Williams, Timberwolves — Both player and team would be pleased with a trade, and an executive for another team warns that Williams' value is shrinking as he continues to sit on Minnesota's bench.

Stein On Pau, Raptors, Varejao, Jazz, Gentry

December 14th, 2012 at 3:49pm CST by Luke Adams

ESPN.com's Marc Stein has published his Weekend Dime, and leads off the jam-packed column with a look at a handful of players that are candidates to be dealt before February 21st's trade deadline. Here are the highlights on those guys, and from the rest of Stein's piece:

The Lakers continue to recognize that they're unlikely to get fair value for Pau Gasol, given his health, salary, and performance, and would prefer to avoid another major shakeup anyway. So for now, they're still not seriously considering a Pau trade.
Multiple front-office sources view the Raptors as the team most motivated to make a move. The team would like to make Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon in tandem, but Bargnani's elbow injury may force Toronto to deal Calderon on his own. The Lakers and Mavericks have interest, though neither team is an obvious match for Calderon's $10.5MM+ salary.
NBA teams believe Anderson Varejao is "highly available," but are skeptical he'll be dealt, since the Cavaliers' high asking price is only increasing. Cleveland is seeking multiple young assets for Varejao, according to Stern, who says the Thunder, a potential match, have exhibited little interest.
Teams around the league aren't sure whether the Jazz would be more inclined to trade Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson, but the general consensus suggests one of the two will be dealt by the deadline for a front-line point guard.
Stein lists a few other names that come up repeatedly in talks with sources as trade candidates: Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings, Derrick Williams, Luke Ridnour, J.J. Barea, Michael Beasley, Courtney Lee, and D.J. Augustin.
Former Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley may already be interested in buying another team, with the Bucks as a potential target, according to Stein.
Robert Sarver's assurances that Alvin Gentry will keep his job as Suns head coach shouldn't be viewed as a "dreaded" vote of confidence. Sources tell Stein that Sarver likes Gentry "too much personally to make an in-season change."

Raptors Notes: Bargnani, Calderon, Colangelo

December 14th, 2012 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

As our tentative 2013 draft order shows, if the season ended today, the Raptors would have the league's second-worst winning percentage. If the standings and draft lottery were to form, that would be a silver lining in a disastrous year for the Raps — their first-round pick in 2013 is top-three protected, so the team wouldn't have to give it up if it lands at No. 2. Still, there aren't many other silver linings in Toronto these days, a subject Andrea Bargnani addressed in a conversation with Gazzetta.it. Here are the details on that interview and a few other Raptors links:

Any trade scenarios involving Bargnani or Jose Calderon are on hold with Bargnani and Kyle Lowry injured, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).
Colangelo, his senior advisor Wayne Embry, and team ownership met in Toronto this week and are evaluating the club's options, according to Berger (Twitter links).

Earlier updates:

Emiliano Carchia of Sportando translates and passes along a few of Bargnani's quotes from his interview with Gazzetta.it's Davide Chinellato. According to Carchia, Bargnani said he'd miss at least three weeks with his elbow injury, acknowledged that the Raptors were playing way below expectations and were currently one of the worst teams in the league, and admitted he'd heard trade rumors and would be ready if he were to be moved.
Although there has been speculation about Dwane Casey's job security, DeMar DeRozan still has faith in the head coach, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
There's no real point in firing Raptors president Bryan Colangelo right now, according to Damien Cox of the Toronto Star.
The Toronto Star staff grades Colangelo's major moves since he was hired in 2006.

Wolves Rumors: Rubio, Varejao, Love, Roy

December 14th, 2012 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

It's Friday, which means Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities has checked in with his weekly edition of Scoops. Here are Wolfson's Timberwolves updates from his latest piece:

The Timberwolves are likely to make a deal before the February trade deadline, but aren't making any calls yet while they wait to see how the lineup looks when Ricky Rubio returns.
David Kahn has been answering incoming calls, however. Wolfson reports that the Raptors and Cavaliers have both been in touch with the Wolves, to gauge interest in Andrea Bargnani and Anderson Varejao, respectively. Minnesota likes Varejao a lot, according to Wolfson, though in my opinion it would take a massive package for the Cavs to move him this season.
One league source doesn't believe money is a source of frustration for Kevin Love, since the All-Star forward is still in position to earn as much or more over the long-term as he would have if he'd received a five-year extension. The source points to a Kahn quote from 2009 ("On a championship-contending team… Kevin might be the fourth-best player") as something that still irks Love.
Obrad Fimic, the agent for Alexey Shved, on the Timberwolves recruitment of his client: "Honestly, the whole deal was done thanks to David, who convinced us that Shved is a perfect fit for coach Rick Adelman's system. Alexey and I liked what we heard and here we are."
Although Brandon Roy denied that retirement wasn't something he thought about following his latest knee procedure, a league source insists to Wolfson that Roy at least considered it.
There should be closure on the Martell Webster compensation case soon, with the Wolves expecting to receive cash and/or a second-round pick from the Trail Blazers.

Injury Roundup: Rubio, Bargnani, Lowry

December 12th, 2012 at 8:18pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest updates on the statuses of several high-profiled injured players from around the NBA:

Darren Wolfson of 1500ESPN.com reports that Ricky Rubio will play for the Timberwolves on Saturday for the first time this season.
The Raptors announced that forward Andrea Bargnani, recently the subject of widespread trade speculation, has a ligament tear in his right elbow and a strained wrist and is out indefinitely.
Raptors guard Kyle Lowry is also expected out 10 days with a partial tear in his right triceps.

Atlantic Notes: Kidd, Amare, Bargnani, Raptors

December 12th, 2012 at 6:18pm CST by Luke Adams

After a tight intra-division game in Brooklyn last night between the Nets and Knicks, the Nets head to Toronto for a matchup with the Raptors tonight. The Air Canada Centre won't have the same energy the Barclays Center did, but at least one team will snap a long losing streak tonight — both Brooklyn and Toronto have dropped five straight games. Here are a few afternoon notes out of the Atlantic:

Tyson Chandler tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com that he called former Mavericks teammate Jason Kidd a few times over the summer in an attempt to recruit him to the Knicks. "I told him, 'We have some other guys that we may get in free agency, so this could be a really deep roster and we need a guy like you.'" Chandler said. "I felt like he could be the key to put us over the hump."
Kidd also said on the radio that Amare Stoudemire could be back by the end of the month, according to ESPNNewYork.com's Ian Begley (via Twitter).
Andrea Bargnani has been ruled out indefinitely with an elbow injury, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. The injury will likely curb the Bargnani trade rumors and speculation at least temporarily.
There are some within the Raptors organization who say that Dwane Casey's job status has been discussed, but president Bryan Colangelo flatly denies it, says Bruce Arthur of the National Post.
Colangelo's tenures with the Suns and Raptors have been polar opposites, writes Eric Koreen of the National Post.
Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com points out that even without Andrew Bynum, the Sixers have the most wins of the four teams involved in the Dwight Howard trade this summer, a point of pride for coach Doug Collins.
Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com tweets that Collins is no longer planning to send rookie Arnett Moultrie to the D-League.

Raptors Rumors: Bargnani, Calderon, Casey

December 11th, 2012 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

The Raptors fell to 4-18 on the season last night, losing by 18 points to the sub-.500 Trail Blazers. With multiple Raps leaving the game due to injury or ejection, the team mustered just 74 points, matching a season-low. Things are looking bleak in Toronto, and it's possible that changes are on the horizon. Here are a few of the latest rumblings:

The Raptors are "dangling" Andrea Bargnani as trade bait, but haven't attracted any takers so far, according to Sam Amick and Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link) hears that Bargnani isn't on the trade block, but that the Raptors would listen to offers for the former No. 1 pick.
Jose Calderon has "made it clear" he wouldn't mind a trade, and team president Bryan Colangelo continues to explore possibilities on that front, says Amick.
Multiple sources tell Amick that coach Dwane Casey's job isn't in jeopardy, and that a roster move is much more likely than a coaching change. According to Amick, a trade "of some significance" may be on the horizon for the club.

Odds & Ends: Ahearn, Wizards, Draft, Bargnani

December 10th, 2012 at 3:35pm CST by Luke Adams

A year ago today, the NBA lockout had just officially ended and we were immersed in a compressed and frantic period of free agency. As fun a week as that was, I'll take this year's December 10th, which features an evening slate of six NBA contests, including a Southeast battle between the Hawks and Heat. As we await tonight's games, let's round up a few afternoon odds and ends:

In addition to working out Ben Uzoh on Sunday, the Wizards also took a look at Blake Ahearn, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. However, Washington doesn't plan to sign either player to replace the injured A.J. Price.
In the latest draft blog at ESPN.com (Insider link), Jay Bilas and Chad Ford discuss which college point guard is the top prospect at the position.
John Hollinger also has an Insider-only piece up at ESPN.com, in which he examines Andrea Bargnani's disappointing performance so far this season for the Raptors. If Bargnani plays like this all season, the amnesty clause could be a real possibility next summer, says Hollinger. I still think the former first overall pick has some trade value, but that value is certainly not where it was even a few weeks ago.
The Hawks are still figuring out when to bring back Mike Scott from the D-League, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Tony Parker sees a little of himself in Jeremy Lin, as he tells Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

Colangelo On Rumors, Young Players, Struggles

December 9th, 2012 at 7:10pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Raptors have completed just over a quarter of their season schedule, finding themselves tied with the Cavaliers for the second worst record in the Eastern Conference. Yesterday, we noted that GM Bryan Colangelo used the words "unacceptable" and "embarrassing" to describe his current thoughts on the team. During the first quarter of their game against the Clippers today, Colangelo followed up on those comments and touched upon other Raptors-related topics (Holly Mackenzie of Sportsnet.ca has the transcript). Here are some of the highlights:

On trade speculation:

"We were talking to a lot of teams, what we always do, and it's a means of pursing avenues to improve your basketball team so if a deal comes along that makes sense, that is right and fits within the plan of this building process that we've been going through, we'll certainly take a look at it. If it can accelerate that process and if it fits then we'll look to address something. But nothing specific about any player right now. There's been a lot of speculation, a lot of rumors. Again, we're continuing to look at opportunities."

On Andrea Bargnani's consistency issues:

"(Last year) it looked like he was putting up all-star numbers obviously for the first 15-18 games. He has not gotten back to that level. It looked that way early in preseason that he was coming back ready to become and perform at that level. But unfortunately we have not seen that consistency."

On rookies Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas:

"(Ross is) a great talent and a number of the people I've talked to around the league think he's a great talent to have…he's been the recipient of some extra minutes because of some injuries. That's a good thing that will help us in the long run."

"(Valanciunas is) learning the nuances of what we're doing from a system standpoint, but also learning the game at the same time…Jonas is only 20 years old and really represents the future of this basketball team."

On second year big man Ed Davis:

"We talked a lot about him getting off to a slow start because he didn't have the kind of development early that he needed early due to an injury and then also due to the lockout, but he had a great summer…But it really with him comes down to a focus on his effort level night in and night out."

On the team's struggles:

" I do not believe that it's a talent issue right now; I do believe that it's about a team coming together. We're very young, we've had some injury issues, we've got the schedule, but we're not making excuses, we know there are some things that are broken and need to be fixed right now, but again, it's a lack of focus and a lack of attention to detail, I think more than anything right now."

Raptors Notes: Bargnani, Colangelo, Gasol

December 8th, 2012 at 10:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier tonight, I asked Hoops Rumors readers if the Raptors should end the Andrea Bargnani era in Toronto and nearly 85% of you said that he should be traded south of the border. Here’s more on the former No. 1 overall pick and the Raptors..

General Manager Bryan Colangelo says that he’s as disappointed in the club’s 4-16 start as anyone, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. “This situation is, from all standards, unacceptable,” Colangelo said. “It’s disappointing, it’s embarrassing but this is where we find ourselves.” Colangelo is meeting with members of the team and coaching staff tonight off of the heels of their 131-99 loss to the Jazz.
Bargnani says that the constant trade talk is having zero effect on him and his mental state, writes Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. The big man says that he made peace with the reality that he can always be traded from his first day in the league.
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun wonders if Colangelo is motivated to make moves to prioritize the short-term over the long-term, like acquiring Pau Gasol, because of his own contract situation. Colangelo’s contract is not guaranteed beyond this year.