Andrea Bargnani Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Should The Raptors Trade Andrea Bargnani?

December 8th, 2012 at 6:15pm CST by Zachary Links

The early word on the 2013 NBA Draft is that it'll be rather thin at the top and likely one of the weakest classes in recent years. The last draft class to elicit such a tepid reaction was 2006, a year in which there was no real consensus number one pick. Many fans saw Texas forward LaMarcus Aldridge as the top choice, but Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo was smitten with Italy's Andrea Bargnani.

It's easy to see why Colangelo and other GMs had Bargnani pegged as the best talent in the draft – his combination of athleticism and outside shooting is wildly impressive for a 7-footer. In recent years, the Raptors have worked to build an offense and a roster around Bargnani and his unusual skill set. At this point, however, the plan isn't working as well as Colangelo would have hoped. Toronto hasn't seen the postseason since 2007/08 and they're not likely to return this year as they sit in the cellar of the Atlantic at 4-16.

Bargnani hasn't been playing up to his ability in the first 20 games of this campaign and his stat line shows it. The big man's numbers are down across the board as he is averaging 17.0 PPG and just 4.6 boards. Bargnani was never confused for Rick Mahorn on the court, but his rebounding ability appears to have regressed even further. His trade value obviously isn't what it once was, but it might be time for the Raptors to cut the cord and start fresh. At the very least, the Raptors know that there's still a fan of Bargnani's in Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni. Bargnani is the perfect forward for D'Antoni's trigger-happy offense and can help detract pressure away from center Dwight Howard. The Raptors might not be as excited about Pau Gasol given his current woes, but they could explore a three-way trade to get the right mix of NBA-ready talent in return.

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.

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.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Bargnani, Raps, Stoudemire

November 30th, 2012 at 3:37pm CST by Luke Adams

It's not often that all five teams from one division are favorites on a given night, but that's exactly the case for the Atlantic's clubs this evening. Even the 3-13 Raptors are slight favorites at home against a Suns team coming off a 40-point loss in Detroit. While we wait to see if the Atlantic squads can go five-for-five tonight, let's round up a few Friday afternoon items out of the division:

Danny Ainge believes the Celtics could use a big man more than a point guard, but says the team isn't pressed to fill its 15th roster spot, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (via Twitter).
For a Raptors team in need of a change, the "most potentially impactful way" to do so would be trading Andrea Bargnani, writes Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star. Raps president Bryan Colangelo didn't engage on the subject, telling Kelly, "We don’t discuss our intentions concerning player movement or acquisition."
Compared to a few other NBA lottery teams, the Raptors' future doesn't look so bad, opines Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Mid-December is no longer a realistic return date for Amare Stoudemire, who is now targeting Christmas instead, a source tells Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Atlantic Links: Bargnani, Calderon, Bynum, Knicks

November 20th, 2012 at 2:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Coming into the season, we expected the big summer moves made by Atlantic teams to make the division the toughest in the Eastern Conference. So far, that's certainly been the case. As a division, the Atlantic has a .596 winning percentage in the early going, dwarfing the marks put forth by the Southeast (.438) and the Central (.385). Four Atlantic teams will be in action tonight as the division looks to continue its winning ways. In the meantime, let's round up a few notes out of Toronto, Philadelphia, and New York….

The Raptors aren't looking into trading Andrea Bargnani, but if that stance changed, the team believes there'd be a market for him, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld wonders if Jose Calderon is too valuable to the Raptors for the team to trade him.
J.A. Adande and Israel Gutierrez of ESPN.com debate what Andrew Bynum's health setbacks mean for his future with the 76ers and his impending free agency.
Although Knicks head coach Mike Woodson didn't commit to plugging Amare Stoudemire right back into the club's starting lineup when he gets healthy, he did tell reporters, including Marc Berman of the New York Post, that he believes Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony can thrive on the court together.
In a piece for RealGM.com, Michael Scotto talks to Knicks rookie Chris Copeland about life as a 15th man in the NBA.
We also rounded up a few Celtics items earlier today.

Odds & Ends: Bucks, Revenues, Colangelo, Rose

November 13th, 2012 at 10:43pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Bucks sit atop the Central Division two weeks into the season, and with the Bulls missing Derrick Rose and the Pacers without Danny Granger, there's a chance they might stay in first place for a while. Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis can become free agents next summer, but they're off to a strong start in their first full season as teammates, observes Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Nonetheless, Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group predicts Ellis won't be with the Bucks next year (Twitter link). While we wait to see how Milwaukee's situation plays out, there's news on Rose and others on a six-game night in the Association.

Commissioner David Stern said the league is projecting it will rake in a record $5 billion of revenue this season, a 20% jump from 2010/11, the NBA's last full season, writes Ronald Blum of The Associated Press (via the Minneapolis Star Tribune).
Jerry Colangelo has been re-elected as chairman of USA Basketball's board of directors through 2016, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Chauncey Billups will also join the board as an athlete representative.
In the same piece, Zillgitt notes that Colangelo said there's no rush to name a coach to replace the outgoing Mike Krzyzewski.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau expects Rose to return at some point this season, writes Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com.
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reiterates a point he's made before, suggesting the Raptors ought to trade Andrea Bargnani to bolster a position of weakness.
Gino Pilato of Ridiculous Upside passes along details on this season's D-League showcase, which is set to take place in early January 2013.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kemba Walker are playing like legitimate building blocks for the 3-3 Bobcats, as Jim Cavan of The New York Times chronicles.

Odds & Ends: Roy, Pekovic, Hibbert, Bynum

October 5th, 2012 at 3:25pm CST by Michael Pina

Brandon Roy decided to sign with the Timberwolves because of former teammate Will Conroy, who has a relationship with Minnesota general manager David Kahn, writes the associated press.

Here's some more notes from around the league.

The Timberwolves are expecting more minutes from Nikola Pekovic this season, writes TwinCities.com's Ray Richardson.
Roy Hibbert is heading into this season with a new maximum contract, but he's convinced the large pay day isn't going to change him in any way, writes NBA.com's Mark Montieth.
Sixers head coach Doug Collins says even though Andrew Bynum will be sitting out the next three weeks resting his knees, the new franchise center is progressing nicely, writes PhillyBurbs.com's Tom Moore.
NBC ProBasketballTalk's Kurt Helin gives a season preview for the Bobcats.
CBSSports.com's Ken Berger wrote a column about Lamar Odom's return to Los Angeles with the Clippers, and why that should mean great things for the team.
TheStar.com's Doug Smith believes a healthy Andrea Bargnani should do great things for DeMar DeRozan's confidence.

Raptors Notes: Bayless, Bargnani, Davis

April 26th, 2012 at 9:49pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest on the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night:

Jerryd Bayless tells Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun that he wants to re-sign with the Raptors. The fourth-year guard will be a restricted free agent this summer.
Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun has a recap of Andrea Bargnani's season. Despite a disappointing, injury-plagued campaign, Simmons still feels the Italian forward can be a cornerstone for the Raptors going forward.
Wolstat also examines Ed Davis' development, calling the big man a "work in progress." Davis will become a restricted free agent after the 2013/14 season.

Atlantic Notes: Bargnani, Odom, Nets, Woodson

April 13th, 2012 at 4:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics look to move one step closer to clinching the Atlantic Division and first-round home-court advantage when they play the shorthanded Raptors in Toronto tonight. Here's the latest on Toronto and a few other Atlantic teams:

Andrea Bargnani will be shut down for the season with a left calf injury, the Raptors announced today in a team release. Considering where the team sits in the standings, the decision likely has as much to do with securing a good draft pick as it does with Bargnani's calf.
The Mavericks could potentially have avoided a good deal of drama if the Lakers' trade for Chris Paul had gone through in December. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Lamar Odom would have been sent to the Nets if that Paul deal had gone through. The Hornets, knowing Odom wouldn't be happy in New Orleans, had a deal in place to trade Odom for a future first-round pick, says Stein.
Nets coach Avery Johnson had a two-hour meeting with majority owner Mikhail Prokhorov this week about the future of the team, writes Fred Kerber of the New York Post.
Making Mike Woodson the full-time coach rather than bringing in a big-name candidate this summer would give the Knicks a chance for stability, says Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Injuries That Could Affect The Trade Deadline

March 5th, 2012 at 11:40am CST by Luke Adams

Deron Williams may have scored a franchise-record 57 points en route to a Sunday victory over the Bobcats, but the news out of Charlotte wasn't all good for the Nets. In just his fifth game back from a foot injury, Brook Lopez rolled his ankle badly and left the arena on crutches. There's still no official word from the team on the severity of the injury, but as Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes, it could deal a serious blow to the Nets' hopes of trading for Dwight Howard in the next ten days.

Lopez isn't the only trade candidate who could be on the shelf as the March 15th deadline approaches. Here are a few more players whose injury statuses may affect the deals their respective teams can make in the next week and a half:

Jermaine O'Neal: The Celtics would need to include salary to make any deal of substance, so O'Neal's $6.23MM expiring contract made him a prime candidate to be included in a trade to ensure salaries match. Unfortunately for Boston, O'Neal recently suffered a wrist injury and may undergo season-ending surgery. If he elects for the surgery, there's a chance O'Neal could be waived by the Celtics.
Al Horford: Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reported last week that the Hawks were still interested in Dwight Howard, perhaps in a deal involving Horford. While such a trade would be a long shot to begin with, Horford's torn pectoral makes it even trickier. Already reluctant to deal Howard, the Magic would probably be even more wary about doing so for a player who is just recently out of a sling.
Anderson Varejao: Varejao will be re-evaluated this week, but it looks like he won't return to the Cavs' lineup until after March 15th. Before the injury, the Cavs said they didn't intend to trade Varejao, though there was some speculation that stance could change by the deadline. With Varejao still out, he'll definitely be remaining in Cleveland.
Jordan Hill: Among the Rockets' numerous former lottery picks on expiring contracts, Hill is the most attractive asset. While that may be faint praise, Hill has been the most productive of the group of four 2009 draftees that also includes Hasheem Thabeet, Jonny Flynn, and Terrence Williams, and his salary ($2.86MM) is very reasonable. However, a sprained MCL has kept Hill out of action for the last couple weeks, and even though he expects to return within the next week, he won't have much time to showcase his health before the deadline.
J.J. Hickson: The Kings are reportedly quite interested in moving Hickson, but they've stumbled upon a roadblock besides his disappointing production this season — he'll miss his third straight game tonight with a hip pointer.
Thabo Sefolosha: Having missed 18 games with a foot injury, Sefolosha is shooting jump shots again, but it doesn't appear he's ready for game action yet. Steve Kyler wrote this morning that the Thunder could try to acquire a replacement if the team feels Sefolosha will miss much more time. The 6'7" wing also represented a potential trade asset for the Thunder, but questions about his health will hurt his value.
Andrea Bargnani: Bargnani seems to be getting closer to returning from a calf injury, and could be back in plenty of time for the trade deadline, but it may not matter either way. As Kyler reported today, the Raptors are getting inquiries on Bargnani, but don't seem interested in dealing him.