Andrei Kirilenko Rumors

Andrei Kirilenko Retires

June 23rd, 2015 at 9:06am CST by Dana Gauruder

JUNE 23RD, 9:06am: Kirilenko has made a final decision to retire, as he told Russia’s Sportexpress (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).

JUNE 10TH, 8:16am: Retirement is the most likely outcome, Kirilenko admitted to the Russian media outlet Championat, offering only a 20% chance that he’ll play again as he cited the feeling that his body is not up for another full season (translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).

JUNE 2ND, 8:38am: Kirilenko put the brakes on retirement talk, telling Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com via email that calling it quits is indeed a possibility for him but that it’s not yet a certainty, and that he’ll ponder the idea further over the summer (Twitter link).

JUNE 1ST, 6:34pm: Andrei Kirilenko has decided to retire after failing to receive an invitation from the Russian National Team to play in Eurobasket this summer, David Pick of Eurobasket.com tweets. That does not come as a surprise, since Kirilenko planned to make last season his final one in professional basketball. The 34-year-old most recently played with CSKA Moscow in his native Russia, appearing in 11 games and averaging 8.5 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Kirilenko made his last NBA appearance with the Nets early last season. He appeared in seven games for a total of 36 minutes before taking a leave of absence in November to tend to his wife, who reportedly endured a complicated pregnancy before giving birth to a healthy baby boy in February.

Brooklyn traded him to the Sixers in December but Kirilenko refused to report to Philadelphia. The Sixers placed him on unpaid suspension before releasing him in an apparent buyout deal shortly after the trade deadline passed. He signed with CSKA Moscow in late February.

He spent parts of 13 seasons in the NBA, mostly with the Jazz. He joined Utah in 2001, two years after he was drafted 24th overall. Noted for his defensive prowess and versatility, Kirilenko spent 10 seasons in Utah, making an All-Star appearance in 2004.

He returned to Europe to play for CSKA Moscow during the 2011 lockout and stayed with the team for the balance of the 2011/12 season. He returned to the NBA the next year with the Timberwolves, but he surprisingly turned down a $10.219MM player option for 2012/13. Instead, he inked a two-year deal for about $6.509MM with the Nets that sparked controversy given the steep discount and the presence of fellow Russian Mikhail Prokhorov as Brooklyn’s owner. The NBA investigated the deal after complaints from at least one other team, but the league found no wrongdoing.

However, Kirilenko failed to make a major impact for Prokhorov’s Nets. For his NBA career, he averaged 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game with an 18.7 PER and 47.4% shooting. Kirilenko made more than $106.738MM during his NBA career, according to data from Basketball Reference and Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, though that doesn’t account for any money he lost during his Sixers suspension this year.

Andrei Kirilenko Likely To Retire After Season

March 23rd, 2015 at 8:12am CST by Chuck Myron

Andrei Kirilenko, who recently signed to play with CSKA Moscow in his native Russia, is planning to make this season his last in professional basketball, as he said to Canal Plus, a French television outlet, and as Eurohoops.net shares online (YouTube link; hat tip to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia).

“It’s probably my last season,” Kirilenko said. “I’m still thinking about next year, but for this moment, I feel like this is the last season. I don’t know yet. There’s a lot of years in front of me. Change my occupation. I’m not going to be a player anymore. I still think I’m going to be connected to the basketball, somehow.”

The 34-year-old forward has appeared in just two games since inking his deal with CSKA Moscow last month, scoring a total of 15 points in a combined 21 minutes of action. He made it into just seven games for a total of 36 minutes with the Nets this season before taking a leave of absence in November to tend to his wife, who reportedly endured a complicated pregnancy before giving birth to a healthy baby boy in February.

Brooklyn traded him to the Sixers in December, and while the Sixers wanted him to report and gave thought to flipping him at the trade deadline, Kirilenko never suited up for Philadelphia. The team placed him on unpaid suspension before releasing him in an apparent buyout deal shortly after the trade deadline passed.

Kirilenko signed with CSKA Moscow shortly thereafter and suggested that it would be the final stop in his career. He spent parts of 13 seasons in the NBA, joining the Jazz in 2001, two years after they drafted him 24th overall in 1999. He spent 10 seasons in Utah, making an All-Star appearance in 2004 and earning a reputation for his versatility and defense. Kirilenko was twice an All-Defensive Second Team selection and a First Team pick in 2005/06. The year before, he led the league in blocks at 3.3 per game, despite standing only 6’9″.

He returned to Europe to play for CSKA Moscow during the 2011 lockout and stayed with the team for the balance of the 2011/12 season. He re-emerged in the NBA the next year with the Timberwolves, but he surprisingly turned down a $10.219MM player option for 2012/13. Instead, he inked a two-year deal for about $6.509MM with the Nets that sparked controversy given the steep discount and the presence of fellow Russian Mikhail Prokhorov as Brooklyn’s owner. The NBA investigated the deal after complaints from at least one other team, but the league found no wrongdoing.

In an unexpected twist, Kirilenko made the contract look burdensome to the Nets as he failed to make the impact in Brooklyn that he regularly made throughout his career. For his career, he averaged 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 30.0 minutes per game with an 18.7 PER and 47.4% shooting. His career NBA earnings came to more than $104MM, according to Basketball-Reference, not including his salary from this season. His buyout brought this year’s cap hit for Philadelphia down to about $2.328MM, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reported, but he presumably lost some of that amount because of his unpaid suspension.

Eastern Notes: Ferry, Brand, Kirilenko, Heat, C’s

March 13th, 2015 at 1:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

Hawks executive and prospective owner Dominique Wilkins hasn’t exactly been enamored with Danny Ferry after he tried to block the building of a statue in honor of the Hawks legend, as Jeff Schultz of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes in a subscription-only piece. Schultz examines the uncertain future of the GM who’s been on indefinite leave of absence since September and the opposition he faces from Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr., who reportedly sought Ferry’s ouster and, according to Schultz, fears the GM’s return. There’s more on the Hawks amid the latest from the Eastern Conference:

Elton Brand says he’ll wait until season’s end to decide whether he’ll retire, tweets Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Brand also considered retirement after last season before he re-signed with the Hawks on a one-year, $2MM deal.
It appears that Andrei Kirilenko‘s departure from the Sixers constituted a buyout deal, as his salary was reduced from $3,326,235 to $2,328,365, according to Eric Pincus, who reports via Twitter and shows more detail on his Sixers salary page at Basketball Insiders. Presumably, that $997,870 difference is on top of the money Kirilenko lost during his unpaid suspension.
Having Hassan Whiteside blossom as he has is “almost like getting a lottery pick” to make up for the first-rounders the team dealt away when it signed-and-traded for LeBron James and Chris Bosh in 2010, Heat president Pat Riley tells Bleacher Report’s Ethan Skolnick (Twitter link). Riley added that he feels as though Michael Beasley and perhaps Tyler Johnson also have the ability to offset the loss of those picks.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is much more pleased with his club now than he was two months ago, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com observes.

Eastern Notes: Kirilenko, Perkins, Young

February 24th, 2015 at 2:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Recently released Sixers forward Andrei Kirilenko hinted that his NBA career is over in comments he made after joining CSKA Moscow, as Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net relays.

“I am glad to be back to my favorite team, where I played in the beginning of my career, then in the middle of it,” Kirilenko said. “It’s great that I got this chance and I was happy to use it. I understand that the time has come to think about quitting as a pro player and in my opinion it is better to do it in my dear club’s uniform.”

It would have been hard to imagine such an abrupt ending for the 34-year-old in 2013, when he turned down a player option worth $10.219MM from the Timberwolves, but it’s been largely downhill for him since he signed a discount deal with the Nets that summer. Here’s more news related to Eastern Conference teams:

The Cavs aren’t signing Kendrick Perkins with the thought that he’ll have the same sort of role he played this season for the Thunder, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. Instead, he’ll simply be an “insurance policy” in case another big man is unable to play, Lloyd writes. Cleveland is set to ink Perkins today once he clears waivers.
A desire for more athleticism helped prompt the Nets to swap Kevin Garnett for Thaddeus Young, who’s ecstatic about having been sent to Brooklyn, as Newsday’s Roderick Boone details. Young has an early termination option worth as much as nearly $10.222MM for next season.
The deadline trade that sent Isaiah Canaan to Philadelphia thrust him into a chance at significant playing time for the first time in his career, and coach Brett Brown is impressed so far, as Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders examines. Canaan, like many on the Sixers roster, nonetheless has little job security, since less than $758K of his minimum salary is guaranteed for next season.

Andrei Kirilenko Signs With CSKA Moscow

February 24th, 2015 at 7:37am CST by ChrisCrouse

TUESDAY, 7:37am: The deal is official, the team announced. It runs until the end of the season.

MONDAY, 4:55pm: Kirilenko has cleared waivers, as Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today hears (Twitter link). That removes the hurdle for him to sign with the Russian team.

SUNDAY, 11:24am: Andrei Kirilenko will sign with CSKA Moscow once he clears waivers, a team official from CSKA Moscow tells David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twiiter link). Kirilenko is expected to sign a contract that runs through the summer of 2015, according to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net.

Kirilenko hasn’t played an NBA game since November 13th and had been suspended by Philadelphia after he failed to report to the team when it acquired him in a trade from the Nets on December 11th. The 34-year-old had been away from the team tending to a medical issue involving his wife’s pregnancy, which was resolved last week when she gave birth to her son.

As soon as the Sixers acquired the forward, there were rumors of him being released but GM Sam Hinkie informed him that the team did not intend to make such a move. Philadelphia held onto Kirilenko, hoping that he could be used as a trade chip but no deal materialized. The Sixers waived the Russian forward on Saturday and it is unlikely any team claims him.

Atlantic Notes: AK47, Prince, Blatche, Bass

February 23rd, 2015 at 6:14pm CST by Zachary Links

Andrei Kirilenko said he doesn’t understand why the Sixers kept him for more than two months, waiving him only this weekend instead of cutting him soon after they traded for him in December, as he told Pavel Osipov of Sport-Express (translation via Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net). He said he didn’t hear anything from Sixers brass for two weeks following the trade, and the forward confirmed that he went on unpaid suspension when he refused to report. Here’s more from the Atlantic..

The Celtics promised Tayshaun Prince that they would buy him out but reneged when they traded him to the Pistons, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. The Clippers, he adds, were likely disappointed when Prince was shipped to Detroit.
The Nets don’t have any other moves planned at this time and they’re not willing to eat any of their current contracts to make space for Andray Blatche, according to Robert Windrem of NetsDaily (on Twitter).
While his role in Boston has fluctuated, Brandon Bass told A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that he would “definitely” be open to signing a new deal to stay with the Celtics. “If I’m wanted back then yeah, I would want to be back for sure,” said Bass. “It’s been a blessing for me to be here four years, to finish out my contract here. I’m excited about that. Hopefully everything will continue to go in a positive direction.” Bass is earning $6.9MM in his walk year.
A chance to get on the floor was among the many reasons Gigi Datome was excited when he learned that he had been traded to the Celtics, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com writes.
76ers GM Sam Hinkie is stockpiling second-round picks because, out of a handful, he figures to hit on at least one, as Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “We will not bat 1.000 on every single draft pick,” Hinkie said. “We have them by the bushelful in part because of that, because we don’t have any hubris that we will get them all right. We’re not certain we have an edge over anyone else. We’re not certain we have an edge at all. That’s OK. It’s a hard league, with 30 teams trying to clamor to the top of the same mountain.” The GM continued his polarizing rebuild plan at this year’s trade deadline when he moved Michael Carter-Williams for draft considerations.
New Nets acquisition Thaddeus Young is motivated by the death of his mother and the promise of making a playoff push, Lenn Robbins of BrooklynNets.com writes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Sixers Waive Andrei Kirilenko

February 21st, 2015 at 10:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

10:30pm: Kirilenko may play in Europe if he clears waivers, which is expected, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.

4:16pm:The Sixers have waived forward Andrei Kirilenko, the team has announced (Twitter link). It’s unclear if a buyout arrangement was reached or if the team simply waived the Russian outright. The veteran hasn’t played since November 13th and had been suspended by Philadelphia after he failed to report to the team after it had acquired him in a trade with the Nets on December 11th. Kirilenko had been away from the team tending to a medical issue involving his wife’s pregnancy, which was resolved last week when she gave birth to a baby boy.

Philadelphia’s GM Sam Hinkie had informed Kirilenko at the time of the trade that the team didn’t intend to waive him. Rumors before the trade had indicated that the Sixers were poised to release Kirilenko shortly after they obtained him, but instead Philadelphia held onto Kirilenko with the hope that he could be used as a trade chip, though no deal ever materialized. Releasing Kirilenko frees up a roster spot for the Sixers, who are now carrying 14 players.

In 12 NBA seasons, Kirilenko has averaged 11.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. His career slash line is .474/.310/.754. He appeared in just seven games for Brooklyn this season, logging just 0.4 points in 5.1 minutes per contest.

Eastern Notes: Ross, Blatt, Pistons

February 18th, 2015 at 10:21pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Terrence Ross is unlikely to be dealt by the Raptors before Thursday’s trade deadline, Michael Grange of SportsNet reports. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri tells Grange that it’s too early to give up on Ross, even though Ross’ playing time has dropped from 31.1 minutes in December to 20.9 in January and 22.0 for February. “I would be shocked if we did something with Terrence,” Ujiri said to Grange. “Trust me. I can’t tell you more how I totally don’t think that would happen before Thursday.” Ross has been rumored to be part of a package that could deliver a quality big man such as the Pacers‘ David West.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

David Blatt’s job security is on firmer ground because LeBron James has gained respect for him, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports. James, who did not give Blatt ringing endorsements earlier in the season, called him “great” and added that Blatt has handled his first season as the Cavs coach “extremely well so far, and I’m happy to be playing for him.“
The Cavs have recalled Joe Harris from the Canton Charge, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. Harris has played in seven games for Canton this season, averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 32.3 minutes per contest.
Pistons president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy says that things are quiet on the trade front for Detroit, and that it was doubtful the team would make a move prior to the trade deadline, Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press tweets.
Free agent Jamaal Tinsley has turned down 10-day contract offers from the Pistons, Hornets, and Wolves, David Pick of Eurobasket.com reports (Twitter link). Tinsley appeared in eight games for the Jazz last season.
Sixers coach Brett Brown said the team will get another point guard in time for its next game, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Pompey did not elaborate on whether that would occur by trade or free agent signing.
Suspended Sixers forward Andrei Kirilenko is a likely buyout candidate, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com tweets. Philadelphia would prefer to trade him for assets but it’s expected that won’t happen and the team will wind up buying Kirilenko out, Mazzeo adds.
Brandon Bass made it clear that he has no interest in a buyout, as Jay King of MassLive relays (Twitter link). Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck identified him as a likely buyout candidate last week.

Eddie Scarito and Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Buyouts, Dragic, Stauskas, Magic

February 12th, 2015 at 10:53am CST by Chuck Myron

Andrea Bargnani, Brandon Bass, Marcus Thornton, Andrei Kirilenko, Willie Green, Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur are all likely buyout candidates if they’re not traded before the deadline, league sources tell Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. Beck also mentions Tayshaun Prince, who’ll probably strike a buyout deal with the Celtics if he’s not traded, as Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported last month. The Bleacher Report scribe also reiterates that Kevin Garnett isn’t seeking a buyout, seconding an earlier report from Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. Here’s more from around the NBA:

The Suns want a first-round pick if they’re to give up Goran Dragic in a trade, as Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times hears (Twitter link). Woelfel suggests that opposing teams will be willing to pay that price and believes the Rockets, who’ve reportedly tried to trade for Dragic this season, will consider going after him again.
There are rumors connecting the Bucks to Kings rookie Nik Stauskas, according to Woelfel (Twitter link). Still, it’s unclear if there’s truly interest from Milwaukee’s end.
James Borrego says the Magic haven’t told him whether or not he’ll be the head coach for the rest of the season, and he takes it as a signal that he’ll remain in place, according to Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. The timing of the situation and the Magic’s track record don’t suggest they’ll make a move before season’s end, though “it’s widely believed” the team will eventually replace Borrego with a proven coaching veteran, Schmitz writes. Rumored coaching candidate Scott Skiles indeed has interest in the job, but the Magic’s players seem to be supporting Borrego, Schmitz adds.
Blazers GM Neil Olshey is exploring possible trades to help shore up the team’s depth, The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman writes, noting that Thomas Robinson and Will Barton seem unsure if they’ll remain on the team past the deadline. Olshey declared earlier this week that he wouldn’t trade any of the team’s starters and also talked up the value of his bench players in an interview during a game broadcast, as Mike Richman of The Oregonian transcribes.
Former Mavs guard Dominique Jones is drawing renewed NBA interest following an impressive showing in China, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Jones, who last played in the league in 2012/13, averaged an eye-popping 36.8 points per game over 41 appearances in China this season.

Atlantic Notes: Nets, ‘Melo, Kirilenko

February 11th, 2015 at 12:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Raptors appear to be in buying mode if they’re to make a deadline move, while the Sixers and Knicks are probably sellers, and the Celtics have already demonstrated their willingness to part with immediate assets with their flurry of trades so far this season. That leaves the Nets, amid persistent rumors surrounding Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson for the past two months. Still, coach Lionel Hollins doesn’t expect that the Nets will make any deadline moves, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post observes. Here’s more from around the Atlantic while we wait to see if Hollins is correct about what GM Billy King and company do:

Heat team president Pat Riley said he called agent Leon Rose about Carmelo Anthony this past summer when Anthony was already deep into his free agent decision-making, but the Knicks star insists he never personally heard from the Heat, notes Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Andrei Kirilenko‘s wife gave birth to a healthy baby son this week, according to Robert Windrem of NetsDaily (Twitter link), and that’s a signal that movement might be afoot for Kirilenko’s NBA career. Kirilenko, without specifying the issue that’s kept him from playing since November 13th, told reporters in December that it would be resolved by February. The veteran forward has been on suspension while taking leave to tend to his wife for the past few months, and the Sixers have reportedly viewed him as a trade chip.
Xavier Thames, the No. 59 pick in the 2014 draft whose rights belong to the Nets, is joining the D-League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants, reports Reggie Hayes of The (Fort Wayne) News-Sentinel. Thames had been playing with Baloncesto Sevilla of Spain.