Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Andrew Bynum

Atlantic Links: Bynum, Celtics, Knicks

February 19th, 2013 at 7:18pm CST by Ryan Raroque

76ers center Andrew Bynum still hasn't set an exact return date for his practice debut, telling reporters that he expects to be able to join the team in "a week, could be two" (reports Jason Wolf of USA Today). The young center provides a distinction between returning to practice and going up against "live defenders," the latter of which he doesn't think he'll be ready for until a couple of weeks from now. Slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July, Bynum remains confident he can still return to NBA action at some point this season. Here's more out of the Atlantic Division tonight: 

  • Baxter Holmes of Boston.com looked further into Danny Ainge's uncertainty about the Celtics getting a trade done within the coming days. Ainge admitted that he's been involved in a lot of conversations due to their misfortune with injuries, also mentioning that he's had to field a lot of "waste-of-time calls from the media and other teams." 
  • Paul Pierce thinks that the Celtics need to add help – whether through trades or free agency – for practice and preservation's sake (CSNNE.com report). Coach Doc Rivers thinks the team needs two guards (at least one for practice), but also made it clear that they won't go after somebody they don't want.
  • Knicks big men Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby had limited participation in today's practice, although head coach Mike Woodson says that they still have a lot to show him before he can consider putting them back into games (Barbara Barker of Newsday reports). 

 

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Broussard On Eric Gordon, Rockets, Pacers, Smith

February 14th, 2013 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Already today, we've passed along a few trade rumors from Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game and Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. Now, it's Chris Broussard's turn, as the ESPN reporter has published a lengthy Insider-only piece on the latest rumblings from around the league. Here's what Broussard has for us:

  • The Hornets have made some calls to gauge Eric Gordon's trade value, but Broussard hears that there's less than a 10% chance he's moved within the next week. The Mavericks, Rockets, and the Warriors are among the clubs believed to have inquired on Gordon.
  • The Rockets still figure to make a run at Dwight Howard this summer, but Andrew Bynum and perhaps a trade for Gordon are the team's Plan Bs. Since Houston is saving its cap space for the summer, the club isn't expected to be too active at the trade deadline.
  • Indiana will likely keep Danny Granger through the deadline, but is willing to move Tyler Hansbrough, D.J. Augustin, or Gerald Green. The Pacers dangled Hansbrough and Augustin when talking to the Magic about J.J. Redick, but Orlando didn't have interest.
  • Three different general managers told Broussard on Wednesday that Danny Ferry and the Hawks have decided not to re-sign Josh Smith this summer and are trying hard to trade him this week. Rival executives don't expect Ferry to settle for the Nets' offer of Kris Humphries and MarShon Brooks, however.
  • The Hawks have also discussed moving Kyle Korver and Anthony Morrow.
  • Teams have been calling the Suns, one of the league's most active clubs, about Marcin Gortat, Markieff Morris, and Jared Dudley. A deal with the Knicks involving Dudley and Iman Shumpert is "not happening," according to Broussard's sources.
  • As has been the case for many reporters over the last few weeks, Broussard has received mixed reports on whether the Jazz are more likely to trade Paul Millsap or Al Jefferson. The Trail Blazers are one team that likes Millsap, says Broussard.
  • A few executives that have spoken to Broussard have mentioned the possibility of the Clippers trying to trade DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler to create the necessary cap space to make a play for Dwight Howard this summer. That one sounds awfully far-fetched to me though, considering the team would have to make additional moves to clear enough room, and would have to acquire only expiring contracts in return. Even then, there's no guarantee they could land Howard as a free agent.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

DiLeo On Sixers, Bynum, Trade Deadline

February 6th, 2013 at 8:37pm CST by Sean Highkin

The Philadelphia 76ers were dealt a blow on Wednesday when it was announced that guard Jason Richardson would miss the remainder of the season after undergoing knee surgery. Sixers GM Tony DiLeo spoke to media before Wednesday's game and touched on several areas of interest concerning the team. Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com has quotes.

On the progress of Andrew Bynum's rehab:

“When he practices, bangs, jumps, moves — that’s really the most critical part,” DiLeo said on the court prior to Wednesday’s game against the Pacers. “We’ll just have to see how he reacts during that phase.”

On whether the team will look to make a deal before the February 21 trade deadline:

“We haven’t seen our team out there yet,” DiLeo said. “It’s hard to really plan because we don’t have all the answers. Hopefully, we’ll have all the answers by the end of the year and be able to go forward.”

On taking the long view with regards to the roster:

“We don’t want to jeopardize anything short term,” DiLeo said. “We’re looking to build.”

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Rockets May Pursue Bynum In Free Agency

February 6th, 2013 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

As we heard earlier today from ESPN.com's Chris Broussard, the Rockets are expected to be in the mix for Dwight Howard in free agency this summer, representing perhaps the most dangerous threat to the Lakers for the All-Star center. However, according to Broussard (via Twitter), if Houston is unsuccessful in landing Howard, the team is expected to turn its attention to Andrew Bynum.

Despite having James Harden's max deal on their books for 2013/14, along with sizable salaries for Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik, the Rockets still only have about $40MM in commitments on next season's payroll. If the team hopes to make a run at Howard, it may require a bit of maneuvering to fit a maximum offer under the cap, since D12 is eligible for a first-year salary of about $20.51MM next season. But Bynum's maximum salary for '13/14 is about $17.73MM, which would make a max offer for him a little more manageable.

Like Howard, Bynum would be giving up some guaranteed long-term money if he were to sign a maximum-salary contract with a team besides the Sixers. As I outlined last August, Bynum could re-sign with Philadelphia for up to five years and close to $102MM, while a team like the Rockets could only offer four years and $75.7MM.

Of course, before considering the difference between various maximum-salary contracts, Bynum may have to exhibit that he's worthy of one. Broussard suggests the Rockets' interest in Bynum will hinge not only on Howard's availability, but also on how the Sixers' center looks when he finally returns to the court this season. Bynum's chances of earning max offers in July will rely in part on his health and production over the final couple months of 2012/13.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Atlantic Links: Bynum, Carlesimo, Rondo, Raptors

January 29th, 2013 at 8:35pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Led by Jrue Holiday, the 76ers remain three games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. Significant help in the form of another all-star caliber player could be on the way within the next several weeks, as Andrew Bynum has continued to make progress toward his goal of possibly returning to practice next week, notes Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com. The 7'0 center has been plagued by bone bruises in both knees since the start of the season. With that aside, here are more news and notes from the Atlantic Division: 

  • Mike Mazzeo of ESPN New York reports that Nets GM Billy King will meet with owner Mikhail Prokhorov on Wednesday to discuss P.J. Carlesimo and the job he's done so far as the interim head coach. While Carlesimo has done an exceptional job after replacing Avery Johnson, Prokhorov is said to still be enamored with going after big names such as Phil Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy in the offseason. 
  • According to A. Sherrod Blakeley of CSNNE.com, Celtics guard Rajon Rondo will get a second opinion on his ACL injury from Dr. James Andrews, who is considered be arguably "the best orthopedic surgeon in the business."  
  • Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun lays out the Raptors' top five pressing issues as they inch closer to the deadline, calling their interest in Rudy Gay the "most likely to come to fruition" rumor, examining the return of both Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas from injury, Terrence Ross' progression into coach Dwane Casey's crunch-time lineup, and the continued acclimation of Landry Fields. With regard to Bargnani, Ganter thinks that Casey may have to provide a significant role at the expense of Ed Davis' minutes in order to showcase the 7-footer's health. 
  • Eric Koreen of the National Post doesn't think that Gay is the cure-all answer for the Raptors, who still have many other important questions to answer regardless of whether they land him or not. Among those question marks involve the franchise's commitment to GM Bryan Colangelo, the need for more significant roster moves, and the struggles of point guard Kyle Lowry. 
  • Doc Rivers doesn't appear too concerned about his players making an adjustment without Rondo, saying that a "no-point guard system" is something that the second unit has already found success with, writes Greg Payne of ESPN Boston. 
  • Mike Woodson will place a higher priority on getting Knicks three point sharpshooter Steve Novak more involved in the offense, says Ian Begley of ESPN New York. 
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Atlantic Notes: Bynum, Celtics, Pierce, Knicks

January 28th, 2013 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

With Rajon Rondo out for the year, two of the Celtics' Atlantic Division rivals are in position to give Boston a run for the eighth and final playoff seed in the East. The 76ers are 2.5 games back of the Celtics, while the Raptors are five games back, and both teams hope to have injured players returning to the floor in the next few weeks — Andrew Bynum for the Sixers, and Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas for the Raptors. Here's the latest out of the Atlantic:

  • As the summer approaches, the Sixers are hoping to get a better idea of whether it's worth the risk to lock Bynum up to a long-term deal, as GM Tony DiLeo tells TNT's David Aldridge. "We don't have enough information," DiLeo said. "We want to re-sign him. We plan on re-signing him. We made the trade having him as part of our future. That's the direction we're going in right now and we don't have enough information to make a decision."
  • The Sixers constructed their roster with the intention of having it revolve around Bynum, so DiLeo acknowledges to Aldridge that the team would have to employ a different approach if Bynum is not re-signed: "We have a good young nucleus, but yeah, we'd probably have to go in a different direction and use our cap room and the draft and trades."
  • Zach Lowe of Grantland looks into some potential trade partners for the Celtics if they decide to shop Paul Pierce, noting that they'd likely only be able to land either a good first-round pick or a blue-chip guy on a rookie contract, rather than both. According to Lowe, the Raptors may be the most viable and intriguing match for Pierce and the C's.
  • Also within Lowe's piece, he notes that executives around the league view Rondo as a max-contract type player.
  • Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com explores the possibility of the Knicks calling up D-League standout Henry Sims, who was in camp with the team in the fall.
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Eastern Notes: Nelson, Bynum, Rose, Celtics

January 21st, 2013 at 7:53pm CST by Michael Pina

Magic guard Jameer Nelson is playing some of his best basketball of the season right now, and according to the Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz, the 30-year-old point guard is interested in playing until he's 40. Nelson signed a three-year contract with the Magic before this season. 

  • CSNPhilly.com's John Finger reports that Sixers center Andrew Bynum has said he isn't feeling a lot of pain in his surgically repaired knee, and that his debut could come around the All-Star break.
  • ESPNBoston.com's Chris Forsberg answered questions from readers about the Celtics recent struggles, and the likelihood that the team blows everything up. 
  • The Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson tweets that Derrick Rose could take part in full-contact drills as soon as this week in practice.  
Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Odds & Ends: Raptors, Grizzlies, Mavs, Bynum

January 18th, 2013 at 4:51pm CST by Luke Adams

As we look forward to an evening slate that includes a pair of contests between Eastern Conference contenders (Hawks/Nets and Bulls/Celtics), let's check in on a few odds and ends from around the NBA….

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Eastern Notes: Pierce, Sixers, Bynum, Vogel

January 12th, 2013 at 4:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s more than reasonable for the Celtics to consider cashing out on an aging Paul Pierce for young assets to be used towards rebuilding, opines Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld.  In another season and a half, the veteran could retire or walk away from Boston with no compensation.  His trade value may never be as high as it will be now through the 2013 draft, and this may be the time to act, according to Brigham. Here's more from around the Eastern Conference.

  • Sixers GM Tony DiLeo told reporters, including Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com, that the team will try to stay in contention for a playoff spot until Andrew Bynum gets back, and may make short-term upgrades that don't cut into next summer's cap space. 
  • DiLeo also said the Sixers "are still looking at Andrew as a long-term solution," indicating they still plan on trying to re-sign him this summer.
  • The extension Frank Vogel signed with the Pacers this week runs through 2014/15, and will pay the coach $2MM per season, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
  • J.J. Redick doesn’t want to be traded away from the Magic, but after hearing from GM Rob Hennigan that several teams have expressed interest, he's girding himself for the possibility, writes John Denton of Magic.com.
  • The Heat signed Josh Harrellson and Jarvis Varnado to ten-day contracts simply to stall for time until something better comes along, writes Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.  The Heat can get a better sense of what might be available to add at either the trading deadline or buyout deadline.
  • Anderson Varejao's injury isn't devastating to his long-term trade value, as The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer examines.

Zach Links of Hoops Rumors also contributed to this post.

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0

Kyler On Dwight, Hornets, Beasley, Gay, Magic

January 12th, 2013 at 3:34pm CST by Sean Highkin

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com answered some questions from his Twitter followers on Saturday regarding various free agency and trade rumors.

Earlier updates:

Retweet 0 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts