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Eastern Notes: Bogans, Hawks, Gordon, Cavs

January 2nd, 2014 at 1:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Keith Bogans isn’t necessarily cited as one of the NBA’s most overpaid players as often as some bigger names, but you could make the case that Bogans should top any such list. After all, the only reason he received his $5MM+ salary for 2013/14 was that it was needed to make the summer’s Celtics/Nets blockbuster work. Despite the payday though, Bogans, who hasn’t played in over a month, is frustrated with his role in Boston, writes Jessica Camerato of HoopsWorld.

“Money is good, but if you’re not happy doing what you love to do… I want to play basketball,” Bogans said of his lack of minutes. “Anybody can say yeah I’m happy, I’m getting money, but come on now.”

As Bogans waits for an opportunity to prove he can still contribute to an NBA club, let’s round up a few more items from around the East….

The Hawks are facing some tough roster decisions since Al Horford went down with a season-ending pectoral injury, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta is currently carrying 15 players, but three of those contracts are non-guaranteed. GM Danny Ferry is considering whether or not to add a big man to replace Horford, and Ferry also likes having some roster flexibility at the trade deadline, so the team’s non-guaranteed players (Shelvin Mack, Mike Scott, Cartier Martin) aren’t necessarily guaranteed roster spots beyond next Tuesday.
Ben Gordon is in the final year of his contract, but remains focused on helping the Bobcats earn a playoff spot this season, as he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld. When Gordon does reach free agency, expect him to prioritize contenders — the veteran guard tells Greene that the opportunity to win a title “means everything” for him as he inches closer to retirement.
The Cavaliers have reportedly balked at including any assets of value along with Andrew Bynum in an offer for Pau Gasol, but Jabari Davis of HoopsWorld thinks that a swap would make a lot of sense for both sides.

Odds & Ends: Irving, Raptors, Trade Talk

January 1st, 2014 at 9:16pm CST by Alex Lee

As the Andrew Bynum rumors continue to pour in, the Cavaliers got some very good news today. Currently sitting only three games out of the East’s eight seed, the Cavs announced that star guard Kyrie Irving‘s left knee sustained no structural damage on Tuesday when he had to be helped off the court after an awkward fall.

Let’s take a look at what else is happening around the NBA on Wednesday:

As Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM writes, the rebuild that the Raptors appeared to be destined for a month or two ago may have already happened in the form of the Rudy Gay trade, which has galvanized the remaining Raptors and given Dwane Casey a bench to work with.
For Insiders, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton outlines what to watch for in the NBA in 2014, including whether flawed but dangerous teams like the Clippers, Blazers and Rockets will load up for a playoff run as well as if one of the top prospects for the 2014 NBA Draft separates himself from the pack by June.
There are some players that will still be off limits for that trio of teams via trade, as well as the rest of the NBA, as Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld writes. Pincus outlines every player not yet eligible to be traded because of a variety of NBA rules.
Joel Brigham of HoopsWorld lists Ben Gordon, Paul Pierce, Danny Granger, Kris Humphries and Amar’e Stoudemire as soon-to-be free agents that will likely have to deal with significant pay cuts in their new deals this summer. Brigham designates Andris Biedrins, Emeka Okafor and Richard Jefferson as honorable mentions.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Gordon, Wittman

November 19th, 2013 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA held internal discussions about the Knicks‘ signing of Chris Smith and ultimately determined the move wasn’t in violation of circumventing the salary cap, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Previous reports have indicated rival agents believe the Knicks signed J.R. Smith and his younger brother as a package deal. However, a league official tells Berman that Chris is “one of those projects” who may not help immediately, but could develop into an NBA player.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

If the Knicks need to add a free agent, Smith may be the player released to make room, but so far the team has been content to stand pat despite frontcourt injuries. The latest player sidelined is Metta World Peace, who had fluid drained from his knee on Monday, according to Ian Begley of ESPN New York. However, the procedure was believed to be minor, and MWP is expected back on the court by the end of the week.
Bobcats guard Ben Gordon tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune that if the Bulls were to call him when he becomes a free agent next summer, he’d definitely listen. “I had a lot of success here, had a great time here,” Gordon said. “I’m not in position to rule anybody out.”
According to John Wall, the Wizards’ players believe in Randy Wittman, who isn’t worried that his job is in danger. Michael Lee of the Washington Post has the details.
Sam Amick of USA Today hears from a person with knowledge of the Wizards thinking that Wittman will still have the opportunity to right the ship in Washington before the team considers a change.

Eastern Notes: Oden, Caldwell-Pope, Celtics, Gordon

October 19th, 2013 at 6:37pm CST by Spencer Lund

Greg Oden has yet to see any preseason action for the Heat, but the 25-year-old former No. 1 pick told HoopsWorld’s Moke Hamilton his primary goal when he returns to the hardwood is, “To walk on the court and play however many minutes…and to walk off healthy.”

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra says Oden’s “been great,” before adding that his journey from top of the 2007 Draft to the Heat isn’t easily relatable:

“He’s been through a lot; it’s tough for anybody to really relate, to have something you love taken away from you for multiple years, something you can’t control. So, we’re just trying to help him through the process until he can get back on the court.”

Here are some notes from around the Eastern Conference on a slow Saturday night:

Pistons Rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope has struggled with his shot in preseason action, but Vincent Ellis of the Detroit Free-Press tweets that Chauncey Billups believes KCP can be a lockdown defender in the vein of Tony Allen.
Billups tells Keith Langlois of Pistons.com, via Twitter, that he’s been watching tape with Caldwell-Pope and fellow Pistons rookie Peyton Siva.
Billups tells Langlois that KCP is a good shooter, but “good shooters take good shots” (Twitter). Billups adds that all KCP has proven is he won’t lose his confidence, but that he’s young, too. (Twitter).
Thanks to a scheduling quirk, the Celtics have played 6 preseason games in 9 days, and only have 2 games remaining before their October 30th opener in Toronto. Coach Brad Stevens, a first-time NBA coach after coming over from Butler, tells Celtics.com ’s Marc D’Amico he doesn’t know if Sunday’s preseason game against the ‘Wolves in Montreal will be a dress rehearsal for his regular season rotation, or more tinkering with the minutes.
Bobcats guard Ben Gordon will miss the rest of the preseason after a procedure on one of his knees to relieve soreness, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Bonnell adds, via Twitter, that coach Steve Clifford will play Ramon Sessions at shooting guard and give Jannero Pargo more run at the point in Gordon’s absence.

Ben Gordon To Exercise Player Option

June 28th, 2013 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

To no one's surprise, Ben Gordon has decided to exercise his player option for 2013/14, keeping him under contract for one more season, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

Gordon's decision will ensure his $13.2MM salary becomes guaranteed for next year, significantly cutting into the Bobcats' available cap space. Charlotte acquired the veteran guard last summer for Corey Maggette, who would have hit free agency this offseason. In exchange for picking up the extra salary, the Bobcats should land a pretty attractive draft pick, especially if the Pistons continue to miss the postseason. The first-rounder Charlotte received in the Gordon/Maggette swap is top-eight protected in 2014 and top-one protected in 2015.

We heard last night that rival executives are skeptical the Celtics will keep Kris Humphries after acquiring him from the Nets, and Chris Mannix of SI.com said to keep an eye out for the Bobcats. Gordon and Humphries have been connected in trade rumors before, so it's possible, perhaps even likely, that Gordon won't spend the entire '13/14 season with the Bobcats.

Finnan On Pistons, Calderon, Burke, Zeller

June 16th, 2013 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Bob Finnan of The News-Herald rounds up the latest NBA rumors in his weekly column, and though he usually focuses on the Cavs, his latest dispatch is heavy on Pistons news. We'll hit the highlights here:

Re-signing Jose Calderon remains a priority for the Pistons, but Joe Dumars and company "don't want to break the bank" to do so, Finnan writes. It's unclear exactly what breaking the bank would constitute, but I'd say the Pistons would balk at any deal approaching $10MM per year, based on previous estimates that peg his worth at between $6MM and $8MM.
The Pistons aren't high on Trey Burke, and they probably hope he's off the board by the time they draft eighth overall, since there's pressure from fans to draft the University of Michigan star.
Detroit is instead enamored with Cody Zeller, though most observers believe they'll draft a guard, according to Finnan.
The Cavs, like the Pistons, have drawn mention as a likely suitor for Andre Iguodala, but Finnan isn't so sure Cleveland is willing to shell out a lucrative deal for him. The News-Herald scribe figures another team will overpay the soon-to-be free agent.
The Pistons and Raptors were certain the Cavs were going to draft Jonas Valanciunas with the fourth pick in 2011, and had a deal in place based on that contingency. Detroit would have sent Ben Gordon and the No. 8 pick to Toronto for Calderon and the No. 5 pick. The Pistons would have drafted Tristan Thompson, whom the Cavs wound up taking at No. 4 that year, while the Raptors would have picked Brandon Knight.
Finnan unveils his latest mock draft as part of a separate piece. He has the Cavs taking Nerlens Noel first overall, despite rumors the team will pass him up. Finnan predicts the Pistons will take shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Eastern Notes: Turner, Sixers, Gordon, McRoberts

April 18th, 2013 at 1:15pm CST by Luke Adams

With the 2012/13 season officially over for 14 NBA teams, it's been a busy Thursday around the league, as teams look toward the offseason changes on the way in the coming weeks and months. Three Eastern Conference teams have parted ways with their head coaches, but that's not all that's going on in the conference today. Here are a few more Eastern updates:

Speaking to Philadelphia media today, Evan Turner said he believes he'll still be a Sixer next season, and that his name has come up in trade rumors because he has value. He added that he isn't worried about potential extension talks — he'll be extension-eligible as of July 1st (Twitter links via Tom Moore of PhillyBurbs.com).
Sixers owner Josh Harris has confirmed that Philadelphia is in "advanced discussions" to buy a D-League franchise, tweets Moore. A report back in November suggested that the 76ers may be targeting the suspended Utah Flash team.
Ben Gordon can't see any reason to opt out of his contract for next season, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets. Considering his 2013/14 player option is worth $13.2MM, Gordon's stance is hardly a surprise.
Another player who would like to return to the Bobcats for 2013/14 is Josh McRoberts. However, Bonnell tweets that McRoberts "made it clear" money will be the biggest factor for him in free agency.
John Wall isn't planning on doing much recruiting this summer, telling J. Michael of CSNWashington.com that he's not going to "beg" free agents to sign with the Wizards (Twitter link).
Al Harrington, who has two half-guaranteed years remaining on his contract, recognizes he probably doesn't have a future with the Magic, but isn't 100% sure, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

Nets Deny Interest In Ben Gordon

February 20th, 2013 at 10:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

10:55pm: Howard Beck of The New York Times received an "emphatic denial" that the Nets are interested in a Gordon deal (Twitter link). TNT's David Aldridge hears the same, adding that the Nets told the Bobcats today they had no interest (Twitter link).

10:47pm: The Nets are hanging on to Humphries for now because he could be a part of a three-way deal with the Hawks, Amico adds (Twitter link).

10:24pm: The Nets have secured an deal with the Bobcats to trade Kris Humphries for Ben Gordon, but they're waiting to see what the Hawks do with Josh Smith before finalizing the agreement, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. The Bobcats proposed the swap a few weeks ago, but it's been on the backburner since then. Amico classified the Nets as the frontrunner for Smith earlier tonight, so this could be an either-or situation for Brooklyn.

The salaries match up almost perfectly, with Gordon making $12.4MM this year and Humphries drawing $12MM. Humphries is signed through 2014, and Gordon has a player option for next season that he's likely to exercise.

The Nets had reportedly cooled on Gordon in recent weeks because of concerns about his defense, while the Bobcats intensified their efforts to move the 29-year-old shooting guard after he clashed with coach Mike Dunlap in practice. They made a pitch for Andrea Bargnani, but it doesn't appear the Raptors have nearly the motivation to trade Bargnani that the Bobcats do as they seek to get Gordon out of Charlotte.

Brooklyn appears anxious to move Humphries, as they've included him and MarShon Brooks in offers to the Celtics, Hawks and Bucks.

Broussard On Gordon, Ellis, Rondo, Crawford

February 19th, 2013 at 9:55pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The Bucks are ready to trade Monta Ellis after he turned down a two-year extension, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN, also mentioning that Ellis wanted to play out this season first. Earlier, we heard from HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy about the expectation by some around the league for Monta to opt out of his contract this summer and sign with a contender, so it will be interesting to see how Milwaukee handles this situation over the next two days. Broussard had a wave of Twitter updates to share in the past hour, all of which you can find below:

The Hornets have made Eric Gordon available for a trade, but Broussard anticipates a lack of interest considering doubts about his health moving forward. The notion that New Orleans is willing to listen to offers for Gordon shouldn't come as a surprise, as we heard a similar report earlier this month.
The Celtics are willing to move Rajon Rondo in the right deal. The Wizards have been actively shopping Jordan Crawford.
A list of players who are currently on the trade market: Nets forward Kris Humphries, 76ers guard Evan Turner, Bobcats guards Ben Gordon and Gerald Henderson, Spurs' DeJuan Blair, Raptors big man Andrea Bargnani, Jazz big men Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, Magic guard J.J. Redick, and Timberwolves forward Derrick Williams (All Twitter links).

Odds & Ends: Dwight, Lakers, Warriors, Bobcats

February 19th, 2013 at 6:06pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops told Joe and Evan of WFAN 660 today that he believes there is a 50-50 chance that Dwight Howard winds up with the Nets by the trade deadline. Despite the Lakers' reassurances that they wouldn't be willing to deal their prized center, Sheridan thinks that they soon have to realize that this season cannot be salvaged and suggests that a deal involving MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Tyshawn Taylor, Mirza Teletovic, Tornike Shengelia, the draft rights to some of their overseas prospects, and a few first round picks could be enough to get something done. Here's what else we're hearing this afternoon:

In contrast to Sheridan's thoughts, Mike Trudell of Lakers.com tweets about Mitch Kupchak's insistence that Howard won't be traded and the unlikelihood that the Lakers acquire a talent upgrade anytime soon. Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times relayed Kupchak's thoughts explicitly: "I don’t anticipate anything dramatic talking place in the next two days" (Twitter link).
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News notes that coach Mike D'Antoni remains convinced the Lakers don't have to make any moves before the deadline and that Pau Gasol is hopeful he can return before the end of the regular season. Gasol, who suffered a foot injury two weeks ago, expects to be off crutches soon (All Twitter links).
As we heard last week, Warriors ownership hasn't required the front office to make deals for the sake of avoiding the luxury tax and would be willing to make a deal if the right one came along. With that being said, team co-owner Joe Lacob told Tim Kawakami of the Mercury News that he likes how the current group has been performing and needs to see them continue to perform together for an extended period of time.
Bobcats head Coach Mike Dunlap said that he's met with some of his players to talk about the trade deadline, adding that he feels "uncomfortable communication" is necessary too. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer thinks that the latter was likely a reference to Ben Gordon, who has been notably unhappy with Dunlap this season (Twitter links).