Chris Kaman Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Mutual Interest Between Lakers, Chris Kaman

July 7th, 2013 at 6:39pm CST by Zachary Links

In the wake of losing the league’s best center in free agency, the Lakers have growing interest in free agent center Chris Kaman and the feeling is mutual, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports. As the Hoops Rumors Agency Database shows, the big man is a client of Landmark Sports Agency, the same agency that represents Kobe Bryant.

Several other teams have expressed interest in Kaman, including the Warriors, Hawks, Kings, and Knicks, according to sources. Discussions are still in the formative stages between the former No. 6 overall pick and the Lakers, but Kaman has a reputation as a hard-working, dependable player who can fill a needed role.

Kaman, who played his first eight seasons for the Clippers, likes the idea of returning to L.A., a league source said. The 31-year-old averaged 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds in 20 minutes a game for the Mavericks last year.

Free Agency Notes: Smith, Evans, Blazers, Kaman

June 30th, 2013 at 11:18pm CST by Zachary Links

It's officially the start of free agency! Here's the latest as we enter July..

A source tells Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News (Twitter link) that the Pistons will absolutely not offer Josh Smith a max deal. We learned earlier today that Detroit is among the teams targeting the Hawks free agent.
The Pelicans will have a sizable offer sheet ready for Tyreke Evans when they meet with him tonight, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com. We learned earlier tonight that New Orleans was set to be the first team to meet with the Kings guard. Meanwhile, sources tell Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (Twitter link) that while the Pelicans got the first meeting with the 23-year-old, he will still do his due diligence on teams and the Kings are still in the mix.
The Blazers and the reps for center Chris Kaman are expected to meet face-to-face now that free agency is underway, tweets Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Both the unrestricted free agent and the club feel that it would be a "great fit" (link).
The Jazz and Lakers were the first two teams to inquire on Knicks free agent Chris Copeland tonight, tweets Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.

Western Notes: McMillan, Kings, Kaman, Pekovic

April 26th, 2013 at 12:19pm CST by Luke Adams

When I asked yesterday which playoff team down 2-0 in the first round had the best chance of coming back and advancing, over half of you picked the Grizzlies. Memphis delivered on the first step of that comeback last night, holding the Clippers to 82 points en route to a Game Three win.

Meanwhile, the Rockets only received about 5% of the votes in that poll, but their chances likely improved with word from the Thunder that Russell Westbrook will undergo surgery to repair a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. As we wait for official word on a timetable for Westbrook's return, let's check out a few notes from around the Western Conference:

Nate McMillan may be a top contender for the Pistons' head coaching opening, but Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press says there's a "belief around the league" that McMillan will wait to see what happens with the Kings, since he could also be a strong candidate there if the franchise moves to Seattle.
The NBA's relocation committee is expected to make a recommendation to the Board of Governors next Monday on whether or not to approve the sale and relocation of the Kings. However, an official vote by league owners may not come until May 13th, as Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee outline.
While Chris Kaman has said he'd like to return to Dallas next season, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com thinks the veteran big man just doesn't want to close any doors. MacMahon predicts Kaman will have to take a pay cut this summer, and will end up signing a one-year contract with a team besides the Mavericks.
Speaking to Mondo.rs (translation via HoopsHype), Nikola Pekovic reiterated a desire to re-sign with the Timberwolves this summer, adding that he has no intention of leaving the NBA to return to Europe.
Andre Iguodala's performance in this year's postseason could go a long way to exhibiting whether or not he's worth a long-term, big-money contract, according to Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post.

Mavs Notes: Point Guards, Cuban, Kaman

April 19th, 2013 at 12:58pm CST by Luke Adams

We've heard plenty of rumblings out of Dallas since the Mavericks' season ended about what's next for the franchise, including word that O.J. Mayo intends to decline his player option and become a free agent. Considering how high the expectations are for the team, and how comfortable owner Mark Cuban is talking to the media, that's hardly a surprise, and figures to continue throughout the offseason. In fact, we have another round of Mavs updates this afternoon. Let's dive in….

The Mavericks' top priority this offseason will be finding a long-term solution for what GM Donnie Nelson calls the team's "point guard odyssey," writes Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. MacMahon identifies some potential targets for the Mavs, including Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, and Jeff Teague.
The "Bank of Cuban" can only take Dallas so far, says Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, noting that it will be hard for the Mavs owner to dictate how the summer plays out.
Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News speculates that Chris Kaman's exit meeting with the Mavs may not have gone well, since Kaman didn't make himself available to the media following the meeting. There's no guarantee Townsend is right, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kaman has played his last game as a Maverick.

Southwest Links: Kaman, Mavs, Hollins, Rockets

April 12th, 2013 at 3:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Southwest's three playoff teams will battle for playoff seeding tonight, as the Spurs look for a win over the Kings to keep pace with the top-seeded Thunder, while the Grizzlies play the Rockets in Houston. As we look forward to a busy night of NBA action, let's check out some more updates out of the division….

Speaking to Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Chris Kaman reiterated that he'd like to return to the Mavericks next season, a stance he has conveyed before. "I'd love to be back, but I don't know what's going to happen with the organization,'' Kaman said. "It's up to the owners and the coaches and all that — whoever decides all that stuff."
ESPN.com's Marc Stein appeared on 103.3 KESN FM in Dallas this week to address the Mavericks' top offseason targets, and the Dallas Morning News has a couple key quotes from the ESPN.com scribe.
Following up on a report from the Memphis Commercial Appeal on Lionel Hollins' job status, Chris Herrington of the Memphis Flyer takes an in-depth look at whether Hollins will, and should, be back on the Grizzlies' bench next season.
Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld spoke to Rockets GM Daryl Morey about the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, noting that "a good Portsmouth seems to help players a lot more than a bad Portsmouth hurts them." Morey said he usually arrives in Portsmouth with a list of six to 12 key players to watch.

Free Agent Notes: Mayo, Kaman, Bynum, Howard

March 19th, 2013 at 9:44pm CST by Alex Lee

We're still a long way from the NBA offseason, but as teams are eliminated from playoff contention (and eventually the playoffs), we should start to hear more and more about their free agents. Here are a few links on some of the players that will be part of this summer's free agent crop:

In his Tuesday chat session, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News says that O.J. Mayo can be the third best player on a legitimate title contender and that the Mavericks need to bring him back if they can get him at the right price. For Sefko, that price is somewhere under $10MM per year. He recommends something in the ballpark of a four-year, $30-35MM pact, though he admits that may not get it done for Mayo.
Sefko also opines that Chris Kaman, a free agent at season's end, will likely sign elsewhere this offseason. One option to replace Kaman at center would be Andrew Bynum, who Sefko calls "double-damaged-goods" because of his balky knees. However, Sefko says the Mavs should still consider offering Bynum their mid-level exception because should he return to health, at his age, he could be then be the NBA's biggest bargain.
With news of his knee surgeries, Moke Hamilton of Sheridan Hoops has dropped Bynum to 13th on Free Agency Rankings. According to Hamilton, Bynum's talent makes him worthy of a multi-year deal, but anything more than three years is unlikely.
Dwight Howard has fired his business manager and cousin, Kevin Samples, after nine years of service, Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports. Ding suggests that this move is another step in Howard's transformation into his "own man". Without Samples, who moved to Los Angeles when Howard joined the Lakers, Howard will presumably head into free agency looking elsewhere for advice.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Chris Kaman

March 14th, 2013 at 11:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Kaman entered last summer as a 30-year-old coming off a down season, but as a 7-footer just two years removed from an All-Star berth, an $8MM annual salary seemed reasonable. That's what he got from the Mavericks, but surprisingly, his deal is only for one season. Kaman wasn't without other suitors, as the Pacers showed interest, and the Spurs, Jazz and Kings were reportedly in the running as well. Kaman's one-year deal seems even more curious given that earlier this season he told Chris Tomasson of Fox Sports Florida, "Nobody wants to do a one-year deal."

This season has been a prime example of why Kaman and others might be motivated to lock themselves up long-term. The former sixth overall pick, approaching his 31st birthday next month, has missed 14 games so far this season, mostly due to a concussion he suffered in late January. It's the third straight season he's been out at least that many games, and even when he's able to play, he doesn't see much time on the floor. He's seeing a career-low in minutes per game, and his production has taken a commensurate hit. His 11.4 points per game average is his worst since 2006/07, and his 5.9 rebounds per game are the fewest he's collected since he pulled down 5.6 as a rookie.

Still, when Kaman has played, he's performed about as well as he ever has. Only once in his career, during his All-Star season, has he scored more than the 18.5 points per 36 minutes that he's delivering this year. He's posting a 16.4 PER, a better-than-average mark that exceeds his 14.6 career PER. That might explain why Kaman was so upset when coach Rick Carlisle kept him on the bench after only two minutes of playing time Tuesday against the Bucks, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News details. Kaman said he wouldn't let the incident dissuade him from considering another go with the Mavs in free agency this summer, and just last week he praised the organization's professionalism, remarking that he hoped the Mavericks would have him back next season.

Given his lack of minutes and the Mavs' likely pursuit of Dwight Howard this summer, Kaman appears a fallback option at best for Dallas, a team that would probably be just as hesitant to give him a long-term deal as it was last year. Joe Kaiser of ESPN.com (Insider link) came up with a list of teams that could be better fits for Kaman, pointing to the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers, Bobcats and Blazers. Of those teams, I think the Blazers probably make the most sense, as they're set to have plenty of cap room and would give Kaman, who's only been to the playoffs once in his 10 NBA seasons, a chance to join an up-and-coming club. Still, he'd likely only be a Plan B in case Portland can't re-sign J.J. Hickson. Few teams will have Kaman too high on their wish lists during an offseason in which Howard, Andrew Bynum, Al Jefferson, Nikola Pekovic, Tiago Splitter and others are also set to hit free agency, so "Plan B" might become the theme of the summer for Kaman.

That's why I think Kaman may have to settle for the mid-level exception that Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors believed he wouldn't have to take when he looked at Kaman's free agent stock last year. The full non-taxpayer's mid-level would give him four years with a starting salary of $5.15MM, and the total package would be worth up to nearly $22MM. That would open up the bidding to more than just teams with cap space or clubs willing to pursue a sign-and-trade, a maneuver that will be tougher to pull off now that taxpaying teams can't acquire signed-and-traded players. Kaman could go to a contender, or at least a playoff team, and still have the long-term stability he seems to want.

Stein’s Latest: Josh Smith, Bucks, Mavs, Rockets

March 9th, 2013 at 12:21am CST by Chuck Myron

As rumors fly long past the NBA's trade deadline, Marc Stein of ESPN.com checks in with a Weekend Dime that's heavy on items about Josh Smith, as well as plenty of news about the Rockets. There's even a link between Smith and Houston, so let's dig in.

The Bucks came closest to acquiring Smith at the deadline, as a source tells Stein that Atlanta's talks with the Sixers were never as serious as they were with Milwaukee.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier today that the Hawks nearly sent Smith to the Celtics, but Stein hears Atlanta's brass shared the concerns of many NBA teams that C's basketball president Danny Ainge would get cold feet about dealing one of his stars. Paul Pierce would have been sent to the Mavs in the rumored Smith-to-Boston trade.
The Hawks preferred to send Smith to the Western Conference, but were rebuffed by the Mavs, who refused to add a draft pick to a package that already included Vince Carter, Chris Kaman, Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright and Dahntay Jones. Many of those Mavericks were also part of the proposed three-way trade with the Celtics.
If the Rockets don't land top target Dwight Howard this summer, they'll turn their attention to Smith and Andrew Bynum next, sources tell Stein.
Aaron Brooks forfeited just under $3.4MM in his buyout from the Kings, Stein hears. Brooks was set to make $3.396MM next season on a player option, so presumably the buyout simply entailed him declining that option.
I took a look in January at all the former Rockets the team still has on the payroll, a list that's since grown even longer, as Stein notes. Houston has waived or bought out 10 players this season, all of whom are still on the team's cap.
Stein catches up with Thomas Robinson, who was surprised when the Kings drafted him last year and "shocked" when they traded him to the Rockets at the deadline.
There's a schism in thought around the league about whether Monta Ellis is leaning toward staying with the Bucks next season or exercising his early-termination option to hit free agency this summer.
Samuel Dalembert is hitting free agency no matter what, but echoing his report before the trade deadline that Milwaukee was no longer trying to move Dalembert, Stein says the Bucks have some interest in re-signing the Haitian center.

Western Notes: Wolves, Mavs, Robinson, Kaman

March 7th, 2013 at 5:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Tonight's NBA schedule only features two games, but they should be good ones. Three of the Western Conference's top five teams will be in action, including the Clippers and Nuggets squaring off in Denver. As we wait for the evening's games to tip off, here are a few updates on Western teams and players:

The Timberwolves don't intend to put in a waiver claim for Jeremy Tyler, who was released yesterday by the Hawks, but the team is still "kicking around" the idea of signing a big man to a 10-day contract, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. The Wolves have 15 players under contract, so they'd have to waive someone or get an injury exception from the NBA allowing them to add a 16th man.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban values the input of Donnie Nelson, Rick Carlisle, and other members of the organization, but as he tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com, there will never be any confusion about who has the final say on basketball decisions. "Me, because I have to write the check," Cuban said. "So it’s my ultimate judgment, not so much on which guy, but does he fit economically into the big picture?"
In an interview with Maurice Bobb of SLAM, Thomas Robinson says he felt disrespected being traded so early in his career by the Kings. However, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee (Twitter link) hears that some people around the league believe Sacramento was wise to move Robinson, who one scout says is a player with no position.
ESPN.com's Joe Kaiser doesn't see a future for Chris Kaman with the Mavericks, so he takes a shot at naming five potential offseason suitors for the free-agent-to-be, including the Trail Blazers.

Mavericks Notes: Free Agents, Bynum, Burke

March 5th, 2013 at 7:59pm CST by Alex Lee

The Mavericks, losers of four of their last five, will try to avenge Sunday's loss in Houston tomorrow night when they take on the Rockets in Dallas in the second half of a home-and-home. Let's round up all thing Mavs here on Tuesday:

The Mavericks could head into this offseason with an incredible 10 players in the final year of their contracts, reports Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. While the team is a little short on talent — at least compared to their recent history — the Mavs have flirted with playoff contention throughout the year largely due to the increased effort and efficiency of players auditioning for jobs.
Per Price's story, Darren Collison and Rodrigue Beaubois can be retained via qualifying offer. O.J. Mayo has a player option for 2013-14 which he will almost certainly not pick up given his performance this season. Finally, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand, Bernard James, Mike James, Dominique Jones, Anthony Morrow and Brandan Wright will all be unrestricted free agents unless they are re-signed. Despite Price's assessment, it appears that Bernard James has a non-guaranteed deal with Dallas next season, which still leaves the Mavs with nine players in the last year of their contracts. Should the team let James go, however, he would also become a free agent.
Kaman, who confessed to frustration with his situation within Price's story, also expressed an admiration for the organization's professionalism. Presumably following up on his story, Price tweets that Kaman said Tuesday that he hopes to have the option to return to Dallas in 2013-14. "Hopefully I'll have the option to come back here next year," Kaman said.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News took Mavericks questions from readers, hitting on several roster-related topics. Sefko compares Andrew Bynum to Dwight Howard in terms of risk, implying that if the Mavs are willing to give big money to one enigmatic and injury-prone center (Howard), they may be willing to do the same for another (Bynum).
Sefko sees Michigan's Trey Burke as a possible fit in Dallas, mainly because the NCAA Player of the Year candidate figures to be able to contribute right away. The Mavs currently hold the 12th pick in June's draft, which as of now, is likely high enough to have a good shot at Burke.
Sefko says that if the Mavs make a "big splash" this summer, it will likely be via sign-and-trade as opposed to a traditional free agent signing. In today's NBA, Sefko writes, superstars either stay put or are moved in a sign-and-trade to maximize contract dollars.