Chris Paul Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eric Bledsoe Likely Unavailable At Deadline

January 4th, 2013 at 4:23pm CST by Luke Adams

With Chris Paul running the point in Los Angeles, backup guard Eric Bledsoe has frequently been mentioned as a potential trade candidate for the Clippers. However, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, the Clips are unlikely to consider dealing Bledsoe this season.

Stein reports that, despite optimism that Paul will sign a long-term deal this summer to remain with the Clippers, the club doesn't want to take anything for granted. If and when Paul is locked up, the team may become more open to the idea of dealing Bledsoe, but that obviously won't happen within the next few weeks, meaning Bledsoe probably won't be in play at this year's trade deadline.

External interest in Bledsoe remains high, according to Stein, which echoes what Sam Amick of USA Today wrote earlier today. Amick indicated that the Clips will receive plenty of offers on Bledsoe before February 21st, especially when veteran guard Chauncey Billups returns to the backcourt.

Assuming L.A. hangs on to Bledsoe through the season, the team may find itself faced with a smaller-scale version of Oklahoma City's James Harden predicament — Bledsoe will be eligible for an extension in the summer of 2013, but could also be an excellent trade asset if the Clips are reluctant to commit to a pricey, long-term deal for him.

Pacific Notes: Virginia Beach, Paul, World Peace

January 4th, 2013 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Pacific Division was widely expected to be a two-team race this season, and that's been the case so far, but it's the Warriors that have crashed what was supposed to be an all-L.A. party. Golden State sits just 2.5 games back of the division-leading Clippers, while the third-place Lakers are nine games back of their Staples Center rivals. Here are a few Friday morning updates out of the Pacific:

Virginia Beach mayor Will Sessoms has set a Monday deadline to reach an agreement with a professional sports team to move to the city, according to Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee. If the city hasn't signed a lease with a team, such as Sacramento's Kings, by that time, then the mayor is expected to pull the plug on Virginia Beach's arena efforts for the year. "We have a timeline that is right upon us to go to the state to ask for a substantial amount of money," Sessoms said. "We are not going to go up there and make a fool of ourselves. I need to know something by Monday."
Chris Paul tells Sam Amick of USA Today that he "never, ever" thinks about the possibility of playing with the Lakers, more than a year after David Stern vetoed a trade that would have paired CP3 with Kobe Bryant.
After indicating that he'd like to coach after his playing career ends, Metta World Peace discussed his potential coaching style with reporters, including the Kamenetzky Brothers of ESPNLosAngeles.com (YouTube link). I get the impression that the Lakers forward hasn't considered the subject extensively yet.

Sefko On Mavs, Mayo, Cuban, Deron

January 2nd, 2013 at 9:43pm CST by Sean Highkin

Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW.com answered some questions from readers on Wednesday in a live chat, and touched on a number of Mavericks topics including the team's free agency plans and possible trades. Here are the highlights:

Sefko expects the Mavericks to be in the hunt for big-name free agents such as Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, and Andrew Bynum in the summer of 2013, and the pursuit of a big name will take precedence for the front office over retaining O.J. Mayo.
Sefko trusts Mark Cuban's long-term vision for the Mavs, citing his track record of turning the team into a championship organization.
Sefko thinks the Mavericks may search for point guard help at the deadline, naming Jose Calderon, Luke Ridnour, and Rodney Stuckey as possible targets.
Sefko does not believe Rick Carlisle is on the hot seat in spite of the Mavs' recent struggles.
Losing out on Deron Williams may have been a blessing in disguise for the Mavs given Williams' struggles with the Nets this season, writes Sefko.

Trade Rumors: Gasol, Hawks, Bucks, Bobcats

December 20th, 2012 at 9:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The trade deadline is two months and one day away, and we'll be hearing a lot about trade candidates in the coming weeks. HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler provides an update on a few teams and players we're likely to hear more about soon.

While Kyler believes it's "inevitable" the Lakers will trade Pau Gasol, he doesn't think there's much of a market for him, having heard there are only three or four teams in the mix. No one is offering a "home run" deal, and trading Gasol now would mean selling low. The Lakers would like to swap Gasol for a pair of players on less lucrative deals who would be better fits, but no such deal is out there at the moment. L.A. has a full roster with 15 players, and the team would like to open up a spot. Kyler speculates that the Lakers could move Jordan Hill, Devin Ebanks, Darius Morris or Darius Johnson-Odom for a second-round pick or a backup point guard.
The Hawks want to trade some of their expiring contracts for a player who can help the team this season, but they won't make a deal unless it's an obvious win. They still want to have enough cap space to fit Dwight Howard or Chris Paul on the team, and with only about $18.5MM in commitments for next season, not including cap holds for free agents like Josh Smith, whom they're optimistic about re-signing and, according to Kyler, not planning to trade. The Hawks could probably add a player who helps now while maintaining enough flexibility this summer.
We heard yesterday that the Bucks have told Brandon Jennings they'll match any offer he'll get in restricted free agency. That makes Monta Ellis the more likely to be traded among the team's pair of backcourt aces, but Kyler hears that there are teams with interest in both. If Milwaukee elects to hang on to Jennings and Ellis, it isn't worried about losing either in free agency.
Everyone on the Bobcats is available in a trade, a source tells Kyler. That's not a shock, considering the team has lost 13 in a row, but Kyler cautions that Gerald Henderson probably won't be dealt unless it's as part of a package with others.
While the Magic are open to sending J.J. Redick away in a deal that offloads other contracts, the team doesn't want to let him go, as GM Rob Hennigan and the revamped front office has become more fond of the veteran two-guard than they were at the beginning of the season.
Kyler believes the Raptors must trade Jose Calderon to recoup value for him before he becomes a free agent next summer, and while it seems like Andrea Bargnani is headed out of Toronto, too, uncertainty about GM Bryan Colangelo's future is complicating potential deals.
If the Jazz remain in the playoff picture, a deal is less likely, but if not, Utah will look to unload one of its big men for draft picks and players on rookie contracts.

Bucher On Granger, CP3, Raptors, Cavs, McGuire

December 18th, 2012 at 4:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game is covering the Warriors these days, but the former ESPN reporter still comes across plenty of leaguewide news, as he did with his story today on the Magic, who are in no hurry to trade J.J. Redick, as Bucher reports. He shared a few more tidbits in a chat for CSNBayArea.com, and we'll round up the highlights:

The Pacers "desperately" want Paul George to emerge as their No. 1 option so they can trade Danny Granger, who's out for the first half of the season. The problem is George hasn't exactly distinguished himself as such this year. Many of his numbers are up, but that's partly because of his increased responsibilties with Granger out. George's field goal percentage is down, as are his win shares per 48 minutes, while his PER is up only slightly, to 16.7 from 16.5 last season. Granger is due about $13MM this year and $14MM for the final year of his deal in 2013/14.
Executives on teams other than the Clippers have told Bucher that Chris Paul isn't as satisfied in L.A., or playing with Blake Griffin, as he seems, though Bucher isn't sure whether the executives might be spinning that information in the hopes Paul will turn his attention elsewhere in free agency next summer.
The Raptors and Cavs are eager to make a trade, according to Bucher, who adds that he thinks at least one deal will get done either this month or next. Aside from that, most teams are playing it cool with still more than two months to go before the trade deadline.
Dominic McGuire signed with the Hornets this weekend, but Bucher says he really wanted to go back to the Warriors, for whom he played last season. Golden State, off to a 16-8 start, is content with its roster, which is at the 15-player limit.

Lawrence On Horford, Dwight, Thibodeau, Paul

December 15th, 2012 at 2:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News examines the fast starts of the Knicks, Warriors, and Hawks, but believes the script could have been drastically different for Atlanta this season. Here's a roundup of a few rumors he's sharing.

The Hawks offered up Al Horford as part of a strong push to acquire Dwight Howard in August, according to Lawrence, who notes the Hawks will have enough cap flexibility to pursue the Atlanta native when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
Tom Thibodeau and Bulls management are waging a "cold war" over the coach's heavy minutes for his starters this season, Lawrence hears. Thibodeau offered his side of the argument to reporters yesterday, as Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago documented.
Chris Paul, a free agent next summer, had been privately griping about Blake Griffin's play, but has ceased doing so amid an eight-game winning streak for the Clippers, Lawrence writes.

Atlantic Notes: D-Will, Carmelo, Nets, Lowry, 76ers

November 27th, 2012 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of Deron Williams and Carmelo Anthony matching up in Brooklyn for the first time last night, Ken Berger of CBS Sports takes a look back at the February 2011 trade deadline. Nets general manager Billy King believed he had a chance to acquire Anthony right up until the moment he got the call saying Carmelo had been sent to the Knicks, says Berger. The CBS scribe speculates that, if things played out a little differently at the '11 deadline, Anthony and Williams could still be cross-town rivals now, with 'Melo in Brooklyn and D-Will in Manhattan.

Here are a few more items of interest from around the Atlantic:

Also from Berger's piece, King spoke about his three top targets when he assumed the role of Nets GM: "I got the job and I knew there was… the potential for three guys to be available. I made a run at Chris [Paul], [the Hornets] said no right away, and then I made the run at Carmelo. I figured if I got him, then I could go after Deron as a free agent. Really, I was getting Carmelo to get Deron."
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, while King was "privately maligned" by rival GMs for the March 2012 trade that sent out a lottery pick for Gerald Wallace, the Nets GM recognized that Williams needed a veteran addition to help him get through the final few months before free agency.
The Raptors love the toughness and swagger of new point guard Kyle Lowry, and would like those traits to be part of the team's identity, says Doug Smith of the Toronto Star.
Despite Andrew Bynum's injury woes, the Sixers are better off having made the blockbuster deal that brought him to Philadelphia, argues Danny Pommells of CSNPhilly.com.
With the Mavericks set to play in Philadelphia tonight, Elton Brand will get a chance to see family in the area and to reunite with his old head coach Doug Collins, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes.
Speaking to Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld, Jeff Green says it was a "no-brainer" to sign with the Celtics this offseason.

Odds & Ends: Bledsoe, Paul, McDyess, Pacers

November 4th, 2012 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

HoopsWorld's Eric Pincus examines the depth of the Clippers, and says that the team has received numerous inquiries about reserve point guard Eric Bledsoe. The Clippers won't consider moving Bledsoe until they sign Chris Paul to a long-term contract, Pincus hears, adding that most executives expect Paul, an unrestricted free agent next summer, to stay with the team. There's plenty of other news from around the Association on the first weekend of the regular season, so let's dive right in.

We heard yesterday that Antonio McDyess is considering a comeback, but he has no interest in joining the Wolves, tweets Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News.
In his third season, Lance Stephenson is finally making an impact for the Pacers as he receives minutes for the injured Danny Granger, writes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com. Montieth adds that Granger, who's out indefinitely, could face surgery on his sore left knee.
Matt Steinmetz of CSNBayArea.com examines the options for the Warriors in the wake of Brandon Rush's season-ending injury, and mentions Mickael Pietrus, Maurice Evans, Josh Howard and Kenyon Martin as "free agent names arising" in case the team goes looking for a replacement.
C.J. Watson drew interest from other teams that could have offered more money, but he decided to sign with the Nets on a minimum-salary deal instead, notes Brett Cyrgalis of the New York Post.
Jeff Teague is using the Hawks' decision not to extend his rookie-scale contract this week as motivation, but he isn't upset with the team, the point guard tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld.
In the same piece, Greene also checks in with Rockets swingman Daequan Cook, who's looking to prove his worth as a teammate after his inclusion in the James Harden trade caught him off guard.
Neil Olshey took the Blazers' offer to become GM after owner Paul Allen put it on the table with the condition that Olshey was not to give the Clippers a chance to match, writes Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times.
Trey Johnson, who spent 11 games with the Hornets last year, was close to signing with Angelico Biella, but it appears the deal is falling apart, Sportando's Emiliano Carchia reports.

Odds & Ends: Paul, Mavs, Curry, DeRozan

November 2nd, 2012 at 4:48pm CST by Luke Adams

We've got a busy NBA slate lined up for tonight, with the Knicks, Timberwolves, and Hawks among the teams opening up their seasons at home. As we look forward to a 12-game evening, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the league:

Despite receiving some criticism for giving Chris Paul too much power in the Clippers' decision-making, GM Gary Sacks tells Sam Amick of USA Today he has no problem with listening to "the guy with the highest IQ in the NBA, maybe."
Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com examines whether Mark Cuban will be able to rebuild the Mavericks without bottoming out.
We heard this morning that Eddy Curry will be waived by the Mavericks, and according to Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld, a number of teams have already reached out to Curry's camp. The big center figures to join another club soon, says Ingram.
Grantland's Zach Lowe calls DeMar DeRozan's extension a bad contract, but not a catastrophic one. Lowe prefers the deals signed by Jrue Holiday and Taj Gibson to DeRozan's.
Responding to the criticism DeRozan's extension has received, Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo defended the team's decision, as Eric Koreen of the National Post transcribes.
Sam Smith's latest mailbag at Bulls.com features discussion on the James Harden trade, Quentin Richardson, and potential Bulls targets.
A federal court judge has dismissed the claims that agency Priority Sports & Entertainment filed against NBA agent and former Priority employee Aaron Mintz, according to Liz Mullen of the SportsBusiness Journal.

Paul, Howard Not Planning To Play Together

November 1st, 2012 at 6:55pm CST by Zachary Links

Just over a year ago, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard hoped to formulate a plan to team up and form one of the NBA’s most formidable cores. While the two are both playing in the same city and in the final year of their respective contracts, both say that they won’t try to pair up as free agents this summer, writes Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports.

Starting in 2009, the two began talking regularly and trying to figure out a way to play together. Howard tried to convince Paul to come to the Magic while the guard tried to lure Howard to the Hornets. When they couldn’t come to an agreement, they considered looking for a common destination. Sources close to both players said that destination was Dallas, knowing that owner Mark Cuban could clear cap space for them. The Mavericks tried to trade for both players, but didn’t have enough assets to pull it off.

Paul was willing to opt out of his deal last year with the Clippers in order to join the Mavs, provided that Howard would also commit. When that didn’t happen, Paul chose to stay put in Los Angeles, not unlike fellow star guard Deron Williams in Brooklyn. Whether Paul makes a long-term commitment to his club like Williams remains to be seen, but he doesn’t envision going to a cap-rich club like the Mavs or Hawks with Howard this summer:

“He’s on the other side. I don’t worry about that.“