Daniel Orton Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Varejao, Harden, Chandler, Stoudemire

October 26th, 2012 at 10:10pm CST by Michael Pina

Here are a few bits of news on this Friday evening:

Hoopsworld.com's Stephen Brotherston wonders if Anderson Varejao will play center for the Cavaliers this season.
The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry tweets that he believes the chances of James Harden signing an extension with the Thunder are 0.2%.
According to the New York Daily News' Frank Isola, Amare Stoudemire is seeking a second opinion on his knee injury, and could miss as much as a month of the season.
On the other end of the spectrum, Knicks center Tyson Chandler is convinced he'll play on opening night after suffering a leg injury this week, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone.
Hornets guard Eric Gordon has spent his brief career on the sidelines with myriad of injuries. This season he looks forward to hopefully playing a full 82 games, writes Hoopsworld.com's Bill Ingram.
The Thunder have one open position left on their opening day roster, and four players—Andy Rautins, Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins, and Hollis Thompson—are fighting for it, reports The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry.

Odds & Ends: Spurs, Thunder, Cavaliers, Deng

October 25th, 2012 at 10:01pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Darnell Mayberry of NewsOK lists Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins, Andy Rautins, and Hollis Thompson as the four Thunder hopefuls looking to earn the team's final roster spot. While he believes that Liggins has the best chance considering the bulk of minutes he's played during the pre-season, Mayberry also considers Orton as a strong candidate because of his potential. He adds that a popular idea would be for Oklahoma City to waive or trade a guaranteed contract in order to keep both Liggins and Orton, although such a possibility seems unlikely at this point. With that aside, you can find more of tonight's miscellaneous links below:

Former Memphis Tiger Wesley Witherspoon believes that being around the veteran leadership in San Antonio would be a great place to start his career if he makes the team (Jason Smith of The Memphis Edge reports). On another note, Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation writes that Spurs forward Kawhi Leonard isn't worried about his pre-season shooting slump affecting his shot once the regular season starts.
Fran Blinebury of NBA.com explains why it would be prudent for Oklahoma City to wait on a possible extension for James Harden, most notably to see if he can remain healthy this season and maintain a high level of play.
Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio says that the Cavaliers are expected to send recently-signed D'Aundray Brown to the D-League, even though he would still take up a spot on the team's official season roster. He also speculates that three roster cuts are likely to be decided from a group that includes Jeremy Pargo, Kevin Jones, Luke Harangody, and Micheal Eric.
Although Luol Deng dealt with a torn ligament in his left wrist last season and ultimately decided against surgery during the summer, the Bulls forward now feels confident enough to play at a high level and said that he hasn't been feeling any pain (Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago reports).
Sean Deveney of the Sporting News explains some of the biggest responsibilities that current deputy commissioner Adam Silver will have once he is set to replace David Stern, including television contract negotiations, collective bargaining, European expansion, and development of the D-League.
Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution engaged in a Q&A with Hawks forward Josh Smith about his expectations this season and the challenges he anticipates for the team. In a separate article, Daniel Christian of Sheridan Hoops discusses five reasons to be optimistic about Atlanta this year.
Jim Eichenhofer of Hornets.com talks briefly about New Orleans' confidence in the versatility and scoring ability of Hornets rookie Austin Rivers.

Northwest Rumors: Thunder, Blazers, Batum

October 24th, 2012 at 10:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

When GMs were polled recently on their thoughts about the upcoming season, the only two teams who received consideration to win the Western Conference other than the Lakers were the Thunder and Nuggets. The nod to Oklahoma City is no surprise, but the mention of Denver might have raised a few eyebrows, since the Nuggets haven't gotten out of the first round the past three years. Nuggets coach George Karl would be pleased if his team notched 50 wins, but with Andre Iguodala on board, he believes this year's squad has a chance to break the franchise record of 54 victories, as Aaron J. Lopez of Nuggets.com writes. Here's the latest on a couple of the Nuggets' division rivals.

The Thunder have 14 players on fully guaranteed deals, and another four with partial guarantees, meaning the team will likely owe money to at least three players who don't make the team. Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman gives reasons why he believes Daniel Orton will edge out DeAndre Liggins for the final regular season spot, adding that it's a decision that may pit GM Sam Presti against coach Scott Brooks (All four Twitter links).
Mayberry also believes there's a chance the Thunder could trade Daequan Cook or Lazar Hayward to free up a spot for both Orton and Liggins, but thinks finding a taker for either would be a tough task (All Twitter links).
With Demonte Harper and Dallas Lauderdale reportedly about to be waived and sent to the D-League, Mike Tokito of The Oregonian identifies Coby Karl, Adam Morrison and Justin Holiday as other camp invitees the Blazers will probably cut.
Nicolas Batum signed for about $12MM less in his four-year deal than Eric Gordon is getting his four-year contract, but Blazers GM Neil Olshey hopes Batum can increase his scoring this year in a manner similar to 5.4 PPG jump Gordon took from his second year in the league to his third, writes Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com.

Northwest Links: Jazz, Thunder, Harden, Karl

October 17th, 2012 at 10:32pm CST by Alex Lee

In a lengthy insider piece at ESPN.com, Chad Ford explains why the Jazz placed fourth in ESPN's recent Future Power Rankings, a position that surprised even team GM Dennis Lindsey. "We are a long way from No. 4 right now," Lindsey said. "I can understand on the future ratings why there's reason to be optimistic — with the cap flexibility Kevin has created and the young players that we do have — but cap room doesn't win you games. Young players, almost by definition, don't win you games."

Regardless of whether ESPN's optimistic ranking is justified, Jazz fans certainly have reason to be excited about the future of the team. In fact, most of the teams in the Northwest have solid young cores. Let's take a look at some other links from the division:

Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman gives us his two cents on the Thunder's 15th roster spot, saying that DeAndre Liggins has been the surprise of training camp and has the inside track on the final job. Marberry says Liggins' toughness has made him stand out.
Blazers general manager Neil Olshey says that will not make a decision on whether he will the exercise options on Luke Babbitt, Nolan Smith and Elliot Williams until much closer to the October 31 deadline, tweets Chris Haynes of CSN Northwest.
Scott Brooks says that whoever plays the best will secure the Thunder's 15th roster spot, writes Royce Young of DailyThunder.com. It sounds like Brooks is comfortable enough with his top 14 to take the "best available" player that is left over. Young handicaps the potential candidates, from most to least likely: Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins, Andy Rautins, Hollis Thompson and longshot Walker Russell.
Janni Carlson of the Oklahoman opines that while signing James Harden will certainly help the Thunder now, it may hinder the team's long-term future. If the Thunder choose to sign Harden and pay the luxury tax, Carlson says, they may get burned in the same fashion as other small markets have in Minnesota, Cleveland and Sacramento.
In a lengthy feature, Candace Buckner of the Columbian highlights the relationship between George Karl and Portland head coach Terry Stotts, and how that long friendship landed Coby Karl in training camp with the Blazers.

Thunder Notes: Orton, Harden, Perkins, Thabeet

September 26th, 2012 at 1:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Thunder GM Sam Presti addressed the media in Oklahoma City earlier today at his preseason press conference. While the Thunder GM was typically evasive on issues like James Harden's contract negotiations, he shared a few notable nuggets. Here are some of the highlights, from The Oklahoman's coverage of the presser:

After making the Finals this spring, the Thunder will look to continue with the mentality and approach that got them there — thinking big and building small.
Presti on the possibility of biting the bullet and going into the luxury tax to keep the team's core together: "There are certain realities that we face, and there are some inherent challenges that we face. I don't feel comfortable talking about limitations and things that we ultimately have to decide on, but we're making a commitment to try to put a competitive team on the floor. But we have to do that right thing for the organization."
The new CBA "is what it is," and the Thunder will have to work within its confines, says Presti.
The Thunder like Daniel Orton, who signed with the team this summer. He's got a "nice edge to him," according to Presti.
Asked about Kendrick Perkins' prediction that Harden will want to sign an extension once he gets to camp, Presti stressed that he doesn't want to place expectations on specific people and predict how they're going to react.
The Thunder hope to have Perkins healthy for the first game of the regular season, but Orton, Hasheem Thabeet, and Cole Aldrich should receive plenty of preseason action while Perkins recovers from wrist and groin injuries.
Thabeet's conditioning is much improved, according to Presti.

Daniel Orton Signs With Thunder

August 4th, 2012 at 3:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder have announced the signing of center Daniel Orton, reports Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. The deal is non-guaranteed, and he's not assured of a spot on the opening night roster, meaning the move is little more than an invitation to training camp, as Mayberry writes. The contract is probably for the minimum salary. If Orton, the 29th overall pick by the Magic in 2010, doesn't make the team, he'll likely be assigned to the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder's D-League affiliate.

Orton missed his entire rookie season after undergoing arthoscopic surgery on his left knee, and appeared in just 16 regular season games last year, averaging 2.8 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11.7 minutes of play. The Magic didn't pick up his option for a third season on his rookie deal, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer. The Thunder already have the maximum 15 players on the roster, so Orton faces an uphill climb if he is to start the season in Oklahoma City. If he were to make it, the likely casualty would be Hollis Thompson, the only player on the roster whose contract isn't fully guaranteed for 2012/13.

The Thunder have kept an eye on the 6'10" Oklahoma City native, as we heard more than a month ago that he was possible target for the team.

Free Agent Rumors: Mavs, Dragic, Orton, Blazers

July 3rd, 2012 at 8:27pm CST by Luke Adams

Day 3 of NBA free agency is underway, and the July free agent period hasn't lacked for action so far. We'll use this space to track a number of updates on second- and third-tier free agents as the day continues. Here's the latest:

The Warriors, Lakers, and Bobcats are all interested in Antawn Jamison, tweets Yahoo! Sports columnist Marc J. Spears.
The Mavericks might clear cap space for next summer when Dwight Howard and Chris Paul are unrestricted free agents, tweets Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski.
Ersan Ilyasova's agent has said his client is seriously considering a "big offer" from a European club, according to HoopsHype.com.
The Timberwolves continued negotiation with Nicolas Batum, Greg Stiemsma, and Jordan Hill on Tuesday, but no deal was reached, writes TwinCities.com's Ray Richardson.

Earlier updates:

Odds & Ends: Pacers, Orton, Warriors, T-Wolves

April 22nd, 2012 at 10:09pm CST by Daniel Seco

If the Rockets beat the Hornets on Thursday, it will mark their third consecutive season of missing the playoffs while finishing with a winning record, tweets John Schuhmann of NBA.com. Let the pain of that fact sink in as we take a look around the league to catch up on the latest news and happenings.

Now that the Pacers have clinched the third seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, head coach Frank Vogel needs to figure out which players he needs to rest before likely facing the Magic in the first round, writes Conrad Brunner of Pacers.com.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel says Magic rookie Daniel Orton has taken the criticism he received from head coach Stan Van Gundy in stride as he knows he has a long way to go to becoming a contributing NBA player.
Being out of the playoff race has allowed the Warriors to experiment with different lineups and provide extensive minutes to the team's rookies, reports the Associated Press (link via the San Jose Mercury News).
Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports Luke Ridnour has joined Kevin Love on the list of Timberwolves starters who are being shut down for the remainder of the season.
Monday night's game against the Sixers marks the Nets' final game in New Jersey after 35 mostly forgettable seasons, reports the Associated Press (link via NBA.com). The team will move to Brooklyn for the 2012/2013 season where they will play in the brand-new Barclays Arena.
Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com says Sixers head coach Doug Collins wants his team to take care of business against the Nets on Monday so they no longer have to worry about the Bucks sneaking into the playoff picture.

Magic, Warriors, Hornets Discussing Ellis Deal

March 12th, 2012 at 6:13pm CST by Luke Adams

6:13pm: According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, Golden State has moved away from talks of a three-team deal that would send Monta Ellis to Orlando. In a tweet, Stein says the Warriors are far more interested in assembling a package to offer Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut. Stein went on to say that the Warriors would be unwilling to part with Ellis, even if it meant getting rid of Andris Biedrins' contract, one of the worst in the league. According to an ESPN report by both Stein and Chris Broussard, the Magic will continue to spend the next 48 hours seeking various options on how they can add an enticing player to keep Dwight Howard happy. If they can't make a splash, they'll then spend the last 24 hours before the deadline looking at all their trade options.

1:57pm: The Magic, Hornets, and Warriors are discussing a three-way trade that would send Monta Ellis to Orlando, multiple league sources tell Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com. According to Rudolph, Warriors players being discussed include Ellis, Andris Biedrins, and Dorell Wright, while Magic players mentioned include Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick, Hedo Turkoglu, Quentin Richardson, and Daniel Orton. Taking into account the Warriors' reported interest in Chris Kaman, the Hornets' involvement likely means Kaman would be going to Golden State if a deal was reached.

Although nothing is imminent, talks are ongoing, says Rudolph. I'd be surprised to see the three clubs work out an agreement, given all the moving parts involved, not to mention the presence of the league-owned Hornets — with David Stern still acting as the team's de facto owner, he'll have the opportunity to turn down any trade he doesn't feel benefits the team.

Reports in recent weeks have also indicated that the Warriors aren't looking to move Ellis unless they can acquire Dwight Howard. So it would be unexpected to see them move the Western Conference player of the week to Orlando for non-Howard assets. As Sam Amick of SI.com tweets, Joe Lacob seems unlikely to help the Magic keep Howard, since the Warriors owner covets the star center himself.

Kyler On Thunder, Howard, Crawford, Young

March 5th, 2012 at 10:27am CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld wraps up his look at trade options for all 30 NBA clubs today, running alphabetically from Oklahoma City through Washington. You can find our recaps of the first two installments in the series here and here. Now, let's round up a few of the highlights from Kyler in part three….

The Thunder aren't actively engaged in any trade talks, but if they're concerned about Thabo Sefolosha's foot injury lingering, they could look into acquiring a defensive-minded replacement.
Sources close to the Dwight Howard process say the Magic are at least 50% sure they can keep D12 around for another season, if not longer. If that's the case, a blockbuster trade involving Howard is unlikely. Orlando is working hard to acquire pieces around its star center, though the team's lack of assets is making it a challenge.
Daniel Orton is "a safe bet" to be traded by the Magic.
While the 76ers have trade chips, they're unlikely to make a move before the deadline.
The Suns would gladly move Josh Childress, Hakim Warrick, or Robin Lopez.
Kyler hears from sources close to Jamal Crawford that the Blazers guard hasn't requested a trade, but that he wouldn't be opposed to being sent to a less chaotic situation.
The Spurs haven't had "meaningful discussions" with any potential trade partners, and will probably stand pat at the deadline.
The Raptors may be active in the next ten days, but Toronto continues to turn away proposals for Andrea Bargnani.
Although the Jazz have some strong trade assets, they probably would want to include Devin Harris in any deals, which could turn off potential suitors for other players.
Having accepted a qualifying offer from the Wizards this season, Nick Young can veto any deal that sends him out of town. However, Kyler hears that Young would welcome a move.