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Odds & Ends: Celtics, Rose, Paul

February 26th, 2012 at 3:09pm CST by Michael Pina

With the All-Star game taking place later tonight in Orlando, all eyes will be on the best players in the world. Next year's consensus number one overall draft pick, Anthony Davis, could participate in the game sooner than later. CBS Sports columnist Gregg Doyel wrote a piece on why Davis may be the most impactful college basketball player since Shaquille O'Neal.

Here's a look into what else is happening on the last day of All-Star weekend:

To continue a theme that's run through their organization since last year's Kendrick Perkins deal, the Celtics are in search of a big man. According to CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely, Boston should be interested in D-league center Jeff Foote, a seven-foot, 265 pound Cornell graduate. It's been reported that New Jersey and Milwaukee have also shown interest in adding Foote.
Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld talked with Chris Paul about his immediate future with the Clippers.
Derrick Rose's recent 14-year, $250MM deal with Adidas has opened speculation that the magnitude of shoe contracts could influence a player's decision regarding which market they'd like to play in. Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times says the worry is big-market teams could avoid the harsh luxury tax by paying less for players but getting help from shoe companies to draw them in.
Golden State owner Joe Lacob tells Ailene Voisin of the Sacramento Bee that he wants the Kings to stay in Sacramento.

Sam Smith on Bulls, Jackson, Mayo

February 24th, 2012 at 9:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

The basketball Hall of Fame awarded veteran Chicago beat writer Sam Smith its Curt Gowdy Media Award, along with longtime Blazers broadcaster Bill Schonely. The Hall also announced Bulls legend Chet Walker and ABA great Mel Daniels will be inducted this fall, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Reggie Miller, Maurice Cheeks, Bernard King, Ralph Sampson, Jamaal Wilkes and coaches Rick Pitino, Don Nelson, Dick Motta and Bill Fitch are finalists for induction who'll find out during college basketball's Final Four whether they'll be going in at the induction ceremony September 7th.

Fresh off the honor, Smith opened up his NBA.com mailbag and dropped a few bits of knowledge:

Derrick Rose probably wouldn't want the Bulls to acquire Pau Gasol. Smith believes the idea that Rose gave his blessing to such a trade is way off-base.
Carlos Boozer, who isn't likely to be traded and won't be amnestied anytime soon, will be in a Bulls uniform for a while, Smith says.
Even though Stephen Jackson isn't getting much run in Milwaukee, the Bucks are unlikely to buy him out.
Smith doesn't expect to see Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo, who was nearly traded to Indiana at the deadline last season, in any deals this year.
The Bulls are "thrilled" with coach Tom Thibodeau and want to keep him long-term, even though they have yet to pick up the option on his contract.

Rose Rejects ‘Trade Blessing’ Claim

February 22nd, 2012 at 7:14pm CST by Daniel Seco

When asked about a report that he gave the Bulls his blessing to pursue a trade for Lakers forward Pau Gasol, Bulls star Derrick Rose vehemently denied any involvement. The initial rumor of Rose approaching the Bulls front office about bolstering the roster for a playoff run came on Sunday from Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com. According to the article, Rose alluded to the fact that he would like to play with Gasol and hoped the organization could acquire him in exchange for Bulls forward Carlos Boozer and another unnamed player.

In a press conference before Wednesday's game against the Bucks, Rose said he would never go out of his way to try get rid of a teammate. Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times says Rose met with Boozer to discuss the report and said that his teammate understood that the rumors were untrue. "I'm good with the teammates I have," Rose said. "I've been saying that. We've been winning games. We're not in position to trade anyone right now."

A former Blue Devil, Boozer is in his second season with the Bulls and has started in all of the team's games this season. After missing time in his first year with Chicago, Boozer's improved health has led to steady production from the 10th-year veteran as he's averaging 15.6 PPG and 8.3 APG. Signed as free agent after spending time with the Cavaliers and Jazz, Boozer has $47.1MM remaining on his contract over the next three seasons.

Kyler On Rose, Gasol, Martin, Gordon

February 20th, 2012 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

As we covered this morning, Steve Kyler shared a few Dwight Howard rumors in his NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld. Here's the latest from Kyler on a few more topics:

Bulls sources vehemently denied having contact with the Lakers regarding Pau Gasol, and said Chris Sheridan's report about Derrick Rose giving his blessing for the Bulls to pursue Gasol didn't originate from Rose. Kyler himself is skeptical about the rumor, noting that it would be out of character for Rose, who has avoided recruiting players.
Replying to a question about the Rockets trading Kevin Martin, perhaps to the Timberwolves, Kyler tweets that there is "real interest." It's unclear whether he's referring to the Rockets being interested in dealing Martin or the T-Wolves being interested in acquiring him, but you could make an argument that both teams would be motivated to pursue such a deal.
The Hornets are open to moving Eric Gordon, but only if he could bring back a "legit star," tweets Kyler.

Sheridan On Gasol, Bulls

February 19th, 2012 at 7:31pm CST by Jesse Blanchard

Since the moment he was actually traded–only to later have it rescinded by David Stern–there have been many rumors on possible destinations for Los Angeles Lakers big man Pau Gasol.

Over at Sheridan Hoops, Chris Sheridan reports that Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has let his front office know that he would like to play with Gasol should the Bulls be able to build a package around Carlos Boozer and another player.

The Bulls have enviable front court depth and team chemistry, though Gasol might just be the type of player worth the risk of breaking that up. Gasol has a very versatile skill set and off the charts basketball IQ, though is being underutilized in the Lakers offense as almost exclusively a high post option when paired with Andrew Bynum and release valve for Bryant.

On paper Gasol would seem to be a perfect pairing with Joakim Noah. Unlike Bynum, Noah does not need touches to affect a game. This cedes the low block to Gasol to fully utilize his game. The intelligence and passing of both players should make for some interesting high-low passing.

Rose and Gasol would be a dynamic and intelligent pick and roll pairing, and Gasol's ability to draw and pass out of double teams would open up driving lanes for Rose.

The tandem of Gasol and Noah would upgrade an already stingy Bulls defense, consolidating Boozer's offensive game with a quality defender.

The question is why the Lakers would want to trade Gasol for a similar but lesser offensive skill set that diminishes their greatest strength, defense. The Lakers need a point guard, and while steady this season, backup C.J. Watson probably is not a significant enough upgrade at the position to warrant downgrading to Boozer.

A possibility that checks out on the ESPN Trade Machine that makes some sense is a deal sending forwards Boozer and Luol Deng for Gasol and Matt Barnes.

Sam Smith on Rose, Deng, Asik

February 10th, 2012 at 6:47pm CST by Chuck Myron

Derrick Rose, who's been nursing a sore back, is sitting out the Bulls game against the Bobcats tonight. When he's been in the lineup, Rose has been seeing heavy playing time of late, as has Luol Deng and his creaky wrist. Longtime Bulls beat writer Sam Smith of NBA.com answered questions from readers concerned with overuse. Smith says as long as a player is healthy enough to play in the game, he's healthy enough to play a full load of minutes. That's an opinion shared by Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau and, according to ESPNChicago.com, GM Gar Forman.

Here are some more highlights from Smith's piece:

The Bulls are unlikely to sign another shooting guard soon, despite the absense of Richard Hamilton. Relief could come closer to the trade deadline. J.R. Smith would not be a viable option.
The success the team's been enjoying this year runs counter to the idea that they should blow it up to acquire Dwight Howard. Smith would like for the Bulls to see how far they can go as currently constituted before making a drastic move.
Omer Asik's minutes are dwindling and he'll be a restricted free agent at the end of the year, but Smith believes there's no reason to consider trading him at this point and hurting the team's depth.
Don't expect to see Chris Kaman in a Bulls uniform anytime soon. Just as there's no need to mess with success to acquire Howard, Smith says, there's no impetus to break up the team for Kaman.

Odds & Ends: Nash, Knicks, Blake, Durant

February 8th, 2012 at 9:39pm CST by Michael Pina

The 18 rookies and sophomores who will compete in All-Star weekend's Rising Stars Challenge were announced today. Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, and John Wall will all participate in the premier event, with teams being selected by Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal on February 16th.

With a 23-point, 10-assist performance in the Knicks win over the Wizards tonight, Jeremy Lin remains one of the league's most interesting story lines, says the New York Daily News' Frank Isola. Lin will have to keep it going without teammates Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, who according to Newsday's Al Iannazzone are scheduled to miss at least two more games. Where Baron Davis fits in with all of this is anybody's guess.
ESPN recently deemed Kevin Durant as the league's best player under the age of 25. ESPNChicago.com responded by asking whether the correct answer might be Derrick Rose instead.
As reported by ESPNLA's Dave McMenamin, Laker guard Steve Blake returned to practice today and will be a game time decision for tomorrow night's showdown against the Celtics. His return would bring a calming influence to one of the league's shakier back courts. The addition would also allow rookie Andrew Goudelock to focus more on creating shots for himself as opposed to faciliating for others as the team's backup point guard.
Bob Young of the Arizona Republic presents a detailed case as to why Steve Nash deserves to be an All-Star now more than ever before. With his numbers still teetering on excellent at the age of 38, wherever Nash chooses to go after his days in Phoenix are up should shift the odds for next year's championship race.

Central Notes: Sessions, Rose, Irving, Pistons

February 8th, 2012 at 7:37pm CST by Michael Pina

Rookie sensation Kyrie Irving sustained a concussion against Miami on Tuesday, according to Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He is not playing tonight, and there's no timeline for his return. With averages of 18.0 PPG and 5.1 APG, Cleveland's point guard was seen by many as the front runner for Rookie of the Year before suffering this injury.

Here are some more stories from around the Central Division:

Before tonight's game against the Nets, Detroit head coach Lawrence Frank had nothing but good things to say about guard Walker D. Russell, according to MLive.com's David Mayo. "I think his mindset is that he doesn't want this to be for just one year," he said. "So now he just has to put forth the effort and the film work and the study to stay.” Russell's contract was guaranteed yesterday afternoon.
The Cleveland Cavaliers reportedly want a first round pick for Ramon Sessions, according to The News-Herald's Bob Finnan. With Irving out from his concussion, and there being no timetable for his return, it's likely that instead of moving him, the Cavs hang on to Sessions for the time being.
After falling to the Miami Heat in last year's Eastern Conference Finals, Derrick Rose sought the advice of former Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas, according to Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com. Rose has played through pain this season, with notable injuries to his toe and back. The two spoke about what it takes to be the premier player on your team from the point guard position.

Latest On Dwight Howard

January 30th, 2012 at 7:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

Derrick Rose would be open to having Dwight Howard join him in Chicago, as indicated by his comments to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune. Here's the latest about the Magic big man who could be on the move:

Howard and Milwaukee's Stephen Jackson have spoken with each other and like the idea of joining Deron Williams on the Nets, said ESPN's Ric Bucher via the Nets are Scorching blog.
The Magic's struggles are putting a damper on any hopes Howard might stick around, writes ESPN's John Hollinger in an Insider post.
Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel says the Magic would be better served dealing Howard right away instead of at the trade deadline.
Pat McManamon of FoxSportsOhio.com believes the drama around Howard's trade demands is affecting the team's play.