Gerald Wallace Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Rumors: Lowry, Wallace, Stoudemire

November 6th, 2013 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Kyle Lowry is in the last year of his contract with the Raptors, meaning he’ll likely be the subject of a few trade rumors this season. And whether or not he’s dealt, he’s poised to hit unrestricted free agency for the first time in his career next summer. As he tells Lang Greene of HoopsWorld though, he’s not letting his contract status become a distraction.

“It’s one of those things where it’s like when you’re in college and they say that you could be a draft pick,” Lowry said. “If you start thinking about it too much, you’ll play bad. So right now, I’m in a mode where I can’t think about the future. I have to think about the present and what’s happening right now.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

The Celtics have tried to discuss Gerald Wallace in trades, but given the three years and $30MM+ remaining on his deal, the team’s options are limited, says Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. In the meantime, Wallace continues to try to adjust to a new situation and establish a role in Boston.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News thinks the Knicks will try to convince Amar’e Stoudemire to end his career before his inflated contract expires in 2015, but he can’t see Stoudemire agreeing to call it quits (Twitter link).
With Tyson Chandler‘s status uncertain and Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin both considered ongoing injury risks, the Knicks‘ need to re-sign Jeremy Tyler has “grown mightily,” writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Erie BayHawks acquired Tyler earlier this week, allowing the big man to rehab with the Knicks’ D-League affiliate.
Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com is certain that Brad Stevens made the right call to take the Celtics job, since at worst he’ll have the $22MM from his six-year contract and the chance to either take another NBA job or a head coaching position at a college with a higher profile than Butler.
The Sixers will hire Rod Baker to coach their D-League affiliate, the Delaware 87ers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). Baker, who had been working as an assistant for the Bakersfield Jam, has extensive coaching experience in the PBL, ABA, and NCAA.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Odds & Ends: Hayward, Jazz, Nash

November 3rd, 2013 at 10:12pm CST by Ryan Raroque

While the Jazz and Gordon Hayward fell short of agreeing on a contract extension last week, both Hayward and the franchise are still interested in getting something done eventually. Hayward told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: “(Not reaching an agreement) in no way changes the way I feel about Utah at all…I love being here. I love playing for them…Hopefully (an extension) will get worked out next summer.”

Utah GM Dennis Lindsey had this to say about Hayward’s agent Mark Bartelstein and future negotiations: “Mark’s been one of the best agents in the business because he negotiates hard. He was fair. He played by the rules. He’ll continue to play by the rules. We’ll be fair as well, and we’ll come back and start talking in July…Just because (Hayward) said no to our last offer, his character hasn’t changed. He is an outstanding person…He’s someone we can see being in a Utah Jazz jersey until he retires. That’s our hope. We think we’re great fits.”

We have a handful of miscellaneous news and notes to pass along tonight, and you can read them below:

ESPN LA’s Arash Markazi weighed in on some of the rumblings which suggest that Steve Nash could eventually wind up in Toronto, saying that a deal between the Raptors and Lakers makes sense but isn’t sure if something gets done. Markazi opines that L.A. would like to clear Nash’s salary off their books while the Raptors would enjoy increased ticket sales by bringing the Canadian legend back to his home country (All Twitter links).
Alex Kennedy of Hoopsworld tweeted a list of players who may be traded this season, including: Omer Asik, Jameer Nelson, Arron Afflalo, Glen Davis, Evan Turner, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Bass, and Gerald Wallace.
Kennedy also shared what 76ers rookie Michael Carter-Williams told him about his chances on winning the Rookie of the Year Award: “I think I have a pretty good chance at it. I’m just going to go out there, play my game and hope for the best” (Twitter link).
Entering tonight’s game with a record of 1-2 before their win against the Wizards, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade acknowledged that some minor chemistry issues are affecting the team (Michael Wallace of ESPN.com). More specifically, Wade had this to say: “Let me give you an example…If you’re in a relationship with a woman for a long time, you start getting comfortable. You stop doing the little things that you should do, that you did in the beginning. It’s just like a relationship. We got a little comfortable. Now we have to get back on that edge a little bit.”
Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes that Knicks forwards Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin will have their own individualized schedules as far as playing or sitting out games, a decision meant to preserve the health of both in the long run.
Mavericks point man Jose Calderon appears to be regaining his groove after a sluggish start to the season, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram.

Atlantic Notes: Mills, Knicks, Wallace

October 16th, 2013 at 8:16pm CST by Michael Pina

A few notes from around the Atlantic Division.

According to the New York Daily News’ Stefan Bondy, Celtics forward Gerald Wallace feels like he’s Brooklyn’s scapegoat, after the team used him and his contract to acquire Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry.
KnicksJournal.com’s Keith Schlosser takes a look at new Knicks general manager Steve Mills, who surprisingly replaced Glen Grunwald in the position last month.
ESPNNewYork’s Ian Begley analyzes Carmelo Anthony‘s comments from earlier today regarding his desire to become a free agent after the season.

Atlantic Notes: Celts, Nets, Smith, Buycks, Raptors

October 15th, 2013 at 6:30pm CST by Alex Lee

The Celtics are in Brooklyn tonight to take on the Nets and there is already word that Paul Pierce has made his way into the visiting locker room to greet his old teammates, thanks to Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston (via Twitter). Let’s take a look at some of the rumblings out of the Atlantic division, including a couple of new nuggets about the deal that sent Pierce and Kevin Garnett south to the rival Nets:

Details about one of the summer’s biggest trades are still trickling out, as Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes that no one took being traded to the Celtics harder than Gerald Wallace. Meanwhile, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports (via Twitter) that Reggie Evans was never a part of the Nets‘ outgoing package, and that MarShon Brooks had conveyed a desire to be moved prior to the deal.
While most non-guaranteed contracts don’t become fully guaranteed until January, Chris Smith would be assured a full-season salary if he makes the Knicks‘ opening night roster, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN New York. We outlined when the non-guaranteed deals of Smith (October 29th) and other minimum-salary players will become guaranteed here.
Grabbing Dwight Buycks was a steal for the Raptors according to head coach Dwane Casey, who said that the point guard is better than any of the guards taken in the late first or second rounds of June’s NBA Draft, tweets Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Toronto added Byucks, a Marquette product, as a free agent in July and guaranteed him $700K after he spent the last two seasons playing in the France, Belgium and the D-League.
Casey expects Buycks to compete with D.J. Augustin for the team’s back-up point guard position and also get time off the ball as well. The Raptors didn’t have a draft pick in June, but Wolstat says they tried aggressively to move into the late lottery to take Greek phenom Giannis Antetokounmpo. (via Twitter)

Odds & Ends: Brooks, Evans, Wallace, Clippers

September 30th, 2013 at 11:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

MarShon Brooks requested a trade from the Nets last spring, a source tells Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, and the team accomodated him, throwing him into the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett blockbuster in place of Reggie Evans, who was in an early version of the deal. The result pleased Evans and Garnett, who said the Nets' decision to keep their rebounder extraordinaire was even more important than landing free agent Andrei Kirilenko. There's still more fallout from that Nets-Celtics trade as training camps open around the Association:

Gerald Wallace admits he was "in shock" when he found out Brooklyn traded him to the Celtics, but he's pleased to be in Boston and says he's OK with spending the twilight of his career on a team that isn't a title contender, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com.
Brandon Davies, whose contract is partially guaranteed for $50K, and Lou Amundson, who's on a non-guaranteed deal, are the Clippers training camp invitees most likely to make the opening-night roster, a source tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).
The Clippers announced a number of front office moves today, and added Brendan O'Conner to the coaching staff, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (on Sulia).
Suns center Channing Frye missed all of 2012/13 with a heart ailment, but with training camp ushering in the final season of his contract, the sharpshooter has been medically cleared to play, as Matt Petersen of Suns.com details.
Manu Ginobili wasn't sure the Spurs wanted him back when he hit free agency this summer, but a brief meeting with GM R.C. Buford convinced the veteran swingman that the team still values him highly, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
John Salmons didn't enter the offseason expecting that he'd remain with the Kings, but he says team officials assured him over the summer that he's still in their plans, as Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee notes via Twitter.

New York Notes: Lopez, Johnson, Garnett

July 27th, 2013 at 9:50pm CST by Spencer Lund

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News says the Eastern Conference has returned to its most competitive since the 1990s (Twitter link). But whereas the Heat have LeBron James, the Bulls get back Derrick Rose and the Pacers have improved, neither New York Team – the Knicks, or the Nets – had the "backbone" for the playoffs last year.

The only difference between the two New York teams is the Nets had “surgery” this summer (Twitter link), adding Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce without giving up any of their core players – save an unproductive Gerald Wallace - in an offseason splurge that also saw them sign Andrei Kirilenko.

The Nets are coming off a tough season that ended with a game 7 loss at home to the Bulls in the first round. Bondy mentions, via Twitter, that some players were partying at the 40/40 club the same night of the loss. Garnett's presence changes the culture that would allow that sort of behavior following an elimination defeat.

Pierce and Garnett's former coach, Doc Rivers, agreed about KG changing the culture in Brooklyn when he spoke to the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. But there are some players who might not gel with Garnett's brand of basketball intensity.

Bondy mentions that Brook Lopez took the game 7 loss the hardest out of anyone else on the team (Twitter), which could mean a good partnership with Garnett returning to his more comfortable position at power forward and with Brook on the block.
If Lopez's foot can stay healthy, he might have a real future, but Bondy is concerned about where Joe Johnson fits in with this new team led by the experienced former Celtics (Twitter).
Lopez's toughness shouldn't be an issue now, and Bondy tweets that the seven-footer turned a corner last season; the only real question that remains is whether the foot is fully healed.
The game 7 loss by the Nets was so brutal because it was at home and there were such high hopes for the Nets during their inaugural season at the Barclay's Center. Bondy singled out Johnson for the 40/40 Club visit over Twitter, saying that it was not the best night to go party. It's Johnson's demeanor that could clash with the win-at-all-costs mantra of Garnett.

Atlantic Notes: Humphries, Wallace, Peace, Nets

July 13th, 2013 at 11:20am CST by Zachary Links

Yesterday, the Nets and Celtics officially completed the nine-player swap that will send Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the land of the hipsters. However, two of the players shipped to Boston may not be long for the C's. A source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that the club may look to flip Kris Humphries and Gerald Wallace. Humphries, who is coming off of a rough 2012/13 season, makes $12MM in the final year of his deal. Wallace, meanwhile, makes more than $30MM over the next three seasons and moving that contract won't be easy by any means. Here's more out of the Atlantic..

Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni thinks that the recently amnestied Metta World Peace would be a good fit for the Knicks, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. D'Antoni went on to say that amnestying him was purely about finances and had nothing to do with character.
Not a huge surprise, but Nets General Manager Billy King confirmed that owner Mikhail Prokhorov reached out to Andrei Kirilenko by telephone before he signed, tweets Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press. Kirilenko shocked everyone when he agreed to sign with the Nets for the $3.1MM mini-mid level exception earlier this week.
With speculation that the Nets made an under-the-table agreement with Kirilenko, they are now the bad guys of the NBA, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Celtics, Nets Officially Complete Trade

July 12th, 2013 at 1:07pm CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics and Nets have officially completed the trade that will send Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn, the teams announced today in a pair of press releases.

"Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets," said Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov in Brooklyn's statement. "With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance on our roster between veteran stars and young talents. This team will be dazzling to watch, and tough to compete against."

The Nets receive Garnett, Pierce, Jason Terry, and D.J. White in the deal, while the Celtics receive Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, and Keith Bogans (signed-and-traded), along with 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks. The '14 pick will be the Hawks' or Nets' selection, whichever is worse. The '16 and '18 picks are unprotected. The Celtics also have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2017.

The deal couldn't be formally finalized until today because Joseph wasn't eligible to be traded within three months of signing with the Celtics on April 12th.

For more details on the swap, check out our initial post on the agreement.

Nets To Acquire Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce

June 30th, 2013 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

SUNDAY, 12:52pm: The trade can't be made official until July 12th because of a hang-up related to Kris Joseph, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Players typically can't be traded within three months of signing a free agent contract, and Joseph signed with the Nets on April 12th, so presumably that's the reasoning.

FRIDAY, 9:11am: Chris Broussard of ESPN.com has the full breakdown of the trade, via Twitter:

The Nets will receive Garnett, Pierce, and Terry. The Celtics will receive Humphries, Wallace, Brooks, Joseph, Bogans, and 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks. The '14 pick will be the Hawks or Nets selection, whichever is worse. The '16 and '18 picks will be unprotected. The Celtics also have the ability to swap first-rounders with Brooklyn in 2017.

Based on these pieces, Bogans figures to get a 2013/14 salary of more than $2MM in the sign-and-trade part of the deal, by my math, which works out nicely for him.

7:41am: According to Josh Newman of SNYNets.com, Evans has been informed he won't be included in the deal, but MarShon Brooks will be sent to the Celtics instead. Because Brooks' salary is smaller than Evans, that would mean a larger starting salary for Bogans in the sign-and-trade portion of the deal, unless Shengelia is involved in the final agreement.

Meanwhile, Wojnarowski reports (via Twitter) that Nets GM Billy King, head coach Jason Kidd, and point guard Deron Williams all reached out during the draft to pitch him on the trade.

FRIDAY, 12:53am: Because Bogans needs to be signed-and-traded, no deal between Brooklyn and Boston can be made official until July 10th, but the agreement appears on track to be approved by all involved parties.

By my math, if Shengelia is not in the trade, Bogans will need to be signed to a starting salary of $1,731,294 in order for the Nets to send out as much outgoing money as the CBA requires for Garnett, Pierce, and Terry.

THURSDAY, 10:20pm: Kris Joseph will be included in the deal, heading to Boston, and the Celtics will also have the option to swap 2017 first-round picks with Brooklyn, tweets Wojnarowski. Joseph's contract is non-guaranteed, so the C's could waive him after acquiring him if they so choose.

10:10pm: Shengelia is not part of the latest version of this deal, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). I'll have to double-check the math, but I believe the Nets would need to include at least one more player to make the salaries work if they're taking on Terry as well.

9:58pm: Kevin Garnett will agree to waive his no-trade clause to accommodate a deal that will send him and Paul Pierce to the Nets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter). As part of the agreement, Brooklyn will guarantee KG's full salary for 2014/15, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Garnett's $12MM salary for that season had only be guaranteed for $6MM up until this point.

It's not entirely clear which players will be involved in the deal, but it looks like Jason Terry will be headed to the Nets along with Garnett and Pierce. Boston is expected to acquire Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, Keith Bogans (via sign-and-trade), Reggie Evans, and Tornike Shengelia. The Celtics will also receive 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks, with no protection on the '16 or '18 selections, according to today's earlier reports.

Due to all the moving pieces involved, the two sides won't be able to formally complete the deal until July 10th, when the July moratorium lifts. When it becomes official, it will mark the next step in a full-scale rebuilding process for the Celtics, who also allowed Doc Rivers to join the Clippers in exchange for a 2015 first-round pick.

Nets, Celtics Discussing KG/Pierce Deal

June 27th, 2013 at 5:45pm CST by Zachary Links

5:45pm: Although the two teams would like to resolve the situation soon, Garnett "doesn't want to be pressured into a quick decision," a source tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

5:28pm: Boston Globe scribes Baxter Holmes and Gary Washburn are both reporting (via Twitter) that the deal appears close, pending Garnett's decision. Meanwhile, Howard Beck of the New York Times tweets that the '16 and '18 first-rounders in the proposed swap would be unprotected.

5:22pm: A source tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that KG is expected to touch base with Pierce before making a decision on whether or not to waive his no-trade clause (Twitter link).

4:45pm: The proposed deal has been presented to Garnett to waive his no-trade clause, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). While the move couldn't be finalized until July 10th, the Nets and Clippers are hoping to reach an agreement in principle well before then, tweets Stein.

4:29pm: If a deal was to be made, the first-rounders going from the Nets to the Celtics would be Brooklyn's 2014, 2016, and 2018 picks, tweets Wojnarowski.

4:19pm: No agreement is expected to be reached tonight, but the talks definitely have momentum, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter).

4:12pm: The talks between the Nets and Celtics have now reached the ownership level, according to Wojnarowski, who says that Jason Terry has joined Garnett and Pierce as part of the package (Twitter link). On the other side, the Nets would include Reggie Evans, Keith Bogans (via sign-and-trade), and one more minimum-salary player, tweets Wojnarowski.