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Eastern Notes: Dudley, Monroe, Fisher

March 30th, 2015 at 10:04am CST by Chuck Myron

Jared Dudley didn’t really want to play for the Bucks after the Clippers traded him to Milwaukee this summer, but his new team’s training staff, Jason Kidd‘s coaching style, and Milwaukee’s competitiveness helped convince him otherwise, as Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details. Dudley has a $4.25MM early termination option for next season, and while he hasn’t said what he’ll do with that, he told Nickel that he’d like a long-term deal with the Bucks and that he’s willing to take a discount to sign one, citing Kidd as his top reason why. Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Greg Monroe believes former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars deserves another chance to run a team, as Terry Foster of The Detroit News relays. Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher wrote in January that Pelicans owner Tom Benson had some interest in Dumars, and Monroe, soon to be an unrestricted free agent, is a New Orleans native. “I mean, yeah,” Monroe said when asked if Dumars should have another shot at team building. “He put together a championship team. Obviously he knows what it takes to get it done. For a stretch he had one of the most successful teams in the league. Obviously he is good at that job. I don’t see how that would be a problem to get back.”
Derek Fisher says he doesn’t have regrets about taking on the Knicks coaching job even with the team in possession of the league’s worst record and added that he talks daily with team president Phil Jackson, notes Peter Botte of the New York Daily News. Coaching colleagues, like Tom Thibodeau, have no shortage of praise for Fisher, Botte adds.
Clippers coach/executive Doc Rivers believes the Celtics almost had to trade Rajon Rondo this season with his contract running out this summer, as he told reporters, including Brian Robb of Boston.com. Rivers said a rebuilding team like the Celtics, whom he used to coach, can’t afford to risk that a soon-to-be free agent walks and added that he believes Rondo, and not the Celtics front office, was the catalyst for the move, as Robb passes along.

And-Ones: Monroe, World Peace, Nelson

March 22nd, 2015 at 8:38pm CST by Will Joseph

Citing the Celtics’ need for a “true, low post scoring threat,” Greg Monroe, who will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, would be a good fit in Boston, Jackie MacMullan of Comcast SportsNet opines (video link). The Pistons big man is averaging 16 PPG and 10.4 rebounds this season. Only 24, Monroe is expected to receive plenty of interest from potential suitors this summer.

“I think he will fit in with anyone’s style of play,” MacMullan said. “I know the Detroit Pistons will do everything they can to keep him. Imagine Greg Monroe on one block, Jared Sullinger on the other and all those perimeter players you have. Who wouldn’t like that?”

Here’s more from around the world of basketball:

The head coach of the Italian league team Metta World Peace will reportedly sign with confirmed that the team has been in talks with the former NBA player, Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia relays. “We are talking with Metta World Peace but we have not signed him yet. I did not read what media said. We are talking with a few players and he is one of them. He can bring us experience and also a lot of curiosity around his name. On Monday our GM will sign a player: it could be Metta World Peace or another one,” said Acqua Vitasnella Cantù coach Stefano Sacripanti, according to the report. World Peace last played in the NBA with the Knicks in 2013/14.
Jameer Nelson, who has a player option on his contract with the Nuggets for next season, said he still feels a strong attachment to Orlando, though he added he has moved on, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Nelson, 33, spent his first 10 seasons in the league with the Magic. “My heart is still here for sure,” Nelson said in reference to Orlando.

And-Ones: Lottery, Monroe, Harris

March 20th, 2015 at 4:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said changes to the draft lottery favored by the majority of teams will likely be postponed because the NBA Players Association recently turned down the league’s smoothing proposal regarding salary-cap increases, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. The dramatic increase in the salary cap from $63MM to an estimated $90MM during the summer of 2016 makes changes to the lottery system unfeasible, Silver told Houston-based reporters on Thursday. “What I am hearing from some of the general managers in the league is that because it’s unclear how the cap will operate with a massive amount of cap room in ’16 and ’17 and potentially in the year after that it may be premature to change the lottery until we have a better understanding of what the changed behavior will be, so it’s something we are going to continue to look at,” Silver said.

In other news around the league:

The Pistons are unlikely to sign and trade Greg Monroe this summer, David Mayo of MLive.com opines. Mayo doubts that any team interested in signing Monroe, who becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer, would give up anything of value for him. The Pistons would probably have to take back a bad contract to execute such a deal, which makes it unwise for them to make such a move, Mayo continues. The only party who would truly benefit from a sign-and-trade deal would be Monroe, who could get a bigger contract without having to return to Detroit, Mayo concludes.
Dirk Nowitzki is averaging 20.3 points on 52.4% shooting from the field for the Mavericks over the last three games and a less taxing schedule is the primary reason for the veteran forward’s recent outburst, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Nowitzki said to the team’s beat writers that longer stretches in-between games has made him feel fresher, “Going into the break, I think we had the most games in the league,” Nowitzki said. “Then coming out of the break, we had the shortest break and then we had five games in seven days. A brutal stretch for us, but finally it slowed down a little bit. It allowed us to get a little healthy, mix in some good rest with good work. I think it helped us and helped me.”
The Cavaliers assigned guard Joe Harris to their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, Cleveland GM David Griffin announced Friday on the team’s official website. Harris has appeared in 47 games with the Cavs this season, averaging 2.5 points in 9.2 minutes per game. He has played in seven games for the Charge, averaging 17.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 32.3 minutes per game.

Central Notes: Carter-Williams, Jackson, Monroe

March 6th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Zachary Links

Greg Monroe is expected to garner max salary contract offers this summer when he becomes an unrestricted free agent, but that doesn’t mean the Pistons‘ big man will ink a long-term deal David Mayo of MLive.com writes. With the salary cap expected to jump significantly in 2016, courtesy of the league’s new television deal, Monroe could elect to sign a deal with an opt-out clause for the second year, which would allow him to sign a much more lucrative deal, Mayo notes.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

David Thorpe of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) wonders if newly-acquired Bucks guard Michael Carter-Williams has enough upside to turn into a guard similar to his head coach Jason Kidd. Like Kidd, MCW brings a lot to the table, but leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to his shooting. Kidd didn’t have much of a jumper to start his career, but he went on to have 12 seasons of shooting 34% or better from downtown. The Sixers, he writes, clearly didn’t see Carter-Williams figuring out his shot.
While Pistons coach/exec Stan Van Gundy is certain that having Reggie Jackson for the long haul makes his team better, he’s also optimistic that the February deal will pay dividends in the short term, Keith Langlois of NBA.com writes. SVG also explained that even though he was high on Jackson, he was prepared to walk away if the bidding got out of hand. “We were aware of (other teams involved), but it didn’t matter to us. We knew what our interest was in him. That’s what mattered. And we knew what the parameters of a deal would be,” Van Gundy explained. “As much as we liked him, we weren’t going to give up a first-round pick – that was our sticking point. As much as we liked him, we wouldn’t have done that.”
The Bucks‘ playoff hopes are in jeopardy after their deadline shakeup, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal-Sentinel writes. Milwaukee went 0-4 on their West Coast trip and they’ll try to get back in the win column against the Wizards on Saturday night.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Kyler’s Latest: Love, Monroe, Gasol, Leonard

March 3rd, 2015 at 10:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The trade deadline is in the past and the focus is shifting to the draft and this year’s class of free agents. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders takes a broad look at free agency for the summer ahead, passing along a number of noteworthy tidbits from his conversations around the league. His entire NBA AM piece is worth a read as he examines the outlook for several teams, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

The Celtics are planning to target marquee free agents this summer, with Kevin Love atop their list, followed by Greg Monroe, Kyler writes. Marc Gasol and restricted free agents Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler are others in Boston’s sights, sources tell Kyler. It appears the Celtics will look to re-sign Brandon Bass to a salary lower than the $6.9MM he’s making this season, Kyler suggests, also indicating a likelihood that the Celtics renounce Jonas Jerebko‘s rights. That wouldn’t preclude a new deal with Jerebko, something that Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald reported earlier that the Celtics would like, though it does indicate that the C’s aim to open cap space. That’s a path of questionable merit, as I examined.
There’s a “sense” that the Sixers will make a play for Monroe, too, as well as Butler, Tobias Harris and Reggie Jackson, according to Kyler.
Monroe, Love and Rajon Rondo are at least willing to meet with the Lakers this summer, Kyler hears, though Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge are long shots for the team, the Basketball Insiders scribe cautions. Still, chatter is connecting the Lakers to just about every would-be free agent, including Jackson and Brandon Knight.
It’s unlikely that Rondo gets a full maximum-salary deal in free agency this summer, league sources tell Kyler, who surmises that teams would float short-term max offers instead. A full max from the Mavs would entail a five-year deal with 7.5% raises, while other teams can offer four years and 4.5% raises.
Sources also tell Kyler that they believe Monta Ellis will opt out this summer, which is no surprise given his level of play and the $8.72MM value of his player option.
Kyler also gets the sense that Paul Millsap is content with the Hawks and would like to stay for the long term, though it appears Atlanta is eyeing an upgrade at DeMarre Carroll‘s small forward position.
The Spurs will make Gasol their top free agent priority this summer, Kyler writes, though the team will have trouble signing him if Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili return at salaries comparable to the ones they’re making. In any case, San Antonio was believed to be the team with the most interest in Monroe last summer, Kyler adds.

Central Notes: Monroe, Pistons, Rose

March 1st, 2015 at 8:42pm CST by Zachary Links

After getting kicked below the belt by James Harden, LeBron James is predictably none too pleased with the Rockets guard. “Obviously that’s not a basketball play,” the Cavs star said, according to Joe Vardon of The Plain Dealer. “Obviously the league will probably take a look at it. I have no idea why he would do that, but you know, just two competitors trying to go at it and he won this one.” Ultimately, it was the Rockets that won the game, 105-103 in overtime. Here’s more from the Central Division..

When asked if client Greg Monroe will consider the Pistons in free agency, agent David Falk responded, “absolutely, absolutely,” David Mayo of MLive.com writes. Meanwhile, he says that he hasn’t talked free agency with Monroe and only knows that finding the best fit will be the highest consideration. “Only the media discuss this kind of stuff during the season,” he said. “I don’t ever sit down game to game and take his temperature. It’s like the playoffs — the only thing that matters is where is his head at on July 1? We’ve got a long ways to go before we get there. It’s all speculation and he can change his mind 20 times between now and then. So I leave him alone. There’ll be a time for discussion and that time is not now.”
Pistons coach/exec Stan Van Gundy believes in stats and wants to beef up the team’s analytics staff, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. The Pistons were represented by four front-office members at the weekend’s Sloan Sports Analytics Conference and SVG was a guest in previous years when he was between coaching jobs.
Just one day after having a meniscectomy to repair a torn medial meniscus in his right knee, Derrick Rose was back at the Bulls‘ training facility on Saturday beginning his rehab process, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. Rose is expected back on the floor within four-to-six weeks.

Central Notes: Monroe, LeBron, Haywood, Allen

February 13th, 2015 at 2:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Stan Van Gundy insists that the Pistons won’t trade Greg Monroe, citing his hope that the big man will re-sign this summer as well as the team’s playoff chase, as Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News observes. Monroe has a de facto no-trade clause and agent David Falk has said he doesn’t want to be dealt.

“It’s not gonna happen,” Van Gundy said. “I don’t know where Greg’s head will be in the offseason, but we’re still hopeful of Greg Monroe for the long term. And with him going into free agency, you won’t get a lot, maybe a pick. I’m not gonna walk in that locker room and give up a piece like that and then tell the guys we’re trying to make the playoffs. They deserve the chance to ride this out. You never say never to anything, but I can tell you about 99.9%, Greg Monroe’s not going anywhere.”

The Lakers reportedly asked the Pistons about Monroe earlier this month, but it seems like their chance to nab him won’t come until the summer, when he’ll be an unrestricted free agent. There’s more on the Pistons amid the latest from around the Central Division:

Van Gundy also said that he won’t trade a first-round pick but is willing to take on a short-term salary dump from another team, Wojnowski notes in the same piece.
LeBron James expressed fondness for Madison Square Garden today while speaking to reporters for All-Star weekend, as Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com relays (Twitter link). Still, it’d be a stretch to suggest that the Cavs star, who has a player option for next season, has any interest in playing for the Knicks. “If I could have 82 regular season games anywhere they’d be at Madison Square Garden, because it’s the mecca of basketball,” James said.
The Cavs believe Brendan Haywood is “done” as an on-court contributor, as Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal writes in his Final Thoughts column. Of course, Haywood continues to have value thanks to his unique contract, and the Cavs are reportedly shopping him in advance of the deadline.
The Bulls seem like a less likely contender for Ray Allen than they had been, as Sam Smith of Bulls.com opines in his latest mailbag column.

Knicks To Pursue Jackson, Butler, Matthews

February 10th, 2015 at 11:24am CST by Chuck Myron

The Knicks plan to target Reggie Jackson, Jimmy Butler and Wesley Matthews, among others, this summer, league sources tell Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops. Scotto also hears the team will go after Greg Monroe, echoing an earlier report. A pursuit of Matthews would be contingent on the team missing out on Butler, Scotto adds, but Butler is a long shot at best. The Bulls are poised to make a max offer to the soon-to-be restricted free agent and executive VP of basketball ops John Paxson has already said he’ll match any offer sheet he signs. Scotto also names the Knicks as a potential free agent suitor for Draymond Green, though Warriors co-owner Joe Lacob has hinted that he intends to retain Green, who’s also due for restricted free agency, and all signs point to the Warriors matching any offer for the third-year forward.

There are conflicting reports about the likelihood that the Thunder will trade Jackson before the deadline, but the Knicks came close enough to trading for Jackson last month that he thought he was on his way to New York, and the Knicks are likely to make another go at trading for him. Jackson, too, is in line for restricted free agency, but he’s apparently open to signing his qualifying offer, which would give him a discounted salary in exchange for unrestricted free agency in 2016. In any case, the Knicks probably don’t have the assets to make a play for Jackson at the deadline, as I wrote when I examined Jackson’s trade candidacy, so a free agent pursuit makes more sense.

Matthews, the only unrestricted free agent aside from Monroe whom Scotto mentions, has expressed a desire to return to the Blazers based on their winning ways, which contrast sharply from the performance of the 10-42 Knicks this season. Marc Berman of the New York Post mentioned Matthews as an example of the sort of second-tier free agent whom Berman says many believe the Knicks will target this summer, couching the report amid a piece on the team’s plan to go after Tobias Harris, yet another restricted free agent.

The Knicks have a little more than $32.717MM committed for next season against a projected $66.5MM salary cap, leaving room for multiple so-called second-tier free agents. Scotto hears from several GMs who estimate Green will receive salaries anywhere from $10MM to $14MM. Some teams reportedly believed at the beginning of the season that Jackson would command between $13-14MM. It’s unclear just how much it would take to sign the others the Knicks are eyeing, aside from Butler, who appears in line for the max from the Bulls.

Lakers Ask Pistons About Monroe, Jennings

January 12th, 2015 at 5:52pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers have asked the Pistons about Greg Monroe and Brandon Jennings in the past month, reports Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link). They also inquired about Dion Waiters, Shelburne adds, presumably indicating that the Lakers contacted Cleveland before the Cavs shipped him to Oklahoma City a week ago.

Monroe has a de facto no-trade clause because he signed his qualifying offer from the Pistons this past offseason, and he and agent David Falk have let it be known they don’t want a trade this year. The big man would forfeit his Bird rights if he were to approve a trade, but the Lakers, with only about $35.1MM in cap flexibility for 2015/16, are set to have enough cap flexibility to sign him using cap space. The Lakers were reportedly uninterested in signing Monroe this past summer.

There have been conflicting reports about whether the Pistons were shopping Jennings, though the most recent dispatch indicates that Detroit is at least open to the idea of letting him go. Jennings makes $8MM this year and nearly $8.345MM in 2015/16, but his contract comes off the books in advance of the heavily anticipated summer of 2016, when the salary cap is set to surge. Monroe’s qualifying offer gives him almost $5.48MM this season, a bargain price, but he’s due for a significant raise in unrestricted free agency this coming summer.

Waiters is on a rookie scale contract and will be extension-eligible this summer before the deal runs out after next season. Still, it seems unlikely the Thunder would part with him so quickly after his acquisition. The Pistons, 8-1 since waiving Josh Smith, probably aren’t inclined to make a move right now, either, but the interest from the Lakers signals that L.A. isn’t content to languish at the bottom of the standings to protect its draft position. The team owes its first-round draft pick to the Suns if it doesn’t fall within the top five selections, and the Lakers are currently fourth in the Reverse Standings.

And-Ones: Drummond, Monroe, Prince

January 12th, 2015 at 1:18pm CST by Chuck Myron

The idea of waiving Josh Smith didn’t catch Pistons owner Tom Gores off guard when coach/executive Stan Van Gundy presented it to him, given the frequent communication Gores and Van Gundy share, as TNT’s David Aldridge writes within his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.

“We didn’t really toy around with it,” Gores said. “We knew that’s what we wanted to do. We could have negotiated for more. We just said we don’t think this is the best thing to do. And after the decision was made, I think, early that morning, Stan met right away with Josh.”

Aldridge has more on the Pistons, who are up to 8-1 since parting with Smith, as we detail amid the latest from around the league:

There have been whispers about Andre Drummond‘s level of contentment in Detroit over the past year or so, Aldridge writes in the same piece. The Pistons center will be up for a rookie scale extension this summer.
Gores isn’t giving up on the notion of a long-term future for Greg Monroe in Detroit, as the Pistons owner tells Aldridge. Monroe will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. “We’ve always wanted Greg. We weren’t able to make the deal in the summer, but we always have,” Gores said. “He, by the way, has great character. He’s a true professional. Even though we weren’t able to make the deal, he’s been there every day. Given the new culture with Stan, I think we have a great shot with Greg. Of course, it’ll be his choice.”
A buyout deal involving Tayshaun Prince and the Celtics is a possibility, but not a foregone conclusion, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com, who adds that Prince and Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge will discuss the veteran forward’s situation.
The Thunder recalled Grant Jerrett from the D-League, the team announced Sunday (on Twitter). Jerrett averaged 16.0 points and 6.5 rebounds in two D-League games on his weekend assignment, the sixth time Thunder sent him down this season.
The Rockets assigned Isaiah Canaan to the D-League on Sunday, the team announced (Twitter link). It’s the first trip to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers this season for Canaan, who’s averaged 15.6 minutes per game in 23 appearances for Houston this year.