Jameer Nelson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Afflalo, Smith, Magic, Hawks

November 18th, 2013 at 8:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Sometimes, it’s the moves you don’t make that define your team. The Magic reportedly received “lots of interest” in guard Arron Afflalo, this summer, but ultimately decided to hang on to him. They’ve been handsomely rewarded for rebuffing the advances of other clubs as Afflalo is putting up 21.7 PPG – more than double his career average. Tonight’s look at the Southeast Division..

Pistons forward Josh Smith told 92.9 FM that the Hawks never came to him with a contract offer this summer, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “No, there wasn’t,” Smith said when asked if there was a contract offer. “During free agency, during that period, there were a lot of guys out in L.A. that were meeting with various teams. I was one of those guys. That’s where I work out in the summertime as well. The only time I saw the Hawks during free agency was when they came to one of my workouts just to say hello. I think they were meeting with Dwight Howard that day. They never came in or sat down with me during the free agency period to offer me anything.”
Veteran point guard Jameer Nelson is less-than-thrilled about his playing time situation with the Magic, but he’s refusing to blow it up into a major issue, writes Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. The 31-year-old wants to contribute, but at the same time, he wants to remain with Orlando for years to come.
Guys like Afflalo and Nelson have trade value, but their stocks will be even higher around draft time after logging productive seasons, tweets Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.

Southeast Links: Williams, Nelson, Chalmers

November 15th, 2013 at 7:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks didn’t get the full return on their mid-level investment in Lou Williams last season, as the sixth man went down in January with a torn ACL. Still, he didn’t take nearly as long to come back as Derrick Rose and others who’ve suffered similar injuries, as Williams is playing in Atlanta’s game tonight against his former team, the Sixers. Here’s more from around the Southeast Division:

Jameer Nelson has never played for a team other than the Magic, and he tells Ian Thomsen of SI.com that he’d like that to remain true when he calls it a career. He acknowledges that he could be traded this season and understands he’s powerless to stop the Magic if they want to make that happen. Nelson envisions being the one making those decisions as a GM once he retires and can also see himself as a coach.
In today’s mailbag, a reader asked Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel if impending free agent Mario Chalmers could be playing himself out of the Heat‘s price range with his performance this year. Chalmers, who is making $4MM in the final year of his deal, could be a casualty as the Heat are mindful of luxury tax implications. Miami has already exercised its 2014/15 option on the cheaper Norris Cole.
Martell Webster finds himself in a familiar position as Trevor Ariza is once again sidelined with a leg injury, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post. Webster stepped into the starting lineup in Ariza’s place last season and went on to post career-best numbers and earn a four-year, $22MM deal from Washington.

Zach Links 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.

Magic Seeking First-Round Pick For Nelson

November 1st, 2013 at 2:32pm CST by Luke Adams

The Magic would trade Jameer Nelson today if they were offered a first-round pick for him, reports ESPN.com’s Marc Stein, citing the “latest rumbles” around the league. It’s not clear if Orlando GM Rob Hennigan is actively shopping Nelson, but it sounds as if the team is very open to moving its veteran point guard.

As Stein notes, NBA teams are increasingly reluctant to part with first-round picks, which have become more valuable than ever under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement. As such, flipping Nelson for a first-rounder, even one with heavy protection, may be a tall order for Hennigan and the Magic.

Grantland’s Zach Lowe wrote earlier this week that he has been talking to executives for weeks about whether any veteran players on lottery teams will net a first-round pick on the trade market. The consensus, in Lowe’s words: “It’s going to be very, very hard in this climate to get a first-round pick for that type of player. [Marcin] Gortat might be the only one.”

While the fact that Gortat did net the Suns a top-12 protected first-round pick bodes well for the Magic, it will still be difficult to acquire a first-rounder of their own for Nelson, who is under contract for $8.6MM this season and $8MM ($2MM guaranteed) in 2014/15. Perhaps closer to the deadline an injury-plagued contender in desperate need of a point guard will meet Orlando’s asking price, but otherwise the Magic may have to hang on to Nelson or settle for a lesser return.

Odds & Ends: Hayward, Kobe, Nelson

October 24th, 2013 at 8:17pm CST by Ryan Raroque

As we inch closer to the start of the regular season, here are some miscellaneous news and notes to pass along tonight:

Gordon Hayward would love to remain on the Jazz for the rest of his career, reports Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld.
Kobe Bryant says that he’s scaled back on his activities in order to allow his injured left achilles tendon to heal from the added pressure he felt last week. The Lakers’ superstar had been doing some light jogging and shooting drills last week while the team was in China for exhibition games (Mark Medina of InsideSoCal.com)
While discussing how much he enjoys his leadership role on the Magic as the team’s most seasoned veteran, Jameer Nelson knows that with a major rebuilding process underway, he’s still a prime candidate to be traded (Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel).
Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune makes a strong case for why the Jazz should trade for Kings guard Jimmer Fredette, who he believes would not only contribute with his shooting ability, but also help tickets sales by drawing the innumerable ‘Jimmermania’ fanatics that followed him at BYU.
Mike D’Antoni admitted that last year’s Lakers roster made it difficult to define roles, especially when “everybody thinks they’re the 1 or 2 guy” (Bill Oram of the OC Register via Twitter).
Pelicans coach Monty Williams admittedly didn’t find the type of production he was looking for from the center position during the pre-season, writes John Reid of NOLA.com.

Odds & Ends: Jazz, Odom, Howard, Nelson, Brooks

October 15th, 2013 at 9:03pm CST by Alex Lee

With seven preseason games on the schedule for Tuesday night, let’s take a look at some odds and ends from around the NBA:

Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune spoke to Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin and some of the team’s camp invitees — including Justin Holiday, Scott Machado and Brian Cook — about the roster cuts the team will have to make within the next couple of weeks to get down to 15 players.
We haven’t heard too much about Lamar Odom since the strange reports about his off-the-court issues surfaced in August. Ramona Shelburne of ESPN LA tweets that the Lakers reached out to Odom recently, but that the contact was strictly for personal reasons.
With the Magic in town to face the Rockets on Wednesday, Dwight Howard spoke to Orlando-area reporters, including Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, about what has been a whirlwind of a two years for the Houston center. While Howard expressed regret about how things ended in Orlando, he implied that the situation in Los Angeles was different, and that Houston simply represented the best place for him to be.
Meanwhile in post-Dwight Orlando, 31-year-old Jameer Nelson is happy to play the role of elder statesman on a young and improving Magic team, writes Jeff Caplan of NBA.com. Caplan writes that Nelson, a veteran in the second year of a three-year deal, is aware that he will probably be shopped this winter unless the Magic surprise everyone and contend.
We heard earlier tonight from Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News that MarShon Brooks had expressed a desire to be traded from the Nets before he was part of the blockbuster with the Celtics. Bondy provides several quotes from Brooks, now in Boston, in his complete story: “I wasn’t really sure with [Jason Kidd becoming coach]. I didn’t know what to expect. Last year obviously we knew what was going on, it was so rocky, I didn’t know if I was playing. There just wasn’t any structure to any of my minutes.. So it was kind of hard for me to perform under those circumstances and obviously I didn’t want to be in that situation next year.”

Odds & Ends: Nelson, D12, Blazers, Gomes

October 2nd, 2013 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

As news of the first few cuts of training camp begins to trickle in, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the Association….

Jameer Nelson realizes that he could eventually become a trade chip as the Magic continue their rebuilding process, but for now he's focusing on his role as a team leader and mentor, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details.
Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy are more than a year removed from their days in Orlando, but Howard tells Bill Reiter of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that his former coach played a part in his free agent decision this summer, encouraging him to consider the Rockets.
While the Blazers' announcement that they've exercised third-year options for Damian Lillard, Meyers Leonard, and Thomas Robinson could be viewed as "trivial housekeeping," Mike Tokito of the Oregonian suggests it's a good sign for the improving long-term health of the team.
Ryan Gomes earned another $25K when he wasn't waived by the Thunder by October 1st, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com outlines in his breakdown of Gomes' deal.
Ron Anderson, who spent the 2012/13 season with the Tulsa 66ers and played for the Thunder in Summer League play this year, has agreed to a one-year deal with Argentina's Estudiantes Concordia, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter).

Kyler’s Latest: NBPA, Cavs, Magic, Raptors

August 22nd, 2013 at 10:30am CST by Luke Adams

Now that Chris Paul has been elected as the new president of the NBA Player's Association, the union's next order of business involves finding an executive director, and the search is expected to be thorough, writes Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld. According to Kyler, the hope among players and agents is that the NBPA's new leadership can change what has become a very adversial relationship with the league, so that when the two sides negotiate the next CBA (likely in 2017), they'll enter negotiations with some good will.

In addition to discussing the NBPA, Kyler also explored a few potential trade situations worth watching, so let's round up his key points….

The Cavaliers have plenty of health questions surrounding players like Andrew Bynum, Anderson Varejao, and Anthony Bennett entering training camp. However, if the team enters the season relatively healthy, there may not be enough frontcourt minutes to go around for those guys, plus Tristan Thompson and Tyler Zeller, meaning trade opportunities could arise.
There's "little doubt" that the Magic would like to move Glen Davis, according to Kyler. Davis is coming off foot surgery, but if he's on the court and is reasonably productive by February, he'd become a strong trade candidate.
Jameer Nelson and Arron Afflalo are also worth keeping an eye on, says Kyler. The Magic like Nelson's leadership qualities, and have indicated that Afflalo is a long-term piece, but both guys would have trade value if the club decided to make them available.
Kyle Lowry and head coach Dwane Casey didn't always see eye-to-eye last season, and both are in the final year of their contracts with the Raptors. Kyler suggests that if the season gets off to a rough start in Toronto, the club could part ways with one or both of them.
The Raptors will also have to decide whether Rudy Gay is a core piece, since he has the ability to opt out of his contract next summer. Gay was acquired by old GM Bryan Colangelo, so it's unclear if new head of basketball operations Masai Ujiri is interested in keeping Gay long-term or if he may shop him.

Odds & Ends: T’Wolves, Temple, Magic, Mavs

April 14th, 2013 at 12:24am CST by Ryan Raroque

Kevin Love seemed optimistic about being able to bounce back from a difficult season with the best offseason of his life, writes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune. He also spoke about his desire for Rick Adelman to continue coaching the team, saying: "We need to have him back…I know his family comes first, but hopefully we can sit down and talk to him. This year has given us a lot of perspective, and hopefully he can see we have the making of a very good team here. We can make a push and have a special year next year…I think he’ll come back.”

You can find more of tonight's miscellaneous links below:

According to Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press, Rick Adelman has deemed finding a quality shooting guard among the top of Minnesota's priorities this offseason.
Garrett Temple hopes to have found a home with the Wizards, telling J. Michael of CSN Washington that he'd "love" to be back with them next year.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel thinks that the Magic should look to move Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and/or Glen Davis (at least one of them) in order to continue creating cap space for the future.
Jan Hubbard of Sheridan Hoops wonders if a 35-year-old Dirk Nowitzki will have to endure another season like this one, especially if the Mavericks are unable to hit a home run in free agency for the second straight year after breaking up their championship roster.
Though Mark Cuban isn't happy that Dallas is going to miss the postseason, he vouched for coach Rick Carlisle: "Rick’s a great coach…We obviously didn’t have what we thought we would have, but we obviously should have had more. I don’t know if we could have, but we should have, so it’s all on me. If that means I let Rick down, I let Rick down" (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram reports).
Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation writes that Manu Ginobili has been "progressing" in rehab according to coach Gregg Popovich, and that the Spurs veteran shooting guard could be cleared for full contact soon. On a more unfortunate note, Boris Diaw is expected to miss three-to-f0ur weeks (including the start of the playoffs) after the forward underwent a procedure to remove a synovial cyst that had been bothering his spine.

Injury Notes: Wallace, Granger, Bynum, Parker

February 23rd, 2013 at 9:27pm CST by Michael Pina

A roundup of a few injury related notes from around the league, some of which could have implications on rotations and roster spots.

Rasheed Wallace is "a ways away" from returning to the Knicks according to ESPNNY.com's Ian Begley.
The Indianapolis Star's Mike Wells tweeted that former All-Star forward Danny Granger will make his season debut tonight as the first guy of the Pacers bench. He's expected to play 15-20 minutes.
Sixers center Andrew Bynum has participated in 5-on-5 competition in practice, according to the team's general manager Tony DiLeo, tweets Tom Moore of Phillyburbs.com. South Florida SunSentinel reporter Ira Winderman has reactions from the team's head coach Doug Collins, and they aren't good.
Magic point guard Jameer Nelson had an MRI on his left knee, and the results showed a bruised left patellar tendon, tweets OrlandoMagic.com reporter John Denton.
San Antonio Express-News reporter Jeff McDonald reports that Spurs guard Tony Parker has suffered a right triceps contusion, and will miss tomorrow night's game against the Suns.