James Harden Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Harden, Spurs, Richardson, Nuggets

October 11th, 2012 at 12:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Of today's slate of preseason NBA games, three are scheduled for tonight, with one already in the books — the Heat defeated the Clippers 94-80 in Beijing in a contest that got underway at 6:30 CST this morning. As we await the rest of today's action, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the league….

Grantland's Bill Simmons believes the Thunder should be able to absorb the tax hit that will come with extending or re-signing James Harden, and implores Harden not to settle for a hometown discount.
Derrick Brown's ability to guard the three spot could set him apart in the battle to earn a roster spot among Spurs' bigs, says Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter links). As Mike Monroe of the Express-News writes, however, Eddy Curry and Josh Powell also both played well in the team's preseason game with the Hawks.
Jason Richardson has left agent Dan Fegan and is in the market for new representation, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel (via Twitter).
Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post examines the Nuggets' quest to build a winning culture in Denver.
Juwan Howard is remaining around the Heat in case the team decides to cut six players instead of five and has an open roster spot for him, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Agent Rich Paul, who recently began to exclusively represent LeBron James and other NBA players, is under investigation by the NCAA for his relationship with University of Texas guard Myck Kabongo, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

Latest On Thunder, Harden, Maynor

October 5th, 2012 at 8:32pm CST by Sean Highkin

As the October 31 deadline approaches for the Thunder and James Harden to agree to an extension, here's the latest on Harden's contract situation and other developments out of Oklahoma City:

The Oklahoman's Jenni Carlson believes that Harden and the Thunder will not agree to an extension before the deadline, citing a gap in their desired dollar amounts. If an extension is not signed, Harden will become a restricted free agent on July 1.
The Oklahoman's John Rohde examines the future of Thunder backup point guard Eric Maynor, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Rohde believes it will be difficult for the Thunder to retain both Harden and Maynor, and a productive season from Maynor may place him out of OKC's price range.
Rohde also speculates that if Harden does not sign an extension, he and Maynor could both become trade chips during the season.

Harden Confident About Getting Extension Done

October 1st, 2012 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

James Harden was among the members of the Thunder available to speak to reporters this afternoon for media day, and predictably, he fielded some questions about his contract situation. According to Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman (via Twitter), Harden said he wasn't necessarily seeking a max contract, and that he's willing to make a sacrifice to stay in Oklahoma City. The All-Star guard also added that he's confident a deal will get done, tweets Mayberry.

There has been no shortage of rumors and speculation on Harden's contract situation this summer, as the Thunder look for away to keep their core intact without going too far into luxury-tax territory. Mayberry himself wrote within the last 24 hours that it was looking more and more like Harden would hit restricted free agency next summer, and it doesn't appear that Harden's comments today changed the beat writer's mind (Twitter link).

Still, if Harden is geniunely willing to make a sacrifice to remain in Oklahoma City, it can only be good news for the Thunder. There's no doubt that the 23-year-old will receive at least one max-contract offer next summer, barring a major injury or decline in production this season. So if the Thunder have the chance to lock him up for a lesser price before Halloween, it will be something they'll seriously consider.

Western Notes: Redd, T-Wolves, Hollins, Harden

October 1st, 2012 at 11:03am CST by Luke Adams

It's Media Day for many NBA teams, which means we're in store for plenty of news and notes today, along with a handful of quotes from players in the "best shape of their lives." In the meantime, here are a few updates from some Western Conference clubs:

The Timberwolves thought they had landed Michael Redd to a non-guaranteed deal, but the veteran shooter changed his mind, reports Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 (via Twitter).
Lionel Hollins has only had "limited discussions" with the Grizzlies about a contract extension, but the head coach expects to have a new deal in place before his current contract expires at season's end, says Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
With just over four weeks until this year's extension deadline, it's beginning to look as if James Harden will hit restricted free agency next summer rather than re-up this month with the Thunder, as Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman writes.
The Kings haven't found a permanent solution at small forward in recent years, but offseason acquisition James Johnson is the latest candidate for the job, writes Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee.
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News profiles one of the Spurs' only offseason additions, Nando De Colo.

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.

Odds & Ends: Blake, Seattle, Fegan, Millsap, Uzoh

September 24th, 2012 at 5:19pm CST by Luke Adams

According to the team's official website, Lakers guard Steve Blake suffered a puncture wound after stepping on a spike strip in a parking lot. The statement says Blake will be restricted from team activities for at least three weeks. Despite not being one of the bigger names on Los Angeles' roster, Blake's role as the team's veteran backup point guard is quite important, especially considering incoming starter Steve Nash's inability to log major minutes.

Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:

Later today, Seattle City Council is expected to formally approve Chris Hansen's plan to build a $490MM arena in downtown Seattle, according to an Associated Press report (via the Seattle Times). Hansen and city council reached an agreement two weeks ago on financing for the arena proposal, meaning today's vote is expected to be merely a formality. Hansen's plan will still require an okay from the King County Council, but the city's approval would allow him to start looking for a franchise to bring to Seattle.
One NBA GM tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that he expects veteran free agents like Derek Fisher and Michael Redd to sign deals late in training camp or even after the season begins.
It appears agent Dan Fegan will join Happy Walters at a newly-created agency called Relativity Sports, according to Darren Heitner of Sports Agent Blog. Fegan, who represents Dwight Howard, Nene, and John Wall, among others, recently left Lagardère Unlimited.
Paul Millsap hasn't really begun thinking about free agency yet, stressing that he's "still with the Utah Jazz" and he'll consider his options when the time comes, as Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune writes.
Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com views Joe Johnson's and Manu Ginobili's career paths as two examples for James Harden to consider as the fourth-year guard weighs his contract options.
Ben Uzoh has parted ways with French team Cholet, making him a free agent again, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Uzoh has appeared in 60 total games for the Nets, Cavs, and Raptors over the past two seasons.
Many of the storylines that SI.com's Sam Amick will be watching this season involve players on new teams, including Raymond Felton in New York, Andre Iguodala in Denver, and Andrew Bynum in Philadelphia.

Odds & Ends: Aguilar, Hettsheimeir, Lakers

September 22nd, 2012 at 9:23pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Hornets scout Don Sellers attended a workout featuring Japeth Aguilar, according to HoopsHype (Twitter link). On Tuesday, we relayed a report that the 25-year-old Filipino forward's agent had been contacted by two undisclosed teams. In another tweet, HoopsHype moved along this story from ESPN Estadao which says that center Rafael Hettsheimeir has signed a contract with Real Madrid. Earlier this month, the Brazilian big man had reportedly fielded interest from the Mavericks and Cavaliers. Here's what else we're hearing from around the league this evening…

Mavericks veteran Dirk Nowitzki is excited about the team's offseason additions and says that anything is possible if the chemistry is right, according to Eddie Sefko of SportsDay DFW.
Kendrick Perkins doesn't think that he nor any of his Thunder teammates need to personally intervene in order to influence James Harden's contract negotiations, believing that his decision will be affected just by returning to training camp and seeing his "family" again (John Rohde of NewsOK reports).
HoopsWorld provides their season preview of the Lakers, who enter the 2012-13 season with a collection of superstar talent and championship aspirations. According to Eric Pincus, the Lakers' powerfully talented lineup along with improved depth gives them the opportunity to compete at the highest level. On the flip side, Pincus writes that age is definitely not on their side and wonders if Mike Brown has the personality to lead this team to a championship.
Brian Geltzeiler of SheridanHoops.com offers his thoughts on hot topics that he's been asked about on Twitter and the radio, namely about his projections for the Bulls this season, the idea that Ray Allen's addition to the Heat makes them unbeatable, and if the new CBA is having its desired effect.

Northwest Links: Williams, Roy, Harden, Jazz

September 14th, 2012 at 10:11pm CST by Alex Lee

The Blazers announced, via Twitter, that Elliot Williams underwent successful surgery on his left Achilles tendon today and will miss the entirety of the 2012-13 season. Williams ruptured his Achilles on Tuesday during a voluntary workout, which is the latest misfortune for the snakebitten former Memphis Tiger. CSN Northwest has more details on the surgery here. Here are some other links from the Northwest Division:

Brandon Roy said on Thursday that he wants to "come in and make an impact right away" for the Timberwolves, writes Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press. Roy has expressed confidence all offseason: "I want to be ready to deliver. A lot of people think I'm going to be limited. I tell them, 'Go ahead and think that way.' I'm not cautious about anything. I'm confident everything will go well." I asked readers a month ago how Roy would fare this year, and about half of you thought he'd average around 10 points per game.
The staff at HoopsWorld published their season preview for the Timberwolves, complete with strengths, weaknesses and predictions. The consensus is that Minnesota will finish right smack in the middle of the Northwest, which would be an improvement from last year's last place finish.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News looks at five scenarios in play for James Harden and the Thunder. He predicts that the team will wait until next summer to re-sign him as a restricted free agent, getting rid of Kendrick Perkins and others to clear the necessary cap space to do so.
Ben Golliver of CBS Sports gives his offseason report card for the Jazz. He gives Utah a B, concluding that it was a typically quiet but effectively offseason for the team. Golliver says that hiring Dennis Lindsey as their GM was a coup, especially considering the similarity in markets and the amount of current Jazz players that may hit free agency soon.

Perkins: Thunder, Harden “Getting Close”

September 13th, 2012 at 1:51pm CST by Luke Adams

THURSDAY, 1:51pm: Contrary to Perkins' "report," the Thunder and Harden aren't close to an extension agreement, according to ESPN.com's Chris Broussard (via Twitter). The two sides are talking and Harden wants to stay in Oklahoma City, but he's also seeking a max contract, says Broussard.

WEDNESDAY, 5:10pm: The James Harden rumors have been heating up this week, from Thunder GM Sam Presti hinting that an extension will be difficult to a Marc Stein report suggesting the Mavericks and Rockets are among the teams hoping to get a chance to land Harden. The latest to weigh in on the All-Star guard's contract situation? Teammate Kendrick Perkins, as Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman tweets.

"We're getting close with James," Perkins said (Twitter link). "And we're getting close to keeping our unit together."

Perkins doesn't necessarily have any inside info on extension negotiations, and could just be expressing optimism about the Thunder's chances of retaining Harden. But it still sounds like welcome news for OKC fans that don't want to see the team's core broken up at all in the next year. As I outlined when I passed along Presti's comments yesterday, the Thunder's cap situation will make it tricky to give Harden a fair deal without heading well into luxury-tax territory.

I looked at Harden as an extension candidate a few weeks back, though my analysis came before Oklahoma City agreed to a long-term deal with Serge Ibaka.

Rockets, Mavs Interested In James Harden

September 12th, 2012 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

As the October 31st extension deadline approaches and we wait to see whether the Thunder and James Harden can work out a long-term deal, it seems rival suitors are already surfacing in the event that Harden reaches restricted free agency. According to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Rockets and Mavericks are "huge Harden fans" and are candidates to sign him to a loaded offer sheet next summer.

Thunder GM Sam Presti talked about a potential extension for Harden earlier this week, and his comments suggested that it won't be easy to complete a deal, with compromises required on both sides. As Stein tweets, Harden is a "virtual lock" to receive a max offer sheet in restricted free agency, so he'd likely be accepting a discount if he signed an extension for anything less than that.

Unlike Oklahoma City, the Rockets and Mavericks are both in position to clear a good deal of cap space for next summer's free agent period. Houston has Kevin Martin's $12.44MM contract, among others, coming off its books, while many of the Mavs' summer acquisitions are on expiring deals. Both teams, along with the Suns and others, could be in competition for Harden's services if he becomes a free agent, though the Thunder would still have the right to match any offers.

If Oklahoma City becomes convinced that keeping Harden is impossible, the team could also entertain trade offers prior to this year's deadline, but I'd be shocked if Presti broke up the defending Western Conference champs. Stein confirms that a trade isn't in the cards at this point, tweeting that the Thunder "so far, won't entertain such thoughts."