Jeremy Lamb

Latest On Brook Lopez Trade Talks

2:01pm: The Nets want to build more consensus within their organization before they move ahead with any trade, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com (All Twitter links). Youngmisuk suggests a split still exists over Stephenson but says Lopez talks are liable to restart at any point.

1:07pm: The Nets still want to move Lopez soon, and the Heat remain part of the talks surrounding the center, as Wojnarowski reveals in a full story.

12:51pm: Brooklyn isn’t prepared to simply dump salary, according to TNT’s David Aldridge (on Twitter). The two-team proposal involving the Thunder would have been essentially a salary dump, as Broussard wrote earlier (below).

12:34pm: The Nets are “standing pat” on Lopez discussions for now, a Nets source tells Wojnarowski, saying that there’s nothing on the market that they find appealing (Twitter links).

12:26pm: The Rockets are also looking into Lopez, Wojnarowski tweets.

10:36am: The Thunder and the Nets are making progress on their two-team talks, Wojnarowski reports (on Twitter). Lamb would go along with Perkins to Brooklyn for Lopez, Wojnarowski says, though Oklahoma City would need to add yet more salary to make it work, since the Thunder are above the tax line and can’t take in more than 125% plus $100K of the salary they give up.

9:49am: It was unwillingness on the part of the Nets to take on Stephenson that has Brooklyn considering a two-way deal with the Thunder instead of the three-teamer with the Hornets and Thunder, Wojnarowski tweets.

9:32am: The Nets continue to talk to the Thunder about a swap involving Lopez and Perkins in what would be a virtual “salary dump” for Brooklyn, according to Broussard (Twitter links).

9:05am: It was indeed the Nets who pulled away from the talks with Charlotte and Oklahoma City, but it’s still likely Brooklyn will trade Lopez, Bonnell writes in a full story.

8:44am: The potential deal between the Thunder, Hornets and Nets is “dead” for the time being, a source tells Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (on Twitter). Reed Wallach of NetsDaily hears there are a lot of deals in play for the Nets (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 8:00am: The Nets are trying to change some of the players involved in talks with the Thunder and Hornets as Brooklyn continues to resist closing on a deal, Broussard tweets. The rumors have upset Lopez, as a friend of Lopez tells Robert Windrem of Nets Daily (Twitter link). The NetsDaily scribe writes in a full story that league sources say Stephenson’s absence from the Hornets’ lineup has been because of a poor relationship with coach Steve Clifford, and not a groin injury as the team claims.

THURSDAY, 11:57pm: It’d be a surprise if the Nets, Thunder and Hornets don’t come to a deal that sends Brook Lopez to Oklahoma City, numerous league sources tell Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (Twitter link), who hears from one source who says such a trade is likely to happen, as Bonnell writes in a full story. The Thunder and Hornets have reportedly agreed to a framework of a trade that would involve Lopez going to the Thunder, Lance Stephenson and Kendrick Perkins going to the Nets, and Jarrett Jack and Jeremy Lamb going to the Hornets. Charlotte would also receive Grant Jerrett in that arrangement, tweets Chris Broussard of ESPN.com, though the Nets appear to be holding out as other teams pursue Lopez.

The Nuggets have spoken about a package involving JaVale McGee, but the Nets aren’t high on Denver’s injury-prone big man, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Heat came forward with a proposal involving Chris Andersen, Norris Cole and Josh McRoberts, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Hornets would like to acquire Lopez for themselves, but Brooklyn prefers to send him to the Western Conference, Wojnarowski also hears. The Lakers are also reportedly interested in Lopez.

The Nets were reluctant to take on Stephenson last month, and while the front office remains cautious about him, as other teams around the league believe, Brooklyn’s ownership supports the idea of trading for him, as Wojnarowski details. Brooklyn’s talks involving Deron Williams haven’t found much footing, according to Wojnarowski. The team would like to rid itself of two of Lopez, Williams and Joe Johnson by the trade deadline, and the Nets have indicated to other teams that they want to make a Lopez deal by the weekend.

The Hornets have been “desperate” to trade Stephenson, according to Wojnarowski, though a month ago it appeared Charlotte had put an end to talks, at least temporarily. Still, there’s a strong belief that the shooting guard, a Brooklyn native, will end up back in his hometown, a move he’s hoped to make at some point, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.

Nets Looking To Deal Brook Lopez

10:59pm: The Nets have major concerns about acquiring Stephenson, and fear that bringing him home to New York will make his personal issues even worse, Mannix reports (Twitter link)..

10:54pm: The Thunder have joined the Hornets in agreeing to the framework of a trade, but the Nets are still undecided, Broussard tweets.

10:04pm: The proposed three team deal would include Perkins heading to the Nets, Sam Amick of USA Today reports.

9:33pm: Brooklyn’s most serious conversations regarding Lopez are with Western Conference teams, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The Lakers are interested in Lopez, but likely lack the assets to get a deal done, Wojnarowski adds.

9:23pm: Charlotte is enthusiastic about getting a deal done, but Brooklyn and Oklahoma City aren’t ready to pull the trigger yet, Broussard tweets. According to Broussard’s source, the discussions are “just talk” right now.

8:49pm: The Nets are discussing a three-way trade that would send Lopez to the Thunder, Stephenson to Brooklyn, and Jeremy Lamb and Jarrett Jack to the Hornets, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). It would take more outgoing salary for Oklahoma City to make this deal work under the salary cap, with Lopez earning approximately $15.7MM this season, and Lamb’s salary only $2.2MM. Kendrick Perkins‘ expiring contract worth $9,654,342 would seem a likely candidate to be included in any deal, though that’s merely my speculation. Such a light return for a player who was deemed the missing piece when the Hornets signed him this past offseason would signal that Charlotte is in a hurry to offload Stephenson, and the chemistry issues he reportedly brings with him.

6:24pm: The Nuggets are among the teams expressing the most interest in acquiring Lopez, Chris Mannix of SI.com reports (Twitter link).

6:15pm: Brooklyn is talking to several teams, but is specifically seeking information on Lance Stephenson of the Hornets, Wojnarowski tweets.

THURSDAY, 6:10pm: The Nets have accelerated trade discussions for Lopez with the intention of moving him soon, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link).

WEDNESDAY, 5:02pm: The Nets are continuing to discuss potential deals involving center Brook Lopez with other teams, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com reports (Twitter link). The Heat have recently emerged as suitors, and according to Youngmisuk, have shown strong interest in acquiring the big man from Brooklyn. Any deal involving Lopez would be complicated by his salary, which is $15,719,062 this season, and he owns a player option for 2015/16 for $16,744,218. There have been conflicting reports as to whether or not the 26-year-old will opt in next season, which could impact the trade market for the seven-footer.

Brooklyn has reportedly discussed dealing Lopez to the Thunder for Kendrick Perkins (and his expiring contract), Perry Jones, and Lance Thomas (prior to him being dealt to the Knicks), though the Nets ultimately decided they didn’t like that return for their big man. The Celtics also reportedly checked in with the Nets regarding Lopez, but this was prior to the trade that sent Rajon Rondo to Dallas, and with Boston now in full rebuilding mode, it isn’t clear if the Celtics would still be interested in acquiring the oft-injured center.

Lopez has a wealth of talent, and he can be a dominant scorer when healthy. But injuries have cut short two of his previous three seasons, and big men don’t tend to age well in today’s NBA, which makes any deal for Lopez a gamble. His numbers are certainly impressive though. In 370 career games, Lopez has averaged 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.7 blocks. His slash line is .510/.091/.791.

Thunder Pick Up 2015/16 Options On Four

The Thunder have picked up the third-year team options for Steven Adams and Andre Roberson, as well as the fourth-year options for Perry Jones III and Jeremy Lamb, the team has announced. These moves are not unexpected as all of the players figure to be a big part of Oklahoma City’s rotation going forward.

Lamb has the largest contract of the group, and is scheduled to make $3,034,356, while Adams will make $2,279,040, Jones will earn $2,038,206, and Roberson will rake in $1,210,800. These moves will increase Oklahoma City’s cap commitment for the 2015/16 campaign to approximately $63.6MM. That figure doesn’t include Reggie Jackson, who can become a restricted free agent next summer and is expected to receive significant interest from other teams.

During his rookie season with Oklahoma City after being selected 12th overall in the 2013 NBA draft, Adams appeared in 81 games and averaged 3.3 PPG and 4.1 RPG while logging 14.8 minutes per night. His slash line was .503/.000/.581. Roberson was originally drafted by the Wolves with the No. 26 pick in the 2013 draft, and was subsequently traded to the Thunder. He appeared in 40 contests last season, including 16 starts, and he averaged 1.9 PPG and 2.4 RPG. Roberson figures to see increased playing time to start the season with Kevin Durant expected to miss a minimum of six-to-eight weeks after breaking his foot.

In his two seasons in the NBA, Jones has appeared in 100 games and averaged 3.0 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10.4 minutes per game. He was originally drafted 28th overall back in 2012 by the Thunder. Lamb has also been with the team for two seasons after being selected by the Rockets back in 2012. He was included in the James Harden trade, but hasn’t quite developed into the scoring threat off the bench that Oklahoma City envisioned. Lamb’s career numbers are 7.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.2 APG.

Lowe On Asik, Bobcats, Hibbert, Thunder

With two days remaining until most NBA players become trade-eligible and less than a week until the Rockets‘ self-imposed deadline for an Omer Asik trade, rumors about Houston’s backup center are heating up. We’ve already heard multiple reports on Asik today, and the latest piece from Grantland’s Zach Lowe also focuses on the 27-year-old. Here are Lowe’s updates on Asik and a couple other related topics:

  • Lowe echoes what TNT’s David Aldridge and ESPN.com’s Marc Stein have already reported today: By all accounts, the Rockets intend to adhere to that December 19th deadline and move Asik by then.
  • Asik’s third-year balloon payment has been a “meaningful obstacle” in trade talks, even though his cap hit will be nearly $7MM less than his actual salary. The Pelicans have never been all that interested in trading Ryan Anderson for Asik, but that $15MM salary for 2014/15 was an additional deterrent for New Orleans, according to Lowe.
  • A report earlier in December suggested the Rockets had asked a team for two first-rounders for Asik, but Lowe suggests Houston had been seeking an even greater return. According to Lowe, the Rockets asked the Bobcats for two first-rounders and the right to swap first-round picks in a third draft.
  • Lowe reports that, among potential suitors, there are some concerns about Asik’s attitude and about the fact that GM Daryl Morey is trying to subvert the spirit of CBA rules by moving Asik before his third-year “poison pill” kicks in. However, neither factor should be the difference in whether or not Houston finds a taker.
  • In discussing Asik’s trade value, Lowe notes that advanced metrics and analytics have resulted in defensive specialists like Asik, Derrick Favors, Larry Sanders, and Roy Hibbert becoming more properly valued by teams around the NBA. Analytics-oriented sources who have spoken to Lowe generally agree that Hibbert is significantly undervalued at $14.5MM annually, suggesting that his contributions are worth more like $25-30MM per year.
  • If they haven’t already, expect the Thunder to start putting out feelers for what the return would be if they paired Kendrick Perkins with Jeremy Lamb or a first-round pick, says Lowe. That doesn’t mean OKC will make a move, but it sounds like the team wants to get an idea of how much a first-round pick (or a first-round talent like Lamb) would be worth when combined with a negative asset like Perkins, considering how carefully teams are hoarding first-rounders.
  • It’s not clear whether the Thunder have much interest in Asik, but even if they do, Lowe confirms Houston would rather deal with an Eastern Conference team, as we’ve heard before.

Thunder Willing To Trade Jeremy Lamb

The Thunder are open to trading Jeremy Lamb for a more experienced and consistent bench player, according to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, who tucks the news into his leaguewide notes column. Lamb, the 12th overall pick in 2012, came to Oklahoma City as part of the James Harden blockbuster on the eve of last season.

The onus has been on the 6’5″ shooting guard to step up this year following the departure of veteran Kevin Martin in an offseason sign-and-trade. Lamb spent much of last year shuttling back and forth between the Thunder and their D-League affiliate. He’s averaging 8.9 points on 45% shooting in 19.9 minutes per game, but that’s hardly the impact that Harden or Martin, who preceded Lamb in the role as backup wing player, had during their tenures in Oklahoma City.

There hasn’t been any drop-off in the win-loss column for the Thunder in spite of the lack of an established sixth man, as they’re 15-4 following last night’s blowout of the league-best Pacers. Lamb, just 21, is still developing and in the second season of a four-year rookie contract that will give him a little more than $2.1MM this year, but GM Sam Presti is apparently willing to seize on an opportunity for an immediate upgrade. The Thunder’s flexibility is limited, since they’re only about $1.4MM shy of the luxury tax line.

Thunder Pick Up 2014/15 Options On Three

The Thunder have exercised their 2014/15 options on Reggie Jackson, Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones III, the team announced. The options cover the third NBA seasons of Lamb and Jones, while Jackson is secured for his fourth, as our rookie contract option tracker shows. Jackson is the only one who’s played a significant role for Oklahoma City so far, but none of the option pickups come as a surprise.

Jackson and Lamb will both earn a little more than $2.2MM in 2014/15, while Jones will see about half as much. Their respective draft positions and relative years of experience determine their salaries. Lamb, drafted 12th in 2012, is the only lottery pick of the group. Jones was the 28th pick in that same draft, while Jackson came off the board at No. 24 in 2011.

The $5,535,570 worth of payroll the Thunder is adding to its books for 2014/15 pushes its total commitments to $67,592,441, well above the estimated $62.1MM salary cap.

Thunder Recall Jones, Lamb, Liggins

We'll keep track of today's D-League assignments and recalls here..

  • The Thunder announced that they have recalled forward Perry Jones and guards Jeremy Lamb and DeAndre Liggins from the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League.  The three players have been jettisoned between Oklahoma City and Tulsa multiple times throughout the season.  They'll be back in OKC for the Thunder's playoff run, however.

Thunder Assign Jones, Lamb, Liggins To D-League

The Thunder have assigned Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, and DeAndre Liggins to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The trio will join the Tulsa 66ers in time for the first game of Tulsa's playoff series with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers tonight.

When Jones, Lamb, and Liggins were recalled to the Thunder on Monday after the 66ers defeated the Canton Charge in the first round of the D-League playoffs, I speculated that they could rejoin OKC's D-League affiliate for the second round. We'll see if the three youngsters are recalled for the Thunder's series against the Rockets, or whether the team prefers to have them continue playing major minutes in the D-League postseason.

D-League Moves: Jones, Lamb, Liggins, Melo

Today's D-League assignments and recalls are listed here, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day. Our complete list of 2012/13 D-League assignments and recalls can be found right here….

  • The Thunder have recalled Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, and DeAndre Liggins from the Tulsa 66ers, the team announced today in a press release. Unlike Melo's Maine Red Claws, the 66ers won their first-round series in the D-League playoffs, topping the Canton Charge in three games. The OKC trio will rejoin the NBA squad for tonight's game, but perhaps they'll be headed back to Tulsa for the next round of the D-League postseason.

Earlier updates:

  • The Celtics have recalled rookie center Fab Melo from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Melo almost certainly won't be a part of Boston's postseason rotation, but he'll available if needed. The 22-year-old had been playing with the Maine Red Claws for the last several weeks. However, the club was eliminated from the D-League playoffs over the weekend, losing in the first round to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets' affiliate. Melo averaged 8.5 PPG and 7.5 RPG in Maine's two postseason losses.

D-League Moves: Jones, Lamb, Liggins, Ohlbrecht

Here are today's D-League assignments and recalls, with any additional moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, and DeAndre Liggins have been assigned to the D-League by the Thunder, the team announced today in a press release. Jones, Lamb, and Liggins, who all rank among this season's most-assigned players, are expected to be in uniform tomorrow night when the Tulsa 66ers open up their playoff series against the Canton Charge.

Earlier updates:

  • The Rockets have assigned Tim Ohlbrecht to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the team announced today in a press release. As I noted last month, no NBA team has assigned more players to its D-League affiliate than the Rockets — Ohlbrecht becomes the eight player to be sent to Rio Grande Valley this season. The big man, who played with the Vipers for a good chunk of the season, will presumably be in uniform when the team begins its first-round playoff series with the Maine Red Claws on Thursday.