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New York Notes: All-Star Game, Carmelo, Nets

August 22nd, 2013 at 8:32pm CST by Ryan Raroque
Earlier this month, Paul Pierce told ESPN New York in a radio interview that it was time for the Nets to start "running this city." Not too long after hearing those comments, Knicks point guard Raymond Felton responded: "They will never take over the city. Because we've got 'New York' on our chest…They've got 'Brooklyn' on (theirs)…They'll never take over the city." After a 2012/13 regular season series that saw roughly 51 lead changes and both teams splitting two wins apiece, year two of this budding crosstown rivalry only looks to be more competitive and intriguing than last year. Here are some of tonight's rumblings out of Manhattan and Brooklyn: 
  • New York may be hosting two All-Star games between 2015 and 2018,
    writes Fred Kerber
    of the New York Post    . Multiple sources have maintained that the 2015
    All-Star game will be played at Madison Square Garden, while the Friday night
    and Saturday events will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
    Although nothing has been finalized, Kerber says the league, along with the Knicks and Nets, are in negotiations about a proposal involving
    a reversal of roles in 2017 or 2018, where Barclays takes on Sunday's main
    event and MSG hosts the other festivities.  
  • Carmelo Anthony offers his
    thoughts on the balance of power shifting toward the Eastern Conference
    and gives some insight on his offseason workouts (Jared
    Zwerling of ESPN New York    ). 
  • Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com provides an infographic of the Nets' depth at power forward, including Kevin Garnett, Reggie Evans, and Mirza Teletovic. 
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Atlantic Notes: Garnett, Nets, Sixers, Forbes

August 16th, 2013 at 2:22pm CST by Zachary Links

Here's the latest out of the Atlantic Division..

  • Nets head coach Jason Kidd says prized offseason acquisition Kevin Garnett probably won't play in any back-to-backs this season,  according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (via Twitter).  Kidd added that he's already talked that plan over with the 37-year-old superstar (link). 
  • New 76ers head coach Brett Brown has decided to let assistants Michael Curry, Aaron McKie, and Jeff Capel go, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.  "I'm doing that for obvious reasons," said Brown. "I want to hire my own staff and have a clean start going in that direction. … I feel like it's important that I come in with my own staff and start fresh and try to rebuild."  Curry was a candidate for the head coaching job after Collins resigned on April 18th.
  • Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal wonders if Gary Forbes could be this summer's Ronnie Brewer for the Knicks.  New York will audition the 28-year-old veteran early next week.
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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. 
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Rivers On Pierce & Garnett’s Chances With Nets

July 27th, 2013 at 8:39pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Celtics sent Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov and GM Billy King a gift-wrapped invitation to the Eastern Conference elite by dealing Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn. Before the mammoth trade went down, though, Doc Rivers was trying to get his two former players to join him with the Clippers.

Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe spoke with the new Clippers head coach to ask him about how his former players will do with the Nets and rookie head coach Jason Kidd. Pierce turns 36 in October and Garnett turned 37 in May, so many are wondering how much they have left for a possible Nets title run. 

On whether he's given any thought to his Clippers playing the Nets:

"I hadn't thought about the Brooklyn part of it. That's the first time I've been asked that question. I don't know, that's going to be strange. I get very emotional whenever I talk about Kevin and Paul. To see them somewhere else, our business sometimes it's tough. I leave (Boston) and people get upset at me and I don't think there's a lot of difference in their case but it was obvious the Celtics decided to move on.

"So Paul and Kevin had to go and that's a tough part of the business. But that will be strange for me, I want them to do well. For a lot of reasons I want them to do well, they could knock off Miami. But it will be interesting. It will be a while different feeling."

On what sort of role Garnett and Pierce will play for the Nets next season:

"I think obviously Paul's younger and in tune to play more minutes than Kevin. But I think they're still at the top of their games. I think Paul is still one of those guys who can go off for big nights and still have big scoring nights. Kevin is a culture change. He won't play but 20 to 25 minutes a night and there'll probably be nights when he doesn't play but his presence there alone will absolutely change the culture of Brooklyn. There's no doubt about it. I think for some of the young guys, even some of the veteran stars, Joe Johnson and Deron Williams, will learn and understand what a winner is and looks like and professionalism and being prepared.

"That's what I was most impressed with Kevin, how every game he prepared himself for games. That's what I told our young guys that I just wanted them to watch him prepare for games. It was why he was so consistent. I thought it was that important."

On how rookie coach Jason Kidd will dole out minutes for Garnett and how assistant coach, Lawrence Frank, will help:

"I think Jason [Kidd] will be fantastic in that because he probably when through that a little bit himself last year He'll be able to relate to that 100 percent. I think Lawrence Frank will be so important for Jason as well. You think about Lawrence, he worked with (the Celtics) staff, so he's worked with Kevin and he's knows Kevin as well as anybody. So I think that combination will be great for Kevin."

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Odds & Ends: Nets, Celtics, Mavs, Barea

July 13th, 2013 at 12:07am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Celtics had agreed last month to the framework of a trade that involved Paul Pierce, but not Kevin Garnett, writes Howard Beck of The New York Times. Then, Brooklyn GM Billy King asked Boston counterpart Danny Ainge whether Garnett would be available, too, and the deal began to morph into the nine-player swap that was finalized today. Here's more on an ever-changing NBA landscape:

  • The Mavs lost a pair of guards to injury, but they aren't interested in a trade that would bring back J.J. Barea, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 Twin Cities.
  • According to Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter), it's
    worth keeping an eye on Jordanian forward Zaid Abbas, who may be NBA-bound next
    month. Amick adds in a second tweet that Abbas is holding off on signing with a
    Chinese team due to optimism about potential NBA workouts in August.
  • The Rockets hold the rights to Kostas Papanikolaou after acquiring him as part of the Thomas Robinson trade, but the Bucks are among other NBA teams with interest in the 6'9" Greek small forward who "definitely" wants to play in the NBA this season, according to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times (Twitter link).
  • With Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Omri Casspi all joining other teams, the Cavaliers renounced their rights to the trio today, according to the RealGM transactions log. The Cavs did the same with Luke Walton, who remains a free agent.
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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.

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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.

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Warriors Inquired On Kevin Garnett

June 27th, 2013 at 5:53pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors inquired on Kevin Garnett's availability on Wednesday, but no progress was made in talks between Golden State and Boston, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).

With talks between the Celtics and Nets heating up, it appears that Garnett and Paul Pierce could be headed to Brooklyn, assuming KG decides to waive his no-trade clause. Even if the Celtics and Warriors had been able to agree on a Garnett deal, I would've been surprised if the veteran big man would've waived his no-trade clause to play in Golden State, though that's just my speculation.

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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.

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Odds & Ends: KG, Pierce, D12, McMillan, Kanter

June 27th, 2013 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Draft rumors are dominating headlines today, but there are a few other stories and links we don't want to let slip through the cracks. Let's round them up….

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