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Pacific Links: Clippers, Warriors, Gordon, Kobe

February 16th, 2013 at 3:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacific Division will be well-represented in tomorrow's All-Star Game, as five of the 12 Western Conference All-Star spots are occupied by players from the division, and four of the five starters come from the two L.A. teams. There easily could have been six Pacific Division All-Stars if the coaches had selected Stephen Curry as a reserve. Here's more on a few All-Stars who were voted as starters by the fans, including a hint at retirement from one of them.

Chris Paul and Blake Griffin would welcome Kevin Garnett to the Clippers if he's traded to the team, as Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com observes.
ESPN's Chris Broussard wrote a couple of days ago that the Warriors are one of a few clubs believed to have inquired about Eric Gordon, but Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reports that Golden State is not engaged in talks about the Hornets shooting guard. The W's are turned off by Gordon's injury history, contract, and the Hornets' likely asking price (Sulia link).
In a video on Nike Basketball's YouTube page, Kobe Bryant sat down with former NBA player Damon Jones and addressed how long he plans on playing. "Probably two years max," Bryant said."Two years max. Next year might be it. It's one of those things, I think I'll wake up, and I'll know, and if it's it for me, then that's it, and there's no looking back." Bryant's contract expires at the end of next season (hat tip to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy).
Carl Landry, who has a $4MM player option on his contract with the Warriors for next season, spoke to Grantland's Zach Lowe about his enjoyment playing for Golden State and coach Mark Jackson (Twitter link).

Odds & Ends: Garnett, Rose, Knicks, Blazers

February 13th, 2013 at 11:36pm CST by Alex Lee

Kevin Garnett made some cryptic comments after the Celtics win on Wednesday night, stating that this weekend's festivities will be his last All-Star game, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Garnett signed a three-year extension with Boston in the offseason, so this statement obviously prompted confusion and resulting questions from media (via Chris Forsberg on ESPN.com):

"Y'all don't know what I know," Garnett said. "So, let's put it like this: I'm more than grateful for going, but I'm not going to act like I've got more All-Star Games in me, so I'm actually going to enjoy this one with some friends and family."

Garnett could obviously be implying that he will decline future All-Star invites, but given his tendency for hinting at walking away from the game, this is something worth following. Here are some other things going on around the league:

With his knee still bothering him, Derrick Rose told reporters that he "won't mind missing this year" if he isn't ready, writes Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. This was the first time Rose spoke to the media since the start of the regular season, making this a surprising revelation. Rose was originally thought to be aiming for a post All-Star break return, but that sure seems like a long shot at this point. Based on Rose's words, it is clear that he intends to come back on his terms and will only do so when he is entirely healthy.
If the Knicks are truly inquiring on Luke Ridnour, sharpshooter Steve Novak may be the only piece they can move to get it done, writes Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops. Novak, recently relegated to more of a reserve role, makes $4.05MM — a number that matches up nicely against Ridnour's $4MM for this year and $4.3MM for next. Sheridan writes that Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni aren't real options to play meaningful minutes at the point. Sheridan considers Will Bynum of the Pistons to be the best fit for the Knicks.
Even if no high profile players are dealt by next week's deadline, look no further than last year to see how much a mid-level trade can make an impact on a franchise. The Blazers trade of Gerald Wallace to the Nets — while it didn't alter the landscape of the league a bit last year — resulted in the acquisition of Damian Lillard via the NBA Draft, and the subsequent expediting of the Blazers rebuilding process, says Ben Golliver of Blazer's Edge.
Asked about the Lakers personnel, Hall of Fame basketball writer Mark Heisler, now of Sheridan Hoops, says via video that the Lakers won't be moving Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol or Kobe Bryant this year. Looking to the future, Hesiler says the team's No. 1 priority is to lock up Howard because, quite simply, he is "the only young player they have who's any good."

Odds & Ends: NBPA, Joseph, Lakers, Burks

February 6th, 2013 at 10:50pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Wednesday evening:

Agent David Falk tells Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype that the NBPA needs to band together to force a change in union leadership.
Kris Joseph is returning to the D-League, reports Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that Dwight Howard should look to Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant as an example of how to play through injuries.
Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that Alec Burks is succeeding in playing out of position at point guard to replace Earl Watson for the Jazz.
The Bulls' rash of injuries have forced Tom Thibodeau to improvise his rotations, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com that J.J. Hickson has been a smart pickup for the Blazers.

NBPA Update: Bryant, Hunter, Fisher, Fehr

February 5th, 2013 at 8:26pm CST by Alex Lee

With only 10 days remaining until we find out the fate of Billy Hunter, let's check in on any updates from the NBPA with the latest information up top:

Should Hunter be ousted come All-Star weekend, the NBPA will target B. Todd Jones, the current Minnesota attorney general and acting director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, reports Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski. Wojnarowski adds that the NBPA will use an executive search firm to coordinate the process.

Earlier updates:

Kobe Bryant told Ken Berger of CBS Sports that most NBA players – including himself – need to get up to speed on the issues at hand before they can make an informed decision. "I'm pretty ignorant to what the issues are going to be when we show up, so I don't know," Bryant said on Tuesday. "I'm pretty sure most of the players are, so we'll have to educate ourselves. Will a vote come? Probably. We've just got to make sure we're educated enough to make the right the decision."
Resigned to the reality that the owners will always have the leverage, Bryant added that he thought Hunter represented the players "as well as he possibly could." Bryant also seemed to think that this situation exemplifies why the league's stars need to be more active with regard to the union. "You always look at your marquee guys, right?" he said. "Back in the day you had Isiah [Thomas] there, you had Magic [Johnson] there, so you're looking at [Kevin] Durant, myself, Chris [Paul] and guys who are faces of the league. Even if you're not representing your team as far as a union standpoint goes, be a little more active."
As Berger points out, Bryant's noncommital words regarding Hunter's performance come as a surprise given his relationship with NBPA President Derek Fisher, who initiated the review on Hunter. In response to rumors that he wanted Hunter's job, Fisher tweeted the following on Tuesday: "Heard rumors I'm angling for Executive Director. There are people out there better suited for that role than me. No thanks. Not interested."
In a series of tweets, Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal indicates reports that a replacement for Hunter has been agreed upon by "NBA power agents" are false (Twitter link). Additionally, Mullen has a comment from a source close to NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr regarding speculation that he will step into Hunter's position: "Don is very happy in his current role and has absolutely no plans to leave the NHLPA. In the future, should the basketball players seek his guidance due to his vast sports union experience there is little doubt Don would provide that, but he won't be leaving his position at the NHLPA." (Twitter links here).

Western Notes: Evans, Bryant, Grizzlies

February 2nd, 2013 at 8:01pm CST by Michael Pina

Kings guard Tyreke Evans is playing his best ball of the past few years right now, and he's doing so all the while not showing concern with his free agency situation, writes CSNPhilly.com's Jabari Young. Sacramento chose not to extend Evans earlier this season, and there's much speculation around the league regarding whether or not he could be traded before the deadline.

As ESPN.com reporter Marc Stein wrote earlier in his Weekend Dime column, the Grizzlies showed great interest in Tyreke Evans' services before moving Rudy Gay.
Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant is enjoying his time as the team's prime facilitator, writes the Los Angeles Daily News' Mark Medina.
The Commercial Appeal's Geoff Calkins gives his impression of Tayshaun Prince's debut with the Grizzlies, and what it could mean for the team moving forward.

Western Notes: Kobe, Ridnour, Odom

January 26th, 2013 at 10:49pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Although Kobe Bryant registered a season low of 10 field goals on Friday night, his 14 assists proved to be instrumental in the Lakers' rout of the Jazz. Mike D'Antoni praised his star shooting guard's approach, saying that the dip in field goal attempts shouldn't be looked at as a sacrifice if the team ultimately comes out on top, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles. McMenamin also takes a closer look at the impending return of Steve Blake, who practiced with the team today and could return to game action next week. You'll find the rest of tonight's Western Conference notes here:

Earlier today, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler answered some of his followers' questions on Twitter, saying that he doesn't think the Lakers aren't looking to move Dwight Howard before the deadline, Mike D'Antoni's job isn't necessarily safe right now, and that the Grizzlies aren't currently looking to make a deal with the Celtics (All Twitter links).
Luke Ridnour has been a productive and dependable stop gap for the Timberwolves in spite of all the injuries he's handled this year, notes Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro wants Lamar Odom to be more aggressive on the offensive end, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Another 6'10 forward has been making waves in Los Angeles, albeit for the purple and gold. In another article, Ben Bolch examines Earl Clark's breakout year as a starter for the Lakers.
Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin tells Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune that he wants to groom Gordon Hayward into a player who can be counted on to close games.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says there's no doubt in his mind that Dirk Nowitzki will be an All-Star again, writes Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW.
Jason Smith has played with
a reckless abandon that has earned the attention and respect from his
teammates and the Hornets coaching staff, observes John
Reid of NOLA.com.
Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post makes a case for why Warriors guard Stephen Curry was the biggest snub of this year's All-Star game.

Lakers Updates: Saturday

January 26th, 2013 at 6:39pm CST by Sean Highkin

All of the day's updates about the Los Angeles Lakers will be gathered in this post.

6:39pm: Steve Blake announces (via Twitter) that he'll be healthy for a return this upcoming Tuesday.

2:16pm: Despite all the turmoil surrounding the team, sources tell Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News the Lakers have no intention of firing D'Antoni, and still plan to re-sign Howard this summer.

10:28am: The Buss family released a statement dispelling rumors that the Lakers are for sale. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News has the transcript:

"We unanimously agree that we have no intention of ever selling the Lakers, and intend to keep ownership of the team in our family for generations to come," the statement read.

9:21am: Kobe Bryant discussed Dwight Howard's adjustment and the center's future with the Lakers with Sam Amick of USA Today:

"I don' t know what the future holds," Bryant said. "I don't know if (Howard will be traded)…But I know that as long as he's here, I'm going to continue to help him, mentor him, help him be great. That's all I can do. I'm a problem solver. I try to figure things out, come hell or high water."

8:39am: With the Lakers reeling after a four-game losing streak, Mike Trudell of the Los Angeles Times reports that GM Mitch Kupchak and Executive Vice President Jim Buss met with head coach Mike D'Antoni and gave him their vote of confidence. The Lakers defeated the Jazz Friday night, 102-84.

According to Trudell's report, Buss and Kupchak gave D'Antoni permssion to continue running his offense the way he had been previously, and handle all lineup and personnel decisions himself. D'Antoni commented to the Los Angeles Times that he saw no reason to change things:

"I just find it amusing that people want us to play a different way," he said. "And I don't know why we don't look at the top five teams and play that way. You know, San Antonio, Miami, Oklahoma City — they're all playing small and fast and moving the ball. The league has changed a little bit. We're not trying to get to mediocrity. We're trying to get to be better."

There had previously been speculation that the Lakers were considering firing D'Antoni after the team got off to a rough start under him. D'Antoni replaced Mike Brown, who was fired five games into the season after a 1-4 start.

Los Angeles Notes: Lakers, Kobe, Bledsoe

January 17th, 2013 at 1:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Both Los Angeles teams will be in action tonight on TNT, looking to extend their respective winning streaks to three games. The Clippers will be in Minnesota to face the reeling Timberwolves in the early game, while the Lakers host the Eastern-Conference-leading Heat in the late game. As we look forward to those contests, here are the latest links out of L.A.:

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak would prefer to exercise patience with the team's roster and sounds skeptical about the possibility of a trade, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. "We don't have many options," Kupchak said Wednesday. "It's not like we're going to be active or overly active in the trade market."
Because of the early-season coaching change and the numerous injuries the team has suffered, it's not fair to say the Lakers' roster needs to blown up, according to Kupchak. "If everybody had been together and coach [Mike] D’Antoni had been here from day one and Steve Nash hadn’t gotten injured and our record still was what it is today, then that’d be a different story," Kupchak said, according to Medina. "Then you have to look in the mirror and say the team we put together is not good enough."
Chris Paul's recent knee injury has given Eric Bledsoe the chance to start for the Clippers, providing the sort of starring-role opportunity many rival teams were hoping to see, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. The Clippers are unlikely to consider trades for Bledsoe in part due to concerns about how it would affect team chemistry, but the 23-year-old's recent boost in playing time could serve as a sort of audition for clubs that intend to pursue him down the road.
According to Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida (Sulia link), Andre Miller is skeptical that Kobe Bryant will really retire when his current contract expires in 2014, as Kobe has suggested a few times.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Cousins, Virginia Beach

January 7th, 2013 at 9:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard both deny a report that they engaged in a "heated exchange" after a loss last week, notes Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. They and coach Mike D'Antoni had some fun with it, though, posing for a photo of a mock duel between the two superstars that Bryant posted on his new Twitter account. It might be considered gallows humor for the Lakers, who sit at 15-18, but at least they're a step up from the Kings, who are 13-21 and have endured their share of reports about locker room dissent, too. Here's the latest on a pair of intriguing, if not winning, teams.

Dan Fegan, the new agent for DeMarcus Cousins, met with Kings GM Geoff Petrie today, but Fegan didn't ask that his client be traded, USA Today's Sam Amick reports (Twitter links). The Kings continue to insist they're not interested in any Cousins swap.
Today was the deadline that Virginia Beach mayor Will Sessoms set for securing an arena deal, but an announcement of whether the funding has been secured won't come until tomorrow, writes Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. The mid-Atlantic city is rumored to be in pursuit of the Kings.
Despite a rash of injuries to their big men, the Lakers have no immediate plans for the roster spot they opened up by waiving Darius Johnson-Odom today, tweets HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler, who points out the free space gives them added flexibility in case they make a trade down the line.
Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com poses five key questions for the Lakers, and believes that if the team isn't right around .500 come February, there will be significant changes to the roster.
Zach Lowe of Grantland.com ponders the implications of the once-unthinkable prospect of the Lakers missing the playoffs this year.

Pacific Notes: Cousins, Lakers, Gasol, Suns

January 7th, 2013 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

A pair of Celtics roster moves yesterday led to some speculation that the team was clearing room for a bigger deal, but according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link), Jarvis Varnado and Kris Joseph were destined to be cut regardless, since the C's didn't want to pay the luxury tax on those deals. That means, as we heard yesterday from Sam Amick of USA Today, that the Celtics likely aren't close to any sort of deal for DeMarcus Cousins or anyone else. Here are a few more Monday morning links on Cousins and a handful of other Pacific Division topics:

Bucher notes that it still seems as if Cousins isn't available, but if that stance changes, the Kings may want to try to package him with a bad salary or two.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reiterates (via Twitter) that there's "no chance" of Cousins being dealt to the Celtics.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard got into a "heated exchange" after a loss on New Year's Day. However, multiple reporters, including Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com (Sulia link) and Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link), say there's nothing to the story.
Whether or not the two Lakers stars were involved in any sort of altercation, Howard believes the team needs to improve its chemistry on and off the court, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes.
Acknowledging that he has been disappointed with the Lakers' performance so far this season, GM Mitch Kupchak suggested that establishing Pau Gasol's role is a top priority. "I think Pau continues to struggle to figure out how he's going to play with his group," Kupchak said, according to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. "Our coaches are struggling as well. We're not going to succeed as a team until we figure that out."
The Suns have no untouchable players and will likely be very open to participating in trades as February's deadline approaches, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.