Marcin Gortat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Gortat, Curry, Gasol, Jamison

December 9th, 2012 at 10:54pm CST by Ryan Raroque

According to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel, Suns starting center Marcin Gortat might be becoming "restless" in Phoenix, noting that he has tallied a total of just 50 minutes over the last two games despite not being in foul trouble. While Robbins references a "Polish-language publication" that suggested Gortat would welcome a trade to the Celtics, Bulls, Mavericks, or even back to the Magic, he also mentions that Phoenix hasn't given the impression that they're willing to deal him at this point. With that aside, here's the rest of tonight's tidbits coming from the Pacific Division:

Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles looks at the success and production of the Clippers' second unit, which has started to gain some popularity with the nickname "A Tribe Called Bench."
Warriors coach Mark Jackson firmly believes that Stephen Curry is an All-Star based on his performance after 20 games this season. It's hard to disagree, as the 24-year-old Davidson product is averaging 19.7 PPG, 6.5 APG, 1.7 SPG, and nearly 4 RPG for the fifth-seeded team in the Western Conference. Jeff Zillgit of USA Today also mentions that Curry has been worry-free about the ankle problems that had sidelined him for all but 16 games last year.
Mike D'Antoni hints that Pau Gasol could play on Tuesday if his pain has lessened enough (Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer tweets).
Compared to his experiences in Cleveland and Washington, 15-year-veteran Antawn Jamison isn't rattled by the Lakers' slow start. As of late, he has been one of the team's most consistent performers, hitting double figure scoring in six of the last eight games: "I'm comfortable, not thinking at all, having fun, competing and doing the things I normally do. So it's a lot easier. I was getting frustrated, but now I'm just out there playing" (Schmitt Boyer reports).
Mike Monroe of Spurs Nation revisits the 1996 trade that sent then Charlotte-draft pick Kobe Bryant to the Lakers in exchange for Vlade Divac.
In addition to the Rockets and Nuggets, the Lakers cracked HoopsWorld's list of most surprising teams this season from the Western Conference.

Sefko On Mavs, Jefferson, Beaubois, Finley, Mayo

November 27th, 2012 at 7:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News frequently dips into his mailbag to answer reader questions, and today's responses are especially full of relevant info. He looks ahead to trades and free agent signings the Mavs could pursue over the next 12 months, and sizes up the return on some of the moves the team made this past summer. We'll round up the highlights here:

It's "very likely" the Mavs will be involved in a swap before the trade deadline, but nothing will go down before December 15th, when free agents who signed this summer become eligible to be traded. Whatever happens, it's unlikely to be a "monster deal," according to Sefko, who mentions Rodrigue Beaubois as a likely trade candidate.
Sefko thinks the Mavs have interest in upcoming free agent Al Jefferson, despite his high price tag, believing he'd be a much more appealing target for the team than Josh Smith.
Sefko doesn't believe owner Mark Cuban was sincere when he said he wants to keep all of the team's new additions, and thinks the future of the team's coterie of guys on one-year contracts is up in the air.
Michael Finley had been working in the Mavs front office before his latest comeback attempt, but Sefko doesn't see a place for him on the playing roster.
O.J. Mayo's move from the Grizzlies to the Mavs has worked out well for both teams so far, Sefko observes.
It's unclear whether the Suns want to put Marcin Gortat on the market, but if they do, Sefko believes it would take a package of Mayo, Jae Crowder, and draft picks for the Mavs to land him.

Kyler On Gasol, Rockets, Celtics, Knicks, Gortat

November 26th, 2012 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler addresses the Pau Gasol trade rumors that have been floating around recently, and touches on a couple other topics around the league. Let's dive in and round up the highlights….

From a financial standpoint, the Lakers would love to move Gasol's contract for younger players and smaller deals, says Kyler. However, having explored his market value for the last couple years, the Lakers realize there's not an obvious fit out there. The Lakers aren't actively looking to move Pau — they just need him to play better.
Although the Rockets have had interest in Gasol in the past, that depended in part on the players they felt they could add around the Spaniard. With those players no longer available, Houston's interest in Gasol has lessened.
The Celtics have also had previous interest in Gasol, but aren't currently motivated to pursue him, according to Kyler.
Lakers and Knicks sources both tell Kyler that a Gasol/Amare Stoudemire swap is highly unlikely.
Following up on news that Marcin Gortat turned down an extension offer from the Suns, Kyler says that sources close to the Suns big man jokingly asked this summer: "If Brook Lopez is worth $62MM, what’s Gortat worth?"
Despite some indications that Gortat has been frustrated in Phoenix this season, the Suns are far more inclined to try to make him happy and keep him long-term than to trade him.

Marcin Gortat Turned Down Extension Offer

November 26th, 2012 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

Marcin Gortat is already under contract with the Suns through 2014, but it sounds as if he had the opportunity to extend his stay in Phoenix even longer. Gortat told Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that he turned down a multiyear contract extension offer from the Suns prior to the season.

"We just said we’re going to wait," Gortat said. "I want to finish this contract, and we’ll see where I go from there. It didn’t even bother me or change anything in my attitude or performance. The thing I’m concentrating is coming back to dominating the game and getting back to being a defensive spark."

While Gortat still has an additional year on his contract after this season, he's eligible for an extension because he signed a five-year deal more than three years ago. Still, because extensions for veteran players are limited to four total years, Gortat could only add two new years to his existing contract. Those two years could also only include 7.5% raises on next year's $7.73MM salary. As such, the Polish big man wouldn't be able to sign for more than about $17.2MM over two new years.

That's not an insignificant amount, but Gortat would be in for a much larger payday if he continues to produce anything close to what he did last season (15.4 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 21.2 PER). Assuming he doesn't sign an extension this season or next, the Suns center will be 30 years old when he hits unrestricted free agency in July 2014.

Pacific Notes: Gortat, Lakers, Howard, Fredette

November 19th, 2012 at 1:12pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite the Lakers' early-season struggles, the standings in the Pacific Division are already starting to look pretty close to what we were expecting coming into the season. The Lakers' win last night pulled them into a tie with the Warriors in second place, with the Clippers leading the way and the Suns and Kings below .500. As the Clips and Warriors prepare for tough road matchups tonight, let's check out what's going on around the division:

Marcin Gortat recently spoke to with Marcin Harasimowicz of Przeglad Sportowy (Polish link) about a number of Suns-related topics, and as Adam Koscielak of Gothic Ginobili notes in his translation, the big man had some interesting things to say. Gortat expressed an unhappiness with the team's style of play and his lack of involvement on offense, adding that the team misses Steve Nash a lot. Gortat also suggested he'd talk to head coach Alvin Gentry about his concerns, though he's not sure "if it will change anything."
Kobe Bryant and new Laker Dwight Howard are feeling more and more comfortable playing together, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Howard, meanwhile, is looking forward to Tuesday's matchup against the Nets, the team he was nearly traded to earlier this year, as Fred Kerber of the New York Post writes.
Appearing on KHTK in Sacramento, Jimmer Fredette discussed the Kings' start, his offseason preparation, and adjusting the NBA lifestyle. As we heard over the weekend, the Kings currently have no plans to move Fredette.

Western Notes: Jamison, Jazz, Gortat, Stiemsma

October 15th, 2012 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

In one of only two games on Sunday's preseason schedule, undrafted Spurs rookie Wesley Witherspoon was inserted into the starting lineup and scored a team-high 17 points in a win over Houston. Witherspoon, a camp invitee, is still a long shot to earn a roster spot, but if Sunday's game was his last with the Spurs, at least he went out in style, writes Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.

Here are a few more notes out of the Western Conference:

Mike Brown, who coached Antawn Jamison in Cleveland in 2009/10, was one of the main reasons Jamison decided to sign with the Lakers, according to Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News.
Jazz CEO Greg Miller spoke to Jody Genessy of the Desert News about the Jazz's roster changes and the team's expectations for the 2012/13 season.
Marcin Gortat heads into this season looking to prove that he can be productive without Steve Nash, as Michael Schwartz of Valley of the Suns writes.
After signing the first guaranteed contract of his NBA career this summer, Greg Stiemsma is feeling secure with the Timberwolves and isn't looking over his shoulder, says Joan Niesen of FOX Sports North.
Coach Rick Carlisle isn't expecting just one player to step up and replace Jason Terry as the Mavericks' No. 2 scorer now that Terry is playing in Boston, writes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News.