Marcin Gortat Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Suns Notes: Dragic, Gortat, Beasley

September 7th, 2013 at 8:36pm CST by Spencer Lund

The Suns will be running an uptempo offense under new head coach Jeff Hornacek next year. That's good news for ostensible starting point guard Goran Dragic writes Suns.com's Matt Peterson. Though Dragic could face some competition in the back-court from former Clippers backup Eric Bledsoe, who the Suns acquired in a three-team trade involving the Clippers and Bucks earlier this summer.

Goran has teamed with his brother Zoran Dragic for an impressive opening with the host country of Slovenia at EuroBasket 2013. After today's 72-68 win over Georgia, the Slovenian team is 3-0 during the European tournament – including an upset of defending champion Spain earlier this week. Dragic is a large reason why, and his play in the open court could fit nicely with Hornacek's plans for the offense next season.

Dragic isn't the only Suns player performing for his home country during EuroBasket 2013, but his teammate, Marcin Gortat, isn't faring as well.
Playing for the country of Poland, Peterson reports that Gortat recorded 14 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks during their a loss to Croatia that pushes them to a dismal 0-3 in the European championship tournament this year.
Former Suns forward Michael Beasley has reportedly drawn interest from the Heat, and Blazers Edge's Sam Tongue asks: "When are a player's off-the-court issues worth dealing with for NBA teams?"
Tongue compares Beasley to the early 2000s Blazers, who featured a host of players involved in off-the-court incidents like Beasley. Despite the behavior, players like Rasheed Wallace, Zach Randolph and Damon Stoudamire, got it done on the court.
But Tongue lumps Beasley in with three other "Jail" Blazers, Bonzi Wells, Ruben Patterson and Qyntel Woods, who weren't as productive as the first three mentioned, and who largely underperformed throughout their careers.
But RealGM columnist Jarrod Rudolph disagrees and tweets that Beasley is an All-Star talent who's a high reward, low risk addition in the right situation, which may be with the Heat.

Odds & Ends: Abdur-Rahim, Kazemi, Butler

August 29th, 2013 at 6:17pm CST by Ryan Raroque

According to a team press
release, former NBA All-Star and Kings' director of player
personnel Shareef Abdur-Rahim has
been named as the general manager of the Reno Bighorns, which serves as Sacramento's D-League affilliate. Abdur-Rahim will be joined by Chris Gilbert,
who was named assistant general manager. Here are some more of this evening's miscellaneous news and notes:

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets that the 76ers could still send second-round pick Arsalan Kazemi overseas for the coming season.
Caron Butler is "thoroughly excited" about returning home to Wisconsin to play for the Bucks, writes Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times.
Suns GM Ryan McDonough issued a statement about the team's trade agreement with Milwaukee, saying that the deal was about creating more cap space (Paul Coro of AZCentral.com).
Yannis Koutroupis of Hoopsworld profiles this year's rookie head coaches and identifies some challenges that may lie ahead for each of them.
Later in the same piece, Koutroupis wonders if Marcin Gortat is the next player in Phoenix to be on the move.
The newly created Delaware 87ers of the NBDL acquired the rights of 16 players via the D-League's expansion draft last night (NBA.com). Among the more notable names on that list with NBA experience are Ish Smith, Sean Williams, Willie Warren, Jerome Dyson, and Josh Akognon. Smith and Akognon remain on NBA rosters, but if they were released and wanted to play in the D-League, Delaware would hold their rights.

Kyler On Asik, Rockets, Suns, Gortat, Adelman

August 26th, 2013 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Continuing a series that got underway last week, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines a few more teams that could explore trade options either before or during the 2013/14 season. Let's dive in and check out what Kyler has to say about the Rockets, Suns, and Timberwolves….

The Rockets listened to offers on Omer Asik earlier in the offseason, and there were teams with interest, but given the health questions still surrounding Dwight Howard, Houston was reluctant to part with Asik and put everything on D12.
Jeremy Lin's future in Houston also isn't entirely set in stone, but the Rockets figure to give Lin and Asik a chance to establish roles with the club early on, says Kyler. If Lin, Asik, or anyone else isn't fitting into the team's system, trades could be explored.
While the Suns have been adamant that Marcin Gortat is a core piece for this season, Kyler thinks it's inevitable that the veteran big man is shopped and/or moved by the trade deadline, considering he's in a contract year.
Eric Bledsoe is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but the Suns may want to see how he adjusts to a bigger role before making a long-term commitment, says Kyler. If Bledsoe emerges as the long-term answer at point guard, it could make Goran Dragic a trade candidate down the road.
The T-Wolves' roster looks solid entering the 2013/14 season, but there's some uncertainty surrounding head coach Rick Adelman. Sources tell Kyler that Adelman isn't retiring, but his wife's health problems mean that the coach's future in Minnesota remains up in the air. It's not clear what will happen if Adelman has to miss a significant chunk of time again, Kyler notes.

Pacific Notes: Pau, Rambis, Suns

August 5th, 2013 at 6:02pm CST by Spencer Lund

Kurt Rambis, the recently hired assistant to Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni, sat down with the Sporting News' Sean Deveney to talk about meshing with the new Lakers' staff despite many who consider him a part of the old guard under former head coach Phil Jackson.

The differences stem from Jackson's slowed down Triangle offense, which Rambis used when he coached the Lakers and the Timberwolves, but which contrasts with D'Antoni's run and gun offensive style. Rambis tells Deveney the connection between him and Triangle is far from absolute, and he was probably overreacting when he said he was "shocked" at the assistant coaching offer.

Back in November Rambis had spoken out about the Lakers while doing analysis at ESPN, and the comments led to D'Antoni crossing him off his list for potential assistant coaching hires. But by mid-July, D'Antoni was already warming to the idea of bringing the former Lakers player and coach back to the bench.

Here's what else is happening around the Pacific Division, including more on the Lakers…

Pau Gasol will have a lot more opportunities with the ball in the low-block for the Lakers this coming season now that Dwight Howard has headed to the Rockets, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com. Steve Nash seconded the notion that the offense ran more smoothly when it was just he and Pau while Dwight missed time with an aggravated shoulder last year.
According to Eurobasket2013.org, Suns center Marcin Gortat has received permission from the Polish National Team to fly back to the United States to have his foot examined (hat tip: CBSSports.com's Zach Harper).
According a source, Shams Charania of RealGM.com reports that Dwayne Davis–the Warriors' summer league guard–elected to sign a one-year deal with Murcia of the Spainish ACB rather than accept various training camp offers he'd received from NBA teams. His deal with Murcia does not have an opt out clause, so he'll try to make an NBA roster again next summer.

Kyler On Pekovic, Spurs, Iguodala, Pelicans, C’s

July 2nd, 2013 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Here's the latest on free agency from Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld:

The Trail Blazers are expected to extend a "massive" offer to Nikola Pekovic, according to Kyler. After acquiring Thomas Robinson, Portland won't have the necessary cap room to make a huge offer, but perhaps the team has another move in mind to clear some space.
Al Jefferson, who is expected to meet with the Bobcats this week, has been linked to the Spurs as well. Kyler also hears from sources that San Antonio "kicked the tires" on a possible Marcin Gortat trade, so the Spurs are exploring ways to add a big man.
The Mavericks may make Andre Iguodala a "serious offer" if they miss out on Dwight Howard, says Kyler.
If Tyreke Evans wants to join the Pelicans, New Orleans would be open to moving Greivis Vasquez or Austin Rivers, either in a sign-and-trade with the Kings or in a separate deal, according to Kyler. However, the team seems more inclined to hang on to Eric Gordon.
Sources close to Rajon Rondo say the Celtics have pledged to be aggressive in putting together a roster around him that will be competitive in 2013/14 and beyond, writes Kyler.

Suns GM Says He Won’t Trade Gortat

June 28th, 2013 at 7:51pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:51pm: Shams Charania of RealGM.com provides some additional details, noting that Suns coach Jeff Hornacek envisions Gortat as a mentor for Len. He also passes along a comment from Zucker that seems to back up my suspicion that Gortat could be moved later on.

"It’s clear they are in a rebuild and they drafted a center, so [a trade] would make sense, but for now they want to hold onto him," Zucker said. "As with everything in the league, it should be stated: As of today."

7:30pm: New Suns GM Ryan McDonough said on radio Friday that Marcin Gortat will begin the 2013/14 season as the starting center in Phoenix, ruling out the possibility that team's decision to draft center Alex Len fifth overall Thursday would lead to a trade of Gortat. McDonough told the Burns and Gambo show on Arizona Sports 620 that the team is not looking to move the 29-year-old Gortat, as Dave Dulberg of ArizonaSports.com notes.

The Blazers have been interested in Gortat, according to a recent report, and he seemed to spend much of the past season on the trading block. Gortat is set to make about $7.7MM in the final season of his contract in 2013/14, and while McDonough said he isn't sure about the veteran's long-term future with the club, he seemed to hint that they'll consider an extension this summer.

"We'll see after July 1 what he and his agent have in mind," McDonough said. "I haven't had any discussions about (his long-term future) yet, but we do have him under contract for another year."

The Guy Zucker client turned down a multiyear extension offer from the Suns last summer, though that was when former GM Lance Blanks was still around. And unlike in 2012, when Gortat could only have added two more seasons to his contract, any extension he signs this summer could run through 2017.

While McDonough said Gortat would be with the Suns at the start of this coming season, he didn't say that Gortat would end next season with the team. McDonough made mention of Len's foot injury in discussing Gortat, so perhaps the GM will become more open to the idea of trading Gortat once Len becomes healthy, though that's just my speculation.

Blazers Have Interest In Marcin Gortat

June 23rd, 2013 at 8:42am CST by Chuck Myron

The Trail Blazers have interest in Suns center Marcin Gortat, writes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, amidst a report on Phoenix's draft prospects. It's not clear from Coro's piece how recent or how intense Portland's interest in the 29-year-old center is, but Coro speculates that the Suns could be more willing to part with Gortat if they take a big man with the fifth overall pick in Thursday's draft.

Gortat was a trade candidate for much of the past season, and the Suns were reportedly discussing a proposal involving him as part of a package for Josh Smith at the deadline. He stopped short of asking for a trade during 2012/13, but he vented his frustration about the Suns rebuilding process to a reporter in his native Poland. Gortat is set to make $7,727,280 in the final season of his contract this year after turning down an extension last summer.

When I examined Gortat's trade candidacy before the deadline, I figured that if the Suns didn't trade him this past season, they'd revisit the possibility in 2013/14, given his poor fit in the team's rebuilding. The six-year veteran saw many of his numbers decline this year from career highs in 2011/12.

The Blazers could make sense as a destination, since J.J. Hickson, the incumbent starter at center in Portland, is hitting free agency. Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors, in looking at the Blazers offseason, speculated that the team would go after a veteran center to pair with Meyers Leonard, their first-round pick from 2012. Phoenix is open to acquiring another first-round pick in this year's draft, and the Blazers are reportedly interested in trading this year's first-rounder, No. 10 overall. Coro believes the Suns could draft a center to replace Gortat with that pick if they acquire it in a deal for Gortat.

The Suns are taking a best-player-available approach to the No. 5 pick, Coro writes, but the Suns won't take another player at the same position with pick No. 30, he adds. Regardless, new GM Ryan McDonough and company expect to be able to find a player capable of joining their rotation with the final pick of the first round.

Suns Top Contender For Josh Smith?

February 20th, 2013 at 8:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

8:10pm: Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports hears the Suns aren't expected to participate in any major deals (Twitter link), so it appears they may not bite on Smith after all.

7:55pm: Having already participated in a smaller deal this evening, acquiring Marcus Morris from the Rockets, the Suns are discussing a proposal for Josh Smith that would send Marcin Gortat, Jared Dudley and a first-round pick to the Hawks, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times. Woelfel adds that Phoenix is the primary contender for Smith, thought to be the biggest name with a reasonable chance of heading elsewhere.

Such a trade would eat into the Hawks' cap space that they've prioritized for next summer, since Gortat and Dudley are signed to long-term deals. Still, the move would leave them enough room to add a max player through free agency. They've been looking for a "quality young center" in return for Smith but perhaps would settle for Gortat, who just turned 29 and is on a reasonable deal that pays him $7.26MM this season and $7.73 next year. Dudley would also be an economical pickup, as he's set to make $4.25MM through 2016. The swingman has been a part of several rumors lately, prompting him to express his desire to stay in Phoenix. He can't veto a trade, however, so the Suns can move him out if they find a deal they like.

The Suns, wary of their ability to re-sign Smith when he hits unrestricted free agency this summer, were reportedly out on Smith as of this weekend, but perhaps they've become more willing to take the risk. If they trade for him and can't convince him to stay, they'll have cleared about $12MM in cap space for this summer, if nothing else.

Thunder, Suns Not Discussing Gortat, Perkins

February 20th, 2013 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

1:02pm: Coro follows up on his initial report, tweeting that apparently talk of a deal between the Suns and Thunder was just a "league rumor" during the All-Star break, rather than the two sides actually talking about it. So it sounds as if there's nothing to this one.

12:31pm: The proposed Gortat/Perkins deal is "not going to happen," according to John Gambadoro of 620 KTAR in Phoenix (via Twitter).

7:34am: According to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, the Thunder have been exploring a deal with the Suns that would send Marcin Gortat to Oklahoma City. In the hypothetical trade, the Suns would receive Kendrick Perkins, Jeremy Lamb, and a first-round pick from the Thunder in exchange for Gortat and P.J. Tucker.

Coro writes that the Suns would have some interest in Perkins, who would fit the team's new defensive culture, and that Phoenix likely would have drafted Lamb 14th overall last June had the Rockets not taken him two spots earlier.

Perkins' contract, which is more expensive and lasts a year longer than Gortat's, isn't viewed as a favorable one, and Lamb's stock may have fallen a little since last summer, so I'd imagine the first-round pick in the deal would be Toronto's pick. That choice, acquired by the Thunder in the James Harden trade, figures to be more valuable than any of Oklahoma City's own picks or the Mavericks' heavily-protected first-rounder.

Still, according to Coro, it's not likely that the Suns pull the trigger on a deal with the Thunder. Coro reports that it's more likely Phoenix simply stands pat to protect its future first-round picks and cap space, which should give the club room for a max free agent this summer. Small deals involving players like Sebastian Telfair or Jermaine O'Neal are also possible.

Josh Smith Rumors: Tuesday

February 19th, 2013 at 11:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Last night, ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported that many teams around the NBA are convinced that the Hawks will move Josh Smith by Thursday's trade deadline. Stein cited the Celtics as one team with interest, but wrote that he couldn't see them giving up Paul Pierce in a deal for Smith. We'll likely hear a few more rumors and rumblings on Smith today, so we'll round all those up in one place, with the latest updates added to the top of the page throughout the day:

The Nets' latest offer includes Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, and either a first-round pick or the draft rights to Bojan Bogdanovic, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy says the strangest rumor he's heard involves Josh Smith and filler (possibly Zaza Pachulia) going to the Knicks for Amare Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert.

Earlier updates:

ESPN's Chris Broussard tweets that although the Suns have been in touch with the Hawks regarding Smith, a deal is very unlikely.
The Hawks called the Clippers and asked about acquiring Eric Bledsoe in a Smith trade, but the conversation was short, according to Broussard, who says the Clips aren't really interested in Smith (Twitter link).
Broussard adds in a second tweet that Smith heading to the Suns in a package headlined by Marcin Gortat is "unlikely."
Most of the offers the Hawks have received so far for Smith have been underwhelming, tweets Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.
Several members of the Warriors organization tell Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group (Sulia link) that they think Smith would be an ideal fit in Golden State. However, the club wouldn't want to give up Klay Thompson or Harrison Barnes for a free-agent-to-be, so a trade is "improbable at best."