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Odds & Ends: Monroe, Humphries, Williams

February 26th, 2014 at 12:48pm CST by Chuck Myron

Five teams, most of them in the Eastern Conference, are planning to pursue Greg Monroe when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling. The source predicts Monroe will sign early in July, which often isn’t the case with restricted free agents. There’s more from Zwerling amid our latest look around the league:

  • The Celtics have interest in signing-and-trading Kris Humphries this summer, Zwerling writes in the same piece. Danny Ainge is reportedly high on the 10th-year veteran who’s expressed a desire to stay in Boston, so it seems there’s no guarantee Humphries will go elsewhere this summer, even as the C’s appear to be preparing for that possibility.
  • Marvin Williams is comfortable in Utah and wants to remain with the Jazz, observes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who figures that was one of the reasons the team reportedly turned down at least one offer for a late first-round pick in exchange for Williams.
  • Pelicans GM Dell Demps expressed confidence in his core earlier this week, but Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com, in an Insider-only piece, urges Demps to shake up the team in the offseason.
  • Justin Barrasso of WEEI.com examines the transition Brad Stevens is making from college to the NBA game, noting that most college coaches who’ve entered the pros have done so with franchises far less stable than the Celtics are.
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Jazz Rejected Offer Of First-Rounder For Williams

February 24th, 2014 at 11:20am CST by Chuck Myron

The Jazz rebuffed “one or two” trade proposals before the deadline that would have netted them a late first-round pick in return for Marvin Williams, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his latest Insider-only “Tank Rank” piece. There were apparently other intriguing offers on the table as well, but Utah chose to hang on to the ninth-year veteran in hopes of re-signing him this summer, Ford writes.

No first-round picks changed hands at the deadline for a second straight year, so it seems odd that Williams, who’s averaging just 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on a team with a 19-36 record, could have netted the Jazz such a return. Williams was the No. 2 overall pick in 2005, but he’s never lived up to his draft position. He’s still just 27 years old, and has canned a career-high 40.1% of his three-point attempts this season, serving as a fairly productive stretch power forward.

Utah will have its own first-round pick plus Golden State’s unprotected first-rounder this year, and the Warriors pick stands a decent chance to become a lottery selection, since the W’s are only two and a half games up on the ninth-place Grizzlies. Utah also has an unprotected first-rounder coming its way from Golden State in 2017, and while the Jazz, who don’t owe any first-rounders, are well-stocked for the draft, it’s surprising that they’d turn down another first-round pick, even if it was destined to fall in the 20s.

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Ford’s Latest: Magic, Cavs, Bobcats

February 18th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

Victor Oladipo may be the only Magic player unavailable for a trade, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who adds that the team is looking for multiple first-round picks or young players for Arron Afflalo. Ford believes Orlando will indeed find a taker for Afflalo, but that’s in contrast to a report from Sam Amick of USA Today indicating the Magic aren’t that eager to trade him and aren’t hearing from any team with strong interest (Twitter link). The Magic’s price is much lower for Glen Davis and Jameer Nelson, Ford writes, and while Amick tweets that the Magic is focusing most of its trade attention on those two, Orlando hasn’t gotten anywhere with either of them yet, Amick says.

Ford has much more in his latest Insider-only piece, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

  • The Cavs and Bobcats appear to be the only teams capable of trading away a 2014 lottery pick that would actually do so, according to Ford. If the Cavs are determined to make a playoff push, they’ll offer Dion Waiters and their 2014 first-round pick in search of veteran help, Ford writes.
  • There’s nothing major happening on the Ersan Ilyasova front, Ford hears, naming Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour as the Bucks most likely to be traded. Milwaukee is reluctant to let go of Caron Butler, who’s a native of nearby Racine, Ford adds.
  • The Sixers want “significantly” more than just a first-round pick for Thaddeus Young, which has been dissuading some teams from trading for him, Ford writes.
  • Jeff Green and Brandon Bass are the names that come up most frequently in trade discussions involving the Celtics, according to Ford.
  • Several GMs tell Ford that the Lakers appear willing to discuss any player on their roster short of Kobe Bryant.
  • Everyone outside of DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas is available from the Kings, with Marcus Thornton, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Jimmer Fredette the primary bait, Ford writes.
  • It’s unlikely the Jazz trade Gordon Hayward, Ford says, naming Marvin Williams as the team’s most likely trade candidate.
  • Teams are looking to acquire a package of both Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey, but the Pistons remain unwilling to deal Monroe, as multiple GMs tell Ford.
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Northwest Notes: Miller, Harden, Jazz

February 4th, 2014 at 11:21am CST by Chuck Myron

Andre Miller‘s estrangement from the Nuggets has driven down his value, writes Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Sources from around the league tell Deveney they believe the Timberwolves, who are eager to add a guard, and the Kings are the main contenders for Miller. If Miller is to suit up for the Nuggets again, he’ll have to approach them about the idea, since the team isn’t going to reach out to him, coach Brian Shaw says, according to Chris Dempsey of the Denver Post. Here’s more from the Northwest:

  • James Harden wouldn’t tell Henry Abbott of ESPN.com whether he’d have signed with the Thunder if they had offered him the same max extension the Rockets did. Still, he says he could have envisioned a long-term future in OKC under the right circumstances, pointing to his strong relationship with his ex-teammates.
  • The Jazz are unlikely to make a move before the deadline, unless a significant offer for Marvin Williams or Richard Jefferson emerges, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com (Insider only).
  • The Thunder have assigned Andre Roberson to the D-League, the team announced via Twitter. Oklahoma City often shuttled a handful of players back and forth from the Tulsa 66ers last season, but Roberson is the only one they’ve sent down this year.
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Central Links: West, Pistons, Bucks

January 3rd, 2014 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

No Central teams are in action tonight, but that doesn’t mean none of them are in the news. Let’s round up a few Friday updates from out of the division….

  • In a conversation with Grantland’s Zach Lowe, David West reveals that another team contacted him on the first day of free agency last summer before he re-signed with the Pacers, but West doesn’t identify which team made that call.
  • Despite the team’s recent slump, David Mayo of MLive.com doesn’t think the Pistons will trade Greg Monroe anytime soon, since they’ve set up their cap so that they can afford to keep Monroe, Andre Drummond, and Josh Smith for at least a couple more seasons.
  • The Bucks weren’t sure if Giannis Antetokounmpo would average more than three or four minutes a game this season, and yet the 15th overall pick from this past June is in Milwaukee’s starting lineup, observes Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune.
  • Jazz forward Marvin Williams has a fan in Bucks coach Larry Drew, who previously coached Williams in Atlanta. While Williams isn’t likely to be traded to Milwaukee, it sounds like Drew would love to coach the former No. 2 pick again, as he tells Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: “He’s my guy. I love that kid. He’s just a good basketball player, but he’s (also) a terrific kid…. He was one of my favorites while we were in Atlanta.”

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Western Notes: Lakers, O’Neal, Rush

December 12th, 2013 at 6:40pm CST by Ryan Raroque

As we noted earlier, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant – who has started at the shooting guard and small forward position over his first two games back, respectively – will now be expected to handle point guard duties while the team’s whole rotation at point guard deals with injuries. His first test will come against Thunder guard Russell Westbrook on Friday, and while Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times isn’t so sure if Bryant will be up to that type of challenge this soon into his return, the team doesn’t seem to have much of a choice.

Here’s more out of the Western Conference:

  • Although he listed some names expected to be on the Lakers’ radar earlier, Pincus also tweeted that as of now, the front office hasn’t decided on a course of action yet and will “tough it out” for the time being.
  • While it’s not within our scope to focus on injury rumors, it’s still worth noting that Warriors big man Jermaine O’Neal is expected to undergo arthroscopic surgery on Friday to repair a torn ligament in his right wrist, and a timetable for his return will be determined after the surgery, the team announced (Twitter links). However, Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group tweets that the procedure would likely end the 35-year-old veteran’s season and career.
  • Jazz guard Brandon Rush recently met with head coach Tyrone Corbin to hash out some of his frustrations about a lack of playing time, writes Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune: “It’s been really frustrating because I’ve worked hard…I wanted to be able to get some minutes and help the team out… (but) I had a good talk with Coach…He let me know what the deal was.” Corbin later told the media that he’s just trying to get Rush to play without apprehension.
  • In another piece, Falk describes how Marvin Williams has been an invaluable role player for Utah when he’s been able to find court time.
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Marvin Williams Declines Early Termination Option

June 14th, 2013 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

Marvin Williams has declined his early termination option and will remain under contract with the Jazz for the 2013/14 season, a source tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. Declining an ETO shouldn't be confused with declining a player option — in this case, Williams has decided not to terminate his contract early, meaning he won't hit free agency this offseason.

Williams, a former second overall pick, established career-lows in MPG (23.7), PPG (7.2), and PER (10.9) in his first season with the Jazz. As such, it wouldn't have been surprising to see him opt for his $7.5MM salary in 2013/14, even if he were healthy. Considering Williams is also recovering from Achilles surgery that's expected to keep him out of action for several months, his decision comes as even less of a shock.

With Williams now officially on the books for next season, the Jazz have six players on guaranteed contracts for a total of $25.33MM. That leaves plenty of room for the team to explore ways to improve the roster, whether that means making trades, signing outside free agents, or bringing back its own free agents like Paul Millsap and/or Al Jefferson.

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Marvin Williams To Have Surgery, Miss 6 Months

May 31st, 2013 at 5:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

Marvin Williams will undergo surgery to repair a sore right heel and Achilles tendon, knocking him out of action for approximately six months, the Jazz announced. That would put him on track to return around the start of December. The surgery may also weigh heavily on his decision about whether to exercise his $7.5MM early-termination option for 2013/14. 

Williams has been non-committal about that option so far, though it was doubtful even before today's announcement that he would have received a salary on the open market as high as the $7.5MM he'll get if he stays in Utah. If he were to opt out, it would seemingly be to secure a long-term contract that included more money over the life of the deal, but the 26-year-old might be hard-pressed to find more than a $7.5MM guarantee now that he's hurt.

The former No. 2 overall pick showed few signs of needing major surgery during the season. He appeared in 73 games, including the team's season finale, though he did miss some time this season because of tendinitis in his right heel, as Jody Genessy of The Deseret News points out (Twitter link). 

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Jazz Links: Corbin, Williams, Carroll, McNeal

April 18th, 2013 at 9:33pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Earlier, we heard that Tyrone Corbin's job was safe after GM Dennis Lindsey showed public support for the Jazz head coach. Brad Rock of the Deseret News examines the situation a step further, noting that Utah had finished off the season winning nine of their remaining 12 games in addition to Corbin's ability to do so with much of the roster's status up in the air for next season and beyond. Here's more of what we've heard out of Salt Lake City tonight:

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Western Notes: Kings, Grizzlies, Jazz, Warriors

March 20th, 2013 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

Having dropped nine of their last 12 games, the Jazz will play a crucial contest tonight in Houston. According to ESPN.com's Kevin Pelton (Twitter link), Utah's playoff chances will increase to 38.7% with a win against the Rockets today, but would drop to 18.7% with a loss. As the Jazz prepare for what is virtually a must-win game, let's round up a few Western Conference notes….

  • Sacramento city officials remain on track to unveil a proposal for funding a new arena on Thursday, according to Tony Bizjak, Ryan Lillis, and Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. Releasing the term sheet for public viewing on Thursday would give Sacramento City Council five days to examine it before voting on Tuesday.
  • Grizzlies players have come around on management's belief that Memphis is a better team following the trade that sent Rudy Gay to Toronto, as Zach Randolph tells Sam Amick of USA Today: "You're (getting) the whole team playing one way, and guys sticking to what they do and playing together, playing for each other and playing defense and playing inside-out basketball. It's a lot better – a better mindset – playing like that…. When it first happened, everybody was down about it, especially because Rudy was like a brother to us. It was difficult at first. You wouldn't think it would be this way now, but it is."
  • Asked about his 2013/14 player option, Marvin Williams said that he hasn't even thought about his decision yet, according to Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Oram notes that Williams is unlikely to exceed the $7.5MM he'd make in his option year on the open market, and he seems to like playing in Utah, so he's a good bet to be back with the Jazz (Twitter links).
  • Responding to a Tim Kawakami piece on how a rumored James Harden/Klay Thompson swap between the Thunder and Warriors in 2012 would have been impossible, Daniel Leroux of RealGM.com explores some ways in which a deal could have worked.
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