Mickael Pietrus Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Lakers Inquire About Mickael Pietrus

November 24th, 2012 at 12:28pm CST by Sean Highkin

Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter) that the Los Angeles Lakers have shown interest in free agent guard Mickael Pietrus, in addition to their previously reported inquiries about Raja Bell.

Pietrus, who played for the Celtics in 2011/12, is an unrestricted free agent who has popped up in discussions among teams dealing with backcourt injury issues early in the season. The Timberwolves considered signing Pietrus before ultimately deciding on Josh Howard. The Raptors were also said to be interested, but nothing has developed on that front. The Spurs made Pietrus an offer after injuries to Stephen Jackson and Kawhi Leonard left them wanting for wing help, but he declined due to lack of guaranteed money.

With guards Steve Nash and Steve Blake continuing to battle injuries, the Lakers are in serious need of depth, which is why they are considering players such as Bell and Pietrus.

Texas Notes: Kidd, Pietrus, Spurs, McHale

November 21st, 2012 at 7:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

There's plenty of news coming out of the Lonestar State tonight, where the Spurs, Mavs and Rockets have begun to cool off, to varying degrees, after their hot starts. Here's the latest:

Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News argues that Jason Kidd had every right to leave the Mavericks this summer, and scolds owner Mark Cuban for giving him the cold shoulder.
The Spurs made an offer to Mickael Pietrus that included a "one month" guarantee, but Pietrus wasn't interested, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.com.
According to the French newspaper Le Parisien (translation via Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News), Pietrus never received an offer from the Spurs. That's in contrast to Charania's information, as well as an earlier report from Marc Stein of ESPN.com suggesting Pietrus' demand for more than the minimum is what kept him from the team. Le Parisien attributes Stein's report to misinformation from Pietrus' "entourage," according to McCarney.
Interim Rockets coach Kelvin Sampson, who's subbing for Kevin McHale, said the situation surrounding McHale is improving, but, "It's not out of the woods yet," reports David Barron of the Houston Chronicle. The team has not specified the reason for McHale's absence, but he's believed to be tending to his ailing daughter.

Spurs Rumors: Anderson, Joseph, Pietrus

November 20th, 2012 at 12:44pm CST by Luke Adams

On the heels of Stephen Jackson's right hand injury, which will keep him out for at least a month, the Spurs are exploring ways of adding depth to a roster that's also without Kawhi Leonard. Here are the latest rumors on how the team intends to move forward:

San Antonio is in the process of calling up former Spur James Anderson from the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers, reports ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter). Anderson is no longer under contract with the Spurs, so the team would have to ink him to a new deal and use its open roster spot to call him up.
Head coach Gregg Popovich indicated the Spurs will likely recall Cory Joseph from the team's D-League affiliate as well, according to Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News. Joseph was assigned to the Austin Toros last week.
The Spurs also have interest in Mickael Pietrus, who would be a natural fit with three Frenchmen already on the roster, according to Stein (Twitter link). However, the former Celtic is still seeking more than a minimum salary. For San Antonio, which is close to the tax threshold and has spent most of its mid-level and bi-annual exceptions, the pro-rated veteran's minimum is the only option.

Western Notes: Grizzlies, Wolves, Jefferson, Brand

November 16th, 2012 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

In his latest Insider piece for ESPN.com, John Hollinger explores the concept of the "second draft," an idea that involves acquiring players who had the talent to be high draft picks but who fell out of favor with their previous teams, for whatever reason. Hollinger points to the Grizzlies as one team taking full advantage of the "second draft" concept this season, with Jerryd Bayless, Quincy Pondexter, Wayne Ellington, and Marreese Speights making the club's bench one of the best in the NBA so far.

Here are a few more notes from around the Western Conference:

Before the Timberwolves signed Josh Howard, they "politely turned down" interest from Kenyon Martin's camp, and made the same minimum-salary offer to Mickael Pietrus, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Howard accept the team's proposal first, as Pietrus' camp is still holding out for the mini mid-level.
Al Jefferson was upset after the Jazz' game against the Celtics that Boston media had interpreted his comments about his C's history to mean he wanted to return to Boston, according to James Patrick of the Deseret News.
While Mike D'Antoni won over the media when he was introduced in Los Angeles yesterday, it will be more important long-term for the Lakers' new coach to win over Dwight Howard, says Ken Berger of CBS Sports.
After he didn't land the Lakers' coaching job, Phil Jackson is unlikely to be considered a serious candidate for the next Team USA coach, according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game, who says (via Sulia) that newly re-elected chairman Jerry Colangelo and Jackson aren't exactly close.
Elton Brand appeared on ESPN Radio Dallas to discuss the eventual return of Dirk Nowitzki and the adjustments that fellow offseason acquisition O.J. Mayo has had to make with the Mavericks (link via Sports Radio Interviews).

Raptors Considering Mickael Pietrus

November 16th, 2012 at 8:02am CST by Luke Adams

For a few days recently, it appeared as if Mickael Pietrus could be headed for the injury-depleted Timberwolves, but Minnesota ended up agreeing to terms with Josh Howard instead. Now, another team ravaged by injuries is eyeing Pietrus, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (Twitter link). The Raptors are pondering making a "fresh run" at the veteran wing, reports Stein.

There are a number of obstacles in the way of the Raptors seriously pursuing Pietrus. For one, it appeared that in his talks with the T-Wolves and other teams, Pietrus was unwilling to play for the veteran's minimum. Having used all their cap space and their room exception, the Raptors could only offer the 30-year-old a minimum salary deal. Additionally, as Stein acknowledges in his tweet, Toronto already has 15 guaranteed contracts on its books, meaning the team would have to eat some money if it waived a player to make room for a new addition. As such, the club will likely stand pat.

While they haven't been hit as hard by health problems as the Wolves, the Raptors have seen multiple offseason acquisitions sidelined with injuries already this season. The team announced yesterday that Kyle Lowry will miss an additional week or two with a right foot injury, and that Alan Anderson will be out three to six weeks with a partially torn plantar fascia in his left foot. Landry Fields, meanwhile, has no timetable for his return after undergoing ulnar nerve transposition surgery on his right elbow.

Timberwolves Considering Pietrus, Howard

November 14th, 2012 at 7:06pm CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 7:06pm: Wolves GM David Kahn said the team isn't currently planning on adding a player, even though the team is down to nine healthy bodies for tonight's game with the Bobcats, tweets Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. We heard earlier today that an agent has told Wolfson he believes the team is working on a trade.

5:52pm: Representatives for Pietrus weren't surprised the team worked out Howard, Wolfson tweets, adding that there's no workout scheduled for Pietrus.

TUESDAY, 4:44pm: In addition to reaching out to Pietrus, the Timberwolves have worked out Josh Howard, according to Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (via Twitter).

Jerry Zgoda speculated earlier today that, with Chase Budinger out for three months, Pietrus, Howard, or Raja Bell could be a fit for the T-Wolves. As I suggested at the time, Howard may make the most sense of the three, since Pietrus is seeking more than the minimum while Bell's salary makes him an undesirable trade target.

MONDAY, 4:08pm: A day after we heard that the Timberwolves could reach out to Mickael Pietrus in their search for wing help, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities reports (via Twitter) that the team has spoken to Pietrus' camp. According to Wolfson, the T-Wolves are interested in signing Pietrus, but money is still an issue, since Minnesota can only offer the veteran's minimum.

Last Wednesday, Wolfson reported that Pietrus' camp expected the former Celtic to sign with an NBA team in the next week to 10 days. It seems likely that the 30-year-old could find an offer if he were willing to accept the veteran's minimum, either from Minnesota or another club. However, agent Bill McCandless said earlier this summer that there was "no chance" his client would sign a minimum-salary contract. It seems that stance hasn't changed much, even three and a half months later.

If the Wolves were to add Pietrus or another veteran, the team would need to make a corresponding roster move to clear a spot. Minnesota currently has 14 players on guaranteed contracts, with Will Conroy playing on a partially guaranteed deal.

Western Rumors: Lakers, Wolves, Dirk, Rockets

November 13th, 2012 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

We heard almost a month ago to the day that the Lakers had made Steve Blake and Chris Duhon available via trade, and that hasn't changed even with Steve Nash out, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Mannix reports that the Lakers have continued to dangle the two point guards in trade talks, but, unsurprisingly, neither player is drawing much interest. Here are a few more updates out of the Western Conference:

With Chase Budinger officially out for about three months, the Timberwolves will likely move to add a wing, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Zgoda names Mickael Pietrus, Josh Howard, and Raja Bell as possibilities, though Pietrus is seeking more than Minnesota can offer and Bell is still a member of the Jazz.
Dirk Nowitzki's rehab on his surgically repaired knee isn't progressing quite as quickly as he'd anticipated, Nowitzki said on FOX Sports Southwest last night. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News has the details.
Following up on yesterday's report that the Rockets would send their three rookies to the D-League, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle notes (via Twitter) that that's always been the case with Rockets rookies who aren't getting regular playing time.
SI.com's Ian Thomsen fields questions on the Lakers, DeMarcus Cousins, the Grizzlies, and a few other topics in his latest mailbag.

Wolves May Reach Out To Pietrus, Howard

November 11th, 2012 at 12:07pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wolves are concerned about the health of Chase Budinger, who twisted his right knee in last night's loss to the Bulls, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN. There's no word on how long he'll be out yet, but the team is continuing talks with agents for other players who might be brought in to replace him, according to Wolfson, who says the team will call on Mickael Pietrus and perhaps Josh Howard along with others should the need arise (Twitter link).

X-rays showed nothing out of the ordinary for Budinger, who is expected to undergo an MRI today, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Replacing him will be a challenge, Wolfson points out, since the team only has the minimum salary at its disposal. Wolfson called Pietrus a long shot for the Wolves a few days ago, given agent Bill McCandless' insistence in July that Pietrus won't sign for the minimum, but the Minnesota is apparently not giving up. Howard seems more likely to bite on a minimum offer, judging by his recent comments about his willingness to find NBA work.

The Wolves have been hit hard by injuries in the early going this year, with Kevin Love, Ricky Rubio, J.J. Barea and Brandon Roy all missing time. Rookie Alexey Shved was the team's only healthy shooting guard last night against the Bulls, and coach Rick Adelman used 6'9" forward Andrei Kirilenko to guard Richard Hamilton for significant stretches.

Wolves Rumors: Harden, Williams, Barea, Ridnour

November 9th, 2012 at 8:47am CST by Luke Adams

Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities shares a number of interesting tidbits related to the Timberwolves in his latest Scoops piece, so let's dive right in and check out the highlights….

Wolfson hears from T-Wolves sources that Minnesota made a few calls on James Harden, and would have been willing to part with Derrick Williams, future first-round picks, and more. However, since the Thunder weren't all that interested in dealing within the division and had a strong offer from the Rockets, talks between the Wolves and OKC never got serious.
Williams, J.J. Barea, and Luke Ridnour are considered potential trade candidates, but the Wolves aren't engaged in any discussions now. Wolfson says that dialogue could pick up once the team has 15 games under its belt.
Owner Glen Taylor expects injured stars Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio to return in early December and mid-December, respectively.
Taylor also addressed the possibility of selling the franchise, telling Wolfson he may "get a deal within this year." However, Taylor added that he anticipates remaining with the organization for five or six years, slowly transitioning from majority to minority owner.
R.J. Adelman, Minnesota's director of personnel, likes Mickael Pietrus, but the veteran wing is still not open to signing for the minimum, which means he's out of the Wolves' price range.

Pacers Unlikely To Add Veteran?

November 8th, 2012 at 7:07pm CST by Alex Lee

With Danny Granger on the shelf for up to three months, the Pacers have been linked to Mickael Pietrus. With championship expectations, most expected Indiana to make a move to bolster their lineup in hopes of staying afloat without their star forward. Not so fast, says Andrew Perna of RealGM, who has heard that the team is not expected to add anyone in the immediate future.

The Pacers are 2-3 headed into Friday night's matchup in Minnesota. While Granger was the subject of some trade speculation earlier in the year, it was quickly quashed by the team. If the Pacers would be better off without Granger, as some executives had hinted, the next three months will go a long way to helping them determine that. Sam Young and Gerald Green may receive the biggest uptick in playing time, but expect the emerging Paul George to have the biggest opportunity to shine in Granger's absence.