Patrick Beverley

Bosh Mulling Max Offers From Heat, Rockets

4:02pm: Miami has offered Bosh a deal for five seasons at the maximum salary in hopes of dissuading him from taking Houston’s four-year max offer, TNT’s David Aldridge reports (Twitter link). Only Miami can offer the fifth year.

3:52pm: The Heat are putting up a fight to keep Bosh, who’s set to make his decision today, Wojnarowski tweets.

1:55pm: Bosh will speak with Rockets coach Kevin McHale soon, and he’s nearing a commitment to the Rockets, Wojnarowski reports (on Twitter).

1:28pm: The Heat would target Patrick Beverley in sign-and-trade talks, according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News (Twitter link).

1:10pm: The Rockets won’t reach out to the Heat about any sign-and-trade scenarios until they receive a firm commitment from Bosh, Wojnarowski tweets.

12:21pm: The Rockets believe that Bosh will commit to them soon, a source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

12:03pm: Bosh and the Rockets are moving quickly toward securing a deal, Wojnarowski tweets, seemingly indicating that he’s headed to Houston. If they do reach agreement, the Rockets will match the Mavs’ offer sheet for Chandler Parsons, Wojnarowski hears, echoing an earlier report.

FRIDAY, 11:55am: In the wake of James’ decision to sign with the Cavs, Bosh hasn’t made up his mind about signing with Houston, tweets USA Today’s Sam Amick, though the Rockets believe they’ll have a commitment soon, a source tells Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The Rockets are moving quickly to complete a deal for Jeremy Lin to clear the necessary cap room for Bosh, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). They’ll also have to finalize their deal to send Omer Asik to the Pelicans, and the Pelicans are considering waiving Austin Rivers and using the stretch provision to clear cap space, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe tweets, since they still don’t have room for Asik.

THURSDAY, 7:54am: Bosh has yet to decide whether he’d sign with the Rockets, regardless of what happens with LeBron, agent Henry Thomas tells Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston.

9:01pm: A source denies that any contingency plan is in place with Bosh and Houston, tweets David Aldridge of NBA.com.

6:57pm: Bosh’s intention would be to leave Miami for Houston if LeBron doesn’t re-sign with the Heat, league sources tell Wojnarowski. The Rockets are prepared to clear enough cap room to offer Bosh a four-year, $88MM contract per Wojnarowski’s sources, although it remains to be seen if Chandler Parsons‘ looming offer sheet signing with the Mavs adds a wrinkle to those plans.

WEDNESDAY, 2:49pm: The Rockets and Bosh’s camp are in talks today amid uncertainty over where LeBron will play next season, Wojnarowski tweets.

TUESDAY, 7:20am: Wojnarowski clarifies his report about Bosh’s desire to play in Miami, tweeting that while Bosh indeed prefers to play there, he’s still open to Houston’s offer.

MONDAY, 1:56pm: Bosh is waiting to find out what James is going to do, not the other way around, a source tells Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link).

1:47pm: Bosh spoke with the Rockets this morning for the first time, Wojnarowski writes. He still prefers to remain with the Heat and play with James, but the Rockets would be Bosh’s top choice should he leave Miami, according to Wojnarowski adds.

1:10pm: Chris Bosh is considering a max offer from the Rockets, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Bosh received a lower offer from the Heat and spoke to LeBron James this weekend, Broussard adds.

Bosh’s camp and the Rockets had been continuing conversations today after Houston started making a strong push for the Henry Thomas client. Bosh hadn’t personally spoken with any Rockets officials as of last night, but it appears Houston is moving quickly on the sharpshooting big man. It also appears to indicate that the Rockets aren’t waiting around for either James or Carmelo Anthony to decide on their destinations. Perhaps they feel they’re out of the running for one or both of them, though that’s just my speculation.

The 30-year-old has expressed on multiple occasions that he’d like to remain in Miami, and he still prefers to play with James on the Heat next season, as Wojnarowski reported this morning. His conversation this weekend with James seems to have given Bosh the notion that James might not be back with the Heat next season.

Joakim Noah Leads All-Defensive Team

Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah, Paul George, Chris Paul, Serge Ibaka and Andre Iguodala make up this year’s All-Defensive First Team, the NBA announced in a press release. LeBron James, Patrick Beverley, Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard and Roy Hibbert are on the second team. The news is a boon for the Bulls, who would have had to pay Taj Gibson a $250K bonus for making either the first or second All-Defensive teams. Chicago scrambled late in the season to avoid the possibility that such a bonus for Gibson would force the team to pay the luxury tax. Earning the bonus would have pushed Gibson’s salary cap figure higher for next season, too, since it would have been considered a “likely” bonus for next season.

Noah received 105 first-place votes, far outdistancing George, who with 65 first-place votes earned the second most. Iguodala and James received an identical number of first-place votes (57), but Iguodala’s 34 second-team votes were better than the four-time MVP’s 20, allowing Golden State’s swingman to take the final position on the first team.

Clippers center DeAndre Jordan was the highest vote-getter who missed the cut for the second team, followed by Anthony Davis and Tony Allen. Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard were next, directly in front of Gibson.

Patrick Beverley Will Return This Season

MONDAY, 12:37pm: Beverley will be back this season and won’t undergo surgery, Wojnarowski reports.

SUNDAY, 1:47pm: There’s a possibility that Beverley will not need surgery, and he might be able to return as early as the first-round of the postseason, reports Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle (h/t to Zach Harper of CBSSports.com). Beverley says he feels “pretty good” and believes he’ll return this season “for sure.” He’ll see Dr. James Andrews on Monday and make a decision after their visit.

FRIDAY: Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley is likely done for the season with a torn meniscus in his right knee, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports originally reported the injury, noting that Beverley will seek a second opinion in hopes that he can rehab and return at some point before the end of Houston’s playoff run.

Amick cites the lengthy absences of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, who also suffered meniscus tears, though Metta World Peace returned 12 days after undergoing surgery on his torn meniscus last season. Still, that quick recovery was something of an outlier, and the procedure World Peace underwent, in which his meniscus was removed entirely rather than repaired, can cause issues that linger over the course of a long career. Beverley, just 25 years old, might not be as willing as World Peace, then 33, to sacrifice the future for the benefit of the present.

In any case, the specter of entering the playoffs with Beverley is a tough blow for the Rockets, who’ve compiled the fourth-best record in the Western Conference thanks in no small part to the gritty, defensive-minded second-year player. He represents one of GM Daryl Morey‘s shrewdest acquisitions, as Morey picked him out of the Russian league in the middle of last season, signed him to a minimum-salary contract, and watched him quickly make his mark on the team. Beverley’s deal is non-guaranteed for next season, but it would be a shock if Morey doesn’t keep him around, regardless of the injury.

It’s too late for the team to apply for a disabled player exception, which wouldn’t have given the team much flexibility, given Beverley’s diminutive salary. The Rockets have a prorated portion of the $2.652MM room exception available to sign a free agent replacement, but it’s unlikely anyone on the market will be able to replace what Beverley has brought to the team, much less be worthy of more than the minimum salary. Rookie Isaiah Canaan figures to draw more playing time behind Jeremy Lin, who’ll no doubt become the starter, and Morey might regret trading veteran point guard Aaron Brooks to the Nuggets at the deadline for swingman Jordan Hamilton.

Southwest Rumors: Mavs, Ajinca, Rockets

Southwest Division teams have been at the center of headlines this weekend, as the Grizzlies have added the younger brother of Stephen Curry while news about the Rockets‘ attempts to trade Omer Asik continues to leak. Here’s the latest from the Southwest:

  • Point guard Devin Harris suffered another toe injury and won’t return for at least a couple more weeks, but Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said the team isn’t looking to add a replacement, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News observes.
  • The Pelicans are optimistic about Alexis Ajinca‘s upside after signing him this week, but the 25-year-old acknowledges he has to deliver on his promise soon to have a lengthy NBA career, writes Nakia Hogan of The Times-Picayune“This is my second chance,” Ajinca said. “I know there is not going to be a third chance. I know for sure that it is going to have to happen this year or next year. I’ve been working real hard overseas to get back here. Now I can’t wait to have that opportunity to be on the court and show the world that I have been improving those couple of years.” 
  • Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley will miss four to six weeks with a broken hand suffered last night against the Pistons, as Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle notes via Twitter. Even though Jeremy Lin appears ready to return from back spasms, the team plans to call up Isaiah Canaan from the D-League to bolster its depth, according to Mark Berman of Fox 26 Houston (Twitter link). Canaan has been on D-League assignment for more than six weeks.

Eastern Notes: Heat, Robinson, Bobcats, Pistons

The Nets' win in Chicago last night ensured that we'll get at least one Game Seven in the first round of this year's playoffs, but if we're lucky, we could do a lot better than that. With four Game Sixes on tap for tonight, including two more Eastern Conference series, there's a chance this year's first round could break the NBA record for most Game Sevens in a single playoff round. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter), there has never been more than three in a round. As we look forward to tonight's packed slate, let's check out some notes from around the East….

  • In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes that Patrick Beverley is in a good spot in Houston and that the Heat won a title without him, a win-win situation for both sides. However, Winderman adds that a defensive third-string point guard like Beverley could have come in handy for Miami, and "it's not as if there wasn't roster space to try to make it work." The Heat signed Beverley to a guaranteed two-year deal in 2010, but cut him shortly thereafter.
  • Nate Robinson figures to land more than a veteran's minimum contract in free agency this summer, but don't bank on him receiving a huge raise, writes Tom Ziller of SBNation.com.
  • With at least five candidates already in the mix for the Bobcats' head coaching opening, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer anticipates a search as wide-ranging as last year's. Charlotte's hunt for a coach last May involved so many names that I dedicated a post at the time to keeping them all straight.
  • Vince Goodwill of the Detroit News breaks down nine potential candidates for the Pistons' head coaching opening, in slideshow form. GM Joe Dumars and owner Tom Gores will be advised by Phil Jackson in the Pistons' search, as the team announced yesterday.

Southwest Notes: Mavs, Wright, Beverley, Rockets

With three games on the postseason schedule tonight, including two that could be series-enders, it appears we're in for another fun night of NBA ball. While we prepare for the evening's action in New York, Indiana, and Oklahoma City, let's check in on a few items out of the Southwest Division….

  • As the Mavericks prepare their to-do list for what Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News calls "the most important summer in franchise history," the top priority is figuring out exactly how much money they'll have to spend this offseason, according to Sefko.
  • There's mutual interest between Brandan Wright and the Mavericks in seeing the big man back in Dallas next season, but Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com predicts Wright won't come cheap. MacMahon expects bidding for the free-agent-to-be to start in the four-year, $16MM range.
  • Patrick Beverley would love to stay long-term with the NBA team that took a chance on him, telling Mark Berman of FOX 26 Houston (Twitter link) that he'd "definitely love to be [with the Rockets] forever."
  • Jemele Hill of ESPN.com is the latest to make the case for why Dwight Howard ought to sign with the Rockets rather than the Lakers or any other suitors this summer.

Western Notes: Mayo, Wright, Beverley

The Dallas Morning News relayed some quotes from Mavericks beat writer Eddie Sefko today, from his appearance on 1310 AM The Ticket. Regarding O.J. Mayo, Sefko doesn't think that the Mavs will make an offer "too far north of the mid-level exception" and estimates a reasonable offer to be close to around a four-year deal at around $30MM. He also thinks that Mayo's starting offers will be for the mid-level exception. As for Brandan Wright, Sefko believes that retaining the 6'9 big man as a reserve in addition to finding a starting center would help shore up their rotation at the five spot. Here are a few more miscellaneous notes out of the Western Conference tonight:
  • Fresh off of his 16-point, 12-rebound, and six assists performance against Oklahoma City, Rockets guard Patrick Beverley isn't fazed at all by the playoff atmosphere, crediting the hostile environment from his experiences in Europe for his ability to handle the pressure now (Jonathan Feigen of Ultimate Rockets writes): “It’s different here. You have cities versus cities, states versus states. There, it’s countries against countries. I’ve played in games and got hit in the face with quarters, played with my face bleeding. I’ve played in hostile environments a lot. The first round of the playoffs I can deal with.” 
  • Max Ogden of Sheridan Hoops gives an update on Kostas Papanikolaou, the 48th selection of last year's NBA draft by the Knicks whose draft rights were later traded to the Trail Blazers. The 22-year-old forward has continued his progression for the defending Euroleague champion Olympiacos. 
  • NBA commissioner David Stern commended the Rockets for how they handled Royce White's situation, saying "we'll see what happens" with regard to White's future (Reid Laymance of Ultimate Rockets). 
  • This NBA.com article focuses on Andre Miller, who at age 37 is leading the third-seeded Nuggets in his quest to get out of the first round for the first time in nine playoff appearances. 

Ingram On Howard, Grizzlies, Celtics, Boozer, Bargnani

The latest from around the NBA as reported by Bill Ingram of HoopsWorld.com:

  • The Lakers are keeping their options open with regards to Dwight Howard, but as of now they are determined to keep him in Los Angeles.
  • Ingram doesn't think the Grizzlies should trade Rudy Gay or Zach Randolph this season, writing that they are close enough to title contention to keep the core together in the short term.
  • The Celtics need to find younger players to build around Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley, Ingram writes.
  • Given Carlos Boozer's recent stretch of excellent play, Ingram doesn't see the Bulls trading him.
  • While the Raptors would love to trade Andrea Bargnani, it is unlikely that any player he could net in return is worth trading him for.
  • Ingram talk to Rockets rookie Patrick Beverley about his transition from the D-League to the NBA.
  • Ingram writes that the firing of head coach Alvin Gentry has injected a sense of urgency into the Suns locker room.

Players Still Ineligible To Be Traded

Today is January 15th, which means that a number of players who had been ineligible to be traded until this point are now free to be moved by their respective teams. As Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors outlined last month, Eric Gordon, Brook Lopez, Kris Humphries, Ersan Ilyasova, and Jeff Green are among the players who weren't eligible to be dealt until today.

However, in addition to rules that keeps players from being traded until December 15th or January 15th, the CBA also includes a stipulation that a team must have a player on its roster for three months before being able to trade him. That means guys who have signed contracts since October 15th are still ineligible to be dealt.

Here are the players who can't be traded quite yet, along with the dates they'll become trade-eligible:

Leandro Barbosa (Celtics): January 18th
Daniel Orton (Thunder): January 31st
Shaun Livingston (Cavaliers): February 15th

Because the trade deadline arrives on February 21st, players signed after November 21st won't become trade-eligible until after the season. Here are the guys who fit that description:

Jeff Adrien (Bobcats)
James Anderson (Rockets)
Patrick Beverley (Rockets)
Daequan Cook (Bulls)
Kevin Jones (Cavaliers)
Mickael Pietrus (Raptors)
Garrett Temple (Wizards)

In addition to recent signees, players who were claimed off amnesty waivers last July are also ineligible to be traded until July 2013. Some amnesty victims, like Andray Blatche, cleared waivers without being claimed and signed new contracts, so they're trade-eligible now, but the following players can't be moved this season:

Elton Brand (Mavericks)
Brendan Haywood (Bobcats)
Luis Scola (Suns)

Finally, players on 10-day contracts, such as Dominic McGuire, Maalik Wayns, and Josh Harrellson, also won't be trade-eligible at any point this season, even if they eventually receive rest-of-season contracts.

D-League Moves: Beverley, Wroten, Jones, Joseph

Here are Monday's D-League assignments and recalls, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • After Jeremy Lin sprained his ankle at practice today, the Rockets will recall the recently-signed Patrick Beverley from the D-League, tweets Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Since joining the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Beverley has averaged 13.7 PPG, 7.0 APG, and 6.7 RPG in three contests.
  • After a brief stint with the Reno Bighorns, Tony Wroten has been recalled from the D-League by the Grizzlies, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (via Twitter). Quincy Pondexter is out with a knee injury, and Rudy Gay will miss tonight's game while attending his grandmother's funeral, so Wroten will provide some extra depth for Memphis.
  • Terrence Jones has been recalled from the D-League by the Rockets, tweets Feigen. Jones, 2012's 18th overall pick, had been on his third D-League assignment with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, having averaged 19.2 PPG and 11.0 RPG in nine contests for the club this season.
  • The Spurs have recalled Cory Joseph from their D-League affiliate, the team announced today in a press release. Joseph was assigned to the Austin Toros back on December 17th for the third time this season. In 14 games with the Toros, Joseph has averaged 20.7 PPG and shot 44.2% from three-point range.