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Western Notes: Allen, Kings, Gasol, Warriors

April 4th, 2013 at 9:40pm CST by Michael Pina

A few notes from around the league's Western Conference.

Grizzlies guard Tony Allen is focused on his team's upcoming playoff run, not the fact that he's an unrestricted free agent this summer, writes the Memphis Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery.
The Sacramento Bee's Ailene Voisin gives the latest on the Kings situation.
Pau Gasol has had an injury plagued season, but he appears to finally be getting on the right track with Dwight Howard and his coach, Mike D'Antoni, writes Los Angeles Times reporter Eric Pincus.
MercuryNews.com's Marcus Thompson II writes that the Warriors' recent success can be attributed to their improved defense.

Lakers Rumors: D12, Gasol, World Peace, D’Antoni

April 4th, 2013 at 5:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Although the Lakers' short-term focus is on finishing the regular season strong and earning a playoff spot in the Western Conference, the team will face a number of questions this summer and beyond, with luxury-tax penalties set to increase starting in 2013/14. Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com spoke to a number of agents, executives, and players about the Lakers' cap situation, so let's round up the highlights:

One general manager on free agent big man Dwight Howard: "No matter what, they have to re-sign Dwight. Even if they don't want to move forward with Dwight, you gotta re-sign him because he's a tradable asset no matter what he makes…. You can always move him, but if you don't have him under your control, then you've got nothing."
The general belief is that if Howard is re-signed, the Lakers will look to move Pau Gasol, but there are mixed opinions on how much trade value he would have, and how strong a package the Lakers could acquire. Said one GM: "He'll have value as a super expiring contract. There are 12 teams with $12MM or more in [cap space] this summer. Multiple teams will be open to doing an uneven deal to acquire him…. They would probably have to take back a multiyear deal at a lower number. Say, somebody with two or three years left at 6 million a year. They can't incentivize a deal because they have no assets — no [draft] picks and no young players of value."
Gasol could also be amnestied, which would significantly lessen the Lakers' tax burden, but it would be a purely financial move rather than a basketball one. Rival GMs are skeptical that the team would make such a move in what could be Kobe Bryant's last year.
Metta World Peace is a more likely amnesty candidate, though if he decides to opt out of the final year of his deal, Steve Blake could be amnestied as well. World Peace told NBA.com last week that he'd consider declining his '13/14 option, and the knee surgery he underwent since then hasn't changed that stance, according to Shelburne.
One Lakers player said he believes World Peace would like to secure a two- or three-year contract rather than exercising his one-year player option.
There were also varying opinions among GMs on coach Mike D'Antoni's future with the Lakers. One GM's thoughts: "I like Mike D'Antoni, but if I was them, that's the move I'd make (letting him go). You can talk about amnestying players and trades, but players are still assets. Coaches are different."

Odds & Ends: Stuckey, Monroe, Macvan

March 16th, 2013 at 9:35pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The last time the Pistons earned a trip to the postseason was in 2008-09, when they drew the first-seeded Cavaliers led by LeBron James and were subsequently swept. Of the 12 active players on Detroit's playoff roster that year, only three remain today – Will Bynum, Jason Maxiell, and Rodney Stuckey. While Stuckey has a partially guaranteed contract in 2013-14, Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News says that "nobody would be surprised" if the 6'5 guard is traded before next season, particularly before the draft in June. Here's more of this evening's miscellaneous links:

Lakers big man Pau Gasol encountered some soreness in his foot after participating in a game of two-on-two at the team's practice facility today, writes Mike Bresnahan of the LA Times. The cause and extent of the of the soreness weren't clear, and he plans to visit a foot specialist on Sunday.
In the above piece, Goodwill adds that Greg Monroe, who is set to become a restricted free agent after next year, remains confident that GM Joe Dumars is capable of turning the struggling team around.
The Cavaliers have no plans of bringing Milan Macvan – their 2011 second round draft choice – on board anytime soon, writes Mary Schmitt Boyer of the Plain Dealer. The 23-year-old Serbian big man is currently playing for Galatasaray in Turkey.
HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy provides a list of D-Leaguers at every position who could be in line for a callup, with eight D-League players having already inked with NBA teams in March (Sulia link).
One scout tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that this year's NCAA tourney will have a major impact on determining the order of the players selected in June. Citing how weak he believes the upcoming draft class is, the scout also tells Amico that a star from a small school could wind up being selected in the lottery again, the same way Damian Lillard emerged out of Weber State last year.
John Rohde of The Oklahoman takes a look at some of the players the Thunder could get with the lottery pick they're expected to receive from the Raptors this year.
The team that wins the Las Vegas Summer League, which is reportedly switching to a tournament style format this year, will have the cost of its additional tournament games reimbursed by the league, sources tell Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Injury Notes: Rose, Gasol, Anthony

March 12th, 2013 at 6:51pm CST by Michael Pina

A few injury related notes about a few of the league's brightest stars.

According to CBSSports.com's Ken Berger, Lakers forward Pau Gasol is close to returning, as it's been six weeks since he tore the plantar fascia in his right foot against Brooklyn in early February.
Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony could get his knee drained, according to a tweet from Newsday's Al Iannazzone. But it's probable that this would only occur as a last solution. The knee injury won't force Anthony to miss time in the short term, but it's a situation that's constantly being monitored and reevaluated by the team.
According to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, Derrick Rose told reporters earlier today that he has no specific return date, and that he might not play at all this season.

Pacific Notes: Howard, Gasol, Kings, McMillan

March 11th, 2013 at 10:31am CST by Luke Adams

With the Lakers preparing to play the Magic in Orlando tomorrow night, Dwight Howard will be returning to the city where he spent the first eight years of his NBA career. In advance of the game, Howard spoke to Sam Amick of USA Today and expressed some regrets about the way he handled the situation in his final year with the Magic.

"In Orlando, I handled a lot of stuff the wrong way," Howard said. "If any of those people in Orlando are upset with how I did it, I apologize for the way I handled it and the way it was handled in the media."

Here's more from Howard and the rest of the Pacific Division:

Howard and Amick spoke about several other topics, including his recovery from back surgery and his recent comments about his former Magic teammates. USA Today has a transcript of the Q&A.
Amnestying Pau Gasol this summer may be an option for the Lakers if the team can't find a suitable trade, says Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (via Sulia). Clearing Gasol's near-$20MM cap hit from the books wouldn't get the Lakers out of the tax, assuming they re-sign Howard, but it would greatly reduce their bill. Still, I'd be pretty shocked if it came to that for the Lakers and Gasol.
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee takes a look at the transition Patrick Patterson has been making as he takes on a new role with the Kings.
Appearing on 710 ESPN in Seattle, Nate McMillan said he's "definitely looking to get back into coaching" and suggested that if the Kings were moved to Seattle, that job is one that would interest him. Eric Schmoldt of Sports Radio Interviews has the details.
Dale Kasler, Ryan Lillis, and Tony Bizjak of the Sacramento Bee provide an update on the latest news related to the Kings sale.

Kyler On Dwight, Gasol, Monta, Collins

March 9th, 2013 at 9:52pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld took to Twitter tonight to offer thoughts on various questions about the NBA. Here are some of the highlights:

He thinks that Dwight Howard will remain with the Lakers beyond this summer.
The Lakers could possibly deal Pau Gasol in the offseason for smaller pieces, similar to what the Grizzlies did with Rudy Gay.
On the subject of Monta Ellis opting in, Kyler notes that there could be a lucrative market for him in free agency this summer too.
Doug Collins' coaching days in Philadelphia would seem to be numbered by now.
Gilbert Arenas or Tracy McGrady probably won't sign anywhere this season, for the same reasons why they haven't been able to get anything done since the beginning of the year. He also doubts that Allen Iverson will get another opportunity in the NBA.
It wouldn't be surprise if the Trail Blazers targeted Josh Smith, but re-tooling the bench appears to be the bigger need.
Jerry Sloan would have to be in the right situation to consider returning, but it isn't likely that he'll find it.

Pacific Notes: Kings, Nash, Gasol, Patterson

March 9th, 2013 at 9:34am CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Pacific Division on Saturday morning:

Tom Ziller of SBNation.com discusses the importance of David Stern's implication that the Maloofs have no leverage in the sale of the Kings to the Seattle or Sacramento groups.
Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that Steve Nash is growing increasingly comfortable in his new role on the Lakers.
Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports that Pau Gasol is still at least two weeks away from returning to action.
Ric Bucher of CSNBayArea.com writes that the Kings traded for Patrick Patterson in part because of his close relationship with DeMarcus Cousins dating back to their time as teammates at the University of Kentucky.
Wendell Maxey of RidiculousUpside.com chronicles Malcolm Thomas' journey from Israel to the D-League to the Warriors.

Western Notes: Spurs, Marion, Mayo, Collison

February 27th, 2013 at 9:49pm CST by Alex Lee

Stephen Curry absolutely went off at the Garden on Wednesday night, dropping 54 points via 11 treys on the Knicks in the game of the night. Despite Curry's efforts, the Warriors still came up short, losing by four. Here are some other notes from around the Western Conference:

Gregg Popovich says that the Spurs, as always, will do their due diligence in scouring the post-March 1st buyout market, but with their roster already 15 deep, he doesn't expect anything to come of it, tweets Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News answered a few questions about the Mavericks roster in a chat on Tuesday. Sefko doesn't see the Mavs dealing Shawn Marion next season just to free up cap space, opining that Marion is still a starting caliber player that warrants something worthwhile in return.
Sefko also considers re-signing O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison critical to the team's chances of luring whatever big name free agents they'll set their sights on, largely due to their youth. Keeping both players, who have had nice seasons in Dallas, will be difficult without overpaying, Sefko says.
Pau Gasol, likely still a month from returning, has been cleared to work out on an elliptical machine, tweets Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News. Gasol tore his plantar fascia three weeks ago and the Lakers are sticking to their original timetable of six-to-eight weeks for his return.

Lakers Notes: Howard, Kobe, Gasol, D’Antoni

February 20th, 2013 at 2:41pm CST by Luke Adams

Here's the latest on the Lakers, as the club prepares to host the Celtics tonight in Los Angeles….

GM Mitch Kupchak has insisted for weeks that the Lakers won't trade Dwight Howard, and he told ESPN Radio today the team still envisions Howard as the centerpiece of its future (link via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com).
Kupchak also hinted that the Lakers aren't necessarily counting on more than another year and a half from Kobe Bryant: "Kobe has one more year on his deal. That's all I can bank on or this organization can bank on. I have no idea if he wants to continue to play beyond next year. As of now, we're looking at a two-year window, [and that] plays to the urgency of the situation and how we build the team…. This team's window to win is this year and next year."
Pau Gasol won't be moved this week, but Kupchak didn't rule out the possibility that trade rumors will surface again in the summer or next season: "His name has come up in the past and it would be misleading to say it won't come up in the future."
According to Kupchak, the Lakers are "very happy" with coach Mike D'Antoni going forward, and are pleased with the job he has done considering he didn't have a training camp with the team.
Asked today whether he sees himself as part of the Lakers' future, Howard replied, "Yeah, I do. We talked about it plenty of times. That's what we've always talked about since the first day I got here. It hasn't stopped. The goal hasn't changed and won't change." However, he stopped short of committing to re-signing with the Lakers, telling reporters that there's no need to make that decision right now (Twitter links via Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com and Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe).

Odds & Ends: Repeater Tax, Bobcats, T-Wolves

February 20th, 2013 at 1:08am CST by Ryan Raroque

Yahoo's Marc J. Spears says (via Twitter) that trade talk has been quiet, as teams are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith first. One major factor which undeniably has affected discussions around this time has been the looming "repeater tax," which Adrian Wojnarowski tweets is the reason why most teams have been reluctant to take back long-term deals at the deadline. We'll round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links below:

In addressing the biggest issues for the Lakers moving forward, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times puts the chances of Dwight Howard re-signing next season at 25%. If Howard stays, Bresnahan thinks the Lakers could possibly amnesty Pau Gasol. If Dwight chooses to leave, Bresnahan opines that L.A. would likely keep Gasol and amnesty Metta World Peace.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune directs attention to Luke Ridnour and the Timberwolves' multiple first-round picks as their most attractive pieces in trying to acquire a legitimately-sized shooting guard.
According to Wojnarowski, the Bobcats have been trying to find takers for Gerald Henderson and are looking for a first-round pick in return.
John Reid of NOLA.com hears that the Hornets would be interested in trading Eric Gordon to the Warriors in any package that includes Klay Thompson, although Golden State is said to be reluctant in parting ways with the second-year guard right now. Reid notes Gordon has the power to veto any trade, and while he showed a strong interest in signing with Phoenix over the summer, the Hornets are prohibited from dealing him to the Suns.
With no first-round picks or salary cap space to use, Tim Kawakami of Mercury News believes that the Warriors aren't looking or aren't likely to make a deal soon.
ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that Derrick Rose appeared good enough to return to in-game action judging by the way he looked during 5-on-5 practice, according to eyewitnesses (Twitter link). On the same token, head coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN Chicago earlier today that Rose might not make his return this season.
Paul Coro of AZCentral.com says that Sebastian Telfair and Jermaine O'Neal could be sent to title contenders in minor deals, and that Telfair would be the most likely candidate to be moved.
While there aren't any concrete trade connections between Oklahoma City and the following list of players, Royce Young of Daily Thunder names five reasonable targets for the Thunder: Luc Mbah a Moute, J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour, Darren Collison, and Rodney Stuckey.