Kyler On Lakers, Redick, Grizzlies
Just as he did on Saturday, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com answered some questions Sunday morning from his Twitter followers. Here are the highlights:
- Kyler does not expect the Lakers to trade Pau Gasol, noting that his hefty salary makes it difficult to find a fit. He says the Lakers are not interested in taking back another similar-sized contract for Gasol, and would prefer to break his cap hit into smaller pieces.
- Kyler says that, although former Blazers head coach Nate McMillan makes sense as an assistant coach for the Lakers, there is no incentive for him to take the job due to the Lakers' struggles and his enjoyment of spending time with his family (link).
- Kyler expects Magic guard J.J. Redick to get a contract similar to the four-year, $36MM deal Ryan Anderson signed with the Hornets. He does not think the Blazers would be a fit for Redick, given the presence of Wesley Matthews.
- Kyler doesn't think the Grizzlies will trade any of their key players unless the return helps them win now.
Kyler On Dwight, Hornets, Beasley, Gay, Magic
Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.com answered some questions from his Twitter followers on Saturday regarding various free agency and trade rumors.
- Just as they plan to make a run at Chris Paul (link below), the Hawks will aggressively pursue Dwight Howard as well, Kyler says.
- Hornets GM Dell Demps tells Kyler he wants to give his roster more time to play together, so New Orleans is unlikely to be active at the deadline.
- The Lakers almost traded for Michael Beasley last year, but Kyler can't see them doing so again (Twitter links).
- Kyler speculates that the Wizards are the most logical destination for Rudy Gay.
- The Magic, who possess a trade exception worth more than $17.8MM from the Dwight Howard deal, aren't likely to use it for a "splashy" move.
- If the Magic deal away J.J. Redick, he'll look to sign with a contender as a free agent this summer.
Earlier updates:
- Kyler tweets that the Hawks intend to make a strong push for Chris Paul this summer. The Bobcats will also attempt to lure him, but Kyler does not think he will leave the Clippers.
- Kyler says that Andrew Bynum will be seeking a max contract on the open market, although there is some doubt that he will get such an offer. He points to the Rockets as one team willing to take a gamble.
- The Magic value J.J. Redick highly, and it would cost several draft picks for them to move him.
- Kyler sees the Grizzlies' recent Rudy Gay trade discussions as an attempt to understand roster value.
- If Derrick Williams continues his strong play, Kyler thinks the Timberwolves may opt to move Kevin Love instead.
- The Celtics may be open to trading Paul Pierce, Kyler writes, if the return makes them more competitive right now.
Latest On Trade Candidates From Reno
Marc Stein of ESPN.com attended the NBA D-League Showcase in Reno, Nevada this week, where many NBA GMs and executives were present. He posted a roundup of trade-related chatter he heard during the event:
- The Raptors are making the hardest push for Rudy Gay, offering the Grizzlies a package that includes Jose Calderon and Ed Davis. Memphis is still undecided as to whether they will move Gay.
- There is a growing sense from front offices around the league that the Lakers will not ultimately trade Pau Gasol this season.
- Teams have continued to ask the Kings about DeMarcus Cousins, and were told that he is not available.
- A source told Stein that it is highly unlikely the Bucks will move Brandon Jennings before the end of the season.
- The Jazz are more likely to trade Al Jefferson than Paul Millsap, even though both are free agents this summer.
- The Hornets are not expected to trade Eric Gordon, despite previous rumors that he may be available.
- Despite his recent statement that he intends on staying retired, the Nets are still making a hard push to convince Phil Jackson to be their next head coach.
- Stein lists several players as having been made known to be available by their teams, including the Raptors' Andrea Bargnani, the Spurs' DeJuan Blair, the Cavs' Omri Casspi, the Rockets' Cole Aldrich, and the Bucks' Drew Gooden, Samuel Dalembert, and Beno Udrih.
Lakers Rumors: Buss, Howard, Gasol
As the Lakers continue to struggle, rumors are swirling as to which adjustments they will make to adjust for injuries and lack of chemistry. Here's the latest from Los Angeles:
- Lakers Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Jim Buss backs head coach Mike D'Antoni and says the team will not make any moves out of panic, according to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times.
- Ramona Shelburne and Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com debate the likelihood of Dwight Howard re-signing with the Lakers this summer as a free agent. Shelburne believes that Los Angeles is still Howard's best long-term option, while Markazi wouldn't be surprised if the team's struggles this season drive Howard to look elsewhere.
- The Orange County Register reports that Pau Gasol is improving after suffering a concussion but still has not been cleared to resume play.
Injury Updates: Rose, Gasol, Varejao, Shumpert
While injury news may not be part of our main scope at Hoops Rumors, we have a handful of updates to share this evening:
- Kevin Love will travel to New York on Wednesday in order to determine whether or not he'll need surgery on his broken right hand, according to Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune.
- Derrick Rose should be cleared for full-contact practice within the next two weeks, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Subscribers only). Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times provided another look at the superstar's return to practice today, noting that Rose looked good in "predictable contact" drills.
- Kevin Ding of the OC Register (via Twitter) notes that Dwight Howard's injury is actually a separated shoulder (not a torn labrum) and that he hopes to return after a week of recovery. Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets that Dwight's injury will not require surgery.
Western Notes: Lakers, White, Nowitzki, Wolves
Things aren't getting any easier in Lakerland, where Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Jordan Hill have all been sidelined with injuries. Howard suffered a torn labrum, Gasol has a concussion, and Hill is dealing with a hip issue, meaning the Lakers' frontcourt looks awfully thin in the short-term. While Robert Sacre looks forward to more playing time and we wait to see if the Lakers add another body, let's round up a few more notes out of the Western Conference….
- The Lakers haven't reached out to free agent big man Kenyon Martin, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com wonder if the Lakers should consider trading Howard.
- The Rockets are prepared to chalk up 2012/13 as a lost season for Royce White and attempt to reach some sort of agreement with the rookie forward in the offseason, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Zillgitt and TNT's David Aldridge have the latest details on White, including his desire for the NBA and the Rockets to sign a document detailing his wishes for the mental health protocol that the team believes would be in violation of the CBA.
- Despite recent comments by Dirk Nowitzki questioning the Mavericks' approach to building the roster, owner Mark Cuban tells Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com that Dallas won't be altering that approach. "If you only knew the things [Dirk] has said to me during recent seasons about our team," Cuban joked. "I'm glad I didn't listen."
- Nowitzki stressed to reporters today, including Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, that he never said he wanted to be traded.
- The Timberwolves have kicked the tires on Sam Young, who was released by the Pacers this weekend, but he's unlikely to land in Minnesota, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Young is currently out with an ankle injury.
- It would be a surprise if the Timberwolves don't move Derrick Williams at the trade deadline, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Pacific Notes: Cousins, Lakers, Gasol, Suns
A pair of Celtics roster moves yesterday led to some speculation that the team was clearing room for a bigger deal, but according to Ric Bucher of 95.7 The Game (Sulia link), Jarvis Varnado and Kris Joseph were destined to be cut regardless, since the C's didn't want to pay the luxury tax on those deals. That means, as we heard yesterday from Sam Amick of USA Today, that the Celtics likely aren't close to any sort of deal for DeMarcus Cousins or anyone else. Here are a few more Monday morning links on Cousins and a handful of other Pacific Division topics:
- Bucher notes that it still seems as if Cousins isn't available, but if that stance changes, the Kings may want to try to package him with a bad salary or two.
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reiterates (via Twitter) that there's "no chance" of Cousins being dealt to the Celtics.
- According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard got into a "heated exchange" after a loss on New Year's Day. However, multiple reporters, including Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com (Sulia link) and Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (Twitter link), say there's nothing to the story.
- Whether or not the two Lakers stars were involved in any sort of altercation, Howard believes the team needs to improve its chemistry on and off the court, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes.
- Acknowledging that he has been disappointed with the Lakers' performance so far this season, GM Mitch Kupchak suggested that establishing Pau Gasol's role is a top priority. "I think Pau continues to struggle to figure out how he's going to play with his group," Kupchak said, according to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times. "Our coaches are struggling as well. We're not going to succeed as a team until we figure that out."
- The Suns have no untouchable players and will likely be very open to participating in trades as February's deadline approaches, says Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Lakers Rumors: Dwight Howard, Trades, Pau Gasol
The Nuggets, whom the Lakers face tonight, possess what L.A. couldn't have imagined wanting when the season began: the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Still, the 15-17 Lakers wouldn't mind trading places with Denver, which is 19-16 and two and a half games in front of L.A. for eighth place in the West. While we continue to await a turnaround for the purple and gold, here's more on the Lakers.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel implores Dwight Howard to commit to the Lakers rather than further tarnish his image with more waffling about his next destination. Schmitz, who believes the extra year the Lakers can add to his deal will ultimately motivate Howard to stay, thinks the Mavericks could be in play for him this summer, but isn't sold on the idea that the big man would consider the Hawks.
- "It seems inevitable" the Lakers will make a trade, tweets HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler. Still, no Pau Gasol deal is jumping out there for the team, as all the offers for Gasol that Kyler has heard would represent a downgrade for L.A. (Twitter links). In any case, the team isn't as panicked as the media portrays, Kyler tweets.
- Kyler believes the Raptors and Rockets are the teams most willing to make a worthwhile offer for Gasol, with the Celtics a close third.
- Kobe Bryant tells Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times that the Lakers would be best served by having the ball in the hands of Gasol and Steve Nash.
Pau Gasol Won’t Ask For Trade
Lakers forward Pau Gasol has been involved in heavy trade speculation for the bulk of the season, but the big man says that he won't encourage the Lakers to deal him. After being left on the bench for most of the fourth quarter in last night's loss to the Clippers, Gasol told reporters that he plans to stick things out with his team.
"No that's radical," said Gasol when asked if he'd request a trade, according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (on Twitter). "I still believe and have faith here and I still have faith I can play a big part in helping this team succeed. Right now, I'm not able to do that very often."
Gasol added that while it was difficult for him to sit out most of the final frame, he understands coach Mike D'Antoni's reluctance to change the lineup while things are clicking. While the Lakers' comeback ultimately fell short, they did outscore the Clippers 31-20 in the final quarter.
For their part, the Lakers say they're not looking to trade the Spaniard and word is that they're not looking at deals at all. Even if they have a change of heart, it's hard to imagine them getting a strong return for Gasol given his troubles and bloated contract. Gasol is set to earn $19MM this season and $19.3MM in the final year of the deal next year.
Kyler On Bargnani, Gasol, Jamison, Hamilton
In this morning’s column, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld looks at the top trade candidates in the league. Let’s dive in..
- League sources say it would be almost impossible for the Raptors to move Andrea Bargnani and the three years and $32.25MM remaining on his deal until he returns and proves his elbow isn’t going to be a problem. Toronto hopes that he can return sometime in early February so teams can get a good look at him before the February 21st trade deadline and won’t seek much in return. However, club sources say they don’t want a ton of long-term salary unless they’re getting exactly the right player.
- The stance from the Lakers is that they are not looking at deals for Pau Gasol and word is that they’re not looking at deals at all. The Lakers have taken stock of the marketplace for the big man and have found it to be somewhat disappointing. There are deals for Gasol, but all of them either have the Lakers taking back multiple assets, which they cannot do without eating some contracts or taking on bad deals. Team sources say the goal is to compete for a championship this year and that Gasol, at this point, gives them the best chance for that.
- On January 7th, the Lakers will need to decide on guaranteeing the non-guaranteed contracts of rookies Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom. The Lakers could opt to cut one or both and open roster spots for free agents, other cut players with non-guaranteed deals, or 10-day contracts (which begin on January 10th).
- There has been speculation that Antawn Jamison wants off of the Lakers because of his decreased playing time, but the forward and sources close to him say that’s not the case.
- League sources say Anderson Varejao is one of the more talked about trade targets in the league, but the Cavs are asking the moon for the big man. If they cling to their evaluation of Varejao as an All-Star type talent, they may not find many buyers.
- League sources openly question if there is a marketplace for Richard Hamilton, who has had a lot of injuries since joining the Bulls and question whether or not he’ll be anything more than a role player on another team.