Raja Bell Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jazz, Raja Bell End Buyout Negotiations

October 24th, 2012 at 8:03am CST by Luke Adams

WEDNESDAY, 8:03am: According to Rudoy, while he confirmed that he's no longer talking to the Jazz about a buyout for Bell, he didn't say the team is now working on trade scenarios involving his client.

"Absolutely not," Rudoy told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News. "I was asked if we are discussing a buyout and I said 'no.' The rest is pure speculation. There is no trade talk that I know about."

TUESDAY, 2:08pm: The Jazz and Raja Bell are no longer discussing the possibility of the team buying out the final year of Bell's contract, agent Herb Rudoy tells Shams Charania of RealGM.com. According to Rudoy, the two sides have moved past buyout negotiations, and are now talking about potential trade scenarios involving his client.

The week before training camps officially got underway, we heard that the Jazz and Bell's camp had agreed that it was "in the best interest of all parties" if Bell didn't report to the team. With the regular season now just a week away, it doesn't appear that the two sides are a whole lot closer to resolving a situation that worsened last season when Bell clashed with coach Tyrone Corbin.

Bell is owed a guaranteed $3.48MM for 2012/13, the last season of his three-year contract. If the veteran guard and his agent had been able to line up an alternate destination for the 36-year-old, I imagine they would have been able to reach an agreement with Utah on a buyout. The end of buyout negotiations suggests to me that teams aren't exactly clamoring to acquire Bell, and that working out a trade will be difficult, but that's just my speculation.

Charania mentions the Lakers and Heat as potentially "viable destinations" for the 12-year veteran.

Northwest Rumors: Bell, Wolves, Blazers, Hayward

October 23rd, 2012 at 8:50pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder are the only Northwest Division team in action tonight, as they take on the Bulls, and after that, every team in the division will have just one more preseason game before final roster decisions must be made. Clubs are offering a few clues about their plans, and we round them up tonight along with other news out of the Northwest.

The Wolves are unlikely to deal for Raja Bell, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). The Jazz are reportedly trying to trade Bell after failing to come to an agreement on a buyout.
Wolves coach Rick Adelman said the team won't make any cuts until after the team's last preseason game on Friday, Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports. The team has 17 players on the roster, with Will Conroy, Mike Harris and Chris Johnson the only guys without fully guaranteed deals.
Kevin Love's injury has pressed Wolves offseason signee Andrei Kirilenko into the starting power forward spot, but the 31-year-old Kirilenko isn't planning on changing his game to make up for Love's absence, as Richardson writes.
Adam Morrison, Sasha Pavlovic and Coby Karl have the best chance to make the Blazers opening-night roster among the team's six players on non-guaranteed deals, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, though Karl expects to be cut. Haynes reported earlier that fellow camp invitees Demonte Harper and Dallas Lauderdale are destined for the D-League.
Gordon Hayward is poised to take on a more significant role for the Jazz this season, as Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune examines. As our Rookie Contract Option Tracker shows, the Jazz have until the end of the month to pick up his $3.45MM option for 2013/14, but there's no real chance they'd turn it down.

Jazz Tell Raja Bell To Stay Away From Camp

September 28th, 2012 at 6:49pm CST by Alex Lee

The Jazz announced Friday that they have told Raja Bell, who is under contract with the team, that it would be best if he did not attend training camp next week. General Manager Dennis Lindsey issued the following statement:

“I have spoken with Raja and his representative, Herb Rudoy, and we have mutually agreed that although Raja remains under contract, it is in the best interest of all parties that he not re-join the team next week when the Jazz begins training camp. We will now move forward focusing on Jazz basketball and our preparation for the upcoming season. We will have no further comment on this matter.”

There has been plenty of buzz lately around Bell's situation in Utah, and many assumed that it would result in a trade or buy out before the start of camp. Bell was in Salt Lake City on Monday for a physical, but as of yesterday had not heard from the team, says Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune.

The 35-year-old Bell is set to make $3.5MM in his final season with the Jazz. His playing time drastically fell last season as he reportedly butted heads with head coach Tyrone Corbin, but Bell could probably still be a valuable role player on the right team.

Jerry Zgoda, of the Star Tribune, tweets that the Timberwolves valued Bell's defense before which indicates they may be a fit once again. While I can't imagine the Jazz agreeing to send Bell to a division rival, if Zgoda is right it could explain part of their hesitation to simply part ways with the guard.

Odds & Ends: Grizzlies, Young, Bell, Thunder

September 26th, 2012 at 10:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

Earlier today, we heard Grizzlies power forward Darrell Arthur had suffered a leg fracture, and the team's website reports the left leg injury will keep him out four to six weeks. The timetable is longer for center Hamed Haddadi, who'll be rehabbing for the next eight weeks after right thumb surgery, according to the team. Since Marreese Speights enters camp as the only healthy big man on a guaranteed deal behind Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, the injuries could represent an opportunity for camp invitees Jerome Jordan, Jarrid Famous and Michael Dunigan. Here's the rest of what's happening around the Association:

Nick Young expressed his excitement about his new Sixers teammates to reporters today, including Dei Lynam of CSNPhilly.com. He also spoke about how he ended up in Philadelphia. "I was shocked. I didn’t see this being one of the places I was going to come to," he said. "(Coach) Doug (Collins) called me early, 6:00am L.A. time, and we were just talking and it was a great talk. He had a good spirit to him. He talked to my dad and my mom and once my mom started raving about him that was pretty much it."
Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune hears that Raja Bell and the Jazz haven't made any progress toward a buyout with the start of training camp looming just five days from now (Twitter links).
Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman believes the Thunder are willing to become a taxpaying team to retain James Harden, but the question is just how much they're willing to dole out.
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has details on some of the 23 new members of the Magic front office, coaching and scouting staffs, including recently retired guard Anthony Parker, who'll work as a scout.
James Worthy's favorite offseason addition for the Lakers is Steve Nash, and the Hall-of-Fame forward has some strong criticism of Dwight Howard, as Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register writes.

Latest On Raja Bell

September 22nd, 2012 at 2:28pm CST by Chuck Myron

A buyout continues to be the most likely next step for the Jazz and Raja Bell, but the situation remains "uncertain and unpredicatable," Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune reports (Twitter links). Bell could wind up in a trade, or might just spend the season on the roster without playing, Smith also tweets, as Lamar Odom and Jamaal Tinsley have done in the past.

The Jazz have considered trading Bell for a long time, according to Smith (Twitter link), and we heard recently that Bell's issues with the team date back two years. With training camp approaching, the time to get a deal done is dwindling, and while Smith says it's "almost unthinkable" Bell would suit up for the team this year, it has become a remote possibility (Twitter links). GM Dennis Lindsey, hired in August and a late comer to negotiations with Bell, declined comment to Smith on the matter (Twitter link).

Smith reported last week that buyout talks had stalled. Bell is set to make $3.48MM this season in the final year of a three-year, $9.72MM deal he signed with the team in 2010. The 36-year-old shooting guard has identified the Heat as his top choice if and when he can shake free from Utah. Six teams were reportedly interested in Bell back in July, shortly after it appeared a buyout was imminent, but most if not all of them have probably moved on to other targets. The trade market isn't active at the moment, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said last night, so it appears that option might not be available at the moment.

Categories:
Utah Jazz
Raja Bell

Eastern Notes: Magic, Sixers, Nets, Celtics

September 21st, 2012 at 5:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The biggest NBA news of the day so far has come out of Philadelphia, where the 76ers are announced Tony DiLeo's promotion to general manger. SI.com's Sam Amick has a few additional details on the move, including some other names that the Sixers pursued. According to Amick, the Sixers were turned down when they asked permission to speak to Jazz executive Kevin O'Connor and Thunder exec Troy Weaver. Here are a few more Friday notes out of the Eastern Conference:

Harkless' and Smith's injuries will not be healed in time for the regular season, keeping them out of the Magic lineup until mid-November, Schmitz writes, updating his earlier tweet (below).

Earlier updates:

Amick adds that the 76ers may still hire a more analytically-inclined executive to work alongside DiLeo in the Philadelphia front office.
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov had praise for GM Billy King and coach Avery Johnson, whose contracts are set to expire at season's end. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News passes along Prokhorov's quotes in a pair of tweets.
Al Harrington, Maurice Harkless, and Ish Smith, all recovering from offseason surgery, are expected to miss training camp, tweets Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. All three players were added by the Magic this summer.
J.J. Redick understands that the Magic are in a transition year, but says he loves playing in Orlando and that he and GM Rob Hennigan are "on the same page" when it comes to his future (Twitter links via John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com).
A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com looks into which Celtics on non-guaranteed contracts are the best bets to earn a roster spot, concluding that Dionte Christmas is a clear-cut favourite.
Raja Bell tells Andy Slater of 640 AM Sports in Miami that the Heat would be his first choice in free agency if he can work out a buyout with the Jazz (Sulia link via Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel).
In his latest mailbag for the Sun Sentinel, Winderman debates whether the Heat or Celtics had the better offseason and examines where Miami's roster stands.

Timberwolves Still Seeking Big Man, Wing

September 19th, 2012 at 5:15pm CST by Luke Adams

5:15pm: According to a tweet from ESPN contributor Darren Wolfson, the Wolves are still interested in free agent swingman Mickael Pietrus.

3:14pm: After a busy offseason that saw the team bring in new additions like Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Chase Budinger, and Alexey Shved, the Timberwolves are still looking for a couple more pieces to round out their roster. According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500, the Wolves would like to bring in another big man and wing player, but the issue of guaranteed salary has been a roadblock so far (Twitter link).

The Timberwolves have been linked to a number of players in recent weeks, including Sean Williams, Hassan Whiteside, Mehmet Okur, Mickael Pietrus, and Anthony Tolliver. However, Minnesota can only offer a minimum-salary contract, and based on Wolfson's report, it sounds as if the team may not even necessarily want to guarantee a minimum-salary deal.

In a second tweet, Wolfson says it doesn't appear that Raja Bell will be a target for the T-Wolves if and when he receives a buyout from the Jazz. Wolfson adds that Chris Andersen has interest in joining the Wolves, but that the interest isn't mutual. That seems to be a common theme for the Birdman, who also reportedly has unreciprocated interest in the Knicks and Heat.

Odds & Ends: Howard, Jazz, Bell, Wallace, Heat

September 16th, 2012 at 10:17pm CST by Zachary Links

Sunday night linkage..

Andy Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com breaks down Dwight Howard‘s full interview with colleague Ric Bucher. In the interview, Howard says that he doesn’t plan on toning down his jovial behavior with the Lakers and while that has rubbed some the wrong way, Kamenetzky doesn’t think that will hurt his play.
Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune writes that Raja Bell‘s issues with the Jazz go back to two years ago when he was butting heads with Deron Williams and coach Jerry Sloan. Bell’s buyout theoretically should be a simple one as he is owed $3.5MM for the final year of his deal. The veteran has come close to accepting the buyout offer at several points but talks have now stalled.
In a piece for the Detroit Free Press, Dan Feldman runs down the five best landing spots for Ben Wallace. The veteran-friendly Celtics and Spurs come in at No. 5 and 4, respectively, with the Clippers at No. 3 as they could use a forward in place of Kenyon Martin. The Pistons are second to the Heat in Feldman’s eyes because Detroit won’t be a contender in 2012/13.
The Heat are bringing 6’6″ swingman Chamberlain Oguchi in for another workout, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). Oguchi starred for the Nigerian national team this summer and has previous experience in the D-League.

Latest On Raja Bell, Jazz Buyout

September 11th, 2012 at 5:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

Since a report July 9th that Raja Bell had agreed to a buyout with the Jazz, negotiations hit a snag and the two sides still haven't finalized any parting of ways. Buyout discussions are continuing, Bell's agent Herb Rudoy recently told Shams Charania of RealGM.com, saying that reports that his client had rejected a proposal from the team are untrue.

Bell is set to make $3.48MM in the last year of a three-year contract this season, but he has clashed with Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin, whom he referred to as "unprofessional." Bell requested a trade back in May. Though he started 33 of the 34 contests in which he appeared, the veteran shooting guard saw just 23.4 minutes per game this past season, his fewest since 2002/03. He put up 6.4 points and 1.1 assists per game, also his lowest numbers since 2002/03.

We heard in July that six other teams were interested in Bell, who turns 36 next week, but most of those clubs have probably moved on since then. It's unlikely he'd make nearly as much as he would in the final season of his contract with the Jazz, so it behooves Bell to get as much out of the buyout as he can. He expressed his admiration for former GM Kevin O'Connor earlier this summer, but O'Connor has since been promoted to executive vice president of basketball operations, with Dennis Lindsey taking his place as GM. Rudoy's comments to Charania indicate that Lindsey is now the person negotiating the buyout for the Jazz.

Categories:
Utah Jazz
Raja Bell

Winderman On Curry, Barnes, Bell

September 3rd, 2012 at 10:11am CST by Luke Adams

In his piece yesterday for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman discussed Dexter Pittman, confessing he was surprised when the Heat decided to guarantee the big man's contract for 2012/13. Even with Pittman on board, rumors continue to swirl, linking the Heat to a big man. In today's Sun Sentinel, Winderman addresses a big man Miami has given up on, and the possibility of signing a free agent wing. Here are the highlights:

While the Heat have cut players like Anthony Morrow and John Lucas III from camp in recent years, Winderman doesn't expect the team to have any regrets about parting ways with Eddy Curry. Heat coaches "know what they saw in practice last season," and it was enough to ensure the big man won't return to Miami this year.
Asked about the possibility of Matt Barnes joining the Heat, Winderman questions whether the veteran would be willing to take a reduced role, given the sheer amount of players the Heat have at the wing positions. Although the team could use another defensive stopper, Barnes, who is said to be talking to a few clubs, isn't a likely addition.
Winderman has similar views on Raja Bell, who he thinks could still get a buyout from the Jazz. Bell was upset with a reduced role in Utah, so it's unclear whether he'd be interested in accepting a bench role in Miami, if given the opportunity.