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Central Rumors: Pistons, Rondo, Pacers, Bucks

July 3rd, 2013 at 8:36am CST by Luke Adams

With new general managers taking over for a handful of NBA franchises this offseason, there's a chance that organizational philosophies or approaches could shift drastically in some instances. The Pistons are hoping that's the case with the Raptors, offering up a package of expiring contracts to Toronto in exchange for Rudy Gay, who was acquired by old head of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo.

However, Grantland's Zach Lowe tweets that he'd be "blown away" if the Raptors accepted Detroit's offer without a significant sweetener. And as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun notes (via Twitter), just because an offer is on the table, it doesn't mean the Raptors have to take it, as several teams have made "unimpressive" proposals for Gay.

Here's more on the Pistons and their Central Division rivals:

  • Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News tweeted yesterday that the Pistons would be at the front of the line if the Celtics make Rajon Rondo available. While Boston GM Danny Ainge continues to insist he's not interested in moving Rondo, despite plenty of incoming calls, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com also reports that the Pistons have made their interest clear in case Ainge changes his mind.
  • Within Berger's piece, the CBSSports.com scribe says the Pacers have explored potential trades involving Danny Granger and/or Gerald Green. However, they're finding "no market" for either player so far.
  • The Pistons remain interested in Josh Smith and Andre Iguodala, but are reluctant to engage in a bidding war, tweets Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
  • The Bucks may be emerging as the leading suitor for J.R. Smith, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post, pointing out that deals for J.J. Redick and Kevin Martin could set Smith's market value at $7MM+ per year. That would be more than the Knicks are able to offer.
  • Prior to reaching an agreement with Mike Dunleavy, the Bulls viewed him as their top priority in free agency, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
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Kyler On Pekovic, Spurs, Iguodala, Pelicans, C’s

July 2nd, 2013 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Here's the latest on free agency from Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld:

  • The Trail Blazers are expected to extend a "massive" offer to Nikola Pekovic, according to Kyler. After acquiring Thomas Robinson, Portland won't have the necessary cap room to make a huge offer, but perhaps the team has another move in mind to clear some space.
  • Al Jefferson, who is expected to meet with the Bobcats this week, has been linked to the Spurs as well. Kyler also hears from sources that San Antonio "kicked the tires" on a possible Marcin Gortat trade, so the Spurs are exploring ways to add a big man.
  • The Mavericks may make Andre Iguodala a "serious offer" if they miss out on Dwight Howard, says Kyler.
  • If Tyreke Evans wants to join the Pelicans, New Orleans would be open to moving Greivis Vasquez or Austin Rivers, either in a sign-and-trade with the Kings or in a separate deal, according to Kyler. However, the team seems more inclined to hang on to Eric Gordon.
  • Sources close to Rajon Rondo say the Celtics have pledged to be aggressive in putting together a roster around him that will be competitive in 2013/14 and beyond, writes Kyler.
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Rajon Rondo Wants To Stay With Celtics

July 1st, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Zachary Links

In the aftermath of the Celtics' blockbuster trade with the Nets, many have wondered if point guard Rajon Rondo would want to stick around for a rebuilding phase in Boston.  However, a source tells Sean Deveney of the Sporting News that Rondo hasn't demanded a trade or even issued a trade inquiry.  It may be surprising to some, but Rondo actually welcomes the challenge of leading the C's significantly depleted roster. 

It appears that the feeling is mutual as General Manager Danny Ainge sounds serious about keeping Rondo in the fold.  “I don’t think Danny has made a single call about Rondo. He has gotten calls. But it would be wrong to say he has considered shopping him," one GM told Deveney.

Publicly, Ainge has insisted that he isn't looking to tank for a top pick in the loaded 2014 draft.  Keeping Rondo at the one-guard despite repeated inquiries on him would be proof that he is serious about staying as competitive as possible.

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Odds & Ends: Howard, Haslem, Mavericks

June 29th, 2013 at 11:52pm CST by Spencer Lund

Dwight Howard's upcoming courtship with a host of teams, both longshots and more realistic destinations, is the talk of the league tonight and probably will be moving forward as we come up on the start of the NBA's free agency period, starting with the July moratorium from the 1st to the 9th. 

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports put a column up earlier tonight stipulating that Howard's first discussion will be with a large, and star-studded coterie of the Rockets' former Hall-of-Famers, current stars, coaches and executives, but next up will be with the Warriors and Hawks on Monday and Mavericks and Lakers on Tuesday.

ESPNLosAngeles.com's Arash Markazi believes it'll be former coach, Phil Jackson, and his fiancee Jeanie Buss, who could be the final piece as to whether or not Howard stays with the Lakers or leaves for one of the other teams with the cap room to absorb a max deal (Twitter). Phil recently met with Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak, but both remained tight-lipped about what they discussed in that meeting (Twitter). 

Let's look at more from Howard and others from around the league in yet another helter-skelter night in the NBA:

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Mavericks Interested In Trading For Rajon Rondo

June 29th, 2013 at 4:09pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:09pm: Two sources tell Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald that the Mavs and Celtics haven't engaged in any trade talk about Rondo, with one of the sources calling the notion "ridiculous."

2:11pm: The Celtics want Dirk Nowitzki in return for Rondo, and that's gummed up trade talks between the teams, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). The Celtics are interested in Mavs draft acquisition Shane Larkin, too, notes Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

2:05pm: The Mavericks are interested in acquiring Rajon Rondo from the Celtics, a source confirms to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. Mike Fisher of DallasBasketball.com originally reported the Mavs' engagement in talks with Boston. The Mavs would love to acquire Rondo as part of a recruiting effort to land Dwight Howard, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, but Wojnarowski cautions that the Celtics would require the Mavs to absorb multiple contracts as part of a trade. Taking back salary along with Rondo could make it difficult, if not impossible, for the Mavs to sign Howard.

Rondo has $24,863,636 left over the final two seasons of a team-friendly contract that ends in 2015. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge told reporters Thursday that his team will not trade Rondo, but that won't stop the Mavs from asking, Washburn writes. Once the 2013/14 season officially starts in July, Dallas will have the cap space necessary to absorb Rondo's contract without taking on any other players. Still, Washburn figures the Mavs will want to send Shawn Marion's contract to the C's along with a younger player and a draft pick to entice Ainge into making a deal. Given Wojnarowski's report, I'm not so sure the Celtics would want Marion, but that's just my speculation.

The Mavs figure to have about $36MM in guaranteed salaries for next season, leaving just about enough room to sign Howard. Taking on Rondo without giving up an equal amount of salary in return wouldn't leave enough space for Howard or any other maximum-salary free agent, so I don't think a Rondo-Howard collaboration is likely in Dallas, unless the Mavs can engineer a series of other moves.

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Berger On Knicks, Spurs, Plumlee, Hawks, C’s

June 27th, 2013 at 5:21pm CST by Luke Adams

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com is passing along a number of draft-night updates via Twitter, so let's dive in and check out the latest from him….

  • The Knicks figure to keep their first-round pick and will likely target the best available shooting guard at No. 24. Berger suggests Jamaal Franklin or Allen Crabbe.
  • With the Spurs hoping to get younger and more athletic, teams view Tony Mitchell and Lucas Nogueira as possibilities for San Antonio at No. 28.

Earlier updates:

  • Mason Plumlee is a "strong possibility" for the Hawks at No. 17 or 18, according to Berger. The team's other pick would likely be a draft-and-stash international player.
  • Jamaal Franklin has drawn interest from the Hawks, Bulls, Knicks, and Clippers.
  • Berger says that NBA teams are eager to see what the Celtics do at No. 16. If Boston drafts a point guard, it could be an indication that the club is open to trading Rajon Rondo as part of its rebuild.
  • On the other hand, if the Celtics intend to rebuild around Rondo, rival teams believe Reggie Bullock is a likely target for the C's at No. 16.
  • The Pacers (No. 23), Clippers (25), Wolves (26), and Nuggets (27) are teams who could end up moving their first-round picks.
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Danny Ainge On Rivers, Garnett, Pierce

June 25th, 2013 at 6:21pm CST by Michael Pina

Earlier today, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge conducted a press conference to address Doc Rivers' departure, as well as the team's immediate future surrounding the likes of Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and how the team will fill its vacant head coaching position.

  • Ainge told reporters he was ready for the upcoming rebuild, but that he wasn't sure if there would be complete renovation of the team's core players this summer or next, according to a tweet from ESPNBoston's Chris Forsberg. 
  • With regards the team's vacancy at head coach, Ainge said he has  yet to contact or communicate with any candidates, tweets CSNNE.com's A. Sherrod Blakely. 
  • Blakely also tweeted Ainge's confirmation of earlier reports that the league has mandated the Celtics and Clippers make no trades with one another throughout the 2013/14 season.
  • According to a tweet from the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn, no decision has yet been made on what the team will do with Pierce and Garnett.
  • Ainge confirmed that the team's star point guard, Rondo, had nothing to do with Rivers wanting to leave for Los Angeles (tweet).
  • Ainge ruled himself out as an option to replace Rivers as Celtics head coach, according to a Forsberg tweet.
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Latest On Celtics/Clippers Talks

June 22nd, 2013 at 1:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

Yesterday we heard that the Celtics/Clippers deal involving Doc Rivers was dead, only to later come across reports that such trade talks would continue. More continues to come in about the on-again, off-again saga, much of it courtesy Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald and Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe. Here’s what we know: 

  • A source tells Murphy that the deal is dead, despite insistence from the Clippers camp that it will be revived. Discussion about a Kevin Garnett-for-DeAndre Jordan trade is probably dead as well, Murphy writes. 
  • Rivers is still in contact with Danny Ainge and deliberating over whether he’ll return to Boston for next season, and the decision is not necessarily tied to whether the Celtics will rebuild, Murphy says.
  • The Celtics postponed Friday’s press conference with Rivers and Ainge until Monday because the Clippers wanted to discuss a deal again, according to Holmes.
  • Holmes hears that Rivers wants to continue coaching in the NBA, despite his well-documented misgivings about doing so with a rebuilding team. Yet sources tell Holmes that Rivers could wind up returning to broadcasting, where his salary would not match what he could get as a coach, because it might be too awkward to go back to the Boston bench at this point. Even so, Celtics management maintains that they would welcome him back. 
  • As Holmes points out, the Clippers were prepared to give up a first-round pick for Rivers earlier this week when it appeared there was a second, separate deal involving Garnett. Now that the two sides have pushed the Garnett talk to the backburner under pressure from the league, the Clippers only seem willing to relinquish a second-rounder for Rivers. 
  • Holmes hears from sources who believe the Clippers never intended to pull of a deal with the C’s, and were merely trying to make it seem as though they were to appease Chris Paul.
  • A source tells Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com that Rivers and Rajon Rondo had a locker-room altercation that nearly turned into a physical confrontation. “An intense dislike” for Rondo is part of Rivers’ motivation for leaving the Celtics, Sheridan writes. Rich Levine of CSNNE.com tweets his doubts that such an incident took place, and believes that if it did, it may have happened as far back as 2010. 
  • In a separate piece, Holmes notes that Celtics assistant coach Mike Longabardi has accepted a position on Jeff Hornacek‘s coaching staff with the Suns. He’s the only Celtics assistant to have depared the team this offseason.
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Atlantic Rumors: Amare, Prigioni, Jackson, Rondo

May 19th, 2013 at 11:45am CST by Chuck Myron

J.R. Smith might have cost himself millions with his poor showing following his suspension in the playoffs this season, but that could make a return to the financially hamstrung Knicks a stronger possibility. He reiterated his desire to retire as a Knick after last night's elimination at the hands of the Pacers, though he still figures to opt out of his $2.9MM contract for next season. With the final Atlantic Division team done for 2012/13, it's time to look ahead to the summer, and that's the focus as we round up the latest from the Atlantic:

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Ainge on Pierce, Rivers, Garnett, Barbosa

May 9th, 2013 at 6:54pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Danny Ainge made his final weekly appearance on 93.7 WEEI's Salk and Holley Show to share his thoughts on the team heading into the offseason. Ben Rohrbach of WEEI passed along the highlights of the interview, notably mentioning that Ainge feels that Paul Pierce has "a lot of basketball left in him" and that he thinks Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers will be back next season. You can read more about Ainge's comments below:

  • Determining the future of Pierce will be the first difficult decision Ainge will have to make this summer.
  • He downplayed recent rumors which suggested that he and Rivers are questioning whether they can continue to coexist or not: "(Those rumors) are silly. Those are a waste of time to even acknowledge…I think I have the best coach in the NBA, and I'm not the least bit tired of hearing his voice…I think Doc'll be coaching the Celtics (next year)."
  • Garnett will be given some time to himself before the team approaches him about next season: "I'll touch base w/him some time next week…He needs time to chill and contemplate his life. I do anticipate KG will play."
  • On a side note, Leandro Barbosa has been rehabbing at the team's facility, leading Rohrbach to wonder if Boston will consider bringing him back to the team next season. 
  • Rajon Rondo has "looked good" as he continues to recover from his ACL injury and should be ready to go by training camp. 
  • Ainge thinks that the team is more than one player away from contending (unless it's a great player) and added that it would be tough to become a championship team with the way the Celtics are currently constructed. 


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