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Central Notes: Pacers, Josh Smith, Rasheed

April 4th, 2014 at 2:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers are no longer a title contender, Grantland’s Zach Lowe concludes. The trade for Evan Turner hasn’t worked out, Lowe believes, pointing to a postgame tiff between Paul George and Roy Hibbert three weeks ago as indicative of the team’s struggles. The second half of the season hasn’t been kind to Indiana, but the Pacers are still just percentage points behind the Heat for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Here’s more from the Central Division:

  • Josh Smith insists to Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News that he’s not the only one to blame for the Pistons‘ disappointing season. Smith has drawn plenty of criticism since signing his four-year, $54MM contract in the offseason, and the Pistons reportedly tried to trade him at the deadline.
  • Pistons assistant coach Rasheed Wallace‘s ties to the organization give him a “good chance” to remain with the team, but the fate of the rest of the staff is likely up to whomever ends up as head coach next season, as MLive’s David Mayo writes. Mayo, answering reader questions, also suggests everyone except Andre Drummond could be on the trade block this summer.
  • Mike Dunleavy‘s name emerged in trade rumors before the deadline, but he’s pleased with his decision to sign with the Bulls this past summer, as he tells Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
  • We rounded up more on the Bulls earlier today, and passed along news that the team is likely to target Pau Gasol this summer.
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Pistons Links: Monroe, Coaching Staff, Cheeks

September 25th, 2013 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

As the new-look Pistons prepare to get training camp underway next week, let's check in on a few of the latest items out of Detroit….

  • Speaking to reporters today, including David Mayo of MLive.com, Greg Monroe cautioned that he doesn't intend to discuss his contract in the coming weeks or months. Monroe will be a restricted free agent next summer if he doesn't sign an extension before Halloween, and as I wrote earlier today, agent David Falk typically prefers to take his clients to the open market.
  • More Monroe on his contract situation: "I have an agent, like everybody else in the NBA. He's going to communicate with the front office. I'm here to play. And that's it. I'm not going to talk about it. If you ask about it, I'm going to tell you I'm not going to talk about it."
  • The Pistons finalized their coaching staff today, announcing the hirings of assistants Henry Bibby and Maz Trakh. Rasheed Wallace and Bernard Smith were also named player development coaches.
  • When Maurice Cheeks was hired as the Pistons head coach, he expressed a preference for coaching a team that forces turnovers and gets out and runs. As Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes, the team's offseason additions, including Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings, should complement Cheeks' preferred coaching style.

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Odds & Ends: Johnson, Blair, Mavs, Deng, Jazz

July 11th, 2013 at 12:51am CST by Chuck Myron

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars introduced free agent signee Josh Smith to the media today, but Dumars says he isn't done upgrading the roster, as Rod Beard of the Detroit News observes. The team also brought Rasheed Wallace aboard as an assistant coach this week, providing a link to its championship past. Here's more from the rest of the league as teams and players covet the Larry O'Brien trophy:

  • Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution hears Ivan Johnson is drawing interest from several teams, including the Hawks (Twitter link). Atlanta declined to offer Johnson a qualifying offer this summer, but the team can still re-sign him as an unrestricted free agent. Johnson let go of agent Larry Williams last week.
  • The Mavs have "poked around" free agent DeJuan Blair, as Jeff Caplan of NBA.com tweets, so it appears the club may have some level of interest. The team is focusing on its frontcourt, and GM Donnie Nelson doesn't think the Mavs will be bringing on any more guards, as Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram notes at the end of his roundup.
  • Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com thinks the Mavs should have been more willing to take a risk on Andrew Bynum.
  • An NBA GM from outside the Bulls organization tells Aggrey Sam of CSNChicago.com that Luol Deng could command between $11MM and $12MM on the open market next summer. Deng and the Bulls appear to be working toward an extension (Twitter link).
  • The Jazz may have had "different conversations with Mo Williams" if the team hadn't wound up with Trey Burke on draft night, GM Dennis Lindsey told reporters today, including Jody Genessy of the Deseret News (Twitter link).
  • Royce White, who's headed to the Sixers via trade, intends to play for the team, but is still reluctant to make frequent flights, as he tells Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register (link via USA Today).
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Draft Night Leftovers: Rasheed, Bledsoe, Blazers

June 28th, 2013 at 12:11am CST by Luke Adams

If you're looking for the complete results of the 2013 NBA draft, you can find those right here.

  • Rasheed Wallace is in talks to join Maurice Cheeks' staff in Detroit as a Pistons assistant, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
  • Magic GM Rob Hennigan told reporters, including Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter links), that Orlando was "semi-close" twice to trading the No. 2 pick, and that the team could revisit Eric Bledsoe talks with the Clippers at some point this summer.
  • Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey confirmed tonight that Eric Maynor wouldn't receive a qualifying offer from the team, and will become an unrestricted free agent, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com (Twitter link).
  • Olshey added that the Blazers "didn't come close" to making any substantial trades (Twitter link via Joe Freeman of the Oregonian).
  • Don't expect Sergey Karasev to be stashed overseas next season. Shams Charania of RealGM.com tweets that the Russian forward will play in the NBA for the Cavaliers.
  • There's also no guarantee Nemanja Nedovic will be a draft-and-stash prospect for the Warriors. Chris Broussard of ESPN.com tweets that Golden State wants to evaluate Nedovic in Summer League play before making a decision.
  • The Lakers won't extend qualifying offers to Andrew Goudelock, Darius Morris, or Devin Ebanks, GM Mitch Kupchak confirmed (Twitter link via Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News).
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Eastern Notes: Ujiri, Frank, Woodson, Wizards

May 30th, 2013 at 1:09pm CST by Luke Adams

As the Heat and Pacers prepare for a crucial Game Five tonight in Miami, let's round up a few notes from around the Eastern Conference:

  • As Masai Ujiri attempts to determine whether he'll join the Raptors or return to the Nuggets, all involved parties recognize that it's a big decision and aren't aggressively pushing for resolution, says Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca.
  • After having been let go by the Pistons at the end of the regular season, Lawrence Frank would like to coach in the NBA again, according to David Mayo of MLive.com. However, Mayo reports that Frank may not coach in 2013/14, opting instead to explore media opportunities that allow him to spend more time at home.
  • Although Mike Woodson signed a three-year contract with the Knicks a year ago, the final season of the pact is non-guaranteed, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. The Knicks could guarantee that final year at any time, but for now only the 2013/14 season is fully guaranteed for the team's head coach.
  • Several writers at HoopsWorld explore what the Wizards should do with the No. 3 pick in the draft next month.
  • Rasheed Wallace appears unlikely to play in the NBA again, but it's possible he'll remain with the Knicks next year as a player adviser, writes Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com.
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Rasheed Wallace Retires

April 17th, 2013 at 11:06am CST by Luke Adams

Rasheed Wallace has retired as an NBA player, the Knicks announced today (Twitter link). For Wallace, it's his second retirement. He initially ended his playing career after the 2009/10 season, but returned this year with the Knicks before being sidelined by injuries.

"Rasheed has given this team everything he had," coach Mike Woodson said in a statement (Twitter links). "He is a winner, true professional and leader on and off the court. Due to his injury, he will not be available to play for us during the playoffs."

Although he appeared in just 21 games with the Knicks this season, Wallace played in 1109 contests for six teams in his NBA career, averaging 14.4 PPG and 6.7 RPG in those games, good for more than 16,000 career points. According to Basketball-Reference, the 38-year-old big man earned in the neighborhood of $157MM over the course of his NBA career.

With Wallace no longer in the mix for the Knicks in the postseason, expect the team to release him and use the roster spot to sign another player before tonight's game, says Howard Beck of the New York Times (via Twitter). The team has already replaced one injured big man (Kurt Thomas) with late-season signee Quentin Richardson.

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Injured Players On Expiring Contracts

March 29th, 2013 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers announced yesterday that Metta World Peace underwent successful surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus, and will miss six weeks. Whether or not the Lakers make the playoffs, World Peace's season could be over, and Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News wondered yesterday if the veteran forward has played his last game as a Laker.

World Peace isn't necessarily in the final year of his contract, since he has a player option for next season. However, if he exercises that option, he becomes a prime candidate to be amnestied. If he declines the option, he'll hit unrestricted free agency. Either way, the man formerly known as Ron Artest may sign a new contract before he plays in his next NBA game.

A number of players are in the same situation as World Peace, with potential free agency looming and an injury keeping them off the court. Here are a few guys who we may not see play for their current teams again, and whose free agent stocks could be affected by their current injuries:

  • Leandro Barbosa (Wizards): If you'd forgotten Barbosa was on the Wizards' roster, you're probably not alone. Acquired for salary purposes in the deal that sent Jordan Crawford to Boston, Barbosa is on an expiring minimum-salary contract, and his ACL/MCL injury may hurt his chances of signing another deal this offseason. Having suffered the season-ending injury in February, he probably won't be healthy in time for fall camps.
  • Rodrigue Beaubois (Mavericks): Eligible for restricted free agency this summer, Beaubois underwent surgery on his hand last week, and is unlikely to return this season. I doubt the Mavs will make him a qualifying offer, and there's a good chance he doesn't return to Dallas.
  • Andrew Bynum (76ers): As well-documented as any non-Derrick Rose injury this season, Bynum's ongoing knee troubles will certainly hurt his earning potential in free agency this summer, and may also ensure he never plays a game with the Sixers.
  • Richard Hamilton (Bulls): While Hamilton remains optimistic that he'll play again this season, his ongoing health problems will likely lead the Bulls to part ways with him this summer. Hamilton's $5MM salary for 2013/14 is partially guaranteed, so he figures to receive a $1MM buyout and hit the free agent market.
  • Sasha Pavlovic (Trail Blazers): Pavlovic's quad injury has kept him out of action for more than a month, but even if he were healthy, he doesn't appear to be part of the Trail Blazers' plans. Although he's under contract for two more seasons, both years are non-guaranteed, so he may find himself seeking a new deal this July.
  • A.J. Price (Wizards): Price earned 22 starts this season for the Wizards, so perhaps the team will have interest in bringing him back next year. He's eager to return to the court to try to improve his free agent stock, but for now, groin issues are keeping him out indefinitely.
  • Brandon Roy (Timberwolves): All the time Roy has missed this season with knee problems ensured that the second year of his contract with the Timberwolves became non-guaranteed, and there's virtually no chance the Wolves will retain him and his $5.33MM salary. If Roy is forced to call it a career at season's end, it would be an unfortunate way for him to go out, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's where we're headed.
  • Brandon Rush (Warriors): After going down during the season's first week, Rush underwent knee surgery in January that ended his year. Fortunately for him, he's got a $4MM player option for 2013/14, so he figures to be returning to the Warriors rather than looking for work next year.
  • Jason Smith (Hornets): Out for the season with a torn labrum, Smith, like Hamilton, has a partially guaranteed contract for 2013/14. The price to keep him wouldn't be exorbitant – $1MM of his $2.5MM salary is guaranteed – so we'll have to wait and see what the Hornets decide.
  • Kurt Thomas and Rasheed Wallace (Knicks): A pair of aging Knicks bigs on expiring contracts, it would be a little surprising to see both Thomas and Wallace playing in the NBA next year, even if they return in the playoffs. Even if Thomas and Wallace wanted to extend their playing careers, their latest foot issues would raise red flags for any interested teams.
  • Elliot Williams (Trail Blazers): Unlike some other players on this list, Williams is no lock to receive an NBA contract, especially if he can't show that he's healthy before the fall. That's probably why, even after surgery on his achilles, he talked about wanting to return to the court in '12/13 and auditioning in the Summer League.
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Knicks Notes: Carmelo, Thomas, Wallace

March 20th, 2013 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks' roster may be decimated by injuries, but the team received at least one piece of good news today. Carmelo Anthony is listed as probable for tonight's game against Orlando, and told reporters, including Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, that he'll be ready to play (Twitter link). Even shorthanded, the Knicks look like good bets to pick up a win at home against an 18-50 Magic squad. Here are a few more notes out of New York:

  • The Knicks may soon have to decide on whether to cut Kurt Thomas or Rasheed Wallace, as both players are expected to be sidelined well into April, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. According to Berman, the club will likely stand pat for now to see how Thomas and Wallace are healing, but could release one of them to open up a roster spot for a D-League big man.
  • Coach Mike Woodson told reporters, including Begley (Twitter link), that he's "not sure" whether the Knicks will make a roster move. Woodson intends to talk to GM Glen Grunwald about it later today.
  • There are conflicting views on whether the timeline for Thomas' foot injury (two to four weeks) is realistic. Berman spoke to Dr. Anish Kadakia, a leading orthopedic foot surgeon at Northwestern Hospital, who said that because Thomas' stress fracture is not new, he could recover within a month. However, Dr. Steven Weinfeld, the chief of foot and ankle service at the Icahn School of Medicine, told the New York Times that the timeline for Thomas might be overly optimistic. "My experience is these things don’t heal quite that quickly," Weinfeld said. "I wouldn’t be surprised if he misses more time than that."
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Eastern Notes: Knicks, Hamilton, Allen, Celtics

March 19th, 2013 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks announced a pair of injuries today, as Kurt Thomas will miss approximately two to four weeks with a stress fracture in his right foot, while Tyson Chandler will be sidelined for a week with a small bulging disc (all Twitter links). As Howard Beck of the New York Times notes (via Twitter), with so many players injured, particularly in the frontcourt, it may be time for the Knicks to reconsider their decision not to waive Rasheed Wallace to open a roster spot for a replacement. While we wait to see if the club makes a roster move, let's check out a few more items from around the Eastern Conference:

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Atlantic Rumors: Humphries, Knicks, Moultrie

March 16th, 2013 at 4:22pm CST by Chuck Myron

Few third-place teams have a legitimate shot at a division title this late in the season, but the Celtics are an exception. The current No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference could erase a three and a half game deficit in the Atlantic Division to climb over the Nets and Knicks if they keep up their surprisingly torrid pace in the wake of Rajon Rondo's injury. The banged-up Knicks haven't played quite as well amidst their health woes, and the Nets, while relatively healthy, haven't been able to generate much momentum of late. Here's the latest on a few Atlantic teams as this season's race nears its conclusion:

  • Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo has said he plans to bring Kris Humphries back into the team's rotation soon, but Humphries, whom Brooklyn reportedly offered to multiple teams at the trade deadline, isn't sure he'll be around the Nets in any capacity much longer. Fred Kerber of the New York Post has the details. "You’ve got to look at the situation," Humphries said. "It’s hard to say right now. Who knows who’s going to be here? A lot of things can change here."
  • Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com speculates that James White, Pablo Prigioni and Kurt Thomas could be potential roster casualties if the Knicks elect to sign Delonte West, whom they're reportedly monitoring. The injured Rasheed Wallace would seem the most logical choice to go, but coach Mike Woodson insists he won't be waived, Begley notes.
  • Rookie Arnett Moultrie has seen little playing time this year, but the Sixers plan to increase his minutes down the stretch to see what they have in the 27th overall pick from this past year, observes John Mitchell of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
  • Deron Williams is averaging 23.6 points per game in March, well above his mark for the season, and he explained some of the reasons for his increased production to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Sulia link).
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