Steve Blake Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Kyler On Gasol, Redick, Varejao, Lakers, Fredette

November 28th, 2012 at 10:25am CST by Luke Adams

Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld took to Twitter today to field a variety of trade-related questions from his followers. Some of Kyler's tweets were particularly notable, so let's round up the highlights below (all links go to Twitter)….

The Lakers have kicked the tires on Pau Gasol trades in the past and are aware that any move they make would be a downgrade. Kyler notes that if the team falls out of contention, a Lamar Odom-esque salary dump is a possibility, but it's hard to imagine that happening this season.
Even though J.J. Redick is on an expiring contract, a deal isn't necessarily likely since Redick fits the culture the Magic are trying to establish. Asked specifically about a potential swap with the Timberwolves involving Redick and Derrick Williams, Kyler says the Magic would want to include at least one bad contract in that type of move.
The Cavaliers continue to say Anderson Varejao isn't available, but Kyler thinks the team will have to cash him in at some point.
The Hawks still intend to re-sign Josh Smith next summer and build around him.
Having traded most of their first-round picks in other deals, the Lakers no longer have the draft picks to facilitate a contract dump, so the team will find it difficult to move a point guard like Steve Blake or Chris Duhon.
The Lakers have talked about the possibility of adding Mickael Pietrus, Delonte West, or Raja Bell, but nothing is close.
Kyler also reiterates a point he's made before, saying Jimmer Fredette is unhappy with the Kings.

Western Rumors: Lakers, Wolves, Dirk, Rockets

November 13th, 2012 at 2:50pm CST by Luke Adams

We heard almost a month ago to the day that the Lakers had made Steve Blake and Chris Duhon available via trade, and that hasn't changed even with Steve Nash out, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Mannix reports that the Lakers have continued to dangle the two point guards in trade talks, but, unsurprisingly, neither player is drawing much interest. Here are a few more updates out of the Western Conference:

With Chase Budinger officially out for about three months, the Timberwolves will likely move to add a wing, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Zgoda names Mickael Pietrus, Josh Howard, and Raja Bell as possibilities, though Pietrus is seeking more than Minnesota can offer and Bell is still a member of the Jazz.
Dirk Nowitzki's rehab on his surgically repaired knee isn't progressing quite as quickly as he'd anticipated, Nowitzki said on FOX Sports Southwest last night. Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News has the details.
Following up on yesterday's report that the Rockets would send their three rookies to the D-League, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle notes (via Twitter) that that's always been the case with Rockets rookies who aren't getting regular playing time.
SI.com's Ian Thomsen fields questions on the Lakers, DeMarcus Cousins, the Grizzlies, and a few other topics in his latest mailbag.

Lakers Notes: Howard, Kobe, Blake

October 27th, 2012 at 8:47pm CST by Sean Highkin

A roundup of the latest news around the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night:

Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports that Dwight Howard has been working hard this summer to improve his free-throw shooting.
Bresnahan also reports that Kobe Bryant may miss the Lakers' Oct. 30 season opener against Dallas with lingering foot pain.
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports that Mike Brown is sticking with Steve Blake as his backup point guard, citing Blake's familiarity with the offense as his reason.

Kupchak: Lakers Not Actively Seeking Trades

October 17th, 2012 at 8:41am CST by Luke Adams

A recent Marc Stein report for ESPN.com suggested that the Lakers had let it be known around the NBA that Chris Duhon and Steve Blake are available. However, according to GM Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers aren't actively seeking trades at this point. Of course, as Kupchak suggests to Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times, that's due in part to the calendar rather than the Lakers' roster.

"This time of year, teams are not looking to make deals," Kupchak said. "They're evaluating their team and if anything they're going to cut players as they go into the season."

Could that change when regular-season rosters are set and injuries or playing-time concerns begin to accumulate?

"Some guys may not be happy if they're not playing as much as they thought they'd play or their contract's running out and they're concerned about their next contract," Kupchak said. "It's too early right now. There's a lot of energy and excitement right here. Everybody's pretty happy. So we'll just see how it plays out the next month or two."

The Lakers' backcourt is pretty crowded for now, with nine guards in camp, including four at the point: Steve Nash, Duhon, Blake, and Darius Morris. It's a near-certainty that at least one or two of those nine guards will be cut within the next couple weeks, but the four point guards all have a reasonable claim to a roster spot. Duhon and Blake also both have guaranteed money due beyond this season, making them better candidates to be traded than released.

Steve Blake, Chris Duhon Available Via Trade

October 12th, 2012 at 8:30am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers have "made it clear to the rest of the league" that Steve Blake or Chris Duhon are on the trading block and could be had in a deal, according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein. No trades involving either player are imminent, but Stein wonders if the duo could draw more interest down the road when injuries begin to pile up around the league and outlooks aren't so "rosy."

Blake, 32, has suffered a dip in production since joining the Lakers two seasons ago, and still has two years remaining on his contract at $4MM annually. As such, Duhon could be the more attractive trade target for any interested teams. The 30-year-old hasn't been at the top of his game in recent years either and is also under contract for two more years, but his $3.75MM salary in 2013/14 is only guaranteed for $1.5MM.

Within Stein's piece, the ESPN.com scribe adds that if the Lakers are able to move Blake or Duhon, it's possible the team could re-add Derek Fisher to its roster, assuming the veteran point guard is still on the market. Considering the Lakers are ineligible to re-sign Fisher until March 15th, 2013, the one-year anniversary of their trade that sent him to Houston, it's very possible the 38-year-old will have found work elsewhere by then.

Odds & Ends: Timberwolves, Nets, Daniels

September 27th, 2012 at 10:47pm CST by Ryan Raroque

There's a chance that Minnesota could bring Hassan Whiteside into training camp, but Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 believes that it would have to be a non-guaranteed contract. Wolfson also covers a few more miscellaneous notes surrounding the Timberwolves, including the status of Nikola Pekovic, other players under consideration along with Louis Amundson, and that Chicago businessman Richard Chaifetz has been "kicking the tires" on the prospect of owning the team. Here's what else we've heard from around the league tonight:

In a Q&A with Mike Wells of IndyStar.com, Danny Granger said that he will try to take things slow through training camp after experiencing irritation in his knee this summer. He also mentioned that he would play if the Pacers were currently in the regular season, adding that the team is just being cautionary right now.
Paul Flannery of WEEI.com provides a comprehensive breakdown of the Celtics' moves this offseason, complete with some input from coach Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge.
Tyson Chandler told Tim Bontemps that his workouts with Hakeem Olajuwon have been going very well, says Marc Berman of the New York Post (Sulia link).
After recently signing an extension in Boston, Keyon Dooling talked about his abrupt decision to retire from the NBA (Jessica Camerato of CSNNE reports).
The Kamenetzky Brothers of 710 ESPN in Los Angeles took to their radio show to discuss Steve Blake's injury and the possible opportunities for Chris Duhon and Darius Morris, Kobe Bryant's ESPN ranking at number six, and Jason Terry's recent comments about the Heat and Lakers.

Odds & Ends: Blake, Seattle, Fegan, Millsap, Uzoh

September 24th, 2012 at 5:19pm CST by Luke Adams

According to the team's official website, Lakers guard Steve Blake suffered a puncture wound after stepping on a spike strip in a parking lot. The statement says Blake will be restricted from team activities for at least three weeks. Despite not being one of the bigger names on Los Angeles' roster, Blake's role as the team's veteran backup point guard is quite important, especially considering incoming starter Steve Nash's inability to log major minutes.

Here are a few more Monday odds and ends from around the NBA:

Later today, Seattle City Council is expected to formally approve Chris Hansen's plan to build a $490MM arena in downtown Seattle, according to an Associated Press report (via the Seattle Times). Hansen and city council reached an agreement two weeks ago on financing for the arena proposal, meaning today's vote is expected to be merely a formality. Hansen's plan will still require an okay from the King County Council, but the city's approval would allow him to start looking for a franchise to bring to Seattle.
One NBA GM tells Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio that he expects veteran free agents like Derek Fisher and Michael Redd to sign deals late in training camp or even after the season begins.
It appears agent Dan Fegan will join Happy Walters at a newly-created agency called Relativity Sports, according to Darren Heitner of Sports Agent Blog. Fegan, who represents Dwight Howard, Nene, and John Wall, among others, recently left Lagardère Unlimited.
Paul Millsap hasn't really begun thinking about free agency yet, stressing that he's "still with the Utah Jazz" and he'll consider his options when the time comes, as Brian T. Smith of the Salt Lake Tribune writes.
Jonathan Tjarks of RealGM.com views Joe Johnson's and Manu Ginobili's career paths as two examples for James Harden to consider as the fourth-year guard weighs his contract options.
Ben Uzoh has parted ways with French team Cholet, making him a free agent again, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Uzoh has appeared in 60 total games for the Nets, Cavs, and Raptors over the past two seasons.
Many of the storylines that SI.com's Sam Amick will be watching this season involve players on new teams, including Raymond Felton in New York, Andre Iguodala in Denver, and Andrew Bynum in Philadelphia.

Odds & Ends: J.R. Smith, Lakers, Nash

September 9th, 2012 at 7:04pm CST by Ryan Raroque

J.R. Smith is far from being a perfect player, but if there's anything to be said about what the Knicks guard lacks, confidence is not one of them. During a video interview with Tashara Jones of the New York Post at a fashion event this weekend, the 27-year-old Smith said "championship" when talking about the team's expectations for this season (Marc Raimondi of the New York Post reports). After being asked if it was a guarantee, Smith appeared confident in New York's chances against anyone: "In my eyes, yeah…Lakers, Heat, – whoever," also adding, "if we settle for anything less, we already start off losing." Here's what else we're hearing from the NBA tonight…

HoopsHype provided their NBA season preview of the Lakers, projecting them to finish with first place in the Pacific division and second in the Western Conference.
It appears that Lakers guards Steve Nash and Steve Blake are looking to prepare for the season as soon as possible, as Dave McMenamin of ESPNLA.com tweets that both have an evening workout with player development coach Phil Handy tonight.
Derek Page of HoopsWorld lists his top 5 playmakers heading into 2012-13. Steve Nash tops the list, followed by Rajon Rondo and LeBron James.

Lakers Talk Offseason, To Pick Up Bynum’s Option

May 23rd, 2012 at 7:56pm CST by Alex Lee

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak told reporters on Wednesday that the Lakers plan to pick up center Andrew Bynum's team option for next season. This move would not have an impact on the much-speculated swap of Bynum for Dwight Howard, as they would have to pick up his option before making the move. Kupchak's statement was part of the Lakers' 2012 exit interview process today, as documented by Mike Trudell on Lakers.com. Many players brought up the much talked about issue of the offense stalling when Kobe goes into "one-on-one" mode, while others discussed their future with the team:

Pau Gasol said that he met with Kupchak and Mike Brown and they didn't offer him any insight as to the organizations' plans for Gasol this offseason. Gasol reiterated that the trade rumors shouldn't alter a player's game, but admitted that his change in role, many times deferring to Andrew Bynum as the second option, may have affected his production.
Metta World Peace doesn't think the Lakers need radical change, even stating that they should be up 3 games to 2 on the Thunder right now, says Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN LA. Artest extolled Mitch Kupchak and says it is up to the players to pick up their game to help Kobe Bryant. Kamenetzky adds that there is speculation that Artest or Steve Blake could be trade candidates, but Artest said he loves it in Los Angeles.
Kupchak offered information beyond their intentions for Bynum. In his talk with media, Kupchak discussed the failed preseason trade for Chris Paul, Gasol's resulting play, the looming opt-out decision of Ramon Sessions and more.

Nuggets Notes: Faried, McGee, Blake

May 13th, 2012 at 10:27pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes around the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night:

The Denver Post's Benjamin Hochman praises Kenneth Faried, touting him as one of the best value selections in last year's draft.
Hochman also notes that the Nuggets expect to bring back restricted free-agent center JaVale McGee.
Fox Sports Florida's Chris Tomasson tweets that Lakers guard Steve Blake wanted to re-sign with the Nuggets after the 2007 season. However, Denver was not willing to pay him the $4.25MM annually that Portland was. The Nuggets instead signed Chucky Atkins.