Thaddeus Young Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Odds & Ends: Sixers, Spurs, Ilyasova, LeBron

February 16th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Defense may win championships, but it doesn’t mean much in the All-Star game. Tonight the Eastern Conference topped the West 163-155 behind the stellar play of Kyrie Irving, who had 31 points and 14 dimes. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..

The 76ers have held trade discussions with all 29 other NBA teams and are believed to be the most active in talks leading up to the deadline, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. General Manager Sam Hinkie & Co. are seeking future draft picks in compensation for Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, and Thaddeus Young. Teams view the 76ers as an organization willing to acquire an expiring contract and they’re still not budging on their demand of high first round picks.
The Spurs would love to acquire Young or Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova, but no one is sure how they can make that happen, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert recently opened up about his decision to write an open letter after LeBron James took his talents to South Beach, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I would’ve reworded the language in The Letter, but I don’t regret sending a letter out to our fan base,” Gilbert said. “People forget the letter was not to LeBron, it was to our fan base. If I had to do it again, for sure, I would’ve reworded several parts of it. But I think it definitely needed a strong statement from me at that time. I keep a couple binders on my desk and I have a binder of the responses to The Letter from the people of Cleveland.” Late last week we rounded up more of Gilbert’s thoughts on the state of his franchise.

Eastern Notes: Sixers, Magic, Grant

February 15th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Former Cavs GM Chris Grant has been taking a lot of heat for the state of the franchise. The team has underachieved and not all of his moves worked out, but Grant did a much better job than he’s getting credit for, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Grant walked into one of the worst situations in professional sports, opines Lloyd. Shortly after he was named GM, LeBron James departed and the rest of the roster was in shambles. The team had no pick in that summer’s draft and no players of real value left to trade away and begin the rebuilding process. According to Lloyd, Grant restocked an organization bereft of young talent and future draft picks and he never lost a trade. Grant isn’t employed anymore because the Cavs played terribly for most of this season given the preseason expectations, but those expectations existed thanks to the remarkable work he did for the past three years.

Eastern Notes: Bobcats, Turner, Celtics

February 11th, 2014 at 11:33pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said before tonight’s game against the Mavericks that the chances of Charlotte making a deal soon depends on who’s available and what makes sense. GM Rod Higgins couldn’t put a percentage on the likelihood that something gets done, but went so far as to say “…the thing you should know is we’re definitely shaking the tree (and hope) a trade pans out” (Tom Sorensen of the Charlotte Observer).

You can find several links worth sharing tonight out of Eastern Conference below, including more from the above piece:

Sorensen hears that the Bobcats are interested in 76ers guard Evan Turner and presumes that Ben Gordon and a first round pick are on the table (whether it’s the one owed to them by the Trail Blazers or Pistons is unclear).
Yahoo’s Marc J. Spears says that in addition to Turner, Thaddeus Young is another starter who could be moved soon.
Eddie Sefko of SportsDayDFW shared some of what he’s heard from around the Eastern Conference: Turner and Spencer Hawes are the most likely to be traded from Philadelphia; the Celtics are reportedly bound and determined to make moves before the deadline; the Cavaliers think pretty highly enough of their key pieces and aren’t likely to deal them for anything less for a “king’s ransom.”
Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony tells Fred Kerber of the New York Post that tales of stars trying to make recruiting pitches during the All-Star break are blown out of proportion by the media and says it “never happens.”
Earlier tonight, we relayed a piece from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports about the Cavs’ recent misfortune over the last few years. Another interesting thing to note is about how Anthony Bennett – who aside from his double-double performance tonight has otherwise failed to impress this season – would likely have fallen into the back end of the top 10 picks or further on draft night if Cleveland didn’t select him first overall.

Amick On Expected Buyers, Sellers At Deadline

February 7th, 2014 at 10:12pm CST by Cray Allred

In his most recent column, Sam Amick of USA Today passed on a lot of information gathered from six NBA executives speaking anonymously regarding what he thinks will be a “very active swapping season.” Talk includes teams from around the league looking to win now or bolster rebuilding efforts. The entire article is worth the read, but here is a brief roundup:

The Knicks “have decided to think big” as the deadline approaches, and believe that the Celtics‘ Rajon Rondo is more available than Boston general manager Danny Ainge is letting on. Trading Carmelo Anthony is not being given serious consideration, despite all the speculation surrounding his willingness to re-sign this summer.
Rival executives think that if Ainge were to make any Rondo move, he would wait until just before the deadline to do so.
The Pelicans are thought to be willing to trade Eric Gordon, although moving the two-year, $29MM left on his contract would be a challenge.
If the Suns don’t acquire Pau Gasol, Thaddeus Young is another possible trade target before the deadline. It’s also believed that Phoenix would have strong interest in Rudy Gay this off season should he opt out of his player option.
The Spurs and Bobcats were mentioned by an executive as possible destinations for the Sixers‘ Evan Turner, either through a trade this season or when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer.
It’s more likely that the Pistons move players with expiring deals (Rodney Stuckey, Charlie Villanueva or Jonas Jerebko, for instance) than for them to part with Greg Monroe before the deadline.
The Timberwolves have great urgency to make the playoffs and keep Kevin Love content, and are thought to be willing to part with J.J. Barea, Dante Cunningham, and Alexey Shved for a deal that would help them avoid finishing another season outside the playoffs.
While the Grizzlies‘ Zach Randolph hasn’t said whether he will opt out of his contract this summer, he has indicated that he wants to remain with Memphis. For their part, the Grizzlies don’t appear to be shopping him. The Suns inquired about the power forward, but were told he wasn’t available.
The Magic aren’t eager to move Arron Afflalo, and it would likely take a proven player in addition to any draft picks to pry him away from Orlando.

Kyler’s Latest: Rivers, Bobcats, Sixers

February 5th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that the Pelicans have had a deal in place all season to trade Austin Rivers if he didn’t start seeing minutes. His playing time has perked up of late, and Kyler wonders if the Pelicans are merely showcasing him for other trades. The Pelicans are also open to trading Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans, according to Kyler, who shares plenty more in his latest piece. We’ll hit the highlights here:

The Bobcats are “kicking around” the idea of trading for Greg Monroe, Kyler writes. He also hears they’d be willing to throw Bismack Biyombo into a Ben Gordon trade to convince teams to take on Gordon’s inflated deal, but as Kyler notes, that wouldn’t do much to persuade reluctant trade partners.
The Sixers could wind up dealing away all of their three veteran trade candidates — Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young — by the deadline, Kyler writes, adding that the Rockets have been targeting Young all season. We heard Young connected to Houston in December, but this is the first report suggesting the Rockets have had interest in him since.
Dion Waiters and Alonzo Gee are the names most frequently mentioned around the league when the subject of Cavs trade candidates comes up, according to Kyler. Cleveland is reluctant to make Anderson Varejao a part of its talks, but the Cavs are coming around to ideas they hadn’t previously considered, Kyler observes, adding that the team looks like it will be a seller, either at the deadline or around draft time.
Almost everyone on the Bucks, outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo and John Henson, is fair game for a trade, according to Kyler, who hears that the Rockets have been eyeing Ersan Ilyasova.
Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette are the Kings that Kyler keeps hearing in trade chatter, but there’s little market for either, he writes.
Rival teams are getting the sense that the Pistons will stand pat at the deadline, which Kyler finds vexing.
Sources close to the Raptors tell Kyler that their trade talk is simply due diligence, and that they’re only considering overwhelming offers.

Atlantic Rumors: Moultrie, Humphries, Sixers

February 4th, 2014 at 10:04am CST by Chuck Myron

Arnett Moultrie hasn’t played for the Sixers all season after left ankle surgery, but he says he’s been ready to go for the past month and is frustrated that the team hasn’t activated him yet, observes Christopher A. Vito of the Delaware County Daily Times.

“It’s not my ankle. It’s not my conditioning,” Moultrie said. “But at this point, I really don’t care. I’m just sick of all the excuses. If it ain’t one thing, it’s another thing.”

Moultrie, the 27th pick in 2012, doesn’t have much leverage to force the Sixers’ hand, but his comments reflect the problems on a team in flux. Here’s more on Philly and the rest of the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics are open to moving Kris Humphries before the trade deadline if the right offer comes along, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, who examines a number of Celtics players at a crossroads.

Earlier updates:

The Sixers, reportedly amping up efforts to trade Evan Turner, would prefer to swap him or Spencer Hawes instead of Thaddeus Young, though Young has drawn significant interest, as Chad Ford of ESPN.com writes in his Insider-only “Tank Rank” piece. Ford doubts the Sixers would be able to trade either Turner or Hawes for a pick between Nos. 10 and 15 in this year’s draft, which he reports they’re trying to obtain.
Sixers coach Brett Brown was candid with reporters before last night’s loss to the Nets, saying that he recognizes the “monster that’s ahead of us,” in reference to the team’s still-nascent rebuilding project, notes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. Brown also understands trade rumors are par for the course. “It’s been an incredible surprise to have our team intact this late in the year,” he said (Twitter links).
Andrew Bynum was reluctant to sign with the Knicks last month for more than just financial reasons, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
Shaun Livingston is enjoying a renaissance on a minimum-salary contract with the Nets this season, and he’ll likely command more than that this summer, which will make it difficult for Brooklyn to retain him, writes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Odds & Ends: Young, Draft, Spurs, Celtics

January 24th, 2014 at 4:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

Thaddeus Young‘s name figures to be in plenty of rumors between now and the February 20th trade deadline. “There is not a GM in the league who wouldn’t want Thaddeus Young on their team,” an NBA executive tells Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Still, Young’s contract, with average salaries of more than $9MM through 2015/16, remains a turn-off for would-be trade partners, Pompey writes. The Inquirer scribe takes a stab at sketching the Sixers roster for 2014/15, concluding that a turnaround is still a ways off. Here’s more on a couple of prospects who could be in Philly next year, as well as more from around the NBA:

Several NBA scouts are leaning toward regarding Indiana’s Noah Vonleh as a better power forward prospect than Kentucky’s Julius Randle, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who debates the matter with colleague Kevin Pelton in an Insider-only piece.
The Spurs wanted someone who could guard small forwards after learning Kawhi Leonard would miss the next three or four weeks, and Gregg Popovich says that led them to sign Othyus Jeffers, observes Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News.
A splintered Clippers front office kept the team from trading for Kevin Garnett at the deadline last year, and that prompted the Celtics to draw back from discussions with the Nets about Paul Pierce, sources tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. The C’s would have been better off had those deals gone down than they are with the package they obtained from the Nets this summer, Deveney surmises.
Doc Rivers stuck up for Tom Thibodeau, his former assistant coach, saying that he didn’t think “any right-minded organization” would allow him to leave, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times notes. Rumors have suggested the Bulls might let their coach out of his contract so he can take over the Knicks.
Keith Schlosser of Ridiculous Upside wonders what more Pierre Jackson must do to convince New Orleans to sign him. The Pelicans hold the NBA rights to the D-League’s leading scorer, but they’ve given Jackson permission to seek a trade.

Latest On Sixers, Trade Candidates

January 19th, 2014 at 8:54am CST by Jonathan Nehring

To date, Sixers GM Sam Hinkie has only made one big move in his short time in Philadelphia: trading for Nerlens Noel. Bigger transactions may lie ahead, but they might not happen until the summer, according to Tom Moore of the Bucks County Courier Times, who believes there should be no rush to deal any of Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, or Thaddeus Young, the club’s three prime trade candidates.

The Sixers would ideally get a 2014 first-rounder and an expiring contract in return for Turner and Hawes, Moore writes, and Hinkie is willing to deal either player if another team meets his price. It’s unclear from Moore’s report just how open Hinkie is to dealing Young, though the team is apparently upping its aggressiveness in trade talks regarding the power forward, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe.

If the Sixers keep Turner, they’re unlikely to extend him the $8.7MM qualifying offer he’s due in order to allow the team to match offers for him this summer. That would make Turner an unrestricted free agent. Moore says Hawes, who’ll hit unrestricted free agency this sumemr regardless, might not be the best fit for Philadelphia’s future with Noel returning from injury. If Turner and Hawes choose to leave, Moore suggests the Sixers could work out a sign-and-trade.

Ultimately, Moore doesn’t think February’s deadline should rush the Sixers to making a move. If no one will give Hinkie what he is asking for, he should roll the dice with free agency this summer to see if the asking prices for Turner and Hawes will fit in the Sixers budget, Moore opines. For what it’s worth, Young holds a slight lead on Turner among Hoops Rumors readers who shared their thoughts on which of the three is most likely to be traded.

Speaking of Hinkie rolling the dice, Nerlens Noel has drawn some Greg Oden comparisons but the Sixers GM remains confident that trading for Noel will prove to be smart. Hinkie told Mike Sielski of the Philadelphia Inquirer that “Nerlens is indicative of what we’re doing here,” which Sielski interprets to be “swinging for the fence at every pitch.”

Noel has not played in a NBA game since being drafted last summer but the Sixers are hoping the rookie will be able to recover from knee surgery and become a franchise player. However, if it doesn’t work out that way, Hinkie doesn’t believe it will destroy Philadelphia and has gathered other assets in future draft picks and flexible cap room to make sure it won’t hinder the near future of the franchise.

Poll: Which Sixer Is Likeliest To Be Traded?

January 17th, 2014 at 5:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers are clearly in rebuilding mode, with a bargain payroll and just four players making more than $3.2MM this season. One of them is Jason Richardson, who’s been out all year with injury. Philadelphia would surely like to find a taker for his albatross of a contract, but most of the trade talk around the team this season has focused on the other three: Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young.

GM Sam Hinkie is reportedly prioritizing the addition of first-round picks as he scours the market, and apparently he won’t take on a “lesser player” unless the Sixers receive such draft considerations in return. Those sorts of constraints might make it more difficult to pull off a deal, but the consensus around the league seems to indicate that Philadelphia will make a move. The Sixers have begun to more aggressively engage other teams in conversations about Young, according to Grantland’s Zach Lowe, who adds that most executives think it’s a “lock” that Hinkie will try to trade Turner. There’s been less talk about Hawes, but when the Rockets were shopping Omer Asik, they appeared to make Hawes, and not Turner or Young, their primary target.

Hawes will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, while Turner’s free agency this summer will be restricted. Young is under contract through 2015/16, as I noted when I examined his trade candidacy earlier this week. Each plays a different position with a different skill set, offering the Sixers, and other teams, an array of choices. So, let us know which of the three you think is most likely to leave Philly by the February 20th trade deadline, and elaborate on your choice in the comments.

Sixers Looking For First-Round Picks In Trades

January 15th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Sixers are going to be one of the more heavily talked about teams leading up to the February 20th trade deadline. The reason for that is their three prime trade assets: Thaddeus Young, Evan Turner, and Spencer Hawes. The Sixers, though, won’t be willing to take back a “lesser player” in any deal without receiving a first-round pick, preferably from the upcoming 2014 draft, in return, tweeted Tom Moore of Philly Burbs.com. With the premium that most teams place on first-round picks, especially with the upcoming draft looking to be one of the strongest and deepest in years, this could have a negative effect on the Sixers chances to jump start their rebuilding process.

Young is obviously the most desirable asset for other teams, talent-wise. The 25 year-old forward is averaging 17.8 PPG and 6.6 RPG with a slash line of .499/.393/.719. He has expressed his desire not to be part of a rebuilding process and is the kind of player that could be a major factor on a contending team. He’s not a player that can carry a franchise, but paired with another star player or two, can be a difference maker. He has one more year on his contract after this one, with a player option for 2015/2016. His salary of $8,850,000 this season and $9,410,870 the next, is reasonable, but a difficult one to trade without having to take back similar dollars in return. With the Sixers looking to rebuild, they would most likely prefer an expiring deal, plus a first-round pick.

The other two players mentioned also have value, both being productive and just 25 years old. Turner is currently averaging 18.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, and 3.9 APG. His slash line is: .438/.293/.816. He’s in the final year of his deal and earning $6,679,867. Hawes is contributing 14.3 PPG, 8.6 RPG, and 1.5 BPG, and a line of .485/.434/.775. He’s also on an expiring contract which pays him $6,500,000. Nice pieces for contending teams, but with expiring contracts not being deemed as valuable as in the past, they would fetch a lesser return than trading Young.

The Sixers desire for a first-round pick in return for trading these players for non-stars is a logical one. The team is in full-on rebuilding mode, and want to capitalize on the strength of the upcoming draft. They have two potential building blocks in Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel. Adding another young building block or two could put them into the weak Eastern Conference playoff picture next season. Even if they fall short next year, another lottery trip could set them up for a successful future run for years to come. Plus, by shedding more salaries, they could potentially be players for a free-agent score if they so chose. So any general managers should be prepared to sacrifice draft picks if they want to acquire one of the Sixers available players.