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Amico’s Latest: Garnett, Josh Smith, Millsap

February 12th, 2013 at 11:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio is hearing plenty of chatter from around the league, and shares a lot of information in his latest dispatch. He identifies the player receiving the most attention as the deadline approaches, and dishes on several big names. We'll cover the highlights here:

  • The Celtics are open to trading Kevin Garnett, but president of basketball ops Danny Ainge is looking for something to get "really, really excited" about, Amico writes. Garnett has a no-trade clause, and reportedly will only waive it if he's dealt to Los Angeles and the Celtics also trade Paul Pierce away.
  • Josh Smith is the most-talked-about name on the rumor mill at present, and Amico reiterates that the Spurs, Nets and Bobcats are among the teams that have interest in the athletic forward. The Nets are anxious to deal Kris Humphries, and could be looking to get a third team involved in talks with Atlanta to faciliate a Smith-Humphries deal. Cavs GM Chris Grant spent time on the phone with Nets GM Billy King last week, and Amico notes the close ties Grant shares with King, as well as the connection between Hawks GM Danny Ferry and King.
  • Grant wants more draft picks, and is apparently willing to rent some of the Cavs' ample cap space for a player whose deal expires after next season, as Humphries' does.
  • If they can't land Smith, plan B for the Nets might be Paul Millsap. We heard about Brooklyn's interest in the Jazz power forward earlier today.
  • Bulls GM Gar Forman also covets Smith and Millsap. Chicago has talked to the Nets about Carlos Boozer, but there's been no recent movement on that front.
  • Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings are available, but only for a team that makes an overwhelming offer to Bucks GM John Hammond.
  • The Mavs are publicly downplaying the chances of a trade before the deadline, but that's not the case behind the scenes, where basketball president Donnie Nelson is seeing what he can get for Shawn Marion.
  • Eric Gordon would love to return to his Indiana roots and the Hornets have interest in Danny Granger, but the Pacers and New Orleans have not discussed a Gordon-Granger swap.
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Spears On Spurs, Smith, Maynor, Knicks, Grizzlies

February 12th, 2013 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

Not content to simply rank the NBA's teams, one through 30, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports also includes plenty of interesting trade rumors and nuggets within his power rankings. Here are the items of note from Spears in this week's installment:

  • The Spurs, who used to employ current Hawks GM Danny Ferry, are among the teams interested in Josh Smith.
  • Eric Maynor has been drawing some interest, and Spears suggests that he could be a fit for the Jazz, the team that initially drafted him.
  • The Knicks are still trying to decide whether they should wait on injured bigs Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace or sign a free agent.
  • Zach Randolph appears safe in Memphis, but the Grizzlies could still try to make a deal using one or more of their seven trade exceptions.
  • Spears hears from a source that it's been nearly three weeks since the Raptors and Bulls last discussed a Carlos Boozer/Andrea Bargnani swap.
  • No Suns player is untouchable via trade.
  • Talks between the Bobcats and Nets involving Kris Humphries and Ben Gordon remain at a standstill.
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Spurs Talked Blair Trade With Raptors, Pistons

February 11th, 2013 at 9:17pm CST by Zachary Links

The Spurs offered forward DeJuan Blair to the Pistons and discussed a deal involving him with the Raptors, but nothing has come of those talks so far, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (on Twitter).  Broussard hears that the Celtics, Heat, and Trail Blazers are among the teams that could have interest in the 23-year-old.

Blair has been considered a trade candidate for quite some time and there has been friction between him and the club ever since he was effectively 86'd from the rotation in the 2012 postseason.  The Pitt product is seeing less playing time than ever this season, averaging 13.9 minutes per contest versus 20.2 per game over the previous three years in San Antonio.  

Recently, it was reported that the Warriors also have interest in acquiring Blair.

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Odds & Ends: CP3, Clippers, Bargnani, Hunter, Scola

February 9th, 2013 at 11:18pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the NBA on Saturday evening:

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Wolves Notes: Love, Gelabale, Spurs

February 6th, 2013 at 9:35pm CST by Sean Highkin

Ray Richardson of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press has several updates on Wednesday concerning the Minnesota Timberwolves:

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Bobcats, Spurs Possibilities For Greg Oden

February 6th, 2013 at 7:19pm CST by Luke Adams

A week after confirming that the Heat and the Cavaliers were both potential fits for his client, agent Mike Conley tells Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida that the Bobcats and Spurs are possibilities for Greg Oden as well.

"I definitely can see both of those teams (as possibilities)," Conley said. "San Antonio has an aging front line with [Tim] Duncan, and with Duncan and the Admiral (David Robinson, who still lives in San Antonio), he would have some great mentors…. Charlotte, they are rebuilding. They would be in a better position to take more of a risk."

While Miami and Cleveland were reported as the frontrunners for Oden, those teams were never considered the only two possible destinations. The Celtics have met with the former first overall pick, and a handful of other teams, including the Mavericks, are said to have interest. Conley suggests to Tomasson that about seven or eight teams are in the mix for the former Ohio State star, a number he expects will continue to grow.

Despite the seemingly strong market for Oden, the chances of him signing a contract before season's end are decreasing, according to Conley, who figures teams will want to thoroughly explore his client's medical records. Oden was always eyeing a return to the court in 2013/14, but had been considering signing this season in order to rehab with an NBA team.

"A few weeks ago, I’d probably have said it was 80%," Conley said of Oden signing with a team this season. "Now, I’d say it’s 50-50."

As for teams who won't be in the running for Oden, Conley suggests that he doesn't see the Magic as a fit, and also tells Tomasson that the Lakers and Knicks haven't expressed any interest.

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Odds & Ends: HGH, Kings, Gelabale, NBPA

February 6th, 2013 at 4:53pm CST by Luke Adams

On this day in 2008, the Shaquille O'Neal era began in Phoenix, when the Heat and Suns finalized a deal that sent O'Neal to the Suns in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. February 6th also represents Hoops Rumors' anniversary, as we launched our site a year ago today. Whether you've been with us from the beginning or just visited for the first time today, we'd like to thank you for reading, and we hope you'll stick with us longer than the O'Neal era lasted in Phoenix.

Here are this afternoon's odds and ends from around the NBA:

  • Commissioner David Stern told WCCO radio in Minnesota that he expects the NBA to introduce blood testing for HGH by next season, according to Ben Golliver of SI.com.
  • Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson hopes to have a detailed plan to attempt to keep the Kings in Sacramento in place by the end of the month, according to Ryan Lillis and Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee.
  • Spurs coach Gregg Popovich acknowledged that French forward Mickael Gelabale, currently with the Timberwolves, is a player that's interested San Antonio in the past. "He's somebody we thought about a lot over the last couple of years," Popovich said. "We just never really had a position there" (Twitter links via Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News).
  • Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld takes a look at trade possibilities for Western Conference clubs, identifying which players on each team are most likely to be on the move.
  • Israel's Elizur Ashkelon has signed former NBA veteran Jarvis Hayes, according to the team's website (translation via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Hayes, who last played for the Nets in 2009/10, was drafted 10th overall in 2003.
  • The recently-formed five-man interim NBPA executive committee has hired the law firm of Orrick Herrington as advisors, tweets Liz Mullen of the Sports Business Journal.
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Spurs Frontrunners To Acquire Al Jefferson?

February 6th, 2013 at 1:35pm CST by Luke Adams

As ESPN.com's Chad Ford noted in his chat this afternoon, the Jazz are one of the league's most close-to-the-vest teams, which may explain why we haven't heard a ton of rumors about trade candidates and soon-to-be free agents Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. However, according to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops, one team has emerged as a frontrunner to acquire Jefferson: the Spurs.

Sheridan points out that various members of San Antonio's and Utah's front offices used to work for the other club, strengthening the relationship between the two teams. As one source tells Sheridan: "Those teams are practically incestuous, they are on such good terms internally."

The Spurs don't have a ton of obvious trade assets, but Stephen Jackson's $10MM+ expiring contract could be used in an offer for Jefferson, who makes $15MM. From there, Sheridan suggests that a package including Tiago Splitter, Patrick Mills, and the rights to European prospects Erazem Lorbek could make some sense for both sides, though he cautions that he's not sure whether that specific deal has been discussed. Like Jefferson and Jackson, Splitter will be a free agent after this season, while Mills has a 2013/14 player option for a modest $1.13MM, so the Jazz wouldn't be giving up much future flexibility in that hypothetical trade.

Some reports have suggested the Jazz would prefer to move Millsap rather than Jefferson, while others have indicated the team would be fine with simply standing pat and keeping both big men. Given the club's secrecy when it comes to trade talks, we likely won't know for sure what Utah's intentions are until a move is made or the deadline passes.

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Odds & Ends: Andersen, Splitter, Celtics, Pacers

February 5th, 2013 at 2:53pm CST by Luke Adams

Of the 10 NBA teams in action tonight, eight are currently in position to make the playoffs, while one of the remaining two is a shorthanded Lakers squad trying to claw its way back to .500. As we look forward to what should be an entertaining evening slate, let's round up some miscellaneous updates from around the Association….

  • As Chris Tomasson of FOX Sports Florida documents, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is talking as if he expects Chris Andersen to remain with the team for the rest of the season. If Miami does guarantee Andersen's contract, it will be the 15th guaranteed deal on the roster, meaning the Heat wouldn't have an open spot for someone like Greg Oden later in the season.
  • Tiago Splitter is eligible for restricted free agency this summer and acknowledges to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News that he can't help but think about his future. "I’m not thinking about it during the games, of course," Splitter said. "But it’s difficult not to think about it other times. It’s in your head." Splitter's preference is to re-sign with the Spurs, though he'll likely be in line for a decent raise.
  • Celtics coach Doc Rivers referred to recent trade rumors involving his players as "silly," suggesting that they're media-driven rather than substantial. Greg Payne of ESPNBoston.com has the details.
  • Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star implores the Pacers to make a deal before the February 21st deadline if they want to be legit contenders in the Eastern Conference.
  • In light of LeBron James' recent comments suggesting that his contract doesn't reflect his true value, ESPN.com's Henry Abbott and Brian Windhorst (video link) discuss the value of NBA superstars like LeBron.
  • In a mailbag, Ian Thomsen of SI.com identifies 12 teams he thinks could be "buyers" as the trade deadline approaches.
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D-League Moves: Aron Baynes, Miles Plumlee

February 4th, 2013 at 11:09am CST by Luke Adams

Here are Monday's D-League assignments and recalls, with the latest moves added to the top of the page throughout the day:

  • Aron Baynes has been recalled from the Austin Toros, the Spurs announced in a press release. Baynes played in a pair of Toros' losses over the weekend, excelling in his first D-League contest on Friday, with 30 points and 10 boards.
  • The Pacers have re-assigned Miles Plumlee to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. It's the sixth time this season that the 2012 first-round pick has been assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In his previous five stints, Plumlee has appeared in 12 games for the team, averaging 12.7 PPG and 11.1 RPG.
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