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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:

Al Iannazzone of Newsday.com writes that Chris Paul is unlikely to ever play for the Knicks, despite proclaimations he reportedly made to the contrary at Carmelo Anthony's wedding in 2010.
Amin Elhassan of ESPN.com breaks down the Clippers' salary-cap flexibility for upcoming seasons.
Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun writes that Andrea Bargnani is growing increasingly irrelevant in the Raptors' long-term plan.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer looks back at Billy Hunter's rocky tenure as executive director of the NBPA.
Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic praises Luis Scola's hard-nosed style, saying the veteran forward is a positive influence on the team's young players.
Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News looks back at Nets interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo's tenure with the Spurs.
Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News writes that, despite getting little playing time with the Mavericks, rookie Jared Cunningham is gaining valuable experience in the D-League.
Jodie Valade of the Plain Dealer examines the impact of trade rumors on head coaches in the NBA.

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:

Kevin Love is back practicing with the team after fracturing his hand on January 3. He is not expected to return to action until mid-March.
The San Antonio Spurs seriously considered signing swingman Mickael Gelabale, whom the Timberwolves ultimately added to their roster.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

D-League Moves: Machado, Jones, Baynes

February 1st, 2013 at 8:45pm CST by Luke Adams

We'll track today's D-League assignments and recalls here along with signings, with the latest transactions added to the top of the page throughout the day:

Scott Machado has signed with the Rockets' D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, writes Keith Schosser of Ridiculous Upside. The former Iona point guard played for the Vipers earlier in the season where he averaged 12 PPG and 7.1 APG in 11 contests.
Terrence Jones has been re-assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers by the Rockets, the team announced today in a press release. In 12 games with the Vipers this season, Jones ranks among the D-League leaders in PPG (19.1) and RPG (9.8).
The Spurs have assigned the newest member of the team, Aron Baynes, to the D-League, according to a press release. The Australian big man had appeared in two games for San Antonio since signing with the club last week. He'll join the Austin Toros in time for the team's game against the Bakersfield Jam tonight.

Trade Exceptions Set To Expire At Deadline

January 31st, 2013 at 12:13pm CST by Luke Adams

As our list of outstanding traded player exceptions shows, there are a number of trade exceptions that could be in play as this season's deadline approaches. A trade exception allows a team to absorb a salary without sending any salary out in return. For instance, with the $4.2MM exception the Grizzlies obtained when they traded Marreese Speights to Cleveland, Memphis could acquire one or more players who are earning $4.3MM this season ($4.2MM + $100K).

Trade exceptions, which cannot be combined, expire a year after they're initially acquired, so the TPEs that were created at last year's March trade deadline will expire if they go unused on or before February 21st. While the exceptions don't expire until March, teams obviously won't have the opportunity to use them during the few weeks after the deadline passes.

Most notable among those exceptions set to expire in March is the $13MM TPE the Nuggets obtained when they dealt Nene to Washington at the 2012 deadline. The Nuggets are very unlikely to use that entire exception, but it certainly gives them some added flexibility as they weigh their options over the next three weeks.

Here's the complete list of traded player exceptions that will expire if they go unused at the trade deadline:

Denver Nuggets: $13,000,000
Golden State Warriors: $3,294,960
Milwaukee Bucks: $2,506,500
Brooklyn Nets: $1,390,000
Brooklyn Nets: $1,377,383
Los Angeles Clippers: $1,223,166
Memphis Grizzlies: $1,184,750
Los Angeles Lakers: $854,389(*)
San Antonio Spurs: $854,389
Los Angeles Lakers: $544,340

(* This TPE was initially listed as $1,422,027 and had since been corrected.)

Warriors Unlikely To Make Move Before Deadline

January 31st, 2013 at 10:54am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors will be adding one potential impact player to their rotation for the season's second half, but he'll be returning from an injury rather than arriving via trade. According to Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group, while Golden State is welcoming Andrew Bogut back to the lineup, it's highly unlikely that the team acquires another player via trade. One team source told Thompson that the odds of a Warriors move are "remote."

The Warriors wouldn't mind adding a big man, and Thompson mentions names like Timofey Mozgov and DeJuan Blair as potential fits. The club could also use a backup shooting guard or an athletic wing. However, acquiring anyone that fits that bill would likely require Golden State to give up a player it likes, in which case the team would prefer to stand pat.

The Warriors are also slightly above the luxury-tax threshold, so if anything compelled the team to make a move, it might be a desire to get out of tax territory. Still, Thompson believes the Warriors would have to shed a big contract like Richard Jefferson's or Andris Biedrins' to get below the tax line, which is extremely unlikely.

Even without Bogut for most of the season, the Warriors are exceeding expectations, having recorded a 28-17 record so far, good for fifth in the Western Conference.