Lakers Trade Rumors: Dwight Howard Reportedly Won’t Be Dealt in Sign-and-Trade
The Los Angeles Clippers‘ dream of pairing Chris Paul and Dwight Howard via a sign-and-trade deal is all but dead.
According to a report by InsideSoCal.com’s Mark Medina, the deal has no chance of getting off the ground because the Los Angeles Lakers will refuse any sign-and-trade request. A source close to the situation told Medina that “they’ll either resign Dwight or walk away with cap space.”
ESPN’s Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne first reported that the Clippers were trying to engage the Lakers in talks that would center around Howard, Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe. They were reportedly doing this with the knowledge that star point guard Chris Paul and Howard were in constant conversations about teaming up, as first reported by ESPN’s Chris Broussard.
As huge crosstown rivals competing for the hearts of Los Angelenos, it was expected to be an uphill battle for the Lakers and Clippers to consummate a deal, especially one at such a high magnitude. Griffin and Howard are among the NBA‘s biggest stars, and a deal at this scale would almost be unprecedented in NBA history.
The Lakers’ flat-out refusal to sign-and-trade Howard, however, is more noteworthy. The 27-year-old center is due to be an unrestricted free agent in July and has yet to make a long-term commitment on his future. Howard was traded from the Orlando Magic to the Lakers last August in a massive four-team deal with the expectation of making his new team an instant finals contender.
That expectation did not come to fruition, however.
As the entire Lakers roster struggled with injuries, coaching turmoil and reports of internal rifts between the players, the championship aspirations quickly flew out the window. The Lakers struggled for much of the season to stay above the .500 mark, needing a late-season resurgence to finish 45-37, winning the seventh seed in the Western Conference.
Though Howard, who was still recovering from a back injury suffered in the 2011-12 season, stayed on the court for 76 games, he was often the face of the team’s struggles.
Once considered one of the two most dominating physical forces in the league (the other being LeBron James), Howard was noticeably less effective on both ends of the floor last season. He scored 17.1 points, grabbed 12.4 rebounds and recorded 2.4 blocks per game, but his inconsistency and noncommittal stance on returning to the Lakers made him a polarizing figure in Los Angeles.
With his free agency impending, there has been rampant speculation about whether Howard will return to the Lakers. The Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks are all expected to chase hard after Howard this summer, per Broussard’s report.
Should Howard choose to go elsewhere, the sign-and-trade option could have played a critical role. Under the collective bargaining agreement, the Lakers, who own his Bird Rights, can offer Howard a five-year contract worth up to $118 million. Other teams can only offer a four-year deal, which maxes out at $87.6 million.
Though it’s unclear how much of a role that plays, Los Angeles’ take-it-or-leave-it stance with Howard is also noteworthy from the team’s perspective. Had the Lakers been willing to make a sign-and-trade deal, they would likely acquire a large “trade exception,” which allows them to take on an NBA-allotted salary regardless of their cap room.
Rather than acquire that trade exception, it seems as though Lakers brass is willing to roll the dice and push forward to the summer of 2014 sans Howard. Steve Nash represents the only guaranteed contract the Lakers have on their books for the 2014-15 season, leaving the option of perhaps signing multiple max-contract players.
With Medina’s report, it has become clear that the Lakers prefer that route to playing any part in Howard heading elsewhere next season.
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Tim Connelly Reportedly Hired by Denver Nuggets as General Manager
The Denver Nuggets have reportedly tabbed Tim Connelly—an executive formerly with the New Orleans Pelicans—as the organization’s next general manager.
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski, the decision was made on Monday morning:
As per Wojnarowski, his official designation within the club will be Executive VP of Basketball Operations, assuming the title that Pete D’Alessandro left vacant when he was poached by the Sacramento Kings to become their GM:
It’s a bold decision for a franchise that is undergoing a fair amount of internal turmoil, as—in addition to D’Alessandro’s departure—this month alone also saw former head coach George Karl fired and GM Masai Ujiri granted permission to defect to the Toronto Raptors.
Connelly was hired by New Orleans back in 2010 to assume the role of assistant general manager after coming up inside the Washington Wizards organization.
The 36-year-old began his career in the front office as an intern in the basketball operations department in 1996 and received his first job out of college as an assistant video coordinator in 1999.
Now the Nuggets are giving Connelly a chance to shine as he takes the reins of a team coming off a disappointing first-round playoff exit.
His first order of business should be to install a new head coach, with the latest reports insisting ownership is interested in having either former Memphis Grizzlies head man Lionel Hollins or Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw fill the vacancy.
There’s also the issue of Andre Iguodala’s impending free agency, as the superstar swingman is reportedly expected to opt-out of his contract this summer, as per ESPN.
It’s evident that Connelly will need to hit the ground running and has his work cut out for him now that he’s ready to assume GM duties in Denver.
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Monta Ellis Reportedly Will Opt Out of Contract with Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks point guard Monta Ellis reportedly will opt out of the final year remaining on his contract with the team, according to league sources via ESPN NBA insider Chris Broussard:
According to Broussard, Ellis has one year and $11 million remaining on his current deal with the Bucks.
Milwaukee offered Ellis a three-year, $36 million extension at the beginning of June and had until June 20 to opt out, according to the Journal Sentinel‘s Charles F. Gardner.
Since he opted out, he will become a free agent on July 1.
Ellis, who will turn 28 in October, led Milwaukee in scoring this past year, averaging 19.2 points, six assists and just over two steals per game while playing in all 82 regular-season games. He led the Bucks in four postseason games as well, averaging 14.3 points, 5.5 assists and 2.5 steals per contest against the Miami Heat.
Sources close to Broussard say that there are three teams expressing interest in Ellis, including the Los Angeles Lakers. However it’s unlikely that the Lake Show would be able to acquire him, as they would need to work out a sign-and-trade with the Bucks.
The Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks are the other two teams believed to be in the mix to sign Ellis this summer.
Considering the fact that Ellis is still in his prime and is averaging 19.4 points per game for his NBA career, the list of teams interested in him is sure to grow as the summer progresses.
Ellis, who played high school basketball at Lanier in Jackson, Miss., has played eight seasons in the NBA since being selected 40th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2005 NBA draft.
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Doc Rivers reportedly could return to broadcasting
Doc Rivers may be under contract to serve as the Boston Celtics head coach for the next three seasons, but that does not necessarily mean he will be back with the team. Not only does Rivers reportedly have interest in the Los Angeles Clippers‘ coaching vacancy, but he also reportedly may have interest in resuming [...]
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Dario Saric Reportedly Withdraws from 2013 NBA Draft
There has been much speculation about Dario Saric’s future, but after some back and forth, he has reportedly made an official decision.
He will be withdrawing from this year’s NBA draft.
The news comes courtesy of ESPN’s Chad Ford:
It was originally revealed that the Croatian intended to withdraw his name from the draft, but a couple of days ago, Mark Followill reported that he was still undecided.
But with the deadline to make a decision looming on Monday, Saric signed his letter of withdrawal, and his agent, Marc Cornstein, will deliver it tomorrow, according to Ford.
This means that every prospect projected outside of the lottery will safely move up a spot on teams’ big boards.
According to Ford, Saric was seen as a top-14 pick to several scouts and general managers. Even if he did slip out of the lottery, he was certainly going to be a first-round selection.
At just 19 years of age, he proved to be one of Cibona’s most valuable players during the Croatian playoffs, as he averaged 15.7 points and 9.3 rebounds en route to helping his team to a league title.
Saric is a unique prospect with a tantalizing skill set. He’s 6’10″, but possesses tremendous versatility. He’s long, can handle the ball and see the entire court like a point guard, can shoot the rock (albeit slightly inconsistently) and is a good rebounder.
Although he could stand to add some bulk, he is essentially a playmaking guard in an NBA small forward’s body.
Most teams would welcome a burgeoning prospect like that, but they will now have to wait a year for the opportunity.
Saric is undoubtedly someone to keep your eye on. If he has a good year with Cibona and improves on his weaknesses while adding some much-needed experience, he could make plenty of noise in what will be a stacked 2014 draft.
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Kevin Garnett Trade Rumors: Clippers Reportedly Eying Deal for Celtics Star
After six straight seasons of making the playoffs in the Doc Rivers, “Big Three” era that included an NBA title in 2008, it finally looks like rebuilding time for the Boston Celtics.
And it might start with a trade that’s already been floated around in the 2013 calendar year.
According to an ESPN report from Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne, the Los Angeles Clippers are eying two separate deals that would shake up the framework of the NBA, and one of those deals would be bringing Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers to Los Angeles in exchange for a package that centers around DeAndre Jordan, cash and draft picks.
The other is a sign-and-trade deal for cross-locker room rival Dwight Howard, in which Blake Griffin and Eric Bledsoe would join the Lakers next year.
Here’s an excerpt from the report:
The initial talks with Boston, sources said Saturday, are focused on the Clippers satisfying Boston’s compensation demands to let Rivers out of his lucrative contract and corresponding trade proposals aimed at bringing Garnett to town with Rivers.
All of these potential transactions, sources say, are part of the Clippers’ intent, as reported Thursday by ESPN.com, to be “very aggressive” and “shake every tree” in an attempt to upgrade the roster to the point that Paul not only re-signs when he becomes a free agent on July 1 but that they are an unquestioned championship contender.
The two sides were linked with a potential move of the same nature back in February, when Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald reported that CP3 was pushing Garnett to waive his no-trade clause and join the Clips.
That deal never came together, but it looks to have legs this time around.
The Clippers finished fourth in the Western Conference in the 2012-13 regular season before losing in the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Memphis Grizzlies. With Chris Paul entering free agency and the head coaching position still vacant after the team fired Vinny Del Negro, via the Los Angeles Times, there’s changes still to be settled this offseason.
Changes are brewing in Boston, too.
ESPN’s Chris Broussard reported on Wednesday, Rivers was mulling over whether or not his future would continue in Boston far before the details of this new development emerged.
The Clippers were an automatic candidate for Rivers to move to once that rumor hit airwaves, and this one from The Boston Globe also linked Rivers, the heart and soul of his defense and the Clippers together in a potential move:
If any such West Coast move for the duo of Rivers and Garnett was to become final, the C’s would also likely use their one-time amnesty provision on Paul Pierce, a move that would save over $15 million in cap space heading into free agency.
Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld conjectured as much on Twitter:
There’s a lot of moving parts and contingency plans for both sides in the scenarios mentioned above, but one thing is for certain—Boston’s “Big Three” era could be coming to a close in the next few days.
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Clippers Reportedly No Longer Considering Doc Rivers for Head Coaching Job
It appears that the Doc Rivers-to-Los Angeles Clippers rumors have died down as quickly as they started.
According to Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times, the Clippers organization has decided to move forward in its coaching search without Rivers:
The Clippers had been linked to the Boston Celtics head coach earlier Saturday afternoon when Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported that the Clippers were in discussions with Boston about a trade that would bring Rivers and Kevin Garnett to Los Angeles. The exchange would have netted Boston DeAndre Jordan and two first-round picks.
The teams were reportedly negotiating the inclusion of Eric Bledsoe in the deal as well.
Now it appears that those talks have broken down, and the Clippers will be looking for other options to fill their head coaching vacancy.
Turner identifies both Indiana Pacers assistant Brian Shaw and former Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins as potential targets, with interviews scheduled next week.
Shaw served as an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers from 2005 to 2011 before joining the Indiana coaching staff. The Pacers have made back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances in his time at Indiana.
Hollins served as the Memphis Grizzlies head coach from 2008 to 2013. The team let his contract expire after the 2013 season despite a 56-26 record in the regular season and a Western Conference Finals appearance.
According to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, the Clippers believed they could also acquire Paul Pierce, which would have given them a trio of Celtics stars that won an NBA title in 2008. Now it appears the franchise is looking to go in another direction in pursuit of a championship.
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Sacramento Kings Reportedly Set to Name Denver VP Pete D’Alessandro New GM
The Sacramento Kings have been in a constant period of turnover in recent weeks, as they’ve found themselves under new ownership and fired both their head coach and general manager. After cleaning house, it seems as if the Kings are ready to move forward.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the Kings have agreed in principle to hire Denver Nuggets Vice President of Basketball Operations Pete D’Alessandro.
Perhaps the Kings will finally have a direction.
Since relieving Geoff Petrie of his duties, the Kings have been linked to numerous candidates. That includes TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Boston Celtics legend and 2012 Executive of the Year Larry Bird and Memphis Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace.
If the reports hold true, they’ll side with the least known name out of the bunch but perhaps the most deserving candidate.
D’Alessandro was part of a front office that pulled a major roster overhaul and led Denver to a 57-win season. As a result of their success, general manager Masai Ujiri was named as the 2013 Executive of the Year.
Ujiri was later hired by the Toronto Raptors to take over in the same position.
This loss for Denver may be all too familiar, but for the Kings, it’s a sign of positive things to come. While D’Alessandro is inexperienced as a general manager, he’s spent time as an assistant to one of the most successful front offices in the NBA.
Every team needs to start somewhere, and D’Alessandro is the perfect man to lead the Kings to a future turnaround.
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Kobe Bryant Reportedly Aiming for at Least 2 More Seasons, Titles
Los Angeles Lakers megastar Kobe Bryant isn’t about to let the final chapter of his career be written by someone else.
Despite rampant retirement talks over the last few seasons, a source told ESPN Los Angeles’ Ramona Shelburne that Bryant wants “two more cracks at it to win seven NBA titles at least.”
Looking for something to fuel his taxing rehab from the torn Achilles that stole the final weeks of his 2012-13 season from him, the Mamba tasked the Twitter world to find the perfect slogan for his long road back to the hardwood. He settled on a winner on Friday afternoon, sparking a near-riot in Lakers Nation in the process:
And the winner is… @eyydylan_ from #instagram! Thank you for all the submissions #thelastchapter #mambacurialpack pic.twitter.com/GuO8kauF7b
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) June 14, 2013
With just one year left on his current contract, fans wondered just how many pages that “Last Chapter” would be. He’s always maintained that he won’t play once his body strips him of his elite-level talent, so he’s been facing a host of retirement questions since suffering that painful Achilles tear.
For his part, Bryant has refused to let the injury determine the fate of his career. In fact, the 34-year-old plans to play in L.A.’s season opener some six-plus months after tearing the tendon.
It’s an optimistic time frame for sure, but one that team trainer Gary Vitti says is impossible to rule out this early in the rehab process.
“We don’t know yet,” Vitti told NBA.com’s Mike Trudell. “Kobe looks exactly the way he’s supposed to look at this point in time. Kobe makes you look good as a training staff…we always feel good about how he’s going to recover from anything, and that’s a credit to him.”
If Bryant’s telling the truth and really eyeing just two more years in the league, it’s hard to imagine him not doing everything in his power to maximize his activity in each of those seasons. Don’t forget this is the same player that just last season, his 17th in his career, logged two minutes above his career average (38.8 up from 36.8).
And despite all of the accolades (15 All-Star selections, five championships, two scoring titles and a regular-season MVP award), there’s still work to be done:
Really?? Me. Retire?? Soon, but not yet Vino still has work to do #35 #OG #kbvff
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 20, 2013
A motivated Mamba is a nightmarish prospect for his opponents. Like it or not, those bad dreams aren’t likely to stop for at least two more years.
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NBA Reportedly Considering Expanding Instant Replay in Late-Game Situations
The NBA is currently discussing the potential implementation of instant replay to review block/charge calls in late-game situations.
The Associated Press (via ESPN) has the news:
The NBA’s competition committee is recommending an expansion of instant replay to include block/charge calls in late-game situations. This marks the first time the league is considering using replay to examine judgment calls by the referees.
Moreover, according to the report, the committee is recommending replay during these situations for “off-the-ball fouls on inbounds plays and on made free throws,” as well.
“Late-game situations” would be defined as the final two minutes of regulation and overtime.
There are, of course, both pros and cons to this potential new rule.
On the one hand, the block/charge distinction is notoriously viewed as one of the most difficult real-time calls to make in sports. It is called wrong almost on a nightly basis during the regular season.
Letting referees look at the replay during the most crucial moments of the game would help decrease the chance of the outcome of a game swinging because of a misjudged call.
On the other hand, however, end-of-game situations are already slow enough.
Timeouts, reviews for out-of-bounds calls, reviews to determine whether a shot was a two or a three and several other factors often slow the final minutes of a game to a snail’s pace and completely kill the momentum that a team might have.
Implementing yet another reason to stop and have the referees go to the monitor would only draw the final moments out more.
But those are the type of things the committee has to discuss, and we can only hope that whatever solution they come up with helps improve the quality of the game.
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