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Hornets Enter Mix as One of Four Teams Being Considered by Leon Powe

February 27, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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Leon PoweAdd New Orleans to the list of teams being considered by forward Leon Powe, if he clears waivers on Tuesday morning.

Powe’s agent, Aaron Goodwin, confirmed in an interview with FanHouse on Sunday the Hornets have entered the mix to land Powe, waived Thursday by Cleveland. In addition to the Hornets, Goodwin said he’s also had preliminary conversations with Boston, New York and Memphis, teams previously identified as candidates.

“New Orleans is a good young team that has a good chance to go to the playoffs,” Goodwin said of why the Hornets appeal to Powe. “He would have a chance to play there.”

Goodwin said Powe doesn’t have a leading candidate to possibly sign with although he said Boston does provide “familiarity.” Powe played with the Celtics from 2006-09, his first three NBA seasons, including being on the title-winning 2008 outfit.

The 6-foot-8 Powe had played sparingly for the Cavaliers, averaging 5.0 points in 14 games before his request to be waived was granted.

 

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Nuggets Close to Extension on Karl, Want Nene, Smith Back

February 24, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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DENVER — Carmelo Anthony might be gone, but Nuggets coach George Karl is closing in on a contract extension.

Nuggets president Josh Kroenke said after Thursday night’s 89-75 win over Boston that negotiations are nearly complete on bringing Karl back for next season.

“We’re pretty close on that,” Kroenke said in an interview with FanHouse. “We’ve been doing that throughout the process and we just had to cut it off at times because we had to focus on Melo.”

The Nuggets started negotiations in December on bringing back Karl, in the last year of his contract. There were some delays due to trade talk regarding Carmelo Anthony, the star forward who was dealt Tuesday to New York.

“Hopefully, soon,” Kroenke said about when a deal on Karl will be announced. “George is somebody we want to keep here and, obviously, you can see him (Thursday), he does a great job with what he has. We’ll hopefully get something done. We want George here for a long time.”

Kroenke declined to speculate on the length of Karl’s contract extension, but sources previously have said three years is the expected number. FanHouse had reported last month Karl would return to the Nuggets next season, with Anthony being traded not being a factor.

 

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Grizzlies Owner Heisley Admits Thabeet Trade Could ‘Come Back to Haunt Us’

February 24, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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Conventional basketball wisdom dictates you usually don’t trade a 7-footer taken with the No. 2 pick just 1 ½ years after he’s drafted.

The Grizzlies did that at Thursday’s trade deadline when center Hasheem Thabeet was sent to Houston in a deal that bought back to Memphis popular forward Shane Battier.

It’s true the 7-3 Thabeet wasn’t playing much for the Grizzlies and already was being regarded by many as a bust. But Memphis owner Michael Heisley admitted in an extensive interview with FanHouse he has reservations about dispatching Thabeet.

“I don’t know whether it’s a mistake (having drafted Thabeet),” Heisley said. “I look at (giving up Thabeet) with great concern. … I think Houston needs a good center and I think that Thabeet could come back to haunt us. … Absolutely, it’s hard for us (to trade Thabeet). It’s extremely hard. … If he develops, he’s going to be a big factor in this league and we might be eating our words.”

Heisley, though, said Memphis brass determined the risk was worth taking for several reasons. The Grizzlies have a strong center in Marc Gasol, limiting how much Thabeet has been able to play, they believe Battier can help their playoff run and Battier is extremely popular in Memphis, having played for the Grizzlies from 2001-06 before being shipped to Houston.

“To tell you the honest truth, we wanted Shane,” Heisley said of the trade made between two teams in the Southwest Division. “So you can’t have everything you want in this world. We had other options (in trading Thabeet), but we wanted Shane. … (Battier is) probably one of the most popular players we’ve ever had.”

Heisley said Battier was dealt with Ish Smith for Thabeet, forward DeMarre Carroll and a lottery-protected future first-round pick. Thabeet had played in high school in Houston.

 

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Agent: Mo Williams Never Asked for Trade From Cavaliers

February 24, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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LeBron James is gone. Cleveland has the worst team in the NBA and just lost an NBA-record 26 straight games.

Despite that, agent Mark Bartelstein said guard Mo Williams never asked for a trade from the Cavaliers.

“No, he didn’t,” Bartelstein told FanHouse on Thursday. “He was going to be a good soldier. The Cavs have been great to him.”

While Williams was willing to stick it out, he was traded Thursday to the Los Angeles Clippers along with forward Jamario Moon for guard Baron Davis and a 2011 first-round pick. The deal, made at the NBA trade deadline, was intriguing enough for Williams to make adjustments to his contract.

Williams originally could opt out this summer of the final two years of his deal, when he is scheduled to earn $8.5 million in each. But, in order to facilitate the trade, Bartelstein said Williams agreed to change his contract so that now he only can opt in the summer of 2012 for the final year.

Bartelstein, though, said Williams does have some sadness in leaving Cleveland.

 

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Jerry Sloan: Deron Williams Trade Won’t Affect Retirement

February 23, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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Just in case anybody in Utah is getting any wild ideas Jerry Sloan might return as coach now that Deron Williams has been traded, that’s not going to happen.

“No,” Sloan said in a phone interview with FanHouse on Wednesday. “That didn’t have anything to do with it. I left on my own terms.”

There has been plenty of talk that Williams, due to having a run-in with Sloan, played a role in the legendary coach resigning Feb. 10 after 23 seasons on the Jazz bench. Williams, Utah’s star point guard, was traded Wednesday to New Jersey in a deal that included the Jazz getting point guard Devin Harris and promising young big man Derrick Favors from the Nets.

Sloan said he didn’t “have any reaction” to Williams being traded. He was asked if it might be unfair that Williams will get a rap about Sloan’s exit due to his departure coming 13 days after Sloan left.

“That’s not for me to say,” Sloan said. “You guys are the ones who write the articles.”

Regardless of whether the Sloan situation factored into Williams’ exit, he can opt out of his contract and become a free agent in the summer of 2012. Williams had said Sunday during All-Star Weekend he was wary of being in a situation next season similar to that of Carmelo Anthony, who was on the trading block all season due to his ability to opt out this summer and finally was moved Tuesday from Denver to New York. And no doubt Utah officials also were concerned about a similar situation.

After his resignation, Sloan spent a week in Salt Lake City and then left for the Midwest, where he has been working on his farm outside McLeansboro, Ill., and has visited relatives in Indianapolis. He wouldn’t completely rule out one day returning to coaching.

 

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Nuggets’ Masai Ujiri: ‘We Got Killed’ on Carmelo Deal

February 22, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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Masai UjiriDENVER — Considering the circumstances, a general belief is the Denver Nuggets didn’t do too badly in getting what they could for Carmelo Anthony.

Surprisingly, Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri doesn’t look at it that way.

“We feel we got killed in the trade because we lost a couple of pretty good players,” Ujiri said. “Obviously, Carmelo Anthony. I feel sad for the city of Denver. I feel bad that this was done on my watch. To lose a guy like that. And also Chauncey (Billups). But I think we had to do it.”

That’s heavy stuff. But Ujiri (right) is well aware how important superstars are to winning in the NBA. He traded one Tuesday, knowing Anthony had asked to be dealt and he wasn’t going to re-sign with the team this summer when he could have become a free agent.

So Anthony and Billups were the key pieces shipped to New York in a three-team deal. When the dust had settled, the Nuggets had ended up with guard Raymond Felton, forwards Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, center Timofey Mozgov, a 2014 first-round pick, 2012 and 2013 second-round picks (that used to belong to Golden State) and $3 million from the Knicks. The Nuggets also sent forwards Shelden Williams and Renaldo Balkman and guard Anthony Carter to New York and also sent a 2015 second-round pick to Minnesota for center Kosta Koufos.

 

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New Nuggets Arrive in Denver, Glad to Be Moving On

February 22, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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DENVER — Wilson Chandler just got to Denver and he already wants to stay.

That’s easy to say now. Still, it has to be comforting news for Nuggets fans.

“I’m pretty sure I’ll like it,” Chandler, one of five players acquired Tuesday by the Nuggets in a blockbuster trade in which they gave up Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups, said when asked by FanHouse about being a restricted free agent this summer. “What the future holds, hopefully I’ll come back next year.”

Chandler was acquired from the Knicks in a three-team deal along with forward Danilo Gallinari, guard Raymond Felton and center Timofey Mozgov. All arrived in the second quarter of Denver’s 120-107 win Tuesday night over Memphis at the Pepsi Center and got a good ovation from the crowd.

The Nuggets also picked up center Kosta Koufos from Minnesota, and he will arrive Wednesday. The Nuggets have pushed practice back a few hours in anticipation of having all their new players.

In the meantime, all must get used to their new surroundings.

“I feel great (to be traded to the Nuggets). … I know the high in Denver right now,” Mozgov, who speaks limited English, said, apparently referring to the city’s altitude.

But nobody, apparently, has a serious case of altitude sickness. Felton said all four players from New York have passed their physicals.

 

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Karl, Nuggets Still Eyeing Playoffs

February 22, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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DENVER — George Karl isn’t just pointing toward making the playoffs. He’s talking about winning a postseason series in his now Meloless world.

Keep in mind the Nuggets went just 2-7 in playoff series in Carmelo Anthony‘s seven seasons in Denver. Both series wins came in 2009, when the Nuggets made the Western Conference finals and the only season since 1994 in which they’ve won even one postseason series.

Nevertheless, with Denver being in the No. 7 spot in the Western Conference playoff race as the blockbuster deal was done to ship Anthony and veteran leader Chauncey Billups to New York, the Nuggets coach is talking big.

“I might be crazy, but I think we can make the playoffs and I also think we can be a threat to win in the playoffs,” Karl said Tuesday. “I’m sorry. I just think our guys are good enough to grow up fast and to learn quick.”

Karl seems to have it all figured out for his Nuggets (32-25), who entered Tuesday night’s game against Memphis at the Pepsi Center in third place in the Northwest Division, 4 ½ games behind first-place Oklahoma City.

 

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George Karl: Ty Lawson Will Start Over Raymond Felton — For Now

February 22, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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DENVER — Raymond Felton has gone from having been a strong All-Star candidate to not even being a starter.

At least that’s the word from Denver coach George Karl.

With the blockbuster trade getting done Tuesday in which forward Carmelo Anthony and point guard Chauncey Billups are going to New York, the Nuggets have ended up with Felton, a point guard averaging 17.1 points and 9.0 assists. But that’s not good enough for Felton to immediately start in Denver, where Karl said Ty Lawson, who had been the backup to Billups, will now move into that role.

“As for now, and probably for the next week or two, I’d say Ty will be the starter, and I think you’ll see them play a lot together,” Karl said.

But won’t Felton, who was having a breakout season in his first year with the Knicks, be given an opportunity soon to become the starter?

 

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George Karl: Ty Lawson Will Start Over Raymond Felton — For Now

February 22, 2011   Chris Tomasson   No comments

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DENVER — Raymond Felton has gone from having been a strong All-Star candidate to not even being a starter.

At least that’s the word from Denver coach George Karl.

With the blockbuster trade getting done Tuesday in which forward Carmelo Anthony and point guard Chauncey Billups are going to New York, the Nuggets have ended up with Felton, a point guard averaging 17.1 points and 9.0 assists. But that’s not good enough for Felton to immediately start in Denver, where Karl said Ty Lawson, who had been the backup to Billups, will now move into that role.

“As for now, and probably for the next week or two, I’d say Ty will be the starter, and I think you’ll see them play a lot together,” Karl said.

But won’t Felton, who was having a breakout season in his first year with the Knicks, be given an opportunity soon to become the starter?

 

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