NBA Thread

[GM Franchise]

Sources: Josh Smith to Rockets

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12076582/josh-smith-join-houston-rockets

Wanting to play for a winning team with a chance to win the title, Josh Smith has decided to join the Houston Rockets, sources told ESPN.com's Chris Broussard on Wednesday.

The veteran forward, let go Monday by the Detroit Pistons less than halfway into his four-year, $54 million contract, cleared waivers Wednesday.

The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies all had been listed as potential suitors for Smith's services.

The Rockets next take the court against the host Grizzlies at 8:30 p.m. Friday.

Houston is three games behind Golden State in the Western Conference standings and just a half-game behind Memphis for the 3 seed.

As ESPN.com's Marc Stein reported late Tuesday, Houston ‎assured Smith that he would start if he joined the Rockets, which essentially clinched his decision.

The Rockets also had their biannual exception, valued at $2.1 million, to offer Smith, who is 29.

Sources said Wednesday that Smith made it known that he would only consider teams that would guarantee him a starting spot, which essentially made it a choice between Houston and Miami.

Houston center Dwight Howard also could have played a factor in Smith's decision. Howard, one of Smith's closest friends, played AAU basketball with Smith in Atlanta

Smith is averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game this season.

Smith will be playing for coach Kevin McHale, who signed a three-year extension on Wednesday.

[GM Franchise]

Report: 3-way trade involves Dion Waiters, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert

http://www.thescore.com/nba/news/673869

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a deal in place to trade shooting guard Dion Waiters to the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst added that the Cavaliers are in three-way trade talks with the New York Knicks, with Wojnarowski reporting that J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert are headed to Cleveland.

Waiters was pulled from the Cavs' starting lineup moments before their game Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

[GM Franchise]

Knicks to deal Smith and Shumpert

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12125440/jr-smith-dion-waiters-involved-3-team-trade-new-york-knicks-cleveland-cavaliers-oklahoma-city-thunder

The Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder engineered a multi-faceted six-player trade Monday night, sources told ESPN.com.

As part of the deal, Dion Waiters will go to the Thunder, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert would go to the Cavs and three players with nonguaranteed contracts -- Alex Kirk and Lou Amundson from the Cavs and Lance Thomas from the Thunder -- would go to the Knicks. As part of the deal, the Thunder are sending a protected future first round pick to the Cavs and the Cavs are sending their 2019 second-round pick to the Knicks, sources said.

The Cavs are attempting to bolster their bench with the trade by adding Smith, a mercurial shooter, and Shumpert, who specializes in wing defense that the Cavs badly need. The Knicks had been attempting to trade both for some time.

Shumpert is currently out with a dislocated shoulder he suffered last month.

Team officials spoke with LeBron James about his willingness to play alongside Smith before executing the deal, sources said.

The Thunder, who used a trade exception to execute the deal, gain the offensively talented Waiters, who had struggled to fit at times over the past two-plus seasons. With Waiters the Thunder are adding some scoring off the bench and provide insurance for Reggie Jackson, their standout guard who is in the final year of his contract.

This trade for the Knicks was financially motivated both short term and long term. They have the option to waive all three players they traded for by Wednesday and not owe them anything. Sources told ESPN the team will also waive center Samuel Dalembert, a move that will save $3.8 million. In all, the moves to unload Shumpert, Smith and Dalembert will save the team more than $20 million in salary and luxury taxes.

J.R. Smith was the league's Sixth-Man of the Year two seasons ago, but is in the midst of his worst year since his second in the NBA.

Smith has a $6.4 million player option for next year but with that now off their books, the Knicks are looking at having in excess of $30 million in cap space next summer.

Waiters, 23, is averaging 10.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals for the Cavs this season while shooting 40 percent from the field. He has one year left on his contract at $5.1 million.

Smith, 29, is averaging 10.9 points on 40 percent shooting from the floor in his 11th season.

Shumpert, 24, is averaging 9.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Knicks this season. He will be a restricted free agent next summer.

All three teams were in action Monday night with the Cavs losing at lowly Philadelphia, and the Knicks and Thunder playing at Memphis and Golden State, respectively.

[GM Franchise]

Kevin Garnett ejected after head-butt

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/story/_/id/12157155/kevin-garnett-brooklyn-nets-ejected-head-butting-dwight-howard-houston-rockets?ex_cid=espnnbaFacebook

NEW YORK -- Brooklyn Nets power forward Kevin Garnett was ejected from Monday night's game against the Houston Rockets after head-butting center Dwight Howard during their fight in the first quarter.

With 7:53 remaining, Garnett and Howard got tangled up as Howard was trying to catch a lob pass in the paint. Garnett pushed Howard, and Howard pushed back.

Garnett then threw the ball at Howard, got in his face, and head-butted him. Garnett added a push, and Howard responded by throwing a hand that hit Garnett in the neck. The two were then separated.

Multiple players and security personnel tried to hold Garnett back, but he attempted to go back after Howard.

After the officials reviewed the play, Garnett received a personal foul, both players received technical fouls and Garnett was ejected. Garnett may face additional discipline from the NBA for his actions.

Howard was booed by the Barclays Center crowd each time he touched the ball after the fight.

Howard spoke glowingly about Garnett before the game. Both players were drafted out of high school and became superstars.

"I mean, part of the reason I have the number that I have (No. 12) is because of him (Garnett used to wear No. 21)," Howard told ESPN.com. "I wanted to be just like him coming out of high school. When I was in high school I think I went to see him play one time, and it's just crazy because you watch the game, you don't see nothing special sometimes, but he'll end up with 25 (points) and 15 (rebounds). He's always been that intense guy that's gonna bring it every day at practice, and he really loves the game. And you can tell with his energy and effort. I think this is what, year 19? And he's still playing with the same intensity as year one."

Howard said Garnett is the best trash talker he's ever played against.

"Every time I play him he's always talking trash," Howard said. "He'll have you so upset by the end of the game. ... Most of the time, he's just talking to himself, but you just think he's talking to you, so it's crazy."

Howard said his favorite Garnett moment was the two of them jostling during the playoffs when Howard was in Orlando and Garnett was in Boston.

"I was hitting him in the stomach and squeezing his stomach, and he kept turning around and hitting me," Howard said. "So I kept doing it just to mess with him. And I didn't feel what he was doing -- like he was hitting me -- but I never felt it. So I just kept doing it, and then he did it, and then we kinda got into it. I was kinda like, 'What you gonna do about it?' Like it was crazy back-and-forth, but it's just fun trash talking. I'll never forget that."

Howard fondly recalled how Garnett reacted during the game after Garnett's friend and mentor, Malik Sealy, died in a car accident in 2000.

"He caught a rebound and dunked it in real hard and he pointed up to the sky," Howard said.

[Gravedigger]

As a Celtics fan I love what KG brought to us, but at the same time I get why people hate him...

[GM Franchise]

Jameer Nelson, Nate Robinson traded

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/12163376/boston-celtics-trade-jameer-nelson-nate-robinson-denver-nuggets

The Denver Nuggets and Boston Celtics swapped backup point guards Tuesday in a deal that could eventually affect some contenders.

Nate Robinson will be going to Boston, though it is expected to be a temporary stay as he is expected to seek a buyout of his contract with the intention of signing with a playoff team.

Jameer Nelson, who was sent to Boston as part of the Rajon Rondo deal, will be going to Denver.

Robinson, who is coming back from an ACL tear, is averaging a career-low 5.8 points on a career-low 35 percent shooting in 33 games for the Nuggets.

He was sensational in the playoffs for the Chicago Bulls in 2012-13 playing in place of an injured Derrick Rose, averaging 16.3 points in 12 playoff games.

Teams who may be interested in Robinson if he is able to secure a buyout include the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers.

Nelson played in just six games for the Celtics and is averaging a career low 6.8 points on a career-low 34 percent shooting in 29 games with the Dallas Mavericks and Celtics.

He has a player option in his contract for next season for $2.8 million.

This is the second trade the Nuggets have executed in the last week as they begin to retool their roster. The Nuggets are involved in trade talks for other players including Arron Afflalo and Randy Foye, according to sources.

[GM Franchise]

Greg Anthony, basketball analyst and former Knick, arrested for soliciting a prostitute: reports

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/greg-anthony-arrested-soliciting-prostitute-reports-article-1.2082109?cid=bitly

Greg Anthony, the former Knick and current basketball analyst, was arrested Friday for soliciting a prostitute in Washington D.C., according to multiple reports.

Anthony, who calls college games for CBS, was scheduled to work Saturday's Michigan State - Maryland game, which is scheduled for 4 p.m., with Ian Eagle.

There was no immediate information as to what CBS planned to do about the game Anthony is supposed to call.

The ABC affiliate in Washington D.C., WJLA, was the first to report Anthony was busted in the hooker sting operation.

Anthony, who played for the Knicks from 1991-95, also works for Turner Sports. WJLA also reported that Anthony was in lockup late Friday night.

Anthony, who won an NCAA championship with UNLV in 1990, played for six different teams during his 10-year NBA career.

He's had a successful post-playing career as a broadcaster, and even worked the 2014 Final Four.

[GM Franchise]

Forbes: Team values rose 72 percent

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12204869/forbes-reports-11-nba-teams-now-worth-1b

Boosted by Steve Ballmer's league-record $2 billion purchase of the Los Angeles Clippers, the franchise values of NBA teams rose an average of 72 percent in one year, according to new estimates released by Forbes on Wednesday.

That's the biggest one-year value gain since Forbes started estimating team prices in 1998.

Last year's list had only three teams -- the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls -- worth more than $1 billion, but this year, Forbes says those three teams are worth at least $2 billion. And eight other teams are worth more than $1 billion.

The magazine says the Lakers top the league at a $2.6 billion valuation, followed by the Knicks ($2.5 billion) and the Bulls ($2 billion). Even though Ballmer paid $2 billion for the Clippers, Forbes values the team at $1.6 billion, fifth among teams, immediately following the fourth-ranked Boston Celtics ($1.7 billion).

The Brooklyn Nets (who are currently on the market) came in sixth at $1.5 billion, followed by the Golden State Warriors ($1.3 billion), Houston Rockets ($1.25 billion), Miami Heat ($1.175 billion), Dallas Mavericks ($1.15 billion) and San Antonio Spurs ($1 billion). Last year, when Forbes valued the Mavs at $765 million, owner Mark Cuban called it "way too low," saying it was worth more than $1 billion.

The Atlanta Hawks, another team currently for sale, are worth $825 million. Michael Jordan hasn't had an easy road as owner of Charlotte's NBA team, but the former great certainly is in a good position financially. What he paid $275 million for five years ago is now worth $725 million, according to Forbes.

Another team that has struggled on the court has also seen its value rise significantly. Josh Harris and his partners paid $280 million less than four years ago for the Philadelphia 76ers. Under his ownership, the team has gone 96-175 (.354), but Forbes said the team is now worth $420 million more than Harris paid for it.

In October, the league announced new television deals with ESPN and Turner that are worth $2.66 billion a year. That's a 186 percent increase from its current TV rights deal, which averages $930 million a year.

[Gravedigger]

It's funny how 3 of the top 4 in value suck this year.

[GM Franchise]

It's funny how 3 of the top 4 in value suck this year.

Lol yeah they're big market teams is why.

[Gravedigger]

I wouldn't call Boston a big market like LA or NY, but they have the historical fanbase.

[GM Franchise]

I wouldn't call Boston a big market like LA or NY, but they have the historical fanbase.

It's in the top 10 markets in the US though.

[GM Franchise]

NEW FACES, NEW PLACES FOR ALL-STAR STARTERS

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2015/01/22/new-faces-new-places-for-all-star-starters/?ls=iref:nbahpt3a

NEW YORK CITY — The 2015 All-Star Game will feature several first-time starters, as well several players making return All-Star appearances while representing new places. But perhaps the most surprising news from the All-Star voting results is a changing of the guard atop the polls.

Cleveland's LeBron James, last season's overall vote-getting leader while a member of the Miami Heat, led the voting through each of the initial voting updates this season. But a late push from Golden State's Stephen Curry made the Warriors guard the overall leader, with 1,513,324 votes to James' 1,470,483.
The other big surprise in final voting totals was the rise of Toronto's Kyle Lowry. In the first voting totals, announced on Christmas Day, Lowry was in fourth among Eastern Conference guards, behind Washington's John Wall, Miami's Dwyane Wade and Cleveland's Kyrie Irving. Irving started last season's game for the Eastern Conference and went on to win the All-Star Game MVP.

In the most recent results, announced two weeks ago, Lowry had leapfrogged Irving to move into third place but was still over 100,000 votes behind Wade, with 406,974 votes to Wade's 507,326 . But the Raptors campaigned hard for Lowry, with social media support from people like hip-hop star Drake and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, which apparently rallied enough support to push the 28-year-old Lowry, who has never been an All-Star, into the starting lineup. Lowry finished with 805,290 votes to Wade's 789,839.

Last season's second-leading vote-getter was Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, with 1,396,294 votes. Durant went on to win his first NBA MVP award. But Durant has missed 23 of OKC's 42 games this season while recovering from a foot fracture, while his teammate Russell Westbrook, himself a three-time All-Star, has missed 14 games with a hand injury.
For the second year in a row, forwards and centers were lumped into one frontcourt category. Each conference's starting five will include one of the Gasol brothers — Memphis' Marc for the West and Chicago's Pau for the East, in his first season as an Eastern Conference player. New Orleans big man Anthony Davis, who one year ago made his All-Star debut as a Western Conference reserve, will join Marc in the Western Conference starting lineup, giving the West plenty of size along the front line.

Some players are noticeable by their absence. Despite winning the NBA title in dominant fashion a season ago, no San Antonio Spurs players were named to the starting lineup in the West. And in the East, no Atlanta Hawks charted among the top five, even though the Hawks currently are 35-8 and have a six game lead atop the Eastern Conference.
Houston's James Harden probably has the best claim to a starting spot among those not voted to the starting fives. Harden currently leads the NBA in points per game at 27.2 per night. This year he was the only player over a million votes (1,069,368) not to make the starting lineup.

But could history repeat itself? Last season Harden was selected as an injury replacement for Kobe Bryant in the Western
Conference starting lineup, and the announcement earlier today that Kobe Bryant suffered a torn rotator cuff last night puts his participation this year in doubt. If Bryant is unable to play, the Western Conference All-Star coach, Steve Kerr, will select his replacement in the starting lineup from among the players selected as reserves, where Harden would seem to be a lock. The reserves will be announced next Thursday night, Jan. 29.

Golden State's Kerr will be the first rookie coach to coach in an All-Star Game since Larry Bird in 1998. Atlanta's Mike Budenholzer, who is just in his second year as an NBA head coach, will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars.
The 64th NBA All-Star Game will be exclusively televised on TNT from Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Feb. 15.

THE EAST

Frontcourt

LeBron James, Cavaliers — No surprise that the league's reigning best all-around player made the cut. After flipping from Miami to Cleveland in the offseason and a slow start with the Cavs, James recently sat out 8 games to recuperate from nagging injuries. In five games since returning, King James has averaged 30.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 6.0 apg.

Carmelo Anthony, Knicks — This must be a high point in an otherwise rough season for Anthony, who has averaged 24 ppg and 6.7 rpg in 33 games for the woeful Knicks, who are just 7-36 on the season. Anthony will likely be the only New York or Brooklyn representative in the game.

Pau Gasol, Bulls — After 13 seasons in the Western Conference with the Grizzlies and Lakers, a move East to Chicago has vaulted Gasol into his first All-Star game since 2011, and the first All-Star start of his career. It's well-deserved: At 34 years old, Gasol is averaging 18.7 ppg along with a career-high 11.4 rpg.
Backcourt

John Wall, Wizards — After making his first All-Star appearance one year ago as a reserve, this season Wall was voted in as the leader among Eastern Conference guards. The 24-year-old Wall is having a breakout season, leading the Wiz to a 29-14 record while averaging 17 ppg and leading the NBA at 10 apg.
Kyle Lowry, Raptors — In his ninth NBA season, for the last few seasons Lowry has been the Eastern Conference player probably most deserving of an All-Star nod that never came. This season, Lowry is averaging 19.8 ppg, 7.5 apg and 4.9 rpg, career highs across the board.

THE WEST

Frontcourt
Blake Griffin, Clippers — All-Star Weekend is nothing new for Griffin — he's been a participant every year since 2011, the same year he won the Slam Dunk Contest by leaping over a car. But his game has evolved over the years, using less power and more touch. This season Griffin is averaging 23 ppg and 7.6 rpg for the 28-14 Clippers.

Marc Gasol, Grizzlies — The younger Gasol brother has made just one previous All-Star appearance, in 2012. But Gasol was named the Defensive Player of the Year last season, and this season has assumed a central role in the Memphis attack, posting 8.2 rpg along with a career-high 19.3 ppg.

Anthony Davis, Pelicans – The Unibrow is officially among the NBA elite. After a summer anchoring the gold medal-winning
USA Basketball team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup, Davis has continued his strong play into the season. The versatile 21-year-old seven-footer, in just his third NBA season, is currently averaging a double-double, with 24.3 ppg to go with 10.4 rpg, as well as leading the league with 2.9 blocks a night.
Backcourt

Stephen Curry, Warriors – Thus far this season, Curry has been the best player for the league's best team. In his sixth NBA season, Curry is averaging 23.2 ppg and 8.1 apg for the Warriors, who began the season 16-0 and are currently 34-6 overall.

Kobe Bryant, Lakers — After sitting out last year's game while recovering from an Achilles tendon injury, the Mamba was again selected an All-Star starter, although like last season, an injury could curtail his participation. Even at 36 years old, the 16-time All-Star has remained effective, averaging 22.3 points per game this season in 35 appearances.

[Gates]

Glad to see Lowry in there this season.

[GM Franchise]

Lowry getting in shouldn't be a surprise. There should be some Atlanta Hawks on the Eastern team for sure.