NBA Rumors: Buzz Surrounding David Blatt, Glen Rice Jr. Trade and More
The NBA can dip into a bit of a lull in January as some teams begin to slog their way toward the always appreciated All-Star break in mid-February.
Most teams have an identity in place at this point in the season, or at the very least an idea as to their fate in the current campaign. For these reasons, January rumors tend to concern the looming trade deadline and minor roster moves that could have big implications down the line as teams vie for flexibility, whether it's of the financial or roster variety.
Of course, front-office and coaching rumblings aren't necessarily out of the question, either. Let's take a look at two of the latest rumors surfacing in the Association, as well as one rumor that is apparently a non-starter.
Cleveland GM David Griffin Defends David Blatt as Head Coach
The Cleveland Cavaliers supposed "Big Three" of LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving have yet to deliver on their lofty preseason expectations. The Cavs are currently 19-15, fifth-best in the woeful Eastern Conference.
While there are a number of factors resulting in the team's uneven play—lack of a rim protector, an ineffective bench, Anderson Varejao's season-ending Achilles injury—new head coach David Blatt shouldered some of the blame. Rumors of his inability to communicate with and motivate his squad surfaced in late December, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Brian Windhorst:
"Sources told ESPN.com that there is rising concern in team circles about the level of response that Blatt is getting on the floor, with Blatt himself acknowledging that the Cavaliers 'lost our energy and we lost our competitiveness' in Sunday night's embarrassing home loss to Detroit."
This proved to be interesting water-cooler fodder, as the Cavs could have a limited window to make a run at an NBA championship with Love able to decline a player option for 2015, per Spotrac. However, general manager David Griffin made forceful comments on Sunday to nip this idea in the bud, via a report from ESPN.com.
"This narrative of our coaching situation is truly ridiculous," Griffin said. "It's a non-story, it's a non-narrative. Coach Blatt is our coach, he's going to remain our coach. Do not write that as a vote of confidence. He never needed one. It was never a question. So don't write it that way."
Griffin said plenty more, but that statement should suffice for anyone curious about Cleveland's official stance on Blatt.
The strong backing from Griffin comes at a difficult time for Blatt and his Cavs, as James is reportedly set to miss two weeks with knee and back injuries, per USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt. It's possible Irving could be slowed by back issues as well, as he told Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick:
Cleveland will be desperate to keep pace in the East and face a string of tough Western Conference opponents between now and Jan. 16 including the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns.
Hopefully for the Cavs' sake, Blatt can use this stretch as an opportunity to flex his coaching muscle and deliver some important wins to the team, although Love and the likes of Dion Waiters and Shawn Marion will have to step up their intensity while King James is away from the throne.
Wizards Reportedly Prepared to Trade or Release Glen Rice Jr.
According to RealGM.com's Shams Charania, the Wizards will release 24-year-old shooting guard Glen Rice Jr. by Wednesday if they are unable to find a trade partner, a possibility that seems unlikely at this juncture:
Capital New York's Howard Megdal found humor in one (rather silly) potential trade scenario:
All contracts become guaranteed on Jan. 10, so it's likely the Wizards are trying to save money by waiving Rice at this point in time, per The Washington Post's Jorge Castillo.
Rice is only in his second-year in the league, and his career doesn't really have a trajectory at this point. It's more like he hasn't been cleared for takeoff.
Rice has scored all of 11 points in just five appearances this season and has spent time in the D-League. In his rookie year in Washington, he had 32 points in 11 games on 29.7 percent shooting.
The Georgia Tech product earned Las Vegas Summer League MVP honors in 2014 but has been unable to break through on a Wizards team getting solid production on the wing from Bradley Beal, Rasual Butler, Paul Pierce and Otto Porter Jr.
Castillo noted that the move is likely a vote of confidence for Butler:
"Retaining both Butler and Rice would put Washington just $50,718 below the luxury-tax threshold without an empty spot on the 15-man roster. Therefore, parting ways with Rice affords the Wizards the cap and roster space to acquire a veteran as the playoffs approach like they did last year, when they traded for point guard Andre Miller and signed big man Drew Gooden to fortify their bench.
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Should Rice Jr. hit the waiver wire, there's a chance he would be snatched up quite soon by some enterprising general manager in need of youth and depth on the wing. The Cavs could be a possibility considering the diminished play of Waiters (25.6 percent shooting from three-point range) and need to back up the aging Marion, who is averaging career-low numbers in nearly every major statistical category.
Another possibility would be the New York Knicks, who could use whatever help they can get this season. However, the best spot for Rice Jr. this season might be in the D-League, where he can secure valuable playing time and gear up for a make-or-break season in 2015-16.
Knicks Youth Movement Potentially On the Horizon
Speaking of the Knicks and young players with potential, it appears the team is adopting a new strategy—or at least ratcheting up an existing one—by turning to youth in the face of a 5-31 record, per the New York Post's Marc Berman:
"Developing their young players soon will be the new credo of this catastrophic 5-30 Knicks’ season, and it eventually could lead to the signing of D-League point guard Langston Galloway to a 10-day contract.
The 6-foot-2 Galloway, a standout on the Knicks’ summer-league team and member of the training-camp roster after going undrafted out of St. Joseph’s, is impressing Phil Jackson as point guard for the inaugural Westchester Knicks.
According to a source, Jackson believes Galloway could be part of the future as a sharp-shooting triangle point guard. Ten-day contracts can be issued starting Jan. 5.
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Galloway is averaging 16.5 points, 2.4 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game this season. He's also shooting 35.8 percent from beyond the arc. Some might recognize the mouthful term "sharp-shooting triangle point guard" as one that applied to current Knicks head coach Derek Fisher back when he was running the vaunted scheme for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Assist numbers from the point guard spot were never a big concern of Jackson's with Fisher getting the offense in motion, but the ability to play tough defense and create space by knocking down open jumpers certainly were. Galloway's combo guard potential and 6'2" stature is indeed enticing in this regard.
Considering Jackson's duty is to shape the team in the image of squads from his own glorious past, developing players who can fit into the triangle offense is key. The time for experimentation is now as the Knicks really have no choice but to kick the tires on this disastrous season, where "Mausoleum Square Garden" might be a more appropriate fit for their arena's initials.
Berman noted that the team would have to clear a roster spot if they want to add Galloway and named center Andrea Bargnani and undrafted Travis Wear as possibilities. If the team really is keen on a youth movement and unconcerned with wins and losses, Bargnani could be the one to go, as he's been fit for all of two games this season.
