NBA Rumors: Hottest Chatter for Week of Jan. 26
January is often a time for reflection in the NBA season. While teams can't lose focus on the here and now in the midseason grind, prudent franchises will look at their respective situations and wonder what trades can be made before the looming February deadline, what pieces can be acquired for the stretch run and how well the team is functioning both on court and in the locker room.
Naturally, the first month of the calendar year is ripe with rumors from across the Association, and the week of Jan. 26 has been no different. From potential coaching troubles to free-agency dreams to intriguing trade scenarios, this week's latest NBA chatter makes for quite varied conversation.
Let's take a look at some of the hottest rumors from around the league.
Tom Thibodeau
No doubt about it, Tom Thibodeau is a great coach. He's a defensive guru, works his players hard and most importantly, gets results. In four-plus seasons as the Chicago Bulls head coach, Thibs has compiled a 234-123 record in the regular season and steered the Bulls to the playoffs every year—a streak likely to continue this season.
Unfortunately, rumblings of a rift between Thibodeau and upper management persist, with the latest report coming from K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (article behind paywall):
"...Despite the two seasons left on the four-year extension Thibodeau took several months to sign in the 2012-13 season, several league sources believe Thibodeau's relationship with management is beyond repair.
And while there are no plans to replace Thibodeau during the season, a mutual parting of the ways after this season wouldn't surprise many league personnel familiar with the deteriorating dynamic.
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The Bulls have dealt with numerous injuries to key players this season and are still hoping Derrick Rose can recapture some of the rapturous form he enjoyed prior to his devastating knee injuries over the past couple of years. Of course, there is a perception Thibodeau is too demanding of his players and overworks them, especially the stars.
Jimmy Butler ranks first in the league in minutes per game this season (39.7). Last year, he was second. And from the 2010-11 season through 2012-13, former Chicago stalwart Luol Deng ranked no lower than fourth in minutes per game. Then again, in the 2011-12 season, no other Chicago player ranked in the top 40 in minutes per contest.
Presumably hoping to nip this latest narrative in the bud, Bulls general manager Gar Forman quickly denied there was any sort of rift.
"While as an organization we try to avoid responding to rumors, there is absolutely no basis to this recent speculation,” Forman told Johnson on Thursday.
This isn't the first time this season members of the Bulls organization have come to Thibodeau's defense.
“He’s our coach, and we believe in him, we believe in his spirit and what he’s trying to do with us. He works extremely hard, and he means well and wants us to win,” star power forward Pau Gasol said on Jan. 21 per CSN Chicago's Mike Singer. “So we’re gonna stick with him, for sure.”
Even with these hot-seat reports cropping up, don't expect Thibodeau to switch up his coaching style. USA Today's Sam Amick passed along a quote that encapsulate the fiery coach's ambitions and philosophy:
It might be presumptuous to say the Bulls are putting out media fires with these comments, but one has to wonder why smoke keeps billowing out of the locker room and the front office.
How the Bulls fare in the second half of the season could prove telling. If they fade down the stretch and look wiped during the postseason, the taxing Thibodeau could take the blame. A third first-round playoff exit in five seasons won't do for such a talented roster in a diluted conference.
If the Bulls look strong and push through at least the first couple of rounds or better yet, make it to the NBA Finals, expect this rumor to die down quickly.
Kevin Durant, Reggie Jackson and the New York Knicks
It's probably fair to say few in the greater Oklahoma City area liked what they heard from Frank Isola of the New York Daily News on Thursday. According to Isola, resident Thunder superstar and reigning league MVP Kevin Durant could very well pack his bags and head to the Big Apple when he becomes a free agent in 2016.
“No question about it,” says a person close to Durant, per Isola. “Kevin loves Carmelo (Anthony). It could work in New York. But never rule out the Thunder.”
Isola also reported Durant isn't a fan of guard Reggie Jackson, who is also a rumored target of the Knicks and was apparently nearly traded to Denver this week:
"Presti already made one significant trade this month by acquiring Dion Waiters from the Cavs. And according to a source, Presti nearly traded Reggie Jackson to Denver this week, but the deal fell apart.
The Knicks have expressed interest in Jackson, but for what it’s worth, the word coming out of the Thunder locker room is that Durant is not a big fan of the free-agent-to-be guard. And depending on whom you talk to, there are also whispers that Durant is growing increasingly frustrated with Westbrook, one of the league’s most dynamic players and whose style is shoot first, ask questions later.
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Jackson, averaging 13.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season, will be a restricted free agent at the end of this campaign, per Spotrac, and seems quite unlikely to return to Oklahoma City. One way or the other, he's due for a raise this offseason.
Already, the team could be preparing for life without Jackson, as he's averaging just 21.5 minutes per game this month, down from 28.4 in December and 38.2 in November, per ESPN.com.
At 24 years old, Jackson is precisely the type of player New York can build around; young, athletic and a talent on the rise. Then again, that description fits the bill for most teams, and the Knicks might want to be cautious if they're looking 20 moves ahead and lining things up for Durant.
Let's face it: New York is going to have serious competition for Durant's signature in 2016. Should the Thunder, currently 10th in the Western Conference, put it all together and win a championship this season or the next, Durant could very well stay in OKC.
However, if Durant, who is averaging 25.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season, seeks greener pastures (or in New York's case, taller skyscrapers), several NBA teams figure to have a chance to offer Durant mad amounts of money.
The Knicks will also likely have to prove they can surround Durant with the right pieces in 2016. While Jackson is the type of player who could greatly help out this team in the long-term, if the rumors are true, he could be a Durant deterrent. The Knicks' current superstar, Carmelo Anthony, will be 32 years old when Durant hits free agency, no spring chicken.
And if Durant truly doesn't like playing with the aggressive, shoot-first point guard Russell Westbrook, what makes you think teaming up with a high-volume scorer like Anthony would make him any happier? It's a difficult though to reconcile.
Phil Jackson will have to do yeoman's work in the draft and snag a championship puzzle piece or two, while ensuring the team shows steady progress next season. Considering the Knicks have essentially hit rock bottom as a franchise this year, there is really no place to go but up.
Then again, ESPNNewYork.com's Johnette Howard noted Amar'e Stoudemire could be used as a potential recruiting tool:
"His All-Star days are long gone. Soon, his Knicks' stay will probably be over as well.
But for as long as he's in New York, the Knicks should use Stoudemire as an emissary, rather than ask only Anthony to recruit Durant to come to New York or ask only Anthony to be the good company man and spend one of the Knicks' rare off-days at the Garden with Jackson and the team's front-office staff so he could "accidentally" bump into Duke's Jahlil Okafor, the projected No. 1 pick in the draft, outside the locker room when the Blue Devils were at the Garden last week to play St. John's.
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Of course, Howard did opine earlier in the piece that Durant would have to take a leap of blind faith similar to that of Stoudemire's decision to come to Madison Square Garden:
"Durant, supposedly the Knicks' latest target, can easily get the sort of max contract the Knicks threw at Stoudemire if Durant opts for free agency in the summer of 2016. Stoudemire couldn't say the same in 2010.
The point is that the Knicks again desperately need someone who can see past how dreadful the team is now and has the guts to believe it would turn around if he was added to the mix. That's what Stoudemire did.
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It's much too early to tell on this one, but the mere thought New York could attract a player like Durant speaks to the power of playing in the nation's largest media market. More likely than not, the Knicks will have to undergo a bona fide transformation before they can lure a player of Durant's caliber. Blind faith won't do it in a league this tough.
Joe Johnson
Some rumors just won't die.
The Brooklyn Nets have reportedly been looking to essentially rebuild and refinance by cashing in on the trade potential of their Big Three (Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson) for some time, we have yet to see any movement on this front.
This week, the rumors popped up again, with Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski reporting the Nets and Charlotte Hornets have fired up trade talks centered around Joe Johnson, who is averaging 15.7 points and 3.7 assists per game this season:
"The Charlotte Hornets and Brooklyn Nets have restarted trade discussions, this time focused on guard Joe Johnson, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
The Hornets and Nets are discussing a larger package that would likely include guards Lance Stephenson and Gerald Henderson and forward Marvin Williams, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
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The Hornets have struggled mightily this season, and Lance Stephenson (9.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 4.8 APG) has utterly failed to live up to expectations, posting a putrid 9.6 player efficiency rating, per ESPN.com. Gerald Henderson and Marvin Williams haven't been particularly helpful this season, although the former has stepped up his game with each passing month.
Both teams are in difficult spots, but this trade could be a nice fix for both teams, although it probably shakes out better for Charlotte.
The Hornets are in a tough spot with point guard Kemba Walker reportedly out for six weeks after knee surgery on Wednesday, per a team press release. An effective scorer like Johnson could help them bridge this difficult gap and fit in nicely as an outside shooting threat once Walker returns and gets back to working his inside-out game with center Al Jefferson.
Brooklyn would get rid of Johnson's massive contract, a must for this team. They do take on the mercurial Stephenson, but a change of scenery could do him some good. He's still just 24 years old and as a New York native, could be rejuvenated playing in Brooklyn.
Henderson and Williams are both signed through the 2015-16 season, per Spotrac, although the former has a $6 million player option and could opt out, freeing up cap space for the Nets.
If they can move Lopez and/or Deron Williams, building a young team around Stephenson and Mason Plumlee isn't a bad option for an aging squad going nowhere fast. Charlotte would likely become a more cohesive unit in the short term, but Brooklyn will have to make some other moves to clear up an opaque future.
Jermaine O'Neal
While many NBA teams are concerned with how they can get younger in a trade or dream of the fresh faces they can add if they stockpile enough draft picks, those franchises lucky enough to be on single-minded championship warpaths often look to veteran help at this point in the season.
There hasn't yet been a team compelling enough to lure Ray Allen back into the league, but it appears another old soul is on the verge of returning to the Association.
According to ESPN.com's Tim McMahon and Marc Stein, the Dallas Mavericks are close to signing veteran NBA center Jermaine O'Neal, who last played with the Golden State Warriors and averaged 7.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last season.
McMahon and Stein also noted earlier this month the Portland Trail Blazers were reportedly looking into scooping up the 36-year-old O'Neal.
Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy noted one possible reason O'Neal has yet to sign with a team:
While fans of both squads would likely welcome O'Neal and his free-throw antics with open arms, Dallas figures to have a better shot at signing the big man. O'Neal lives in a Dallas suburb, per McMahon and Stein, so the ability to stay close to home is likely a huge upside.
The Mavericks could also claim to have more need for O'Neal's services. Tyson Chandler is the only true center on the Mavs' roster, and while O'Neal has played power forward plenty in his career, his ability to cover in the low post would make him an invaluable asset.
Rookie Dwight Powell has been receiving the majority of backup minutes down low, but the Mavericks are in Larry O'Brien-or-bust mode after the Rajon Rondo trade and won't want to gamble on Powell's inexperience in the playoffs, a scenario that becomes especially frightening if the aging Chandler is slowed by injury.
The Trail Blazers have a need for frontcourt depth with Joel Freeland and Robin Lopez out with injuries, but both players should be healthy come playoff time. If O'Neal does indeed return, he will likely seek important minutes when the games matter most, an opportunity more likely afforded to him in Dallas.
