NBA Rumors: Buzz Surrounding JaVale McGee, Danny Granger and More
With the NBA heading into the home stretch of the 2014-15 season and the playoff push capturing everyone's attention, the talk around the Association has turned from trades to waivers, buyouts and the distant future.
That last point is especially true for those teams that figure to have no part in the postseason this year.
The rumor mill is always churning, but there aren't likely to be any major, paradigm-shifting moves made at this point. However, there are still moves to be made for those teams constantly looking to get an edge at this stage of the campaign.
Here's a look at some of the latest chatter from around the league.
JaVale McGee
When the veteran-averse Philadelphia 76ers waived JaVale McGee on Monday, it left just Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Jason Richardson as the only two players on the team aged 27 years or older. While Philly may not care for experience in their current analytics-fueled quest, it appears several other teams around the league would be happy to acquire the seventh-year big man.
According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein on Tuesday, the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks are interested in McGee. Stein has since added Toronto as a possible suitor:
ESPN's Chris Broussard reports the Golden State Warriors could also make a play for McGee:
At 7'0", McGee could provide valuable backup center depth for a number of teams. However, McGee hasn't fared well this season, playing in just 23 games during stops with Philly and the Denver Nuggets and doing nothing to show he can reverse his general decline in production.
| 2011-12 | DEN/WSH | 61 | 25.2 | 11.3 | .556 | 7.8 | 2.2 |
| 2012-13 | DEN | 79 | 18.1 | 9.1 | .575 | 4.8 | 2.0 |
| 2013-14 | DEN | 5 | 15.8 | 7.0 | .447 | 3.4 | 1.4 |
| 2014-15 | DEN/PHI | 23 | 11.1 | 4.6 | .532 | 2.7 | 0.9 |
Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News believes the Mavs should avoid McGee:
"But if you think about it, does the notoriously flaky McGee really fit with the Mavericks?
They just picked up Amar’e Stoudemire, who is light-years better than McGee ever thought about being. And they have been getting mileage out of Bernard James, who signed for the rest of the season on Tuesday. And this is a team that still is figuring out how to work with Rajon Rondo.
With Tyson Chandler, the only benefit the Mavericks would get by bringing aboard McGee is that he’d be an upgrade over Greg Smith.
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As Sefko notes, McGee is hardly a difference-maker at this point in his career. Of the four teams mentioned, all of them appear playoff-bound and would likely be interested in using McGee for 10-15 minutes a night purely to keep guys fresh for the postseason.
The Warriors could be very keen on McGee, considering they face what should be a grueling gauntlet in the Western Conference playoffs and big men Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli have already missed a combined 47 games this season.
Danny Granger
With the Phoenix Suns currently locked in a battle with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West, one might think this team could use some reinforcements, especially after trading away star guard Goran Dragic.
Small forward Danny Granger would appear to be one such player, but he has yet to report to the team.
However, Paul Coro of AZCentral.com reports that Granger may be close to joining the Suns, although he may not be of immediate service and doesn't play a position of need for the team:
"It has been almost two weeks since the Suns acquired veteran Danny Granger as part of the Goran Dragic deal, but he has not joined them–yet.
Granger might soon be joining the Suns with an eye on next season. He could have joined another team and been eligible for the playoffs if he had been bought out by the Suns and signed elsewhere by Monday. His health history likely kept away contenders' interest. With a buyout ruled out, the Suns are reaching out to Granger and expect to have him in Phoenix this season with the goal of using acclaimed athletic trainers to improve his health for next season.
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Granger averaged 6.3 points and 2.7 rebounds in 30 games with the Heat this season before the trade. Injuries have ravaged Granger's game in recent years, robbing him of the burst and consistency that made him a 20-point scorer with the Indiana Pacers.
It appears as though the Suns aren't too concerned with Granger contributing this season, but they may want to push the pace with him and have him ready to come off the bench should the Suns make a postseason appearance.
Plus, head coach Jeff Hornacek has noted that although he's given more time to younger players as of late, he's looking to find the right mix of youthful enthusiasm and experience to reach the playoffs.
"It's a hard balance," Hornacek said, per Coro. "We're not out of it. You never know what could happen. We're trying to get them in. Yet you go, 'The veteran guys are going to give you your best chance.' It might turn out that those younger guys are the ones who give you the best chance."
That being said, Granger might not be the type of veteran to give minutes to considering his tenure with the team—which, technically, hasn't started yet—could be incredibly brief.
The 31-year-old also has a $2.2 million player option for next season, per Spotrac. Considering the Suns are well-stocked at his position with the likes of P.J. Tucker and Marcus Morris in the fold, Granger could end up declining his option for next year and using the end of this season as an opportunity to audition for new teams.
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks, as a team, are doing remarkably well. They boast the best record in the NBA as of Thursday at 48-12, play an appealing brand of pass-happy basketball and have all the makings of a nascent "Spurs East" with Gregg Popovich disciple Mike Budenholzer running the show.
All of this on-court success and positive attention is perhaps why the impending sale of the team is attracting new suitors. According to Stein, there is a new entry to the Hawks sweepstakes in the form of Lionsgate Entertainment chairman Mark Rachesky, who may have been spurred on by the Atlanta Braves' current controlling owner:
"Sources told ESPN.com that Rachesky, who heads the investment firm MHR Fund Management, is a close associate of Atlanta Braves controlling owner John Malone, which is said to have sparked Rachesky's interest in the Hawks.
Rachesky is not known to have previously expressed interest in purchasing a sports franchise, but he is regarded as a protégé of activist investor Carl Icahn and brought Malone onto the Lionsgate board last month.
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Current Hawks controlling owner Bruce Levenson decided to sell the team in September 2014 after self-reporting that he sent a racist e-mail in 2012, per Adi Joseph of USA Today. Rachesky is just the latest potential buyer to emerge in recent months, as NBA franchises are hot commodities right now.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver noted during the All-Star Weekend that there are "several very interested parties who are looking at the team," per Stein.
Adding a powerful investor like Rachesky to the mix could drive up the price in this saga. Steve Ballmer bought the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion in the wake of the Donald Sterling scandal last year, a huge price for a franchise known for its historically poor play—although they've done quite well in the Blake Griffin-Chris Paul era.
While the Hawks wouldn't seem likely to be worth as much cash, Stein noted on Twitter that there is a possibility the price tag could reach 10 figures:
Considering the NBA's wild popularity, mega-rich television deals and the global reach of basketball, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Hawks' sale price crack the $1 billion mark when all is said and done.
