NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding John Calipari, Jonas Valanciunas and More
Rumors about coaches on the hot seat and injury prognoses are common early on in the season, and one of each of those is precisely what's making news right now.
A new development in the potential NBA future of University of Kentucky basketball head coach John Calipari has surfaced in the wake of George Karl's tumultuous Sacramento Kings tenure, as has some news on the hand injury of Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas.
We'll look at both of these situations, as well as that of a former NBA All-Star's possible return to the league.
John Calipari
Last Tuesday, Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher reported a rumor that Kings general manager Vivek Ranadive was planning a huge recruitment pitch to Calipari in hopes of bringing him in as the team's top man on the sidelines for next season.
The move would certainly make sense. Karl has had trouble establishing a positive culture with his squad, which is now 5-9 on the season. The Sacramento roster also features three former Kentucky players: Rajon Rondo, Willie Cauley-Stein and, most importantly, superstar center DeMarcus Cousins.
However, NBC Sports' Kurt Helin said Friday that a league source close to the situation insists "there is no validity" to the rumor.
Even if Helin's source is correct, that doesn't rule out the possibility of the rumor—just that nothing is happening on that front yet. And if something does materialize and Ranadive does heavily pursue Calipari, it will take a lot to persuade the Kentucky coach, if one of his tweets from the summer is any indication.
He does have an elite recruiting class every year and six years worth $46 million left on his contract. Yep, sounds pretty cushy to me.
Jonas Valanciunas
The 23-year-old Valanciunas is one of the more dangerous young centers in the NBA, and he's played a huge role in the Toronto Raptors' solid 9-6 start.
Toronto's win over the Los Angeles Lakers saw Valanciunas suffer an injury on his non-shooting hand, and many wondered if he might have surgery to fix the problem. However, Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania says the big man will not have surgery and should be out for approximately six weeks.
It's just one game, but the Raptors absolutely killed it their first contest without JV. Playing the talented, albeit inconsistent, Los Angeles Clippers on the road, Toronto stormed out to a 60-31 lead before cruising to a 91-80 victory.
Bismack Biyombo got the start in Valanciunas' place and recorded six points and 14 rebounds. He's not even close to the offensive threat Valanciunas is, but if he keeps rebounding like that and playing his always-stingy defense, Toronto shouldn't be in too much trouble.
Josh Howard
For the third year in a row, it looks like the 35-year-old Howard, a former All-Star, is attempting an NBA comeback, per Yahoo Sports' Marc J. Spears.
Two seasons ago, Howard joined the Austin Toros (now the Austin Spurs) of the D-League, but a sports hernia ended his season before he could get his call-up. He played for the New Orleans Pelicans' summer league squad in 2014 but never found a roster for training camp.
Now, he's looking to take advantage of what could be his last shot at playing in the NBA.
In his prime, Howard was an excellent two-way wing with plenty of athleticism and solid shooting ability. Off-court issues derailed his tenure with the Dallas Mavericks, then an ACL tear in 2010 and another one in 2012 effectively further decreased Howard's likelihood of ever becoming a difference-maker again.
It's refreshing to see a former star who is willing to start from the bottom again in order to reach his goals. Howard obviously loves the game, so hopefully he finds a spot on an NBA roster or at least he has a nice overseas tenure before he retires once and for all.
