(Hmmm....kinda focused on football for a while there and then I was under the weather for a bit and then I just let the mountain of stuff pile up for a while. Back now, gonna try to fill in everything I missed, which was a lot!)
Firings
Jason Kidd (Bucks) is no longer in the running for Coach of the Year. When Kidd first went to Milwaukee there was buzz that he was already politicking for a front office job. Kidd seems to have a reputation for wanting more than anyone wants to give him, so though the Bucks are much-improved under his watch, its not hard to imagine the long knives had long since been drawn and were ready to carve Kidd up the moment the Bucks floundered. The Bucks are getting better, they're moving in the right direction but in the lackluster East, they still seem disappointing, don't they? Oh well. Kidd was not a guy that built up love and loyalty among the ranks so when scapegoating time arrives, he was everyone's first choice. Joe Prunty will be the interim coach for the rest of the year.
Trade
Pistons get Blake Griffin, Willie Reed and Brice Johnson; Clippers get Tobias Harris, Avery Bradley, Boban Marjanovic, 2018 1st round pick, 2019 2nd round pick.
When I first saw that the Griffin was going to the Pistons, my first thought was, "For what? What do the Pistons have that the Clippers would want?" Oh yeah, cheap players. This was pure salary dump for the Clippers. They get Tobias Harris (a wing scorer that I kinda like on a much cheaper contract than Griffin's), Avery Bradley (a defensive stopper whose contract expires this summer) and Boban Marjanovic (a relatively cheap backup C), and a 1st rounder and a bonus 2nd rounder. The Clippers just dealt Chris Paul last summer, felt like they had chosen Blake instead of Paul, now it seems like they chose neither (and DeAndre Jordan, might wanna go ahead and start packing, I think you're next). Looking back over the Griffin contract, I understand completely: my god the steadily rising money for a guy that's never healthy and reportedly a bit of pill to be around! Yeah, let's make that someone else's problem. (What is up with Detroit teams and their insanely large contracts? They were able to move Verlander but that seemed like a miracle at the time) As for the Pistons...I don't get this move. I guess Blake has star power and in the East he probably seems like a real tough guy but I'd rather have Harris and Bradley and cap flexibility. To me the real signal here is that Stan Van and Doc Rivers are both probably on the way out. I don't think either of them would've made this trade because this isn't about the team on the court, this is about restructuring the payroll. I think the Clippers are the big winners, getting off Griffin's big contract is such a relief and the team itself has so much more room to be flexible this summer; as for the Pistons, I don't think this move makes them worse but I don't think it makes them any better either. They're a middle of the pack East team, perhaps they match up with the Wizards or the Pacers a little better now but going forward this hamstrings them for the next 5 years (and, oh, by the way: they're still paying Josh Smith!). Since Stan Van went to the Pistons I haven't understood any of his moves, I never understood his drafts, his trades (indeed, getting Tobias Harris was the best move he's made--and now he's un-made it!), don't see his philosophy on or off the court. And through it all the Pistons have actually been better than I thought they'd be....so maybe this move works, I dunno. As for the Clippers, I like these additions now and for the future, I think they definitely get the better part of this trade. I assume Deandre is out the door (how about to Dallas for Wesley Matthews and Nerlens?) and maybe Lou Williams too (I'd keep him, his contract is up this year anyway, just play him out) and this summer will bring them a new coach, new free agents and a new vibe for next year--and I think they've still got a shot at making the playoffs this year.
Signings/Waivings (*)
Suns sign Isiah Canaan and waived Mike James. They just signed James and then waive him...for Isiah Canaan? There must be more to this move that I don't see.
Rockets sign Gerald Green for the rest of the year. That non-stop offense just got a little non-stoppier. Green is one of those guys: you love him when he's playing well but you can't stand the sight of him when he's ball hogging and chucking bad shots. We'll see how he gets along with Chris Paul.
Lakers waived Andrew Bogut. Oh yeah, the Lakers had Andrew Bogut. (Any chance he heads back to the Bay Area?)
Knicks waived Ramon Sessions, signed Trey Burke for the rest of the season. Sessions only played in 13 games for the Knicks this season, would've thought they could've used a reliable veteran PG off the bench but I guess they preferred to skew younger instead. Burke had his shot in Utah and has bounced around a bit since then, still young enough to give fresh legs of the bench (or be a contributor in practice).
Magic waived Adrien Payne. (Hmmm...a far flung casualty of the Michigan State sex scandal?) I thought Payne's best shot at being an NBA player was when the Wolves hired Tom Thibodeau. Payne could've remolded himself as a defensive playmaker and become the 3-and-D guy he was meant to be. But, didn't happen.
Injuries (*)
Nikola Vucevic (Magic) hasn't played since December 22, out with a fractured hand. Should be returning any day now (just in time to make him trade eligible).
Reggie Jackson (Pistons) hasn't played since December 26, out with a sprained left ankle.
Dion Waiters (Heat), out for the year after ankle surgery.
Thabo Sefolosha (Jazz), out for the year after knee surgery.
Steve Clifford (Hornets), rejoined the team after an extended period away. (Glad to see Coach Cliff is back, hope he's in the pink again)
Kris Dunn (Bulls) hasn't played since January 17 because of a concussion.
Jordan Bell (Warriors) out indefinitely with an ankle injury.
DeMarcus Cousins (Pelicans) out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. (I think I speak for all basketball fans when I say, "Maaaaaan....*sigh*....fuck")
Mike Conley (Grizzlies) out for the season after hand surgery. Conley only played 12 games this season but this move guarantees he won't get traded.
Tyler Lydon (Nuggets) out for the season after knee surgery. There wasn't much room for him in the rotation so not much of a loss for the Nuggets, but it sucks that he'll have to spend his summer rehabbing.
Kevin Love (Cavs) our for 6-8 weeks with a broken hand. (Guess he's not getting traded this year)
Retirings
Carlos Boozer announced his retirement from the Association. (The Association announced its retirement from Carlos Boozer several years ago, seems like he's just now getting the message)
Debuts
Up to 98 NBA debuts now. Since my last posting the league has been joined by Naz Mitrou-Long (Jazz), Nigel Hayes (Lakers), Davon Reed (Suns), Thomas Bryant (Lakers), Matt Williams (Heat), Malcolm Miller (Raptors), Myke Henry (Grizzlies), Milton Doyle (Nets), Kyle Collinsworth (Mavs), Tyrone Wallace (Clippers), Ben Moore (Pacers), James Webb (Nets).
(*) See this is why its important to keep up with this weekly and not take a month and a half off: there are way too many...*ahem*...unimportant moves to report over the last 6 weeks. So I've kept to the moves that seem more meaningful and discarded a fair amount of paper shuffling. And as for the injuries, oh man, way too many to keep up with, tried to narrow it down to long term injuries and/or more important contributors.
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