NBA News for April 14: Amnestying Kobe "not something we’ve discussed," says Kupchak

In Kobe’s absence, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that Dwight Howard is stepping up: “With his teammates gathered, Howard stood in front of them and spoke for the first time as the team leader. “I just told them that [Lakers management] put this team together for a reason, and we all know how to play basketball,” Howard said. “We’ve all done special things in our career before, and it’s time to do it again. We’ve all been blessed to play with Kobe, but we all have talent too, and we have to show it.” For the first time since being traded to the Lakers in August, Howard was given the opportunity to lead the team. It’s a position he held with the Orlando Magic for the previous eight seasons and one that he anticipated accepting with the Lakers at some point after Bryant retires. “That’s why they brought me here,” Howard said.”

Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News thinks there’s about to be some major spring cleaning in Detroit: “The Pistons aren’t in the playoffs for the fourth straight season and they’ve been irrelevant for a lot longer, as they’re almost 10 years removed from their championship season under Larry Brown. It’s been a long run for team president Joe Dumars, but league sources say that Dumars’ reign will soon be coming to a close. Dumars is so entrenched and such an iconic figure from his playing days, we’ll believe it when we see it. But it sure sounds as if he’s on his way out, along with Lawrence Frank, who is finishing his second season as coach.”

Joe Freeman of the Oregonian takes a look back at Nolan Smith’s nearly-completed time in Portland, including the disappointing performance Portland fans have seen from the former first-round pick, taken one spot ahead of Kenneth Faried. It’s an excellent piece that is well worth your time. Here’s an excerpt: “Smith’s two-year tenure in Portland will come to an end this week and it’s only fitting that he’ll face Denver — and Faried — today in one of his final games with the Blazers. But as he leaves Rip City, Smith prefers not to dwell on his past failings, but rather to focus on rediscovering his game and prove there is a place for him in the NBA. “This is a business and things in this league happen in time,” Smith said. “You have to get to a team where you’re in their plans. That’s one thing I’m looking forward to this summer in free agency. I’m going to get to a place that wants me, that wants me to be myself and play my game. If you think about it, there’s no telling what would have happened with (Faried) if the Blazers drafted him. He might have been playing behind LaMarcus (Aldridge) and maybe his opportunity wouldn’t have come. His opportunity in Denver didn’t come until Nene got hurt. But Kenneth got an opportunity and Kenneth made the most of his opportunity — in Denver. So now all the Portland fans can be mad.” “

Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune writes about the questions the Timberwolves will have to answer this offseason: “(Andrei) Kirilenko is part of that core group. It’s his choice this summer whether to accept a $10 million salary from the Wolves next season or become a free agent able to negotiate perhaps a three- or four-year contract — probably the last big one of his career — with another team, including the Wolves. He said his family’s wishes will weigh heavily, and his children like Minnesota. So, too, of course, will Adelman’s decision for a franchise that will have to start all over again if he chooses to retire. “This is the key moment for me,” Kirilenko said. “He is the reason I’m here in the first place. We’ll see. Let’s wait for the summertime.” “

Another team that’s getting ready for next year is the Raptors. Here’s Kyle Lowry’s take on where things are going, courtesy of Mike Ganter at the Toronto Sun: “Lowry said he’s getting more comfortable with each passing game, but he’s not content with the progress he has made. “I’ve been up and down this year due to a few different things, but I still have a lot of optimism for this team heading into next year,” he said. “I’m not where I want to be at all. I’m not doing half the things I think I could do. Maybe not half, but I’m not playing up to my full potential because of the different team and the changing players.” As for next season, Lowry said he’s hopeful of being back and wants to be, but admits that decision is out of his hands. The Raptors have a team option on Lowry they can pick up for $6.21 million.”

The Wizards have surprised in the second half of the season, largely thanks to John Wall. With their backcourt depleted, they’ve had to rely on Garrett Temple, who has performed above expectations. Here’s J. Michael of CSN Washington on Temple’s future: “With backcourt injuries to rookie Bradley Beal and A.J. Price, Temple has logged more time than expected. He has started 34 games in Washington. Though not a scorer, Temple is a solid defender and reliable ball-handler at 6-6. A free agent when the season is over, Temple would like to remain here and put stress of signing 10-day contracts behind him. The Wizards are his sixth NBA team. He also has spent a lot of time in the D-League. “I would love to be here next year. We just have a great thing building here with young guys, especially the way we’ve ended the season with the last 50 games, playing the way we’ve been playing since John’s been back,” Temple said. “We have a team that can contend in the East. I love this city. It’s easily the most home like place I’ve been playing in the NBA in the last three-and-a-half years.” Temple probably has done well enough to lock up a job somewhere in the NBA for the 2013-14 season. He averages just 4.9 points and can make the occasional three-pointer.”

Ian Thomsen of SI.com has a good look at the issues surrounding the potential Kings move to Seattle. There’s a really good layout of just what the advantages of each city’s plan are, and Thomsen does a really good job of taking complicated financial information and making it very readable. Here’s the beginning: “Where will the Kings play next season? The NBA’s heart says Sacramento, and its head says Seattle. The wallet favors Seattle as well, following a decision late Friday by its potential ownership group to raise its overall bid to a league-

record $550 million. Prior to kicking in the additional $25 million, the Seattle group already had an agreement with the Maloof family to buy 65 percent of the Kings. The sentiment of maintaining the team’s roots continues to benefit the potential ownership group in Sacramento. However, the dollars and facts that separate the two competing bids stand decidedly in favor of a move to the Pacific Northwest, according to a league source who attended Seattle’s presentation to eight NBA owners last week in New York. “We’ve never had a situation like this,” said commissioner David Stern last week. Instead of calling for a vote on the future of the Kings at the board of governors meeting April 18-19, Stern warned of a delay on a final decision in order to give owners more time to analyze the choice between moving the team to Seattle and keeping it in Sacramento. The delay has created more time for Sacramento, which also presented its own plan to keep the Kings. Sacramento has been scrambling to assemble an ownership group and arena strategy that can compete with Seattle, which has been developing its plan for more than two years.”

Sean Highkin of USA Today explains an unusual play that happened yesterday, and provides a .gif as well: “The 5-foot-9 Robinson must have known that a jump ball with 6-foot-9 Raptors forward Rudy Gay was a lost cause. So he didn’t even try to contest. Instead, he ran behind Gay after the referee threw the ball into the air, caught Gay’s tip, and took a shot. Pretty genius, right? Well, no. The problem with Robinson’s plan is that the NBA’s rulebook forbids either player participating in a jump ball from leaving the circle until after the ball is tapped. It also states that one of the eight other players on the court must touch the ball before either jumper is allowed to again. If you didn’t know that was a rule, it’s probably because you can’t remember a time when it’s ever had to be enforced. You’re not alone. So thanks for that, Nate.”

Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News reports that Kenyon Martin will be back for the playoffs: “Knicks forward Kenyon Martin, currently nursing a sprained left ankle, pronounced himself a game-time decision for Sunday’s home game against the Indiana Pacers, but would “definitely” be ready for the start of the playoffs, he told the Daily News at Radio City Music Hall, where he took in a boxing card along with teammate Carmelo Anthony on Saturday night. Martin sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter of the Knicks’ 120-99 win over the Wizards on Tuesday, the team’s 13th straight. Martin missed the next two games, including Thursday’s streak-busting loss to the Bulls. X-rays were negative on his ankle, and Martin, already dealing with a sore left knee, feels encouraged about his return.”

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Dan Malone is a journalism student at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He blogs, edits and learns things on the fly for Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on Twitter.