2014 June | Hoops Rumors

Hawks Eyeing Luol Deng

June 29th, 2014 at 10:59pm CST by Charlie Adams

The Hawks are thinking about making a run at Luol Deng this summer, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (on Twitter). Atlanta pulled the trigger on a trade earlier tonight for John Salmons‘ non-guaranteed contract, a move that will eventually help further their financial flexibility by giving the club over $15MM in cap room to spend on free agents this offseason.

Deng was shipped to Cleveland at the deadline and is reportedly less-than-thrilled at the idea of re-signing with the Cavs. The Lakers and Suns are reportedly considering going after Deng, and the Mavs, Celtics, Magic and Bobcats are all said to have interest in the veteran forward as well. If he were to join Atlanta, Deng could help address the team’s lack of depth at the small forward position.

Reports have claimed the Hawks are interested in trying to convince Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James to sign together in Atlanta, but the team is still probably lacking the cap space required for such a scenario to come to fruition. Deng represents a more reasonably priced, albeit less talented, option than a superstar pairing. His agent has suggested a contract similar to Andre Iguodala‘s four-year, $48MM pact would be a reasonable price for the 10-year vet, and Wojnarowski (on Twitter) pegs his market value somewhere between $10MM and $12MM a year.

Clippers Waive Willie Green

June 29th, 2014 at 10:40pm CST by Cray Allred

SUNDAY, 10:40pm: Green has officially been waived, the Clippers announced.

SATURDAY, 12:47pm: A source tells Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times that the Clippers wish to re-sign Green to another deal (Twitter link).

10:16am: The Clippers are planning against keeping Willie Green‘s non-guaranteed contract on the books for 2014/15, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. While the report frames the decision as a declined team option, Green’s deal is actually a non-guaranteed year that becomes fully guaranteed if he isn’t waived before July 1st. Presumably, the Clippers are planning to waive Green prior to that deadline.

Qualifying Offers: Sunday

June 29th, 2014 at 10:19pm CST by Charlie Adams

Here’s the latest on teams’ decisions of whether or not to extend qualifying offers to their potentially restricted free agents:

E’Twaun Moore has expressed interest in a possible return to the Magic, but Orlando pulled back their qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent, reports Marc Stein of ESPN (via Twitter). Moore’s cap hold will now be on the team’s books for $915,243 as a result.
The Lakers have extended a qualifying offer to Ryan Kelly, reports Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times (via Twitter). Los Angeles’ offer to Kelly, worth $1,016,482, makes the second-year Duke product a restricted free agent.

Kidd Leaving Could Affect Nets’ Roster

June 29th, 2014 at 10:00pm CST by Charlie Adams

If Jason Kidd isn’t back with the Nets next season, some of Brooklyn’s free agents will likely be less inclined to return as well, reports Roderick Boone of Newsday. Specifically, Boone mentions that Shaun Livingston‘s offseason plans could be altered if Kidd departs from the organization.

Livingston’s decision to sign with the Nets for the veteran’s minimum last summer was largely tied to his relationship with Kidd, a source confirmed to Boone. Since Brooklyn is a taxpaying team and only own Livingston’s Non-Bird Rights, the Nets will only be able to offer him a contract with a starting salary of $3.278MM. After resurrecting his career last season, Livingston could likely grab a higher payday somewhere else.

For the time being, the Nets and Bucks are not close on a deal that would send the second-year coach packing to Milwaukee, a source tells Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link). As we passed along earlier, however, Kidd still isn’t anticipated to be coaching Brooklyn next season. Teams can begin discussions with free agents on Tuesday, and although the Nets are interested in bringing Livingston back, Kidd’s seemingly imminent departure might make a pursuit more difficult.

Clippers Prioritize Re-Signing Darren Collison

June 29th, 2014 at 9:35pm CST by Charlie Adams

Doc Rivers made it clear his top priority this summer is re-signing Darren Collison, reports Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Collison turned down a player option worth $1.9MM that would have brought him back to Los Angeles for the 2014/15 season. “You know our first guy, I’ll be honest, is one of our guys that opted out,” Rivers said, referring to Collison. “He’s a little guy. That’s very important for us.”

The rise in the projected tax line to $77MM will mean that the Clippers will have access to the full non-taxpayers mid-level exception, worth roughly $5.3MM. Collison’s impressive 2013/14 campaign will likely force Los Angeles to dip into most or all of their mid-level exception if they’re truly interested in bringing the point guard back.

Los Angeles hasn’t counted themselves out of the race to land Carmelo Anthony yet, says Turner, but they would need to make significant changes to their roster in order to land the superstar forward. According to Turner, Spencer Hawes is interested in playing for the Clippers, but he’d have to be willing to take a pay cut if he wants to join Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The Clips have $66.3MM in guaranteed salary next season, so a run at re-signing Collison is likely a more realistic scenario for Rivers and company.

Rivers mentioned how it’s tempting to shoot for the stars in free agency but added it’s important to be practical at the same time. “You look at needs first, unless there’s somebody out there that’s so talented that they trump all your needs and you go for that,” Rivers said. “But most of the time that is too expensive.“

Lionel Hollins Front-Runner If Kidd Replaced

June 29th, 2014 at 9:01pm CST by Charlie Adams

Lionel Hollins is the early front-runner to take over coaching duties for the Nets if Jason Kidd isn’t heading the team next season, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. We’ve heard that Kidd’s attempted power play to gain more control of basketball operations in Brookyln will likely put him out of the job, whether or not he eventually winds up taking a position with the Bucks.

Hollins hasn’t coached since leading the Grizzlies to the 2012/13 Western Conference finals, but he’s also been mentioned as a potential candidate to fill the Lakers’ head coaching vacancy. George Karl is another serious candidate to take over for Kidd, says Amick, but Hollins seems to be the club’s top option for the time being.

Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson are unlikely to be considered for the Nets job, sources tell Amick, who notes that it’s equally remote that a prestigious college coach is considered for the role. Brookyln’s desire to win in the short term is the primary reason why they’re seeking a coach with experience, says Amick.

Draft Grades: Southwest Division

June 29th, 2014 at 6:43pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2014 NBA Draft officially in the books, it’s time to take a look back and see how each team used the draft to make improvements and fill needs. I’ve already run down the picks for the Atlantic, Central, Northwest, Pacific, and Southeast Divisions. We’ll finish up with a look at the Southwest Division:

Dallas Mavericks

Team Needs: Small Forward, Point Guard, Depth

Draft Picks:

No picks

The Mavs owed this year’s first-round pick to the Thunder. They also traded last year’s first round selection, Shane Larkin, to the Knicks in the deal last week that netted them Tyson Chandler. Dallas is in win-now mode, and their biggest goal on draft night was to not burn up any cap space that they envision needing to lure Carmelo Anthony or LeBron James to the city. Dallas has tried this plan before and has so far been unable to get a second star or two to pair alongside Dirk Nowitzki.

It’s doubtful the Mavs will miss the second rounder they traded away, but the team has a hole at the point guard spot thanks to the Chandler deal, and the Dallas roster is getting up there in years. Sooner or later they’ll need to acquire some young, cheap depth.

Overall Draft Grade: D — No picks to work with, but getting Chandler back, two seasons too late though it may be, might ease the sting a little.

Houston Rockets

Team Needs: Defense, Power Forward, Point Guard, Center

Draft Picks:

No. 25 Clint Capela (Power Forward)
No. 42 Nick Johnson (Shooting Guard)

The Rockets are another franchise trying to clear cap space for a run at James or Anthony. Taking Capela, who will continue to play overseas for the next couple of seasons, was a smart pick. Capela is incredibly raw, but has off-the-charts athleticism, and has been compared to Serge Ibaka. Capela is a player I was very high on heading into the draft, and he might turn out to be a valuable addition or trade piece in the future.

Johnson was a solid pick. He’s very athletic, can shoot a bit, but he’ll spend more time in the D-League than with the first string this year.

Overall Draft Grade: C- — Capela is an intriguing prospect and Johnson was a good value pick. The team could have been a bigger player on draft night but instead is hanging its hopes on adding another star to the lineup instead.

Memphis Grizzlies

Team Needs: Small Forward, Point Guard, Scoring

Draft Picks:

No. 22 Jordan Adams (Shooting Guard)
No. 35 Jarnell Stokes (Power Forward)*

*Acquired via trade with Jazz for a future second round pick.

I’m not a fan of what the Grizzlies did on draft night. The team badly needs scoring and some athleticism. Adams could provide the scoring, but he won’t blow anyone away with his physical tools. I don’t know if Adams will be able to defend enough to stay on the court, and his lack of speed will make it difficult to get off his own shot. With some of the other players available at No. 22, such as Rodney Hood and P.J. Hairston, I can’t help but think the team overshot on Adams.

Stokes is a punishing inside presence, and should work his way into the team’s rotation by the end of the year. He’ll fit right in with Memphis’ style of play.

Overall Draft Grade: C — Not a fan of the Adams pick, but the team had him ranked fifth on its draft board, so maybe they know something others don’t. Stokes was a solid pick and should become a useful addition.

New Orleans Pelicans

Team Needs: Small Forward, Point Guard, Depth

Draft Picks:

No. 47 Russ Smith (Point Guard)*

*Acquired in trade with Sixers that sent them the rights to Pierre Jackson.

The Pelicans dealt away their first-rounder to the Sixers in the Jrue Holiday trade last year. They also traded last year’s second-round pick, Jackson, for Smith. This begs the question, what do the Pelicans have against Jackson? Smith is almost an identical player to Jackson, and with work he could become a decent reserve guard when the team needs a change of pace.

Overall Draft Grade: D — The team could have had Elfrid Payton with the pick it traded for Holiday. Holiday has a proven track record, but has battled injuries and is more expensive. I also don’t get the logic in trading Jackson for Smith, so that was no help. Thankfully the Pelicans picked up Omer Asik via trade, so that will be their big addition for now.

San Antonio Spurs

Team Needs: Youth, Depth, Power Forward

Draft Picks:

No. 30 Kyle Anderson (Small Forward)

The best organization in the league might have done it again. Anderson is a flawed player, for sure. He’s slow, not very athletic, and will have issues on defense. But he’s also a player who in the right system can make others around him better. That sounds like the prototypical Spurs player to me.

Anderson has been compared to Boris Diaw, who was a very effective and valuable piece for the team’s championship run. Heading into the draft my feeling was that Anderson needed to end up with a heavy ball movement team in order to be of any value. He would be a great fit in the triangle offense, but should benefit equally from San Antonio’s offensive scheme as well.

Overall Draft Grade: A- — With the last pick of the first round, the Spurs nab a player who fits their system perfectly. Anderson should develop nicely into a productive role player. The rich get richer it seems.

And-Ones: Suns, Summer League, Kidd

June 29th, 2014 at 5:54pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jason Kidd met with members of the Bucks on Friday, and a resolution to the situation is expected within the next 24 hours, reports Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter links). Gardner also notes that Kidd was discussing only a coaching position, and the Nets were asking for a first-round draft pick, while the Bucks are offering a second-rounder as compensation.

Draft Grades: Southeast Division

June 29th, 2014 at 4:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the 2014 NBA Draft officially in the books, it’s time to take a look back and see how each team used the draft to make improvements and fill needs. I’ve already run down the picks for the Atlantic, Central, Northwest, and Pacific Divisions. We’ll continue on with a look at the Southeast Division:

Atlanta Hawks

Team Needs: Small Forward, Center, Point Guard

Draft Picks:

No. 15 Adreian Payne (Power Forward)
No. 43 Walter Tavares (Center)
No. 48 Lamar Patterson (Shooting Guard)*

*Acquired from Bucks for a future second-round pick.

The Hawks were a team that was hoping to use their first round pick as part of a trade package that would net them a more established player. Unable to do that, the team picked up a nice player in Payne, a stretch four who can help the team out in a number of areas. He’s a bit of a luxury pick for next season considering Paul Millsap is still around, but he’s unlikely to sign as team friendly a deal on his next contract, so in Payne they nab a competent replacement. The only real knock on Payne is that he’s 23 years old, which doesn’t give him as high a ceiling as some of the other prospects in the draft.

If you look up project in the dictionary you very well might see a picture of Tavares. He’s got tremendous size but has only been playing the game a few years. He has an enormous wingspan, huge hands, and a solid frame–all building blocks of successful big men. Whether he can develop into more than a project is definitely up for debate. Tavares will continue to play overseas for the next few seasons and the Hawks hope to benefit from the selection sometime down the line. Tavares is already 23, which means his window for NBA production will be a small one at best.

Patterson is a hard working swingman who does a little of everything, but doesn’t translate to more than a reserve at best. He’ll get some minutes this season, but might not be in the league by 2015/16.

Overall Draft Grade: B- — The Hawks went the safe route with Payne, but he’s NBA ready and should become an immediate contributor. Tavares probably won’t bear fruit, and Patterson might contribute something off the bench, but won’t be much of a factor in the franchise’s future.

Charlotte Hornets

Team Needs: Shooting, Point Guard, Power Forward

Draft Picks:

No. 9 Noah Vonleh (Power Forward)
No. 26 P.J. Hairston (Shooting Guard)

*Came via trade from Heat with the No. 55 overall pick, a 2019 second-round pick and cash for the No. 24 pick. Charlotte later sent the 55th pick to the Thunder for cash.

**Traded the 45th pick and Brendan Haywood to the Cavaliers for Alonzo Gee and cash.

One of the biggest surprise teams from last season, albeit in a weak Eastern Conference, managed to improve themselves for next season and long term on draft night. The Hornets most likely cursed aloud when the Kings made Nik Stauskas their pick at No. 8. I have to think that was the player that Charlotte was targeting all along, especially since they passed on drafting Doug McDermott at No. 9.

But things might have worked out for the men from Charlotte after all. Grabbing Vonleh ninth, when he was projected by most to be a top-5 selection, was a good value. The knock on Vonleh has nothing to do with his talent or athleticism, which he has more than enough of. The problem is with Vonleh’s motor and work ethic. Quite a few promising careers were derailed because of players not willing to put in the proper amount of sweat. Vonleh is still young so he gets the benefit of the doubt. The bigger issue is his redundant skill set alongside Cody Zeller.

The pick of Vonleh looks better when you consider the team nabbing Hairston, who was a steal at No. 26. Hairston might not be the shooter that Stauskas is, but he’s a more complete player who will contribute just as much next season. The biggest second guessing the Hornets will have is for passing on McDermott. The team desperately needs scoring, and if McDermott lights it up in Chicago, then Hornets fans will have something to gripe about.

Overall Draft Grade: A- — The team might not have addressed its biggest need, but they did grab two players who were both steals where they were selected.

Miami Heat

Team Needs: Point Guard, Depth, Center

Draft Picks:

No. 24 Shabazz Napier (Point Guard)*

* Came via trade with Hornets for the 26th and 55th overall picks in Thursday’s draft plus a 2019 second-rounder and cash.

The Heat get their man. Who will he be playing with next season? That’s very much up in the air right now. Assuming that Miami will put a similar amount of talent on the floor next year, then Napier is a solid pick. After getting next to nothing in the Finals from Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers, it was painfully obvious the team needed an upgrade at the point.

While the team probably could benefit more from a veteran upgrade, like say, Jose Calderon, Napier has all the makings of a winner. It’s doubtful he’ll ever be an all-star, but he is the type of player that winning teams need. He’s a solid leader, plays harder than anyone, and is absolutely fearless when games are on the line. If LeBron James returns, one of the selling points will be Napier’s presence.

Overall Draft Grade: B — The team gets a solid player at a “need” position.

Orlando Magic

Team Needs: Point Guard, Power Forward, Depth, Shooting Guard

Draft Picks:

No. 4 Aaron Gordon (Power Forward)
No. 10 Elfrid Payton (Point Guard)*
No. 56 Devyn Marble (Shooting Guard)

*Came via trade with Sixers. Orlando received Payton, and Philadelphia got Dario Saric, a 2015 second-round pick, and a 2017 first-round pick.

The Magic will be exciting running the fast break next season–that’s the good news. The bad news–the team trying to score when playing halfcourt basketball. Remember, Arron Afflalo was traded away, and he was the team’s best outside threat.

The selection of Gordon is the curious one. There’s no debating his upside, and experts project Gordon’s ceiling as being somewhere between Shawn Marion and Blake Griffin. But for a team in need of scoring, passing on Exum might be something the franchise will regret.

On the positive side, Gordon does bring an enormous amount of potential and physical gifts to the table. But he can’t shoot very well, and is an abysmal free throw shooter. His offensive arsenal right now consists primarily of scoring in transition, off pick-and-rolls, and from lobs. It will take time, but Gordon will improve in those areas. It might take two or three seasons to happen, but Gordon should turn out to be a star.

I really like the selection of Payton, the best pure point guard in the draft. He’s not a good shooter, and some scouts have predicted his mechanics are too broken to be fixed. But as a facilitator and defender, he’s top-notch. His presence will also allow Victor Oladipo to go back to shooting guard, a position he is better suited for.

Overall Draft Grade: A — I considered giving a lower grade since the team didn’t address its glaring need for a shooter, but the Magic nabbed two long-term starters, and at least one potential star. Hard to find too much fault in that.

Washington Wizards

Team Needs: Center, Point Guard, Power Forward, Small Forward

Draft Picks:

No picks

*Traded No. 46 pick to the Lakers for cash.

The Wizards traded their first-round pick to the Suns for Marcin Gortat. Given Gortat’s play for the Wizards last season, it’s not too bad a return for the pick. If the team re-signs him then it was a good trade. If they let him leave for nothing in return, then not so much. Without Gortat they would have most likely been picking higher in the draft, and could have nabbed a valuable building block.

Overall Draft Grade: B- — That grade is if Gortat re-signs. If he leaves then one playoff appearance wasn’t worth the sacrifice, and this grade gets bumped down to a D-.

Eastern Notes: Kidd, Celtics, Heat

June 29th, 2014 at 4:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Jason Kidd might look like the “bad guy” right now for trying to leave the Nets, but it might be the smartest thing for him to do, opines Mike Lupica of The New York Daily News. Lupica cites the Nets’ declining roster, absentee owner, and a franchise that seemingly prizes headlines over wins as reasons Kidd might be trying to leave Brooklyn.

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