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Month: November 2024

Louis Labeyrie To Remain Overseas

August 21st, 2014 at 12:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

Knicks second-round pick Louis Labeyrie will remain with Paris-Levallois of France rather than sign with New York for the coming season, as Shams Charania of RealGM writes in an update to his story about fellow Knicks second-rounder Thanasis Antetokounmpo. The news on Labeyrie means New York will stash two of its three second-rounders from this past June, with Antetokounmpo apparently headed to the D-League. The Knicks signed 34th overall pick Cleanthony Early to a minimum-salary deal a few weeks ago.

The Pacers took Labeyrie 57th overall and promptly traded his rights to the Knicks on draft night. The 6’10” forward/center was a surprise selection, having been ranked 115th in Chad Ford’s ESPN.com draft prospect listings, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress also left him out of his top 100. The 22-year-old is coming off a season in which averaged just 5.3 points and 3.4 rebounds in 12.6 minutes a game for his French team.

Charania suggests that the Knicks will revisit the idea of bringing Labeyrie stateside next summer. It would have been a tough squeeze if New York had tried to bring him onto the roster for this season, since the team is already carrying 15 players. The only Knick known not to have a full guarantee on his deal is Samuel Dalembert, who figures to play a prominent role after coming over in the Tyson Chandler trade.

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Atlantic Notes: Antetokounmpo, Bradley, Leiweke

August 21st, 2014 at 11:04am CST by Chuck Myron

Hoops Rumors readers so far believe the Wizards are the best team outside of the Cavs and the Bulls in the Eastern Conference, but the Raptors aren’t far behind in the voting. Still, there’s change afoot in Toronto, where Tim Leiweke, CEO of the Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment company that’s in charge of the franchise, is set to step down within the next several months. Here’s more on Canada’s team and the rest of the Atlantic Division:

  • Thanasis Antetokounmpo has reportedly agreed to join the Knicks D-League affiliate in Westchester, but before that can happen, the team would have to acquire his D-League rights from the Sixers affiliate in Delaware, as Gino Pilato of the D-League Digest points out. Delaware still possesses Antetokounmpo’s D-League rights because he played there last season, and that holds even though new rules allow NBA teams to otherwise possess the D-League rights of their draft picks.
  • The Sixers apparently reached out to Avery Bradley within the first hour of free agency this summer, but it seems the Celtics still beat them to the punch, as the guard indicates to Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com (Twitter link). “They were the first team that called and — we had other calls — but Boston, I knew I was coming back here,” said Bradley, who re-signed with the C’s to a four-year, $32MM deal.
  • Leiweke’s upcoming departure is a blow to the Raptors, given the team’s progress during his brief time in charge of the team, opines Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun (Twitter links). Wolstat credits Leiweke for doggedly pursuing Masai Ujiri to serve as GM and staying out of Ujiri’s way once he hired him.
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Raptors CEO Tim Leiweke To Step Down

August 21st, 2014 at 10:01am CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 10:01am: Leiweke will leave the company on June 30, 2015 or when a replacement is found, whichever is sooner, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment announced today, as Mark Zwolinski of The Toronto Star chronicles. The news is surprising after Leiweke denied that he would resign in the immediate wake of Friedman’s report, and Leiweke repeated that denial Wednesday before today’s about-face, Zwolinski writes.

“Under Tim’s leadership, MLSE has made a number of key moves to strengthen our organization on the path to championship success,” Tanenbaum said in the statement announcing Leiweke’s impending departure. “We look forward to working closely with Tim to build on this foundation and further accelerate our momentum as we seek a new leader for MLSE.”

The statement also quoted Leiweke, who cited a desire to “transition from sports and entertainment executive to entrepreneur,” as Mike Zeisberger of the Toronto Sun notes.

TUESDAY, 12:55pm: Leiweke intends to leave the company at the end of his two-year non-compete agreement with AEG, his former employer, a source tells Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). Leiweke left AEG last spring before taking the job that has him in charge of the Raptors.

12:39pm: Leiweke has quickly issued a denial, telling Cathal Kelly of The Globe and Mail that, “It’s not true. 100% not true. I’m fully committed to the season at hand” (Twitter link).

12:10pm: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment CEO Tim Leiweke, who oversees the Raptors, is set to leave the company soon, reports Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet (Twitter link). Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun suggests Leiweke has harbored dreams of running an National Football League team (Twitter link), but it remains unclear why he would depart his job in charge of the Raptors and the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs.

Leiweke joined the company a little more than a year ago, though the hopes of landing an NFL franchise have faded since then. MLSE was part of a bidding group that made a play for the Buffalo Bills, but it appears the group’s efforts to buy the team and move it to Toronto will come up short. MLSE chairman Larry Tanenbaum was more directly involved in that process, but it stands to reason that Leiweke might have been part of the effort if he indeed envisions running a football team in the near future.

The Raptors have undergone significant changes during Leiweke’s brief tenure so far, and while the change from Bryan Colangelo to Masai Ujiri as GM happened before Leiweke officially took office, it appeared as though he had influence on those decisions. Ujiri traded Rudy Gay less than two months into last season, sparking a turnaround that saw the team grab the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Toronto came close to trading Kyle Lowry not long after the Gay deal, but the point guard played a key role in the team’s surprising season and before the season was over, Leiweke publicly vowed to re-sign Lowry this summer. The Raptors did so, inking Lowry to a four-year, $48MM deal.

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Poll: Best Eastern Team After Cavs, Bulls?

August 21st, 2014 at 9:23am CST by Chuck Myron

The Eastern Conference has been the dominion of the Heat for the last four years, but with LeBron James gone, Miami isn’t favored to make a fifth straight trip to the NBA Finals. LeBron’s new team, the Cavs, shapes up as the front-runner in the East, though a reasonable argument can be made that the Bulls have a clearer path out of the conference, as long as Derrick Rose stays healthy. Of course, Rose’s health is certainly no guarantee, since he’s been available for just a single postseason game in the last three years, and concern bubbled up once more after he sat out Wednesday’s Team USA exhibition.

So, Cleveland seems like the safest bet, but should James and soon-to-be Cavalier Kevin Love fail to mesh, and Rose struggle to stay on the court, the door would be ajar for a large pack of teams. Injuries derailed the Hawks last season, but with a healthy Al Horford to pair with Paul Millsap in the frontcourt, point guard Jeff Teague, and the sharpshooting Kyle Korver, they’re dangerous, particularly with plenty of flexibility for trades. The Heat spent more than any other NBA team this summer in an effort to make up for losing LeBron, and if Chris Bosh can play like a superstar, Miami will remain a threat. The Hornets made their second splashy acquisition in two summers when they signed Lance Stephenson to go along with Al Jefferson, and Charlotte seems like a fast riser. The Nets lost Paul Pierce, but the return of Brook Lopez and the continued development of Mason Plumlee could give them a potent inside combination like few others. The Raptors largely kept last year’s No. 3-seeded team intact, and DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross and Jonas Valanciunas are young, improving talents. The Wizards made a run in last year’s playoffs, and they, too, possess a slew of up-and-comers, as well as the newly acquired Pierce.

There are other teams that could end up in the mix, too. The Knicks were the second-best team in the Eastern Conference in the 2012/13 regular season, and while the Pacers are reeling from the losses of Stephenson and Paul George, they otherwise have most of the roster that’s qualified for the last two Eastern Conference finals. Still, for the purposes of this poll, we’ll focus on on the six teams mentioned in the above paragraph. Feel free to choose the “Another team” option if you believe in the Knicks, Pacers or another darkhorse Eastern Conference club, and debate away in the comments.

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And-Ones: Hawks, Young, International Play

August 20th, 2014 at 10:28pm CST by Cray Allred

The Hawks have added Charles Lee and Ben Sullivan to Mike Budenholzer‘s staff as assistants, the team announced. The Hawks also announced that Jim Thomas will leave his assistant coaching role to become a scout in Atlanta’s front office. Here’s more from around the league:

  • Tom Moore of Calkins Media suggests that the Sixers could still swap Thaddeus Young for other Wolves players and/or a first-round pick if they are unable to land Anthony Bennett as the third team in a Kevin Love deal, although it’s unclear if Moore is reporting on the team’s plans or is merely hypothesizing.
  • Commisioner Adam Silver acknowledged to reporters including Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com that international play is “a big risk without enormous financial reward” for NBA players, but still views it as a legitimate endeavor for willing stars. “Ultimately they have to make that very personal decision as to whether they want to play in the summer: whether it makes sense for their bodies, whether it makes sense for their families,” said Silver.
  • Silver does expect the issue of international play to be debated by the league soon. “I do anticipate it will be a hot topic at the competition meeting and the Board of Governors meeting just because it always has been,” Silver said. “We are always evaluating and re-evaluating everything we do; it is a part of running any business.”
  • Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post spoke with Otto Porter and Glen Rice Jr., who are both vying to become the Wizards primary small forward off the bench, about their development heading into next season.
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Tim Frazier To Join Celtics For Camp

August 20th, 2014 at 8:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 8:46pm: Although the team has yet to announce it, Frazier signed a contract with Boston today according to the RealGM transaction log. Frazier signed along with Rodney McGruder and Christian Watford, who reportedly accepted one-year contracts that are also likely to be of the non-guaranteed variety.

TUESDAY, 8:36am: Undrafted point guard Tim Frazier has a deal with the Celtics for training camp, according to the official Twitter account of Penn State basketball (hat tip to ESPNBoston.com). The precise terms aren’t immediately clear, but it’s likely a non-guaranteed summer contract that will give the former Nittany Lion at least an outside shot of making the opening-night roster.

Frazier was a lightly regarded prospect heading into the draft, as neither Chad Ford of ESPN.com nor Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress had him within their top 100 prospects. Still, he worked out for the Celtics and Wolves, and he showed a flair for rebounding that belied his 6’1″ height last month during summer league, when he averaged 4.0 boards in 18.0 minutes per game for the Sixers.

It’ll be tough for Frazier to make the Celtics out of training camp even if he plays well, since Boston is already carrying 18 other players, as our roster counts show. That includes 14 guys on guaranteed deals as well as Evan Turner, whose contract is also likely to be fully guaranteed. Still, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Celtics envision hanging on to Frazier’s D-League rights, giving him the chance to spend his first season in pro ball with Boston’s affiliate.

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Central Notes: Cavs, Bucks

August 20th, 2014 at 8:29pm CST by Cray Allred

August 23, the day an expected trade that will send Kevin Love to the Cavs can be executed, is drawing near. Here’s a look at the Central Division’s notes for tonight:

  • In a Q&A session with fans facilitated by David Pick of Basketball Insiders, Cavs coach David Blatt refrained from commenting on the fate of Andrew Wiggins or Love, but did answer plenty of other questions about Cleveland’s lineup. When asked if he felt like he had won the lottery with the return of LeBron James, Blatt said, “[GM] David Griffin has done a fabulous job building the team, and the ownership of Cleveland has proven their complete commitment to the state of Ohio and to the Cavaliers in terms of building a quality organization with a chance to achieve the maximum. I’m very lucky to be a part of that.”
  • Regarding the team’s lack of rim protection, Blatt said, “Right now, we’re hoping Brendan Haywood is going to make progress coming back from his foot injury, and if he does that’ll be a big plus for our team. As far as other roster decisions, our team is in the best of hands with David Griffin.”
  • A decision on the new arena that Bucks owners Marc Lasry and Wes Edens want city and state governments to partially subsidize will be stalled until at least after the November gubernatorial election, reports Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Walker is also told that a public financing plan would not be up for consideration until the state legislature reconvenes in January of 2015.
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Thanasis Antetokounmpo To Join D-League

August 20th, 2014 at 7:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

AUGUST 20TH: Antetokounmpo has agreed to play in the D-League for the Knicks affiliate this season, tweets Shams Charania of RealGM.

AUGUST 15TH: Antetokounmpo has decided to turn down all the offers he has received from European teams, and intends to attend training camp with the Knicks, reports Enea Trapani of Sportando.

AUGUST 13TH: Italy’s Sidigas Avellino is one of four European teams to make offers to Antetokounmpo, but he’s put them all on hold until he has more clarity on his chances to make the Knicks this season, sources tell Sportando’s Enea Trapani.

AUGUST 7TH: Knicks 2014 second-round pick Thanasis Antetokounmpo is deciding between opportunities in Spain and Italy or heading to New York’s D-League affiliate in Westchester, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). The Knicks reportedly drafted Antetokounmpo with the 51st overall pick with the intention of stashing him overseas rather than signing him for this season, though a D-League arrangement would probably fit the bill, too.

The Knicks have agreements with 15 players, as our roster counts show, and when they keep the newly acquired Quincy Acy as planned past August 15th, the date his non-guaranteed deal becomes fully guaranteed, at least 14 of their players will have some kind of guarantee. It’s not clear whether their deal with 34th overall pick Cleanthony Early contains a guarantee, but he probably has the edge for a roster spot over Antetokounmpo, simply judging by their respective draft positions. French big man Louis Labeyrie is the third 2014 second-round pick under Knicks control, but he also seems destined to remain outside the NBA for next season.

New D-League rules this year allow teams to keep the D-League rights to their draft picks, even if they don’t sign them to NBA contracts. Previously, Antetokounmpo would have been subject to the D-League draft, in which any NBA team’s affiliate could have picked him.

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Western Rumors: Randle, Nash, Stokes

August 20th, 2014 at 6:10pm CST by Cray Allred

In an interview with Mike Trudell of Lakers.com, new head coach Byron Scott gave thorough answers on the entire Lakers roster, including this year’s No. 7 pick Julius Randle. Despite the additions of Carlos Boozer and Ed Davis to Los Angeles’ frontcourt, Scott believes in Randle’s versatility and still envisions ample playing time for the rookie. “I love those attributes, being strong, big and quick for his size,” said Scott. “Julius will get plenty of chances to play a lot of minutes. We know he’s a rookie and needs to develop, and a lot of that will come in training camp and in practice. I think he’ll do just that.” Here’s more from the around the West, including more Lakers roster talk:

  • While Scott believes Kobe Bryant could play beyond the next two seasons if he wants to, he isn’t as optimistic about Steve Nash‘s longevity. “With Nash, it’s going to be interesting,” Scott said. “Steve hasn’t played a lot in the last year, and the clock is ticking. I did see him working out here a couple of days ago and he looked fantastic. He says he’s pain free for the first time in a while, and hopefully he’ll be healthy, number one, and hopefully he’ll be able to provide some things for us on the offensive end especially.”
  • Scott also thinks Wesley Johnson could earn a significant role on the team and experience a breakout year.
  • The first two years of Grizzlies rookie Jarnell Stokes‘ three-year contract are fully guaranteed, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.
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Undrafted Players In The NBA

August 20th, 2014 at 5:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

August and September are the months when undrafted players step into the spotlight around the NBA, as many of them sign training camp deals with hopes of making an opening-night roster. Most of them are long shots to make it past the preseason, but as a group, it’s a fair bet that a few of them will stick around for a while, and not just for token appearances.

There were 482 players who appeared in an NBA game last season, and 84 of them were never drafted. That represents about 17.4% of the league. Many of them were just briefly passing through the league, on 10-day contracts or non-guaranteed deals, while others have long since blossomed into mainstays. Jeremy Lin, Wesley Matthews, Jose Calderon, Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen are just a few of the notable undrafted players around the league.

Many of them hail from the international ranks, since players from overseas are generally more receptive to playing outside of the NBA if they don’t hear their names called on draft night. Still, there’s a diverse mix of players from around the globe and former collegians alike among last year’s 84 undrafted players, as I’ve listed below in alphabetical order, followed by the team with which each of them played:

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