2015 January | Hoops Rumors

Neil Olshey On Extension, Future, More

January 9th, 2015 at 11:21am CST by Chuck Myron

There wasn’t much chatter about a new deal for Trail Blazers executive Neil Olshey before he and the team signed an extension Thursday, but it’s no real surprise, given the franchise’s rapid ascent the past two seasons. Portland is 28-8 and in second place in the Western Conference a season after having finished as the No. 5 seed and two seasons removed from going 33-49 and missing the playoffs. The extension kicks in next season, notes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian, meaning it runs through 2018/19, which is a team option year. Olshey also scored a promotion to president of basketball operations in the arrangement, and that was one of the many issues he addressed with the media Thursday following the announcement of the deal. Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com provides a complete transcription, and we’ll pass along the highlights here:

On the effect of his promotion to president of basketball operations:

“No, nothing. Nothing. What the title does — I really appreciate it — but what it does is in the event, at some point, we wanted to hire or promote from within someone to the general manager level, we wouldn’t be restricted by title that the general manager position was already taken. Down the road, if there was a talent available or if internally we wanted to make sure we kept someone’s services and the title was an issue, we now have a title that’s open there as opposed to having it closed off.”

On whether things with the Blazers have met his expectations since he left the Clippers in 2012:

“I hope so. I didn’t leave for nothing. I love the Los Angeles Clippers and I had a great run there. It was hard for my wife, my family, my kids to move out of the only city they’d ever lived in, but they were willing to do it to support me. It all just kind of worked in place. We hired [coach] Terry [Stotts], he’s been an incredible coach. [Team president] Chris [McGowan] came on board not long after me and completely revamped everything going on up here. Having [owner] Paul [Allen] embrace the vision of everyone, from what goes on on the court, off the court, behind the scenes, it’s been a great run so far. I just know we got to the point where we were relevant quicker than we’d anticipated. And now the key is to sustain that and I know Paul drives us every day to make sure we put the best product on the floor for the fans. I think right now we’ve got the fans, the season ticket holders in a really good place in terms of their support of the team and the kind of guys and the culture that we have. It’s our job every day to make sure we keep that as keep that as consistent as possible.”

On the future for the Blazers:

“One of the things we had talked about when we took over was sustainability. I think the key was to prove to everybody that last year wasn’t a fluke, that the core of this team is capable of competing for a championship and being a factor in the playoff race. We’re only [a] third of the way through the season but I think there are enough positive indicators to know we’re on the right track. We’ll look for opportunities if we can to improve the roster to give Terry and his staff a better chance at competing at a higher level, but at the end of the day, we’re comfortable with where we are, as evidenced by tonight.”

Michael’s Latest: Wright, Nelson, Green

January 9th, 2015 at 10:39am CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards opened a roster spot when they waived Glen Rice Jr. this week, and the team is looking at several avenues to fill it, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com reports. The Celtics figure prominently, as we note amid the revelations from Michael’s piece:

Celtics president of basketball ops Danny Ainge has told Brandan Wright he’s on the block, though it’s unlikely that Wright ends up in Washington, in part because of the high demand for him, Michael writes. Michael doesn’t specify whether the Wizards are pursuing him. Wright went to Boston in the Rajon Rondo trade.
The player most likely to end up in Washington’s open roster spot is Jameer Nelson, another one of Boston’s acquisitions in that Rondo deal, according to Michael, who says the point guard is expected to negotiate a buyout. The Wizards will be in “hot pursuit,” Michael writes. Nelson is making $2.732MM this season and has a player option worth nearly $2.855MM for next season, and he’s upset about his playing time, even though he insists that he and Celtics coach Brad Stevens are on the same page. Nelson will once more remain on the Inactive List for tonight’s game, tweets Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe.
The Wizards have maintained “routine” contact with Ray Allen since first reaching out to him in July, sources tell Michael. The Wizards plan to keep chasing him until he retires or gives a definitive “no,” according to Michael. Still, the notion that Allen ends up in Washington sounds like a long shot, Michael writes.
Celtics forward Jeff Green is expected to turn down his $9.2MM player option for next season, according to Michael, and the Wizards would be interested in signing him if Paul Pierce also opts out, Michael adds.
The Wizards have been keeping a close eye on D-Leaguers Khem Birch and Damion James, Michael reports. Birch declined an invitation to Wizards training camp invite to instead head to the Heat‘s camp, according to Michael, and the power forward is now with Miami’s D-League affiliate. James was with the Wizards in camp and currently plays for the affiliate of the Mavs.

Bucks Sign Kenyon Martin To 10-Day Deal

January 9th, 2015 at 9:57am CST by Chuck Myron

FRIDAY, 9:57am: The deal is official, the Bucks announced.

“Kenyon provides some needed depth to our front court and brings an additional veteran presence to help develop our young team,” Bucks GM John Hammond said in the team’s statement. “He has always been known for his tough-minded, physical approach to the game and we’re excited to welcome him to the Milwaukee Bucks.”

THURSDAY, 8:02am: The Bucks will sign Kenyon Martin to a 10-day contract this week, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Milwaukee has 15 players already, so a corresponding move will be necessary. Still, the news is no surprise, since coach Jason Kidd and his staff put Martin through a workout last week. Kidd and Martin were teammates on the Nets in the early 2000s.

Martin also drew attention from the Cavaliers, who have an open roster spot after their pair of trades this week. Still, it appears the Bucks won over the Andy Miller client, who also met with the Grizzlies and the Rockets earlier this season. There were conflicting reports about whether those visits with Memphis and Houston were for playing or coaching positions, but there was no doubt that Milwaukee’s interest was in Martin as a player. The Bucks are still missing Larry Sanders, even though he’s denied retirement rumors, while Ersan Ilyasova is out with a concussion and Jabari Parker is done for the year with a torn ACL. Small forward Damien Inglis is missing the entire season.

Inglis appears like a possible candidate to be let go to accommodate Martin, though Inglis’ salary is guaranteed for next year, too. Nate Wolters has the least amount of guaranteed salary on the books of any member of the Bucks, and the guard has seen action in only 11 games this year after a strong rookie season in 2013/14. Still, it’s unclear whom the Bucks are thinking of offloading.

The 37-year-old Martin, a former No. 1 overall pick, is no stranger to 10-day contracts, having signed two with the Knicks in 2013. New York followed with a contract for the rest of the 2012/13 season and kept him for 2013/14, too.

Bucks Waive Nate Wolters

January 9th, 2015 at 9:56am CST by Chuck Myron

9:56am: Team has officially waived Wolters, the Bucks announced.

“We appreciate everything Nate gave to the Bucks both on and off the court,” Hammond said. “We know we will see him again in the NBA and wish him well in the future.”

9:21am: The Bucks have waived Wolters, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), though the team has yet to make an announcement. A source has told Kennedy the same (Twitter link).

FRIDAY, 8:58am: Milwaukee is signing Martin and waiving Wolters this morning, tweets Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Bucks had trade talks with several teams Thursday but couldn’t strike a deal, Gardner writes in a full story. Jared Karnes, the agent for Wolters, hadn’t received confirmation that the guard would be waived but said that it wouldn’t surprise him if that indeed took place, as Karnes told Gardner on Thursday night.

THURSDAY, 7:12pm: The Bucks haven’t waived Wolters yet, and are trying to find a trade partner for him before taking that route, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter links). There’s a belief that Wolters won’t clear waivers if cut, which is why teams may want to trade for him now to ensure that they get him, Kennedy adds.

10:34am: The Bucks are expected to waive Nate Wolters to accommodate their 10-day deal with Kenyon Martin, reports Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times (Twitter link). Milwaukee can’t sign Martin unless it offloads one of the 15 players it has on the roster, and it appears Wolters is the one to go, as I speculated, since his contract contains the least amount of guaranteed money among anyone on the Bucks. He’s making the one-year veteran’s minimum salary this year, but next year’s minimum salary is non-guaranteed.

Wolters has seen action in just 11 games so far this season, though he did receive only his second stint of 20 or more minutes since the season began in Wednesday’s blowout win over the Sixers. The 6’4″ combo guard played a much more prominent role last year, starting 31 games and averaging 7.2 points, 3.2 assists and 1.0 turnover in 22.6 minutes per game.

The now 23-year-old Wolters was the 38th overall pick in 2013, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a team claim his deal off waivers, though that’s just my speculation. He’s on a contract that covers three seasons, so teams would need more than the minimum-salary exception to submit a claim.

Milwaukee is about $7.3MM shy of the salary cap, so if the Bucks are stuck with Wolters’ salary, which would happen if he clears waivers, they’ll still be left with plenty of flexibility. Their team salary as it stands is about $1MM shy of the minimum team salary, but because Milwaukee is still paying money to Drew Gooden, whom the team waived using the amnesty clause in 2013, the Bucks don’t have to make up that gap.

And-Ones: Cooley, Ford, Upshaw

January 8th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

ESPN.com draft guru Chad Ford (Insider subscription required) opines that two tiers of talent appear to be forming in the lottery portion of the upcoming NBA draft. The upper tier includes Jahlil Okafor, Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis, all of whom are currently projected as top five selections, Ford notes. The second tier consists of Kevon Looney, Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein, Myles Turner, Kelly Oubre, Mario Hezonja, Stanley Johnson and D’Angelo Russell, and they will make up the likely No. 5 to No. 12 overall selections, Ford adds.

Here’s more from around the league and the college ranks:

Ford has also released his most recent “Big Board,” which has Oubre cracking the top 10, and has Jerian Grant of Notre Dame making a big leap from No. 27 to No. 19.
A league source told Gino Pilato of D-League Digest (Twiitter link) that there is a lot of NBA interest in Jack Cooley, and there is a strong possibility that he could be inked to a 10-day contract shortly. Cooley currently plays for the Idaho Stampede, the Jazz‘s D-League affiliate.
Former Pistons assistant GM George David was hired as director of basketball operations for Wasserman Media Group, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today reports (Twitter link).
One college player starting to catch the eye of NBA scouts is Washington’s Robert Upshaw, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. “I would agree that he was a sleeper to start this season, maybe,” one league scout told Deveney. “He is not a sleeper anymore.” The 7’0″ center is averaging 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds so far this season, and he is drawing interest as a potential first-rounder, Deveney notes.
The Warriors have assigned Ognjen Kuzmic to their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, the team announced in a press release. This will be Kuzmic’s fourth trek of the season to the D-League.

Eastern Notes: Williams, Deng, Thompson

January 8th, 2015 at 9:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets‘ Deron Williams, who is the subject of trade rumors, will be out indefinitely after an MRI revealed one of his ribs was fractured, Roderick Boone of Newsday reports. “Deron reported some soreness above this area over the weekend and as a result underwent imaging studies on Monday, which were negative,” team physician Riley Williams III said in a statement. “[Wednesday] during the game, he reported a new onset of symptoms below the prior area of soreness. New imaging studies done [Thursday] demonstrated the fracture. There is no timetable for his return.”

Here’s more from the East:

Luol Deng is rumored to be on the trading block, with the Grizzlies a possible suitor, but despite the Heat‘s struggles this season, Deng insists he doesn’t want out of Miami, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel reports. “I’ve had no issues,” Deng said. “My whole thing I’ve been saying this year is we’ve been trying to get it right, fit everybody in. It’s never that I’m unhappy or anything. Just because they’re trade rumors, I’m not the one asking for trades.“
Surya Fernandez of FOX Sports Florida examined a number of potentially available players with whom the Heat could upgrade their roster, including Andray Blatche, Samuel Dalembert, Tyler Johnson, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson.
When informed that the newly acquired Timofey Mozgov would be taking his place in the Cavs‘ starting lineup, Tristan Thompson handled the news like a true team player, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “I’ve come off the bench most of the season,” Thompson said. “Whatever it takes for us to win. [I’ll] come out and join the bench mob again. Bring the energy with myself, Delly [Matthew Dellavedova] and all the other guys so that’s a role that I embrace and I’m trying to be the X-factor.“
One thing that J.R. Smith will miss about being with the Knicks is his friendship with Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Kernan of The New York Post writes. “I was upset that I don’t get to play with my best friend who I’ve played with for the last nine or 10 years,’’ Smith said. “We’ve been together so long and we complemented each other so well from the inside out game. Off the court too, we hung at each other’s houses.”

Western Notes: Nuggets, Lakers, Young

January 8th, 2015 at 8:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nuggets, who finally decided to trade Timofey Mozgov, are realistic about their season being at a crossroads, Mark Kizsla of The Denver Post writes. “We came into this season expecting to be a playoff team,” GM Tim Connelly said. “At this point, we’re on the outside, looking in. We probably have a couple weeks to change that, be relevant and view ourselves as a playoff-caliber team. I’m hopeful that’s the case. But I’m also realistic to know, and honest enough with our team internally, to say: If in a couple weeks, if that’s not the case, then we have a new reality. It’s now or never. The disappointment is real with where we stand. We’ll have all we need to know about this present roster within a few weeks.”

Here’s more from the West:

Fans of the Lakers and the Knicks shouldn’t get their hopes up that either team will be able to sign Rajon Rondo when he hits free agency this summer, since he’s unlikely to leave the Mavs, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops writes. “Dallas will throw money at him and has a better chance at winning than the other two teams [Knicks and Lakers],” an Eastern Conference scout told Scotto.
Nick Young,who was a member of the Clippers for part of the 2011/12 season, said that his experience with the Lakers thus far has been the superior one of his time spent in Los Angeles, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register writes. “Being a Laker, there’s nothing like it,” Young said. “I think I learn more just being here and being around an atmosphere of winning, toughness and learning how to play under a great player like Kobe Bryant.”
When asked about the declaration that the team would contend for a title within three years made by Lakers executive VP of basketball operations Jim Buss, coach Byron Scott was non-committal about the probability of that becoming a reality, Eric Pincus of The Los Angeles Times writes. “Our plan, when you talk about the organization, is to win the championship, that’s the bottom line,” Scott said. “I don’t know what the time frame is right now. Jeanie [Buss] and Jim, obviously that’s between them. I’ll let you know in September. That’s when training camp will start next year. We’ll have our free agents, our draft picks. I’ll get a pretty good idea of what we have at that particular time and let you know.“

Central Notes: Pistons, Love, Bostic, Cavs

January 8th, 2015 at 7:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons have now won more games this season without Josh Smith than they did with him. This successful run isn’t a coincidence, but there are other factors involved beyond Smith’s departure, Michael Lee of The Washington Post writes. Lee also points to the sudden resurgence of Brandon Jennings and Jodie Meeks‘ return from injury as major reasons why Detroit is suddenly on a roll.

Here’s the latest out of the Central Division:

The Pistons recalled guard Spencer Dinwiddie from the Grand Rapids Drive, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced (Twitter link). This was the first assignment of the season for Dinwiddie, and in four games with the Drive he averaged 16.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per contest.
One of the Cavaliers‘ continuing struggles this season has been finding a way to properly utilize Kevin Love, Lee opines in a separate piece. With Love able to opt out of his deal at season’s end, it is imperative that coach David Blatt make the big man feel comfortable in Cleveland’s system, Lee opines.
Pistons camp invitee Josh Bostic inked a deal with the Belgian club Proximus Spirou, Eurobasket.com reports. Bostic was playing for Detroit’s D-League affiliate, averaging 6.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 15 appearances this season.
Newly acquired big man Timofey Mozgov brings two valuable assets with him to the Cavs: his ability to protect the rim, and a familiarity with Blatt’s system, Seth Partnow of BBallBreakdown.com opines. Blatt coached Mozgov when both were with the Russian national team, Partnow notes, which will help the big man acclimate to his new surrounding much quicker.
The cost for the Cavs to add Mozgov to the roster, including remaining salary owed and the luxury tax hit, will be approximately $9.3MM, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com notes (Twitter link).
In a separate piece, Windhorst broke down all the machinations and moves Cleveland made, beginning with the 2014 NBA draft, which led to the Mozgov deal.
Cavs GM David Griffin acknowledged the team’s recent deals were costly, but were necessary if the team wanted to contend this season, Chris Fedor of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “We feel like we’ve done it without completely mortgaging the future,” Griffin said. “People look at the number of picks we’ve given away, and everybody thinks, ‘oh my goodness, you’ve given away the farm.’ Well, we had an unbelievable farm. So we were putting it to work. And we’re really pleased with where we are now.”

Wolves Ink Miroslav Raduljica To 10-Day Pact

January 8th, 2015 at 5:53pm CST by ChrisCrouse

JANUARY 8TH, 5:53pm: The Timberwolves have signed Miroslav Raduljica to a 10-day contract, the team has announced (Twitter link). The center will take the open roster spot the team had created by waiving Jeff Adrien on Wednesday.

JANUARY 2ND, 12:29pm: It looks like Raduljica will end up in Minnesota next week, Wolfson tweets. It’d be surprising if the team lets go of Jeff Adrien to make room on the roster, Wolfson asserts, though Adrien holds the team’s only contract without any guaranteed money.

DECEMBER 29TH: There’s no deal between Raduljica and the Wolves yet, and if it’s to happen, it probably won’t for at least a few more days, tweets Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities. Sunday, Wolfson cautioned that at least one hurdle remained but said that signs pointed toward a pact between Minnesota and the big man (Twitter link).

DECEMBER 28TH: Free agent center Miroslav Raduljica is finalizing a deal to play with Minnesota for the remainder of the season, according to Shams Charania of Real GM. The deal is reported to be fully guaranteed and while there is no salary reported, it is likely a minimum salary arrangement. The Wolves currently have a 15-man roster and will have to unload somebody, by release or by trade, to accommodate the signing.

Raduljica recently agreed upon a buyout with Shandong of the Chinese Basketball Association. The seven-footer played the 2013/14 season with Bucks and shot 54.0% from the field while averaging 3.8 points per game.

Last offseason, Raduljica was traded to the Clippers along with Carlos Delfino and was subsequently waived. The Bucks received Jared Dudley and a first-round draft pick in the deal.

Atlantic Notes: Wallace, Smith, Sixers, D-League

January 8th, 2015 at 5:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Gerald Wallace openly criticized the Nets‘ 2013 trade with Boston, where the franchise sacrificed three first-round picks for Paul Pierce, who is no longer with the team, and Kevin Garnett, who is now a shadow of his former self, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “It was one of those stories of a get-rich-quick scheme. You either hit it big or you don’t,” Wallace said. “They took a gamble. It backfired.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets have recalled Markel Brown and Cory Jefferson from the Maine Red Claws of the NBA D-League, the team announced. This was the initial D-League jaunt of the season for both players.
In a statement that may not please even the most patient of Sixers fans, coach Brett Brown said that Philadelphia’s rebuilding process could take “three to five more years,” Tom Moore of Calkins Media reports (Twitter link).
Former Knick J.R. Smith wasn’t surprised by the trade that sent him to Cleveland, but he wasn’t thrilled about the timing of it, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. “The way it was done caught me off guard, warming up and stuff like that,” Smith said. “I thought that was a poor decision and then I seen what happened to Dion Waiters where he literally got his name called for the starting lineup, [then] I thought my situation wasn’t so bad.”
Smith also commented on the difficulties that the Knicks have had since team president Phil Jackson came aboard, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes. “Everybody in the building was pretty much walking on eggshells, so it’s kind of hard to prosper that way, especially when you’re not accustomed to it,” Smith said. “But I’m sure they’ll get it right. I mean, it’s just difficult learning a new system, a new way to play. The whole culture over there pretty much changed. I mean, a lot of guys have certain routines when they get on the court, when they don’t get on the court, and all of that was so flip-flopped and it kind of caught everybody off guard.”
Knicks coach Derek Fisher didn’t take issue with Smith’s comments, Begley notes. “I think we’ve been very frank about the fact that everyone was learning how to work together and become a team and become a group. Whether that’s eggshells or whether that’s just getting to learn how to win just depends on the person that you’re talking to,” Fisher said.

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