2015 February | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Prince, Celtics, Sixers

February 21st, 2015 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pistons president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy says Tayshaun Prince should blame the Celtics, not Detroit, if he is unhappy about not receiving a buyout, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press. The Pistons acquired Prince in a deal shortly before Thursday’s trade deadline, sending Jonas Jerebko and Luigi Datome to Boston. Now there are rumblings that Prince would like a buyout, even though he would be giving up money, so he can join a contending team. “The reason Boston made the trade was to save money,” Van Gundy said. “We’re paying Tayshaun more money. If he was going to get bought out, he should have done it in Boston. … We weren’t told of this until after we made the trade by Tayshaun’s agent.” In a separate story, Ellis noted that Prince didn’t seem thrilled when he learned he was going back to Detroit. “Reggie [Jackson] was really, really excited,” Van Gundy said. “I think Tayshaun was — not unhappy, but he was sort of trying to figure out what the hell happened, and I understand that.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics‘ trade deadline deals brought the number of players who’ve been on Boston’s roster this season to 39, notes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. Since July 2014, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge has made 11 trades involving 25 players. “The constant change, it’s certainly a challenge,” said coach Brad Stevens. “But it was anticipated, too, [20] months ago when I took the job. I didn’t know it would be quite this much, or quite this consistent.”
Even Ainge was surprised by the trades the Celtics made Thursday, reports Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. The GM said two deals materialized within an hour of the deadline. In addition to the trade with Detroit, Boston sent Marcus Thornton and Cleveland’s first-round pick in 2016 to Phoenix for Isaiah Thomas. “Things were quiet for us, and then some opportunities opened up,” Ainge said. “There was the possibility of the Detroit trade, but I just didn’t think the Phoenix deal was going to happen. I think it was just the other stuff going on there [the Suns’ dealing of Goran Dragic to Miami and their pick-up of Brandon Knight from Milwaukee] that changed that.”
The Sixers‘ desire to take “big leaps” was behind Thursday’s deal that sent Michael Carter-Williams to Milwaukee, writes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. GM Sam Hinkie moved the reigning Rookie of the Year in a three-team trade that saw Phoenix send Philadelphia the Lakers’ 2015 draft pick, which is top-five protected. “We don’t think it’ll necessarily be linear, that each year you will add five wins and after 10 years you will get to 50,” Hinkie explained. “… You have to be prepared to put yourself in a position where you might be able to take big leaps.”

Clippers, Mavs Cautiously Interested In Sanders

February 21st, 2015 at 7:25pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 7:25pm: The Clippers have also shown interest, and the Cavs did as well prior to garnering a commitment from Kendrick Perkins, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Still, sources tell Stein that Sanders has no plan to play again this year, echoing earlier reports. Presumably the Clippers would tread carefully with Sanders, just as the Mavs would, though that’s just my speculation.

WEDNESDAY, 11:58am: The Mavs have “cautious and complicated interest” in Larry Sanders, who’s reportedly poised to hit waivers as part of a buyout deal with the Bucks, reports Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. It would take a convincing case from Happy Walters, the agent for Sanders, and Monta Ellis, who clashed with Sanders when they were teammates in Milwaukee, would have to give his blessing for a deal between Sanders and the Mavs to come to fruition, MacMahon cautions. MacMahon indicates that the interest would be for a deal this season, but Sanders is reportedly unlikely to return to the court or seek a deal this season.

Dallas only has the minimum salary to offer for any deal this season, as MacMahon points out. Marc Stein of ESPN.com identified the Mavs as a potential suitor for Sanders this past spring, but it seems his value has only declined since then. The center appears set to give up the majority of the $33MM he was set to make in the final three seasons of his deal with the Bucks.

The Mavs have a strong relationship with Walters, according to MacMahon, and Jermaine O’Neal‘s decision this week to abandon his efforts to play this season left the Mavs without one of their big man targets. Dallas had been prepared to sign both O’Neal and Amar’e Stoudemire, as Stein and MacMahon wrote earlier. Stoudemire has committed to joining the Mavs after clearing waivers today.

Five Teams In Talks With Thomas Robinson

February 21st, 2015 at 7:07pm CST by Chuck Myron

Thomas Robinson has had conversations with the Spurs, Nets, Suns, Heat and Hornets in the wake of his buyout deal with the Nuggets, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link). The former No. 5 overall pick went to Denver in the deadline-day trade that sent Arron Afflalo to the Blazers.

The Suns can spend the most, with more than $3.247MM in cap room. Miami has a disabled player exception worth nearly $2.653MM it can spend. The Spurs have a prorated portion of their mid-level, worth about $2.4MM, while the Hornets have their room exception, which comes to about $2MM at this point. The exceptions that San Antonio and Charlotte possess reduce in value daily. The Nets are limited to the minimum salary, which also prorates on a daily basis.

Robinson has seen his minutes decline each season after his rookie campaign, when he was traded midseason from the Kings to the Rockets. Portland acquired him when Houston sent him out in a cap-clearing move that helped the Rockets sign Dwight Howard, but at each stop, the power forward has failed to live up to his draft position. Still, he’s an efficient rebounder, averaging 4.2 boards in 12.2 minutes per game this season.

Gary Neal To Push For Buyout

February 21st, 2015 at 6:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

FEBRUARY 21ST, 6:37pm: The Timberwolves have no plans for a buyout with Neal, sources tell Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The season-ending injury to Shabazz Muhammad has no bearing on Minnesota’s thinking, Wojnarowski adds.

FEBRUARY 20TH, 9:35am: Saunders indicated that he remains disinclined to do a buyout, as Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune relays. “I’m not into buyouts,” Saunders said. “I’m not into paying a guy to play for someone else. It has to make sense for the team, not just the player.” To be clear, Neal would by definition be the party relinquishing money in a buyout, though Minnesota would still have to pay whatever remains on his contract, even if he hooks up with a new team.

5:42pm: The Wizards would have interest in Neal if he were to become a free agent, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com reports (Twitter link). Washington has an open roster spot it could use to add Neal, Michael adds.

4:21pm: The Bulls also have interest in Neal should he reach a buyout deal, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 19TH, 11:38am: Neal wants a trade to a playoff team, and the Hawks remain one of four or five postseason-bound clubs with interest in trading for him, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). He will indeed push for a buyout if there’s no trade, Berger adds (Twitter link).

6:38pm: The Wolves are trying to include Chase Budinger in any trade involving Neal, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).

FEBRUARY 18TH, 4:09pm: Neal continues to prefer either a trade or a buyout rather than remaining in Minnesota, Chris Mannix Of SI.com reports (Twitter link). Atlanta remains interested in Neal, Mannix adds.

FEBRUARY 13TH, 1:08pm: There’s a significant level of interest in Neal around the league, and the Hawks are among the teams that would like to sign him, but substantive buyout talks between the Relativity Sports client and the Wolves have yet to take place, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

9:12pm: Neal and his representatives will make a push to reach a buyout deal with the Wolves, in spite of Minnesota’s preference he remain on the roster for the remainder of the season, Wolfson tweets.

3:38pm: The Wolves have no plans to arrange a buyout with Neal, Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders told reporters, including Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). Instead, Saunders said he insisted on receiving a shooter in the deal with the Hornets, Zgoda notes, though Neal has slumped from behind the arc this year, as I noted (below).

12:40pm: Minnesota is looking at either a buyout or another trade involving Neal, Charania now says (on Twitter).

FEBRUARY 10TH, 12:22pm: The Wolves plan to explore a buyout with Gary Neal after having acquired him from the Hornets this afternoon, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link) Charania previously reported that the team would look for ways to flip the guard (Twitter link), but his latest dispatch indicates that Minnesota won’t do that. Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities first raised the possibility that Neal would push for a buyout (on Twitter). In any case, the Wolves have plans for the roster spot that today’s trade opened up, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press, adding that he’s heard that spot should be filled by day’s end.

Neal, 30, is making $3.25MM in the final season of a two-year contract that he signed in 2013 with the Bucks, who shipped him to the Hornets a year ago. He’s a client of Dan Fegan’s Relativity Sports, an agency with multiple Timberwolves clients, as Wolfson points out (Twitter link).

The fifth-year veteran is experiencing his worst three-point shooting season so far, nailing just 29.3%. He was a 39.4% three-point shooter during his first four seasons of action, and that skill led Charlotte to acquire him at last year’s deadline. Neal has averaged 9.6 points in 21.7 minutes per game across 43 appearances this season.

Shabazz Muhammad Done For The Season

February 21st, 2015 at 6:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Minnesota’s Shabazz Muhammad will undergo season-ending finger surgery, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. An unidentified source told Wojnarowski that recovery will take about eight weeks.

Muhammad ruptured the middle finger on his shooting hand, tweets Andy Greder of The St. Paul Pioneer Press. His surgery has been scheduled for Monday. It will be performed at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., according to a tweet from the Timberwolves.

Muhammad has been an improved player in his second season with Minnesota, averaging 13.5 points and 4.1 rebounds in 38 games. A UCLA product, he was the 14th pick in the 2013 draft. He’s still on his rookie contract and is making a little over $1.9MM this year. He is under the Wolves’ control through the 2016/17 season.

The deadline to apply for a disabled player exception passed last month, so Minnesota can’t receive any extra salary flexibility to replace the second-year swingman. Muhammad was disappointing in his lone year at UCLA and as a rookie with the Wolves last season, but he’d just begun this season to again show some of the promise that had him tied with Nerlens Noel atop the Recruiting Services Consensus Index coming out of high school in 2012.

And-Ones: Wolves, Augustin, D-League

February 21st, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the trade deadline passed the Timberwolves‘ focus is now on seeing which players fit into their long-term plans, Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune writes. “It’s an evaluation time for some of these guys, for where they’re at,” president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said. “But also for what they have to work on, once the season ends and they start getting ready for next year, what they need to do to become solid rotational players. So it’s a little of both.”

Here’s more from around the league:

The Grizzlies didn’t need to be make a deal prior to the trade deadline according to coach Dave Joerger, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal relays (subscription required). “We’re pretty happy with where we are,” Joerger said. “What we could possibly add I don’t think is better than what we have here.”
Toronto GM Masaj Ujiri said that the Raptors had “productive talks” with NBA D-League officials during the All-Star break about the team getting its D-League affiliate, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun tweets.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks is excited for what point guard D.J. Augustin can bring to the team, Nick Gallo of NBA.com writes. “I like the toughness that he brings to the table,” Brooks said. “Every night he’s had to battle to be in the position that he’s in. He’s making a nice career for himself. He’s a great shooter. He can run the team. He looks to make plays for others. He’s a pesky defender. He’s a great pickup for us.” Augustin arrived in OKC as part of the deal with Detroit and Utah that sent Reggie Jackson to the Pistons.
The Magic have recalled Devyn Marble from the the Erie BayHawks, their D-League affiliate, John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com reports (Twitter link). This was Marble’s third D-League assignment of the season.
San Antonio has re-assigned Kyle Anderson to the Austin Spurs, the team announced. In two treks to the D-League this season, Anderson has appeared in 10 games, averaging 22.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 41.0 minutes per contest.

Southeast Notes: Dragic, Sessions, Wizards

February 21st, 2015 at 4:23pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Dwyane Wade is extremely pleased that the Heat acquired Goran Dragic, calling his new teammate the best point guard he’s ever been paired with, Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel writes. “I haven’t played with a point guard with his ability since I’ve been here, in the league,” Wade said. “This is going to be great for everyone, a guy who can penetrate, set guys up, but also a guy who can score the basketball, as well, someone who’s very tough. You want a tough guy to play with. He is that. Needless to say, I was very happy about what we were able to do at the trade deadline.”

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

The trade of Andre Miller to the Kings for Ramon Sessions gave the Wizards approximately $2.5MM more space beneath the luxury tax threshold to work with, which could come in handy if Washington needs to sign another player, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post notes.
The Wizards hope that Sessions will perform well enough to lock down the backup point guard duties for next season, when he is owed a reasonable $2,170,465, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com writes. “There’s no question about that. We’re not going to take on any real long-term contracts. We don’t want to hurt our long-term flexibility,” Washington GM Ernie Grunfeld said. “At the same time, when a player comes available you want to look at it. He’s under contract this year and next year and if you look at backup point guards that are going to be available next year, it’s not a great list. It’s not that many of them.“
Sessions is happy to be a member of the Wizards, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today relays. “Washington is a great situation for Ramon,” Sessions’ agent Jared Karnes said. “He’s obviously looking forward to going to the playoffs. He has a contract year coming up and this gives him a chance shake things up and be part of a playoff team. Ramon appreciated his time in Sacramento and wishes them success.“

Jazz, Kendrick Perkins Agree To Buyout Deal

February 21st, 2015 at 3:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

3:53pm: Perkins has officially been waived, the Jazz announced.

3:27pm: A buyout arrangement has been reached, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Perkins intends to sign with the Cavaliers if he clears waivers, which he is expected to do, Wojnarowski adds.

1:48pm: Perkins has narrowed his choices to the Cavs and the Clippers, and the big man is expected to make his decision on Sunday, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group reports (Twitter link).

10:51am: The Clippers are not out of the running for Perkins, but are considered long shots to sign him, Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports (Twitter link).

SATURDAY, 10:28am: The Cavaliers have emerged as the frontrunners to sign Perkins if he is indeed waived by Utah, Wojnarowski reports. The Bulls, Rockets, and Hawks are also in the mix for the big man, Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal tweets.

FRIDAY, 9:24am: Perkins is interested in playing for the Mavs, Wojnarowski writes, but the team doesn’t share that interest, as Cuban said (below). Conflict in the past with Joakim Noah wouldn’t keep Perkins from joining the Bulls, a source tells K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

11:25pm: Mark Cuban said that Dallas is set in its frontcourt, and that the Mavs would not be interested in Perkins if he is waived, Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman tweets.

10:18pm: The Bulls and the Cavs are the frontrunners to sign Perkins when and if he clears waivers, David Aldridge of NBA.com reports (Twitter link).

6:08pm: The Mavericks have also expressed interest in Perkins, should he be waived, Wojnarowski tweets.

THURSDAY, 3:55pm: The Jazz and Kendrick Perkins are headed for a buyout, reports Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Utah agreed to take on his expiring contract, worth more than $9.654MM, as part of a three-way deal with the Pistons and Thunder. The Cavs and Clippers are teams to watch should Perkins indeed hit free agency in the coming days, Young says, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports calls those teams strong contenders to sign him (on Twitter). The Bulls will be very much in the mix for Perkins, too, Wojnarowski also tweets.

The 30-year-old Perkins is making $9.654MM this season on an expiring contract, and it’s not immediately clear how much he would give up in a buyout. He was much-maligned throughout his tenure in Oklahoma City after having been hailed as key to the Celtics’ 2008 championship and subsequent run to the Finals in 2010. He had a PER of 15.0 in 2009/10, but he never had a double-digit PER for the Thunder after a trade sent him there in the middle of the 2010/11 season.

His name was part of a proposal that would have sent him to the Nets for Brook Lopez, but that trade didn’t pan out. In any case, he’s an odd fit for Utah, a team focused on the future, so a quick parting of ways makes sense. The Jazz will have to waive him no later than March 1st for him to be eligible to play for another team in the postseason.

Chris Bosh Out For The Season

February 21st, 2015 at 3:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

SATURDAY, 3:39pm: Bosh is officially out for the remainder of the season, the Heat announced in a press release. The team’s statement added, “Bosh, who is receiving care under the guidance of Miami Heat team physicians at a Baptist Health System Hospital, is currently resting comfortably. Chris is OK and his prognosis is good.”

5:08pm: The Heat are expected to announce that Bosh’s season is over, Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald reports (Twitter link). However, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has stated that no decision regarding Bosh has been made yet, Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post tweets. “We’re still in the info collecting process. Anything right now is premature. We’ll know more as soon as we can,” Spoelstra said.

12:46pm: Bosh has blood clots in both lungs, Zwerling hears (Twitter link).

11:49am: Heat coach Erik Spoelstra cautioned that while the team is concerned, Bosh’s diagnosis isn’t final, as USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt relays.

9:49am: Bosh has a blood clot in one lung, according to Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling (Twitter link). Heat team president Pat Riley understands that Bosh’s condition typically sidelines players for the season, tweets Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, who wrote earlier that it’s “difficult to envision” Bosh playing again this season.

FRIDAY, 8:19am: The Heat are worried that Chris Bosh has multiple blood clots on his lungs that would force him to miss the rest of the season, reports Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. Initial tests proved inclusive after Bosh was admitted to a Miami-area hospital Thursday, according to Goodman. The treatment for pulmonary embolus, or multiple clots, would involve blood thinners, which could keep the Heat’s star out for even longer than the balance of 2014/15, Goodman writes. The condition appears to have come on rather quickly for Bosh, who played just this past Sunday in the All-Star Game.

An absence of any significant length would be a devastating blow to the Heat, who are in a dogfight to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, and on Thursday they acquired Goran Dragic in part to help that postseason push. The deadline to apply for a disabled player exception passed last month, so Miami couldn’t gain any additional salary flexibility if Bosh were to be ruled out for the season, though the team does already have a disabled player exception worth $2,652,500 for Josh McRoberts. That exception doesn’t expire until March 10th.

The Heat have a pair of open roster spots, though they’re reportedly set to sign Henry Walker to a 10-day contract. Center Kendrick Perkins seems headed for a buyout from the Jazz, while the Nuggets and Thomas Robinson have apparently already agreed to one, and the Heat reportedly showed interest in free agent Andray Blatche earlier this season. It’s unclear if Miami would pursue any of them at this point, and none would come close to the production of Bosh, who’s averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Bosh, 30, is making $20.644MM in the first year of a five-year max contract. One NBA player is already being forced to miss the rest of this season with multiple blood clots in his lungs, as the condition struck Nets forward Mirza Teletovic last month.

Heat Sign Henry Walker To 10-Day Deal

February 21st, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

SATURDAY, 3:37pm: The deal is official, the Heat announced.

FRIDAY, 7:54am: The Heat will sign swingman Henry Walker to a 10-day contract, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Walker is a four-year NBA veteran who went by the name Bill Walker when he played for the Celtics and Knicks between 2008/09 and 2011/12. He’s been with the Heat’s affiliate in the D-League this season.

Walker was part of the rotation for the Knicks in 2011/12, when he saw his last NBA action, averaging 5.8 points in 19.4 minutes per game across 32 appearances that year. He was an 11.9 PPG scorer in 27.4 MPG in 27 contests for the Knicks in the second half of the 2009/10 season. The now 27-year-old has spent part of each of the last three seasons in the D-League, with a short stint in Venezuela thrown in. He’s been on a shooting tear of late, nailing 44.8% of his three-point attempts in 17 D-League contests this season, as Pick points out.

Miami has a pair of open roster spots after Thursday’s three-way trade with the Suns and Pelicans that brought the Dragic brothers to town. The Heat signed Tyler Johnson to a two-year deal after inking him to a pair of 10-day contracts earlier this season, so surely Walker, a Mike Naiditch client, will hope for the same.

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