Month: November 2024

Western Rumors: Bryant, Rockets, Nuggets

November 23rd, 2015 at 10:40pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kobe Bryant is shooting a career-low 33.1% from the field but Lakers coach Byron Scott wants him to stay aggressive offensively, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. Bryant’s desire to score off isolation plays may be hindering the team’s ball movement but Scott doesn’t plan on telling the aging small forward to stop looking for his shot, Holmes continues. “He’s had 20 years of experience in the league,” Scott told the team’s beat reporters. “We might not have six players that have 20 years in this league combined. He has that privilege, basically. From a coaching standpoint, I want Kobe to be Kobe. Other guys haven’t earned that right yet.”

In other news around the Western Conference:

Former first-round pick Jordan Hamilton, who finished last season with the Clippers, has left the Russian club Krasny Oktyabr, aka Volgograd, tweets international journalist David Pick. JaJuan Johnson, another former NBA first-rounder who hasn’t played in the league since 2012, also left the team, Pick adds.
The struggling Rockets have slowed down offensively and interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff wants to increase the tempo, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Houston was second in pace last season but has slipped to eighth this season. Some of that is due to defensive breakdowns but Bickerstaff also wants to utilize his team’s quickness to a greater extent, especially in the first half, Feigen adds. “That’s one of the things we’re focused on now,” Bickerstaff told the Houston media. “We want to be speedy. We want teams that come in here in the first five minutes of the game … to be overwhelmed by our speed. We have the athletes. We have the skilled players who can get up and down and do those things.”
Nuggets first-year coach Michael Malone is generally pleased with his team through the first 14 games, as he relayed to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post on Monday afternoon. “We lost eight games, but, c’mon, two of those to Golden State,” Malone said. “We lost to OKC when they were healthy. Phoenix twice, [which] is a good basketball team; at San Antonio. We’ve had some tough games, and hopefully as long as we keep on staying together, learning from the losses and growing, we’re going to be OK.”

Atlantic Notes: Prokhorov, Celtics, Stoudemire

November 23rd, 2015 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov doesn’t feel like pushing the panic button despite the team’s woeful start, as he indicated to Andy Vasquez of NorthJersey.com in an email exchange. Prokhorov is preaching patience, which is something he hasn’t shown in the past, Vasquez notes. “We have a lot of new players and quite a few younger pieces, so it takes some time for the team to gel and to show its full potential,” Prokhorov told Vasquez, adding that “I think we’ve seen some positive progress and my hope is that these efforts will soon be reflected in the wins column.”

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

The Celtics have positioned themselves for a very bright future, as Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post analyzes in his new role as the newspaper’s national NBA columnist. GM Danny Ainge made shrewd moves in the draft and in trades to secure quality pieces like Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas but that’s just the start, Bontemps continues. They have the Nets’ unprotected first-round pick next summer, courtesy of the 2013 Paul Pierce–Kevin Garnett trade, with an unprotected pick swap in 2017 and another unprotected first rounder in 2018 still to come their way from the deal. They could also have more than $50MM in salary-cap space next offseason to chase high-level free agents, Bontemps adds.
Heat power forward Amar’e Stoudemire blames his Knicks coaches for not taking advantage of his offensive skills in conjunction with Carmelo Anthony, Marc Berman of the New York Post reports. Stoudemire and Anthony wanted to run more pick-and-rolls together during Stoudemire’s years in New York but couldn’t get their coaches, namely Mike D’Antoni and Mike Woodson, to call those plays often enough, Berman continues. “I don’t think that pick-and-roll offense between Melo and I was ever taken advantage of, which we could have,” he told Berman. “The way he shoots the ball, handles the ball from the outside and the way I attack the rim, it could’ve been a pretty good combination. I don’t think the coaching staff at the time really bought into that.’’
The Raptors have to do a better job of getting everyone on the roster up to speed with all of their plays, according to Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. Coach Dwane Casey has become increasing reliant on his reserves, and they haven’t demonstrated that they know the plays as thoroughly as the starters, Ganter adds.

Offseason In Review: Minnesota Timberwolves

November 23rd, 2015 at 9:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hoops Rumors is in the process of looking back at each team’s offseason, from the end of the playoffs in June right up until opening night. Trades, free agent signings, draft picks, contract extensions, option decisions, camp invitees and more will be covered as we examine the moves each franchise made over the last several months.

Signings

Kevin Garnett: Two years, $16.5MM. Signed via Bird rights.
Andre Miller: One year, $1.499MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.
Tayshaun Prince: One year, $1.499MM. Signed via minimum salary exception.

Extensions

None

Trades

Acquired the draft rights to Tyus Jones (No. 24 overall pick) from the Cavaliers in exchange for the draft rights to Cedi Osman (31st overall pick), the draft rights to Rakeem Christmas (36th overall pick), and Minnesota’s 2019 second round pick.
Acquired Damjan Rudez from the Pacers in exchange for Chase Budinger.

Waiver Claims

None

Draft Picks

Karl-Anthony Towns (Round 1, 1st overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
Tyus Jones (Round 1, 24th overall). Signed via rookie exception to rookie scale contract.
Nemanja Bjelica (2010 Round 2, 35th overall). Signed for three years, $11.7MM via mid-level exception.

Camp Invitees

Kleon Penn — Waived.
Nick Wiggins — Waived.

Departing Players

Rookie Contract Option Decisions

Anthony Bennett (fourth year, $7,318,289) — waived (declined by default)
Gorgui Dieng (fourth year, $2,348,783) — exercised.
Zach LaVine (third year, $2,240,880) — exercised.
Shabazz Muhammad (fourth year, $3,046,299) — exercised.
Adreian Payne (third year, $2,022,240) — exercised.
Andrew Wiggins (third year, $6,006,600) — exercised.

Courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Following a decade of futility, the Timberwolves finally have real hope of becoming a perennial playoff contender in the near future. Via trade and the lottery, they have the top picks in the last two drafts and both have shown a world of talent. There are also some talented pieces around the duo of small forward Andrew Wiggins and power forward Karl-Anthony Towns. Tragically, the architect of the rebuilding project will not get to see his vision of the franchise’s rebirth come to fruition.

The Timberwolves, as well as the entire league, suffered a shocking blow when coach and president of basketball operations Flip Saunders died at the age of 60 on Oct. 25th due to complications from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Originally, Saunders and his doctors were highly optimistic he would beat the disease. When it announced his diagnosis in August, the team referred to his ailment as a “very treatable and curable form of cancer” and said that he could continue his dual role. Saunders took a leave of absence the following month and when owner Glen Taylor revealed late in training camp that Saunders would not return this season, it was clear that the situation was dire.

Former Raptors coach Sam Mitchell, one of Saunders’ ex-players, replaced him on the bench while GM Milt Newton added the duties of running the team’s basketball operations. Mitchell’s future as the team’s coach beyond this season is unresolved but as Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star Tribune recently pointed out, his lineup decisions in the early going suggest that he’s focused on the franchise’s long-term success.

It certainly helps to have a large building block, literally, to solidify that foundation. Their options, once they won the lottery, boiled down to two big men — Towns and Jahlil Okafor. In the weeks leading up to the draft, Saunders became enamored with Towns and there was no drama on draft night concerning their selection. Saunders fell in love with Towns’ versatility, noting that he could not only score in the low post but also hit shots from the perimeter. Saunders was also impressed with Towns’ ball handling and shot blocking.

The early-season results have fortified the notion that the Timberwolves made the right choice, even though Okafor and Kristaps Porzingis have also made strong impressions. He recorded eight double-doubles in the team’s first 13 games while averaging 2.4 blocks.

Minnesota added another first-rounder when it traded three second-rounders to the Cavaliers for the 24th overall pick. The Timberwolves made the trade for the rights to Duke point guard Tyus Jones, who had the floor vision and leadership to develop into a quality NBA point guard, as Eddie Scarito of Hoops Rumors noted in his Prospect Profile. Thus far, Jones hasn’t gotten much of an opportunity to show those skills as he’s buried behind starter Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Andre Miller. But he adds depth to that position and may gain a more prominent role if the team decides to trade Rubio down the road.

That was the only trade the Timberwolves made during the offseason, other than a minor swap with the Pacers of two small forwards. They acquired Euro veteran Damjan Rudez for Chase Budinger, a move that cleared some salary cap space. Rudez is making $1.15MM this season while Budinger exercised a $5MM option on his contract, but the teams were able to swing the deal because of prior trade exceptions that they exercised.

A move of greater consequence came in July when Minnesota agreed to a three-year deal with one of Europe’s top big men, Nemanja Bjelica. Minnesota had held the power forward’s draft rights for five years and the reigning Euroleague MVP decided it was time to give the NBA a try. He negotiated a buyout agreement with his Turkish team with some monetary assistance from the Timberwolves. Bjelica earned a rotation spot during training camp, though he has been slowed recently by a knee injury.

The other notable moves the club made involved the signings of longtime veterans to help nurture the young talent on the roster, as well as divorcing themselves from young power forward Anthony Bennett. The frontcourt upgrades that the Timberwolves made removed any meaningful role for Bennett, whom the team acquired in the 2014 blockbuster with the Cavs that delivered Wiggins while shipping disgruntled Kevin Love out of town. A buyout agreement allowed Bennett to join the Raptors once he cleared waivers.

There was little debate that Kevin Garnett would re-sign with the club that originally drafted him and end his storied career in Minnesota. Garnett inked a two-year contract and has not only contributed on the court but has also served as an ideal mentor for Towns. Towns recently told NBA.com’s David Aldridge that he learns something new every day from Garnett.

Another old Saunders favorite, Tayshaun Prince, signed a one-year contract. Prince was Saunders’ starting small forward during his three years as head coach of the Pistons. Prince has played regularly in the early going, though his stats have been modest. But his impact also goes beyond the court, as he serves as a role model for the team’s wing players, particularly Wiggins.

Miller has similar responsibilities as a backup point guard, though he still has enough left in the tank to play effectively when oft-injured Rubio is sidelined. He can offer sage advice to LaVine and Jones and assist in their development.

The Timberwolves were not interested in making a lot of big moves this offseason. They were mainly concerned with molding their young core into a winning unit, with the aid of trusted veterans that could impart their knowledge to the likes of Towns and Wiggins. The future certainly looks bright, even though it’s likely Minnesota is headed for its 11th consecutive losing season. Sadly, the man responsible for the rebuilding project won’t be around to see the improvement, but his impact will be felt for many years to come.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post. The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of it.

Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Hornets, Raptors

November 23rd, 2015 at 7:38pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Kristaps Porzingis has already allayed Phil Jackson’s fears that he might be too slight of build to develop into a star player, Johnette Howard of ESPN.com reports. The Knicks’ president of basketball operations was worried during the offseason that Porzingis’ body shape might make him nothing more than an updated version of Shawn Bradley, who never developed into an All-Star caliber player. Porzingis’ swift development has been the talk of New York and he already leads the Knicks in rebounding and blocks, Howard continues. “I’m not scared — I’m not scared of anybody,” Porzingis told Howard. “I’m skinny and I’m light. Strong guys can still push me around. But I will fight back, and be aggressive and never back down from anybody. If I want to succeed at this level, I can’t be scared of anybody.” Porzingis moves far better than the league’s most accomplished European player, Dirk Nowitzki, and is a much better rebounder and shot-blocker than the longtime Mavericks All-Star, Howard adds.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

The Hornets’ improved 3-point shooting has given its main low-post threat, center Al Jefferson, more room to operate, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Charlotte is doing a better job of spreading the floor with the additions of Nicolas Batum, Jeremy Lamb, Jeremy Lin, Spencer Hawes and Frank Kaminsky, as it is shooting nearly 37% on 3-point attempts compared to its league-worst 31.8% shooting from long range last season. That has been a boost to Jefferson, who is averaging nearly 21 points over the last four games, Bonnell adds. “There’s so much shooting on the floor that they’re a lot less likely to say, ‘Not tonight. He’s just not scoring. These other guys are going to have to shoot,'” Hornets coach Steve Clifford told Bonnell. “Now they can’t do that.”
It’s a misguided notion that the Raptors’ 9-6 start should be viewed as a mild disappointment, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca opines. Toronto has already endured the toughest portion of its schedule, including a five-game, eight-day West Coast swing, Lewenberg points out, and it’s only played four home games. Given those obstacles, the Raptors’ record to this point is commendable, Lewenberg adds.
Heat point guard Goran Dragic has been hampered by his lack of chemistry with backcourt partner Dwyane Wade and the team’s methodical pace, Ethan J. Skolnick of Miami Herald uncovered while taking a hard look at the team’s statistical trends. Wade has assisted on only one Dragic basket this season, a sign of their disconnect and of Dragic’s struggles to make his 3-point attempts. The Heat also rank 25th in pace and that hurts a player like Dragic, who prefers a more uptempo style, Skolnick adds.

Central Notes: Copeland, Blatt, Smith, Vogel

November 23rd, 2015 at 5:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers didn’t try to re-sign Chris Copeland this past offseason, but they still gave him access to their training staff after his contract ended on July 1st, writes Candace Buckner of The Indianapolis Star. Copeland, who signed a one-year deal with the Bucks on July 29th, is grateful for the help he needed to recover from the injuries that he suffered when he was stabbed outside a New York City nightclub in April, as Buckner details.

“I was just blessed to have guys like [Pacers president of basketball operations] Larry Bird and the training staff who stuck with me way past when they had to,” Copeland said. “Legally by July 1st they’re not obligated to do anything, but those guys took care of me. They did more than they needed to. That’s why I’m forever in their debt. I appreciate the type of people that I was [around] for the last two years.”

See more on the Pacers amid the latest from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers made it a point to improve their depth in the offseason, in spite of the tax implications, and they’ve benefited from the strategy in the season’s first month, notes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “I think that we went through a year last year where we put ourselves in a great position and had a tremendous season and a tremendous opportunity, then at the very end we fell prey to the lack of depth,” Cavs coach David Blatt said. “And we addressed it this summer. Obviously up to this point in the season, it’s really paid off for us because the guys that we brought in are major contributors and the guys that stayed obviously are high-level people and high-level basketball players.”
J.R. Smith, who re-signed with the Cavs this summer after a midseason trade, credits the team and Cleveland at large for greeting him with a level of acceptance he hasn’t found elsewhere in the NBA, he tells McMenamin for a separate piece, calling it “first place I’ve been where I’ve started off with a clean sheet.”
Pacers coach Frank Vogel is pleased with the contribution he’s seeing from the back end of his roster, quipping that Bird “gave me too many good players,” notes Mark Montieth of Pacers.com.

How 2015 Second-Rounders Are Faring Outside NBA

November 23rd, 2015 at 4:46pm CST by Chuck Myron

The majority of the 30 second-round picks from the 2015 draft aren’t on NBA teams. Only 12 of them signed contracts in the offseason, and one of them, J.P. Tokoto, has already hit waivers. Tokoto and the rest of this year’s second-rounders are playing outside the NBA. Here’s how each of those players is faring so far this season:

Cedi Osman, Cavaliers (31st overall) — Averaging 6.3 points in 15.1 minutes per game and shooting 45.8% from 3-point range in 24 attempts for Anadolu Efes of Turkey.
Guillermo Hernangomez, Knicks (35th overall) — Averaging 4.9 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game for Real Madrid of Spain.
Juan Vaulet, Nets (39th overall) — Averaging 4.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game for Bahia Basket of Argentina.
Olivier Hanlan, Jazz (42nd overall) — Averaging 8.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 22.2 minutes per game with 38.8% 3-point shooting in 49 attempts for Zalgiris of Lithuania.
Andrew Harrison, Grizzlies (44th overall) — Averaging 13.3 points, 5.0 assists and 2.3 turnovers in 34.2 minutes per game with 35.7% 3-point shooting for the Grizzlies D-League affiliate.
Marcus Thornton, Celtics (45th overall) — Averaging 15.8 points and 2.6 rebounds in 32.9 minutes per game for the Sydney Kings of Australia.
Arturas Gudaitis, Kings (47th overall) — Averaging 8.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game for Lietuvos Rytas of Lithuania.
Dakari Johnson, Thunder (48th overall) — Averaging 11.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in 33.1 minutes per game for the Thunder D-League affiliate.
Aaron White, Wizards (49th overall) — Averaging 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game for Telekom Baskets Bonn of Germany.
Marcus Eriksson, Hawks (50th overall) — Averaging 5.6 points in 10.4 minutes per game with 37.5% 3-point shooting in 16 attempts for FC Barcelona Regal of Spain.
Tyler Harvey, Magic (51st overall) — Averaging 14.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game across just two contests so far for the Magic D-League affiliate.
Satnam Singh, Mavericks (52nd overall) — Averaging 2.0 points and 1.5 rebounds in 5.7 minutes per game across just two contests so far for the Mavericks D-League affiliate.
Sir’Dominic Pointer, Cavaliers (53rd overall) — Averaging 11.3 points and 6.7 rebounds in 25.9 minutes per game for the Cavaliers D-League affiliate.
Daniel Diez, Trail Blazers (54th overall) — Averaging 4.5 points and 2.8 rebounds with 38.5% 3-point shooting in 26 attempts for Unicaja Malaga of Spain.
Cady Lalanne, Spurs (55th overall) — Averaging 7.8 points and 3.8 rebounds in 25.2 minutes per game for the Spurs D-League affiliate.
Nikola Radicevic, Nuggets (57th overall) — Has yet to play for Baloncesto Sevilla of Spain this season because of a hip injury.
J.P. Tokoto (58th overall) — Averaging 13.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.5 steals in 30.2 minutes per game for the Thunder D-League affiliate. The Sixers gave up his NBA rights when they waived him in the preseason, and they traded his D-League rights to the Thunder.
Dimitrios Agravanis, Hawks (59th overall) — Averaging 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game with 46.2% 3-point shooting in 26 attempts for Olympiacos of Greece.
Luka Mitrovic, Kings (60th overall) — Averaging 11.0 points and 5.9 rebounds in 24.4 minutes per game with 47.1% 3-point shooting in 17 attempts for KK Crvena Zvezda of Serbia.

Note: The NBA team listed for each player is the one that currently holds his NBA rights, not necessarily the club that drafted him.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Southwest Notes: Morey, Williams, McGee, Gentry

November 23rd, 2015 at 3:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s up to the players to pull the Rockets out of the malaise that cost former coach Kevin McHale his job, according to GM Daryl Morey, but Morey acknowledges to TNT’s David Aldridge that some of the fault lies at his own desk, as Aldridge relays in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.

“Except for Dwight Howard, there really isn’t anybody on the roster playing well, and those are all my decisions,” Morey said. “I can’t hide from that.”

The Rockets won their first game after switching from McHale to interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff but lost both of their games since, and they’re tied with the Kings at 5-9 for 12th place in the Western Conference. See more from the Southwest Division:

Chandler Parsons doesn’t understand why Deron Williams has a reputation as a negative locker room force, citing evidence of the opposite to Jake Fischer of SI.com. Wesley Matthews observes a positive attitude from Williams in the face of challenges, like the erosion of his game, a change Williams acknowledges, as Fischer adds. “My days of scoring 20 and 10 are over. I know that,” said Williams, who gave up nearly $16MM to buy his way off the Nets before signing with the Mavericks for $11MM over two years.
The return of JaVale McGee puts the squeeze on the minutes of early-season revelation Dwight Powell, notes Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News. The Mavs have until January 7th to decide whether to pay McGee his full salary of $1.27MM or waive him and pay only his $750K partial guarantee.
Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry was satisfied as the lead assistant for the Warriors last season and didn’t think he’d end up with another head coaching job until New Orleans came calling, observes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. “I was not going to take a job just to have a job as a head coach unless it was a situation that I thought was going to give you an opportunity to win and win big and compete for a championship,” Gentry said. “I really didn’t have any desire just to take another NBA job.”

Failed 2014 Extension Talks Led To Change For Many

November 23rd, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Players eligible for rookie scale extensions who don’t sign one can end up taking one of several paths, but for most such players from the 2014 extension-eligible class, their paths led to different teams. Only four of the 12 players who failed to sign rookie scale extensions when they were eligible last year are still with the same team. Five of the 12 were traded before the end of the 2014/15 season, and three escaped via free agency.

Still, money followed stability. The three 2014 extension-eligibles who reached restricted free agency this past summer and signed the most lucrative contracts did so with the same teams they failed to come to terms with last fall. The wait for Tristan Thompson and the Cavs to reach a deal was especially lengthy, but he ultimately came back to Cleveland.

This year, 15 players could have signed rookie scale extensions but didn’t, a group that includes Andre Drummond and Bradley Beal, who seem like strong bets to remain on the Pistons and Wizards, respectively. It also includes Evan Fournier, who rejected a four-year, $32MM extension offer from the Magic, as Shams Charania reported this afternoon, and whose future is murkier. Indeed, evidence from the past year suggests that Fournier and others like him shouldn’t get too comfortable with their surroundings. Here’s a look at how each player who was eligible for a rookie scale extension in 2014 but failed to sign one fared in free agency this summer.

Kawhi Leonard, Spurs — Re-signed for five years, $94.343MM.
Jimmy Butler, Bulls — Re-signed for five years, $92.34MM.
Tristan Thompson, Cavaliers — Re-signed for five years, $82MM.
Reggie Jackson, Thunder — Traded to Pistons in February; re-signed with Pistons for five years, $80MM.
Enes Kanter, Jazz — Traded to Thunder in February; signed four-year, $70.06MM max offer sheet with Blazers; Thunder matched.
Brandon Knight, Bucks — Traded to Suns in February; re-signed with Suns for five years, $70MM.
Tobias Harris, Magic — Re-signed for four years, $64MM.
Iman Shumpert, Knicks — Traded to Cavaliers in January; re-signed with Cavaliers for four years, $40MM.
Cory Joseph, Spurs — Signed with Raptors for four years, $30MM. (The Spurs made a qualifying offer but withdrew it.)
Derrick Williams, Kings — Signed with Knicks for two years, $8.998MM. (The Kings elected not to make a qualifying offer.)
Bismack Biyombo, Hornets — Signed with the Raptors for two years, $5.755MM. (The Hornets elected not to make a qualifying offer.)
Norris Cole, Heat — Traded to Pelicans in February; re-signed with Pelicans for one year, $3.037MM (qualifying offer).

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Eastern Notes: Fournier, Embiid, Brown, Nene

November 23rd, 2015 at 1:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Evan Fournier turned down a four-year, $32MM extension offer from the Magic before this month’s November 2nd rookie scale extension deadline, league sources told Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports. Orlando and the Bouna Ndiaye client reportedly never came close to a deal, and Fournier is poised for restricted free agency this summer.

“To be honest, I did not even expect to be extended,” Fournier said. “I had no pressure about that. If there was something good, I will take it. If not, I can wait until the summer. I don’t have to worry about it and make the wrong decision. I have confidence in myself and the season that I’ll have. The contract will take care of itself. You can’t go on the court and think about a deal. You must be focused and you must have the right mindset.”

Fournier doesn’t have his sights set on becoming a No. 1 option for a team, but he’s motivated to put his days as an afterthought behind him, as Charania examines. See more from the Eastern Conference:

Joel Embiid appears to be carrying himself with more maturity and seriousness than before, knowing he must commit to his rehabilitation, a source tells TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. The Sixers had reportedly been concerned about his conditioning, among other worries about the former No. 3 overall pick, but he’s been keeping himself in shape, Aldridge writes. It’s a dose of positive news for the 0-14 Sixers, who remain committed to their loss-laden rebuilding plan, as Chris Crouse of Hoops Rumors wrote as he examined the team’s moves from the past several months.
Sixers coach Brett Brown wondered if his job was in jeopardy a year ago amid an 0-17 start for the team, but GM Sam Hinkie assured him then that he’s a major part of the plan, and the coach has earned respect within the organization for his persistence, Aldridge writes in the same piece.
Nene has been a starter for most of his career and has expressed disdain for playing center in the past, but so far, he’s accepted his role as backup center on the Wizards, and his team-leading 18 points Sunday helped show his value, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. Nene is set for free agency at season’s end.

Special Trade Eligibility Dates

November 23rd, 2015 at 12:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

A subtle NBA deadline passed on Wednesday last week, the date exactly three months before the February 18th trade deadline. Free agent signees aren’t eligible for trades until at least three months have passed from the time they put pen to paper. That means any player who signs at any point during the rest of 2015/16 regular season can’t be included in a trade until after it’s over. If a team signs a player using draft rights anytime between now and January 18th, it can trade him this season, but such a scenario is unlikely.

The passage of the three-months-to-go mark in advance of the trade deadline leaves teams with few avenues to pursue swaps until December 15th, the date that most of the players who signed this past summer become eligible to be traded. However, a sizable chunk of those signees won’t be trade-eligible for a while longer than that. January 15th is the first day for trades involving free agents who re-signed with their teams via Bird rights or Early Bird rights and received a starting salary greater than the minimum salary and at least 20% more than what they made last season, as long as their teams were over the cap when the signings took place. That’s a lengthy set of stipulations, but it still encompasses two dozen players.

Several others have trade-eligibility dates that come up on the three-month anniversaries of their signings. Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler weren’t free agents this summer, but because the renegotiations-and-extensions they signed in the offseason were larger than what would be allowed in extend-and-trade transactions, they can’t be traded until the respective six-month anniversaries of their new deals.

Note that the list below doesn’t include players who can veto trades or players who have special restrictions on where and how they may be traded, like Mario Chalmers, who may be traded again any time but whose salary can’t be aggregated in a trade until January 10th, two months after the deal that sent him to the Grizzlies. It simply serves as a reference that shows the dates (aside from December 15th) between now and the February 18th trade deadline when certain players become eligible for inclusion in trades:

December 22nd