2016 February | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Morris, Ayres, Stephenson

February 19th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Suns GM Ryan McDonough believes the trade that sent Markieff Morris to the Wizards will allow both sides to have a new start, Bob Baum of The Associated Press relays. “I think Markieff will play well in Washington but I think for all parties involved it was time for a fresh start,” McDonough said. “I think this trade hopefully will bring a breath of fresh air into our organization.” The executive also noted that he was extremely pleased with the protected first rounder Phoenix acquired from Washington in the swap, Baum adds. “We feel good about it,” McDonough continued. “Anytime you’re able to acquire a draft pick that has a chance to be late lottery or mid-first round for a player that probably wasn’t fitting in as well as he could have, we view that as a positive outcome for the franchise.”

Here’s more from out West:

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is intrigued with deadline acquisition Lance Stephenson and believes the swingman is still growing as a player, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal relays. “Lance is a guy who got a significant free agent contract from Charlotte based on how well he played in Indiana two years ago,” Wallace said. “He is a very tough, versatile player who can handle the ball and guard multiple positions. He’s got every reason to be very motivated and help us. He was one of the best shooters coming into the [2010] draft. He’s a young guy who the book hasn’t been written on.”
The Clippers acquired Jeff Green with the intention of using his Bird rights to re-sign him in the offseason, and Green, while saying that he’s still adjusting in the immediate wake of Thursday’s trade, can envision a long-term fit in L.A., observes Dan Woike of the Orange County Register (Twitter links).
The Rockets have assigned rookie combo forward Sam Dekker to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Dekker’s second trek to Rio Grande Valley, though he was injured during his first stint with the Vipers and he did not see any game action as a result.
The Thunder have assigned Mitch McGary to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be the center’s sixth stint with the Blue on the season.
Center Jeff Ayres, whose second 10-day deal with the Clippers expired last week, has rejoined the the Idaho Stampede, the Jazz’s D-League affiliate, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor tweets.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Multiple Teams Interested In Anderson Varejao

February 19th, 2016 at 7:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:45pm: The Spurs and Mavericks are also among the teams interested in Varejao, Stein writes in a full-length story. Dallas is reportedly the frontrunner to sign David Lee once he clears waivers, so it is possible that the Mavs consider Varejao a secondary option, though that is merely my speculation.

6:51pm: The Warriors are among the teams that have expressed interest in signing Varejao once he clears waivers, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.

12:18pm: The Thunder have swiftly jumped into the market for Anderson Varejao, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said in an appearance with Tony Cartagena on ESPN Cleveland Radio today (audio link; scroll to seven-minute mark). Windhorst also links the Clippers and the Bulls to Varejao, though that appears to be speculative. The Trail Blazers waived Varejao on Thursday after acquiring him via trade from the Cavaliers, who can’t re-sign him for 12 months.

Oklahoma City shed $3.615MM in salary and roughly another $6MM in projected luxury tax penalties thanks to Thursday’s trade to acquire Randy Foye. The Thunder are still well over the tax threshold, but the cost of a prorated minimum-salary contract for Varejao would pale in comparison to what the team would have spent if it hadn’t pulled off the trade with the Nuggets that sent out D.J. Augustin and Steve Novak. Oklahoma City sent an undisclosed amount of cash to Denver in the swap, but it couldn’t have been more than $1.9MM.

The deal also opened a roster spot for the Thunder, so they wouldn’t have to make a corresponding move to add Varejao. The 33-year-old big man must first clear waivers before signing with any team, though that’s likely a formality, given the nearly $10MM in guaranteed salary his contract would entail for next season.

The Thunder have a prorated portion of their $3.376MM taxpayer’s mid-level exception that they could use to outbid other suitors, though doing so would cut into the money the team saved in the trade.

Atlantic Notes: Sampson, Embiid, Olynyk

February 19th, 2016 at 7:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers coach Brett Brown would like for the team to re-sign JaKarr Sampson, whom Philadelphia waived Thursday to accommodate its three-way trade with the Pistons and Rockets, but the coach isn’t confident that Sampson will clear waivers, notes Jessica Camerato of CSN Philly (Twitter link). That jibes with a report from Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, who heard from a source that the Sixers want to re-sign the small forward. GM Sam Hinkie referred to a new deal with Sampson as a possibility but also acknowledged the chance that another team claims him, as Tom Moore of Calkins Media relays (on Twitter).

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks failed to upgrade their roster at this year’s trade deadline and one major reason for the franchise standing pat was team president Phil Jackson‘s refusal to part with New York’s 2018 first round pick in order to facilitate a trade, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News relays.
The amount of time and resources that the Sixers have devoted to Joel Embiid‘s health and recovery demonstrate how important the young center is to the organization’s future plans, Brian Seltzer of NBA.com writes. “We’re obviously excited about him, and have always been excited about him, because he has rare gifts and he has a real chance to have a fantastic NBA career,” said Hinkie of Embiid. “He’s doing great on all of the things that matter for him, which is, how do you focus on every day to try and get better? We expect maybe in the last several weeks of the season, he might be more fully integrated into the team and traveling with the team and at all of our games and the like. Then, he’ll have a long summer in front of him where his rehab will continue. So far, so good. He’s done a great job. He’s been super professional.”
The Raptors will keep an eye on the waiver wire for roster upgrades but the team isn’t expected to make a move, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca relays (via Twitter). Toronto was reportedly looking to upgrade its power forward spot leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.
Celtics center Kelly Olynyk could be out of action for up to a month as he deals with an injured right shoulder, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com relays. “It’s a little bit of separation, maybe,” Olynyk said regarding his shoulder. “Rest, recovery, treatments … it should be all right.” The big man was originally projected to miss two weeks with the malady, Blakely notes.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

February 19th, 2016 at 5:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our regular weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in our weekly mailbag feature, which is posted every Sunday.

Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. Feel free to send emails throughout the week, but please be mindful that we may receive a sizable number of questions and might not get to all of them.

If you missed out on any past mailbags and would like to catch up, you can view the full archives here.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Originals

Nuggets Waive J.J. Hickson, Steve Novak

February 19th, 2016 at 5:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

5:42pm: Both players have officially been waived, the team announced via press release.

4:39pm: The Nuggets have waived Steve Novak and J.J. Hickson, Shams Charania of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reports (Twitter links). A formal announcement from the team has yet to take place. Novak is earning $3,750,001 for 2015/16 and Hickson is scheduled to make $5,613,500, amounts that the Nuggets will be on the hook for less any salary the players may have given up in buyout arrangements. Both players’ deals expire at the end of this season, so they won’t have any impact on next season’s cap number for Denver. These moves leave the Nuggets with a roster count of 13 players, two under the regular season maximum.

The 32-year-old Novak appeared in only seven games for the Thunder this season before the Thursday trade that shipped him to the Nuggets. His career numbers through 10 NBA seasons are 4.7 points and 1.3 rebounds to accompany a slash line of .438/.432/.876. He’s reportedly a candidate to join the Cavaliers assuming he clears waivers, according to a report by Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group.

Denver was reportedly shopping Hickson leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline but found no takers. Hickson and the Nuggets had subsequently agreed to work out a buyout arrangement prior to the March 1st cutoff date for players to be postseason-eligible for their new teams, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com relayed. Hickson has appeared in just three games since December 8th. He averaged 7.9 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game across 17 appearances this season prior to that date.

Cavs Interested In Steve Novak

February 19th, 2016 at 3:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Three-point specialist Steve Novak would be a candidate to join the Cavaliers if he works a buyout with the Nuggets and becomes a free agent, reports Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer, who writes at the bottom of his latest on fellow Cavs target Joe Johnson. The Nuggets have agreed to work on a buyout with Novak, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Thursday, though a follow-up dispatch from Stein made it seem as though a buyout is a certainty. Either way, March 1st is the last day any player can hit waivers and appear in the postseason for another team, so that’s the de facto deadline Novak is dealing with.

The 32-year-old Novak appeared in only seven games for the Thunder this season before the Thursday trade that shipped him to the Nuggets. He last averaged at least 10.0 minutes per game in 2013/14, when he saw precisely that amount of playing time in 54 games for the Raptors. His career 43.2% 3-point shooting has helped keep him in the league, and so has his contract, which gives him $3.75MM this season. A buyout would entail him giving up part of that amount.

Cleveland could sign both Johnson and Novak without having to offload anyone, since the Cavs have two open roster spots. The March 1st deadline doesn’t apply directly to a signing. A waived player can sign as late as the final day of the regular season and appear in the playoffs, just as long as his release from his previous team came no later than March 1st.

Cavs Top Non-Nets Wish List For Joe Johnson

February 19th, 2016 at 2:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

Joe Johnson would sign with the Cavaliers if he works a buyout with the Nets and reaches free agency, sources tell Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Haynes earlier this month identified Cleveland’s interest in Johnson for the buyout market, but multiple reports since then have indicated that a buyout is unlikely for the 15th-year veteran who’s making almost $24,895MM on an expiring contract this season. The Nets understand the financial terms it would take to work a buyout with the 34-year-old sharpshooter, and for them, it’s a matter of whether the savings would be enough to justify a move that would help the Cavs, sources have explained to Haynes.

Johnson said recently that he’ll place a priority on winning when he picks his next team, but he wouldn’t dismiss the idea of re-signing with the Nets when his contract expires this summer. That suggests he’s in no hurry to do a buyout, and Haynes hears he isn’t giving a buyout a ton of thought. The Heat would also reportedly be interested in Johnson if he were to become available.

Cleveland has two open roster spots, though filling either of them, or both, would add to the team’s league-high projected tax bill. The Cavs nonetheless trimmed an estimated $10MM in combined salary and would-be tax penalties in a pair of trades Thursday.

Pistons Notes: Van Gundy, Motiejunas, Harris

February 19th, 2016 at 1:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

Stan Van Gundy acknowledges the trade for Donatas Motiejunas carries more risk than other moves given his persistent back trouble and status as a soon-to-be restricted free agent, but he feels the chance of a high reward is worth it, as the Pistons coach/executive said Thursday following the trade deadline (transcription via Pistons.com). Motiejunas will have to pass a physical to validate the trade, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, but Van Gundy said the team believes the back issue is minor, Ellis also relays (Twitter links).

“He’s been a guy that’s been very, very high on our list for a long time,” Van Gundy said, according to the team site. “When our scouts get together and do their thing, that’s what happened at the trade deadline. Both he and Tobias [Harris] have been very, very high on our list. It just happened to be a situation with Tobias where it didn’t work out in the summer because we couldn’t pursue him because of the restricted free agent thing. And Donatas was then just coming off the injury or just had the injury.”

Van Gundy added that “we would have laughed, quite honestly” if someone told him and his staff two weeks ago that they could land both Motiejunas and Harris. See more from the Motor City.

The Kings were the only “real” suitor for Harris in free agency this past summer, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com, though GM Jeff Bower acknowledged the Pistons had interest in signing Harris, tweets Rod Beard of The Detroit News.
Motiejunas comes with some promise for the future if the Pistons re-sign him, but Thursday’s trade was more about the short term than the acquisition of Harris was, Beard contends. Still, the combination of the moves show the team’s focus on positioning itself for the future, according to Beard.
The Motiejunas swap wasn’t that much of a risk for the Pistons, who dealt from a position of strength that the Harris trade had given them, MLive’s David Mayo argues. The ability to snag Harris without giving up a first-rounder empowered Detroit to spend that first-rounder in Thursday’s trade, Mayo writes.

Magic, Al Horford Have Mutual Interest

February 19th, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Chuck Myron

The Magic and Al Horford share interest in each other with free agency looming for the big man and Orlando having opened plentiful cap room with its trades this week, a source told Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com tweeted Wednesday that he expects the Magic to push hard for the Jason Glushon client this summer. Horford remains with Atlanta, though he was reportedly in play for a trade as late as two hours before Thursday’s deadline.

Atlanta was nonetheless setting a high price in trade talks for the former University of Florida standout who holds the Hawks in high regard. His Bird rights are tied to Atlanta, meaning the Hawks are the only team that can offer him a fifth year in a contract, a factor that Lowe hears will be of utmost importance to the 29-year-old. The Hawks can also give him 7.5% raises instead of the 4.5% raises other teams are limited to, so a five-year package from Atlanta would be worth $36.852MM more than a four-year deal from the Magic or anyone else, based on the NBA’s projection of a $24.9MM maximum salary for players with Horford’s level of experience. However, Florida’s lack of a state income tax mitigates that difference, at least to some degree.

Deveney speculates about the prospect of Horford and fellow soon-to-be free agent Joakim Noah, Horford’s college teammate, joining forces in Orlando. Noah is unlikely to re-sign with the Bulls, Deveney writes, a view that conflicts with Bulls GM Gar Forman‘s optimism on the matter, which Forman expressed Thursday to reporters, including Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com (Twitter link). Noah and Magic coach Scott Skiles didn’t always see eye-to-eye when they were together on the Bulls, but much has changed since then, according to Deveney, and players generally like working under coach Scott Skiles despite his reputation as a hard-liner, Deveney writes.

The Magic have the flexibility necessary to spend on multiple high-profile free agents if they can attract them to Orlando. They have only about $36MM in guaranteed salary against a salary cap for next season that’s estimated to be between $89MM and $95MM. The Magic will also go after DeMar DeRozan, according to Deveney, but he’s consistently made it clear he wants to re-sign with the Raptors.

Pelicans Waive Jarnell Stokes

February 19th, 2016 at 10:14am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pelicans have waived the freshly acquired Jarnell Stokes to make room on the roster for their new contract with Bryce Dejean-Jones, the team announced via press release. Stokes had just come via trade from the Heat on Thursday, though Scott Kushner of The New Orleans Advocate reported then that the Pelicans were thinking about releasing him. New Orleans also received cash in the deal for Stokes, which totals a little more than $700K, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com, and Kushner indicates that will go toward funding the partial guarantee for next season in the Dejean-Jones deal (Twitter link).

The Pelicans are also going to pay the remainder of Stokes’ guaranteed salary of $845,059 for this season if he clears waivers, which would come to about $273K, according to Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). His contract carries a non-guaranteed minimum salary of $980,431 for next season.

Stokes, 22, is only about a year and a half removed from having become the 35th pick in the 2014 draft. However, he’s made it into only 26 NBA games, fewer than the 39 D-League contests he’s played while on assignment from the Grizzlies and Heat. The power forward is averaging 20.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 30.9 minutes per game across 16 D-League appearances this season.

New Orleans still has 15 players on its roster in the wake of the Stokes release and the Dejean-Jones signing. All 15 are signed through at least the end of the season.

Month: October 2024