2016 February | Hoops Rumors

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/10/16

February 10th, 2016 at 11:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Raptors are looking at power forwards in advance of the trade deadline, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who relayed that Toronto has checked on the availability of Thaddeus Young, Kenneth Faried and Markieff Morris. The Raptors’ current salary structure would make it tough for the team to deal anyone from its existing roster, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca pointed out, but the team has an extra first-round pick for each of the next two drafts, and GM Masai Ujiri has signaled that he wants to trade at least one of those picks at some point. Despite its apparent willingness to upgrade at the four spot, Toronto doesn’t have the cap room or trade exception to absorb either Young, Faried or Morris without relinquishing salary in return.

Toronto has started veteran Luis Scola at power forward in each of its first 51 contests, whose averages of 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds aren’t anything to get excited about. Any of the three players mentioned above would provide a clear upgrade at the four spot for the Raptors, though acquiring any of them would likely leave a hole elsewhere on the roster thanks to the team’s need to send out salary in any transaction. But if Toronto is set on making a splash at this year’s trade deadline, nabbing either Faried, Morris or Young would certainly qualify as an impact move.

This brings me to the topic for today: If the Raptors make a move to acquire a power forward, who would be the best fit — Kenneth Faried, Markieff Morris or Thaddeus Young?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on the matter, including who and what it might take to land one of the three men mentioned above. We look forward to what you have to say.

And-Ones: Oden, D-League, NBA Draft

February 10th, 2016 at 10:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA is enamored with the idea of expanding rosters from the current regular season maximum of 15 to as many as 17 as part of the next CBA, with the additional spots to be designated for two-way D-League contracts, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes. While the concept is still very much in the planning stages, the current idea is that the D-League portion of the contracts would be valued in the neighborhood of $75K to $100K per season, according to the NBA.com scribe. If the player were called up to the NBA, he would then earn a prorated portion of his NBA salary, Howard-Cooper adds.

“I think it’s something that makes a lot of sense for our league,” D-League president Malcolm Turner said. “I don’t want to get ahead of where we are, in terms of planning conversations, but I think it’s clearly a logical next step in our evolution. As you expand, you have rosters to fill, and we want to do so in a way that allows us to add more and better talent to the league faster. A two-way system can be facilitating.”

Here’s the latest from around the league:

Former 2007 No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden was released by the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association recently, throwing his playing future into question, Doug Lesmerises of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. Oden indicated that his deal with Jiangsu was month-to-month, so letting him go saved the team a month’s worth of salary, Lesmerises notes. When asked if he intended to continue his playing career, Oden said, “I mean, if the opportunity is there, and it’s the right opportunity, of course. I’ve just got to look at the opportunities. I haven’t heard about anything yet. I’ll take what I can.” Oden last appeared in the NBA during the 2013/14 campaign when he played in 23 games for the Heat.
LSU’s Ben Simmons, Duke’s Brandon Ingram and Croatian big man Dragan Bender top the latest 2016 NBA draft rankings from ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider subscription required).
One factor contributing to why the Knicks fired Derek Fisher prior to the All-Star break is that the league office frowns upon teams parting ways with coaches during All-Star week, as it detracts from the festivities, Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports tweets.
The Heat have assigned power forward Jarnell Stokes to their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Stokes’ sixth trip to Sioux Falls on the season.

Western Notes: Gasol, Harden, Chalmers

February 10th, 2016 at 9:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Rockets shooting guard James Harden is growing increasingly frustrated with the team’s up-and-down play this season, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com notes. “Yeah, because my first year was different,” Harden said. “We weren’t as talented and we still made playoffs, which was a big step for us. We have a lot of talent in this locker room, of course, coming off the Western Conference finals and being in the seventh spot right now. It’s frustrating, but we still have opportunities.”

Harden has come under fire for being careless with his turnovers and not being more of a playmaker, but interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff says that the swingman has shown marked improvement this season in both areas, Watkins adds. “One thing, his turnovers are down dramatically,” Bickerstaff said. “If his turnovers are down, then his assists are up. That’s one of the things he said he wanted to improve on, and obviously he’s done it, the decision-making … the creativity has been there. It’s been outstanding the last month. It’s not surprising, we knew he could do it.” It should be noted that despite Bickerstaff’s praise, Harden is still averaging 4.4 turnovers per game on the year, which would be a career high if he were to finish the season with that mark.

Here’s more from out West:

The Grizzlies have been second-guessed for not resting Marc Gasol when he complained of foot soreness, but doing so would only likely have delayed his injury, not prevented it, Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal opines. The center is out indefinitely with a broken foot, though Herrington speculates Gasol won’t return to action this season, which goes along with an earlier report from Marca.com that indicated the Spaniard would miss four to six months of action.
Mario Chalmers has solidified the Grizzlies’ bench with his play as reserve point guard since arriving via trade earlier this season from Miami, but when the Heat were looking to find a taker for the veteran, a number of teams, including the Jazz, were turned off by Chalmers’ stubborn personality and propensity to make poor decisions on the court, notes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com.
The Mavs are pleased with the development of 2015 first-rounder Justin Anderson, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. “He’s not putting up big numbers or anything like that, but he’s playing solid within the system and has had some good plus-minus stretches,” coach Rick Carlisle said of the young swingman. “So he’s making progress. He’s learned a lot over the last three months. He’s doing what he needs to do. Generally, he’s in there with other primary guys and playmakers. Many of his shot opportunities will come off of other activity. But defensively, he’s made progress. Where we are right now, we need him.“
Nuggets camp cut Matt Janning‘s deal with the Russian club Lokomotiv Cuban includes a team option for 2016/17, international journalist David Pick informed Hoops Rumors.

Kings Notes: Karl, Jackson, Divac, Ranadive

February 10th, 2016 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

George Karl‘s agent, Warren LeGarie, is upset with Kings television analyst Bobby Jackson for some negative comments he made on air regarding the embattled coach, Bill Oram of The Orange County Register relays. Jackson pointedly suggested that it was time for the organization to fire Karl, something LeGarie is worried will influence the team’s volatile front office, Oram adds. “It’s my opinion that he [Jackson] should be fired or suspended,” LeGarie, told Oram. “[There’s] no place for that in a legitimate organization.”

LeGarie noted that Jackson is close to Sacramento executives Vlade Divac and Peja Stojakovic, Oram notes. “It’s way more transparent when you know the cast of characters involved and way more obvious then,” LeGarie said. “Except to the fans who take what they say as gospel.” The agent also noted in regards to broadcasters that,”They condition their audience, which ultimately influences the management.”

Here’s more from Sacramento:

Karl noted that his recent talk with Divac, which he initially believed would result in him being fired, was similar to their usual conversations, Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee writes. “I don’t think it’s anything different,” Karl said. “Just the situation, frustration – everybody’s frustrated when you lose. I’m not going to go into the private conversations that we had. Talked about the team, talked about the trade deadline situation. We talked about going forward in a positive way, in a committed, connected way.”
The franchise needs Divac to be a stabilizing influence amid all the current turmoil, something he has yet to effectively accomplish as an executive, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com opines.
If the Kings decide to deal swingman Rudy Gay prior to the trade deadline, the team needs to receive players signed beyond this season and not short-term rentals in return, Bobby Marks of The Vertical at Yahoo Sports writes in his deadline primer for the franchise. With Sacramento not known as a destination for free agents, it would be difficult for the team to replace Gay’s production, making it paramount that the Kings receive players they can utilize beyond the current campaign, Marks notes.
The Kings’ troubles start at the top with majority owner Vivek Ranadive and the muddled messages he sends to the team and its fans with his often flighty nature, Marcos Breton of The Sacramento Bee writes. The scribe also notes that Ranadive has been the one constant throughout all the coaching changes and failed personnel moves, which have the organization looked upon as a laughingstock around the league.

Atlantic Notes: Zeller, Jackson, Biyombo

February 10th, 2016 at 6:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mike Conley, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, was disappointed that the Nets fired Lionel Hollins, who had coached Conley during his tenure with the Grizzlies, Andy Vasquez of The Record relays (via Twitter). The point guard also noted that Hollins’ presence would have been a major reason to consider signing with Brooklyn this offseason, Vasquez adds. Conley is slotted fifth in Hoops Rumors’ latest free agent power rankings. Here’s more regarding the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks’ players say they are also to blame for the team’s woes, not just former coach Derek Fisher, Neil Best of Newsday writes. “I think sometimes coaches get blamed, but it’s just about everybody,” said point guard Jose Calderon. “He was the guy let go but at the end of the day we are all together, from the top to the bottom of the staff, players, everybody. It’s tough to see him go like that because maybe we weren’t winning games lately, but it’s tough to see somebody go like that. It’s on us to turn this around or not and we’ve been saying that for a couple of weeks now.”
Celtics big man Tyler Zeller has become a valuable contributor recently after playing sparingly the past few weeks, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com notes. “A true pro, a guy who’s been on the bad end of the stick and hasn’t really played that much,” Thomas said of Zeller. “Every time his name is called he’s ready, and that’s the definition of a true professional right there. He puts the work in each and every day, and he’s a great teammate.” Boston reportedly contacted the Hawks about a potential deal for center Al Horford before Zeller’s recent success.
Knicks team president Phil Jackson has an opt out clause in his contract that he can exercise after the 2016/17 season, Chris Broussard of ESPN.com notes (Twitter link). A “strong belief” persists that Jackson will wind up back with the Lakers organization and fiancee Jeanie Buss in the future, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical at Yahoo Sports.
Bismack Biyombo has been a solid addition to the Raptors this season and he is providing better value than Amir Johnson, who departed as a free agent this past offseason, is for the Celtics, Ben Golliver of SI.com opines. Johnson is earning $12MM this season in Boston while Biyombo is due $2.814MM from the Raptors.
Well before the arrival of Kristaps Porzingis, Italian big man Danilo Gallinari was considered the future of the Knicks franchise, but the team instead dealt him as part of a package to acquire Carmelo Anthony. The combo forward says he still has fond memories of his time in New York despite the team trading him away, George Willis of The New York Post writes. “It was tough for me because I got injured right away and had back surgery,” Gallinari said. “But it’s great when you’re a young player and you have the chance to play in a city like New York. My first two years were very intense and the third year we started winning and when you’re winning, New York is a lot of fun.” The Celtics are reportedly interested in acquiring Gallinari, but the Nuggets have rebuffed them so far.

Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

February 10th, 2016 at 5:30pm 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.

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Southeast Notes: Griffin, Harris, Teague

February 10th, 2016 at 4:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Magic were one of several teams to reach out to the Clippers about trading for Blake Griffin, reports Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, who writes in his NBA AM piece. They didn’t get very far, but a serious discussion nonetheless took place about the idea of sending three Magic players, including Tobias Harris, to L.A., sources told Kyler. The Sixers and Nuggets also reportedly spoke with the Clippers, who nonetheless aren’t interested in trading their star power forward, at least this season.

Here’s the latest from the Southeast Division:

Orlando has reportedly expressed some degree of willingness to trade Harris, but the team would have to be blown away to pull the trigger on any deal involving the combo forward, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN relays (on Twitter). Harris re-signed with the Magic for four years and $64MM in July.
The Sixers have contacted the Hawks to gauge the availability of point guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Philadelphia hasn’t made a trade offer yet and appears unlikely to make a serious push for either playmaker, according to Pompey’s sources. The players on the Sixers with the highest trade value are Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor, but the team doesn’t want to deal either big man away until the health status of Joel Embiid is clearer, which isn’t likely to be until the offseason, Pompey adds.
The consensus among the teams that have contacted the Hawks regarding Teague and Al Horford is that any deal involving the duo would likely be a deadline day one, Chris Mannix of The Vertical at Yahoo Sports tweets. Atlanta’s asking price for either player is extremely high, which complicates any potential trade, Mannix adds.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript

February 10th, 2016 at 4:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

4:03pm: Click here to read this week’s chat transcript.

3:00pm: One coach lost his job this week, and another almost did. The All-Star Game is four days away, and the trade deadline is just four days after that, with the Hawks leading the way as rumors ignite. Plus, a broken foot for Marc Gasol has cast the Grizzlies season into limbo, with major implications for the Western Conference playoff race. It gives us plenty to talk about in today’s chat.

Marc Gasol Breaks Foot, Out Indefinitely

February 10th, 2016 at 3:14pm CST by Eddie Scarito

WEDNESDAY, 3:14pm: The Spanish website Marca.com (h/t Peter Edmiston of The Commercial Appeal) reports that Gasol could miss four to six months of action. The Grizzlies still haven’t issued an official projection for how long the big man will be out of commission.

5:33pm: The Grizzlies have confirmed the report regarding Gasol’s injury in a press release. The team’s statement read, “This morning at Campbell Clinic, Marc underwent a thorough evaluation by team physicians. During the course of this evaluation, a magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] revealed a fracture in his right foot. Marc is a cornerstone of our franchise, and we are focused on getting him healthy. Marc will be out indefinitely and a further update will be provided after the All-Star Break.”

TUESDAY, 5:16pm: The Grizzlies suffered a major blow today when it was revealed that Marc Gasol suffered a broken right foot and will be out of action indefinitely, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal reports (Twitter link). The injury occurred during the team’s game against the Trail Blazers on Monday night. The 31-year-old Spaniard re-signed with the team this past offseason on a five-year, maximum salary deal. Gasol suffered a sprained ankle in an early December, but he’s been relatively healthy since recovering from an MCL sprain he suffered in 2013. The Grizzlies hold the fifth playoff slot in the Western Conference, possessing a slim two game lead over the Mavericks.

With Gasol hurt and potentially lost for a significant chunk of time, the team will need to make a difficult decision regarding Ryan Hollins, whose second 10-day deal is set to expire on Wednesday. Teams may only ink players to a maximum of two 10-day pacts per season, so Memphis would need to ink the big man for the remainder of the season if it wishes to retain him. The team would gain a free slot to sign or acquire another player if Hollins is not retained. If the team looks to the trade market, possible targets may include Anderson Varejao, Omer Asik and Timofey Mozgov, though that is merely my speculation.

Gasol has appeared in 52 games this year, notching averages of 16.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 34.4 minutes per contest. His career numbers are 14.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists to accompany a slash line of .503/.182/.764.

Heat Gauge Interest In Hassan Whiteside

February 10th, 2016 at 2:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Heat are “at least gauging” what the trade market would bear for Hassan Whiteside amid their frustration with him, ESPN’s Chris Broussard said in television appearance today (video link). Broussard speculates that it’s unlikely the Heat make a move, since his minimum-salary contract and the league’s salary-matching rules don’t give them the ability to reap much value in return. Plus, Whiteside has only Early Bird rights, and not full Bird rights, meaning the Heat or any team that trades for him couldn’t exceed the cap to pay him any more than the average salary, likely around $6MM. The 26-year-old, who leads the NBA with 3.9 blocked shots per game, appears a safe bet to command a salary much closer to the projected $20.4MM max than to that figure.

Whiteside drew his first ejection of the season Tuesday, after having twice been tossed out of games last year, for throwing an elbow in the direction of Spurs center Boban Marjanovic during Miami’s game against San Antonio. It left coach Erik Spoelstra irate, while Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, in their postgame comments, urged Whiteside to keep his emotions in check, as Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post detailed.

The decision-making of Whiteside has come into question, and the Heat have been bringing him off the bench since he returned from an oblique injury. Whiteside said when he had an earlier injury that the thought of his upcoming free agency entered his mind as he decided whether to play or sit out.

Miami is operating on other fronts, reportedly seeking 3-point shooting, with Omri Casspi as an object of apparent interest, while making aggressive attempts to offload players at the end of the bench. The Heat would pay the NBA’s first repeat-offender tax penalties if they don’t trim about $5.5MM from the books by season’s end.

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