2016 March | Hoops Rumors

Nuggets Ink Axel Toupane To Two-Year Deal

March 25th, 2016 at 10:40am CST by Eddie Scarito

FRIDAY, 10:40am: The signing is official, the Nuggets announced via press release. The team also acknowledged it on Twitter. It will pay $61,776 this season.

THURSDAY, 3:21pm: The Nuggets have reached agreement with Axel Toupane on a two-year deal, reports Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Next season’s salary is non-guaranteed, Charania adds. Denver only has the prorated minimum salary to give, so the rookie will see no more than $64,864 this season, with the precise value dependent on when he formally signs the contract. The non-guaranteed pay for next season is $874,636.

The shooting guard’s second 10-day pact expired overnight, so Denver had to make a decision about whether to sign him or let him walk. The Nuggets have a roster count of 15 players, the league maximum for the regular season, so inking Toupane will limit Denver’s roster flexibility the rest of the campaign. The team is dealing with a number of injuries, with Wilson Chandler lost for the season, Danilo Gallinari on the shelf until April with ankle woes and Kenneth Faried struggling with back issues.

Toupane has appeared in 11 games for the Nuggets and is averaging 3.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 13.8 minutes per outing. His shooting line is .263/.292/.857.

Southwest Notes: Nowitzki, Conley, Davis

March 25th, 2016 at 8:40am CST by Chuck Myron

Dirk Nowitzki wouldn’t say anything definitive when asked recently whether he would leave the Mavericks if they went into rebuilding mode. The 37-year-old who has a player option worth only about $8.7MM for next season fielded the query on the “Ben and Skin Show” on KRLD-FM, as the Dallas Morning News transcribes.

“You know, that’s something I’ll focus on from summer to summer,” Nowitzki said. “I’m in the midst of chasing the playoffs here and trying to play well and compete every night. That’s something we’ll revisit this summer. Obviously I still have a year on the contract. I could choose to opt out. I think that’s in my contract. Honestly, I haven’t really spent a lot of thought on that at all. Like I said, I want to really make the playoffs bad. I think our fan base deserves that. It’s always a fun part of the year. The competition is high. We’d love to be a part of that. Everything else we can, you know, come together and talk about after. There’s just not enough thought put into it right now. Hopefully we can squeeze in the playoffs and then we can talk about all that stuff later.”

Nowitzki simply appears to be putting off conversations about his contract until the team is done with its playoff push, though a clear assertion that he’ll remain in Dallas, as expected, would probably have better served to short-circuit any chatter. In any case, see more on Nowitzki amid news from the Southwest Division:

Rick Carlisle isn’t at all worried about Nowitzki’s future with the Mavericks, as the coach said earlier this week, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. “He’s playing for this franchise,” Carlisle said. “It’s pretty clear. His loyalty to [owner] Mark [Cuban] and the Mavericks has been undying. Very atypical for a player of his magnitude and his greatness. There’s probably three or four guys on our team that would not be here had he not made certain financial sacrifices. It’s pretty amazing, what he’s done and what he’s given up, so that we can compete.”
Soon-to-be free agent Mike Conley isn’t expected to have his sore left Achilles re-evaluated until the end of the regular season, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal, presumably meaning he’s out until the playoffs, at least. That’s led the Grizzlies to turn to recent signees Ray McCallum, Jordan Farmar and Xavier Munford at the point, as Tillery examines. GM Chris Wallace is a fan of McCallum’s versatility, shooting range and ability to run a team, Tillery notes.
A straw poll of 28 of 129 All-NBA Team voters shows the majority are at least somewhat likely to vote Anthony Davis to one of the teams, which would allow him to trigger the Derrick Rose Rule and make more on the extension he signed with the Pelicans last summer, reveals Justin Verrier of ESPN.com.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/24/16

March 24th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

LeBron James is reportedly holding out hope that he can team with Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul for at least one season before they all retire. James, 31, and Wade, 34, can hit free agency this summer, but the 30-year-old Paul’s locked in with the Clippers through next season and Anthony, 31, doesn’t have an opt-out in his deal until the summer of 2018. “I really hope that, before our career is over, we can all play together,” James told Howard Beck of Bleacher Report just before the All-Star break last month. “At least one, maybe one or two seasons — me, Melo, D-Wade, CP — we can get a year in. I would actually take a pay cut to do that.”

It would be extremely difficult for any team to fit the quartet on its roster within the salary cap, even with the projected increase that is set to take effect this summer. If James truly wishes for this to occur, he would likely be the player who would need to make the largest financial sacrifice. Unless Anthony and Paul were willing to agree to buyout arrangements with their current teams, which is a highly unlikely scenario, LeBron would need to be the player who takes the hit. Wade isn’t a max player any more, unless Miami is feeling deeply sentimental come this offseason, so any sacrifice of income he made would pale in comparison to what James would likely need to give up to make this theoretical grouping of star players a reality.

There also remains the question of where the quartet would play. The only franchise that I could realistically see making this work in the immediate future given the players’ current salaries is the Cavaliers. Cleveland could theoretically trade Kevin Love to the Knicks for Anthony and ship Kyrie Irving to the Clippers for Paul, though in both instances the Cavs would be taking on more salary than they shipped out. It’s also not a given that Los Angeles and New York would agree to such deals, though the Knicks taking on Love in exchange for Anthony isn’t as far-fetched to me as the Clippers flipping Paul for Irving. Then it would be up to Wade to leave Miami, a city where he has played his entire NBA career, for the much colder climate of Ohio, and he’d have to take a pay cut to do so.

Which brings me to the topic(s) for today: Do you think that LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade will ever play together? If so, what team do you think they would suit up for? Would this grouping of stars guarantee an NBA title?

Take to the comments section to share your thoughts, trade ideas and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

Eastern Notes: Noel, Antetokounmpo, Pistons

March 24th, 2016 at 10:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Pistons as a franchise feel that their core is set and intend to focus this offseason on finding players whose positions and skill sets complement their current roster, David Mayo of MLive writes. “We’ve got to really look at our roster, realistically, and decide where we want to go,” coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said. “And also, you’re assessing the guys, quite honestly, in terms of value, so that when deals are presented, you’ve sat and talked and have a value on all of your guys.” Van Gundy added that “maybe quicker, more athletic” defenders and off-the-dribble creators are on the team’s shopping list for the summer, Mayo relays.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Giannis Antetokounmpo is excited at the prospect of being the Bucks‘ focal point on offense and said the added pressure will only make him toil more this offseason, Spencer Davies of AmicoHoops.net relays. “It’s that special. I’ve got a lot of responsibility in my hands, so I’ve got to handle it real well and try to get better — show my coach that I can handle it no matter how old I am,” Antetokounmpo told Davies. “But I feel good enough. I feel proud of myself because I’ve been working hard these past years that I was in the league. Seeing all this, my hard work, paying off — it feels nice. That makes me want to work harder.”
Sixers big man Nerlens Noel admits all the losses the franchise has endured the past two seasons are starting to weigh on him mentally, Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “Yeah, I’m human. So it’s tough,” Noel said. “I can’t lie about that. Sometimes it’s tougher than other times. When you feel that it starts affecting you personally, you do your best to try to make it turn [in the right direction]. But it’s been a long year, especially this one, and dealing with a lot more [losses.]” Philadelphia’s record since Noel was drafted in 2013 is a woeful 46-190 overall.

Meyers Leonard To Miss Remainder of Season

March 24th, 2016 at 9:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Trail Blazers big man Meyers Leonard requires surgery on his injured left shoulder and will miss the remainder of the season as a result, Chris Mannix of The Vertical reports (via Twitter). Leonard has missed the team’s past four games after dislocating the shoulder during a contest against the Thunder on March 10th. It’s the second time he’s suffered the ailment this season, so he sought a second opinion this week, which confirmed the need for surgery, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian relays. The surgery is scheduled for April 8th and a timeline for Leonard’s return will be established once the procedure is completed, Freeman adds.

Leonard, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent at season’s end if Portland extends him a qualifying offer worth $4,210,880, appeared in 61 games this season, including 10 as a starter. The power forward’s averages on the campaign are 8.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 21.9 minutes per outing. His slash line is .448/.377/.761.

Portland currently has 15 players on its roster, which is the regular season maximum, so the team won’t be able to add another player unless someone is waived. The Blazers aren’t eligible to apply for an extra spot via the hardship provision since Leonard is the only player on the team who is injured and scheduled to miss time.

Western Notes: Howard, White, Mitchell

March 24th, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The market for Rockets big man Dwight Howard, who is expected to turn down his player option of more than $23.282MM and test the free agent market this summer, is a difficult one to gauge, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The scribe cites the diminishing importance of traditional big men in the league as well as concerns about Howard’s health and drive to win as reasons the veteran may find it difficult to land a max salary deal this offseason. If Houston decides not to attempt to re-sign the big man this summer, it may be more about the team utilizing cap space to ink role players and strengthen the bench than any dissatisfaction with Howard, Powell adds.

Here’s more from out West:

Suns affiliate player Terrico White hasn’t signed with an international team and intends to remain in the D-League, Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor reports (via Twitter). It was reported earlier that White backed out of an agreement with Israel’s Maccabi Rishon to sign with rival Nes-Ziona.
Despite the Pelicans‘ free fall in the standings this season, the team has no intention to jockey for a better lottery position via tanking, coach Alvin Gentry told John Reid of The Times Picayune. ”What we try to do is that when we walk out on the court, we try to play at the highest level that we can,” Gentry said. ”Wherever that gets us in the draft, that gets us in the draft. I’ve never been a guy that thought, ‘Hey lets get some extra pingpong balls or whatever.’ I don’t know how you sell that to your players. So for us every night we step out, we’re going to try to be as competitive as we possibly can.’‘ New Orleans currently has a 6.3% shot at landing the No. 1 overall pick this June, as is shown by our Reverse Standings tracker.
The Timberwolves are taking a similar approach to how the Thunder built their roster through the draft in order to become a Western Conference power, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post observes. The franchise’s collection of young talent and potential top five pick in this year’s NBA draft have Minnesota primed to become a force in the near future, Bontemps opines. The scribe also predicts that interim coach Sam Mitchell will retain the job for next season, pointing to his closeness to the late Flip Saunders as well as his rapport with veteran Kevin Garnett.

Anthony Davis Out For The Season

March 24th, 2016 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

THURSDAY, 7:37pm: Davis underwent successful surgery today on his left knee, the team announced via press release. The power forward won’t require surgery to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder, the team also relayed. The timetable given for Davis’ return to action is three to four months, per the release.

5:37pm: Davis has been diagnosed with a torn labrum in his left shoulder and a left knee injury, tweets Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. He will have surgeries on both.

SUNDAY, 3:35pm: The Pelicans will shut down Anthony Davis for the remainder of the season, tweets John Reid of The New Orleans Times Picayune. Coach Alvin Gentry made the announcement this afternoon after reviewing medical information on the injured big man.

New Orleans has been considering the move since Davis banged his left knee while setting a pick in Friday’s game. Add that to a shoulder problem that has been bothering Davis for weeks, and the Pelicans decided it was best to shut him down now, rather than take any chances with his long-term health. New Orleans’ disappointing season may also have factored into the move. At 25-43, the Pelicans are eight and a half games out of the final playoff spot in the West.

Gentry said Davis will undergo surgery that could affect his participation in this summer’s Olympics, tweets Brett Dawson of The New Orleans Advocate. “That I don’t know,” Gentry said, “but if I was a betting man, probably so.” The coach refused to be specific about which procedures Davis might have done on his knee or shoulder (Twitter link).

After earning first-team All-NBA honors last season, Davis signed a maximum extension over the summer worth about $145MM. He has put up virtually identical numbers to a year ago, averaging 24.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per night, but injuries ended his season after just 61 games.

Abdul-Malik Abu To Enter Draft

March 24th, 2016 at 5:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

North Carolina State sophomore Abdul-Malik Abu intends to test the waters and enter the 2016 NBA draft, Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter). Abu won’t hire an agent right away, Goodman notes, so he’ll retain his college eligibility if he pulls out in advance of the May 25th withdrawal deadline.

The power forward has demonstrated some raw potential as a post player during his two seasons with the Wolfpack, who ended the 2015/16 campaign with a mark of 16-17. Abu appeared in 33 games this season and averaged 12.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 28.3 minutes per contest to accompany a shooting line of .490/.000/.630.

It’s probably a wise decision for Abu to delay hiring an agent since he’s not a surefire draft pick this season. Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks him as the No. 25 overall sophomore, and he doesn’t even appear on Chad Ford of ESPN.com‘s list of his top 100 players.

Submit Your Questions For Hoops Rumors Mailbag

March 24th, 2016 at 4:35pm 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

Northwest Notes: Sampson, Augustin, Hood

March 24th, 2016 at 3:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

JaKarr Sampson is surprised about how easily he’s fit in with the Nuggets since joining the team last month, as Nicki Jhabvala and Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relay. Sampson signed a two-year deal following a snafu that caused the Sixers to lose him, and he’s filled in as a starter for the injured Danilo Gallinari. Sampson is dealing with a strained right shoulder himself, but he played through it Wednesday, and his time in Denver has been smooth thus far. “The transition has been easy,” Sampson said. “My teammates have made it easy for me and coach [Michael Malone] has made it easy for me. So, it hasn’t been hard, the transition — new sets, new teammates. I love my teammates. We’ve got a great staff here. Everything has been easy for me.”

See more from Denver amid news from the Northwest Division:

D.J. Augustin, who says he’d love to re-sign with the Nuggets this summer, has made a strong impression in his brief time with Denver since coming over via trade last month, observes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. “D.J.’s our security blanket,” Malone said. “He’s won games for us. Put the ball into his hands in the fourth quarter and he steps up, makes shots, hits free throws and always makes the right play.”
Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey is excited about Rodney Hood‘s room for continued growth, notes Kareem Copeland of The Associated Press, and the team is proving wise for having selected him 23rd overall in 2014, Copeland argues. “What we saw was a guy that was somewhat sophisticated with the ball and with his reads,” Lindsey said. “It was relatively evident fairly quick that he’d be a nice fit for us. It’s to the kid’s credit that he’s gotten better since this time last year.”
The Thunder have focused too much on adding scoring punch around Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and not enough on finding role players, argues Christopher Reina of RealGM. That plus their reliance on traditional big men threatens to leave the franchise in a compromising position, unable to win a title despite the presence of two elite players, Reina writes.

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