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Month: November 2024

Pistons Sign Lorenzo Brown To Second 10-Day

March 28th, 2016 at 9:22am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons have signed point guard Lorenzo Brown to a second 10-day contract, the team announced via press release. His initial 10-day pact expired overnight. The latest deal costs $55,722 and covers five games, against the Thunder, Mavericks, Bulls, Heat and Magic. Detroit is a game up in the loss column on Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The first 10-day contract was essentially an insurance policy for the team, coach/executive Stan Van Gundy conceded, as Reggie Jackson nursed a virus and Spencer Dinwiddie dealt with a deep bone bruise in his ankle. Neither Jackson nor Dinwiddie currently appear on the CBSSports.com injury report, and fellow point guard Steve Blake is also healthy, but the Pistons are nonetheless keeping Brown in their 15th roster spot for the time being.

Brown has yet to appear in a game with Detroit. He averaged 2.5 points in 7.6 minutes per game across eight appearances on a pair of 10-day contracts with the Suns earlier this year. The 25-year-old who was the 52nd pick in the 2013 draft has spent most of the season with the Pistons D-League team. Detroit is plenty familiar with him not just from his D-League experience but also from his 2014 preseason stint on the Pistons NBA roster.

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Boise State’s James Webb III To Declare For Draft

March 28th, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Chuck Myron

Boise State junior combo forward James Webb III will enter this year’s draft, league sources told Shams Charania of The Vertical. Webb won’t immediately hire an agent, retaining his ability to pull out by the May 25th deadline to keep his college eligibility, though he has plans to bring on an agent at some point before the draft, Charania hears. Webb is a fringe contender to become a second-round pick, ranking 69th in Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider listings and 81st on Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress board.

Webb averaged 15.8 points and an impressive 9.1 rebounds in 30.5 minutes per game, but his 3-point shooting declined markedly from the 40.9% rate of accuracy he displayed as a sophomore. He shot just 24.8% from behind the arc this season, attempting 3.5 per contest. The 6’9″ Webb is 22 and will turn 23 in August, so he’s old for an underclassman. NBA teams typically prefer younger prospects.

Boise State won 20 games but lost in the first round of the Mountain West Conference tournament and didn’t take part in further postseason play. Webb, the conference’s leading per-game rebounder, delivered perhaps his best performance with a 24-point, 18-rebound effort January 20th against San Jose State. His stock surged during his college career, as he wasn’t among the top 100 Recruiting Services Index prospects coming out of high school in 2012. He spent his freshman year at a community college and redshirted as a sophomore after transferring.

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Tim Quarterman To Enter Draft

March 28th, 2016 at 8:22am CST by Chuck Myron

LSU junior combo guard Tim Quarterman will enter this year’s draft and hire an agent, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical. Underclassmen can retain their college eligibility if they pull out of the draft by May 25th, but not if they hire agents, as Quarterman apparently plans to do. It’s debatable whether the 6’6″ 21-year-old will be drafted at all, as he’s just the 66th-best prospect in Chad Ford’s ESPN Insider rankings and No. 75 with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.

Some of Quarterman’s numbers regressed this season amid a disappointing year for LSU, which failed to capitalize on the presence of elite prospect Ben Simmons, a prime contender to become the No. 1 overall pick. Quarterman’s scoring dipped from 11.5 points per game last season to 11.2 this year, and his assists per game declined from 4.0 to 3.6 as he went in and out of the starting lineup. Still, he significantly curtailed his turnovers, going from 2.4 to 1.6 per game, and he improved his 3-point shooting, knocking down 34.3% after hitting just 31.3% in 2014/15.

Quarterman’s final regular season game in college showed his promise, as he scored 23 points against Kentucky, but he ended with a six-point dud against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament, and LSU, with a 19-14 record, declined to participate in further postseason play. His draft stock is essentially representative of where he stood coming out of high school in 2013, when he was No. 74 in the Recruiting Services Consensus Index.

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Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/27/16

March 27th, 2016 at 9:18pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Chicago entered the season with hopes of challenging LeBron James and Cleveland for the Eastern Conference crown. How did it go for the Bulls? Injuries derailed any hope of an NBA Finals appearance and just making the playoffs seems unlikely after three straight losses, all against teams with losing records. At 36-36, the Bulls sit two games behind the Pistons and Pacers for one of the last two playoff spots in the conference.  If Chicago misses the playoffs for the first time since the 2007/08 campaign, the roster could see a serious overhaul this summer.

Joakim Noah may have played his last game in a Bulls uniform, as he will be a free agent come July. Pau Gasol will likely opt out of his deal and become a free agent as well. Taj Gibson was the subject of trade rumors leading up to the trade deadline, so he is no lock to remain in town, and if the front office doesn’t believe Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler can find the ideal on-court chemistry, it may be time to look at trade options for Rose while the point guard still has one year remaining on his deal.

The Bulls have talent, and they own all of their future first-rounders in addition to a top-10 protected 2016 first-rounder from Sacramento. This team could easily retool and get itself back into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. How should the team go about improving? That’s tonight’s shootaround topic: What moves should the Bulls make this summer? We’re asking you to sit in GM Gar Forman‘s chair and make the tough calls. Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say!

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Eastern Notes: Wade, Carroll, Howard

March 27th, 2016 at 8:49pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Dwyane Wade doesn’t see his friendship with LeBron James or any other opposing NBA player as a cause for concern, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes. “I use the analogy, it’s just like growing up with my brothers,” Wade said. “I love ’em to death, but I want to beat them every time. That’s the same thing. I love ‘Bron. My respect for Kobe, my friendship with all these guys, I love ’em all. But I want to beat them every time, and vice versa.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • DeMarre Carroll has not played since January and the Raptors should consider shutting him down for the rest of the season, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star argues. Smith believes the team has good chemistry at the moment and integrating Carroll into the rotation may keep the team from making a serious run in the playoffs. Carroll’s $13.6MM salary for the 2015/16 campaign, which is the first year of a four-year, $58MM deal, is the highest on the team.
  • Dwight Howard may flirt with the Magic this offseason, but a reunion between Orlando and the center can only end horribly, George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel opines. Diaz doesn’t believe Howard can be the face of the franchise and believes the 30-year-old wouldn’t get along with coach Scott Skiles.
  • The 2015/16 campaign has been a disappointment for the Nets, but Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been a bright spot for the team, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. The rookie wing even received praise from James after Brooklyn’s recent win against the Cavs. “I think he’s going to be a really good player for them,” James said. The Nets acquired Hollis-Jefferson’s rights on draft night last June.
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Hoops Links: Rondo, Warriors, Suns

March 27th, 2016 at 5:48pm CST by Will Joseph

Every Sunday, we link to some of the very best work from around the basketball blogosphere. Do you have a link to a great basketball blog post – either your own or someone else’s – that you want to see featured on Hoops Rumors? Then you should send it to us at HoopsLinks@gmail.com. Here’s this week’s rundown …

Please send submissions for Hoops Links to Zach at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.

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Sixers Sign Christian Wood To 10-Day, Waive Weems

March 27th, 2016 at 4:53pm CST by Will Joseph

The Sixers signed Christian Wood to a 10-day contract and waived Sonny Weems, the team announced via press release. Wood had been playing for the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers’ D-League affiliate.

In a move made to lift the Sixers’ salary earlier this month, the team claimed Weems off waivers from the Suns and released Wood from his previous 10-day contract. That was the second time this season that Philadelphia relinquished Wood, who hit waivers in January when the team decided to sign Elton Brand.
Wood has appeared in 32 games in the D-League this season, averaging 17 points and 9 rebounds in 29 minutes per game. Wood, who went undrafted in 2015, signed with the Sixers on September 14th. He has appeared in 14 career NBA games with Philadelphia, averaging 4 points and 2 rebounds per contest.
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Stephen Zimmerman To Enter Draft

March 27th, 2016 at 3:52pm CST by Will Joseph

UNLV freshman center Stephen Zimmerman plans to enter this year’s draft, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. Zimmerman, 19, plans to sign with an agent, according to Wojnarowski. That means he won’t be able to withdraw and return to college basketball before the NCAA’s May 25th deadline, as Wojnarowski notes.

The 7’0″ Zimmerman has the potential to get selected near the top half of the draft, per Wojnarowski, because he is a mobile big man and is adept at blocking shots. His 2.0 blocks per contest were second in the Mountain West Conference this year.

Zimmerman also averaged 10.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game for UNLV this season. He is ranked No. 26 on Jonathan Givony’s list for DraftExpress and No. 38 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.

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Knicks Notes: Walton, Porzingis, Anthony

March 27th, 2016 at 3:03pm CST by Will Joseph

Luke Walton, who will enter the summer as a popular candidate for some of the league’s head coaching vacancies, including the Knicks’, should remain with the Warriors as an assistant, his father, Bill Walton, said while appearing on ESPN’s First Take (and as Ian Begley of ESPN.com relays). Luke Walton will likely be on Knicks president Phil Jackson‘s list of candidates, Begley writes, adding that Luke Walton knows the Knicks’ triangle offense and played for Jackson while both were with the Lakers. Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis will also be considered for New York’s head coaching position, Begley notes. The Knicks are 7-12 since Rambis took over after Derek Fisher was fired in February.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis wouldn’t want to see Carmelo Anthony leave the team next season because he wants to continue to learn from Anthony, but he also is not worried about it because he believes the superstar enjoys New York, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “Obviously I want him to stay here. We need him. I need him,” Porzingis said. “And we don’t want to lose him.” The pairing of Porzingis and Anthony has yielded positive results, as Bondy points out. The duo is a plus-66 this season through 1,471 minutes, according to Bondy.
  • Speaking of Anthony, he has squashed talks of waiving his no-trade clause to play with the Cavs, Fred Kerber of The New York Post relays. “I don’t want to talk about that man, I’d rather not talk about a no-trade clause after losing,” Anthony said. “I don’t want to talk about that no more this season to be honest with you.”
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Heat Rumors: Whiteside, McRoberts, Green, Bosh

March 27th, 2016 at 1:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat have decided they want to keep impending free agent center Hassan Whiteside but are concerned that he’s getting more expensive, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. There were “serious concerns” earlier in the year about giving a huge deal to Whiteside, Jackson hears, but his recent play has taken care of those. Team president Pat Riley and executive Alonzo Mourning have both told Whiteside they’re happy with his progress, but the team can’t hold any formal contract discussions until summer because league rules prevent extensions for players with two-year deals. Whiteside could get a starting salary of approximately $22MM on a max contract, depending on the size of the cap. “I hope [there’s interest],” Whiteside said. “I like the organization. Pat Riley is always going to do a great job of adding people that are going to help you win. It’s not hard to sell to come to Miami. You can always recruit great talent.”

There’s more news from South Beach:

  • Miami’s decision on how to handle its two open roster spots could be determined by the team’s faith in Josh McRoberts and Gerald Green, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. The columnist says if the Heat believe both veteran forwards can contribute in the playoffs, they will likely fill the spots with players from their successful D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. However, if there is doubt about McRoberts and Green, Winderman thinks the Heat will pursue a more seasoned player, suggesting 30-year-old Dorell Wright as a possibility. Wright, who began his career in Miami, played for the Blazers during the past two seasons but spent this year in the Chinese Basketball Association.
  • With the regular season schedule dwindling, it’s becoming unlikely that Chris Bosh will play again before the playoffs, Winderman writes in the same story. Bosh hasn’t been in a game since February 9th because of concerns about reported blood clots in his left calf. With a western trip looming this week, Winderman notes that the team may not hold another practice before April 4th, which limits Bosh’s chance to return.
  • Joe Johnson has started riding an exercise bike after games to help build endurance to keep up with Miami’s fast-paced offense, tweets Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. Johnson chose the Heat over the Cavaliers after agreeing to a buyout with Brooklyn because he prefers an up-tempo style.
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