2016 March | Hoops Rumors

Grizzlies Sign Munford To Second 10-Day Contract

March 27th, 2016 at 1:14pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies have signed point guard Xavier Munford to a second-10-day contract, the team announced today. Munford, who first signed with Memphis on March 16th, has averaged 2.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.8 assists in five games with the team.

Munford was the latest addition to the injury-plagued Grizzlies’ roster after the league granted a request under the hardship provision to carry 17 players. With starting point guard Mike Conley likely out for the rest of the regular season, Memphis also recently signed Ray McCallum and Jordan Farmar.

Before joining the Grizzlies, Munford played 41 games with the Bakersfield Jam in the D-League. He was part of the D-League’s All-Star Game this season, ranking sixth in the league in assists and 11th in scoring.

Blake Griffin To Return Next Week

March 27th, 2016 at 12:49pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Clippers’ Blake Griffin, who hasn’t played since Christmas Day because of a partially torn quad tendon and a fracture in his right hand, is scheduled to return to action April 3rd, the team announced. Griffin will begin serving his team-imposed four-game suspension, which he received for a fight with assistant equipment manager Matias Testi, during today’s game.

A report earlier this week said coach Doc Rivers was preparing for the possibility that Griffin might be out for the rest of the regular season. Griffin has missed the last 41 games, but the Clippers have been able to succeed without him, winning 25 of their first 34 games after he was sidelined and coming into today’s action fourth in the West at 44-27.

Rivers isn’t sure if Griffin will start right away but said he wants to give him enough minutes to build his endurance, tweets Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. He has been medically cleared for all basketball activities, according to the Clippers. A perennial All-Star, Griffin is averaging 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 32 games this season.

Cavaliers Rumors: LeBron, Irving, Williams, Lue

March 27th, 2016 at 11:40am CST by Arthur Hill

After a week filled with speculation sparked by comments that he would like to team up with three of his friends, LeBron James is expressing confidence in the Cavaliers’ chances at an NBA title, writes Fred Kerber of The New York Post. James said he dreams of joining forces with Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul for at least one season before they all retire. That came on the heels of a decision Monday to unfollow the Cavs’ official Twitter account. On Saturday, James, who can opt out of his contract this summer, expressed confidence in his current teammates and indicated his long-term future will be in Cleveland. “I believe in what we have,” he said. “And I know we can win a championship with the group we have. And I’m confident in my abilities to lead this group and everything else is smoke and mirrors and doesn’t really matter to me.”

There’s more news out of Cleveland:

The constant hints about his future have turned James into a distraction, contends Mark Heisler of The Los Angeles Daily News. Replacing head coach David Blatt with Tyronn Lue was supposed to bring peace to the locker room, but Heisler writes that point guard Kyrie Irving isn’t willing to become a second option to James the way that Wade did in Miami. Irving is seven years younger than James and is signed through 2019, so Heisler thinks he considers himself a cornerstone in Cleveland regardless of what James decides.
Backup point guard Mo Williams returned to the court Saturday for the first time in a month after getting an injection in his left knee, according to Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Williams had just started practicing a few days ago, but Lue asked him to help out with Irving sidelined. “I just started on-court stuff Monday,” Williams said. “In my mind it was next week, that’s what I was telling everyone silently. Every situation is different and I’m the ultimate team guy. I’m not going to put our team in a bind.” Williams said he will probably have knee pain the rest of his career but doesn’t plan to retire anytime soon.
Lue resumed coaching the defense after the Cavs gave up 122 points last week in a loss to Miami, Lloyd writes in the same piece. He had given those duties to assistant Mike Longabardi after being named head coach.

Celtics Rumors: Clarke, Crowder, Thomas, Smart

March 27th, 2016 at 10:30am CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics won’t give Coty Clarke another contract after his second 10-day deal expires today, according to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston would have needed to sign the 6’7″ small forward for the rest of the season to keep him on the roster. A source told Himmelsbach the Celtics will consider bringing back Clarke in the future, but the team prefers to keep an open roster spot heading into the playoffs to guard against injury. Clarke, who spent most of the season with Boston’s D-League affiliate in Maine, first signed with the Celtics on March 7th. He saw six minutes of action in three games.

There’s more this morning out of Boston:

Jae Crowder, who hasn’t played since suffering a high ankle sprain March 11th, is considered day-to-day and could return this week, Himmelsbach relays in the same piece. There were initially fears that the injury could sideline Crowder through the first round of the playoffs.
Isaiah Thomas, who on Saturday made his second trip to Phoenix since being traded in February of 2015, told Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic that this visit was much less emotional. “Everybody when I got to the arena was showing a lot of love, like the workers and all that,'” the All-Star point guard said. “It’s a place that I like. I like the city. When I was here, they showed me a good time. There’s no bad feelings no more. It was just that one game. Now, it’s just another team, another game.”
Marcus Smart, whose recent shooting woes have led to trade speculation, impressed coach Brad Stevens with his all-around game in Saturday’s win, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Smart was just 2 of 7 from the field but had eight rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block. “Those are the things that make Marcus special,” Stevens said. “Sometimes those go in a box score, sometimes they don’t. But he does them every game.”

Nets Sign Henry Sims To Second 10-Day Contract

March 27th, 2016 at 9:38am CST by Arthur Hill

The Nets have signed center Henry Sims to a second 10-day contract, the team announced today. Sims has appeared in four games for Brooklyn since inking his first 10-day deal March 17th. He is averaging 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 13.3 minutes of playing time.

Sims spent most of this season with the Grand Rapids franchise in the D-League after being cut by the Suns in preseason. He also has NBA experience with the Cavaliers and Sixers, starting 32 games for Philadelphia last season.

With the Nets not having control of their first-round picks over the next three drafts, GM Sean Marks has expressed a desire to discover players through 10-day contracts. Once Sims’ new 10-day deal expires, the Nets will have to sign him for the rest of the season if they want to keep him on the roster.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 3/26/16

March 26th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by ChrisCrouse

With tonight’s 80-68 win over Oregon, Oklahoma will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2002. Buddy Hield had another excellent game, knocking down eight of 13 shots from behind the arc on his way to 37 points. Hield is one of the best shooters in the nation, making nearly 46% of his 3-pointers this season. NBA teams are taking more shots from behind the arc than ever before and the shooting guard seems to have the skill set to play immediately in the league.

Chad Ford of ESPN.com has Hield ranked as the eighth-best prospect, while Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranks Hield ninth-best. Both of these projections came before tonight’s game and the shooting guard may see his stock rise if he continues to dominate on the way to a National Title.

So that leads us to tonight’s topic: How far up the draft board can Hield climb with a sensational performance in the Final Four? With the league’s emphasis on the 3-ball, should the team that wins the lottery take Hield with the No. 1 pick?

Let us know which lottery team should consider taking Hield and if you don’t believe he’s worthy of that No. 1 spot, where does he rank for you? Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions on the subject. We look forward to what you have to say.

And-Ones: Duncan, Ginobili, Simmons

March 26th, 2016 at 9:54pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pelicans are 26-46 on the season, which is good for sixth place in our Reverse Standings, but the team isn’t planning on tanking over the next 10 games in order to secure a better draft pick, John Reid of The Times Picayune writes. “We try to play at the highest level that we can,” coach Alvin Gentry said. ”Wherever that gets us in the draft, that gets us in the draft. I’ve never been a guy that thought, ‘Hey let’s get some extra pingpong balls or whatever.’ I don’t know how you sell that to your players.”

Here’s more around the league:

Tim Duncan says he and Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili will make their retirement decisions individually rather than as a group, Melissa Rohlin of the San Antonio Express-News relays (Twitter link).
The Magic are 30-43 on season and unless they go on a historic run, they will be in the lottery for the fourth straight season. Still, coach Scott Skiles hasn’t given up on the season and he’s looking to improve in a few areas down the stretch, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. “We haven’t guarded well enough and then we haven’t handled a run well enough by the other team,” Skiles said.
Many believe Ben Simmons will be a star in the league down the road, but A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet (video link) believes Simmons will make an immediate impact. Blakely also predicts that the 19-year-old will be the No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft.

Eastern Notes: Dunn, Sixers, Bucks

March 26th, 2016 at 9:09pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers are interested in drafting Providence’s Kris Dunn should the team have a pick in the range where the point guard is projected to go, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Dunn is the fifth-best prospect in the upcoming draft, according to Jonathan Givony of Draft Express, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him as the seventh-best prospect. The Sixers are currently atop our Reverse Standings, meaning if the season ended today, they would be a guaranteed one of the top four selections. Philadelphia owns a top-three protected first-rounder from the Lakers, a top-10 protected first-rounder from the Heat, and a top-15 protected first-rounder from the Thunder.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Ish Smith would like to stay with the Sixers, but he’ll have options on the free agent market, Pompey writes in the same piece. “I love this city,” Smith said of Philadelphia. “Fans have been great. Man I would love to, but you never know.”
The Bucks will not bring back Jared Cunningham, Matt Velazquez of the Journal Sentinel writes. Cunningham, whose 10-day deal with the team expired on Friday night, was signed via the NBA’s hardship provision and the team needs to leave a roster spot open for the impending return of Greivis Vasquez.
The Bucks recalled Rashad Vaughn from the Canton Charge, according to the team’s website. He appeared in four games during his stint in the D-League, scoring 8.0 points per game.

Central Notes: Vasquez, Beyer, Felicio,

March 26th, 2016 at 6:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Greivis Vasquez, who underwent ankle surgery in December, has yet to receive medical clearance to return to game action, but the point guard was able to join his teammates Friday in the shootaround prior to the game that night against the Hawks, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel relays. The Bucks acquired Vasquez during the 2015 draft in exchange for a protected first round pick. He only saw 16 games of action prior the injury and he will be a free agent at the end of the season.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy believes assistant coach Bob Beyer would make a great head coach should Beyer receive an opportunity, David Mayo of MLive writes. “He’s outstanding,” Van Gundy said. “I mean, in every aspect. He’s a great X-and-O guy; he’s a great teacher; really organized; knows the league; and he’s got great rapport with the players.”
Cristiano Felicio‘s contract with the Bulls next season is non-guaranteed for roughly $875K, but Sam Smith of NBA.com believes the Brazilian big man will remain on the roster next season. Smith cites the uncertainty around Pau Gasol‘s and Joakim Noah‘s impending free agency as reason for the optimism.

2015/16 Salary Cap Update: Phoenix Suns

March 26th, 2016 at 5:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 is set at $70MM, which is good for an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. With the February 18th cutoff date for trades and the de facto deadline of March 1st for buyouts now past, we at Hoops Rumors are in the process of updating the salary cap commitments for each NBA franchise for the 2015/16 campaign. Here’s the cap breakdown for the Phoenix Suns, whose regular season roster can be viewed here:

2015/16 Salary Cap= $70,000,000
2015/16 Luxury Tax Line= $84,740,000
Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments= $70,546,241*
Remaining Cap Room= –$546,241
Amount Below Luxury Tax Line= $14,193,759

*Note: This figure includes the $777,778 due Michael Beasley, who was waived via the stretch provision. It also includes the $3,440,000 due Kris Humphries, the $2,000,000 owed DeJuan Blair, the $372,820 due Cory Jefferson, and the $228,663 owed Bryce Cotton, all of whom were waived by the team.

Cap Exceptions Available:

Room= $1,539,424
Trade Exception= $578,651 (Markieff Morris. Expires February 18th, 2017)

Cash Available to Send Out In Trades= $3,400,000

Cash Available to Receive Via Trade= $3,400,000

Note: Despite the trade deadline having passed, the NBA season technically doesn’t end until June 30th. Teams are able to again make trades upon the completion of the regular season or when/if they are eliminated from the playoffs, whichever comes later. So these cash limits still apply.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Month: November 2024