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Rockets Expected To Pursue Al Horford

May 16th, 2016 at 12:33pm CST by Luke Adams

After a disappointing regular season and an abrupt first-round exit from the playoffs, the Rockets figure to make some changes to their roster this summer, and according to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, the team’s top target in free agency will be Hawks big man Al Horford.

Horford, who turns 30 next month, will have no shortage of suitors this offseason, with his current team in Atlanta expected to make him a max offer in July. However, it’s not yet clear whether the Hawks intend to offer Horford a full five years to go along with a max salary. While Atlanta appears to be the strong frontrunner to lock up the nine-year veteran, Houston and other clubs figure to make pitches as well, if given the opportunity.

According to Deveney, Ryan Anderson will be a potential target for the Rockets this summer as well. General manager Daryl Morey also figures to be creative when it comes to exploring possible sign-and-trades involving stars like Blake Griffin, Jimmy Butler, or Carmelo Anthony, Deveney writes, though any of those scenarios would be longer shots.

The Rockets currently only have about $46MM in guaranteed salary on their books for the 2016/17 season, per Basketball Insiders. That figure doesn’t include Dwight Howard‘s $23MM+ salary, since Howard has a player option and is widely expected to opt out.

In Hoops Rumors’ most recent free agent power rankings, Horford ranked fourth, one spot ahead of Howard.

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Northwest Notes: De Colo, Nuggets, Stotts, Jazz

May 16th, 2016 at 11:29am CST by Luke Adams

Nando De Colo, who is coming off a big year with CSKA Moscow, is reportedly drawing interest from several NBA teams hoping to bring him back to North America. According to Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net, the Nuggets have been monitoring De Colo for some time, and are interested in making him an offer. However, with CSKA Moscow invested in hanging onto the Euroleague standout, and De Colo’s NBA rights still being held by Toronto, his contract situation will be a tricky one to navigate.

As we wait to see what happens with De Colo, let’s check in on a few other Monday notes from out of the NBA’s Northwest division:

  • A report last week indicated that the Trail Blazers intend to discuss a possible extension for head coach Terry Stotts, and according to Jay Allen of Rip City Radio 620 AM in Portland (Twitter link), Portland’s current offer to Stotts is in the neighborhood of $20MM over five years. Allen cautions in subsequent tweets that those numbers are hardly set in stone, noting that they could just be a starting point for the two sides.
  • The criteria for renegotiating an NBA player’s contract are somewhat complicated and restrictive, but the Jazz could rework Derrick Favors‘ deal this October if they so choose, and Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders explains why it might make sense to do so.
  • Trey Burke, who was once considered the point guard of the future in Utah, may not longer be a part of the plans going forward for the Jazz, writes Randy Hollis of The Deseret News. As Hollis details, general manager Dennis Lindsey remains positive about Burke, but the former top-10 pick saw his minutes slashed this past season, and didn’t start a single game.
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Heat Rumors: Whiteside, Durant, Free Agents

May 16th, 2016 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

Following their Game 7 loss to the Raptors on Sunday, the Heat will begin their offseason preparation in earnest, and Hassan Whiteside – who was sidelined for most of the team’s series against Toronto – will play a key role in Miami’s summer. As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald writes, there will be “considerable debate” within the organization over the next several weeks about whether or not to offer Whiteside a max deal.

Of course, before the Heat can even move forward in negotiations with Whiteside, the club will have to determine whether Kevin Durant will be a realistic free agent target, says Jackson — the Oklahoma City star would be Miami’s top priority in free agency if he’s available, and if the Heat could land Durant, the odds of keeping Whiteside would decline significantly. So the team may need to get a read on Durant’s intentions before getting serious about retaining Whiteside.

Let’s check in on a few other notable issues and decisions facing the Heat this summer…

  • Even if Chris Bosh isn’t healthy enough to return to the Heat next season, the team wouldn’t be able to excise his cap number from the books until at least February 2017, notes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. If Bosh remains on the cap but is unable to play, the Heat will essentially be operating with about 75% of the salary cap flexibility of the rest of the league’s teams, says Winderman.
  • We rounded up some postgame comments from the Heat’s pending free agents after Sunday’s game, and Winderman goes a little more in-depth on those comments in his own Sun Sentinel piece, with Udonis Haslem, Joe Johnson, and Amar’e Stoudemire among the free-agents-to-be who offered their thoughts on a potential return.
  • Within a pair of recent mailbags, Winderman explored whether Joe Johnson has a future in Miami beyond this season, whether or not Whiteside deserves a max deal, and whether there would be a market for Goran Dragic if the Heat made him available via trade.
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Karl-Anthony Towns Named Rookie Of The Year

May 16th, 2016 at 9:09am CST by Arthur Hill

Karl-Anthony Towns has officially been named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year for the 2015/16 season in a unanimous vote, the Timberwolves announced today (via Twitter). A 20-year-old out of Kentucky, Towns was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month each month this season.

Towns was the top pick in the 2015 draft and immediately moved into Minnesota’s starting lineup. He started all 82 games and averaged a double-double with 18.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per night.

Towns quickly won the respect of Wolves veteran Kevin Garnett, who praised the rookie center for his IQ and understanding of the game. Sometimes [it’s] a little difficult teaching him because he is so smart,” Garnett said. “I guess that’s a young thing. But he gets a lot of things you teach him very quickly.’’

Towns’ Rookie of the Year nod represents the second consecutive time a player from the Timberwolves organization has earned the honor. Minnesota’s Andrew Wiggins was named Rookie of the Year in 2015.

ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links) first reported on Sunday that the Wolves were expected to announce that Towns had been named Rookie of the Year at a news conference Monday, adding that it wouldn’t be surprising if the final vote was unanimous.

Here is this year’s full list of vote-getters for the award, along with their point totals:

  1. Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves): 650
  2. Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks): 363
  3. Nikola Jokic (Nuggets): 59
  4. Devin Booker (Suns): 49
  5. Jahlil Okafor (76ers): 34
  6. Justise Winslow (Heat): 7
  7. Emmanuel Mudiay (Nuggets): 4
  8. Myles Turner (Pacers): 3
  9. D’Angelo Russell (Lakers): 1

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

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Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Turner, 76ers, Draft

May 16th, 2016 at 8:39am CST by Luke Adams

With the Celtics preparing for a crucial draft, Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe revisits one of the trades that helped Boston load up on picks for 2016, talking to Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck and general manager Danny Ainge about the team’s 2013 blockbuster with the Nets. Grousbeck admits he was keeping a close eye on Nets games throughout this season, and both he and Ainge acknowledge they were surprised by how high Brooklyn’s 2016 pick will land. “I thought Brooklyn was going to be good,” Ainge said. “I thought that maybe the 2018 pick might have a chance to be a decent pick, but I really didn’t believe that 2016 pick would be where it is. I thought they had a chance to be a good team — like, a really good team.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

  • Speaking to CSN at a fundraising event on Sunday, Evan Turner indicated that he’d be open to taking a “hometown discount” to remaining with the Celtics, joking that this is the first time he’s left an exit interview believing that a team wanted him back. As A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com details, Turner is expected to draw interest from a handful of other suitors this summer, but the former second overall pick hopes to work something out with Boston.
  • The 76ers‘ workout group scheduled for Monday has undergone a pair of changes, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter links), who reports that VCU guard Melvin Johnson and Temple forward Jaylen Bond will replace Cat Barber and Dedric Lawson.
  • The 76ers have become the first NBA team to officially announce a jersey sponsorship deal, and the club will get $5MM per year from its agreement with StubHub, tweets Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg News. Darren Rovell of ESPN.com hears from sources that Philadelphia has sold the next three seasons at that $5MM-per-year rate, while ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link) wonders if it might be time to push future salary cap projections slightly upward based on that price.
  • Iowa State forward Georges Niang, who had an interview lined up with the Sixers over the weekend, said he’d be interested in reuniting with his old Tilton Prep teammate Nerlens Noel in Philadelphia, writes Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com.
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Grizzlies Talk To Spurs Assistant James Borrego

May 15th, 2016 at 9:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies met with Spurs assistant James Borrego today about their head coaching job, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Borrego spent 30 games as interim head coach in Orlando last season before joining the Spurs at the start of this season.

Wojnarowski notes that Borrego is among several assistants the Grizzlies are considering, along with Charlotte’s Patrick Ewing, Miami’s David Fizdale, Portland’s Nate Tibbetts and San Antonio’s Ettore Messina. A source says Memphis is going through initial meetings with candidates and the list could get even larger.

Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger was fired eight days ago after requesting permission to interview for other coaching jobs. The Kings hired him Monday, giving him a four-year deal worth $16MM.

 

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Eastern Notes: Heat, Vogel, Brooks, Olynyk

May 15th, 2016 at 8:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Several Heat players had their minds on the future after today’s Game 7 loss at Toronto. The overall feeling is that most players want to return next season and they hope free agent center Hassan Whiteside is with them, tweets Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. One exception could be Amar’e Stoudemire, who was unhappy with his playing time after signing a one-year deal with Miami as a free agent last summer (Twitter link). However, Stoudemire also felt the Heat had “great chemistry” and said, “I enjoyed the guys and I had the best time of my life with my teammates this season.” (Twitter link). Veteran Udonis Haslem, who has been with Miami for his entire 13-year career, understands he may have to find a new team to stay in the league next season. “There’s a business side to everything, so you never know,” Haslem said (Twitter link). Joe Johnson, who will be a free agent after joining the Heat in late February, said it’s too early to think about his next move (Twitter link). Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow and Josh McRoberts are the only Miami players with guaranteed deals for next season.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • The Knicks are hoping to hire a coach in the next week or so, writes Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal. Frank Vogel, who met with team president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills Wednesday in Los Angeles, is apparently a finalist for the job, along with David Blatt and interim coach Kurt Rambis. Vogel reportedly spent much of his interview making the case that the understands the triangle and would incorporate it into his offense.
  • The Bucks will interview Utah executive Justin Zanik and former Charlotte GM Rod Higgins for an open front office position, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Milwaukee is looking for someone to work with GM John Hammond (Twitter link).
  • New Wizards coach Scott Brooks traveled to Orlando this week for a meeting with Marcin Gortat, according to Keely Diven of CSNMidAtlantic. Brooks is hoping to establish a better relationship with his starting center than former coach Randy Wittman, who feuded publicly with Gortat.
  • Kelly Olynyk will have to undergo surgery soon on his injured right shoulder in order to be ready for the start of next season, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE. Olynyk has been hoping he can help the Canadian national team qualify for the Summer Olympics, but with a five-month projected recovery time, he is already likely to miss at least some of the Celtics‘ training camp.
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Community Shootaround: Nate McMillan

May 15th, 2016 at 7:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pacers president Larry Bird had seen enough of Frank Vogel and his old-style offense. While other teams were spreading the court, moving the ball and raining down threes, Indiana was doing something more traditional — and slow.

It didn’t matter that Vogel had made the playoffs in five of his six seasons on the Pacers’ bench, missing only in 2014/15 when a broken leg sidelined Paul George for virtually the entire season. It didn’t matter that Vogel produces top 10 defensive teams every year or that at age 42 he has developed a reputation as one of the NBA’s best coaches.

None of that mattered because Bird didn’t like the product he saw on the court and wanted things to change.

So he’s apparently hiring one of Vogel’s assistants.

The Pacers were finalizing contract details Saturday night with Nate McMillan, who has been serving as an assistant coach with the team since 2013. McMillan has nearly 12 years of head coaching experience in Seattle and Portland, where his teams were usually the complete opposite of what Bird says he’s looking for. None of McMillan’s teams ever managed to average 99 points per game.

Indiana had better alternatives, contends Gregg Doyel of The Indianapolis Star, who notes that Brian Shaw already has a strong relationship with George, Mike D’Antoni virtually patented the type of offense that Bird desires and David Blatt and Mark Jackson are playoff-level coaches who deserve another chance.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Is Nate McMillan a good choice to be the Pacers’ next coach? If Bird was unhappy with Vogel, does it make sense to promote someone from his staff? And if not McMillan, who should Indiana have tried to hire?

Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.

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Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 5/9/16-5/15/16

May 15th, 2016 at 6:34pm CST by Arthur Hill

In addition to our weekly chat every Wednesday, we have a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:

What would it take for the Knicks to land Darren Collison? Is Jose Calderon, Kyle O’Quinn and a pair of second round picks enough? — Rodney

HR: The Kings probably want to keep Collison in case point guard Rajon Rondo leaves in free agency. Even though he was playing out of position much of this season, Collison delivered 14.0 points and 4.3 assists per game. Sacramento doesn’t need to move his contract, as he is due a little more than $5.2MM next season. Collison will be a free agent next summer, so the Knicks may pursue him then if they don’t find a better alternative first.
Any way the Pelicans could pull off a draft night trade and move up to draft Ben Simmons? I know the lottery will affect how it shakes out. — Brandon
HR: The Pelicans would love to have the LSU product, but they don’t have enough to offer unless they part with Anthony Davis, and that’s never going to happen. Simmons and Duke’s Brandon Ingram are considered the best prospects in the draft by a wide margin, and the teams that win the top two spots in Tuesday’s lottery will want to hold onto them.
Who will be a steal in this year free agent market? I’m talking about the underrated and underpaid free agent that makes the biggest impact next season. — illbdat44
HR: As always, it depends on finding the right team and the right fit. A few names to watch are Seth Curry, Jonas Jerebko, Mirza Teletovic and Allen Crabbe. Rockets power forwards Donatas Motiejunas and Terrence Jones were both productive when not sidelined by injures, and the Pacers’ Ian Mahinmi would be a nice pickup for a team needing a defensive anchor. Another possibility is Ersan Ilyasova if the Orlando decides not to keep him. He was a productive player in Milwaukee and Detroit before the February trade, and 6’10” guys who can hit 3-pointers are very popular in the modern NBA. He is due to make $8.4MM with the Magic next season, but only $400K of that is guaranteed, so they may cut him loose.
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Hoops Links: Westbrook, DeRozan, Jackson

May 15th, 2016 at 4:50pm 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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