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Nets Notes: Stephenson, Ferrell, Mockevicius, Beech

September 4th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Nets GM Billy King turned down a trade proposal last season that would have brought Lance Stephenson to Brooklyn, according to NetsDaily.com. King, who lost the GM title in January in a shakeup that cost coach Lionel Hollins his job, nixed the deal, which would have sent Joe Johnson to Charlotte in exchange for Stephenson and other unidentified players. The trade had the approval of Dmitry Razumov, chairman of the Nets’ board of directors, and NetsDaily shares the story as a way of showing that King had final say on all personnel moves, including the disastrous deal with the Celtics that put Brooklyn in its current position. King, the columnist added, also rejected Razumov’s suggestion to pursue JaVale McGee.

There’s more news tonight out of Brooklyn:

  • Yogi Ferrell, Egidijus Mockevicius and Beau Beech will come into camp knowing that they’re likely headed to the Nets’ new D-League affiliate on Long Island, NetsDaily writes in the same piece. All three received “training camp invites,” which don’t become fully guaranteed unless the players remain on the roster until all contracts are guaranteed in early January. The author notes that roster spots could be hard to earn with Brooklyn having 15 players with fully guaranteed contracts, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Seven of those players have deals that either will expire or can expire after the upcoming season, so the Nets have flexibility if they decide to keep Ferrell, Mockevicius or Beech.
  • The Nets may pick up another player before camp with the intention of sending him to the D-League, NetsDaily adds. The rights of the last four players cut would automatically go to the Long Island affiliate if they aren’t claimed off waivers. Brooklyn currently has 18 players headed to camp, two shy of the NBA limit.
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Weekly Mailbag: 8/29/16-9/4/16

September 4th, 2016 at 8:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

We have an 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:

Do you think there’s a chance that Stephen Curry will join the Lakers after his contact expires next season, since one of his former coaches, Luke Walton, is the Lakers’ coach now? — Greg Dizon

It may be fun for Lakers fans to dream about the possibility of Golden State players following their former coach to L.A., but we can’t envision any scenario where Curry leaves the Warriors. He’s criminally underpaid at about $12.1MM for the upcoming season, but that’s a result of signing his current deal four years ago when there were still concerns about his ankles. The Warriors aren’t in a position to renegotiate right now, especially after signing Kevin Durant, but they will take care of Curry next summer. The Lakers will have to look elsewhere for stars.

If J.R. Smith doesn’t re-sign with the Cavs, what is the most logical destination for him? Boston, Brooklyn, Denver, Miami, Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Utah all seem to have cap space to sign him.–Matt Trapp

While it’s true that all those teams have the cap room to add Smith, it’s also true that none of them has made an offer since he became a free agent more than two months ago. At age 30 and with a somewhat checkered NBA past, it’s understandable why teams didn’t line up to throw money at him. Plus, there have been reports that J.R. and the Cavs aren’t that far apart on money, with the team offering $10MM to $12MM a year and Smith wanting $15MM. Our best guess is that this gets wrapped up before the season starts and at terms closer to the Cavaliers’ offer, much like the Tristan Thompson standoff did last year. But back to your question, if Smith does go somewhere else, Minnesota is intriguing. With all the young talent on their roster, the Wolves might want a veteran shooting guard with championship experience.

What is the likelihood that:

  • Greg Monroe is traded before the season?
  • Monroe finds a productive/effective role with the Bucks this year?
  • Monroe is traded before the deadline?
  • Monroe does not opt out next summer because no one will pay him more than what his third year is worth? — Nick Sawyer

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported this week that Milwaukee doesn’t want to make a major deal before camp opens, so the likelihood of the first question appears very low. Monroe was an awkward fit last season and there haven’t been enough roster changes to see how that improves, so the second question also seems like a long shot. Questions three and four are related, as any team that considers a midseason trade for Monroe is going to want an assurance that he won’t opt out of a $17.9MM salary next summer. His decision may come down to how soon he wants to leave Milwaukee.

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Poll: 2008 NBA Draft Take Two (Pick No. 16)

September 4th, 2016 at 7:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

Scouting players and predicting how their skills will translate to the NBA is one of the more difficult tasks front offices have on their plates. Looking back over past drafts and how many lottery picks never evolved into stars, or even made a significant impact in the league, illustrates just how often stats, combine numbers and pure gut instinct often come up short.

Of course, we get the opportunity to critique these moves with the benefit of hindsight — a luxury that GMs don’t have on draft night. Having said that, it’s still fun to go back in time and take a theoretical look at how these drafts should have/could have gone.

We’ve been revisiting 2008 draft, which had a number of players who have gone on to post big numbers in the league. This was the year of Derrick Rose (No. 1 overall), Russell Westbrook (No. 4), Kevin Love (No. 5), Brook Lopez (No. 10) and Nicolas Batum (No. 25). Over the next few weeks, we’ll be posting a series of polls asking readers to vote on whom teams should have selected in each spot.

We’ve arrived at the No. 16 overall pick, which was held by the Sixers. In the “real world” draft, Philadelphia selected Marreese Speights out of Florida. Speights is still on the board, but so are some interesting alternatives, so it’s up to you to decide if the Sixers still want “Mo’ Buckets.”

Cast your vote for who the Sixers select and check back on Monday to see the results, as well as to vote on whom the Raptors should have taken with the No. 17 pick. Also, don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the pick and why you voted the way that you did. If we fail to list a player who you think should be selected, feel free to post that in the comments section and we’ll be certain to tally those votes as well.

  1. Bulls — Russell Westbrook [Actual Pick — Derrick Rose]
  2. Heat — Kevin Love [Actual Pick — Michael Beasley]
  3. Wolves — Derrick Rose [Actual Pick — O.J. Mayo]
  4. Sonics/Thunder — DeAndre Jordan [Actual Pick — Russell Westbrook]
  5. Grizzlies — Brook Lopez [Actual Pick — Kevin Love]
  6. Knicks — Serge Ibaka  [Actual Pick — Danilo Gallinari]
  7. Clippers — Nicolas Batum [Actual Pick — Eric Gordon]
  8. Bucks — Goran Dragic [Actual Pick — Joe Alexander]
  9. Bobcats/Hornets — Danilo Gallinari [Actual Pick — D.J. Augustin]
  10. Nets — Ryan Anderson [Actual Pick — Brook Lopez]
  11. Blazers (from Pacers) — Eric Gordon [Actual Pick — Jerryd Bayless]
  12. Kings — George Hill  [Actual Pick — Jason Thompson]
  13. Pacers (from Blazers) — Robin Lopez [Actual Pick — Brandon Rush]
  14. Warriors — Courtney Lee [Actual Pick — Anthony Randolph]
  15. Suns — Roy Hibbert [Actual Pick — Robin Lopez]
  16. Sixers— ?? [Actual Pick  — Marreese Speights]

If you’re a Trade Rumors app user, click here to vote.

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Hoops Links: Knicks, Raptors, Wizards

September 4th, 2016 at 4:45pm 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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Atlantic Notes: Covington, Zeller, Young

September 4th, 2016 at 2:48pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Robert Covington is primed for a breakout year, Derek Bodner of Philadelphia Magazine argues. Covington has been a bright spot for the Sixers over the last few seasons and Bodner notes that the team has scored 100.5 points per 100 possessions with the small forward on the floor compared to 96 points when he’s on the bench. Bodner expects his numbers to improve further since the talent around him has improved. Covington’s contract is one of the most team-friendly deals in the league. He will make slightly over $1.0MM this season and the team holds an option worth roughly $1.1MM for the 2017/18 campaign.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • Tyler Zeller only played 710 minutes last season and even after re-signing with the Celtics on a two year, $16MM deal, his role is unlikely to increase significantly during this year, Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com speculates. Pelton cites Zeller’s inability to protect the rim as reason he doesn’t see more playing time.
  • The Celtics may end up moving James Young, who is one of 16 players on the roster with a guaranteed deal, Pelton adds in the same piece. The team currently has 18 total players under contract, as the team’s depth chart at roster resource indicates.
  • Ben Bentil and Demetrius Jackson face stiff competition for roster spots on the Celtics and both players will likely be headed to the D-League, Pelton writes in the same piece.

 

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Nuggets Sign Robbie Hummel

September 4th, 2016 at 1:03pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Nuggets have signed Robbie Hummel to a two-year deal, according to GoldandBlack.com (Twitter link). It will be a partially guaranteed deal, likely for the minimum.

Hummel played in Italy last season for Emporio Armani Milano. He suffered a shoulder injury midseason and he was released by the team.  The Wolves selected the former Purdue star with the No. 58 overall selection in the 2012 draft. He spent two season in Minnesota, averaging 3.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game.

Entering the day, the Nuggets had 19 players under contract, as the team’s depth chart at Roster Resource indicates. Hummel will face stiff competition for a regular season roster spot.

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Pacific Notes: Hewitt, Lakers, Gay

September 4th, 2016 at 11:34am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Clippers have hired Paul Hewitt as a scout, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Hewitt previously was a head coach in the collegiate ranks, manning the sidelines at Siena, Georgia Tech and George Mason.

Here’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Lakers are embarking on a rebuild, something the franchise doesn’t undergo often, and if the team’s young talent can take steps in the right direction, it will likely help Los Angeles draw big time free agents next summer, Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes in a piece that previews the team’s 2016/17 season. Powell adds that the Lakers brought in veterans, like Luol Deng, in part to mentor their young talent.
  • Rudy Gay will likely leave the Kings either via trade this season or in free agency next year, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders writes. Gay holds a player option worth slightly more than $14.26MM for the 2017/18 campaign and Kyler believes the forward turns it down in search of a long-term deal.
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Jrue Holiday To Miss Start Of Season

September 4th, 2016 at 9:59am CST by ChrisCrouse

Jrue Holiday will miss an “indefinite” period of time during the regular season to take care of his wife and newborn child, Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune reports. “My family comes before basketball,” said Holiday. “I’m obviously blessed to play this game and be in the position I am in, but my wife is the most important thing in the world to me. She comes before anything else.”

Doctors discovered a tumor on the right side of Lauren Holiday’s brain roughly two months ago and she will need to undergo surgery to remove it. Duncan adds that the tumor will not cause complications to the birth of the couple’s unborn daughter, but she must have the baby before undergoing the procedure. Doctors are confident she will make a full recovery after successful surgery, which will likely take place later this year.

The Pelicans have been supportive throughout the entire process. “There wasn’t any pressure to be with the team or to choose between my team and my wife. They told me to be a husband first. I don’t think they know how much their support means to me and my family,” the point guard said.

Lauren Holiday is a two-time Olympic gold medalist for the U.S. women’s soccer team and she retired from the sport last year to have a child. The Holiday family remains in our thoughts and prayers.

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New York Notes: Holiday, Knicks, Booker, Nets

September 3rd, 2016 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Headed to his fifth team in four years, Justin Holiday wants to show the Knicks that he’s more than a throw-in from the Derrick Rose trade, relays Marc Berman of The New York Post. Holiday, a 6’6″ shooting guard, divided last season between the Hawks and Bulls, moving in February after a three-team trade that also involved the Jazz. Holiday said he started to feel comfortable in Chicago after the deal, appearing in 27 games, starting four and averaging 6.5 points per night. However, the 27-year-old brother of the Pelicans’ Jrue Holiday found himself on the move again with the June trade to New York. “As far as talent goes, I think we’re one of the more talented team tins his league, especially in the East,” Holiday said of the Knicks. “Hopefully we do some stuff [the Warriors] did.’’ Holiday was a reserve on the Golden State team that won the NBA title in 2015.

There’s more NBA news tonight out of New York:

  • The Knicks may not live up to Rose’s “super team” designation, but they raised their talent level considerably this offseason, writes A.J. Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today. New York’s addition of Rose, Joakim Noah and Brandon Jennings makes the team interesting, but their collective injury history limits the Knicks’ offseason grade to a B-minus.
  • The Nets are counting on Trevor Booker to help replace the production lost when Thaddeus Young was traded to the Pacers, according to NetsDaily. Brooklyn signed the former Utah power forward to a two-year, $18.5MM deal shortly after free agency began. The 6’8″ Booker averaged 5.9 points and 5.7 rebounds with the Jazz last season, and he will be counted on to help improve the Nets’ interior defense.
  • The Nets might be in the worst position of any team in the league, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. Powell likes the additions of GM Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson, as well as some of the other offseason moves, but cautions that it will take a long time to change the situation in Brooklyn.
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Community Shootaround: Shaq vs. Big Three

September 3rd, 2016 at 8:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

If anyone is qualified to rate the most important transaction in Miami Heat history, it’s Pat Riley. As team president, Riley has overseen everything the franchise has done since he accepted the position in 1995.

Riley has been responsible for dozens of moves each season, some large and some small, but there were two that shook the foundation of the NBA. In 2004, with the Lakers coming off a loss in the NBA Finals and the feud between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant simmering out of control, Riley made a bold offer to bring the big man to Miami. He sent Lamar Odom, Caron Butler, Brian Grant and two draft picks to Los Angeles in exchange for the most dominant force in the game at the time.

Six years later, Riley again reached out to the NBA’s top player. After seven seasons in Cleveland and on the heels of a bitter playoff loss, LeBron James was concerned about his place in NBA history. With some help from Dwyane Wade, Riley recruited James and fellow free agent Chris Bosh to come to South Beach and form a Big Three that made four consecutive trips to the NBA Finals and won two titles.

For the fanfare that surrounded Shaq and LeBron, neither stayed in Miami all that long. O’Neal helped the Heat win a title in 2006, but played just 40 games the following season and was traded to Phoenix in February of 2008. James and Bosh brought a rock-star aura to the Heat, who drew comparisons with the greatest teams in history, but LeBron decided to return to Cleveland with his two rings in 2014, leaving Miami to rebuild around Bosh and Wade.

That brings us to tonight’s question: Riley says the trade for O’Neal was the most important move the franchise ever made, ahead of LeBron and the formation of the Big Three. Do you agree? 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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