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Eastern Notes: Wade, Young, Siakam, Wright

September 25th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Now that the shock waves have died down over his move from Miami to Chicago, Dwyane Wade wants to prove he can still be an elite player in a new environment, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. After a contract standoff with the Heat, Wade surprised the NBA in July by agreeing to a two-year, $47MM deal with the Bulls. When Chicago opens camp this week, it will be the first time Wade has been with a team other than Miami in his 13-year career. “When I don’t have anything else left to prove, then I don’t need to play the game of basketball,” Wade said. “I want to prove I’m out of my comfort zone. I’m in a totally different environment, a totally different system. This is a challenge for me, at this stage of my career. Leave it up to me to put myself in a challenge and not just fade to black in the comfortableness of Miami.”

There’s more tonight from the Eastern Conference:

  • James Young is ready to battle for a roster spot as the Celtics open camp, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Boston has 16 players with guaranteed contracts, and the competition for the final slot is expected to come down to Young, second-year guard R.J. Hunter and rookie forward Ben Bentil. Young, a 6’6″ shooting guard, has been with the Celtics for two seasons but has played in just a combined 60 games. He will make more than $1.8MM this season, but may be in the organization’s dog house after being benched during summer league for his poor play. “I’m not thinking about contracts or the next year,” Young said. “I’m just staying in the present right now, gotten a lot better, still getting better. And there’s a lot better for me to come, so I’m not even thinking about the future, who they got coming up or what’s going on. I’m staying right here in the present.”
  • Rookie forward Pascal Siakam will be ready when the Raptors open training camp on Monday, tweets Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun. Siakam, the 27th pick in this year’s draft, suffered a left MCL sprain in summer league and missed all but one game. Wolstat adds that Delon Wright, the 20th pick in the draft, is making progress but won’t return to action for a while. Wright had arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder August 1st and was expected to need at least four months to recover.
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Weekly Mailbag: 9/19/16-9/25/16

September 25th, 2016 at 8:01pm 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:

Since we have lost Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, who do you think will be the next great to walk away from the game? I honesty think either Manu Ginobili or Paul Pierce. — pewdsbros28@gmail.com

Pierce’s 39th birthday is next month and he still hasn’t said definitively that he will play this season. If things don’t go well in training camp, his retirement could be coming soon. Ginobili turned 39 over the summer, but his minutes have been limited to less than half a game for the past five years. He probably can remain in that role for a couple more years if his body doesn’t break down. Another name to watch is Vince Carter, who will turn 40 in January. He said recently that he still loves to play and wants to remain in the league two more years, but as always, that’s only if his body holds up.

How do you think the midseason return of Tyreke Evans will affect the Pelicans’ playoff chances? — Adam Guttuso

The latest report on Evans, who underwent two knee surgeries last season, is that he won’t be ready until December at the earliest. It’s hard to project how he will affect the playoff race without knowing exactly when he will return and how the knee will respond to the rigors of NBA competition. A healthy Evans would certainly give New Orleans a boost, but the Pelicans have to find a way to stay in the race until their roster is full again. Along with Evans, the team will start the season without Jrue Holiday, who has taken a leave of absence to care for his ailing wife, and Quincy Pondexter, who is still recovering from cartilage replacement surgery on his left knee in January.

Which big name players [such as Jimmy Butler and DeMarcus Cousins] will get involved in trade talks? — Eran Dekel

Those are two good ones to start with. The Celtics and Timberwolves both tried hard to swing a deal for Butler around draft time, but neither team got it done. Butler had a well-publicized clash with coach Fred Hoiberg last season, and if he doesn’t mesh well with newcomers Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, look for trade rumors to heat up again. Cousins enters this season with another new coach and another revamped roster in Sacramento. The clock is ticking toward his free agency in the summer of 2018, and if the Kings get off to another bad start they may explore what they could get in a trade for their big man. A long shot might be Blake Griffin, who angered Clippers management by breaking his hand in a fight with an equipment manager last season. Griffin has an early termination clause and can become a free agent next summer, so the Clippers may look to make a deal if they aren’t one of the top teams in the West.

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Bulls Notes: Felicio, Hoiberg, Wade, Dinwiddie

September 25th, 2016 at 7:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Chicago’s offseason moves should give Cristiano Felicio an opportunity for more playing time, writes Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The 6’10” Brazilian center appeared in just 31 games with the Bulls during his rookie season and spent much of the year with Canton in the D-League. However, he stood out as part of Chicago’s summer league squad that won a championship in Las Vegas. The Bulls lost both Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol in free agency over the summer. Robin Lopez, who was acquired from the Knicks in the Derrick Rose trade, is the only true center on Chicago’s roster, which could mean a lot more playing time for Felicio. “I learned so much because the Bulls last year, they had a lot of big guys and they were always talking to me and giving me tips,” he said. “It was my first year and I didn’t know what to expect through the season and they were always talking to me, telling me what to do and what not to do in the NBA. It for sure helped me a lot in my first year.”

There’s more news out of Chicago:

  • Coach Fred Hoiberg once again seems to have a roster that doesn’t fit his preferred style of play, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Hoiberg promised a pace-and-space system when he became head coach, but he hasn’t been given the outside shooters to make that work. This summer’s top two additions, Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo, are both more slashers than shooters. The only change in Hoiberg’s staff was the addition of Dr. Wendy Borlabi as a “high performance coach” who is focused on the mental aspects of the game.
  • Bulls management has talked about limiting Wade’s minutes during the regular season so he can be more effective in the playoffs, Johnson writes in the same story. The Heat did the same thing last year, as Wade averaged a career-low 30.5 minutes and stayed healthy enough to play in 74 games. “In Miami, Coach Spo [Erik Spoelstra] wanted me to play 30 minutes a game in the regular season, and when he told me that the year before, I wasn’t on board,” Wade said. “But [in 2015-16], he wound up doing it and it was successful for me. Every year is different. I work very hard, man. I just need to take care of my body, especially as I get older. I always have the mentality that I’ll do whatever for my team that I need to do. But I’m not trying to play 40 minutes.”
  • Spencer Dinwiddie probably comes into camp as the favorite to back up Rondo at point guard, according to Sam Smith of NBA.com. Dinwiddie, whom the Bulls traded for, waived and re-signed over the summer, will get competition from rookie Denzel Valentine and Jerian Grant.
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Suns Sign Bakumanya, Cooke, Harrison, Jones

September 25th, 2016 at 6:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Suns signed four players just before the start of training camp, the team announced today on its website. The addition of Gracin Bakumanya, Derek Cooke, Shaquille Harrison and Derrick Jones gives Phoenix 19 players under contract heading into the first day of camp on Monday.

Bakumanya, a 6’11” center, was an international early-entry candidate who wasn’t selected in June’s draft. A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bakumanya played in France last season and was part of the Rockets’ summer league team.

A 6’9″ power forward, Cooke played for the Suns’ D-League affiliate in Bakersfield last season, averaging 4.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in 47 games. Cooke, a Wyoming alumnus, played for the Suns’ team in the summer league.

Harrison, formerly of Tulsa, also went undrafted this year. A 6-4 guard, he averaged 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists as a senior and earned All-American Athletic Conference second team honors the past two seasons.

Jones, a 6’7″ power forward, spent one season at UNLV before entering the draft. The 19-year-old averaged 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in 30 games with the Runnin’ Rebels.

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Hoops Links: Durant, Garnett, Porter

September 25th, 2016 at 4:52pm 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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Hawks Notes: Howard, Bembry, Rookies

September 25th, 2016 at 3:25pm CST by Will Joseph

The Hawks head into training camp with 16 players under guaranteed or substantially guaranteed contracts and 15 roster spots available, and coach Mike Budenholzer believes that’s a good thing, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays in a Q&A.

“It feels like, watching the team and watching the players through September and all the individual workouts, and other things we do, it just feels like it’s set up for a really competitive camp, from top to bottom, everywhere you look,” Budenholzer said.

Here’s more out of Atlanta:

  • Dwight Howard‘s physicality will be a welcomed addition to Atlanta because it brings an element to the team that may have been missing, Budenholzer said, per Vivlamore, in the same piece.
  • Hawks small forward DeAndre Bembry eyes this year’s Rookie of the Year award and is a newcomer that should be able to provide an immediate impact, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes.
  • The Hawks actually bring in three rookies with the signing of Malcolm Delaney and first-round draft picks Bembry and Taurean Prince, and Delaney, who played five years overseas, should see a large role early on, Vivlamore writes in a separate story.
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Knicks Notes: Jackson, Porzingis, Lee

September 25th, 2016 at 2:21pm CST by Will Joseph

Knicks president Phil Jackson considered the idea of building slowly around Kristaps Porzingis and discussed the thought inside the organization, but ultimately decided for a swifter approach, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports. The Knicks reeled in Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Brandon Jennings, who all have injury concerns, but Jackson beleives the health issues are worth the risk, Begley relays.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • There will likely be some speculation about Jackson’s future in New York because he has an opt-out clause in his contract that he could exercise after this season, Begley writes in the same piece. “I’ve just been going straight ahead. That really hasn’t been an item for me to think about,” Jackson said. “The fact that I had a clause put in the contract, that in case there was a lockout, that it might be a way to step away from the team or a job that doesn’t have any work action going on for a period of time. So that was one clause. That hasn’t affected what I’m doing now.”
  • The most intriguing addition to the Knicks is Courtney Lee,  who turned down a larger offer from the Sixers to come to New York, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. Lee seems like a good fit, especially after former Knicks guard Arron Afflalo‘s presence didn’t work so well in the team’s triangle offense, Berman adds.
  • Only Carmelo Anthony remains from the team that Jackson inherited in March 2014, and despite the turnover rate, Jackson said he has been fiscally responsible, Al Iannazzone of Newsday relays.
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Northwest Notes: Exum, Oladipo, Wolters, Garnett

September 25th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz point guard Dante Exum proclaims himself fully healed from the ACL injury that wiped out last season, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Exum suffered the injury in August of 2015 while playing for the Australian national team and says the mental anguish was worse than the physical pain. “There were plenty of times where I wondered, why me,” Exum told The Tribune. “I wondered if I would be the guy I was before the injury. I was supposed to go home to Australia the next day, and I hadn’t been home in a year. I wondered, what’s going to happen with the Jazz? That was the pain I was going through.” With Utah’s training camp opening this week, Exum says his knee feels stronger than ever and his speed, leaping ability and explosive first step have all returned. Exum, who started 41 games during his rookie season, will ease back into the NBA in a reserve role after the Jazz made an offseason deal for George Hill.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

  • For several years, the Thunder have tried to surround their stars with “3-and-D” players, but Victor Oladipo tells Erik Horne of The Oklahoman that he wants to be more than that. Oladipo, who came to Oklahoma City in a draft-day trade involving Serge Ibaka, is expected to start alongside MVP candidate Russell Westbrook in the OKC backcourt, but he doesn’t see himself as just a complementary player. “I don’t just want to be a three-point shooter. I don’t just want to be a defensive stopper,” Oladipo said. “I want to be one of the best players in this league, and in order to do that, you have to affect the game on both ends and do multiple things.”
  • Coming off an impressive season in Turkey, Nate Wolters is hoping to work his way back into the NBA with the Nuggets, relays Jake Rauchbach of Basketball Insiders. The 38th pick in the 2013 draft, Wolters spent two seasons with the Bucks and Pelicans before heading overseas last year. He is projected as the fourth point guard on Denver’s roster, but is hoping to make an impression at training camp. “When you’re trying to make a team, there is kind of a fine line between trying to do too much and proving yourself,” Wolters said. “But still, at the same time, you want to be aggressive so they notice you a little bit. [I’ll] just try to run the team and then kind of pick my spots when I feel like I can be aggressive and try to make plays.”
  • Timberwolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau has issued a statement honoring Kevin Garnett upon his retirement, relays The Star-Tribune. “Kevin will always be remembered for the way in which he played the game,” Thibodeau said. “His fierce competitiveness, his unequaled passion for the game and the many ways in which he cared about this team was truly special. KG is without question the all-time best player to wear a Minnesota Timberwolves jersey, and he is also one of the best ever to play this game.’’
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Spurs Notes: Gasol, Roster Battle, Denmon, D-League

September 25th, 2016 at 11:55am CST by Arthur Hill

Pau Gasol may not be the best replacement for the retired Tim Duncan, cautions Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders. In the site’s season preview of the Spurs, Blancarte notes that while Gasol remains an effective passer and all-around player, most of his scoring comes from the midrange area, where San Antonio already produces much of its offense. Gasol left the Bulls to sign a two-year, $30MM deal with the Spurs in July. Although Blancarte picks San Antonio to repeat as Southwest Division champions, he expresses concern about the age of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and states that Kyle Anderson and Jonathon Simmons will have to be ready to take on larger roles.

There’s more news out of San Antonio:

  • The Spurs have 14 players with guaranteed contracts and a four-way battle is shaping up for the final roster spot, Eric Pincus writes in the same story. Patricio Garino, Ryan Arcidiacono, Bryn Forbes and Ryan Richards are expected to compete for the 15th position, with the D-League looming as a consolation prize.
  • San Antonio has waived its rights to Marcus Denmon, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The Spurs made the former Missouri combo guard the 59th pick in the 2012 draft. He has spent his professional career overseas and played last season in the Turkish Basketball League.
  • An Austin Spurs tryout Saturday attracted 110 players hoping to duplicate Simmons’ unlikely path to the NBA, writes Lorne Chen of NBA.com. Simmons was a semi-pro player who was thinking about giving up basketball when he came to the 2013 tryout. He impressed coaches enough to earn a contract with the D-League team, then graduated to the NBA two seasons later. “Jonathon came from this spot and has been a part of our group ever since,” said Austin GM Andy Birdsong. “And the thing is there are many stories like his coming out of the D-League. It’s a real story. It’s one that’s tangible. And it gives the guys here a lot of hope.”
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Atlantic Notes: Dudley, Nets, LeVert, Poeltl

September 25th, 2016 at 10:57am CST by Arthur Hill

Jared Dudley was interested in joining the Celtics in free agency this summer, but the team didn’t reach out to him, relays Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Dudley, who averaged 7.9 points per game and shot 42% from 3-point range last season with the Wizards, has ties to the area as a Boston College alumnus. Instead, he accepted a three-year, $30MM offer from Phoenix. “Boston never contacted me, but I made it known I was interested in them,” Dudley said. He added that the Celtics may not have believed they had a role for him because they want to give playing time to first-round pick Jaylen Brown.

There’s more news this morning from the Atlantic Division:

  • Power forward shapes up as the Nets‘ best position battle heading into training camp, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Free agent additions Trevor Booker and Luis Scola will compete for time at the position, along with second-year player Chris McCullough. “A good thing about our situation, I think we have versatile bigs,” said new coach Kenny Atkinson. “I don’t think [of] Scola simply as a four. I’m thinking of Luis Scola as a four and five. I’d even say that with Trevor Booker. Trevor Booker, why can’t he take another step as a player with more responsibility and the talent he has? We look at these guys, we’re looking upside.”
  • The Nets plan to be very patient with the health of rookie Caris LeVert, Lewis adds in the same piece. The first-round pick out of Michigan has broken his left foot multiple times and is still recovering from a Jones fracture. LeVert wasn’t able to use a treadmill until July and is limited to strengthening exercises as camp opens. “We’ll be progressing him slowly and building him in,’’ said GM Sean Marks. “He hasn’t played in six months, so it’s been intermittent for the last couple years with him. … He has a long, long road ahead of him.”
  • Jakob Poeltl should be part of the Raptors‘ rotation at the start of the season, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. In the site’s season preview for Toronto, Hamilton calls Poeltl the team’s best offseason acquisition, citing his footwork, rebounding instincts and international experience.
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