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Month: November 2024

Eastern Notes: Vucevic, Mirotic, Canaan, Pistons

November 27th, 2016 at 11:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Magic coach Frank Vogel shook up the starting lineup tonight with D.J. Augustin, Bismack Biyombo and Aaron Gordon replacing Elfrid Payton, Nikola Vucevic and Jeff Green, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. The change was prompted by a three-game losing streak, but not much improved with an eight-point loss to the Bucks.

Vucevic promised to keep a professional attitude about the move, but he clearly isn’t endorsing it. “I spoke to Frank about it last night, and obviously I wasn’t happy with the decision they made,” the sixth-year center said to Zach Oliver of OPP Magic Blog. “I didn’t think there was a reason for me to go to the bench, but it’s coach’s decision. All I can do is control what I can control, which is when I’m on the court play to the best of my ability and help the team win. Stay professional and whatever is going on, I’ll keep giving my best and give them my full effort.”

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

  • Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic hopes to stay in the NBA rather than return to Europe after his contract expires at the end of this season, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. The former Real Madrid star is wrapping up a three-year, $16.6MM deal. He calls Chicago “a great city” and says he wants to continue to take on the challenges that the NBA presents. “I think [the NBA] is the best place I can grow as a player,” Mirotic said. “I was very comfortable in Madrid. … That was a perfect place to stay and be in a comfort zone, to sign another five years. But that’s not who I am. I like the challenges. … And I came here to prove that I’m ready.”
  • A season and a half in Philadelphia has helped Bulls guard Isaiah Canaan appreciate the chance to be on a winning team, writes Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly. Canaan signed with Chicago over the summer after the Sixers declined to submit a qualifying offer. “I say it was a blessing for the opportunity, just to prove I can help a team out and show what I can bring,” Canaan said. “It was a humbling experience for me just to have to go through something like that and learn not to take anything for granted.”
  • A June meeting at a Tigers game between Pistons owner Tom Gores and the Ilitch family, which owns the Red Wings, led to the Pistons’ move downtown next season, relays Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.
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And-Ones: Acy, No-Trade Clauses, Trade Exceptions

November 27th, 2016 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Quincy Acy, who was waived by the Mavericks last week, has entered the D-League player pool, tweets ESPN’s Marc Stein. With the top choice on the wavier wire, the L.A. D-Fenders will have the first chance to claim Acy, but Stein reports that Dallas’ affiliate, the Texas Legends, are trying to make a deal with L.A. to get his rights (Twitter link). The well-traveled forward has played with four NBA teams in four seasons.

There’s more basketball news tonight:

  • LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Dirk Nowitzki are the only players with no-trade clauses in their contracts, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders, who adds that players who re-signed with their teams on one-year contracts also have the right to block deals. Pincus offers a preview of trade season, which unofficially begins December 15th when the first group of offseason signees is eligible to be moved. The player who currently has the longest wait before he can be traded is Pelicans guard Anthony Brown, who can’t be dealt until February 21st.
  • Five teams have active trade exceptions, Pincus notes in the same piece. The Cavaliers have three: $845,059 through January 12th, $9.6MM through February 18th and $1.3MM through August 15th. The others belong to the Hornets at $1.7MM expiring July 12th, the Clippers at $1.2MM expiring August 15th, the Bucks at $1.7MM expiring September 22nd and the Thunder at $7.4MM expiring November 1st.
  • As the owners and players put the finishing touches on a new collective bargaining agreement, there are three issues that both sides are trying to improve, writes salary cap expert Larry Coon of ESPN.com. The issues are making it harder for players to form superteams, creating more opportunities for restricted free agents and turning the D-League into more of a minor league feeder system.
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Weekly Mailbag: 11/21/16 – 11/27/16

November 27th, 2016 at 8:30pm 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:

What do the Bucks need to do to make the playoffs? And will Greg Monroe be traded before the trade deadline? — Dan Vachalek

At 6-8, the Bucks are only a half game out of eighth in the East, so it’s possible they could be a playoff team with the roster they have now. It’s no secret that they would like to trade Monroe and would probably consider any reasonable offer. Like many teams, Milwaukee is relying more on small-ball lineups, which creates less of a need to have Monroe on the team. ESPN’s Zach Lowe confirmed this week that the Pelicans have had “semi-serious talks” about Monroe over the past year, but those appear to be on hold. The biggest problem with trading Monroe is that he has an $17.9MM player option for next season. Most teams don’t like to deal for players in that situation because of the uncertainty involved.

I have two questions:
1. Do you think that the Nuggets could trade one of their shooting guards in Gary Harris or Will Barton?
2. Will the Thunder make some cap space by trading Enes Kanter to go after big names in free agency? — Casey Becker

The Nuggets have made it clear that they like Harris a lot. He grabbed a starting position last year and he’s still on a rookie contract, making a little more than $1.65MM this year and $2.55MM next season. Unless Jamal Murray somehow makes Harris expendable, plan on him to stay in Denver. Barton is an extremely productive bench player who also has a very team-friendly contract. The Nuggets just re-signed him in 2015, and he is making about $3.5MM this season and next. There’s not much reason to think either one will be leaving Denver.

The Thunder, on the other hand, may be regretting their decision to match Kanter’s four-year, $70MM offer sheet last summer. He’s losing minutes to Joffrey Lauvergne and could wind up as a third-string center making more than $17MM per season. If a team came to the Thunder with an offer, I think they would gladly listen.

With the T-Wolves’ slow start, there are rumors that Tom Thibodeau will likely move one of his young assets for a proven veteran. However, which player gets traded and for whom? One would think the trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine are untouchable. Kris Dunn is viewed as the point guard of the future. Gorgui Dieng was just signed to a big contract extension. Also, they could’ve signed a veteran, such as Luol Deng, this off season or even kept Kevin Garnett on the team for leadership. Could Thibs’ frustration over losing cause him to part ways one of his young guns? –Matt Trapp

Thibodeau may not be a “trust the process” type of coach, but it would be incredibly short-sighted to break up this team full of young stars just to win a few games now. Ricky Rubio remains the player most likely to be traded, but it will be interesting to keep an eye on Minnesota between now and the deadline to see how much losing Thibodeau can tolerate without pulling the trigger on a major deal.

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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/27/16

November 27th, 2016 at 7:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • Forwards Anthony Bennett and Chris McCullough were recalled by the Nets after being assigned to Long Island earlier today for the D-League team’s game against Grand Rapids, the team announced in an email. Bennett had 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists, while McCullough put up 15 points and nine rebounds.
  • The Raptors have recalled Jakob Poeltl, Bruno Caboclo and Fred VanVleet from Raptors 905, according to The Toronto Sun. All three had been sent down to participate in Satuday’s game against Maine.
  • The Spurs assigned rookie guards Dejounte Murray, Bryn Forbes and Nicolas Laprovittola to Austin, writes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio News-Express. They are expected to be recalled in time for San Antonio’s game on Tuesday.
  • The Pelicans have recalled rookie forward Cheick Diallo from Austin, the team announced in an email. He has played six games in the D-League and just one for New Orleans.
  • The Mavericks recalled rookie center A.J. Hammons from the Texas Legends, according to an email from the team. He was assigned Saturday for a game against Salt Lake in which he scored eight points and grabbed four rebounds.
  • The Bulls have recalled forward/center Cristiano Felicio and guards Jerian Grant and R.J. Hunter from their Windy City affiliate, the team announced in an email.
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Sixers Notes: Embiid, Brown, “Trust The Process”

November 27th, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers saw another close game slip away this afternoon as Joel Embiid was limited by a minutes restriction, writes Derek Bodner of PhillyMag. Coach Brett Brown admits it can be frustrating to have to take out the star center with games on the line, but he considers himself the “steward” of the organization and wouldn’t consider deying orders in the heat of battle to try to get a victory. “You come up with some really hard decisions that maybe don’t favor me, or us, or whatever, but for the long-term lens that we all have, we have to be responsible with Joel Embiid, and our [other] players,” Brown said. “We all get what we have in Joel Embiid. So winning a game in the middle of November in 2016, sometimes that takes a back seat.”

There’s more news out of Philadelphia:

  • Embiid is putting up All-Star numbers in his limited minutes, but he is just beginning to show how good he can be, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The rookie center is working to regain his full measure of athleticism after two seasons lost to injury. Embiid says he still can’t finish at the rim the way he expects to. “I feel like I can push myself to being more athletic,” Embiid said. “I haven’t really been able to, like when I attack the basket, to go up like and try to dunk on someone because I don’t have that yet. So it’s just about me getting in the weight room with it, just lifting and working on making sure I stay strong.”
  • Embiid wants to help bring glamour back to the center position, Pompey writes in another story. He is one of a handful of talented young big men who are putting up impressive numbers in a league that has de-emphasized post play.“I think the big man is the main piece,” Embiid said. “Offensively, getting rebounds, and when you got a big man that can score down low and do everything [it] is always good for the team.”
  • Brown enjoys the “Trust the process” chant that Philadelphia fans have adopted whenever Embiid goes to the foul line, relays Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The phrase is a nod to former GM Sam Hinkie, who collected assets for years without fielding a competitive team in the hopes that a winner would eventually emerge. Embiid has taken on the nickname for himself, and the fans have responded. “When the crowd gets going with ‘the process’ and Joel anoints himself ‘Trust the process,’ there’s a side of it, I say, ‘Good for the crowd, good for Joel,’ and none of us are going to take ourselves too serious,” Brown said.
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Knicks Notes: Hornacek, Anthony, Rose

November 27th, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Will Joseph

Jeff Hornacek has proven that he is not afraid to take chances on lesser known players with talent, as his usage of Willy Hernangomez, who was a second round pick, or undrafted free agent like Mindaugas Kuzminskas suggests, Steve Popper of USA TODAY Sports writes. The Knicks are 8-8 under Hornacek, who is in his first season with the team. Popper credits Hornacek for being able to see the talent in Hernangomez and Kuzminskas early on despite other options.

Here’s more on New York:

  • Carmelo Anthony, who re-signed with the Knicks in 2014 after experiencing free agency, said he was surprised that Russell Westbrook decided to forego free agency a full year before being eligible and re-sign with the Thunder, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News writes. “Yeah I was, to be honest with you, yeah, for him to do it that soon. But that’s Russ,” Anthony said. “Russ don’t give a damn about nothing. It’s all about what he want to do and when he want to do it, how he want to do it. I think he wants to show people he was loyal to OKC.”
  • Westbrook’s new deal with the Thunder meant that Knicks point guard Derrick Rose, who is in the final year of his contract, moved up one spot in the rankings of the 2017 summer free agent point guards, Bondy notes in the same piece. Rose, who is averaging 15.9 points and 5.0 assists per game this season, is also set to be competing against Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry, Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo in that class.
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Hoops Links: Pelicans, Whitehead, Knicks

November 27th, 2016 at 3:33pm 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 Will at HoopsLinks@gmail.com.

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Pacific Notes: Russell, Clippers, Richardson

November 27th, 2016 at 2:16pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell said his left knee felt “better” Saturday as he hoisted a few set shots after practice, relays Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Russell made his first public comments since receiving a platelet-rich plasma injection on Wednesday. He is undergoing a rehab regimen that includes poll and low-impact cardio exercises and will be re-evaluated later this week. “Definitely don’t want to force anything back,” said Russell, who will be reevalauted later in the week. “I feel like I got to be 100 percent perfect before I step back on the floor.” He will likely be out of action for two more weeks.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • The Clippers‘ rebuilt bench makes them a legitimate challenger to Golden State in the West, contends Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee. The reserves have been a liability in the past, but the Clippers addressed that issue this summer with the signings of Marreese Speights and Raymond Felton. Add in Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford and the return of Wesley Johnson from a heel injury, and the bench seems ready to support a strong starting lineup.
  • Being assigned to the D-League gave Kings rookie Malachi Richardson the chance to enjoy the thrill of hitting a game-winning shot, writes Shahbaz Khan of NBA.com. It came in Reno’s recent victory over Texas and the Kings were happy to see how Richardson responded in a pressure situation. “The great players take those type of shots,” he said, “and one day I want to be one of those players, so I decided to take it.”
  • Alex Len, who will be a restricted free agent after the season, has played well as a starter, but does not mind shifting back to the Suns‘ bench because of Tyson Chandler‘s return from injury, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic relays.
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Phil Jackson To Lakers Rumors Persist

November 27th, 2016 at 12:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

There’s still an even-money chance that Phil Jackson could be running the Lakers next season, according to Mark Heisler of The Orange County Register.

The current Knicks president has an opt-out clause in his contract effective July 1st, and Heisler said some insiders from both organizations expect Jackson to wind up in L.A. The writer describes the situation as “fluid” and says the odds of a move are about 50-50, with a lot of things left to determine whether it will happen.

One of those factors is whether Knicks owner Jim Dolan sees enough improvement to want to keep paying Jackson $12MM per year. Coming off three straight seasons of missing the playoffs, New York is off to an 8-8 start after major moves such as the hiring of coach Jeff Hornacek, a trade for Derrick Rose and the free agent signing of Joakim Noah. Also, players have openly complained about the team’s adherence to the triangle offense, with Carmelo Anthony saying, “I’m getting tired of hearing about the triangle.”

Heisler describes Jackson as naturally shy and only comfortable with a few people, which helps to explain the hiring of former Laker Derek Fisher as head coach. Fisher was fired midway through last season and replaced with Kurt Rambis, another former Laker.

Add in the recent controversy over his “posse” comments, and there is reason to believe that Jackson may be looking to escape the turmoil of New York.

In Los Angeles, his fiance, Jeanie Buss, seems poised to assume complete control of the Lakers in the wake of her brother Jim’s comments that he would step down if he couldn’t make the team a contender in two years. The expiration date on that promise is about to arrive, and there is speculation that her first move would be to bring Jackson back to the organization.

Buss tried to hire him before he joined the Knicks, but was turned down by the rest of the management team. She chose not to fight because she knew her late father didn’t want bickering within the organization, but by next summer there may be no one to stand in her way.

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Southwest Notes: Gasol, D-League, Fizdale, Harrell

November 27th, 2016 at 11:44am CST by Arthur Hill

A consistent scorer since entering the NBA, Pau Gasol has faced a huge adjustment since signing with the Spurs this summer, writes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Gasol went scoreless Friday in Boston and he has put up a pair of two-point games during the early season. It’s a change for Gasol, who has averaged 18.1 points per game through his career, but apparently not an issue for coach Gregg Popovich. “I’m not really too concerned with who scores and who doesn’t,” Popovich said. “We just try to have more than the other guys.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • The largest rookie class in Spurs history has gotten a lot of D-League training, McDonald notes in a separate piece. Bryn Forbes, Davis Bertans, Dejounte Murray and Nicolas Laprovittola all earned spots on San Antonio’s roster, but they have spent much of their first month in Austin. “It’s been real important to us, keeping guys in shape and getting guys minutes, learning the game, learning the NBA,” Popovich said. “We’ve been fortunate we have had guys who have had the character and humility to do that and not think it’s below them.”
  • Grizzlies coach David Fizdale defended his maintenance program after point guard Mike Conley was used as a reserve and played just 23 minutes in Friday’s loss, relays Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Conley, who re-signed during the summer for $153MM over five years, said he is willing to trust Fizdale’s strategy, while the coach admitted it’s a work in progress. “Obviously you can tell the number of minutes that [Conley] played, what was happening,” Fizdale said. “I just tried to find a balance somewhere and just try to patch it up where we can, going after the win.”
  • Second-year Rockets big man Montrezl Harrell is finding his opportunities limited behind Clint Capela and Nene, notes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Circumstances have given Harrell more playing time than usual the past two games, but coach Mike D’Antoni doesn’t expect him to become part of the rotation. “Not that I don’t have confidence in him,” D’Antoni said. “I have a lot of confidence in him. It’s just hard. I want to get Clint up to 30 minutes. Clint is playing as well as anybody on our team. If I get him up to 30, that leaves only 18. Now, you’re trying to split time. Is that nine minutes each, 12 minutes for one guy and six [for the other]? In special circumstances, I wouldn’t hesitate. If we’re a little sluggish, I wouldn’t hesitate … because I think he brings energy and something different. But it’s hard to play three guys in that role if one guy is taking up 30 minutes. It’s almost impossible. It’s not fair to the other two guys, actually.”
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