2016 December | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: McRoberts, Whiteside, Magic, Hawks

December 28th, 2016 at 4:54pm CST by Luke Adams

With Josh McRoberts sidelined indefinitely due to a foot injury, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel explores the Heat‘s options, concluding that it probably doesn’t make sense for Miami to cut the veteran forward anytime soon. The Heat could stretch the cap hit for McRoberts’ 2017/18 player option ($6MM+) over multiple seasons if they were to waive him, but there’s no immediate need to clear a roster spot, so it makes sense to stick with him for now.

Here’s more from around the Southeast division:

When he was on a minimum salary contract, Hassan Whiteside‘s production was considered a bonus, but as a maximum salary player, the Heat center has had to adjust to new expectations. Shandel Richardson of The South Florida Sun Sentinel takes a look at how Whiteside has dealt with the transition from relative unknown to face of the franchise.
Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton sat in on the Magic‘s recruiting pitch for Bismack Biyombo this past summer, and some of the things they talked about during that meeting are starting to come to fruition, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Robbins pointed to Monday night’s win – in which Gordon scored 30 points, Payton added 16, and Biyombo had a double-double – as an example of Orlando’s roster beginning to jell.
Within a mailbag for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Chris Vivlamore tackles questions related to Tiago Splitter‘s health, Mike Scott‘s drug case, and potential trades for the Hawks.

Atlantic Notes: Howard, Noel, Sixers, Knicks, Rose

December 28th, 2016 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

When he hit the open market back in July, Dwight Howard was linked to a handful of teams before he eventually landed with the Hawks, but he’s not sure why the Knicks were one of those clubs. As Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News details, Howard “strongly denied” an offseason report suggesting he considered the Knicks in free agency.

“I never said that. I love New York, the Knicks are a great team. But that was something that was a lie,” Howard said. “That was a rumor that was being put out there. Like I said, I have no issues with New York or the fans or the people there, but it’s just something I’ve never said.”

For what it’s worth, our Howard archive includes multiple reports that suggest the Knicks were considering Howard this past summer, but there’s little to suggest that interest was mutual.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

After griping about his playing time when he first returned from a knee injury, Nerlens Noel has made peace with his role – or lack thereof – in the Sixers‘ rotation for now, says Keith Pompey of he Philadelphia Inquirer. Of course, even if Noel isn’t thrilled with his situation, attempting to make the most of it is the best thing he can do for both the team and his own trade value.
Although Sixers guard Nik Stauskas has reiterated that he holds no ill will toward the Kings for trading him early in his career, he’s always motivated to show his old team that it was a mistake to give up on him, Pompey writes in a separate piece for The Inquirer. “No one wants to be given up on,” Stauskas said. “But at the same time, I think they did me a favor by sending me here. So I’m not really mad about it.”
As Ian Begley of ESPN.com outlines, Derrick Rose – who is on track for unrestricted free agency in 2017 – is having a major impact on the Knicks‘ offense this season and is one of the reasons New York looks like a potential playoff team.
We rounded up a handful of Celtics notes earlier today.

Lakers Auditioned Donatas Motiejunas

December 28th, 2016 at 12:49pm CST by Luke Adams

With Larry Nance Jr. expected to be sidelined until late January, the Lakers brought in free agent big man Donatas Motiejunas for an audition, report Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com. According to Shelburne and Stein, Los Angeles didn’t immediately strike a deal with Motiejunas after working him out prior to Christmas Day.

It has been an odd year for Motiejunas, who was involved in both a February trade and a December free agent contract that were scuttled. A deadline deal that would have sent the 26-year-old from Houston to Detroit was vetoed due to concerns about his back. In July, D-Mo became a restricted free agent, but was unable to find a deal for about five months due to similar health concerns.

Eventually, the veteran power forward signed a four-year offer sheet with the Nets, which Houston matched. Following a dispute about the incentives in that offer sheet, Motiejunas and the Rockets came to a new agreement, but that deal fell apart as well, resulting in the team renouncing its rights to the former first-round pick and making him an unrestricted free agent. The only team Motiejunas can’t sign with now is the Nets, due to a CBA rule.

The Lakers don’t currently have any real cap room, which makes it a little surprising that Motiejunas’ camp would be seriously considering the club — he was believed to be seeking about $7-8MM per year. Los Angeles, right up against the cap, could offer its $2.898MM room exception, and perhaps Motiejunas would be willing to do a one-year deal at that price to prove that he’s healthy and get back on the market in the summer. There are only a handful of NBA teams with cap space, and one (Brooklyn) is off the table, so his options are limited.

Still, it’s not clear yet how serious the Lakers’ interest is. Shelburne tweets that Motiejunas looked good in his workout, so the team’s decision is based more on how he would fit in the rotation, rather than his health. According to Shelburne (via Twitter), Los Angeles is weighing whether adding D-Mo would take too many minutes away from its young players like Julius Randle and Tarik Black.

The Lakers also have a full 15-man roster, so they’d need to waive a player to create an opening for Motiejunas.

Rade Zagorac Likely To Join Grizzlies In 2017

December 28th, 2016 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

Serbian forward Rade Zagorac didn’t join the Grizzlies right away when the team used the 35th overall pick in the 2016 draft to select him. However, agent Misko Raznatovic believes it’s very likely that his client will head to Memphis in the summer of 2017 to join his NBA team. Raznatovic said as much during a conversation with Sasa Ozmo of SportKlub.rs (translation via Sportando).

“It is almost certain that Rade Zagorac will sign with the Grizzlies next year,” Raznatovic said. “In the NBA it is called [a] ‘verbal commitment’ – unlike in Europe, where verbal agreements don’t mean much, in the USA they stick to what was agreed in regard to plan of development of a certain player. That is the main reason why Zagorac stayed in Mega, so that he could go to the NBA next season.”

Zagorac, whose rights were acquired by the Grizzlies in a draft-night trade that also sent No. 31 pick Deyonta Davis to Memphis, has been the leading scorer for KK Mega Leks in Serbia this season. In 14 ABA League games, he has averaged 15.4 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 2.8 APG.

Shortly after he was selected by the Grizzlies this summer, Zagorac told Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal that he felt like the “best solution” for his development was to play one more season in Europe before heading to the NBA in 2017, so he and his agent have been eyeing that possibility for some time. If Memphis does add Zagorac next year, the team will have to use cap room or an exception to sign him, since he’s not subject to the rookie scale.

Celtics Notes: G. Green, Zizic, T. Allen

December 28th, 2016 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Gerald Green has racked up nine DNPs in December, but he got the opportunity to play on Tuesday night against the Grizzlies and responded with 19 points, his best mark since signing a one-year contract with the Celtics this past summer. It’s not clear if Green will be a permanent part of Boston’s rotation going forward, but the veteran swingman “has a clear value” to the club, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com.

“The one thing I’ve really been impressed with with Gerald, through the ups and downs of injuries and not playing, he’s very consistent in his support of his team,” Celtics head coach Brad Stevens said on Tuesday. “Not only there and quiet in the locker room, but also loud on the bench, active on the bench, and I knew that coming in. I had watched that pretty close in Miami last year, and things tend to work out when you’ve got that kind of spirit about you.”

Here’s more from out of Boston:

Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald also examined Green’s big night, writing that the player who showed up last night was the one the Celtics were hoping for when they signed him in the offseason.
In a conversation with Sas Ozmo of SportKlub.rs (translation via Sportando), agent Misko Raznatovic said that Ante Zizic‘s recent move to Darussafaka Dogus won’t prevent the draft-and-stash prospect from potentially joining the Celtics in 2017. “If it were [an obstacle], the transfer wouldn’t have happened,” Raznatovic said. “Zizic will be dominant in the NBA and I want him to go there as soon as possible.”
Stevens was also asked about Zizic’s development, telling Forsberg that the team’s 2016 first-rounder has a “high motor” and is “tough” (Twitter link). “We’re excited about him being a part of our future,” said the Celtics’ head coach.
With the Grizzlies in town on Tuesday, Tony Allen spoke to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe (Twitter link) about the Celtics’ decision not to re-sign him back in 2010, when the team was reluctant to offer a third guaranteed year.

Bryce Cotton To Play In Australia

December 28th, 2016 at 8:53am CST by Luke Adams

Former Providence guard Bryce Cotton, who spent parts of the last two seasons in the NBA, is headed back overseas, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. A source tells Carchia that Cotton has agreed to a deal with the Perth Wildcats, and will play in Australia.

Cotton, 24, went undrafted out of college in 2014, but caught on with the Jazz for 15 games in 2014/15, and had brief stints with both the Suns and the Grizzlies last season. In 23 total NBA games, the 6’1″ point guard has averaged a modest 3.8 PPG on .418/.304/.833 shooting.

In addition to his NBA experience, Cotton has also logged some D-League action and played for multiple teams overseas, including the Xinjiang Flying Tigers in China last season. Earlier this year, he signed with Turkey’s Anadolu Efes. However, the team – based out of Istanbul – decided about two weeks ago to replace him with Sixers camp invitee Brandon Paul.

Cotton will be joining a Perth club that currently sits in last place in Australia’s NBL, but most of the league’s teams are bunched together in the standings. At 7-9, the Wildcats could still make a run, with the help of Cotton.

Fantasy Hoops: Payton, Warren, Pistons

December 27th, 2016 at 10:50pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The 2016/17 campaign is entering its tenth week and Hoops Rumors is examining the fantasy basketball landscape in order to help you dominate the competition. Check back weekly for more fantasy basketball analysis.

Orlando’s Ace Off The Bench

The Magic’s offseason was filled with change, but the team planned on bringing back Elfrid Payton–their incumbent starting point–in hopes that he would continue to progress as a player and give the team some consistency. Payton struggled to begin the season, which provoked the organization to make another change: moving him to the bench.

The move has been mildly successful for the team, as Orlando owns a record of 9-8 since coach Frank Vogel re-adjusted the line-up, but it has brought even more success for Payton. Since moving to the second unit, the point guard is making 51.4% of his shots, up from the 43.0% he was making as a starter, and he’s averaging more points and assists per game than he was before.

Payton has always produced in the steals and assists categories, but his field goal percentage was detrimental to his value. Playing against opposing teams’ back-up point guards for portions of each game has allowed him to boost his offensive efficiency, similar to what Eric Gordon is experiencing in Houston.

He’s been particularly impressive over his last five games. He’s scoring 17.2 points per game on 58.3% shooting while adding 5.8 assists and a steal per game over that span. However, it’s worth noting that the team was missing Evan Fournier for two of those games, which led to a bigger role for the point guard.

Payton has become a fantasy asset and he should continue to be useful as long as his role doesn’t change too much. The team reportedly has interest in dealing him, as it may look to make even more changes, and if he’s dealt, his value will be dependent on what type of situation he’s looking at. If the Magic give Payton the starting spot back, or he’s dealt to a team that’s looking for a starter, his production is likely to be less efficient and his fantasy stock is likely to drop. Until then, enjoy his production and if he’s not owned in your league (available in over 30% of ESPN leagues), add him before Wednesday’s match-up against the Hornets.

Here’s more fantasy analysis and notes from around the league:

T.J. Warren, a player whom I wrote about earlier in the month, is still available in over half of ESPN leagues and that number should be much lower. The Suns are second in the league in pace this season, but the team is playing even faster when Warren is in the line-up. With him on the floor, the team is seeing nearly four more possessions per 48 minutes than when he sits. Before he was sidelined with a head injury, the small forward was a top-10 fantasy player at his position, in part because of the speed at which the team plays, and he’s starting to regain his form again.
Last week, Stan Van Gundy threatened that changes were coming for the Pistons. Since then, the coach moved Tobias Harris to the bench and it has helped the forward’s production. He’s scoring 23.5 points per game while shooting 53.6% from the field over his last two contests.
Van Gundy inserted free agent addition Jon Leuer in the starting line-up and the big man is also enjoying success. He’s shooting 51.1% from the field this season and he’s making 89.1% of his foul shots, a spectacular number for a big man. The power forward is available in nearly 70% of ESPN leagues.
The Mavericks signed Pierre Jackson earlier today. While the point guard is a scoring machine, his defense may keep him from seeing many minutes for the club. He’ll need to improve on that end of the floor if he is going to carve out a meaningful role with Dallas and he shouldn’t be on the fantasy radar until that happens.

And-Ones: Booker, Embiid, Karl

December 27th, 2016 at 9:22pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Nets landed Trevor Booker during the offseason by selling him on the opportunity to expand his role, as he tells Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders (video link). Booker said the Hornets, Magic, Suns, Mavericks and Wolves were among the teams to reach out to him, but his relationship with GM Sean Marks made him feel comfortable joining Brooklyn.

Here’s more from around the league:

Joe Harris is enjoying the opportunity to play for the Nets, as he tells Scotto in a separate piece (video link). Harris, who signed with Brooklyn on a two-year deal during the offseason, is seeing a career-high 23.5 minutes per game this season.
Joel Embiid is the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award, but it’s partly due to the struggles of the 2016 rookie class, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders details. Kennedy notes that there isn’t a single 2016 draft pick who is averaging at least 10.0 points per game.
In his book, George Karl claims that the NBA has a steroid issue, suggesting that performance-enhancers are the reason that players have longer careers in today’s NBA, as Dan Feldman of NBC Sports relays. It’s worth noting that in the book, Karl doesn’t present specific evidence of any particular player using PEDs nor does the former coach even acknowledge the advances in league-approved medicine or the increased awareness in players’ dietary needs, both of which have been proven to increase the length of an average career.

Southwest Notes: Murray, Aldridge, Jackson

December 27th, 2016 at 7:51pm CST by ChrisCrouse

San Antonio waived Nicolas Laprovittola earlier today and the development of first-round pick Dejounte Murray played a role in the team’s decision, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports (Twitter link). The Spurs viewed Laprovittola as a placeholder until Murray was ready to play minutes as their third point guard and apparently, they believe the No. 29 overall pick is ready for that role.

Murray started for the Spurs against the Blazers last week and he had an impressive game, making four of his eight shots from the field. Coach Gregg Popovich praised the rookie after the game, as Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News relays. “Dejounte did well,” Popovich said. “He controlled his emotions and wasn’t intimidated by anything. He played a good solid game.”

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

The Spurs want LaMarcus Aldridge to be more aggressive on the offensive end, Orsborn relays in the same piece. “I tell him every day he needs to score more and shoot the ball more,” Tony Parker said. “[Kawhi Leonard] is going to do his thing, but LaMarcus needs to be another force and he needs to do that every game.”
The Mavericks signed Pierre Jackson earlier today and coach Rick Carlisle said the team wants to get “a close look at him,” as Earl K. Sneed of NBA.com (Twitter link) relays. Carlisle added that he believes Jackson was going to be the first D-League player to sign with an NBA team this season even if Dallas didn’t offer him a deal.
Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News wonders now if the Mavericks can rise in the standings now that the team is starting to get healthy.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/27/16

December 27th, 2016 at 6:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Tuesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from across the NBA, with the most recent updates added to the top of the list throughout the day:

6:25pm:

The Warriors have assigned Damian Jones back to Santa Cruz to join Golden State’s D-League affiliate, according to a press release. The rookie center figure to play for the NBADL Warriors against Sioux Falls tonight.

5:02pm:

Having waived one rookie guard – Nicolas Laprovittola – earlier today, the Spurs have sent another to the D-League. Bryn Forbes has been re-assigned to the Austin Spurs, tweets Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News.

1:36pm:

A day after Rockets rookie Chinanu Onuaku received his first opportunity to get into an NBA game and show off his underhanded free throws, the 2016 second-rounder is headed back to the D-League. The Rockets announced today (via Twitter) that Onuaku has been re-assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. Houston’s D-League affiliate will play three games in the next four days, so Onuaku may remain with the Vipers during that stretch.
The Thunder have sent forward Josh Huestis back to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The 25-year-old, who has yet to appear in an NBA game for Oklahoma City this season, will suit up for the OKC Blue on Wednesday night, assuming he’s not recalled before then.

Month: November 2024

Orlando’s Ace Off The Bench