2016 December | Hoops Rumors

Texas Notes: Bogut, Barea, Nene, Ennis

December 26th, 2016 at 8:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks center Andrew Bogut, who has been sidelined since December 5th with a bone bruise on his right knee, could be back on the court this week, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Coach Rick Carlisle announced the news today on Bogut, who started 16 games before the injury. The 32-year-old, who was acquired in a trade from Golden State to sure up the Mavericks’ interior defense, is averaging 3.8 points and 10.4 rebounds per night. He was considered a prime candidate to be traded again when Dallas was at the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but Mavericks may consider keeping him as they inch back toward playoff contention. The way he and the team play between now and the February 23rd trade deadline could determine how long he stays in Dallas.

There’s more basketball news out of Texas:

Carlisle also indicated good news might be coming about J.J. Barea, according to Sneed (Twitter link). The backup guard, who has been out with a muscle strain in his left leg, still has no timetable to return, but his coach says it’s “on the shorter end of things.” Barea has only been available for 11 games this season.
The Rockets‘ plan for veteran center Nene involves more games and fewer minutes, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. With starting center Clint Capela out a month or more with a fracture in his left fibula, Houston needs Nene to play in back-to-back games. The Rockets play the Suns tonight and the Mavericks on Tuesday, and coach Mike D’Antoni plans to limit him to fewer than 20 minutes in the second game. “I think it’s working out,” D’Antoni said. “I talked to him [Monday]. He said he’s feeling great. I would like to avoid some back-to-backs, but we can’t right now. The sooner we get Clint back the better.”
Tyler Ennis hasn’t played much since coming to Houston in a September trade, but he is hoping to be part of the Canadian National Team, Feigen relays in a separate story. Ennis met tonight with Suns assistant Jay Triano, who serves as Canada’s coach, to discuss his future role with the squad. “I’ve always played for the national team,” Ennis said. “With the Canadian guys we have in the NBA now, there’s more interest in playing. Hopefully, one summer, we’ll get everybody to come and play. We’re all pretty young.”

2016/17 NBA Reverse Standings

December 26th, 2016 at 7:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Throughout the 2016/17 NBA season, Hoops Rumors will be maintaining a feature that allows you to keep an eye on how the 2017 draft order will look. Our 2016/17 Reverse Standings tool, which lists the NBA’s 30 teams from worst to first, will be updated daily to reflect the previous night’s outcomes.

Our Reverse Standings take into account playoff teams in each conference, so they’re essentially a reflection of what 2017’s draft order would look like with no changes to lottery position. In addition to not considering the results of the lottery, our tracker lists teams in random order when they have identical records. At the end of the year, those ties would be broken via random drawings.

Traded picks – and conditionally traded picks – are included via footnotes. For instance, the note next to the Kings‘ pick says that Sacramento will send its pick to the Bulls if it’s not in the top 10. If the Kings’ pick is in the top 10, the 76ers would have the right to swap selections, so that footnote is included next to the Sixers’ pick as well. As of today, the Kings are in a playoff spot in the West, so Chicago would get their pick.

Our Reverse Standings tracker can be found at anytime on our right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.” It’s a great resource not just for monitoring a team’s draft position, but also for keeping an eye on whether or not traded picks with protection will be changing hands in 2017. So be sure to check back often!

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Ante Zizic Makes Jump To Euroleague

December 26th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Austin Kent

Ante Zizic, Boston’s 23rd overall pick from the 2016 NBA Draft, is said to be changing teams overseas. EuroHoops.net reports via Hrvoje Sliskovic that the draft-and-stash big man is notably joining Euroleague club Darussafaka in Turkey after years with KK Cibona in Croatia.

The move will pair Zizic with former NBA coach David Blatt – a native of Boston – and will give the 19-year-old an opportunity to develop against new competition. In 24 games with KK Cibona so far this season, Zizic has averaged 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Zizic’s stellar play in 2016/17 comes on the heels of his being named the Adriatic League’s top prospect just last year.

The six-month contract, as reported by David Pick over Twitter, will give the Celtics an opportunity to see how their young big man holds up against Euroleague caliber talent. According to Trevor Magnotti of Fansided’s The Step Back, Zizic profiles as a high-energy role player that thrives on the glass and in the pick-and-roll.

Atlantic Notes: Noel, Knicks, Booker

December 26th, 2016 at 4:45pm CST by Austin Kent

No matter how you want to look at the frontcourt logjam in Philadelphia, the Sixers will almost inevitably have to make a move eventually. Today, TNT analyst David Aldridge broke down several scenarios that he thinks could play out involving notably disgruntled big man Nerlens Noel.

In 2013, Noel was drafted by the Pelicans and immediately shipped to Philly in exchange for Jrue Holiday. It was one of then general manager Sam Hinkie’s first big splashes in the executive driver’s seat. A reversal of such a deal, Aldridge posits, could help both teams in 2016. While the Sixers’ need for a point guard is no secret, Noel’s presence as a stopper could take some of the defensive load off of Anthony Davis.

Aldridge also discusses packages that would hypothetically send Noel from the Sixers to the Trail Blazers, Raptors or Thunder.

That’s not all to trickle in from the Atlantic Division today:

The Celtics could be a top-three team in the Eastern Conference and their solid, come-from-behind showing on Christmas Day served as a perfect reminder of it. According to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk, Al Horford‘s contributions both tangible and otherwise, will play a major role in how the rest of the 2016/17 campaign pans out.
After another disappointing loss at the hands of a plus-.500 opponent, Marc Berman of the New York Post suggests that the Knicks‘ record is hollow. After Sunday’s defeat, New York is just 3-10 against teams sitting .500 or better.
The Nets are a rebuilding team and veterans like Trevor Booker could be just what the franchise needs to make sure that its young core develops the right way. Zach Lowe of ESPN suggests that Booker’s bully style of play will benefit young assets like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Caris LeVert.

Poll: Cavaliers Vs. Warriors

December 26th, 2016 at 3:28pm CST by Luke Adams

More than six months after the two teams last met, the Cavaliers and Warriors essentially recreated Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, with Kyrie Irving the game-winning shot to give Cleveland a dramatic victory over Golden State. The two teams look a little different now – both short a few role players, though the Warriors have added one notable star in Kevin Durant – but the result in the first 2016/17 rematch between the two finalists was the same as it was in June.

Although there has been some grumbling among NBA fans and observers about the apparent inevitability of another Cavaliers/Warriors matchup in the 2017 NBA Finals, the Christmas Day game served as an excellent reminder that a rematch between the two things would certainly be entertaining, if not surprising. There’s no guarantee that one of the two powerhouses won’t get knocked off along the way, but for now the 23-6 Cavs and the 27-5 Warriors sit atop their respective conferences, and look like the odds-on favorites to vie for a championship.

So, in the wake of Sunday’s result, today’s poll question is a simple one. If the Cavs and Warriors meet again in the Finals, who do you like? Health could play a big part in the outcome, and each team could have a midseason transaction or two up its sleeve, but for now, let’s assume that both teams remain relatively healthy and intact, with Cleveland getting J.R. Smith back for the playoffs.

What do you think?

App users, click here to vote.

Cavs Open To Adding Salary Using TPE

December 26th, 2016 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers’ dwindling depth wasn’t a problem on Christmas Day against the Warriors, but with Chris Andersen out for the season, J.R. Smith sidelined for three months, and retired guard Mo Williams taking up a roster, spot, the Cavs will keep an eye out for opportunities to fortify their roster before this year’s trade deadline.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, Cleveland is willing to use its $9.6MM+ trade exception to take on additional salary, as long as it’s in a deal for “the right player,” one could help the team win another championship. The TPE, one of four held by the Cavs, is the only substantial one — the others range in value from about $845K to $1.333MM.

Trade exceptions, which expire one year after they’re created, allow a team to acquire a player without having to match salaries in a deal. So Cleveland has until February 18 – one year after the $9.639MM exception was created – to use it on a player, or multiple players, earning up to that amount.

As Zillgitt writes, a backup point guard, a perimeter player who can generate offense, and a perimeter defender are among the items on the Cavs’ potential shopping list. If a player meets more than one of those criteria, he’d certainly draw interest from Cleveland. However, if the team has to pick just one, it would likely be a perimeter defender, according to Zillgitt, who points out that a point guard and offensive perimeter player won’t be as crucial by the time the postseason arrives.

Although it’s no surprise that the Cavaliers are open to upgrading their roster, the club will be very wary about the cost of any deal. Currently, the team is so far over the cap that any additional salary added to its books for 2016/17 will result in a tax charge of at least $3.25 per dollar. So even if the Cavs were to acquire a player with a modest salary, such an addition would increase their tax bill exponentially.

Greg Monroe Remains On Trade Block

December 26th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Bucks are still looking to trade Greg Monroe, a league executive tells Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. Monroe, whose name surfaced in trade rumors at last season’s deadline, has been considered a candidate to be moved for most of 2016.

Heading into the summer of 2015, Monroe was viewed as one of the top big men on the market, and the Bucks beat out multiple suitors, including the Knicks, to land him. However, the 26-year-old hasn’t been an ideal fit in Jason Kidd‘s system in Milwaukee.

After starting 67 contests and averaging 29.3 MPG a year ago, Monroe has come off the bench this year, with his minutes dipping to just 19.3 per game. His per-minute stats suggest he has been as productive as ever, but due to his limited playing time, his marks of 9.3 PPG and 6.8 RPG are the lowest of his career.

While Monroe isn’t exactly thriving with the Bucks, and didn’t generate the sort of trade interest the team anticipated over the summer, there’s still reason to believe he could have some appeal to potential suitors at this February’s deadline. He’s a strong low-post scorer, and the Bucks have been significantly better with him on the court so far this season — the team has a +10.3 net rating when he plays, and a -1.8 rating when he doesn’t.

Still, Monroe’s player option for 2017/18 could be problematic. Any potential trade partner for the Bucks would likely want to get a sense of whether or not the big man plans to exercise that option – worth nearly $18MM – before making a deal. Some suitors may not want to give up much for a rental, while others may not want to be saddled with that salary on their ’17/18 cap.

The Pelicans are one team that has been frequently linked to Monroe in recent months.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Nets, Sixers, Raptors

December 26th, 2016 at 10:38am CST by Luke Adams

The Celtics made a major push for two top free agents last summer, and while the team couldn’t lure Kevin Durant to Boston, Al Horford signed a long-term deal with the club. To some observers, it represented a significant step forward for the Celtics, since they traditionally haven’t done well recruiting top free agents. However, Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony tells Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald that he has always viewed Boston as a favorable destination.

“I think it’s always been that,” Anthony said of the Celtics’ appeal. “I mean, when you think about basketball, Boston is one of the top places that you think of. … I think it’s always been that; it was just a matter of who was a free agent and if they had the money and the (cap) space here to pay them.”

As Bulpett details, Anthony also praised the job Danny Ainge and the Celtics have done with the roster over the last few years, suggesting that the front office has done a “hell of a job” rebuilding the team since moving Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Here’s more from around the Atlantic division:

With the Nets now more than a third of the way through their 2016/17 schedule, Brian Lewis of The New York Post takes stock of the season and the roster. As Lewis observes, it’s still hard to determine exactly who the Nets are, since the team has been hit hard by injuries during the season’s first two months.
While it’s obvious the Sixers should have made a trade by now to help clear up their center logjam, it won’t be easy to get fair value for Nerlens Noel and/or Jahlil Okafor, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, who examines the duo and outlines the potential downside of making a deal.
2016 has been the best year in Raptors‘ history, but the team will have some difficult decisions to make in 2017, writes Steven Loung of Sportsnet.ca.

Larry Nance Jr. Expected To Miss Four Weeks

December 26th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

An offseason hand injury didn’t cost Larry Nance Jr. any regular season games, but the Lakers forward has suffered a new injury that will keep him out of action for about a month. The Lakers announced late last night in a press release that Nance has been diagnosed with a left knee bone bruise, and is expected to miss approximately four weeks.

Nance first suffered the injury last Tuesday in Charlotte, and underwent an MRI a day later to confirm the diagnosis. However, at that point the Lakers were unable to conduct a full evaluation due to the swelling in the knee. The team completed that re-evaluation on Sunday.

Nance, who turns 24 on New Year’s Day, has been one of the Lakers’ key rotation pieces off the bench this season, averaging 7.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.2 SPG in 28 games for the team. The 2015 first-round pick has also increased his shooting percentage to an impressive 58.4% in the early going this season.

With Nance unavailable, big men like Timofey Mozgov and Thomas Robinson appear poised to take on larger roles in the Lakers’ rotation.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Clippers, Knight, Curry

December 25th, 2016 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers and Clippers began to reverse fortunes in 2011 when then-Commissioner David Stern blocked a trade for Chris Paul, writes Mark Heisler of The Los Angeles Daily News. New Orleans had worked out a three-team deal that would have sent Paul to the Lakers, but because the franchise was being run by the league at the time, Stern had the power as a representative of ownership to stop it. The Clippers stepped in with an offer of Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, Chris Kaman and Minnesota’s unprotected draft pick, which landed them a franchise point guard.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Changes in the new collective bargaining agreement will force the Lakers to alter the way they have historically operated, Heisler contends in the same piece. Star players have more incentive than ever to stay with their current teams, meaning that any advantages that L.A. once had in free agency will be further neutralized. Heisler lists the top players expected to be on the free agent market in 2017 and contends that every one will remain where they are.
The Kings have been talking to the Suns about a possible deal for Brandon Knight for several months, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. Appearing on a podcast with Zach Lowe, Windhorst said Sacramento is looking for help at point guard and has been talking to Phoenix about Knight since the summer. Knight still has three seasons and nearly $44MM left on his current deal.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr called out his team in general and two-time MVP Stephen Curry in particular for poor decisions in today’s loss to the Cavaliers, relays Chris Haynes of ESPN. Golden State had 20 turnovers leading to 21 Cleveland points in the 109-108 loss. “A lot of [the turnovers] early was not even due to the pressure,” Kerr said. “It was more just decision-making. Around-the-back passes in the paint, silly plays. We just have to make simple plays, and we talk about that all the time, but we’ve got to make it more of a habit.”

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