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Dwyane Wade, Jimmy Butler Criticize Bulls Teammates

January 26th, 2017 at 9:47am CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls suffered another frustrating defeat on Wednesday night, blowing a 10-point lead in the final three minutes and losing 119-114 to the Hawks. The collapse represented a boiling point for a pair of Bulls stars, as Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler questioned the effort and heart of their teammates in post-game comments, per K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune.

“I wish I could say that everyone in here is going to go home and not eat tonight. I can’t say that. I don’t know that they care enough,” Wade said. “Games are supposed to hurt. You’re not supposed to sleep. You’re not supposed to want to talk to anybody. I don’t know if that is in guys in this locker room. Hopefully, they can prove me wrong. But I will challenge them to see if losses like this hurt.

“They have to figure it out as individuals,” Wade added. “Guys have to look at themselves in the mirror and see if you really care enough. Are you putting everything into it for your teammates and for yourself? I would say no.”

Butler echoed Wade’s sentiments, questioning whether their teammates were as upset about the team’s bad losses this season as they should be.

“If you don’t come in this (expletive) pissed off after you lose any game, something is wrong,” Butler said. “This is your job. This is what you’re supposed to love to do, and I don’t think that everybody looks at it that way. I want to play with guys who care, guys who play hard, who want to do well for this organization, who want to do whatever it takes to win.”

Wade and Butler also questioned the Bulls’ shot-attempt decisions down the stretch, with players like Paul Zipser and Nikola Mirotic taking – and missing – key three-pointers late in the game. Butler suggested that the club needs to make a better effort to get the ball into the hands of its best players in key late-game situations, while Wade acknowledged that players should be ready to take open shots, but added that “you better have made that shot a lot of times and you better have put the work in — and I don’t see that enough.”

“Me and Jimmy, Coach puts the ball in our hands a lot to make plays, to make shots. That’s our job,” Wade said. “I think for the majority of the season we’ve done it when (it) counted, when we needed to. I can look at Jimmy and say Jimmy is doing his job. I think Jimmy can look at me and say Dwyane is doing his job. I don’t know if we can keep going down the line and be able to say that.”

The Bulls remain in the playoff picture in the East, as their 23-24 record is good for the No. 8 seed. However, given the frustration in the locker room, and the criticisms coming from team leaders, it would be surprising to see Chicago stand pat over the next few weeks. The club’s front office figures to explore ways to improve – or shake up – the roster prior to the trade deadline, though Butler had no interest in offering suggestions for potential deals.

“That’s not my job,” Butler said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. “I don’t give a damn about no trade deadline. I just want to win now. Not later. Now.”

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Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, Noah, Hernangomez

January 26th, 2017 at 8:57am CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of an ESPN report suggesting the Knicks were rebuffed in their efforts to engage the Cavaliers in a discussion about a possible Carmelo Anthony/Kevin Love swap, Anthony told reporters on Wednesday night that he’s unsure whether his club’s front office is trying to push him out the door. “I honestly don’t know,” Anthony said, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News.

“If they want to go in a different direction, that’s something I have to consider,” Anthony later added, hinting again that he’d open to waiving his no-trade clause in certain scenarios. “I think I would have to consider that. All the talk that’s going on, that’s out of my control. Nobody contacted me, nobody contacted my representation or anything like that. So it’s something that I’m not worried about.”

ESPN’s report on the Knicks’ failed pitch to the Cavs suggested that New York’s front office wanted to see if a deal with Cleveland was possible before bringing it to Anthony. So it makes sense that the nine-time All-Star says he had and his reps weren’t contacted by the club about a potential move to Cleveland, since those talks went nowhere. Still, the fact that the Knicks are exploring the possibility of a trade is worth noting.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • The odds of Anthony being moved before the traded deadline appear remote, but it’s not out of the question if the Knicks lower their asking price, writes Frank Isola of The New York Daily News. While Isola declares that team president Phil Jackson seems to have “no use” for Anthony, the Daily News scribe observes that the Knicks forward has the leverage in the situation due to his no-trade clause.
  • There’s a belief that Anthony would be more inclined to approve a deal to a team like the Cavaliers or Clippers. However, neither of those clubs can make a real play for him without giving up a core piece, which is extremely unlikely, as Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders details. Kyler identifies a few other teams that could make a more realistic play for Carmelo, including the Magic, Bulls, and Lakers, though he acknowledges that there would be plenty of roadblocks in any scenario, most notably the fact that Anthony controls the process.
  • LeBron James, whose call for the Cavaliers to add a “playmaker” has dominated headlines this week, was asked on Wednesday about the Anthony rumor and certainly didn’t sound as if he was pushing for such a deal. “I have no reaction,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. “We got 14 guys in here. We need to be ready every night, who we got in here we got to play. We can’t play fantasy basketball. We got who we got and we got to go out and play.”
  • The Knicks committed four years and $72MM to Joakim Noah last summer, but the time has come for the team to bench Noah and unleash Willy Hernangomez, argues Marc Berman of The New York Post.
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Southwest Notes: Loomis, Anthony, Gordon

January 25th, 2017 at 10:41pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Mickey Loomis, the executive vice president of the Pelicans, said his role on the team is “overblown,” as Mike Triplett of ESPN.com relays (ESPN now link). Loomis said that GM Dell Demps and coach Alvin Gentry handle the day-to-day while he simply oversees things as an advisor to owner Tom Benson. Loomis, who is also the Saints GM, added that he focuses most of his attention on the NFL team and admitted that he misses some of the Pelicans games to take care of NFL matters.

Here’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • Joel Anthony was the first player the Spurs considered adding when they went looking for a big man off the bench, Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News writes. “Joel’s a really intelligent young man who knows exactly what his role is and performs it well,” coach Gregg Popovich said. “He’s a real pro, and the guys respect him.”
  • Jabari Young of Spurs Nation (video link) believes the signing of Anthony, who’s on a 10-day contract, was a good move for the Spurs. Pau Gasol remains sidelined with a broken finger, which could potentially allow Anthony to see some playing time with the team and receive another 10-day deal once his current one expires.
  • Free agent additions Eric Gordon and Ryan Anderson are thriving with the Rockets, Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated writes. Both players credit Houston’s strength and conditioning program for helping them achieve success. “We’ll lift weights, I mean heavy after a game,” Gordon said. “No matter overtime, double-overtime, we’re in that weight room right after every game.”
  • The Pelicans are making a run at the eighth seed in the Western Conference, but Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune wonders if pursuing a match with the Warriors is the best move for the franchise. Duncan argues that the team should tank and land one of the nation’s elite prospects instead of taking an improbable chance at knocking off the league’s best team.
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NBA D-League Assignment/Recalls 1/25/17

January 25th, 2017 at 9:27pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Wednesday’s D-League transactions:

  • The Raptors have assigned Bruno Caboclo and Delon Wright to their D-League affiliate, the Raptors 905, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Coboclo has played in 16 D-League contests this season and he’s averaging 8.8 points per game. Wright has only played in one game and he scored 10 points.
  • The Clippers have recalled Diamond Stone from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s website. Stone appeared in six games during his latest assignment and he scored 15.5 points and 10.8 rebound per game.
  • The Grizzlies have recalled Troy Williams from the Iowa Energy, per the team’s website. Memphis currently doesn’t have its own D-League affiliate, but that won’t be the case starting next season.
  • The Nets have recalled Chris McCullough from their affiliate, the Long Island Nets, according to a team press release. McCullough has played in 25 games for Long Island and he’s averaging 19.0 points per contest.
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Latest On Cavs, LeBron, David Griffin

January 25th, 2017 at 7:52pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Earlier in the week, LeBron James publicly called for the Cavaliers to add a playmaker with intention of applying pressure to the team’s decision-makers. A team source told Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com  that GM David Griffin was disappointed in the manner in which James shared his thoughts.

Griffin intends on sticking to the plan he’s had in place for the several months to add a backup point guard or playmaker and he won’t speed up the search for outside help simply because James made a few comments, McMenamin adds. James and Griffin had a one-on-one meeting earlier today to discuss the star’s comments.

After the meeting, Griffin spoke with the local media, as Brian Dulik of the Medina Gazette passes along in a series of Twitter links.

Griffin said that James’ comments were not “appropriate from a teammate perspective,” and added that the comment about the Cavs being complacent is “really misguided.” 

“We’re all frustrated, I get the sentiment,” Griffin said. “I think [LeBron and I] needed it [to talk]. I’m happy.”

Cleveland currently has the largest payroll in league history, but the team is open to adding more salary to win another championship. “We can absolutely increase payroll if it’s the right piece at the right time,” Griffin said before adding that the team has enough talent to go back-to-back. “If we were 100 percent healthy, I feel good about our chances in any [playoff] series.”

Coach Tyronn Lue believes the Cavs can repeat with the players currently on the roster. “We have enough on this team to win a championship,” Lue said earlier today.

A team source told McMenamin that there was disbelief within the front office that James would question the team’s commitment, given its historical payroll. However, another source within the front office told the scribe that the timing of the comments was “brilliant,” as the lashing out could be seen as a motivational tactic designed to get the team back on track.

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Heat Notes: Waiters, Bosh, Gay

January 25th, 2017 at 6:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Heat are open to keeping Dion Waiters long-term and the shooting guard, who holds a player option worth $3MM for next season, feels like he’s finally found a home in the league, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes.

“Everything, the organization, my teammates, my coach, of course [Pat Riley],” he said. “I feel right at home. Like I said before, when I signed, it wasn’t ever about the money. It was about the opportunity and just having a place you could call home, the enjoyment, and having fun. It’s been good. It’s just been consistent love. I’m happy for the opportunity and I’m just happy to be here.”

Here’s more from Miami:

  • Chris Bosh hasn’t definitively decided to resume his basketball career, but the idea of playing alongside Dwyane Wade or LeBron James appeals to him, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Jackson hears that Bosh, who suffers from blood clotting, has not been working toward a comeback this season. Bosh reached out to the Players Association last season in an attempt to force the Heat to allow him to play, but he has not reached out to the union for that kind of help this season, a source tells Jackson. Jackson also hears that the big man isn’t responding to some of the union’s calls.
  • The Heat remain interested in Rudy Gay as a second-tier free agent should the team not be able to sign a star, Jackson writes in the same piece. Jackson notes that Gay, who ruptured his Achilles earlier this month, “loves the idea” of playing for Miami.
  • Udonis Haslem will make $4MM in the final year of his contract, but he wants to sign a new deal with the Heat during the offseason, as he tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “My body still feels good,” Haslem said. “I plan on being around at least another year after this year.”
  • The MRI on Tyler Johnson‘s shoulder came back negative and the Heat are not expected to request a roster exception from the league, Winderman relays in a separate piece. Johnson has missed the team’s last two games because of the sprained shoulder.
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And-Ones: D-League, BIG3, Greg Oden

January 25th, 2017 at 4:58pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of former NBA players have signed D-League contracts, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back, who reports (via Twitter) that Duje Dukan and Stephane Lasme are joining the league. Dukan played a single game last season for the Kings before returning to Croatia, while Lasme last saw NBA action way back in 2007/08 for the Warriors and Heat. Lasme has spent the last several years in Europe, though he received a suspension in 2016 for a failed doping test.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

  • The new BIG3 league, which will debut this summer, has secured coaching commitments from Rick Barry, Clyde Drexler, and Rick Mahorn, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). Previous reports have indicated that George Gervin and Gary Payton will also serve as coaches in the eight-team, three-on-three league.
  • While former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden has referred to himself in the past as the biggest bust in NBA history, he walked those comments back a little in a conversation with Dana O’Neil of Outside The Lines. “If you’re out there and you can’t do it, that makes you a bust,” Oden said. “Well, I was never really out there. I was never Greg Oden in the NBA.” Check out O’Neil’s piece for more from Oden, who hasn’t ruled out the possibility of pursuing a coaching or personnel job in the future.
  • In a piece for The Step Back, Reichert identifies several D-League players who made unexpectedly strong impressions as last week’s NBA D-League Showcase. It remains to be seen whether the players singled out by Reichert will be able to land 10-day contracts with NBA teams this season, but they could at least be in line for larger roles on their respective D-League clubs.
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Community Shootaround: Rising Stars Snubs

January 25th, 2017 at 4:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA will announce the full rosters for 2017’s All-Star Game this Thursday, but in the meantime, the league has revealed which players will participate in the weekend’s Rising Stars Challenge. This year’s 20 participants were confirmed by the NBA today in a press release.

Here are 2017’s Rising Stars rosters:

U.S. Team:

World Team:

Some of this year’s choices are no-brainers — players like Embiid, Porzingis, and Towns have made strong cases to play in the All-Star Game itself. However, some of the picks are up for debate — Chriss, Ingram, and Exum are among the players whose contributions this season have been modest.

The rosters for the Rising Stars Challenge won’t necessarily inspire the same sort of passion and fervor that the All-Star starters and reserves will. But we’re still curious to know what you think of this year’s picks. Are there any players on these rosters that you think should be replaced? Any guys that should be participating in this game that you’re surprised not to see on either list above?

Jump into the comments section below and let us know what you think!

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Knicks’ Carmelo-For-Love Pitch Rebuffed By Cavs

January 25th, 2017 at 2:48pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have made an effort to engage the Cavaliers in trade talks involving Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Love, according to Marc Stein and Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. However, according to Stein and Haynes, those efforts were rebuffed by the Cavs.

Anthony has been the subject of much trade speculation recently, despite the fact that he’s one of three players in the NBA with a formal no-trade clause included in his contract. Although the nine-time All-Star has been adamant that he prefers to stay with the Knicks, he has conceded that if the franchise engages in a rebuild and wants to move him, he’d have to consider waiving his no-trade clause.

[RELATED: Players who can veto trades]

The Cavaliers are viewed as one of the teams that would make Anthony seriously consider approving a trade, given his desire to win a title and his long-standing friendship with LeBron James. Anthony was asked today for his thoughts on James’ desire for the Cavs to add a “playmaker” and suggested that he and the reigning Finals MVP wouldn’t be opposed to the idea of playing on the same team at some point, though he doesn’t expect it to happen this year.

“You ask me a question: Do I think he would want me to play with him? Yes. I do think he would want me to play with him. I don’t think he wouldn’t,” Anthony said, per Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News. “But I don’t know if that comment is about me. I don’t think I’m the only playmaker in the NBA.”

Of course, even if the Knicks and Anthony were on board with the idea of a trade to Cleveland, they’d need the Cavs to cooperate, and there’s no indication that the defending champs have any desire to part with Love, who played a major role in securing that title for the franchise.

While the former Wolves star hasn’t always been a perfect fit in Cleveland, Love is enjoying his best season as a Cavalier, with 20.5 PPG and 10.9 RPG to go along with a 37.4% rate on three-point attempts. Those are the best marks he has posted in each category since he was sent from Minnesota to Cleveland in 2014.

In addition to being unwilling to part with Love, the Cavs don’t appear overly interested in acquiring Anthony, who will turn 33 this spring and has one of the NBA’s largest cap hits. Carmelo’s deal, which currently pays him about $24.56MM this season and runs through 2018/19, would become even more expensive if he’s dealt, since it features a 15% trade kicker. Cleveland already has the league’s highest payroll ($127MM+) and projected tax bill ($27MM+), so the team figures to focus on less expensive targets.

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Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

January 25th, 2017 at 2:35pm CST by Luke Adams

If you enjoy Hoops Rumors on your smartphone or tablet, be sure to check out our free Trade Rumors app!

Trade Rumors, available for iOS and Android, is the best way to consume our content on a mobile device. Here’s what it delivers, all for free:

  • All the articles from Hoops Rumors, MLB Trade Rumors, Pro Football Rumors, and Pro Hockey Rumors in an easy-to-navigate, eye-catching format. Swipe through stories to quickly consume all the news and rumors from our four sites. Not into all four sports? No problem – any sport can be easily removed.
  • Customize what you see. You can create feeds for any team or player across any of our sites.
  • Notifications! For any team or player, you can set up push notifications to ensure you always get breaking news instantly. Notifications can also be set up at the sport level.
  • Commenting! You can now read and contribute comments on the app seamlessly.
  • Customer service! If you find a bug, we’ll fix it. If you have a feature request, we’ll consider it. The app is continually evolving and improving.
  • Did we mention Trade Rumors is a free app? What do you have to lose? Download it now!
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