2017 March | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Len, Zubac, Warriors, Chriss

March 24th, 2017 at 10:46am CST by Milo Taibi

With restricted free agency looming, Alex Len has been given every opportunity to lock down the Suns‘ starting center job. Veteran big man Tyson Chandler has been shut down for the season for non-health reasons, and Dragan Bender remains sidelined with an ankle injury. Earl Watson has recently deployed a combination of Len, Alan Williams, and Marquese Chriss at the five. Now averaging 10.8 PPG with 9.5 rebounds over his last four games, the onus is on Len to prove himself as an NBA-caliber starter down the stretch.

“It’s my contract year, so it’s a huge stretch. I just have to show everybody I can be a starting center in this league,” Len told Doug Haller of AZ Central. “I got an opportunity, I just have to prove it.”

Watson spoke positively of Len, noting the fourth-year center’s efforts to add 3-point shooting to his arsenal.

“Big guys in this league, either you develop and shoot the 3 or you become a great rebounder,” Watson said. “Alex Len is a capable corner 3-point shooter, he just has to get comfortable shooting it and he has to practice it. That’s where the confidence will come from.”

Central Notes: Felder, James, Pistons, Williams

March 24th, 2017 at 9:49am CST by Milo Taibi

Kay Felder made an impact in his most recent D-League assignment; scoring 26 points in a match-up with the Maine Red Claws. The 5’9″ Felder raised eyebrows, however, with his decision to dunk at the conclusion of a 110-99 win, when the away team had already conceded the loss. NBA vet Jordan Mickey didn’t appreciate the gesture:

“I take pride in being a professional and not doing anything like that at the end of a game,” Mickey told Glenn Jordan of Amico Hoops. “No NBA team I know of would do that. I know the Celtics wouldn’t do it for sure and I doubt the Cavaliers would do something like that. Guys know better than to do stuff like that. It is what it is, I’ll keep that in the back of my mind if we happen to play these guys again.”

Still riding high from his 26-point showing, Felder praised the Cavs for giving him an opportunity to receive minutes with the Canton Charge.

“I think the Cavs are doing a great job of bringing me down, calling me up, letting me see what Kyrie (Irving) or LeBron (James) is doing and bringing it down here and helping these guys out as well,” Felder said. “It’s not just for me. I can also help these guys as well with what I see up there.”

And-Ones: Brown, Johnson, Porter Jr., Thunder

March 23rd, 2017 at 10:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Anthony Brown has a stress fracture in his left ankle and will miss the remainder of the D-League season, Chris Reichert of The Step Back tweets. The No. 34 overall pick by the Lakers in the June 2015 draft was averaging 20.3 PPG in 24 games for the Erie BayHawks. Brown was the last cut by the Lakers during training camp this season, then had a brief stint with the Pelicans. He also played for the Magic on a 10-day deal in late January but wasn’t re-signed.

In other news around the league:

La Salle’s B.J. Johnson will test the draft waters but has not hired an agent, Adam Zagoria of Zagsblog.com tweets. The 6’7” swingman averaged 17.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG during his junior season. He’s not considered a top 100 prospect by DraftExpress or ESPN’s Chad Ford.
Michael Porter Jr., the nation’s top recruit, has been granted a release from his letter of intent by the University of Washington, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello reports. Porter Jr., a 6’10” forward, asked for a release after Lorenzo Romar was fired as Huskies coach last week. Porter Jr.’s father, Michael Porter Sr., has accepted an assistant coaching job at Missouri, according to Borzello, fueling speculation that his son will land there. As Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders notes, Porter Jr. said in a conference call he would seriously considers the Tigers even before news broke of his father’s new job. “It could be something real, real special to be able to come home and do my thing there,” Porter said of possibly playing at Missouri.
The Thunder could make a blockbuster deal this summer to land another star to pair up with Russell Westbrook, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman speculates. The team’s salary commitments prevent it from landing a top-level free agent this summer, Horne explains. Thus, the Thunder would probably have to give up its first-round pick and a player such as Enes Kanter, who enters his walk year next season, to land another All-Star talent, Horne concludes.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/23/17

March 23rd, 2017 at 9:41pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavaliers recalled center Larry Sanders from their D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, the team announced on its website. Sanders signed with Cleveland on March 13th after Andrew Bogut suffered a leg fracture. Sanders made a brief appearance in one game with the Cavs last week and also played a game with the Charge before his recall.
The Thunder assigned forward Josh Huestis to the Oklahoma City Blue, according to a team press release. Huestis is averaging 14.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG for the Blue, who play the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Friday.
The Bulls assigned point guard Cameron Payne to the Windy City Bulls, according to the D-League team’s Twitter feed. Payne played against the Iowa Energy on Thursday and had 14 points and eight assists in 26 minutes.

Kings Notes: Evans, Temple, Lawson, Rookies

March 23rd, 2017 at 8:49pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Swingman Tyreke Evans is trying to make a good impression for potential suitors as he enters unrestricted free agency, Matt Kawahara of the Sacramento Bee reports. Evans, who is in the final year of his four-year, $44MM contract, is trying to show teams that he’s still effective despite undergoing three knee surgeries, Kawahara continues. “A lot of teams know I had tough injuries so they want to see how I’m moving, how I’m playing every night,” Evans told Kawahara. “There’s teams watching. I know the Kings are watching, too. So I’m playing for my teammates still at the end of the day, but I’m going out there and being myself.” Evans is averaging 14 PPG on 47.4% shooting since being included in the DeMarcus Cousins trade with the Pelicans, though he hasn’t played in six of the last 11 games.

In other news regarding the Kings:

Shooting guard Garrett Temple has emerged as a locker-room leader, Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee writes. Temple has taken the younger players under his wing and maintained an active role in their development, as he told Jones. “The players that are playing have gotten a lot younger so it’s more of a teaching, mentoring role,” Temple said. “Whereas when [Cousins] was here, if I’m talking to him it’s more of a keeping him calm, talking more nuances of the game, things that we can do better as a team. But with the young guys it’s a lot of specifics about how to get open, how to defend, ways to teach them the veteran tricks we all have learned in our years in the league.”
Point guard Ty Lawson denies that he has violated his probation, according to an Associated Press report. Probation officials allege Lawson, who was given probation in a Colorado drunken driving case, has tested positive for alcohol three times in the past six months and has failed to complete his community service duties, the report continues. A judicial hearing will be held in May before a decision is made on whether Lawson will receive a more severe punishment, the report adds.
Rookies Skal Labissiere, Georgios Papagiannis and Buddy Hield and second-year man Willie Cauley-Stein showed growth during a recent three-game road trip, as Shahbaz Khan of the team’s website details.

Atlantic Rumors: Nets, Grant, Goodwin, Bradley

March 23rd, 2017 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets are taking a close look at European shooting guard Edwin Jackson while scouting overseas, international journalist David Pick tweets. Jackson, 27, plays for Movistar Estudiantes in the Spanish league and is averaging 22.9 PPG in 24 games while shooting 38.6% on his 3-point attempts. The 6’3” Jackson participated in the team’s free agent mini-camp in 2014, NetsDaily.com notes.

In other news around the Atlantic Division:

Former Sixers forward Jerami Grant still regards his former team as family, Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com writes. Grant was dealt to the Thunder the first week of the season in exchange for Ersan Ilyasova and a protected draft pick. Grant expressed happiness that the Sixers have improved this season and said he had no time to say goodbye when the trade occurred, Camerato adds. “I had to pack my bags and things in two hours,” Grant told Camerato. “I had to get a physical so I could play the next day in L.A. At first it was a little shock, but once you settle down, it’s OK.”
There’s a good chance the Nets will retain shooting guard Archie Goodwin once his first 10-day contract expires, according to a tweet from the New York Post’s Fred Kerber. Coach Kenny Atkinson told Kerber “it’s trending very positive” for Goodwin, who signed a 10-day on March 15th. Goodwin, who also played three games for the Pelicans this season, is averaging 7.0 PPG and 2.5 APG in 16 MPG through two outings for the Nets.
Celtics shooting guard Avery Bradley is the league’s most underrated player, Chris Mannix of The Vertical opines. Bradley has developed into an elite two-way player who earned strong consideration for an All-Star spot before he was sidelined by an Achilles’ injury, Mannix continues. Bradley’s development has made his once-derided four-year, $32MM contract ,which expires after next season, one of the league’s biggest bargains, Mannix adds.

Eastern Notes: Cavs, Van Gundy, Waiters, Hornets

March 23rd, 2017 at 5:35pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue and forward LeBron James believe the team has shown a lack of toughness in recent weeks, Joe Vardon of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. The Cavs have fallen to 22nd place in the defensive efficiency ratings and are in dangerous of losing the top seed in the East. Their latest loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday had both of them lamenting about the team’s lack of desire to defend. “It starts with the coaches but the players gotta look at themselves in the mirror, too,” Lue told Vardon and other members of the media. “They gotta be more physical, they gotta bring a physical presence and they’ve got to take pride in guarding their man.” James adds: “It ain’t about a group, it’s about individuals. … You can’t preach toughness, you’ve got to have it.”

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

The Pistons are in danger of sliding out of the playoff race and coach and president of basketball operations Stan Van Gundy is groping for solutions, Keith Langlois of Pistons.com writes. Detroit has lost five of its last six, including a last-second defeat to the Eastern Conference’s worst team, the Nets. “I think it’s pretty clear from these six games that I’m not finding the answers and not doing a very good job, so it starts with me. I’m the person in charge,” Van Gundy told Langlois and the assembled media. “I selected everybody in that locker room. I’m the one who wanted them in there. I decide who plays. I put lineups out there. I decide on defensive coverages. I call plays. So it’s all on me.”
Dion Waiters‘ left ankle sprain has shown progress, so the Heat have not scheduled an MRI, Anthony Chiang of the Palm Beach Post tweets. Waiters wanted an MRI if he hadn’t felt improvement, Chiang adds. Waiters has missed the last two games after suffering the injury on March 17th.
The Hornets will not participate in the trend of resting players, according to David Scott of the Charlotte Observer. That would go against the philosophy of owner Michael Jordan and assistant coach Patrick Ewing, who didn’t take games off when they played, Scott adds. “It’s easy for me, because I’m working for an owner who just doesn’t believe in it,” coach Steve Clifford told Scott. “And I have an associate head coach who would kill me if I started doing it.”

Draft Updates: C. Sanders, Rathan-Mayes, Kohs

March 23rd, 2017 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

Rutgers guard Corey Sanders has decided to test the draft waters without hiring an agent, the school announced today in a press release. “We support Corey’s choice to enter his name into consideration for the draft,” Rutgers head coach Steve Pikiell said in a statement. “The evaluation process will provide valuable information. It is in everyone’s best interest that he makes a thorough and informed decision about his future.”

Here’s more draft-related news:

Florida State guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes announced today in a statement that he’ll enter the 2017 NBA draft, and it doesn’t sound as if he’s planning to return to the Seminoles for his senior year. The 22-year-old, who tested the draft waters a year ago, ranks as the 37th-best junior on DraftExpress’s list.
La Salle forward B.J. Johnson will test the draft waters without hiring an agent, tweets Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports. Johnson isn’t considered likely to be drafted, but had a solid junior year for La Salle, averaging 17.6 PPG and 6.3 RPG.
Nineteen-year-old Latvian forward Verners Kohs will apply for the draft as an early-entry candidate, according to agent Arturs Kalnitis (via Twitter). So far, most of the early-entry news we’ve heard has involved NCAA underclassmen, but more international players figure to follow Kohs’ lead in the coming weeks.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress has published a new mock draft for The Vertical based on updated info on who’s in and out of 2017’s draft pool.

Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, Rose, Jennings, Plumlee

March 23rd, 2017 at 2:46pm CST by Luke Adams

After a confusing and disappointing 2016/17 season that saw the Knicks mixing and matching the triangle offense with Jeff Hornacek‘s more fast-paced system, the team will head into next season focused solely on the triangle. And that means that one or two members of the club’s “big three” may not be back.

As Marc Berman of The New York Post and Frank Isola of The New York Daily News detail, Hornacek didn’t come right out and say that players like Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose, who aren’t particularly fond of the triangle, won’t be Knicks next season. However, he hinted that those veterans may have to change their views on the triangle — otherwise, Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills “will look at other guys.”

Asked about the Knicks’ offense, Anthony admits that he liked the faster and more free-flowing approach that the team had earlier in the season, per Berman. “We kind of slowed down, started settling it down,” Anthony said. “Not as fast. The pace slowed down for us — something we had to make an adjustment on the fly with limited practice time, in the course of a game. Once you get into the season, it’s hard to readjust a whole system.”

Rose is an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, so – triangle or no triangle – there’s a decent chance he’ll land elsewhere. As for Anthony, his aversion to Jackson’s system is one reason why the Knicks have considered moving him, but he’ll have to waive his no-trade clause for a deal to happen.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Although he has suggested in the past that he’ll seek a lucrative contract in free agency, Rose said on Wednesday that he’s “not even thinking money” as his free agency approaches, according to Berman. “I’ve got more than enough money saved. If I stopped playing basketball now, I’ll be alright. I want to win,” Rose said. “I want to be happy and feel at peace with myself wherever I’m at. But being at the negotiating table, you never know. I’m not going to negotiate with people where money is the No. 1 thing I’m asking for.”
Now a member of the Wizards, Brandon Jennings spoke to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News about why things didn’t work out for him in New York. One major factor? “I didn’t really understand the triangle,” Jennings said. “I think that was my biggest thing. I really didn’t understand it.”
With the Knicks taking a longer look at their young players down the stretch, rookie big man Marshall Plumlee will see more minutes. As Berman writes for The Post, Plumlee is hopeful that he can carve out a role as an effective defender and rebounder off the bench.

Coaching Notes: Thompson, Ewing, Calipari, L. Brown

March 23rd, 2017 at 1:29pm CST by Luke Adams

After 13 seasons at Georgetown, John Thompson III is out as the team’s head coach, the school confirmed today (Twitter link via Gene Wang of The Washington Post). With the Hoyas’ job now open, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical notes (via Twitter) that Hornets associate head coach Patrick Ewing has never had much interest in NCAA jobs, but it’s possible that the Georgetown job “gives him pause.” According to Wojnarowski (Twitter links), Ewing remains close and loyal to the Thompson family, and came close to landing an NBA job last offseason, so he may very well continue to focus on landing an NBA head coaching job.

Let’s round up a few more coaching-related odds and ends from around the basketball world…

Kentucky head coach John Calipari signed another extension with the Wildcats, according to school, which announced in a press release that the two-year amendment to Calipari’s current contract locks him up through March 30, 2024. Calipari’s name occasionally pops up in NBA head coaching rumors, but it doesn’t look like he’s going anywhere anytime soon.
Another former NBA coach appears to be seeking out a college job, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical tweets that Larry Brown is trying to align himself as an assistant as part of Mike Woodson‘s candidacy for Indiana University’s job. Indiana isn’t interested, per Wojnarowski.
Meanwhile, Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports reports that LIU-Brooklyn reached out to Brown about the school’s head coaching job, and the two sides are expected to meet soon. However, a source tells ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that the interest is from Brown’s side, and LIU-Brooklyn doesn’t consider him a “viable candidate.”
This could be the first NBA season in more than 50 years in which no team makes an in-season coaching change, which amazes Magic head coach Frank Vogel, as John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com details. “The fact that no one has, it’s a shock,” Vogel said. “It’s been overly volatile and unreasonably so, quite frankly, over the last five-to-10 years in particular. (No firings) is something that is great for our profession. I think teams need to understand that continuity is important. Everybody wants to win now, but there is strength in continuity.”

Month: November 2024