2017 March | Hoops Rumors

Cavs, Larry Sanders “In Serious Discussions Toward A Deal”

March 10th, 2017 at 6:41pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Cavs are nearing a deal with free agent center Larry Sanders, Sam Amico of Fox Sports reports. While there are still obstacles to be cleared before a deal is complete, the Cavs have an obvious need for a big man following Andrew Bogut‘s season-ending injury. Following Bogut’s injury, David Aldridge of TNT speculated the Cavs could ramp up their pursuit of Sanders (Twitter link).

For a signing to be completed, the Cavs would need to release Bogut. If all goes as planned, Amico notes, a deal could be reached by Monday (Twitter link).

Shams Charania of The Vertical corroborated Amico’s report, writing that Sanders and the Cavs are “in serious discussions toward a deal.” Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders shed further light on the potential signing, claiming Sanders was initially Cleveland’s backup plan at the five. The team opted to sign the more experienced Bogut, who received just one minute of court time before suffering a fractured tibia.

Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype reported that no deal is imminent for the Cavs, as a decision will likely be made following their road trip. Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com concurred, observing that if a signing were to take place, Sanders wouldn’t be a part of this current road trip.

Brian Windhorst of ESPN gave a measured assessment of negotiations, claiming the Cavs are in talks with several players for Bogut’s roster spot. Sanders playfully foreshadowed his return earlier today, tweeting “Looks like Ima need my goggles back.”

If Sanders signs with the Cavs, he’ll be eligible to play in the postseason. In fact, no current free agent is ineligible for the playoffs, since no one has been waived since March 1 — Bogut would be the first player to fit that bill, assuming his release is made official.

Send Us Your Mailbag Questions, Hoops Links Submissions

March 10th, 2017 at 5:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Every Sunday at Hoops Rumors, we publish a pair of features that rely on input and submissions from our readers. One is our Weekly Mailbag, in which Arthur Hill answers a few questions related to the latest news and rumors from around the NBA. The second is our Hoops Links feature, which showcases a selection of notable NBA blog entries from all over the internet. In each instance, the content for those features comes from you.

Have a question regarding player movement, free agent rumors, the salary cap, the NBA draft, or the top storylines of the week? You can e-mail them here for consideration for our Weekly Mailbag: hoopsrumorsmailbag@gmail.com. If your question doesn’t get selected for our mailbag, be sure to join us on Monday afternoons for our weekly live chat.

Got a new NBA blog post that you’d like to see featured on Hoops Rumors? You can send the URL and a brief description of the piece to hoopslinks@gmail.com for consideration.

Be sure to send us your new mailbag questions and NBA blog posts each week, and check back every Sunday to see if you’ve been featured in that week’s installment!

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Hoops Rumors Originals

Kawhi Leonard Enters Concussion Protocol

March 10th, 2017 at 5:14pm CST by Milo Taibi

According to a team press release, Kawhi Leonard has entered the NBA’s Concussion Protocol. Per the release: “Leonard, who was hit in the head in last night’s Spurs-Thunder game, will not play in tomorrow night’s Spurs-Warriors contest. The team will provide updates on his return to the court as appropriate.”

Per the league’s official website, Leonard was injured in the second half of Thursday’s game with OKC, when he was struck on the left side of his head by Victor Oladipo. The Spurs are within striking distance of Golden State for the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed, and Leonard’s absence won’t help them close the gap this weekend.

According to Anthony Slater of Mercury News, Warriors coach Steve Kerr is unsure if he’ll rest any of his starters against the short-handed Spurs (Twitter link).

In addition to Leonard, Tony Parker is questionable for the contest due to back stiffness (Twitter link).

Mark Cuban: “We’ve Gone Through A Rebuild In One Season”

March 10th, 2017 at 4:34pm CST by Milo Taibi

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban discussed his team in a Q&A with Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The interview spanned a variety of subjects- even touching on politics toward the end- but Cuban was sure to praise the “reinvigorated” Dirk Nowitzki, as well as scrappy guards Yogi Ferrell and Seth Curry.

“This has reinvigorated Dirk. He sees the big picture,” Cuban said of Nowitzki’s choice to ‘ride it out’ in Dallas. “We’re in a win-win situation. We lose, we get a better draft pick, we win we get into the playoffs. It’s fun. It feels a lot more like 2000 when I first brought the team. All this young energy, exciting, fun to watch, we’re at a place where we’re not supposed to be.”

Cuban has reason to be pleased with Dallas’ season. Having gotten off to a 5-18 start in 2016/17, it looked as though the Mavs were in for a lost season. Several key contributors have helped right the ship, however. Ferrell and Curry have supplanted J.J. Barea and Devin Harris as Rick Carlisle‘s primary guards, Harrison Barnes has overcome a shaky start to the season, and Nerlens Noel looks like a stellar trade deadline pick-up.

“He has the most understated swag I’ve ever seen. His brother [Stephen] likes to dance. Seth will just kill you and then give you a little hand motion. He’s so non-demonstrative,” Cuban said. “To me, the more of a show you put on when you do something, the less swag you have. He doesn’t tell you, he scoreboards you, and to me, that’s the ultimate swag. We want him to be here forever. He’s our kind of guy.”

In Cuban’s mind, the team’s abbreviated rebuilding period has been a group effort.

“We’ve basically gone through a rebuild in one season. It’s a credit to Rick (Carlisle, the Mavericks coach) but also everyone on this team,” Cuban said. “There’s still a lot more to do. Nobody’s writing us in for The Finals this year. Our guys really worked hard, as hard or harder than any team in the league. Look at Miami. They’ve undergone a lot of changes too, much like we have, and they just play harder. I remember the Celtics after they traded off Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and they tried to find themselves and they did that by playing their asses off. That’s who we are now. Teams kind of look at our talent and don’t know what to expect but it’s hard to keep up with us when you go 15 deep with guys playing hard. It’s our calling card. I love it.”

ISE Agency Fires Dan Fegan, Hires Kevin Johnson

March 10th, 2017 at 3:33pm CST by Luke Adams

Independent Sports & Entertainment, an agency that represents a number of NBA players, has terminated the contract of veteran NBA agent Dan Fegan, according to a press release (Twitter link via Sam Amick of USA Today). Fegan, who had been the president of ISE basketball, will be replaced in the interim by chief marketing officer Chris Grancio.

In addition to letting go of Fegan, the agency has also hired former NBA player and Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, who will serve as a vice chairman for the company. While Johnson’s history in politics and in the NBA should make him a good fit for such a role, it’s a somewhat surprising hire, given his history — Johnson has been accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, and has been linked to political scandal.

As ISE’s website shows, the agency represents many well-paid NBA veterans, including DeMarcus Cousins, Chandler Parsons, and Ricky Rubio. Several younger players who will be in line for bigger paydays in the coming years, including Jusuf Nurkic, Rodney Hood, and Cameron Payne, are also represented by the agency.

Many of those players are Fegan clients, so it will be interesting to see whether they stick with ISE, or follow Fegan elsewhere. The veteran agent has been fired by John Wall, DeAndre Jordan, and Dwight Howard in recent years, and according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell (via Twitter), ISE says it has cause for Fegan’s termination. So it’s possible his clients will simply stay with the agency and work with someone else in the company.

This will be a situation worth keeping an eye on as those ISE clients approach free agency — Cousins’ situation, in particular, should be an interesting one. The Pelicans big man is eligible to hit the open market in 2018.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 3/10/17

March 10th, 2017 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

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

Having signed him to a 10-day contract, the Mavericks have now recalled Manny Harris from their D-League affiliate, tweets Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Harris, assigned to the Texas Legends for one more game after signing with the Mavs on Thursday, put up 31 points last month in a loss to Northern Arizona.
The Pistons have sent Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije back to their D-League affiliate for the weekend, tweets Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. The Grand Rapids Drive will play games in Erie tonight and tomorrow.
Rookie guard Malik Beasley is headed to the Sioux Falls Skyforce on an assignment, the Nuggets announced today in a press release. Denver doesn’t have its own D-League squad yet, so this is Beasley’s fifth assignment to Miami’s affiliate.
The Lakers have assigned Ivica Zubac to the D-League for tonight’s game against Reno, per Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link). Zubac has had a more regular role for the Lakers over the last month, and will get a chance to suit up for the D-Fenders today with the NBA club not in action until Sunday.
The Knicks have assigned Maurice Ndour to Westchester, the team announced today (via Twitter). The rookie forward has averaged 14.3 PPG and 6.7 RPG in 12 D-League games this season.
The Grizzlies have assigned Deyonta Davis to the Iowa Energy, the team announced in a press release. The No. 31 overall pick in the 2016 draft, Davis has been used sparingly in David Fizdale’s rotation; accumulating four DNP’s over Memphis’ last seven games. Davis has averaged 8.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over five games with the Energy in 2016/17.

Omri Casspi Drawing Interest From Playoff Teams

March 10th, 2017 at 1:42pm CST by Luke Adams

After being traded from Sacramento to New Orleans as part of last month’s DeMarcus Cousins blockbuster, Omri Casspi endured some bad luck, breaking his thumb in his first game with his new team. However, having been waived by the Pelicans, Casspi is now drawing interest from playoff teams and could make an impact down the stretch, reports ESPN’s Marc Stein (Twitter links).

League sources tell Stein that Casspi, who was initially ruled out for four to six weeks, is ahead of schedule in his recovery from his thumb injury, and may only be about a week from receiving medical clearance. Although Stein doesn’t specify which teams might be eyeing Casspi, he notes that “multiple” clubs are in pursuit.

Casspi wasn’t just a throw-in for New Orleans in the Cousins trade — if he had stayed healthy, he could have provided the Pelicans with some much-needed outside shooting. The club was somewhat short-handed in the backcourt after acquiring Cousins though, and needed to free up Casspi’s roster spot to create room for a healthy player.

Although his role in Sacramento had been dialed back significantly this season after he posted a career-high 11.8 PPG in 2015/16, Casspi continued to be an effective shooter for the Kings this season. After making more than 40% of his three-point attempts in each of the last two years, Casspi has a 39.4% success rate from three-point range this season.

No teams currently in playoff position have open roster spots, but the Cavaliers will soon free one up by waiving Andrew Bogut, and the Rockets’ 15th player – Troy Williams – is on a 10-day contract. Any other current playoff team would have to cut someone in order to add Casspi, who will be postseason-eligible.

Markelle Fultz To Enter 2017 NBA Draft

March 10th, 2017 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Washington Huskies star Markelle Fultz announced today that he will forgo his remaining college eligibility and will enter the 2017 NBA draft. Fultz confirmed his decision in a video posted to his Twitter account.

“After sitting down with my mom and the coaching staff, I’ve made the decision to enter the NBA draft,” Fultz said. “Although the season hasn’t gone as planned, it’s really truly been a blessing to be here… I learned plenty of life lessons on and off the court, especially from Coach [Lorenzo Romar] and his coaching staff.”

The Huskies’ season came to an end on Wednesday following a loss to USC in the PAC-12 tournament. Although Washington finished the year with a record of 9-22, Fultz emerged as the odds-on favorite to be selected first overall in this June’s draft, making his announcement today unsurprising.

In 25 games for Washington this season, Fultz led the team in scoring with 23.2 PPG. He also filled up the stat sheet in several other categories, averaging 5.9 APG, 5.7 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 1.2 BPG, and 2.1 3PT.

“There isn’t much that he can’t do well from passing to shot blocking,” Romar told Evan Daniels of Scout. “His love and passion for the game I believe sets him apart. [He’s a] great teammate and very unselfish.”

And-Ones: Cook, Ferrell, Fines, Tanking

March 10th, 2017 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

Quinn Cook has rejoined the D-League’s Canton Charge after his 10-day contract in Dallas expired, but it may just be a matter of time before he’s back with an NBA team, writes Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. “He proved he can play in this league,” one source told Amico. “Now he just needs to find the right opportunity.”

Cook could find inspiration from Yogi Ferrell, who was briefly Cook’s teammate in Dallas. The undrafted point guard turned a 10-day contract into a multiyear contract with the Mavericks after being cut by the Nets. As Ferrell explains, via Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News, things didn’t work out for him in Brooklyn, but it only takes one team “to fall in love with you” (Twitter links). “Brooklyn didn’t like me, so they got rid of me,” Ferrell said. “I came to Dallas and they love me. So I’m glad it worked out here.”

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

The NBA announced on Thursday that Suns forward Jared Dudley and Wizards guard Brandon Jennings were fined $35K apiece for their actions during an altercation that took place in the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s game between the two teams.
ESPN’s Chad Ford (Insider link) provides a top-10 list of sorts, assigning teams a “Tank Rank” that looks a little different in some cases than their current spots in the 2016/17 Reverse Standings. For instance, even though the Suns currently have the league’s third-worst record, it’s the Sixers that Ford places third in the tanking rankings, suggesting that Phoenix is playing well and could pass Philadelphia in the standings in the coming weeks.
Deron Williams (Cavaliers), Matt Barnes (Warriors), Brandon Jennings (Wizards) are among the recently-signed veteran free agents who could end up making an impact in the postseason, writes James Blancarte of Basketball Insiders.

Rockets Sign Troy Williams To 10-Day Contract

March 10th, 2017 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 10: Houston has made it official with Williams, as GM Daryl Morey tweeted out a welcome today to the newest Rocket. Morey added in a follow-up tweet that Williams has been sent to the D-League to play for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers tonight.

MARCH 9: The Rockets intend to fill their open 15th roster spot by signing D-League swingman Troy Williams to a 10-day contract, league sources tell Shams Charania of The Vertical (Twitter link). Houston’s next game is on Friday in Chicago, so the Rockets may wait until tomorrow to make things official with Williams.

An undrafted free agent out of Indiana, Williams caught on with the Grizzlies last summer and actually earned a regular season roster spot with the club. The 22-year-old appeared in 24 games for Memphis earlier this season, starting 13 of them and averaging 5.3 PPG. However, he was cut by the Grizzlies at the end of January in order to make room for Toney Douglas.

In 22 D-League games for the Iowa Energy this season, Williams has averaged 13.1 PPG and 4.1 RPG, with a .459/.330/.696 shooting line.

The Rockets opened up two spots on their roster by trading K.J. McDaniels and waiving Marcelo Huertas last month. The team filled one of those openings by signing Isaiah Taylor to a multiyear contract, and will now have a full roster again once Williams’ deal is finalized.

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