2017 March | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Lowry, Tucker, Long

March 30th, 2017 at 5:16pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kyle Lowry, who’s been sidelined since the All-Star break because of a wrist injury, can become a free agent at the season. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri said there’s “no question” that the team will try to bring him back, as Scott Stinson of The National Post passes along.

“You have to remember that, everything that has happened to this team in the last few years, Kyle has been at the forefront of that,” Ujiri tells Stinson.

Lowry was having an exceptional year heading into the All-Star break. “Before the injury, you could argue he was one of the top five players in the league this season,” the GM added.

It’s also arguable that out of all the teams to see a player go down due to injury, the Raptors suffered the biggest loss with Lowry being sidelined. The 31-year-old was the team’s leader in player efficiency and he was one of the best from behind the arc, which I detailed in an early season edition of Fantasy Hoops.

Lowry can become a free agent this offseason by activating the Early Termination option in his contract. All signs point to him doing just that, which means he would turn down his 2017/18 $12MM salary. Stinson believes it’s fair to wonder whether the team should offer a massive five-year deal to a player who will be 36-year-olds at the end of it. However, the scribe believes it’s a bigger gamble to try to replace Lowry, a player who’s Toronto unquestioned leader.

“The way he goes,” Uriji said about Lowry. “Is the way we go.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Holly MacKenzie of NBA.com examines how P.J. Tucker has helped the Raptors stay afloat in the Eastern Conference. Tucker, who came to Toronto at this year’s deadline, will be a free agent at the season.
Shawn Long, who recently signed a three-year deal with the Sixers, was originally added to provide Philadelphia with depth, but by playing hard, he’s been able to carve out a role with the team, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Long started the season in the D-League, but his teammates believe he belongs in the NBA. “He’s an NBA player, man,” Gerald Henderson said. “He’s aggressive. He’s not scared. He goes out there and plays the same way he did in the D-League.”
Jerryd Bayless will workout at the Sixers‘ new practice facility this summer rather than going home to Phoenix as he has done in the past, Pompey relays via Twitter. Bayless signed a three-year deal worth $27MM last offseason, but he suffered a wrist injury earlier this season, which limited him to just three games with his new team.

T.J. Leaf To Enter 2017 NBA Draft

March 30th, 2017 at 3:45pm CST by Luke Adams

UCLA power forward T.J. Leaf has elected to enter the 2017 NBA draft and will hire an agent, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility, he tells Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link). Leaf, who confirmed his decision on his Twitter account, is coming off his freshman year, so he’ll go pro after just one season with the Bruins.

[RELATED: 2017 NBA draft early entrants list]

Leaf, 19, had a very successful freshman year at UCLA, averaging 16.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, and 1.1 BPG in just under 30 minutes per contest. He also knocked down field goals at an excellent rate, shooting 61.7% from the floor and 46.6% from three-point range.

A probable first-round pick, Leaf ranks 28th overall on DraftExpress’ big board, though Jonathan Givony has him coming off the board at No. 22 in his latest mock draft. ESPN’s Chad Ford is even more bullish on the young big man, placing Leaf 17th overall in his top 100 and writing that he’ll likely be drafted in the 12-to-20 range.

According to Ford, Leaf’s ability to score from anywhere on the court is “the big appeal” for scouts — he’s one of the most offensively talented big man in the draft. Although his lack of length and possible defensive shortcomings are a cause for some concern, Leaf should still come off the board fairly early in June, Ford adds.

Omer Asik, Quincy Pondexter Out For Season

March 30th, 2017 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 30: The Pelicans confirmed today that neither Asik nor Pondexter will return to action this season. Asik, who is recovering from a gastrointestinal infection, is expected to resume basketball activities in about three or four weeks.

MARCH 24: Two players on the Pelicans’ roster, center Omer Asik and shooting guard Quincy Pondexter, are not expected to return for the rest of this season, head coach Alvin Gentry confirmed today, per Justin Verrier of ESPN.com.

“Both of those guys will be gearing toward the summer and next year, really,” Gentry said.

Asik, who started 19 of the 31 games he played for the Pelicans earlier this season, hasn’t been a real part of the club’s rotation since mid-December. The veteran center has appeared in just three games for New Orleans since December 21, and hasn’t seen the court at all since February 10. As Verrier notes, Asik contracted a bacterial infection that caused him to lose a significant amount of weight.

As for Pondexter, it has been a long road back for the 29-year-old, who has been sidelined by knee injuries for each of the last two seasons. Pondexter hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since April 2015, when he was a starter for the Pelicans in their first-round loss to the Warriors.

While it’s not particularly surprising that Asik and Pondexter won’t return for the Pelicans this season, it will be interesting to see how they fit into the team’s plans going forward. Asik’s contract continues to be an albatross for New Orleans — it will exceed $10.5MM next season and increase to $11.2MM+ in 2018/19. Pondexter, meanwhile, has one more year left on his deal at just under $4MM next season. Both players could be on the trade block this summer, though they’ll probably have very limited value.

Northwest Notes: Rubio, Casspi, Nuggets, Jazz

March 30th, 2017 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Ricky Rubio has been the subject of frequent trade speculation in the past couple years, but if he continues to play like he has lately, Rubio should have a future with the Timberwolves, writes Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune. As Hartman details, Rubio has been averaging a double-double (15.8 PPG, 10.6 APG) and shooting well (39.5% on threes) since the trade deadline, and is on a reasonable contract (two years and $29MM+ after this season). Minnesota drafted Kris Dunn last June to be the point guard of the future, but it appears Rubio isn’t ready to give up his hold on that title quite yet.

Here’s more from around the Northwest division;

The Timberwolves signed Omri Casspi in the wake of Nemanja Bjelica‘s season-ending injury, hoping that Casspi could do some of the things that Bjelica did on the court. However, as Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune details, Casspi is still adapting to his new team. The Wolves have just nine games left, so the veteran forward may return to the free agent market before getting fully comfortable in Minnesota.
The Nuggets struck gold with center Nikola Jokic, but still don’t have a playmaker who can make a big shot in the clutch, according to Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post, who makes a case for why the team should move Wilson Chandler and pursue Gordon Hayward in free agency.
Following a weekend loss to the Clippers, Jazz center Rudy Gobert unloaded some frustrations in his post-game comments, suggesting that “some of us don’t compete” and “just thinking about scoring” (link via Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com). Gobert later backed off those comments, apologizing to his teammates and vowing to be a better leader, per Jody Genessy of The Deseret News. Utah has since won back-to-back games.

Pacers Sign Lance Stephenson

March 30th, 2017 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 30, 2:31pm: The Pacers have officially signed Stephenson, the team announced today in a press release.

“We’re very happy to have Lance back as part of our team,” Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird said in a statement. “We always knew he wanted to come back here, and we feel now is the right time, not only for the rest of this season, but moving forward. We look forward to having a long relationship with him, because we know what he can bring to our franchise, both on and off the court.”

MARCH 29, 11:54am: The Pacers and Stephenson are in agreement on a three-year, $12MM deal, reports Chris Haynes of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Haynes, the first two years are guaranteed, while the third is a team option. Adam Zagoria was the first to report the agreement between the two sides, as noted below.

11:35am: The Pacers are working on a deal to bring Lance Stephenson back to Indiana, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (Twitter link). Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog indicates that the two sides have already finalized a three-year deal with a player option in year three, though the team has yet to confirm anything.

The Pacers opened up a spot on their roster today when they waived veteran guard Rodney Stuckey. With Al Jefferson and Glenn Robinson III also on the shelf, Indiana has some holes in its rotation, opening the door for a player like Stephenson to return to the club. While the coaching staff isn’t the same one that worked with Stephenson during his first stint with the Pacers, the front office is familiar with him.

Stephenson, 26, enjoyed a breakout season for the Pacers in 2013/14, averaging 13.8 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 4.6 APG. However, he has bounced around the league since then and hasn’t delivered on the promise he showed during his final year in Indiana.

After playing for the Hornets, Clippers, and Grizzlies in previous years, Stephenson started this season with the Pelicans, but was waived after suffering a groin injury. The veteran swingman later caught on with the Timberwolves on a pair of 10-day deals, though his stint in Minnesota was derailed by injuries as well. As of mid-March, the Wolves were willing to let him go as he continued to deal with an ankle issue.

Assuming the Pacers and Stephenson do finalize a multiyear deal, the Pacers have the flexibility to offer more than two years and more than the minimum salary, since they remain under the cap. As our Salary Cap Snapshot shows, Indiana has more than $4MM in cap room available. Typically, veteran free agents who sign late in the season prefer one-year contracts so that they can return to the open market in the summer, but that extra cap space gives the Pacers the flexibility to make a multiyear deal worth Stephenson’s while.

Although Stephenson signed with the Wolves after March 1, he’ll retain his playoff eligibility for Indiana, since his deal with Minnesota was a 10-day pact.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Los Angeles Notes: Robinson, World Peace, Clippers

March 30th, 2017 at 1:55pm CST by Luke Adams

Lakers power forward Thomas Robinson was no lock to make the team’s 15-man roster back in October, but he earned a spot out of training camp and has now earned an increased role as the team’s season nears an end, writes Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Although Robinson’s stats aren’t eye-popping, his .534 FG% is easily a career best, and his per-minute numbers are also among the strongest of his career.

Head coach Luke Walton, who calls Robinson “one of our hardest workers,” has played an instrumental role in getting the most out of the former fifth overall pick, and Walton’s impact is one reason why Robinson wants to stick in Los Angeles when he reaches free agency this summer. According to Medina, Robinson says he’ll “do anything possible” he can to stay a Laker.

Here are a few more notes on the two Los Angeles teams:

Like Robinson, Metta World Peace got a one-year, non-guaranteed deal from the Lakers last offseason and wasn’t assured a season-long roster spot. However, he has remained with the team too, and the veteran forward has been a leader in the locker room this season despite playing limited minutes, says Tania Ganguli of The Los Angeles Times.
The Clippers‘ five core players are in their fourth season together, and they recognize their window for making a deep postseason run may not be open for much longer. As Mike DiGiovanna of The Los Angeles Times details, three of those core players – Blake Griffin, Chris Paul, and J.J. Redick – will be free agents this summer, and Jamal Crawford suggests the team is getting “impatient” to make its mark in the postseason.
With free agency looming for some key Clippers players, Mark Whicker of The Orange County Register wonders if we may be nearing the end of an era for the club.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

March 30th, 2017 at 12:37pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bulls reportedly explored potential trade options involving Jimmy Butler last summer and again at this year’s deadline. With the team currently out of a playoff spot and embracing at least a partial rebuild, Butler figures to be available in trade talks again this offseason. However, it remains to be seen just how proactive the Bulls will be in seeking a deal.

According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, one front office source told him recently that Butler is “as good as gone,” suggesting the star swingman is unlikely to start the 2017/18 season in Chicago. However, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune paints a more nuanced picture of the Bulls’ stance.

Johnson, who appeared on Tim Bontemps’ Posting Up podcast, said there’s more of a consensus within the Bulls’ front office for a full rebuild than there was at this time a year ago (link via HoopsHype). Nonetheless, the club would still only go in that direction if it got “the right offer” for Butler. Chicago won’t go out of its way to trade the 27-year-old simply to kick-start a full-scale rebuild.

Meanwhile, Johnson also pointed out that what happens with Butler figures to have a major impact on Dwyane Wade‘s future (link via HoopsHype). If the Bulls decide to move their three-time All-Star, they’ll likely do so around the draft, before Wade’s player option decision is due. In that scenario, Wade would be extremely unlikely to opt in and stick around for a year of rebuilding.

Butler’s situation in Chicago will be one of the more intriguing storylines to watch in the NBA this offseason, particularly if the Bulls miss the playoffs or are eliminated quickly in the first round.

Lauri Markkanen To Enter 2017 NBA Draft

March 30th, 2017 at 12:07pm CST by Luke Adams

Arizona power forward Lauri Markkanen will announce today that he has decided to leave school after his freshman year and enter the 2017 NBA draft, tweets Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Evan Daniels of Scout.com confirms that Markkanen intends to stay in the draft pool and will hire an agent.

Markkanen, a native of Finland, is viewed as a probable lottery pick. The seven-footer comes in at No. 8 overall on the big boards at both DraftExpress and ESPN.com, and could be the first power forward to be selected in June. According to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, a late-season shooting slump negatively impacted Markkanen’s draft stock, but only slightly — he’s still a “near-lock” to be a top-10 pick.

In his first and only season as a Wildcat, Markkanen averaged 15.6 PPG and 7.2 RPG in 30.8 minutes per contest. He was also very efficient from the field, finishing the season with a .492/.423/.835 shooting line.

Thunder Assistant Hired As Dayton Head Coach

March 30th, 2017 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

MARCH 30: Dayton is hiring Grant as its new head coach, reports Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports (Twitter link). The school has officially confirmed the decision (Twitter link).

MARCH 29: Thunder assistant Anthony Grant is being considered for the head coaching job at Dayton, according to Dave Jablonski of The Dayton Daily News.

The 50-year-old Grant has been with Oklahoma City for the past two seasons. He is a former player at Dayton and has a decade of college coaching experience. He compiled a 76-25 record as head coach at Virginia Commonwealth from 2006-09 and was 117-85 at Alabama from 2009-15.

The Dayton job opened Monday when Archie Miller left to take over at Indiana.

Thunder head coach Billy Donovan would be supportive if Grant decides to leave for Dayton, relays Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman.

“He’s a good coach, and there’s gonna be people that are gonna want to inquire about him,” Donovan said. “Dayton is his alma mater. He went to school there, he’s got connections and ties there. So it wouldn’t surprise me for them to want to go down the road and at least talk to him.”

Grant served as an assistant to Donovan at Florida for from 1996-2006. They rejoined forces in 2015 when Donovan accepted the job with Oklahoma City.

“I think for him right now it’s really more than anything else just trying to evaluate situations,” Donovan added. “I know he’s very, very happy here. I’ve enjoyed being back with him [after] being with him for so long.”

Southwest Notes: Harden, Anderson, Pelicans, Dirk

March 30th, 2017 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

With the Rockets locked into the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com wonders if it’s time for the team to shut down James Harden for a few games. Houston’s star guard is making a push for the MVP award, but has been battling a jammed left wrist, and could probably use a little rest to prepare for the postseason.

“It’s pretty tough, man, I’m not going to lie,” Harden said, admitting that his wrist issue has been bothersome. “I don’t like to feel sorry for myself at all, but just the shot is short and frustrating when you can’t really follow through and whatnot.”

Harden, who hasn’t missed a game this season, suggested earlier this month that he doesn’t believe in resting when healthy, but if there was ever a time for it, it would be now. The Rockets seem unlikely to shut down Harden for several games, but it’ll be interesting to see if the team plays it safe and dials back his playing time down the stretch.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Ryan Anderson, another key Rockets player who is dealing with an injury, is expected to return from his ankle injury before the end of the regular season, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle tweets.
The fourth quarter of Wednesday’s game against Dallas showed the good, bad, and ugly of the Pelicans‘ new-look roster, writes Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Still, as Verrier observes in a separate piece, the Pelicans are getting a better sense of what does and doesn’t work with DeMarcus Cousins in the mix, which will serve the team well next season.
Speaking to David Aldridge of NBA.com, Dirk Nowitzki answered several questions about his lengthy career with the Mavericks, calling it a “crazy ride” and adding that he’s “enjoyed every minute of it.”
In a chat with readers, Matt Mosley of SportsDayDFW.com discussed potential Mavericks draft targets, reasons for optimism, and the respective futures of Nowitzki and Rick Carlisle.

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