2017 May | Hoops Rumors

Kevin Garnett Trade To Warriors Vetoed In 2007

May 28th, 2017 at 6:17pm CST by marksuleymanov

Before Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant, and Draymond Green created a powerhouse in California, the Warriors were seemingly on the verge of creating a special team in the late 2000s. However, the team was in need of a superstar player to take the team all the way and Kevin Garnett could have been that piece.

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News spoke for former Warriors executive vice president of basketball operations Chris Mullin on The TK Show and revisited a deal that could have brought the former league MVP to the Warriors. As Mullin recalls, Garnett was ready to leave the Timberwolves and pursue a championship elsewhere; and the Warriors were coming off an improbable season where they upset the No. 1 seed Mavericks in the first round of the postseason before losing to the Jazz in five games.

“After the playoff series with Utah, we had a nice group but we were trying to figure out a way to bridge the gap,” Mullin said (via RealGM). “We had a deal. Kevin Garnett was getting ready to move and I think he was being very selective. But at one point, he liked our situation.”

Acquiring “The Big Ticket” would have required a steep package but Mullin believes that Golden State was in prime position to field a championship-caliber squad, no matter the cost.

“The exact deal was probably going to be more Minnesota’s choice. We had Monta (Ellis), Andris (Biedrins), the pick itself, Jason (Richardson), Baron (Davis). We felt whatever combination they took, we had enough,” Mullin added.

However, the Warriors’ higher-ups, Chris Cohan and Robert Rowell, vetoed the deal, citing financial reasons. Garnett went on to be traded to the Celtics and form “The Big Three” alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, capturing the 2007/08 NBA championship.

If money had not been an issue, Garnett could have cemented his Hall of Fame career with the Warriors.

And-Ones: Teague, Blatt, Hayward

May 28th, 2017 at 5:03pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Mavericks own the No. 9 pick in the upcoming draft and if they go with a frontcourt player, it could signal that the team is planning on adding a point guard this offseason. Jeff Teague could be a realistic option for Dallas this summer, the staff at The Dallas Morning News speculates. Teague will turn 29 next month and he could help Dirk Nowitzki make the playoffs one last time before leading the team’s younger players for the next few seasons.

Here’s more from around the league:

David Blatt won’t return as the coach of Darussafaka Dogus, the Turkish team he led this past season, Sportando’s E. Carchia relays. International Journalist David Pick reports (Twitter feed) that several other international teams have interest in Blatt.
ESPNs Michael B. Schwartz believes there’s a real possibility that Gordon Hayward joins the Celtics this summer. Boston can carve out the max space necessary to offer Hayward an estimated four-year, $130MM deal if it says goodbye to a few role players.
Blake Griffin joining the Thunder isn’t a likely scenario due to the team’s financials, Schwartz contends in the same piece. Oklahoma City handed out massive extensions to Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo last fall and those deals will kick in this summer. Schwartz added that a sign-and-trade would represent the best way for OKC to acquire a top talent like Griffin.

Thunder Notes: Grant, McDermott, Presti

May 28th, 2017 at 3:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Thunder will have trouble adding talent around Russell Westbrook this summer, as I discussed in our Five Key Offseason Questions piece on the team. The front office dished out lucrative deals to several contributors over the last two seasons and it left the team without much financial flexibility. If Oklahoma City hopes to make it further than the first round of the playoffs next season, the team will need some of its young talent to make significant improvements.

Here’s more from Oklahoma City:

Jerami Grant has worked with the Thunder on many aspects of his game since the season ended, as he tells Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. “I think they’re doing a great job here of getting me stronger in certain areas. I think they’re specific to what we want to do with my body. And on the court, being able to read the defense, slow my game down a little bit, not moving 100 miles an hour,” Grant said. His contract with OKC contains a team option worth slightly over $1.52MM for next season and it appears that the team will opt to keep him around.
Doug McDermott, who was traded to the Thunder at this year’s deadline, said he’d “love to be” in OKC long-term, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes. McDermott has one year left on his rookie deal and he’ll be eligible to sign an extension with the franchise this offseason.
GM Sam Presti is preparing this offseason as if McDermott will play more minutes at the four spot, Dawson adds in the same piece. “[McDermott] has the versatility to play a little [power forward] for us,” Presti said.

Atlantic Notes: Weltman, Fox, Ilyasova

May 28th, 2017 at 2:29pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Masai Ujiri knew the day would come where Jeff Weltman would take the reins of another front office and the Raptors GM did everything he could to keep the executive in-house, Mike Ganter of the National Post passes along.

“I tried to fake it [by giving Weltman the] GM title last year and give him a raise and everything, but it didn’t fake anyone out, I guess. But a phenomenal opportunity for an unbelievable person,” Ujiri said.

Weltman was hired by Orlando to be the team’s president of basketball operations. Ujiri added that the move was “a great loss to the [Raptors] organization.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

De’Aaron Fox met with the Sixers at the draft combine to discuss how he would fit playing off the ball alongside Ben Simmons, Jessica Camerato of Comcast Sportsnet writes. Camerato can envision Philadelphia staying put at No. 3 and selecting Fox, but she could also see the team trading down and drafting Malik Monk while picking up another asset.
Ersan Ilyasova fit in nicely last season before the Sixers traded him away, though Camerato (same piece) cautions that despite the good synergy, the power forward is unlikely to return to Philadelphia in free agency. The 30-year-old should attract several teams this offseason and he’ll likely look to secure a long-term deal, which isn’t something that’s in Philadelphia’s best interest.
Jaylen Brown gained valuable experience playing for the Celtics and he believes his role on a playoff team this season will help him be successful down the road, as A. Sherrod Blakely relays. “Being on a winning team and developing good habits, learning how to win, play the game the right way … learning that at a young age is really going to help me,” Brown said. “A lot of young guys, they don’t learn that early. They have to figure it out three, four, five years in. I’m happy I learned it now.”

Danny Ainge: ‘We Want To Keep Isaiah’

May 28th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge won’t let financial concerns force the team to get rid of Isaiah Thomas, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald.

Since Boston’s playoff run ended, there have been rumors that Thomas may not be part of the team’s long-term future, despite the outstanding season he just turned in. The two-time All-Star averaged 28.9 points per game and was considered part of the MVP race.

Thomas has one season left on his contract at about $6.26MM before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2018, when the Celtics will also face decisions about Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart. Thomas is eligible for an extension this summer, and while Ainge didn’t promise that will happen, he tried to quash rumors about a possible deal.

“Yeah, we can fit everybody in,” Ainge said. “But listen, those are questions that I don’t even have answers for yet. That’s part of the difficult puzzle that is all hard. All I’m saying is those are things I have to worry about that even I don’t like to think about. And I know that those are going to be difficult decisions at some point. But we want to keep Isaiah.

“All I know is that he’s had an amazing year, and who doesn’t want Isaiah Thomas on their team? Like, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

Thomas was third in the league scoring race and earned second-team All-NBA honors. Ainge said he had one of the most impressive seasons ever compiled by a Celtics player, putting it in a class with the best of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Larry Bird and Bill Russell.

He also laughed at the idea that money will be a factor in keeping Thomas.

“Why do the fans need to worry about how much money he makes?” Ainge said. “I can understand if Isaiah and his wife and his agent are worried about that, but I don’t understand why that’s a conversation that needs to be had in the media.”

Weekly Mailbag: 5/22/17 – 5/28/17

May 28th, 2017 at 11:45am CST by Arthur Hill

We have an opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap or the NBA draft? Drop us a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com. Here are this week’s inquiries:

I heard Paul George has interest in playing with Gordon Hayward. What if Indiana traded George to Utah for Derrick Favors, Dante Exum , the 24^th pick, 42^nd pick and the rights to the higher first-rounder in 2020 between Utah’s pick and Oklahoma City’s. Resign Hayward using his Bird rights. — Jason Tom

The key for any team that trades for George is confidence in re-signing him past next season. George has a player option in 2018 that he’s almost guaranteed to use to set up a long-term maximum contract. George grew up near Los Angeles, and rumors have been circulating for some time that he wants to play for the Lakers. L.A. has about $19MM in available cap space for 2018 (including a $5.67MM player option for Nick Young), so look for deals over the next 12 months designed to free up cash for a max offer. George would be a nice running mate for Hayward, but there’s little chance that he signs a long-term deal in Utah. Your trade idea would be a nice offer to give Utah six or seven seasons of George, but it’s way too much for one.

What type of moves will the Pistons be involved in? — Rick Fuller, via Twitter

Detroit’s primary concern will be keeping Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. The fourth-year shooting guard is a restricted free agent, so the Pistons can match any offer, but the size of his new deal is going to eliminate any future flexibility for a team that is already over the cap next season. The Nets reportedly have KCP in their sights, so expect an offer similar to what they gave to Allen Crabbe and Tyler Johnson last summer. Detroit would also like to re-sign Aron Baynes, who can opt out of his $6.5MM contract, but there may not be enough money to keep him. The Pistons made some calls before the deadline to gauge league interest in Andre Drummond. Don’t be surprised if his name gets thrown around again over the summer as a way to open up future cap room.

Is there a chance the Knicks trade Kristaps Porzingis this offseason? — Nathan Dylong, via Twitter

It sounds like there’s much more smoke than fire coming out of New York about a possible Porzingis deal. There was a skipped exit meeting, a failure to disclose plans to play for the Latvian National Team and a mysterious tweet about the Clippers, but that’s not enough evidence to suggest that the Porzingis era is about to end. Phil Jackson’s primary offseason focus will be to get a deal done for Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks will need a team leader after that happens, and Porzingis is the only name on the roster qualified to fill that role.

Texas Notes: Ntilikina, Mudiay, Paul, Rockets

May 28th, 2017 at 10:24am CST by Arthur Hill

Several Mavericks executives have traveled to Europe over the past month to watch French point guard Frank Ntilikina, relays Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. At 6’5″, Ntilikina is among the bigger point guards in the draft, and he possesses athleticism and skill to go with his size. Dallas is believed to be targeting point guards after waiving Deron Williams in February so he could sign with a contender. The Mavericks hold the No. 9 pick, and Sefko expects Ntilikina to be among the players considered, along with North Carolina State’s Dennis Smith Jr., Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen and Gonzaga’s Zach Collins.

There’s more news today out of Texas:

The Mavericks have a better shot at solving their point guard problems through the draft than by trading for someone like Emmanuel Mudiay, writes Matt Mosley of The Dallas Morning News. The seventh pick in the 2015 draft, Mudiay was a heralded prospect but has experienced shooting problems through his first two NBA seasons. He is a 37% shooter from the field and was stuck behind Jameer Nelson in the Nuggets’ rotation. Mosley says Ntilikina or Markkanen would be a better gamble with the No. 9 pick.
Signing Chris Paul may not get the Spurs any closer to challenging the Warriors for Western Conference supremacy, argues Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. Adding the All-Star point guard would requiring sacrificing someone like LaMarcus Aldridge, Pau Gasol or Danny Green in a trade, and it would destroy the salary flexibility the team has set up for next summer.
North Carolina center Kennedy Meeks was the biggest name to attend a pre-draft workout for the Rockets this week, relays Tom Miller of The Grand Forks Herald. Also at the session were Quinton Hooker of North Dakota, Paris Lee of Illinois State, JaJuan Johnson of Marquette, Kavin Gilder-Tilbury of Texas State and Tacko Fall of Central Florida, who decided to withdraw from the draft and return to school. “My agent hadn’t said anything about the Rockets’ interest,” Hooker said. “I was anticipating at least one [NBA tryout]. But for the last month, I’ve just been waiting. It was definitely a humbling experience to get that first one and show my talents.” The Rockets own picks 43 and 45 in next month’s draft.

New York Notes: NBA Finals, Gaines, Mitchell, Draft

May 28th, 2017 at 9:09am CST by Arthur Hill

Personnel decisions by the Knicks and Nets helped turn the Cavaliers and Warriors into the NBA’s best teams, writes Fred Korber of The New York Post. New York gave Cleveland two much-needed pieces in J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert in a January 2015 trade that also involved the Thunder. Backup big man Channing Frye was drafted eighth overall by the Knicks in 2005, and reserve forward Derrick Williams spent time in New York. The Knicks were hoping Stephen Curry would fall to them with the eighth pick in the 2009 draft, but Kerber says they didn’t try to trade up because they didn’t believe the Warriors would take him at No. 7. New York has been through 23 point guards since then, and may be looking for another with Derrick Rose headed to free agency. Recent Golden State signee Matt Barnes was also briefly a Knick.

The Cavs’ bench is filled with players who have ties to the Nets. Richard Jefferson spent eight years with the team, including two finals appearances. Kyle Korver was drafted by the Nets in 2003 and shipped to the Sixers. Deron Williams spent nearly four years in Brooklyn before being bought out in 2015. Dahntay Jones signed a training camp deal last year, but was cut in preseason. The Nets sent the 35th pick in the 2012 draft to Golden State along with Troy Murphy in a 2011 deal that brought them Brandan Wright and Dan Gadzuric. The Warriors used that pick on Draymond Green. Shaun Livingston revived his career with the Nets in 2013/14, but they couldn’t afford to keep him and he signed with Golden State.

There’s more this morning out of New York:

Clarence Gaines Jr. is Phil Jackson’s secret weapon when it comes to draft preparation, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Formerly a scout with the Bulls, the vice president of player personnel was the first executive Jackson hired when he took over as team president. Gaines was a strong advocate for Kristaps Porzingis two years ago and pushed the team to sign Langston Galloway out of the D-League.
The Knicks have “more than a casual interest” in Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell, Berman writes in a separate story. At 6’3″, Mitchell was an undersized shooting guard for the Cardinals, but he projects as a point guard in the NBA. That’s a position of need for New York, which holds the eighth pick. That may be high for Mitchell, although he is reportedly rising on draft boards, but the Knicks might trade down and take him later in the lottery. New York’s front office requested an interview with Mitchell at the combine, though it wasn’t granted, and hopes to work him out before the draft.
Brooklyn, which has about $27MM in cap space available this summer, will see that figure trimmed slightly by the draft, tweets NetsDaily. If the Nets sign, rather than draft-and-stash, all three of their picks, it will cost them about $3.9MM — about $1.7MM for No. 22, $1.3MM for No. 27 and $852K for No. 57.

Finals Notes: West, Pachulia, Williams, Coaches

May 27th, 2017 at 10:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors would like to extend the contract of executive board member Jerry West, relays Tim Kawakami of The San Jose Mercury News. Golden State owner Joe Lacob said there have been contract talks with the Hall of Famer, whose current deal runs out in July. Nothing has been finalized, and negotiations are on hold until the playoffs are complete. “We have met; we have discussed the future,” Lacob said. “And it’s really something that I’m sure at the end of the season we will return to and figure out what Jerry wants to do. We want him back. We love him. He’s been a great contributor to the organization, someone I consider a personal friend as well.” West indicated several months ago that he might be interested in rejoining the Lakers in an advisory role, but the team’s recent front office shakeup may have eliminated that as an option.

There’s more tonight as we count down to the start of the Finals:

Warriors center Zaza Pachulia has fully recovered from the heel problem that kept him out of Games 3 and 4 of the conference finals, relays Anthony Slater of The San Jose Mercury News. Pachulia has been medically cleared and was a full participant in Golden State’s last three practices.
The Cavaliers’ bench had a productive game in the clincher of the Eastern Conference finals, which offers hope for the series against Golden State, writes Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Deron Williams, who signed with Cleveland in late February after being waived by Dallas, is excited about reaching the NBA Finals for the first time. “Twelve years in the league,” he said. “It’s one of those things where you don’t know if it’s ever going to happen and don’t know if it’s going to happen again so for me I just want to make the most of this opportunity, enjoy it, soak it in and try to win a ring.”
Warriors acting head coach Mike Brown claims Cavs coach Tyronn Lue still owes him $100 from a bet they made in 1998, Fedor notes in a separate piece. Lue claims he has tried several times to pay off the wager, which was related to a shooting contest, but Brown won’t take the money. The stakes will be much higher starting Thursday when they oppose each other for an NBA title.

Draft Notes: Wilson, Fox, Suns, Mitchell

May 27th, 2017 at 9:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Jazz are denying a report that they offered a guarantee to take Michigan’s D.J. Wilson in the first round, according to Aaron Falk and Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. That story was passed on by Rod Beard of The Detroit News, who said the team promised to select Wilson with either its 24th or 30th pick in the June 22nd draft. Walt Perrin, Utah’s vice president of player personnel, said the Jazz haven’t offered a definite guarantee to any player in his 16 years with the organization. “It does put you at somewhat of a disadvantage because if someone comes to you with a great trade, you’ve made your commitment to that player, so you can’t trade,” he said. … “We try to keep our flexibility.”

There’s more news as draft day approaches:

Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox will hold workouts for the Lakers, who hold the second pick, and the Sixers, who have No. 3, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. The workout in L.A. is expected to happen between June 11th and 17th.
The Suns will begin draft workouts Monday, writes Doug Haller of The Arizona Republic. A session is also set for Tuesday, with Jarrett Allen of Texas and Luke Kornet of Vanderbilt expected to attend. Kornet, a 7-foot senior who is projected to be taken in the second round, grew up near Phoenix and would love to join the organization. “The Suns were my favorite team growing up, like when Steve Nash was there,” he said. “Right now I know they’re super young with [Devin] Booker and [Marquese] Chriss and [Dragan] Bender. They’re growing and finding their identity, but they have some great pieces.” Phoenix owns the fourth pick, along with second rounders at 32 and 54, and is expected to bring in most of the top-billed players.
Louisville guard Donovan Mitchell is steadily moving up NBA draft boards, relays Chris Reichert of The Step Back. Reichert compares Mitchell to Celtics guard Avery Bradley and says he has decent offensive skills to go with his celebrated defense.

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