2018 August | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Waive Guard R.J. Hunter

August 18th, 2018 at 10:08am CST by Dana Gauruder

AUG. 18: The Rockets officially announced that Hunter has been waived.

AUG. 17: The Rockets have waived guard R.J. Hunter, Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports tweets.

That opens up a two-way contract slot for Houston, since Hunter was signed in January under one of those agreements. The 6’5” Hunter appeared in five games with the Rockets, including a start, averaging 3.8 PPG in 9.0 MPG.

Hunter played for Houston’s summer league team in July, the fourth consecutive offseason that he appeared in summer league games. He averaged 11.2 PPG in five Las Vegas appearances.

Hunter was chosen 28th overall by the Celtics in the 2015 draft. He played 36 games during his rookie season for Boston, then was waived during training camp the following season. He was claimed by the Bulls and saw action in three games before they waived him in December 2016.

Josh Gray To Play In South Korea

August 18th, 2018 at 9:26am CST by marksuleymanov

Former Suns guard Josh Gray has agreed to a deal with the LG Sakers of the Korean Basketball League, a source confirmed to Sportando.

Gray, 24, enjoyed a solid campaign in the G League with Phoenix’s affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns. In 28 games, the LSU product averaged 19.4 PPG, 6.4 APG and 4.8 RPG. Gray’s strong performance led to a pair of 10-day contracts with the NBA squad.

In five games with Phoenix, Gray posted 6.4 PPG, 2.4 APG and 2.0 RPG while playing just over 17 minutes per game. The Suns waived Gray in favor of Shaquille Harrison in late February.

Gray suited up for the Timberwolves in the NBA Summer League last month.

Southeast Notes: Anderson, Young, Go-Go, Magic Big Men

August 17th, 2018 at 9:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat aren’t particularly interested in acquiring Rockets forward Ryan Anderson, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. A rumored trade that would involve the Houston power forward and a draft pick in exchange for either Tyler Johnson or James Johnson doesn’t appeal to Miami’s front office, Jackson continues. Anderson has a higher salary than both of those players, so bringing him in would worsen the team’s luxury-tax issues. Additionally, even though James Johnson has three years left on his deal compared to Anderson’s two remaining seasons, Miami values his versatility, Jackson adds.

We have more from around the Southeast Division:

Rookie Trae Young realizes the commitment the Hawks made to him by trading starting point guard Dennis Schroder to the Thunder, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. While Young was non-committal about whether he or Jeremy Lin should start, Young knows he’ll get ample playing time. “Obviously when they move the point guard they’ve had for a while, their starting point guard, it definitely opened my eyes,” Young told Vivlamore. “It shows how much they are committed to me. Bringing Jeremy in as well is a good fit for us. I know there is a lot on my plate.”
The Wizards’ new G League team, the Capital City Go-Go, will share the same practice facility as the NBA team. The G League team’s GM, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, sees that as an incentive for his players, as he explained to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington. “I think it’s going to help motivate these guys. We’re going to be practicing in the same place that the Wizards do and the Mystics do,” Mensah-Bonsu said. “I think if these guys can see Dwight Howard and John Wall and Bradley Beal walking around every day, it will help motivate them to get to that next level.”
The Magic are bucking the league trend by building around big men, as Nick Zappulla of RealGM details. The trio of rookie Mo Bamba, Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon provide versatility and game-changing ability on both ends of the floor, Zappulla adds.

Trade Rumors App For iOS/Android

August 17th, 2018 at 7:53pm CST by Luke Adams

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Central Rumors: Leuer, Wood, Love, Bullock

August 17th, 2018 at 6:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pistons big man Jon Leuer is expected to be ready by the season opener and perhaps by the start of training camp, Vince Ellis of Detroit Free Press tweets. Leuer underwent surgery to repair a meniscus issue that arose during a workout earlier this month. Leuer appeared in just eight games last season due to a left ankle injury that required season-ending surgery in January. The team is hopeful Leuer, who is entering the third year of a four-year, $42MM contract, can return his role as a rotation player at center and power forward.

We have more from the Central Division:

Christian Wood is confident he can earn a spot on the Bucks’ opening day roster, as he expressed to HoopsHype’s Bryan Kalbrosky. The 6’11’ Wood reached an agreement with Milwaukee on a training camp deal after posting big numbers on their summer league squad. “Once I get the time and people see me, I know that I can be an X-factor in the NBA. I can run the floor and beat other bigs and I’m faster than most people my size,” he told Kalbrosky.
Kevin Love had a pretty good idea that LeBron James would either pick the Lakers or stay with the Cavs, he revealed in an ESPN interview that was relayed by Alysha Tsuji of USA Today. “I knew it was probably between Cleveland and Los Angeles. I think he’s always looking for a different challenge. He’s always wondering what’s next, and it feels like sometimes he’s playing chess and everybody else is playing checkers,” Love said.
The Pistons have depth at the wing spots but Reggie Bullock will retain his starting spot under new coach Dwane Casey, MLive’s Ansar Khan writes. Bullock emerged as one of the league’s top 3-point shooters last season after being inserted into the lineup. He’s one of the league’s biggest bargains at $2.5MM, as Khan notes, and should get a much bigger contract as a free agent next summer if he has a similar season.

Tarik Black Signs Overseas

August 17th, 2018 at 4:02pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Tarik Black has agreed to a one-year contract with Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated reports (Twitter link). The financial terms of the agreement have not yet been reported.

The big man played for the Rockets last season, scoring 3.5 points in 10.5 minutes per game. Black has played a total of 220 games over four seasons, making a stop in Los Angeles between Houston stints.

Northwest Notes: Roberson, Butler, Draft Picks

August 17th, 2018 at 2:49pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Andre Roberson‘s 2017/18 season was cut short because of a ruptured patellar tendon and the Thunder are not rushing the defensive-minded wing back on the court, as Nick Gallo of NBA.com details. Oklahoma City realizes how crucial Roberson will be to their postseason success.

“I’m really excited for him to get back on the floor. I think we all know at this stage how important he is to the team and just what his size and length, and I think just his fiber in general, what it means to the team,” said GM Sam Presti.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Roberson-Russell Westbrook–Paul George trio had the fifth-best defensive ranking in the league last season, Gallo notes in the same piece. “There was crazy potential there,” Roberson recalled. “We kind of finally started to figure it out, figured out how to play off of each other, and things were clicking.”
Despite an ESPN forecast panel that gave the Wolves just a 12 percent chance to keep Jimmy Butler beyond this season, Michael Rand of the Star Tribune is still optimistic that the two sides can find common ground on a long-term deal. Rand also advises readers not to worry too much about the rumors of Butler teaming up with Kyrie Irving on a rival squad.
The Nuggets are the only team in the Northwest Division that has traded away its own first-round pick, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors detailed this week. Denver sent the pick to Brooklyn in the Kenneth Faried deal.

Markieff Morris Gearing Up For 2019 Free Agency

August 17th, 2018 at 1:27pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The 2018/19 season is a pivotal one for Markieff Morris, as he’ll be a free agent for the first time in his career next summer. At that point, he’ll have to make a contract decision for the first time since he inked a team-friendly extension with the Suns, one that was predicated on him taking a discount to play alongside his brother, Marcus.

Fast-forward four years and both brothers are on different squads with the Suns dealing away each player in separate deals. The slightly older twin knows the importance of making this most of his upcoming free agency and with health finally on his side, he’s preparing for breakout contract year.

“I’m finally 100 percent, so I feel good,” Morris said via Chase Hughes of NBC Washington. “My play is gonna speak for itself. The most important thing we’ve gotta do is win as a team. That’s the most important thing.”

Change has been constant in Morris’ life recently. This was his first healthy offseason in Washington, his first summer as a father, and this season will bring another change on the court.

The Wizards shipped away Marcin Gortat and brought in Dwight Howard, a player who doesn’t have the greatest reputation when it comes to sustaining on-court chemistry. Still, Morris believes Howard will be a “perfect” fit in the locker room.

“I think it’s a great pickup. Dwight has been a great player his entire career. He averaged [16.6] and [12.5] last year,” Morris said. “Every time we played against him he has been a matchup problem for us. I’m excited to have him and welcome him to D.C.”

Morris likes Washington’s chances in the Eastern Conference this season. With Kawhi Leonard moving to The North, Boston getting its stars back from injury, and The Process surpassing the incubation stage, winning the conference will be no easy feat. Yet, with LeBron James now out west, the conference is as wide-open as its ever been.

Community Shootaround: Best Free Agents Left Unsigned

August 17th, 2018 at 11:55am CST by ChrisCrouse

Team reaching deals with veterans in mid-August is not that unusual and those players can sometimes find meaningful roles as the season progresses. There’s still quite a bit of talent left unsigned this summer. Let’s take a look at who’s still available:

Rodney Hood

Hood is a restricted free agent whose talks with the Cavaliers appear to have stalled. He shined in Utah before going into a funk upon arriving in Cleveland but he’s still only 26 years old and some franchise should be able to use his three-point shot and athleticism to help its team.

Patrick McCaw

Golden State has done an excellent job finding pieces that mesh well with their top stars and McCaw is another example of fringe guy fitting in. He’s expected to take his qualifying offer with the Warriors, but if another team is looking for a young prospect late in the offseason, the right offer may dissuade Golden State from matching.

Nick Young

One year after fitting in nicely with Golden State, Young is back on the market looking for another deal. The Rockets were linked to the swingman earlier in the offseason, although there hasn’t been much chatter about him joining CP3 & Company since Carmelo Anthony came to town.

Jamal Crawford

Crawford remains on the market after taking a bit of a step backward last season, as he nailed 33.1% of his attempts from behind the arc. There was some speculation that the Sixers would be a fit for the 38-year-old, though nothing has come to fruition.

Can one of these players or another remaining free agent still help a team this upcoming season and where are the best fits?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We look forward to what you have to say!

Nets Notes: Harris, Russell, Walker, Musa

August 17th, 2018 at 10:30am CST by ChrisCrouse

Joe Harris, who re-signed with Brooklyn on a two-year, $16MM deal, believes the Nets‘ young players can make “significant jumps” this season, as NetsDaily relays.

“We definitely have some new pieces to the team, but I think just being around everybody so far this offseason — although it’s relatively young — I think we have a lot of reasons to be optimistic,” said Harris. “If anything, we have an extremely competitive group and I think a lot of our younger players are gonna make significant jumps.”

Harris previously has said that he’s seen D’Angelo Russell take “considerable strides.”

“All I know is I’m really excited for the season to get going and I know everyone else is,” Harris said. “I’m not gonna go out here guaranteeing anything that’s gonna happen. I know we are gonna go out and compete every single night.”

Here’s more from Brooklyn:

How much success the Nets have this season will depend on the health of Russell, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes. “As he moves forward, he needs to create those habits and take care of his body,” GM Sean Marks said. “And I think people will be pretty surprised when they see what he’s done. He’s worked extremely hard on purely that, strengthening up his body and so forth.”
Kemba Walker spoke about his love for Brooklyn during a youth summer basketball camp appearance recently. “That’s one thing about people from Brooklyn, they’re very loyal, they’re die-hard, they believe in their team,” Walker said (via NetsDaily). “I love Brooklyn. I love going there. I love playing there. It always gives me a chance to come back home, too, so that’s why I love it as well. I like the organization, too. It’s cool.” The point guard is expected to be a free agent in the summer of 2019.
No. 29 overall pick Dzanan Musa believes he can play point guard among other positions for the Nets. “I can handle the ball like a lot,” the 6’9″ rookie said (via NetsDaily). “So, point guard, shooting guard, three, whatever. I’m ready to do it.”

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