2018 August | Hoops Rumors

Ainge: Irving, Hayward Should Be At ‘Full Speed’ For Camp

August 28th, 2018 at 9:39am CST by Luke Adams

Celtics stars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward are returning from major leg injuries, but team president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is confident that both players will be ready to go when training camp gets underway next month. Ainge told ESPN’s Chris Forsberg that Irving and Hayward already appear close to 100% after finishing last season on the shelf.

“I don’t want to hype it up too much, but I’m saying that if our training camp were starting today that they would be here today going full speed,” Ainge said of the two veterans. “It’s not like they need an extra month. I think that they know they have an extra month, so they are sort of pacing themselves. They’re playing as if to build up to that opening day of training camp (September 26).”

Hayward only played five minutes in his first season as a Celtic, with his year coming to an abrupt end when he landed awkwardly and suffered a bad break of his left ankle on opening night. As for Irving, he was nagged by knee issues and eventually underwent season-ending surgery in April on his troublesome left knee.

The Celtics won two playoff series and pushed the Cavaliers to Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals without Hayward and Irving, and now have their sights set on bigger goals with both players on the road to recovery. Ainge, who says he’s “really excited” about seeing the duo back on the court, told Forsberg that the team will ramp up activity for Hayward and Irving during camp. Boston will have the luxury of easing its stars back into key roles since the team has a ton of depth it can lean on in the early going.

“They’ll both be here within the next week or so; by the time Labor Day is over, they will all be playing 5-on-5,” Ainge said of Hayward and Irving. “I think it’s just a matter of, if they’re not playing 5-on-5 now, then it’s only because they want it more of a controlled environment, I guess. They’re doing everything — dunking the basketball off both legs and playing one-on-one live and jumping and cutting and defending. I’m excited for them.”

Magic To Make Nikola Vucevic Available?

August 28th, 2018 at 8:44am CST by Luke Adams

Having re-signed Aaron Gordon and drafted Mohamed Bamba this summer, the Magic head into the 2018/19 season with a crowded frontcourt. In addition to Gordon and Bamba, the big men seeking roles in Orlando’s rotation will include Nikola Vucevic, Jonathan Isaac, Timofey Mozgov, Jarell Martin, and Khem Birch.

Given the logjam up front, not to mention his expiring contract, Vucevic is “expected to be available on the trade market” prior to the February deadline, according to Michael Scotto of The Athletic. As Scotto observes, the veteran center doesn’t really fit team management’s desire for “length and versatility,” meaning he’s unlikely to be part of the Magic’s long-term plans.

Vucevic, who made 57 starts for Orlando last season, remains a productive frontcourt player, having averaged 16.5 PPG and 9.2 RPG in 2017/18. The 27-year-old also continues to evolve as an offensive player — he posted a career-high 3.4 APG last year and made an effort to become an outside shooting threat. Vucevic knocked down 64 three-pointers in ’17/18 after making a total of 30 in his first six NBA seasons.

Still, Gordon, Bamba, and Isaac represent the building blocks of the future in the Magic’s frontcourt, making another contract for Vucevic a long shot. The former USC standout will earn $12.75MM in 2018/19 before becoming eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer, so he could appeal to a team that wants to add a big man to its roster without compromising future cap flexibility.

The Lakers immediately come to mind as one club that fits that bill, though there are others that could qualify, especially if teams are hit by the injury bug or if the Magic are willing to take on multiyear contracts in a hypothetical trade.

Southeast Notes: Carter, Heat, Winslow, Len

August 27th, 2018 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Vince Carter wants to go into broadcasting once his playing days are finished and has no desire to become an NBA coach, he told Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. One of the reasons he joined the Hawks is that he’ll be in the same city as the headquarters of TNT.

“I enjoy coaching the game, but I don’t want to be a coach,” Carter said. “I think this is another way you can coach the game, but to a different crowd. Everybody watches the game and wonder why do they do this? I can give the inside look as an NBA player on what they think about, what they’re talking about, what teams are trying to accomplish while you’re watching the game.”

The fact that NBA coaches can get fired even if they’re successful is another reason why Carter would rather be a broadcaster.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

The Heat are unlikely to trade for a star player during the upcoming season, though they could dump some salary to avoid the luxury tax, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel opines. The current roster doesn’t look strong enough to justify a bold move for a big-time player. Instead, it’s more likely the plan to return to prominence will center around 2020 free agency, Winderman adds.
The Heat ought to experiment with Justise Winslow, and Josh Richardson in various situations and positions to find out how they fit into the long-term picture, Winderman argues in another mailbag post. They could look at Winslow anywhere from a backup point to an undersized power forward. They could also take a similar approach with Richardson, even though he’s already signed an extension, Winderman adds.
Hawks center Alex Len will play for Ukraine’s national team in the FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament in September, according to the Ukrainian Federation. The news was tweeted by Olesandr Proshuta. Len hasn’t played for his national team since he left for the United States to play college ball at Maryland in 2011, Proshuta notes.

More On Manu Ginobili’s Retirement

August 27th, 2018 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The decision by Spurs guard Manu Ginobili to retire was a very difficult one for him, one of his agents told Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express News. The announcement was made on Monday. Herb Rudoy indicated there were numerous factors that went into the decision, primarily that it’s “much harder to do it at age 41.” Rudoy also cited family and a desire to travel as other factors in Ginobili’s decision, Orsborn adds.

We have more regarding the retirement of the longtime Spur:

Rudoy and fellow agent Luciano Capicchioni praised their client in a statement, which was relayed by Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links): “It has been our great pleasure to represent Manu. He has not only been an outstanding player, he has also been one of the finest men we have known. He understands playing for the collective good of his team and will go down in basketball history as one of the best to ever play the game.”
As the franchise did for Tim Duncan, Ginobili will likely have his uniform retired quickly, Jabari Young of the Express News tweets. The No. 20 will not be worn again without permission, Young adds.
The 20 defining moments of his career are listed in chronological order by ESPN’s Michael Wright. It begins with Ginobili getting drafted and ends with him being a finalist of the Magic Johnson award this past season.
Compliments and congratulations on a memorable career have poured in from players and coaches around the league via social media, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports relays. Helin’s story shares some of those posts.
Ginobili finished his Spurs career ranked fifth in franchise history in points (14,043) and rebounds (3,697), fourth in assists (4,001) and first in steals (1,392). Those are some of the numbers and facts that Frank Urbina of HoopsHype shares about the Argentinian.

Thibodeau Shoots Down Chemistry Concerns

August 27th, 2018 at 6:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau shot down reports regarding chemistry issues and Jimmy Butler‘s desire to leave after next season during an appearance at the Minnesota State Fair, Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. Butler was supposedly unhappy with his younger teammates and looking to pair up with Kyrie Irving when he can enter free agency next summer. Thibodeau said Butler has not voiced any displeasure about his teammates to him.

“I’ve been around a long time, I don’t buy into any of that stuff,” Thibodeau said. “You have to distinguish what’s real and what’s not real. You never heard any of that come from Jimmy’s mouth. It’s always a source close to Jimmy. If Jimmy has something to say to someone, he usually says it directly.”

Thibodeau also said he anticipated that Butler would turn down the team’s extension offer because he could make more in free agency but the franchise is still optimistic on re-signing him.

“We know the position we’re in. We have a lot to offer him. We think this is the best place for him and it’s up to us to show him the reasons why.”

Thibodeau also addressed a number of other topics:

He’s also “very optimistic” big man Karl-Anthony Towns will sign a contract extension by the October 15 deadline. “We know how important Karl is to the future of the organization,” Thibodeau said. As we noted in our Extension Candidate series, Towns is likely to sign a max extension.
Former Pistons assistant Malik Allen has been added to his coaching staff, replacing Rick Brunson. Allen joined the staff of ex-Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy in 2014. Brunson resigned in May amid allegations of misconduct.
Center Justin Patton should be cleared for contact by the start of training camp. The 7-foot Patton, the 16th overall pick in 2017, appeared in just one game last season after undergoing two foot surgeries.

Jarnell Stokes Signs Contract With Heat

August 27th, 2018 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

AUGUST 27: The signing is official, according to the team’s Twitter feed.

AUGUST 20: The Heat have agreed to a contract with forward Jarnell Stokes, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype tweets.

Terms were not disclosed but it’s almost certainly a training camp deal.

The 6’9” Stokes hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2016/17 season, when he made two cameos with the Nuggets. He was in the Heat organization the previous year and saw action in five games. He also played 21 games with the Grizzlies after being acquired in a draft-night trade with the Jazz. He was the 35th pick of the 2014 draft.

Stokes played in China last season before getting waived in early February. He played for the Bulls’ summer league team in July and averaged 5.0 PPG and 2.8 RPG in 10.2 MPG over five Las Vegas games.

His biggest claim to fame was being the G League MVP in 2016 after posting averages of 2o.6 PPG and 9.3 RPG for the Sioux Falls SkyForce.

Central Notes: Forman, Ellenson, Evans, Kanter

August 27th, 2018 at 5:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Bulls GM Gar Forman has done a good job of acquiring young talent but the hard part is yet to come, as Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times explains. Chicago will need to use its cap room and land at least one star player to become a major threat in the Eastern Conference, Cowley continues. Forman’s reputation around the league is shaky and he’s never been able to land such a player in his current position. That could eventually wreck this rebuilding project, Cowley concludes.

We have more from around the Central Division:

Pistons power forward Henry Ellenson is entering a pivotal year in his career, Ansar Khan of MLive.com notes. Ellenson is expected to his minutes increase under new coach Dwane Casey and Ellenson has been working diligently to become a stronger defender and improve his ball-handling. However, the third-year big man out of Marquette struggled with his new shooting motion during summer league games, particularly from long range, and that’s disconcerting, Khan adds.
Free agent additions Doug McDermott and Tyreke Evans, along with first-round pick Aaron Holiday, should facilitate the Pacers’ desire to increase their 3-point production, according to Greg Rappaport of Pacers.com. McDermott closed out last season in Dallas by making nearly 50% of his long-range attempts in the final 24 games, while Holiday posted solid 3-point percentages during his college career, Rappaport continues. Evans has improved his long-range shooting over the last three seasons and will be an upgrade over Lance Stephenson, Rappaport adds.
Knicks center Enes Kanter took a shot at the Bucks franchise and said he never considered joining them this summer, Royce Young of ESPN reports. Kanter posted a deer emoji on his Twitter account, then deleted it minutes later, the night before he decided to opt in and stay in New York. But Milwaukee was never on his radar. “I know I was not going to go to the Milwaukee Bucks. It’s the Milwaukee Bucks,” he told Young. “Unless they give you good, good money, then go, but you don’t leave New York for Milwaukee.”

Timberwolves, Deng Adel Agree To Camp Deal

August 27th, 2018 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have reached an agreement with undrafted forward Deng Adel, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). According to Charania, Adel will sign a training camp contract with Minnesota.

A former Louisville standout, Adel entered the 2018 draft after a junior year in which he averaged 15.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 2.8 APG with a .448/.350/.786 shooting line for the Cardinals. While he wasn’t selected on draft night, Adel always seemed like a candidate to catch on with an NBA team for training camp — ESPN’s Jonathan Givony ranked him as the 78th-best prospect in this year’s class.

While Adel looks like a candidate to end up with Minnesota’s G League affiliate – the Iowa Wolves – if he’s released before the NBA regular season begins, it’s possible he’ll have an opportunity to compete for a spot on the 15-man roster.

Currently, the Wolves only have 13 players on standard NBA contracts, including 12 on guaranteed deals and one (James Nunnally) with a partial guarantee. That leaves at least one opening – and perhaps two – on Minnesota’s regular season roster. The team figures to continue filling out its 20-man offseason roster with more contenders for those slots.

Kyle Singler Among This Week’s Stretch Candidates

August 27th, 2018 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed on Friday, NBA teams have until August 31 to waive players and stretch their 2018/19 cap hits over multiple years. If a player is released after August 31, his current cap hit will remain unchanged, and only the subsequent years of his contract can be stretched.

With just a few more days for teams to stretch 2018/19 salaries, Thunder swingman Kyle Singler looks like the top candidate to be waived this week, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes (via Twitter).

Three factors are working against Singler and making him a prime release candidate. For one, he fell out of Oklahoma City’s rotation entirely in 2017/18, appearing in just 12 games and playing only 59 total minutes for the season. Secondly, he’s essentially on an expiring contract, since his $5.3MM+ salary for 2019/20 is non-guaranteed. And finally, the Thunder currently have the largest projected tax bill in the NBA, meaning waiving Singler could create substantial immediate savings for the franchise.

Currently, the Thunder have a total team salary of $149.58MM, with a projected tax bill of $93.19MM. If they were to waive Singler, who has a $4,996,000 salary, they could stretch his cap hit across five seasons due to his non-guaranteed second year, reducing this season’s cap charge to just $999,200. That would bring the Thunder’s team salary down to $145.58MM and their projected tax bill to about $73.79MM, creating $23MM+ in total savings.

Outside of Singler, there aren’t many obvious stretch candidates around the NBA. Other projected taxpayers could consider similar moves to save some money, but many of those clubs don’t have players on expiring contracts that they’d want to release. The Wizards, with Jason Smith and his expiring $5.45MM salary, may be one team to watch.

Another motive for a team to stretch a player’s 2018/19 salary would be to open up more cap room. However, there aren’t many clubs that can create meaningful cap space at this point in the offseason, and there’s little incentive to do so anyway, given the lack of players worth spending it on. The Kings (Iman Shumpert or others) and Suns (Darrell Arthur or Tyson Chandler) could open up a chunk of cap room by stretching well-paid veterans, but I’d be surprised if they cut into their projected space for 2019 and/or 2020 by doing so.

And-Ones: G League, 2019 Cap Room, Prkacin

August 27th, 2018 at 3:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA G League announced its schedule for the 2018/19 season today, beginning with opening night on November 2. Like the NBA, the NBAGL has reduced its back-to-backs to an all-time low and eliminated stretches of four games in five nights entirely.

The G League also slightly tweaked its divisions for the coming season, with the Delaware Blue Coats – the Sixers‘ affiliate – shifting to the Atlantic. Delaware had previously been in the Southeast Division, but with Capital City Go-Go – the Wizards‘ new affiliate – joining the Southeast, it made sense to move the Blue Coats to the Atlantic to better reflect the actual NBA divisions.

Here’s more from around the basketball world:

Keith Smith of RealGM.com offers an early look at the 2019 cap projections for each NBA team, with clubs like the Nets, Bulls, Mavericks, Pacers, Clippers, and Kings expected to have the most spending power.
In a piece for Basketball Insiders, Lang Greene highlights five veteran NBA players who will be adjusting to new roles on new teams this season. There’s a pattern here, with vets like Carmelo Anthony, Dennis Schroder, and DeMarcus Cousins all being asked to play more modest roles for their new clubs than they did for their old teams.
After spending several years with a Suns squad that didn’t make the playoffs, P.J. Tucker saw his career path altered over the last two seasons when he joined the Raptors and then the Rockets, a pair of teams with title aspirations. Matt John of Basketball Insiders looks into which NBA player might be the “next” P.J. Tucker, making the move from a lottery club to a key role on a contender.
Croatian forward Roko Prkacin stood out as the top prospect at this year’s under-16 European Championships, according to Mike Schmitz of ESPN.com (Insider link). In Schmitz’s view, Prkacin – who led Croatia to the tournament title – has an “extremely high floor” and was “looking like a future lottery pick” during the competition.

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