2019 March | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Holiday, Pelicans, Rockets

March 27th, 2019 at 2:16pm CST by Luke Adams

Although he has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2018/19 season, Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday will still receive a $255K bonus for appearing in at least 66 games and averaging at least 7.3 assists per contest, ESPN’s Bobby Marks notes. Holiday averaged 7.7 APG in 67 games, and also achieved three separate bonuses for his games played, total minutes, and rebounds per game.

As a result of flipping some unlikely to bonuses to likely for 2019/20, Holiday will see his cap hit for next season increase to $26,231,111, according to Marks, who adds that the number could increase by another $100K if the standout guard is named to one of the NBA’s All-Defensive teams.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

While the Pelicans are no longer vying for a postseason spot, the final couple weeks of the season could go a long way toward determining which players fit into the club’s plans beyond this season, writes Scott Kushner of The Advocate.
Elfrid Payton is one Pelicans players whose future remains uncertain. William Guillory of The Athletic takes a closer look at what the future may hold for Payton, who will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end.
The Rockets‘ G League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, recently claimed Daniel Hamilton off waivers, tweets Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days. Hamilton will be eligible to participate in the postseason for the Vipers, who finished atop the NBAGL’s Western Conference.
With the regular season winding down, the Rockets are aiming to trim their rotation to nine players in preparation for the playoffs. However, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle details, the club is still figuring out who those nine players will be.

Warriors Suspend Jordan Bell For One Game

March 27th, 2019 at 1:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have suspended big man Jordan Bell one game for “conduct detrimental to the team,” the club announced today in a press release. Bell will serve the one-game ban on Wednesday night, with Golden State set to face Memphis.

Since no additional details were included in the Warriors’ announcement, it’s not clear what exactly Bell did to warrant the suspension. However, it’ll cost him a little money — he’ll forfeit 1/145th of his $1,378,242 salary for 2018/19, which works out to $9,505.

Bell, who will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, has been a regular part of the Warriors’ rotation this season, though the 24-year-old hasn’t played a major role for the team, averaging 3.0 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 11.4 minutes per contest. All of those numbers are slightly down from his rookie season.

Golden State has no shortage of depth up front. The team figures to use some combination of DeMarcus Cousins, Andrew Bogut, Kevon Looney, and Jonas Jerebko to replace Bell’s minutes on Wednesday.

Poll: Eastern Conference Playoff Race

March 27th, 2019 at 11:53am CST by Luke Adams

While they haven’t all technically clinched yet, the eight playoff teams in the Western Conference have been pretty much set for the last couple weeks. That’s not the case in the Eastern Conference though, where late-season hot streaks for the Magic and Hornets have created an all-out, five-team battle for the final three postseason seeds.

With two weeks left in the regular season, the Nets have a tenuous hold on the No. 6 seed at 38-37, but they’re faced with the league’s most brutal end-of-season schedule, per Tankathon.com. Brooklyn’s next six games come against the East’s top five teams, including a pair against Milwaukee. The Nets will then close the season against Miami, one of the five clubs battling it out for a playoff berth.

At 37-37, the Pistons are right behind Brooklyn in the standings, but have lost three games in a row and will need to turn things around quickly to hang onto a playoff spot. Detroit will get to finish the season by playing Memphis and New York, but before that, a four-game stretch against the Trail Blazers, Pacers (twice), and Thunder will be sandwiched by crucial home contests against Orlando and Charlotte.

Speaking of Orlando, the Magic‘s six-game winning streak has put them in the No. 8 seed in the East for now, at 37-38. They’ll have to finish strong on the road to hang onto that spot, as five of their last seven games are away from home — and none of those games (in Detroit, Indiana, Toronto, Boston, and Charlotte) will be easy.

After falling last night to the Magic, the Heat are a half-game out of the postseason at 36-38. With games this week vs. Dallas and New York, Miami will have a chance to get back to .500, but after that, things get significantly more challenging — the Heat finish the season with games against Boston (twice), Minnesota, Toronto, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn.

As for the Hornets, Jeremy Lamb‘s incredible buzzer-beater on Sunday kept their playoff hopes alive, and they’ve since extended their winning streak to four games to push their record to 35-39. A daunting Western road trip looms, with games vs. the Lakers, Warriors, Jazz, and Pelicans on tap. If they can hold their own during that stretch, the Hornets will have a chance to make up ground in the season’s final week with games vs. Detroit and Orlando. Matchups with the Raptors and Cavaliers round out Charlotte’s remaining slate.

What do you think? Will the Magic and Hornets keep rolling and earn playoff spots? Will the Nets’ tough schedule cost them down the stretch? Can the Pistons and Heat finish the season strong?

Vote in our poll below on which three teams you ultimately expect to claim the final three postseason slots in the East, then head to the comment section to weigh in with your thoughts!

Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.

Super-Max Extension In Play For Lillard This Offseason

March 27th, 2019 at 10:35am CST by Luke Adams

As a lock for one of the six All-NBA guard spots this spring, Damian Lillard will become eligible for a super-max extension with the Trail Blazers this summer. And according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, unlike Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and Anthony Davis, Lillard has “sent signals” that he’ll be interested in signing a super-max deal to stick with his current team.

As Windhorst observes, the ownership situation in Portland is a little unstable following the death of longtime owner Paul Allen, and Lillard met with Allen last season before his passing to discuss the direction of the franchise, which raised some eyebrows. However, Portland’s star point guard doesn’t have any concerns about ownership and he’s “very comfortable with his commitment” to the franchise, Windhorst writes.

Lillard will still have two years and $61MM+ left on his current contract after this season, so gaining super-max eligibility would allow him to tack on four new years to that deal. Assuming the Blazers put the offer on the table, the extension would start at 35% of the cap in 2021/22. The exact figures aren’t yet known, since they’ll depend on where the cap ends up that year, but Windhorst estimates a four-year super-max would be worth approximately $194MM.

Because Lillard will have earned All-NBA honors in two consecutive years, he’d also remain eligible for a super-max extension in 2020 if he were to pass on one this year. While doing so would put him in line for an even larger payday, Windhorst suggests that there’s no indication the 28-year-old wants to put it off.

With Lillard apparently on board, an offseason extension seems likely, but Portland will still have to actually put the offer on the table. The Blazers remain fully committed to their franchise player, so I’d be surprised if they don’t make that super-max offer, but it’s worth noting that the four-year extension would start in Lillard’s age-31 season, which is still two years away.

Locking up a player a couple years in advance for his early-30s seasons is a risky play — just ask the Wizards, whose super-max for John Wall was completed in 2017 and won’t actually go into effect until this July. Still, the Blazers are a good bet to take that risk.

Bucks’ DiVincenzo To Miss Rest Of Season

March 27th, 2019 at 9:06am CST by Luke Adams

The injuries continue to pile up for the Bucks, who will be without rookie sharpshooter Donte DiVincenzo for the rest of the 2018/19 season, according to Malika Andrews and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.

League sources tell Andrews and Wojnarowski that DiVincenzo is suffering from bilateral heel bursitis in his right foot. Per the ESPN duo, the former Final Four MVP met with Bucks doctors and specialists, and a determination was made that rest and rehabilitation is the best course of action. The team expects DiVincenzo to make a complete recovery in the offseason.

The 17th overall pick out of Villanova, DiVincenzo will finish his rookie season having averaged 4.9 PPG on .403/.265/.750 shooting in just 27 games (15.2 MPG).

The injury is the fourth one to hit the Bucks since Malcolm Brogdon was diagnosed with a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot on March 16. Nikola Mirotic (thumb) and Pau Gasol (ankle) have also been knocked out of action within the last week.

While Brogdon and Mirotic are noteworthy losses for the Bucks, Gasol and DiVincenzo were unlikely to play much – if at all – for Milwaukee in the postseason. The club hopes to have both Brogdon and Mirotic back in its lineup by the second round.

Rockets Claim Trevon Duval Off Waivers

March 27th, 2019 at 7:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets claimed Trevon Duval off waivers from the Bucks on Tuesday before he reached unrestricted free agency. The move was first reported by Kelly Iko of The Athletic (via Twitter) and later confirmed by the team.

Duval, 20, was on a two-way contract with Milwaukee, but the club decided to move on from the rookie guard once the G League season ended over the weekend. The Rockets, who had a two-way spot open after promoting Danuel House‘s to the 15-man roster, were rumored to be interested in claiming two-way player Jawun Evans. However, after the Thunder put a claim in for Evans, Houston nabbed Duval instead.

An undrafted free agent out of Duke, Duval spent most of the 2018/19 season in the G League, averaging 12.5 PPG, 3.6 APG and 2.8 RPG in 38 contests with the Wisconsin Herd. He got into three games for Milwaukee, playing six total minutes and averaging 1.7 PPG.

Before joining the Bucks last offseason, Duval played for the Rockets’ Summer League squad, so this is a reunion of sorts for the two sides.

Because he was waived after March 1, Duval won’t be playoff-eligible, even if the Rockets were to convert his contract to a standard NBA deal. However, he may see some action during the final couple weeks of the regular season, particularly if the Rockets aim to reduce James Harden‘s and Chris Paul‘s workloads down the stretch.

It’s Time For The Stars To Align In Philadelphia

March 26th, 2019 at 11:06pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Sixers have their ideal starting five after making separate in-season moves for Jimmy Butler and Tobias Harris. However, their reward comes with a tax of unfamiliarity.

The J.J. Redick–Joel Embiid–Ben Simmons-Harris-Butler unit has played in just nine games together so far. While many playoff teams will try to give their starters some rest over the next two weeks, Philadelphia has no such luxury, as the team’s new pieces need as much time together as they can get to prepare for postseason battle.

“Because we have played so few games together, the importance of keeping these guys as much as you can on the court and experiencing playing with each other is really important,” coach Brett Brown said (via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer). “So somewhere out there, you hope to strike a balance [between resting players and keeping players fresh].”

Various injuries and nights of rest have limited the team’s time together on the court. However, when the stars align, Brown has attempted to make the most of the opportunities. The starting five has seen nearly 17 minutes per contest, which is the most minutes per game among any Sixers’ 5-man combination all season (per NBA.com, including lineups pre-trade lineups).

The Sixers have a hold on the third seed in the conference by just two games over the Pacers and they own the tiebreaker with Indiana after winning three of four tilts this year. No one in Philadelphia is going to discuss a preferred opponent, but the seeding matters, as falling to No. 4 would likely mean a first-round battle with the Celtics.

While they recently beat Boston in a statement win, the Sixers have earned just four victories over their last 25 games against their Atlantic Division rival (including last season’s 4-1 playoff series loss). Imagine having to go through Boston, Toronto, and Milwaukee to get to the NBA Finals and doing so without much rest leading up to the playoffs. That undesirable path remains in play.

The team has seven games remaining and the upcoming schedule isn’t strenuous. Embiid & Co. take on the Nets in Philadelphia before a three-game business trip through Minnesota, Dallas, and Atlanta. The Sixers could lock up a top-three seed before they return to Philadelphia to play the Bucks on April 4. Yet, after back-to-back losses to the Hawks and Magic, penciling in W’s is a fool’s task.

The Sixers arguably present Golden State with the greatest matchup challenge among all Eastern Conference contenders. Whether they get the opportunity to try to take down the two-time reigning champs will likely come down to two factors: the path taken and familiarity with one another. On Thursday vs. the Nets, Philly will get a chance to work on both components, as the five starters are expected to play game number 10 together.

Categories:
Philadelphia 76ers

NBA G League Assignment/Recalls: 3/26/19

March 26th, 2019 at 9:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignment and recalls from around the NBA:

The Raptors have assigned Chris Boucher and Malcolm Miller to their G League affiliate, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Both players are available for the Raptors 905 as they take on the Grand Rapids Drive in the G League playoffs tonight.
The Thunder have assigned Deonte Burton to the Oklahoma City Blue, according to Adam Johnson of 2 Ways 10 Days (Twitter link). Burton is available for the team’s G League playoff game tonight.
The Warriors have assigned Jacob Evans III to the Santa Cruz Warriors, per a team press release. Evans has played in 21 games with the G League club so far, averaging 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.

Fred Hoiberg, University Of Nebraska Nearing Deal

March 26th, 2019 at 7:47pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Fred Hoiberg is the heavy favorite to become the next men’s basketball coach at the University of Nebraska, reports Evan Daniels of 247 Sports. “This shouldn’t take long,” a source told Daniels.

Hoiberg feels like the gig “just fits him,” a source close to the situation tells Stadium’s Jeff Goodman (Twitter link). The school parted ways with Tim Miles, who has been their coach for seven seasons, earlier today.

Hoiberg, who previously led Iowa State to four straight tournament appearances, most recently served as the Bulls‘ head coach for four seasons. He didn’t find much success at the professional level, owning a record of 115-155 with Chicago.

Fred Hoiberg

Stein’s Latest: Lakers, GM Openings, Sixers

March 26th, 2019 at 5:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Marc Stein of the New York Times released his latest newsletter today (subscribe here) and it’s filled with a handful of nuggets on coaching and front office movement. We passed along the latest on the Timberwolves’ management earlier today. Here’s the rest of the highlights from Stein’s latest newsletter:

The Lakers have interest in nabbing Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle to the same position, Stein writes. Los Angeles is widely expected to let Luke Walton go at the end of the season.
Tyronn Lue is believed to be a top candidate for the Lakers‘ job, Stein hears from coaches within the league, citing Lue’s “presumed acceptance” from LeBron James. Lue coached James for two-and-a-half seasons in Cleveland, helping to bring the franchise its lone NBA championship.
Mike Zarren of the Celtics and Bucks executive Milt Newton are two names to watch out for with GM positions opening up, Stein hears. Zarren figures to be considered by the Pelicans (currently being run by interim GM Danny Ferry), and could also be a candidate for the Wizards, should owner Ted Leonsis decided to dismiss longtime executive Ernie Grunfeld.
The Sixers would be smart to keep the core of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, and Tobias Harris together if they win the Eastern Conference, though Stein believes the chatter to break them up will intensify if they fail to reach that goal. Both Butler and Harris will be free agents this summer.

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