2019 March | Hoops Rumors

Latest On Wolves’ Coaching, GM Positions

March 26th, 2019 at 5:33pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Ryan Saunders, who replaced Tom Thibodeau as Minnesota’s coach in early January, appears likely to return to the position next season.

Marc Stein of The New York Times (via newsletter, which you can subscribe to here) writes that “all signs” point to the Timberwolves retaining the 33-year-old first-time head coach, citing the strong bond between Saunders and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Towns’ co-sign and improved performance may overshadow the fact that Saunders underperformed from a win-loss perspective during his limited time in the role. The team has gone 14-19 since he took over duties.

Stein adds that there is uncertainty around general manager Scott Layden‘s future. Owner Glen Taylor is fond of Chauncey Billups and has interest in hiring the ESPN analyst for the GM role. However, there’s pessimism within league circles about Taylor being able to put an attractive enough offer together for it to make sense for both sides.

Billups has previously expressed a desire to lead a front office. He’s interviewed with the Hawks and Cavaliers in recent years.

Nuggets executive Calvin Booth should be considered a strong candidate for the position if Taylor dismisses Layden, Stein adds. Booth previously played in the NBA and he worked in Minnesota’s front office before moving on to Denver.

Raptors Increasingly Confident In Chances Of Re-Signing Kawhi

March 26th, 2019 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

While Kawhi Leonard‘s future beyond this season remains very much up in the air, some Raptors officials have become increasingly confident about their chances of re-signing the star forward, sources tell Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca.

As Lewenberg details in his story, Toronto’s handling of Leonard’s health has gone a long way toward establishing a trust between the team and the player, and things appear to be trending in the right direction as the season winds down. While the club’s success – or lack thereof – in the playoffs figures to be a major factor in his decision, the Raptors’ 12-month head start at earning Kawhi’s confidence could give them a leg up on the Clippers and other suitors, Lewenberg writes.

The Raptors’ pitch this summer figures to center on that trust and familiarity, as well as the franchise’s commitment to chasing a title — not to mention the extra year and money Toronto can offer. However, as Lewenberg notes, the Raps’ investment in keeping Leonard healthy will also play a major part in that pitch.

Although their “load management” approach to Kawhi’s health has earned some criticism and has been the butt of a few jokes this season, the Raptors recognized that the former Defensive Player of the Year prioritizes having a long and healthy career, and have made an effort to work toward that goal.

Team sources tell Lewenberg that even some people within the Raptors’ organization have been skeptical about the load-management approach, but Kawhi and director of sports science Alex McKechnie are in “constant communication” about his health, and the strategy has worked so far.

The details of Leonard’s falling out with the Spurs have never been fully revealed, but there’s a belief that the organization lost Kawhi’s trust due to its handling of his quad injury, including the leak that he had been medically cleared. The Raptors have been cautious not to make the same mistakes, keeping the forward’s medical details close to the vest, Lewenberg writes.

Leonard is hard to read and hasn’t given any public clues as to his offseason decision, but people close to him say he has looked “more and more comfortable” in Toronto as the season goes on, says Lewenberg. The Raptors will have to hope that translates into a long-term commitment to the team this July.

Kris Humphries Officially Announces Retirement

March 26th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA big man Kris Humphries hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since the 2016/17 season and hasn’t shown up on the pages of Hoops Rumors since being waived by the Sixers in October 2017. However, he had yet to formally announce his retirement as an NBA player — until now.

“Today, I’m officially retired from the NBA,” Humphries wrote in an introspective piece for The Players’ Tribune. In the article, which is worth checking out in full, the 34-year-old says he’s officially walking away from the game after “13 good years.”

The 14th overall pick in the 2004 draft, Humphries appeared in a total of 800 regular season games for the Jazz, Raptors, Mavericks, Nets, Celtics, Wizards, Suns, and Hawks. For his career, he averaged 6.7 PPG and 5.4 RPG in 17.8 minutes per contest, with his best years coming as a Net from 2010-12.

Humphries played in the postseason six times, though he was never part of a deep playoff run. His best postseason stint came in 2015/16 when he averaged 9.3 PPG and 6.0 RPG in four games (14.0 MPG) for an Atlanta team that advanced to the second round.

Of course, as Humphries addresses within his Players’ Tribune article, outside of NBA circles he was known and recognized primarily for his relationship with Kim Kardashian, which ended in 2011.

Humphries is the second 34-year-old big man to formally confirm his retirement from the NBA within the last few days. Al Jefferson was the other.

Raptors Re-Sign Jodie Meeks

March 26th, 2019 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

MARCH 26: The Raptors have officially signed Meeks, the team confirmed today in a press release.

MARCH 25: After letting Eric Moreland‘s 10-day contract expire over the weekend, the Raptors plan on filling one of their open roster spots by bringing back Jodie Meeks, per Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that Toronto will sign Meeks to a rest-of-season contract.

Meeks, 31, appeared in 77 games in 2017/18 for the Wizards but saw his season come to an early end when he was suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy. Meeks was traded to Milwaukee in the offseason, where he served the rest of his suspension at the start of 2018/19 before being waived.

Since then, Meeks has signed just one NBA contract, inking a 10-day deal with Toronto after the All-Star break. Although he only got into a couple games with the Raptors, the veteran sharpshooter provided a spark off the bench, scoring 15 points and knocking down three 3-pointers in just 24 total minutes. The former Kentucky standout is a career 37.2% shooter from beyond the arc.

While Meeks is unlikely to play much of a role for Toronto in the postseason, he figures to see some action in the club’s final regular season games. Still, it’s not clear when the Raptors will officially sign Meeks, since they’re over the tax line and aren’t under pressure to add a 14th man right away.

When he does sign, Meeks will earn $12,295 per day for the rest of the regular season, with the contract counting against the Raps’ cap at a rate of $8,546 per day. The team will still have one more open roster spot once Meeks is back on board.

Hoops Rumors Glossary: Bi-Annual Exception

March 26th, 2019 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The most common tool over-the-cap teams use to sign free agents from other teams is the mid-level exception, but that’s not the only exception those clubs have to squeeze an extra player onto the payroll. The bi-annual exception is a way for a team to sign a player who may command more than the minimum salary, but less than the mid-level.

As its name suggests, the bi-annual exception can only be used every other season. Even if a team uses only a portion of the exception, it’s off-limits during the following league year.

During the 2018/19 league year, three teams – the Pistons, Grizzlies, and Rockets – were ineligible to use the bi-annual exception at all, since they used it in 2017/18. Four teams have used the BAE this season, with the Bucks signing Brook Lopez, the Pelicans signing Elfrid Payton, the Knicks signing Allonzo Trier, and the Spurs signing Dante Cunningham. Those four clubs won’t have the exception at their disposal during the 2019/20 league year.

The bi-annual exception is available only to a limited number of clubs, even among those that didn’t use the exception during the previous season. Teams that create and use cap space forfeit the BAE, along with all but the smallest version of the mid-level (the room exception). Additionally, teams lose access to the bi-annual exception when they go over the “tax apron,” a figure approximately $6MM+ above the tax line. So, only teams over the cap and under the tax apron can use the BAE.

If a team uses all or part of the bi-annual exception, it triggers a hard cap for that season. Clubs that sign a player using the BAE can later go under the cap, but can’t go over the tax apron at any time during the season once the contract is signed.

The bi-annual exception allowed for a starting salary of up to $3,382,000 in 2018/19. Under the NBA’s previous Collective Bargaining Agreement, the value of each season’s bi-annual exception was determined in advance. However, under the current CBA, the value of the BAE in future league years is tied to salary cap increases. If the cap goes up by 5%, the value of the bi-annual exception will also increase by 5%. Based on a $109MM cap estimate for 2019/20, the BAE is projected to start at $3,619,000.

A player who signs a contract using the bi-annual exception is eligible for a one- or two-year deal, with a raise of 5% for the second season. For players who signed using the BAE in 2018/19, the maximum value of a two-year contract was $6,933,100. Teams also have the option of splitting the bi-annual exception among multiple players, though that happens much less frequently than it does with the mid-level exception, since a split bi-annual deal may not even be worth more than a veteran’s minimum salary.

The bi-annual exception starts to prorate on January 10, decreasing in value by 1/177th each day until the end of the regular season.

Several teams – including the Jazz, Clippers, and Magic – remain eligible to use the bi-annual exception this season, but they’re unlikely to take advantage of that opportunity at this point. Assuming those BAEs go unused, they’ll be available to those teams in 2019/20.

Note: This is a Hoops Rumors Glossary entry. Our glossary posts will explain specific rules relating to trades, free agency, or other aspects of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. Larry Coon’s Salary Cap FAQ was used in the creation of this post.

Earlier versions of this post were published in previous years by Luke Adams and Chuck Myron. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Blazers Lose Jusuf Nurkic With “Devastating” Injury

March 26th, 2019 at 2:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

2:55pm: Nurkic underwent surgery to repair his compound fractures today, tweets Shams Charania of The Athletic. While Nurkic has been ruled out indefinitely, the good news is that there was no nerve or muscle damage in his leg, league sources tell Charania.

8:57am: Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic suffered compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula last night, putting him out of action for the rest of the season and probably well into next season, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.

The injury occurred in the second overtime of a win over the Nets as Nurkic landed on several players after jumping for a rebound. The crowd went silent before chanting Nurkic’s name in a show of support. Teammates turned away because of the gruesome nature of the injury.

“It made me sick to my stomach,” Damian Lillard said.

After a long examination by trainers and team doctors, Nurkic received a huge ovation as he was carried off on a stretcher. Coach Terry Stotts called the injury “devastating” as it casts a shadow over the rest of the season for a Portland team that clinched a playoff spot with the victory.

“It’s terrible,” Zach Collins said. “Obviously you never want to see that happen, especially with your own teammate that you go to war with every night. Nurk, he’s been having a hell of a season. He had an amazing game tonight. And for it to end like that for him, it’s just tough. All we can do is be there for him and hope he’s in as little pain as possible and knows that we’ve got his back.”

At age 24, Nurkic was putting together his best season, averaging career highs with 15.6 PPG and 10.4 RPG. He is signed for nearly $25MM over the next two seasons and has a non-guaranteed $12MM salary for 2021/22. His absence should create a greater role for Enes Kanter, who signed with Portland last month after reaching a buyout with the Knicks.

Players from around the NBA sent messages of support on social media last night, while the Trail Blazers struggled to deal with the impact of losing a beloved teammate and a vital part of their hopes for the postseason.

“I’m going to go home and pray for him because this is way bigger than basketball,” Kanter said. “We clinched a playoff spot and we’re not even celebrating. He was a big part of our family — not our team, our family — and I just don’t know what to say. It’s definitely tough.”

NBA Scouts Discuss NCAA Tournament Prospects

March 26th, 2019 at 1:57pm CST by Arthur Hill

Central Florida’s Tacko Fall stepped into the national spotlight with Sunday’s game against Duke, but he may not have improved his draft status, relays Sam Amick of The Athletic. Amick talked to three unidentified NBA scouts about their impressions after the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament and found opinions have changed on a lot of players, but not necessarily on Fall.

“I don’t think (it helped his cause), on the whole,” one scout said of the 7’6″ center, who had 15 points, six rebounds and three blocks against the Blue Devils before fouling out. “I think most scouts, most teams, are going to evaluate him based on (what came before). … Now if you liked Tacko Fall before the game against Duke, then you’ll probably like him a little bit more maybe. And if you didn’t, then I don’t think it’s going to sway you one way or another. He’s so unique that I think he’ll get a chance in some capacity. I don’t know if he gets drafted in the second round, or whatever it is, but I do think he gets a chance.”

The scouts’ consensus is that Murray State point guard Ja Morant has helped himself with his March performances and would likely be the second player taken if the draft were today. He held up well against larger schools and has been consistently good from game to game.

Duke’s Cam Reddish may have fallen the most, not only because of his March Madness games, but his output throughout the year. Once projected as a possible No. 3 pick, Reddish may be slipping out of the top five. “Even when Zion (Williamson) was out, he had opportunities where he could really take a step forward and take advantage of the opportunity,” one scout said. “And he did on a couple of games, but it wasn’t as consistent as you’d like him to be. He’s a tough one, man.”

Here are a few more takes from the scouts on prominent players:

Duke forward R.J. Barrett — “Yeah, I do think Barrett has the third spot. … I do think Barrett, the fact that he competes (is good). He’s got a little more, to me, obvious flaws in terms of shot selection. Obviously he has some tendencies, in terms of being all left and dominant where he’s going to have to get the right hand at the next level to be as good as he can be. The one thing about Barrett is that he competes and he gets after it and he wants to win, but there are moments when he falls asleep.”
Oregon forward Kenny Wooten — People know about (Wooten), but this is the time where owners start watching and other people — even GMs who don’t get a chance (to see them) — they start seeing these guys and (the prospects) start to jump off the page because they have a good game or they play well.”
North Carolina forward Nassir Little — “There are still question marks with his game, but it was the Washington game where he made a three and he was efficient, right? And he was efficient for multiple games. He didn’t have any assists or anything like that, but there are some signs there where if you want to find a reason to like Nas. I think you can go look at those two games and say, ‘Oh, ok.’ This guy is doing well.”
Michigan guard Jordan Poole — “He’s a good player, man. He knows how to play. He’s skilled. I think (an NBA team) could work on his efficiency. If he continues to play well, I think he could help himself throughout the rest of the tournament as well and be one of those guys who’s a late riser.”

Pelicans’ Jrue Holiday Out For Season After Surgery

March 26th, 2019 at 12:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday had surgery this morning to repair a core muscle injury, the team announced on Twitter. He will be sidelined for about six weeks before returning to basketball activities, well past the end of the regular season.

Holiday hasn’t played since March 6 after being diagnosed with a lower abdominal strain. The Pelicans had considered ruling him out for the rest of the season, but no official announcement was made before today’s operation.

The 28-year-old was having his best NBA season, posting career highs in points (21.2), rebounds (5.0) and assists (7.7). He is under contract for two more years, with a $26.865MM player option for 2021/22.

Southwest Notes: Spurs, Poeltl, Pelicans GM, Llull

March 26th, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Gregg Popovich has the Spurs on the verge of another playoff appearance in a season that could have been a disaster, writes Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. Early-season injuries forced Popovich to use a point guard committee until Derrick White was healthy, Bryn Forbes, Davis Bertans and Jakob Poeltl all had to step into important roles and the retirement of Manu Ginobili and the departure of Tony Parker cut the last ties to the Spurs’ glory days. Still, with a 43-31 record, the franchise is on the verge of its 22nd straight trip to the playoffs.

“For guys that have been elsewhere, they come in and they can sense it’s a different environment,” Patty Mills said. “They can notice the difference. It takes some time for players to adjust to how different it is. People have always said you needed to be a certain type of person to be in this environment and to be coached by Pop, and it’s true. The way he coaches his players is a certain way. You’ve seen the way he’s coached Tim (Duncan) and Manu. You see that interaction between coach and player, and everyone else falls in line after that. You know if he yells at you, you can’t say anything back. It’s those little things you have to get guys to understand.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Popovich would like to make Poeltl the Spurs‘ starting center for the rest of the season, but matchups may keep that from happening, notes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express-News. With so many teams playing non-traditional lineups, it’s not always wise to put two big men on the floor. “We like to play big because we do a pretty good job of locking down the paint with myself and (LaMarcus Aldridge) on the court,” Poeltl said. “We’ve got to find the right matchups and the right situations where we can do that.”
Interim GM Danny Ferry will be among the candidates as the Pelicans conduct their GM search, according to Fletcher Mackel of WDSU in New Orleans (Twitter link). Owner Gayle Benson said Monday that the franchise will consider five or six candidates to become the replacement for Dell Demps, who was fired in February. Based on what he has heard, Mackel believes that Ferry will be on that list, along with former Cavaliers GM David Griffin, Nets assistant GM Trajan Langdon and Rockets VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas.
As the NBA marks its 13th annual Latin celebration, Rosas talks with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated about the need to get more Latin Americans involved in management.
Spanish guard Sergio Llull, whose rights have been held by the Rockets since 2009, hasn’t ruled out coming to the NBA someday, his agent, Ernest Berenguer, says in an interview with NBA Spain (translated by Sportando). Llull will be 34 when his contract with Real Madrid expires in 2021.

Rockets’ Gerald Green Out 7-10 Days

March 26th, 2019 at 10:51am CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets forward Gerald Green will miss 7-10 days with an adductor strain, tweets Tim MacMahon of ESPN. He suffered the injury during warmups before Sunday’s game.

Green is a valuable bench player for Houston, which is fighting to hold onto third place in the West. He is averaging 9.4 PPG and shooting 35.2% from 3-point range in 69 games.

The 33-year-old was out of the league before signing with the Rockets midway through last season. He will be a free agent again this year after agreeing to a one-year, veteran’s minimum contract last July.

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