Mobile Menu
HEADLINES

Month: November 2024

Nets Targeting Big Men In Draft?

May 31st, 2019 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

There’s no guarantee that the Nets will use all three of their picks (Nos. 17, 27, and 31) in the 2019 NBA draft, as those selections could become trade assets next month. But assuming they keep at least one or two, they’ll be using those picks to target a certain type of player, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv.

According to Begley, Brooklyn is hoping to draft a big man that can either complement or back up starting center Jarrett Allen.

As Begley observes, there’s not necessarily a consensus among draft evaluators this season about which players will come off the board in the middle or back end of the first round, so it’s hard to say which bigs will be available to the Nets. However, Begley identifies Bol Bol (Oregon), Goga Bitadze (Republic of Georgia), Mfiondu Kabengele (Florida State), Naz Reid (LSU), and Nicolas Claxton (Georgia) as possible options.

Allen had a promising sophomore season for Brooklyn in 2018/19, averaging 10.9 PPG, 8.4 RPG, and 1.5 BPG with a .590 FG%. Despite Allen’s strides, the Nets’ front line, with Allen and Ed Davis handling most of the center minutes, was undersized on many nights, Begley notes. That was on display during the team’s first-round loss to Joel Embiid and the Sixers.

With Davis facing unrestricted free agency and a desire to add more size to their frontcourt, the Nets will see if they can address that hole at all in the draft.

Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0

Suns, Julius Randle May Have Mutual Interest

May 31st, 2019 at 11:01am CST by Luke Adams

While Julius Randle technically remains under contract with the Pelicans for the 2019/20 season, he has the ability to opt out and hit the open market this summer, and will likely do so. With Randle expected to become a free agent, John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link) hears that the big man has interest in the Suns.

Randle would be a curious fit with the Suns, who have Deandre Ayton in place as their long-term center. A Randle/Ayton pairing may not be ideal, given each player’s desire to score near the basket on offense and limited rim-protecting ability on defense. However, Randle could be a very productive scorer off the bench for Phoenix if he’s interested in that role.

In 73 games (49 starts) for the Pelicans this past season, Randle set a new career high with 21.4 PPG, chipping in 8.7 RPG, and 3.1 APG.

Based on those numbers, Randle figures to be seeking a raise, but Phoenix won’t have a ton of cap flexibility, particularly if the team wants to retain restricted free agent Kelly Oubre. Barring cost-cutting moves, the Suns figure to function as an over-the-cap club, so they’d be limited to offering Randle the mid-level exception, which projects to be worth only slightly more ($9.25MM) than his 2019/20 player option ($9.07MM). The Suns may prefer to use most or all of that exception on a point guard.

Still, this could be a situation worth watching. In addition to reporting Randle’s apparent interest in Phoenix, Gambadoro adds that he fully expects the Suns to consider Randle in free agency.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Knicks Not Locked In On R.J. Barrett At No. 3

May 31st, 2019 at 9:52am CST by Luke Adams

Most experts view Zion Williamson and Ja Morant as the top two prospects in the 2019 NBA draft, with R.J. Barrett right behind them, making Barrett a logical target for the Knicks at No. 3. However, while New York likes Barrett, the club isn’t locked in on selecting him yet, and is doing its due diligence on several options for that No. 3 overall pick, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com (Insider link).

The Knicks have explored the possibility of trading back in the lottery to pick up an extra asset or two, according to Givony, who points to the Hawks‘ Nos. 8 and 10 picks as a potential match for New York. While one source tells Givony that a trade with Atlanta is one scenario the Knicks are mulling, Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears that such a deal isn’t under “serious consideration” by either club at this point.

Both Givony and Begley point out that the Knicks are fans of other prospects who should be available at No. 3 and could slip further down the top 10. Givony identifies Cam Reddish, Jarrett Culver, Coby White, and Nassir Little as players who are getting a close look from New York, while Begley singles out Reddish and Culver as well. Culver is scheduled to work out for the Knicks on June 5 and Reddish will also have a pre-draft visit with the team.

Still, assuming the Knicks stay in the No. 3 spot, Barrett looks like the odds-on favorite to be their man. He has significant support within the organization and will work out for New York before the draft, says Begley. That workout will take place on June 10, per Givony, who adds that Barrett “would be excited” about becoming a Knick.

Of course, before the Knicks get a shot at Barrett, he’ll have to make it past the Grizzlies at No. 2. Givony, who reported shortly after the lottery that Memphis had zeroed in on Morant, suggests that the team has been sending out mixed messages as of late.

The Grizzlies’ ownership group is still telling people around the league that Morant is their guy, but the front office wants to bring in Barrett for a private workout, according to Givony. Sources tell ESPN that Barrett has declined that request for now, though he’ll have time to reconsider it before the draft.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Three Potential Landing Spots For J.R. Smith (And His Valuable Contract)

May 30th, 2019 at 11:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

One year removed from starting Game 1 of the NBA Finals, J.R. Smith sits on the sidelines, a place he has been since November of 2018. The Cavaliers explored trading him during the season, though they were unable to come to an agreement with another club before the trade deadline. A buyout seemed possible, but Smith’s contract, which was signed in 2016, remained a carrot that the team simply could not throw to the streets.

Smith’s 2019/20 salary of $15.68MM is only guaranteed for $3.87MM, Another team that lacks cap flexibility could potentially use his contract to quickly carve out upwards of $18MM in extra cap space, as our own Luke Adams detailed earlier in the season. To maximize those savings, a team would have to use the stretch provision on Smith, a move that would bring his cap hit to approximately $1.29MM.

The latest Collective Bargaining Agreement changed the calculus for salary matching in trades involving non-guarantees. The new rules took away the ability to swap guaranteed salary for non-guaranteed contracts as a means of creating salary cap space.

Had Smith signed under the new agreement, his contract would only count for $3.87MM (the guaranteed portion) for salary-matching purposes instead of his full salary ($14.72 for the 2018/19 season). While other players are currently under high salary deals with low or no guarantees, Smith’s is the only deal remaining from the former Collective Bargaining Agreement that fits that bill.

The Cavaliers have a trade chip that no other team possesses, though the clock is ticking on the asset; Smith’s entire salary for next season will be fully guaranteed if he’s on the roster come July 1. Let’s examine some teams that make sense as suitors.

Trail Blazers

The Blazers are projected to be a taxpaying team, with roughly $126MM in guaranteed salary on the books. The luxury tax threshold is expected to come in at $132MM and the team will have trouble bringing back Enes Kanter and Rodney Hood—two key members of their playoff run—without skyrocketing over the tax line.

Acquiring Smith would allow Portland to reshuffle its financial portfolio. Evan Turner ($18.6MM next season) is the team’s third-high paid player. Maurice Harkless ($11.5MM), and Meyers Leonard ($11.3MM) are fifth and sixth, respectively. If the Blazers feel Kanter or Hood are higher priorities than any of the three, they can swap one of those deals for Smith’s and give themselves a chance to compete for their guys on the free agent market without the internal dilemma of luxury tax concerns.

Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are expected to be active this offseason, searching the free agent market for additions to the Kristaps Porzingis–Luka Doncic core. They’ve been connected to Tobias Harris, Khris Middleton, and Kemba Walker.

Dallas would probably love to get out from Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s contract (approximately $20MM next season), but the fact that his contract still has multiple years left on it, running through the 2020/21 campaign, makes him a hard sell.

Shedding Courtney Lee ($12.7MM) may be easier and would give Dallas more flexibility this offseason. Dallas could attempt to entice Cleveland with a prospect like Justin Jackson or offer up the No. 37 overall pick in this year’s draft in order to acquire Smith. It’s not clear if anything short of a first-round pick will be enough to pry Smith away from the Cavs.

Brooklyn Nets

Whispers that the Nets are contenders to sign two max free agents can’t get too loud until the team clears out enough cap space to accommodate two stars. As our Salary Cap Digest indicates, Brooklyn doesn’t even have the ability to sign one max free agent without renouncing D’Angelo Russell or making additional transactions.

Moving Allen Crabbe, who has one year and $18.5MM left on his deal, would aid their quest for a star summer. The team has three selections among the first 31 picks in the upcoming draft (No. 17, 27, 31) and attaching one of those picks to Crabbe in exchange for Smith would create a clear path to additional cap space.

Retweet 5 Share 0 Send via email0

Adam Silver Talks Expansion, Politics, Fan Behavior

May 30th, 2019 at 9:17pm CST by ChrisCrouse

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver gave his annual state-of-the-league address at Scotiabank Arena ahead of Game 1 He spoke about expansion among a bevy of topics, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press relays.

“We are just not in expansion mode at the time,” Silver said. “We’re flattered that other Canadian cities have expressed interest, as some other U.S. cities have, but again, nothing new. I’ve said this before: We, meaning the NBA collectively, all our team owners are very focused on creating the best possible competition among the 30 teams.”

Should expansion occur, Las Vegas and Seattle are likely contenders for teams.

“I’m sure inevitably, at some point, we’ll turn back to expansion,” Silver said. “But that’s not on the agenda at this time.”

Silver touched on the ongoing trade and tariff clash between the United States and China, declaring that he’s “not concerned at this time.”

“Of course, we’re not immune from global politics,” Silver said. “It’s something that we’re paying a lot of attention to. I look, though, to sports — and this is something Yao and I have discussed — where we can use basketball maybe in the way ping-pong was used in the days of Richard Nixon. There could be something called ‘basketball diplomacy.’”

Silver spoke on the Clippers’ situation with the Staples Center and their desire to move to a new arena. The team currently shares its home with the Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL.

“I think from a league standpoint, if you had both teams in the playoffs, plus a successful hockey team there, it becomes very difficult for us for scheduling purposes,” Silver said. “So in terms of the overall marketplace and the concert marketplace, I can’t speak to that. But maybe purely out of self-interest for the NBA, it would be helpful to have another arena in town.”

Fan behavior was another topic during the commissioner’s speech. Russell Westbrook was heckled and allegedly received racist taunts by a fan in Utah. Silver said the league did not need to step in because of how the franchise handled the situation.

“We have such tremendous confidence in the Miller family, and Gail Miller as the principal owner, I thought by her taking the court prior to the following game, speaking directly to the people in that community and saying, ‘This does not represent our community,’ I think that was much more powerful than me issuing a statement from all the way across country in the New York,” Silver said. “I think they handled it very well.”

Silver also weighed in on the antics of entertainer Drake, who has sat courtside during many Raptors games this postseason. During the Eastern Conference Finals, Drake wandered from his seat and gave coach Nick Nurse a shoulder rub.

“We certainly appreciate his super-fan status, and I know he’s beloved in the community of Toronto,” Silver said. “I think certainly we don’t want fans, friend or foe, contacting an NBA coach during a game.”

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Draft Notes: Vick, Caroline, Kings

May 30th, 2019 at 6:57pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The NBA Draft is less than one month away. As we await the big night, let’s take a look at some workout notes:

Retweet 2 Share 0 Send via email0

Knicks Notes: Reddish, Draft, Beal

May 30th, 2019 at 5:23pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks have an in-person visit scheduled with Cam Reddish, Ian Begley of the SNY.tv reports. It was previously reported that some of the team’s evaluators are fond of the Duke product.

The franchise holds the No. 3 overall pick and many expect Reddish’s college teammate R.J. Barrett to hear his name called in that spot. Here’s more from New York:

  • Jarrett Culver (Texas Tech) will work out for the Knicks on June 5, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link). Some within the team’s front office are high on the projected top-10 pick.
  • Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic explores a scenario where the Knicks deal the No. 3 overall pick to the Wizards in a deal for Bradley Beal. Acquiring Beal before free agency begins would make the Knicks a more attractive destination for available free agents like Kevin Durant. The scribe proposes a package that includes the No.3 pick, one of the Mavericks’ selections, Frank Ntilikina, and Damyean Dotson.
  • In the same piece, Vorkunov examines whether the Knicks should trade back in the draft, mentioning the Hawks as a logical partner. Atlanta has the No. 8 and No. 10 overall picks in the upcoming draft.
Retweet 4 Share 0 Send via email0

Northwest Notes: J. Howard, Jazz, Nuggets, Noel

May 30th, 2019 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Before he reached a deal to become the new head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, Juwan Howard reportedly drew interest from the Timberwolves as they considered whether to retain head coach Ryan Saunders or go in a different direction.

While Minnesota ultimately opted to retain Saunders and Howard left the NBA for a college job, the Wolverines’ new head coach revealed today that the Timberwolves’ interest was real. According to Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (via Twitter), Howard said that the Wolves offered him their associate head coach position – presumably under Saunders – but he declined. “My heart is with Michigan,” he said.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the Northwest…

Retweet 1 Share 0 Send via email0

Mike D’Antoni Ends Extension Talks With Rockets

May 30th, 2019 at 3:30pm CST by Luke Adams

Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni has ended discussions with team management about a potential contract extension, league sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. According to Wojnarowski, D’Antoni is now planning to finish his current deal with Houston, which has one year left and will expire in 2020.

This development is the latest in a somewhat surprising series of events in Houston since the team was eliminated by the Warriors in the Western Conference Semifinals earlier this month. While both the Rockets and D’Antoni expressed interest in getting an extension done, the team has broken up D’Antoni’s staff, parting ways with Jeff Bdzelik, Roy Rogers, Mitch Vanya, and Irv Roland in a series of moves.

Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle wrote in a mailbag this week that there’s no major schism between the two sides. According to Feigen, the Rockets recognize the excellent job D’Antoni has done in Houston, and the veteran head coach had no intention of stepping down with or without an extension.

D’Antoni – who has said he believes he can coach three more years but would’ve been fine with tacking on one season to his current contract – seems OK with heading into the final year of his deal, Feigen tweeted today.

Still, if the Rockets and D’Antoni move forward without a new deal in place, it’s not the most ideal scenario. His ability to put together a quality staff could be compromised if potential assistants know there are no guarantees beyond a single season, Chris Mannix of SI.com observes (via Twitter).

According to Wojnarowski, there were some conversations constructed around a Rockets proposal of a performance-based extension, but those discussions never gained traction with D’Antoni’s camp.

Since taking the reins in Houston in 2016, D’Antoni has compiled a 173-73 (.703) regular season record, as well as a 23-16 (.590) mark in the postseason.

Retweet 3 Share 0 Send via email0

Rockets Notes: Gordon, Lue, MLE, Offseason

May 30th, 2019 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

A pair of reports on Wednesday indicated that the Rockets are open to the idea of shaking up their roster this summer. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that general manager Daryl Morey is aggressively scouring the market for potential upgrades and is open to trading just about any draft pick or any player not named James Harden, including Chris Paul. Marc Stein of The New York Times followed up on that story by adding that Houston has specifically gauged Clint Capela‘s trade value.

Today, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders continues to flesh out the story, tweeting that Eric Gordon is also among the players being made available by the Rockets in trade talks. According to Kyler, Houston is looking to “change up the locker room” and may be looking to add a lottery pick. Kyler has heard teams like the Celtics, Hornets, Magic, and Mavericks linked to the Rockets as potential trade partners.

Assuming the Warriors win another title, the Rockets could convince themselves for the second straight year that they were the NBA’s second-best team, and there’s no telling whether Golden State will bring back the same roster next year. That’s an argument in favor of not doing anything too drastic this offseason. Still, Morey has long been one of the NBA’s most aggressive executives when it comes to finding upgrades and avoiding complacency, so if he can find a way to extend the Rockets’ window of contention, the team has to seriously consider it.

Here’s more out of Houston:

  • In his latest mailbag, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle takes an extended look at the shakeup on the Rockets’ coaching staff, writing that the changes stemmed from the fact that Morey “decided the Rockets could do better.” Within that same article, Feigen pushes back on a report linking Tyronn Lue to Houston. According to Feigen, the Rockets had interest in Lue last October, but didn’t make him an offer then and haven’t shown any interest in him since the season ended.
  • According to Feigen, the Rockets are preparing as if they’ll have the taxpayer mid-level exception available, rather than the full mid-level exception. Unlike last season, when Houston spread its MLE around among multiple players, the club would rather try to use its 2019/20 MLE on a player who could be considered a “significant addition,” filling out the rest of the roster with minimum-salary players or trade acquisitions, Feigen writes.
  • In case it wasn’t clear from Wednesday’s reports – or from owner Tilman Fertitta‘s previous comments about doing anything possible to improve the team – Feigen cites a source with knowledge of the Rockets’ plans who suggested this week that the club is open to making major changes to upgrade its roster. “‘Run it back’ is not what (the Rockets) do,” that source said.
  • Fertitta reiterated that message this week as well, per Feigen: “Wherever we can improve coaching or players, let’s do it. But let’s not change to change. We have to know we can improve in that position whether it’s a coach, film guy or a trainer.”
Retweet 6 Share 0 Send via email0
Load More Posts