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Southwest Notes: Rockets, Ingram, Curry, Lyles

October 28th, 2019 at 1:30pm CST by Luke Adams

While offseason reports of tension between James Harden and Chris Paul were viewed as one motivating factor for the Rockets‘ decision to acquire Russell Westbrook, general manager Daryl Morey has consistently denied that. Morey tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that Harden initially wanted to know if there was any way to acquire Westbrook without sending out CP3.

“Yeah, because I mean his mind is always (going) first to ‘How (can we be) completely stacked?’ So I had to sort of explain,” Morey said. “He gets it roughly, but obviously he leaves the details to us. Besides the high-level (talks) where he thought that Russ would be a great fit here, there’s not a ton of interaction after that point. He knows there’s a back and forth, just like we respect what he does I think he respects what we do and he sort of leaves the execution to us.”

While Morey spoke to Amick extensively about how that trade for Westbrook materialized and his first impressions of how the former MVP is fitting in with the Rockets, he declined to comment at all on the NBA/China controversy that was ignited by his tweet supporting Hong Kong protestors.

Here’s more out of the Southwest:

  • With Zion Williamson out to start the season, new Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram is prepared to carry more of the offensive burden, as he tells Mark Medina of USA Today. Ingram also views New Orleans as a better fit for him than the Lakers were. “I would say this is a better environment,” he said. “There are a lot of genuine people here that are pretty solid. No shame to the Lakers because they are a high-class organization. They do everything well and have a good fan base. But I like this spot.”
  • Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts, who had Seth Curry on his roster last season, views the sharpshooter as a “really good fit” for the Mavericks, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News.
  • Trey Lyles, who as a child extensively studied film of Tim Duncan, is thrilled to get the chance to learn from the Spurs‘ new assistant coach this season, as Mike Finger of The San Antonio Express-News details. “I was definitely nervous,” Lyles said. “Somebody that you idolized growing up, and then you’re face to face with him, able to ask him whatever you want, whenever you want? It definitely helped settle me down, just to get the first question out.”
  • Chad Smith of Basketball Insiders explores which teams might make sense as a potential trade partner for the Grizzlies in an Andre Iguodala deal.
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Special Trade Eligibility Dates For 2019/20

October 28th, 2019 at 12:06pm CST by Luke Adams

In a pair of previous articles, we took a closer look at the trade restrictions placed on two groups of players who signed free agent contracts this summer. The smaller of the two groups featured players who can’t be traded by their current teams until January 15, having re-signed with their clubs this summer on contracts that met a set of specific criteria. The other offseason signees we examined aren’t eligible to be traded until December 15.

However, there is a third group of players who signed new contracts in recent months and don’t fall into either of those categories. These players also can’t be traded yet, but they won’t necessarily become trade-eligible on December 15 or January 15 either — their trade restrictions lift on different dates.

Trade rules for recently-signed players dictate that a player becomes trade-eligible three months after he signs or on December 15, whichever comes later. So players who signed after September 15 aren’t eligible to be traded starting on December 15. For instance, someone who signed his contract on October 2 won’t have his trade restrictions lift until January 2.

Similarly, players who have two-way pacts converted to standard contracts can’t be dealt for three months after that happens. On top of that, players who sign veteran contract extensions with their current clubs can’t be dealt for six months if those new deals are for more than three years or have a salary increase higher than 5% (exceeding extend-and-trade limits).

Listed below are the recently-signed players who weren’t on our previous two lists, but still have restrictions limiting their ability to be traded. This list, which will continue to be updated as teams sign new players, is sorted by the dates that players will become trade-eligible. Players who have the ability to veto trades are marked with an asterisk (*).

December 20:

December 23:

January 6:

January 19:

January 20:

January 21:

January 30:

February 1:

February 3:

Players signed as free agents after November 6 this season won’t become trade-eligible before the 2019 trade deadline, since the deadline falls on February 6.

Additionally, players who signed veteran extensions exceeding the extend-and-trade limits any later than August 6 won’t become trade-eligible before the February 6 deadline.

Finally, any player who signs a designated veteran extension isn’t trade-eligible for a full year.

The following players fit that bill and can’t be traded during the 2019/20 season:

Gordon, Beal, and this season’s late FA signees will be trade-eligible as soon as the season ends, while Ingles (April 21) and Osman (April 25) will become trade-eligible shortly after that. Lillard isn’t eligible to be dealt until July 6.

Note: Only players on standard contracts are listed on this page. Players who sign two-way deals can’t be traded for 30 days after signing. Players who sign 10-day contracts can’t be traded.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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45-Day NBA Clock Begins Ticking For Two-Way Players

October 28th, 2019 at 11:05am CST by Luke Adams

NBA G League training camps open on Monday, which means that today is the first day the 45-day NBA clock for two-way players begins to tick.

[RELATED: Hoops Rumors Glossary: Two-Way Contracts]

Players on two-way contracts are only eligible to spend 45 days per season with their NBA team. However, the days before G League training camps begin and after the NBAGL regular season ends on March 28 don’t count toward that limit. That gives two-way players up to extra 24 days at the NBA level at the start and end of the season.

If a two-way player remains with his NBA team today and isn’t transferred to his G League team at all, he could reach his 45-day NBA limit as early as December 11.

As cap expert Albert Nahmad has noted (via Twitter), a player who spends the entire 2019/20 season on a two-way contract can earn up to a maximum of $410,706.

In order to maximize his salary, a two-way player would have to spend the next 11 days with his NBA team up until the G League regular season begins on November 8, then have his remaining 34 NBA days used during the NBAGL season. In that scenario, the player could earn the following salaries at the two levels:

  • $350,189 in the NBA (a prorated portion of $898,310 for 69 days).
  • $60,517 in the G League (a prorated portion of $79,568 for 108 days).

The full list of current two-way players around the NBA can be found right here.

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Aaron Brooks Tears Achilles, Hints At Retirement

October 28th, 2019 at 10:13am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA point guard Aaron Brooks, who had been playing for the Illawarra Hawks in Australia this season, confirmed on Instagram today that he has suffered a torn Achilles tendon. While he didn’t come right out and announce his retirement, Brooks strongly suggested he’s ready to call it a career.

“I’ve enjoyed my time being a Hawk… I’ve enjoyed all the years I’ve put towards this game,” the 34-year-old wrote. “I gave it my all and that’s all I could ever ask for… #SuperBlessed and this is just the beginning of my 2nd phase of life.”

A first-round pick in the 2007 NBA draft, Brooks appeared in a total of 645 regular season contests for the Rockets, Suns, Kings, Nuggets, Bulls, Pacers, and Timberwolves, plus another 40 postseason games. The former Oregon standout last suited up in the NBA for Minnesota during the 2017/18 season before heading to Australia’s National Basketball League this season.

Brooks’ most memorable NBA seasons came during his time in Houston early in his professional career. In 2009/10, he was named the league’s Most Improved Player after posting career highs of 19.6 PPG and 5.3 APG in 82 games (35.6 MPG) for the Rockets.

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Vogel: Lakers Haven’t Ruled Out Cousins Returning

October 28th, 2019 at 8:52am CST by Luke Adams

Having suffered a torn ACL in August, veteran center DeMarcus Cousins is considered likely to miss the entire 2019/20 season. In fact, the Lakers were granted a disabled player exception after it was determined that the big man is substantially more likely than not to be sidelined through June 15, 2020.

However, according to head coach Frank Vogel, the Lakers haven’t ruled out the possibility that Cousins – who is on a one-year contract – might be able to suit up for the club during a hypothetical playoff run, as ESPN’s Dave McMenamin details.

“We’ve not closed the door on that,” Vogel said. “We’ll just — we’re going to be a wait and see. With these injuries that are long rehabs, you have to see and take it kind of month to month and see where he’s at. But we’ve not closed the door on a possible return for him.”

The fact that the Lakers received a disabled player exception as a result of Cousins’ injury won’t impact his ability to return this season. Whether or not the club uses the DPE by the March 10 deadline, Cousins would still be eligible to return later in the season. The Lakers would lose the DPE if Cousins returns prior to March 10 and it has yet to be used, but that scenario is extremely unlikely.

In fact, it’s hard to imagine Cousins returning at all this season, even if the Lakers win a postseason series or two. As Warriors coach Steve Kerr recently pointed out when he was discussing Klay Thompson‘s ACL tear, those injuries typically call for at least an 11-month recovery timeline. Having endured several major leg injuries in recent years, Cousins might be wise to play it safe with his latest health issue and simply aim to be ready for the 2020/21 season.

In the wake of Cousins’ injury, the Lakers signed Dwight Howard to replace him in the frontcourt, and based on how Howard has looked to start the year, the team may have another reason to play it safe with Cousins. As Bill Oram of The Athletic writes, Howard is coming off a 16-point, 10-rebound, four-block performance against the Hornets, with his return to Los Angeles emerging early as one of the NBA’s most enjoyable fall storylines.

The Lakers will continue to monitor Cousins over the course of the season. If there’s pessimism in January or February about his ability to realistically contribute in the spring, he could be used as a salary-matching piece in a trade or released to open up a roster spot for a player on the buyout market.

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Pacific Notes: Clippers, Baynes, Rondo, Oubre

October 27th, 2019 at 9:58pm CST by JD Shaw

The Clippers have a ton of potential on the defensive end this season, something that could propel the team deep into the campaign, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times writes.

As written by Greif, the Clippers quickly became a “scary” team over the NBA’s first week, defeating the Lakers 112-102 and Warriors 141-122 without the likes of Paul George. The team has tremendous talent on both sides of the ball outside of George, including Kawhi Leonard, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell, Patrick Beverley and others.

“We’re scary defensively,” Beverley said. “Very, very, very scary. … We just grind people down, grind people down. We come in waves.”

Los Angeles wound up losing in Phoenix on Saturday, but the team has yet to reach its full potential. With several newcomers getting acclimated and their second-best player still on the shelves, the Clippers are favored by many to eventually become the best team in the Western Conference.

One scenario that’s largely stayed off the radar for fans, however, is the possibility of adding Andre Iguodala from Memphis. League observers have privately wondered whether the Clippers could eventually swoop in to acquire Iguodala by trade or signing (should he get bought out), which would undeniably make them even more elite defensively.

There’s more from the Pacific Division tonight:

  • New Suns center Aron Baynes impressed in his first start with the team, filling in for the suspended Deandre Ayton against the Clippers on Saturday, Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic writes. Baynes finished with 14 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 22 minutes of action, helping Phoenix win an important game at home.
  • Lakers guard Rajon Rondo underwent a precautionary MRI that revealed a mild strain of his right calf, according to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com (Twitter link). He’ll miss the team’s game against Charlotte on Sunday and be listed as day-to-day.
  • Suns forward Kelly Oubre Jr. was fined $10K by the NBA this weekend for directing inappropriate language toward a game official, the league announced in a press release. The incident occurred after the Suns lost 108-107 to Denver in overtime Friday.
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Zach Collins Suffers Dislocated Shoulder

October 27th, 2019 at 9:09pm CST by JD Shaw

Trail Blazers big man Zach Collins suffered a dislocated left shoulder against the Mavericks on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link).

Collins will undergo an MRI on the injured shoulder on Monday, Wojnarowski notes.

The former lottery pick exited the game in the fourth quarter due to the injury, finishing with 10 points and three rebounds in 24 minutes. He stated after the game that his shoulder “popped back in cleanly,” something that could be a good sign for Blazers fans, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

Collins, 21, is in his third season with Portland. He appeared in 77 games with the team last year, averaging 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 17.6 minutes per contest. He’s started in each of his three games this season.

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Atlantic Notes: Nets, Crawford, Fizdale, Fall

October 27th, 2019 at 8:03pm CST by JD Shaw

As the Nets embark in their first season with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant under contract, the players aren’t the only ones working to establish a new chemistry, as detailed by Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Kenny Atkinson, Brooklyn’s head coach for the past three years, is known to have strong people skills and a willingness to get to know his players both on the court and off. For Atkinson, this season will be no different.

“I’m trying to personally establish relationships with the new guys, and quite honestly figuring them out off the court and on the court,” Atkinson said, according to Lewis. “We need time to build that relationship.

“You say, ‘Well, haven’t you been watching DeAndre Jordan or Kyrie for a long time?’ It’s just different when they’re in your house and your system and you’re just trying to really figure it out. We’re still in the figuring-out stage. I know we’ve got to move quick. I know this thing goes quick, so we’re trying.”

Despite likely having to play without Durant this season, the Nets have a strong roster led by the likes of Irving, Jordan, Jarrett Allen, Spencer Dinwiddie and others as they look to compete for a spot in the playoffs next spring.

Here are some other notes out of the Atlantic Division tonight:

  • Signing Jamal Crawford could make a lot of sense for the Sixers, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer contends. Crawford, who remains a free agent one week into the NBA season, averaged 7.9 points off the bench for the Suns last year. He’s currently represented by agent Aaron Goodwin of Goodwin Sports Management.
  • Knicks coach David Fizdale deserves part of the blame for the team’s horrendous start to the 2019/20 season, Tommy Beer of Forbes writes. New York has kicked off the season at 0-3, dropping games to San Antonio, Brooklyn and Boston.
  • Celtics center Tacko Fall made his long-awaited NBA debut on Saturday, checking in to cheers from an electric Madison Square Garden crowd against the Knicks, Marc Berman and George Willis write for the New York Post. Fall, a 7-foot-5 center on a two-way deal with Boston, tallied four points and three rebounds in just over three minutes of action.
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Northwest Notes: Towns, Blazers, Bazemore, Thunder

October 27th, 2019 at 6:35pm CST by JD Shaw

For Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves, any barriers that have kept him from leading the team are now removed this year, Chris Hine of the Star Tribune writes.

Towns, a perennial All-Star who’s averaged 36.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in his first two games of the season, is set to lead Minnesota as the club seeks its second postseason berth in the last 16 years.

“I’m in a spot right now where I got to lead these guys,” Towns said. “I’ve got to lead them. And no matter what I go through in life or whatever I went through, I got to make sure I take those experiences, teach the guys, especially young guys, how to go from boys to men, no pun intended.”

Behind Towns’ strong play, the Timberwolves could wind up contending for a spot in the postseason. Their major concern, however, is the glut of other West teams that are also expected to make concerted efforts for a late seed: Dallas, Phoenix, Sacramento and San Antonio.

There’s more from the Northwest Division tonight:

  • Since the Trail Blazers don’t have a G League affiliate of their own, their two-way players – Moses Brown and Jaylen Hoard – will join the Texas Legends, G League affiliate of the Mavericks, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
  • Trail Blazers forward Kent Bazemore is here to disrupt, Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com writes. Bazemore, an accomplished defender who’s spent eight seasons in the NBA, was acquired by the team this past summer in a deal with Atlanta. “It’s good to kind of see the ball go in, but that’ll come,” he said. “Just find your rhythm as you kind of get used to things, get the jitters out. My defense is going to be the constant thing for me regardless of if the shot’s falling for me or not. I just want to find other ways to impact the game. We’ve got two of the best scorers at their position in the league and Hassan down low, Ant Simons did a great job for us off the bench. My job is to go out there and disrupt.”
  • The Thunder’s rivalry with the Warriors has dissolved without the likes of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, contends Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman. Nevertheless, Oklahoma City delivered a crushing defeat to Golden State on Sunday, winning 120-92 at home.
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Gerald Green To Undergo Foot Surgery

October 27th, 2019 at 5:01pm CST by JD Shaw

As initially feared, Rockets swingman Gerald Green is set to undergo surgery on his broken left foot this week, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.

Green met with several specialists to evaluate his options before opting for the surgery, which is scheduled for Monday, Feigen writes. He suffered the injury during the Rockets’ second preseason game in Tokyo earlier this month.

The surgery could hold different implications on Green’s timetable for a return. There’s a strong possibility he’ll miss the rest of the season, though a specific timetable won’t be determined until the surgery concludes.

Green, a 12-year NBA veteran, has made prior stops with Boston, Minnesota, Houston, Dallas, New Jersey, Indiana, Phoenix and Miami during his professional career. He was a key cog off the Rockets’ bench last season, holding per-game averages of 9.2 points and 2.5 rebounds in 73 contests.

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