2019 November | Hoops Rumors

Charges Dropped Against DeMarcus Cousins

November 22nd, 2019 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers center DeMarcus Cousins had charges of third-degree harassing communications against him dropped and a misdemeanor case dismissed, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.

The case involved a misdemeanor domestic violence charge involving an alleged threat made by Cousins against an ex-girlfriend in Alabama over the summer. An arrest warrant was issued by the Mobile police department at that time.

The allegations were made by Christy West, the mother of their seven-year-old child. Cousins allegedly threatened to shoot her during an argument in which West refused to allow the son to attend Cousins’ wedding.

Cousins isn’t completely out of the woods in terms of potential NBA punishment over the incident. The league could still fine or suspend him as part of the league’s domestic violence policy.

A league spokesman said “We are reviewing the outcome of today’s proceedings,” Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times tweets.

Counsins is expected to miss this season after suffering a torn ACL in August. The Lakers were granted a disabled player exception, though head coach Frank Vogel said late last month that they haven’t ruled out the possibility that Cousins – who is on a one-year contract – could suit up for the club during the postseason.

Players Association Appeals Waiters’ Suspension

November 22nd, 2019 at 4:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA Players Association has filed an appeal of Dion Waiters‘ 10-game team suspension, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel tweets.

Waiters is trying recoup $834K in lost wages but the appeal won’t allow him to suit up any sooner. The appeal includes 30-day notice and the disputed amount will be held in escrow, Winderman continues. Waiters’ initial one-game suspension and the wages lost has also been appealed, Winderman adds.

The 10-game suspension imposed by the Heat for conduct detrimental to the team was announced on November 10th after a bizarre incident on the team plane.

Waiters experienced a medical episode on a team flight after consuming a “gummy,” an edible form of marijuana.

“We are very disappointed in Dion’s actions this season that include the very scary situation on Thursday night, and grateful that the outcome wasn’t worse,” the Heat said in a statement at that time. “There have been a number of instances this season in which Dion has engaged in conduct detrimental to the team.

“… We expect all of our players, including Dion, to conduct themselves in accordance with the highest standards, and to show professionalism and respect for their teammates, the team, the fans and the NBA community.”

Waiters will be eligible to return on December 1 in Brooklyn. However, the shooting guard had already lost his rotation spot prior to the suspension.

The first suspension, also for conduct detrimental to the team, banned him for the first game of the season. He has yet to play a single regular-season minute. Waiters also irritated the front office when he took to social media following his first suspension and took shots at head coach Erik Spoeltra.

Waiters is making $12.1MM this season and has another year and $12.65MM remaining on his contract.

Western Notes: Burks, Williams, Doncic

November 22nd, 2019 at 4:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

When Alec Burks signed with the Warriors, not many people expected him to play 27.0 minutes per game. Even fewer expected him to be one of the most reliable scorers on the team. However, injuries have opened the door for him to take on a greater role.

“I definitely knew he could score,” Draymond Green said (via Logan Murdock of NBCSports.com). “When he’s been on any team, he comes off the bench and he gets it going. Going downhill, getting to the basket and I think he’s definitely improved his jump shot”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Pelicans have endured a bevy of injuries this season and Kenrich Williams has stepped up when they needed him the most, as Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com relays. “He makes winning plays, and that’s why we have to have him on the court,” said coach Alvin Gentry. “So we inserted him back into the lineup. I never even look at his stat line, because he just helps you win basketball games.”
Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com details the ever-evolving relationship between Rick Carlisle and Luka Doncic. Some within the league were skeptical that the pairing would work long-term given Carlisle’s propensity to be harsh on point guards, but the Mavericks are confident that the right coach is in place. “When we had people here who didn’t think they needed to learn anything, that’s when we’d run into conflicts,” Owner Mark Cuban said. “Luka is a sponge, on the court and off.”
Carlisle believes in Doncic, which wasn’t the case for Dennis Smith Jr. and Rajon Rondo were they were on the Mavericks, MacMahon passes along in the same piece. The ESPN scribe hears that Carlisle expressed concern about Rondo’s fit before the Mavs traded for him.

Knicks Pitched David Fizdale On Their Ability To Sign Top Free Agents

November 22nd, 2019 at 3:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks had grand plans of attracting max free agents and taking the fast path to the top of the Eastern Conference. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN (h/t Dan Feldman of NBC Sports), the franchise pitched coach David Fizdale on that blueprint when it hired him as its coach last year.

Fizdale had other offers on the table but was sold on New York’s ability to land top-tier talent. That hasn’t happened. Several stars have overlooked the Knicks since the team brought Fizdale on board.

It’s not certain whether Fizdale makes it through the season, as there have been conflicting reports on his job security this year. He’s been an asset in developing the team’s roster, which is the current objective of the franchise, and he said he routinely receives assurances from owner James Dolan. Perhaps Fizdale makes it to the 2020/21 season (his contract is guaranteed through it) and he gets to see the Knicks attempt to lure free agents once again this offseason.

Wizards Notes: Wagner, Beal, Offense

November 22nd, 2019 at 1:47pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Wizards are second in the league in offensive rating and much of their success is a result of the Moritz Wagner–Davis Bertans pairing, as I wrote for NBAMath.com.

“It’s fun, fun as hell, excuse my language,” Wagner told Hoops Rumors and other media in attendance of playing within the second unit. “When the ball moves like that … it’s when in doubt, pass it to Davis. It’s ridiculous. It’s obviously a lot of fun, and when you play the game with that type of joy, good things happen to you. You’re locked in defensively, and you’re able to make runs.”

While the bench mob is pacing the league (only the Clippers are scoring more off the bench than the Wizards), it may not be here for long. Scott Brooks has left Bertans and Wagner on the floor to close out games recently, so a move to the starting lineup is possible for one player or both. Additionally, it was recently reported that Bertans may fetch a first-round pick in a trade. Enjoy the high-scoring bench-unit in the nation’s capital while you can.

Here’s more from Washington:

A source tells Hoops Rumors that the Wizards contemplated moving up from the No. 44 pick to select Wagner in the 2018 draft. Los Angeles nabbed the big man with the No. 25 pick, though Washington remained admirers from afar and the team was thrilled to acquire him as part of the Anthony Davis deal.
Travis Thomas and Quinton Mayo of NBC Sports wonder whether Bradley Beal will finally make an All-NBA team this season (video link). Beal was in the conversation for the honor last season, though missed out on being named to the list.
Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington examines past teams that have had as high of a rating on offense (114.6) and defense (116.0) as the Wizards this season and finds that many of the squads have had success. 38 teams in NBA history have finished a season with ratings on both sides of the court above 110, and 24 of them made the postseason.

Raptors Notes: Lowry, Ibaka, Ujiri

November 22nd, 2019 at 12:03pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kyle Lowry is targeting December 1 for his return to the lineup, Michael Grange of Rogers Sportsnet relays (Twitter link). Lowry hasn’t played for the Raptors since early November because of a thumb injury.

Here’s more from Toronto:

There was hope that Serge Ibaka would make his return on Saturday, Grange notes, but the big man will not return from his right ankle injury this weekend. Patrick McCaw, who is recovering from a knee injury, is ahead of schedule but there is still no definite timetable for his return.
Trevor Cole of Toronto Life delivers an in-depth profile of Raptors GM Masai Ujiri, detailing the executive’s routines and his path to the top of the organization in Toronto. Ujiri began his career in international scouting.
In the same piece, Raptors guard Fred VanVleet provided some insight into what makes Ujiri great. “He values the little things about a person more than just their basketball talent,” said VanVleet.

Update On Zion Williamson

November 22nd, 2019 at 10:34am CST by ChrisCrouse

Zion Williamson has yet to make his highly anticipated debut with the Pelicans due to a knee injury, but apparently things have been going well for the rookie as he makes his way back to the court.

According to TNT’s Reggie Miller (h/t The Render), Williamson is on schedule with his rehab and “definitely” will be back by mid-December.

The No. 1 overall pick underwent surgery back in late October and was expected to miss six-to-eight weeks. Eight weeks would have him make his debut by December 17 vs. the Nets and Miller’s reporting co-signs that timeline.

Hornets To Pursue Andre Drummond

November 22nd, 2019 at 9:07am CST by ChrisCrouse

Andre Drummond is expected to be one of the best available players in a weak 2020 free agent class and the Pistons will have competition for his services. Sean Deveney of Heavy.com hears that the Hornets will pursue the big man this offseason.

Charlotte has had interest in Drummond for over a year and the franchise is expected to have significant cap space this summer for the first time in years. Bismack Biyombo ($17MM), Marvin Williams ($15MM), and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist ($13MM) will all see their deals expire, setting the Hornets up for a chance to add new talent in free agency.

“He’ll be a priority there,” one league executive told Deveney. “It’s just a matter of whether they make him a priority now and give up something to get him or try to make the move later. It’s a very cautious group, Mitch Kupchak and those guys. But they might want to get this guy into the fold sooner rather than later, there’s just a lot of incentive there on both sides.”

The Hornets have interest in securing Drummond via trade before this year’s deadline, though the Pistons have shown no indication that they are willing to move the center. However, Detroit has had talks with other teams about the big man in previous years and a rough start to the season has to make the franchise take a hard look in the mirror.

An offer for Drummond likely would not include one of their young, promising players (Devonte’ Graham, Miles Bridges, Malik Monk, or PJ Washington), though Deveney writes that if Charlotte includes one of the group, it’s likely to be Monk. The Hornets can keep all of those players if it waits until free agent to pursue the big man, though there are advantages to acquiring Drummond sooner, such as acquiring the center’s Bird Rights and having him on the roster to help the Hornets (6-9 as of this writing) make a playoff push in the Eastern Conference.

Marcus Morris Showcasing Leadership Qualities With Knicks

November 21st, 2019 at 11:04pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Marcus Morris joined the Knicks this offseason after opting to leave the Spurs at the altar. Morris chose New York despite the fact that the team had signed several forwards during the summer. The roster jam, as well as the young nature of the team, had many questioning the 30-year-old’s fit. It turns out Morris’ fit is as a leader.

“I can’t rave about his leadership enough,” Fizdale said (via Greg Joyce of The New York Post). “I think he’s an excellent leader. I’ve been around some great basketball leaders and he is an excellent leader. One of the best I’ve been around. All these guys respect him. His way of going about it is very selfless. He always owns his own stuff first before he tells someone else what to do.”

Morris signed a one-year, $15MM contract with the Knicks and he’s arguably been the most consistent player on the team so far this season. In 15 games with the club, he’s averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.1 steals while shooting 46.4% from behind the arc.

Brandon Rush Signs With Greek Team

November 21st, 2019 at 9:45pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Former NBA wing Brandon Rush has signed with Larissa BC in Greece, the team announced (h/t Sportando).

Rush spent nine seasons in the league after being drafted with the No. 13 overall pick and he won a championship with the Warriors during the 2014/15 campaign. His last NBA contract came during the 2017/18 season where he inked a 10-day deal with the Blazers. He never appeared in a game for Portland and the team allowed his contract to expire and didn’t bring him back afterward.

In addition to Portland and Golden State (two stints), Rush spent time with Indiana, Utah, and Minnesota. In 481 NBA games, the wing scored 6.8 points per contest while shooting 42.6% from the field.

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