2021 February | Hoops Rumors

Charania’s Latest: Nets, Roberson, Ball, Simons, Faried

February 15th, 2021 at 2:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Before they signed veteran swingman Iman Shumpert in an effort to improve their wing defense, the Nets considered longtime Thunder forward Andre Roberson, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic. According to Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link), the Nets’ interest in Roberson wasn’t just cursory — the team actually worked him out before signing Shumpert.

Roberson, who is limited on offense but has a reputation as a defensive stopper, returned last August during the NBA’s summer restart after having missed over two full years due to knee issues. However, his contract expired at season’s end and he has yet to catch on with a new NBA team. Given how many of Brooklyn’s end-of-roster players have non-guaranteed salaries, it’s possible the Nets could open up a spot and circle back to Roberson later in the season, as Lewis notes.

Here’s more from Charania:

The Raptors and Nets – who were both mentioned by Charania as possible Andre Drummond suitors via trade or buyout – are viewed as two teams in the market for frontcourt help. Charania suggests the Mavericks, Lakers, and Trail Blazers are among the clubs likely to join that list.
Charania confirms that the Bulls have some interest in Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, but says the two teams haven’t engaged in any dialogue about a possible trade.
Rival teams are keeping an eye on Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons, according to Charania. There’s no indication Portland has interest in moving Simons, but other clubs may envision a larger scoring and play-making role for him than he has in Portland, where he backs up an All-NBA point guard.
Veteran big man Kenneth Faried, 31, is working out in Los Angeles and hopes to make an NBA comeback, per Charania.

Blake Griffin Will Sit As Pistons Consider Possible Trade, Buyout

February 15th, 2021 at 1:24pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pistons will hold power forward Blake Griffin out of their lineup for the foreseeable future as they work with his representatives to resolve his situation, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

As Wojnarowski explains, the rebuilding Pistons would like to focus on developing their younger players, while Griffin would prefer to join a contending team, so both sides are interested in figuring out a resolution. Detroit will continue to look into trade scenarios involving Griffin and may eventually enter into buyout talks with agent Sam Goldfeder of Excel Sports, says Wojnarowski.

“After extensive conversation with Blake’s representatives, it has been determined that we will begin working to facilitate a resolution regarding his future with the team that maximizes the interests of both parties,” general manager Troy Weaver told ESPN. “We respect all the effort Blake has put forth in Detroit and his career and will work to achieve a positive outcome for all involved.”

For his part, Griffin thanked the Pistons for “understanding what I want to accomplish in my career” and for working with him toward a solution.

The Pistons showed last week when they sent Derrick Rose to New York that they’re willing to work with their veterans to get them to more favorable landing spots, but finding a Griffin trade worth making will be a challenge.

Although Griffin has made six All-Star teams and five All-NBA squads over the course of his impressive career, health issues have significantly limited his impact this season, as he has averaged a career-worst 12.3 PPG on 36.5% shooting in 20 games (31.3 MPG).

He also has one of the league’s most onerous contracts, including a $36.8MM cap hit in 2020/21, followed by a $38.96MM player option for ’21/22. It’s hard to imagine any scenario in which the Pistons get off that contract without including a sweetener or two.

Griffin’s negative trade value may result in the two sides ultimately pursuing a buyout. Unless the 31-year-old gives up a substantial amount of money, it’s hard to see how that would be worth Detroit’s while, but the fact that Weaver and the front office have publicly committed to finding a resolution suggests the club is open to the possibility.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tuesday’s Spurs/Pistons Game Postponed

February 15th, 2021 at 1:04pm CST by Luke Adams

Tuesday’s game in Detroit between the Spurs and Pistons will be postponed, a source tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The NBA has issued a press release confirming the news.

According to the league, a positive COVID-19 test within the Spurs and subsequent contact tracing will leave San Antonio without the mandated minimum of eight available players for tomorrow’s game.

The Spurs played in Atlanta on Friday night and in Charlotte on Sunday night, but it’s unclear if either the Hawks or Hornets will be affected by the league’s contact tracing protocols. While Quinndary Weatherspoon entered the health and safety protocols on Saturday after having played 10 minutes vs. Atlanta, we don’t know with any certainty that he was the Spur to test positive.

This is the 24th time this season – and the first in two weeks – that the NBA has had to postpone a game for reasons related to a positive coronavirus test or contact tracing. The full list can be found right here.

Hawks Have Reportedly Sought Lottery Pick For Collins

February 15th, 2021 at 11:14am CST by Luke Adams

While the Hawks aren’t actively looking to trade John Collins, they’ve reportedly shown a willingness to listen to offers. And, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Atlanta has sought “a high first-round, lottery-level” draft pick in any deal for Collins.

Collins, 23, has been one of the Hawks’ most impactful players this season, averaging 18.1 PPG and 7.8 RPG on .543/.391/.853 shooting in 26 games (31.8 MPG). The club has a +2.8 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to -7.9 when he sits, per NBA.com.

However, Collins’ looming restricted free agency complicates his value. Although he’s earning just $4.14MM this season, he’ll receive a huge raise – perhaps even all the way up to the maximum salary – when he signs his next contract, which will begin in 2021/22. Any team interested in acquiring Collins would have to be prepared to commit major money to him later this year.

It will also be a challenge for the Hawks to acquire an impact player in return for Collins, since most players of that caliber have cap hits far higher than his $4.14MM figure. The team could attach Collins to Tony Snell‘s $12.18MM expiring contract, but would still need to add more salary to land a player earning more than about $21MM.

If the main asset Atlanta receives for Collins is a draft pick, salary-matching would be far less of a concern, so Charania’s report makes some sense. But the Hawks badly want to make the postseason this year and will likely be reluctant to trade their second-leading scorer for a future pick unless they fall out of the playoff hunt.

It’s also tricky to identify many teams who would move a lottery-level pick for a player who could theoretically potentially be poached from Atlanta in free agency this summer with an aggressive, max-level offer sheet.

If the Hawks haven’t moved Collins by the offseason, they could face a difficult decision on whether to match an offer that exceeds what they’re comfortable paying him — while they’ll have the ability to match any offer sheet, they reportedly offered him only $90MM-ish over four years prior to the season. A four-year offer sheet this summer projects to be worth more than $120MM.

For what it’s worth, I’d be shocked if the Hawks hang onto Collins through 2020/21 and then let him walk for nothing. Even if he’s not in their long-term plans, it would make sense for the team to match an offer sheet and bet that he can be traded down the road for positive value.

Cavs Plan To Sit Andre Drummond As They Pursue Trade

February 15th, 2021 at 10:06am CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers are planning to keep Andre Drummond on the bench as they work on finding a trade destination for the veteran center, according to Adrian Wojnarowsi and Brian Windorst of ESPN. As ESPN’s duo explains, Jarrett Allen is considered the Cavs’ center of the future and the team believes it’s unfair to Drummond to limit his minutes as the transition to Allen takes place.

According to Wojnarowski and Windhorst, general manager Koby Altman discussed the decision with Drummond and his agent, Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports. While Schwartz wouldn’t confirm or deny ESPN’s report, he offered the following statement:

“Whichever direction this goes, Andre is 27, in his prime, and I believe strongly that he has a great deal to add to a team building toward a postseason run.”

Drummond was ruled out of Sunday’s game for “rest” purposes, but sources told Shams Charania of The Athletic that the center sat on Sunday in part due to his recent “attitude and play.” Charania adds that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has had multiple sit-down discussions with the 27-year-old, who has been frustrated by the Cavaliers’ recent slump.

According to Charania, the Raptors and Cavs are engaging in trade discussions about Drummond. However, a deal could take a while to come together as Toronto and Cleveland navigate through cap-related challenges and the possibility of incorporating other teams, so nothing is imminent.

Wojnarowski tweets that, while Cleveland is gauging the Drummond market, there are no “serious” ongoing talks taking place. Addressing the Raptors possibility specifically, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca confirms (via Twitter) that Toronto has interest, but says discussions have only been exploratory and notes that matching Drummond’s $28.75MM salary would be difficult.

Other teams, including the Nets and Mavericks, would have interest in Drummond if he’s bought out, sources tell The Athletic. It’s unclear how many clubs besides Toronto would be interested in pursuing the big man via trade.

Cleveland’s obvious preference would be to avoid a buyout, especially since the team remains in the hunt for an Eastern Conference playoff spot and wouldn’t want to essentially hand Drummond to a conference rival for nothing, Charania writes. No buyout discussions have taken place to this point, sources tell ESPN.

Meanwhile, Drummond may not be the only Cavs center who is traded prior to the March 25 deadline. Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reports that the club has received trade offers for all of its centers, though only Drummond and JaVale McGee are considered available — Allen isn’t going anywhere.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Kevin Durant Out At Least Two Games With Hamstring Strain

February 15th, 2021 at 8:01am CST by Luke Adams

Nets star Kevin Durant has been diagnosed with a mild left hamstring strain and will miss at least the next two games, the team announced (via Twitter).

Brooklyn’s next two games are in Sacramento on Monday and in Phoenix on Tuesday. If Durant’s absence doesn’t extend beyond those two contests, he’d be able to return for a Thursday showdown in Los Angeles against the Lakers on TNT.

It has been a stop-and-start year so far for Durant, who missed the entire 2019/20 season as he recovered from an Achilles tear. The Nets have played it safe with the former MVP in the early going, holding him out of half of some back-to-back sets to manage his return from that injury. Durant has also been sidelined for several games due to two separate week-long stints in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Since James Harden made his Nets debut on January 16, the team’s Big Three – Durant, Harden, and Kyrie Irving – has been active for just seven of 15 games, and Durant was forced to exit one of those games early due to COVID-19 protocols.

On the plus side for Brooklyn, DeAndre Jordan, who missed Saturday’s game vs. Golden State for personal reasons, is listed as probable to play on Monday against Sacramento.

Western Notes: Giannis, Jazz, Aldridge, Dort, Williams

February 14th, 2021 at 8:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo praised the Jazz after losing a 129-115 game to the team on Friday, calling them the “best team in the West” after the contest, according to ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

“It just looks fun. Like when I watch them play, it looks fun, it looks easy,” Antetokounmpo explained. “It looks simple. For sure, they look like us last year, and man, when you’re at that point and you’re playing with that confidence, you’re hard to beat for sure.”

Utah has won seven straight contests and 18 of its last 19 games, playing stellar basketball on both ends of the floor. The team is playing without Mike Conley (hamstring), who last saw action on February 5, though it still holds the best record in the league at 22-5.

Here are some other notes from the Western Conference:

Spurs veteran LaMarcus Aldridge is without a timetable for his return, head coach Gregg Popovich said, per Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Aldridge missed his sixth straight game on Sunday as he continues rehabbing a hip injury, with Popovich adding that he’s not particularly close to a return.
Luguentz Dort is gradually turning into the best defensive ace the Thunder have ever had, Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman opines. Dort has established himself as one of the league’s better defenders, also averaging 11.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game in his second season.
Suns coach Monty Williams is grateful for the time he spent in Philadelphia as an assistant, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. “I was grateful when they first called me to be able to go to a team that was contending for a championship,” said Williams, who was with the Sixers in 2018/19. “You just don’t get those opportunities. … So for them to not only ask me to be apart of it, but take on a huge role is something that allowed me to answer the questions whether or not I was going to be able to do it again.”

Bulls Notes: Carter Jr., LaVine, Williams, Dotson

February 14th, 2021 at 7:24pm CST by JD Shaw

Bulls center Wendell Carter Jr. is in line for an earlier-than-expected return from a quadriceps injury, practicing with the team fully on Sunday, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports writes.

Carter, 21, sustained the injury nearly one month ago and has been out for the club’s last 11 games. He also missed time with injuries during his previous two campaigns, averaging 11.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and 29.2 minutes per game during the 2019/20 season.

“Eventually, we’re going to have to throw him in there with the number of games coming and the limited amount of practice time,” coach Billy Donovan acknowledged. “(Sunday) was a good day for the fact we were able to practice and go up and down and do some 5-on-5 and he was able to participate in all of those things. And he looked fine doing it. I don’t think there was any problems at least while that was going on. We’ll see how he responds to the workload.”

Chicago will open a three-game road trip on Monday against Pacers, followed by games against the Hornets on Wednesday and Sixers on Friday.

Here are some other notes from the Windy City:

Zach LaVine‘s teammates believed he’s being overlooked as a potential All-Star this season, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. Though his defensive production needs work and the Bulls are 10-15, LaVine has averaged a career-high 28.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game this season. ‘‘I think he understands at this point in his career that individual accolades come when the team does really well,’’ Donovan said. ‘‘I think if it happens, it would be great for him to be recognized as an All-Star; it’s an incredible honor. But I don’t think it’s the driving force for him.’’
Playing on Friday against Kawhi Leonard, his favorite player, was a learning experience for forward Patrick Williams, Cowley writes in a different story. Leonard finished with a game-high 33 points, also tallying six rebounds and zero turnovers in nearly 33 minutes in the Clippers’ 125-106 win. ‘‘Me, I think I could have done better — energy, defensively, just making it tough on him,’’ Williams said. ‘‘I think he was a little bit too comfortable out there. That’s on me. So . . . just gotta watch the film and get better from it offensively and defensively. And also, as a team, there are some things, some areas there where we kind of dropped the ball.’’
Two-way player Devon Dotson had an impressive start to the G League Bubble last week, Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports writes. Dotson finished with 16 points in the first contest, along with 12 points and 10 assists in the second, making a respectable impact in both games.

Atlantic Notes: Green, Nets, Milton, Boucher, Raptors

February 14th, 2021 at 6:35pm CST by JD Shaw

Warriors forward Draymond Green said he believes the Nets are “the team to beat” in the East after losing a 134-117 game to Brooklyn on Saturday night, as relayed by Peter Botte of The New York Post.

Green tallied six points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in the contest, playing against former teammate Kevin Durant for the first time since Durant left Golden State in the summer of 2019.

“They’ll be really dangerous in the East. I think there are some other good teams in the East that pose a threat to them, but they’re the team to beat in the East, if you ask me,” Green said. “It’s my opinion. That doesn’t mean anything, but that’s my opinion, they’re definitely the team to beat in the East.”

As it stands, the Nets hold the third-best record in the East at 16-12, trailing only Milwaukee (16-10) and Philadelphia (18-9) in the conference standings.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division tonight:

Sixers guard Shake Milton will miss Monday’s game against the Jazz due to an ankle injury suffered last week, head coach Doc Rivers said, per Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). Rivers didn’t offer a specific return timetable for Milton, who has already missed the last two games.
Raptors big man Chris Boucher has been the team’s most improbable success story, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Boucher has proven to be effective on both ends of the floor this season, averaging 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game.
The Raptors are striving to maximize their practice time as the season progresses, Doug Smith of The Toronto Star writes. Naturally, Toronto is also concerned with maintaining a balance and ensuring its players don’t get injured by increasing the workload too much, as guard Fred VanVleet explained. “It’s a fine line, because we have a very inexperienced team in some regards,” VanVleet said. “We’re not the sharpest team at times this year, so it feels like we need those reps. But at the same time it’s been a grind and we need to manage the schedule, manage guys’ bodies.”

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Carter-Williams, Collins, Heat

February 14th, 2021 at 5:16pm CST by JD Shaw

The Hawks could benefit from addressing a problem related to accountability, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic writes. Atlanta has opened the season with a 11-15 record, albeit with various injuries, but Kirschner contends the team’s underwhelming start shouldn’t just be attributed to that.

“We just really have to find a way to win,” Trae Young said. “It’s hard as hell to win in this league. We’re not fine with excuses with guys being out. We still have to find a way to dig in and make some shots and get some stops and find a way to win. That’s pretty much the bottom of the line.”

Atlanta has upcoming road games against New York on Monday, along with Boston on Wednesday and Friday. The team will then return home on Sunday to host the Nuggets. The Hawks currently hold the 10th-best record in the Eastern Conference.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Michael Carter-Williams provided the Magic with a boost at point guard in Friday’s victory over Sacramento, Roy Parry of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Despite missing the previous 19 games due to injury, Carter-Williams finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes of work. “I’m always ready to go play the point. I’ve been doing it my whole life,” Carter-Williams said. “Coach has me do it in practice sometimes. I’m always staying sharp in that area for moments like this, so we can go out there and not skip a beat and still be successful.”
Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel examines whether the Heat should go all-in for Hawks star John Collins. Miami has struggled offensively and could benefit from acquiring a starting power forward this season, though Collins would certainly come with a somewhat-hefty price tag. The 23-year-old has averaged 18.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 31.8 minutes per game in 26 contests, starting over free-agent acquisition Danilo Gallinari.
Winderman examines in a separate story how the Heat’s flexibility is being limited by roster constraints. Miami has dealt with a series of injuries and COVID-19 issues this season, often leaving the team short-handed or leading to inconsistency during games.

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