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Bulls Notes: Parker, Boylen, Alkins

December 16th, 2018 at 10:54am CST by Arthur Hill

Jabari Parker is refusing to lash out at the Bulls, even though he finds himself on the trading block after being pulled from the rotation, writes K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Parker’s situation in Chicago soured quickly after he joined the team as a free agent in July. New coach Jim Boylen reportedly cites poor effort on defense and a selfish attitude on offense as the basis for his decisions, but Parker doesn’t want to get caught up in a war of words.

“I chose to come here,” Parker said. “I did everything I can to prove that I belong here. And I’m going to continue to do that. My job is to be ready to be on the court. My agent’s job is to just be my defense and be that voice for me that I’m not able to say.”

Parker is open to a deal, and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, is working with the team to resolve the situation. According to Johnson, the Bulls began seeking trade partners well before restrictions were lifted on newly signed free agents yesterday.

“It’s not easy,” Boylen said. “I’ve been direct and honest with him about what I expect and what I hope he can continue to work on.”

There’s more this morning out of Chicago:

  • The Heat, Suns, Cavaliers and Hawks are teams that might be good fits for Parker, writes Frank Urbina of HoopsHype.
  • Boylen had a strong supporter in Spurs coach Gregg Popovich even before the Bulls’ surprising win in San Antonio last night, Johnson adds in the same story. Boylen, who has been under fire since replacing Fred Hoiberg two weeks ago, spent two years as an assistant with the Spurs and was with the team when it won the 2014 NBA title. “He’s a pretty straightforward, honest individual, and he’ll do it the way he thinks is best for that group,” Popovich said. “And he’ll be fair, he’ll be demanding, and he will try to make everything clear so whatever system he wants to employ will get across. I’ve learned as much from him as he’s learned from us here.”
  • If there’s a bright side to Zach LaVine‘s injury, it gives the Bulls a chance to evaluate rookie Rawle Alkins, notes Michael Walton of NBC Sports Chicago. Alkins signed a two-way contract this summer and has spent the season in the G League at Windy City, where he is averaging 15.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. He will be called up in time for tomorrow night’s game, tweets Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.
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Miles Plumlee Underwent Procedure On Knee

December 12th, 2018 at 11:47am CST by Luke Adams
  • Hawks big man Miles Plumlee recently underwent a non-surgical procedure on his left knee and will be re-evaluated on December 18, according to a press release from the team.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/11/18

December 11th, 2018 at 9:08pm CST by Luke Adams

As we detailed earlier today in a full story, the Knicks assigned veteran wing Courtney Lee to the G League to get in some minutes and improve his conditioning. Lee struggled a little with his shot for the Westchester Knicks on Tuesday night, scoring 16 points on 7-of-21 shooting (1-of-9 on threes).

Here are the rest of today’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

Assignments:

  • The Jazz assigned Grayson Allen and Georges Niang to the Salt Lake City Stars in advance of the team’s game tonight against Austin, the team announced in a press release.
  • Rookie point guard Elie Okobo was assigned to the G League today by the Suns, as Gina Mizell of The Athletic relays (via Twitter). Okobo, who has been in and out of Phoenix’s rotation this season, started at the point for Northern Arizona tonight.
  • The Bucks assigned D.J. Wilson to the G League in advance of the Wisconsin Herd’s two-game road trip this week, according to the club (Twitter link). A first-rounder in 2017, Wilson still isn’t part of Milwaukee’s rotation, having played just two games for the Bucks this season.
  • Sixers rookie Jonah Bolden was recalled from the G League this morning, then re-assigned several hours later, per Derek Bodner of The Athletic (Twitter links). Bolden has averaged a double-double in four G League contests, posting 15.5 PPG and 12.3 RPG in Delaware.

Recalls:

  • After helping lead the Memphis Hustle to a Monday victory with 25 points and 10 boards, Ivan Rabb was recalled to the NBA today by the Grizzlies, according to the club (Twitter link).
  • The Hawks recalled Daniel Hamilton from Erie, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweets. Hamilton posted back-to-back double-doubles for the BayHawks during his latest G League stint.
  • 2018 first-round pick Troy Brown was recalled to the NBA by the Wizards, the team announced today (via Twitter). Brown has averaged 18.3 PPG on 47.5% in four NBAGL games this season.
  • The Pelicans have recalled Frank Jackson from the G League, per a team press release. New Orleans doesn’t have its own affiliate, so Jackson had been with the Texas Legends, Dallas’ NBAGL squad.
  • The Bucks recalled Christian Wood from the Wisconsin Herd today, according to RealGM’s transactions log. Wood has appeared sparingly in just six games for Milwaukee in 2018/19.
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NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/6/18

December 6th, 2018 at 9:20pm CST by JD Shaw

Here are Thursday’s assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

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Taurean Prince To Miss Time With Ankle Injury

December 4th, 2018 at 5:01pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Taurean Prince suffered an ankle injury during the Hawks‘ game against the Warriors on Monday night, according to a team press release. The testing today revealed a ligament sprain, a bone bruise and soft tissue inflammation,

Prince will be reevaluated in approximately three weeks, per the team.

The 2016 No. 12 overall pick has appeared in 21 games for the Hawks this season, starting in all but one contest. He’s averaging 15.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

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Vince Carter Happy As Part Of Rebuilding Hawks

December 3rd, 2018 at 12:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Unlike many veterans who prioritize winning a championship above all else as they approach retirement, Vince Carter has signed with rebuilding teams in each of the last two summers, joining the Hawks in 2018 after playing for Sacramento in 2017/18. Atlanta is off to a 5-18 start this season, but Carter has no regrets about joining the lottery-bound club, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press details.

“I’m with a great bunch of guys,” Carter said. “I enjoy helping young guys who want to learn, who are willing to be coached and let you coach them and ask questions. It’s a small thing, but it’s a major thing — because if you’re asking questions, that means you’re trying to learn and grow. And these guys are all great.”

Carter, who will turn 42 in January, hasn’t ruled out the possibility of trying to continue his career beyond 2018/19. If this ends up being his final season in the NBA though, he sounds content to finish out the year with the Hawks, rather than being traded to a team that could give him a chance to appear in the NBA Finals for the first time.

Following his signing with the Hawks, Carter explained that he still wanted to earn regular minutes and prove he could be a productive player, rather than sitting on the bench for a contender. So far this season, he has been solid in Atlanta, averaging 6.8 PPG in a part-time role, shooting 36.0% on three-pointers, while also providing guidance for the team’s youngsters.

“It’s easy to go sit on the bench and watch your team win and not really contribute,” Carter told Reynolds. “Yeah, with my voice, I could contribute. But I want to do both (contribute on and off the court).”

Carter will become trade-eligible on December 15, but there have been no indications yet that the Hawks intend to explore moving him.

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NBA Trade Candidate Watch: Southeast Division

November 30th, 2018 at 3:42pm CST by Luke Adams

Over the course of the 2018/19 NBA season, up until February’s trade deadline, we’re keeping an eye on potential trade candidates from around the NBA, monitoring their value and exploring the likelihood that they’ll be moved. Each of these looks at possible trade candidates focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on three players from that division.

The Southeast could be one of the NBA’s most active divisions leading up to this season’s trade deadline. It features a pair of underachieving teams (the Heat and Wizards) who could badly use a trade to shake things up, along with at least one lottery-bound club that looks like an obvious seller (the Hawks). It’s too early to tell which direction the Hornets and Magic will go, but they’re candidates to be active too.

Here’s our latest look at a few possible trade candidates from the Southeast…

Otto Porter Jr., F
Washington Wizards
$26.01MM cap hit; $27.25MM guaranteed salary in 2019/20; $28.49MM player option for 2020/21

As I wrote earlier today when I relayed news of the Kings’ renewed interest in Porter, the young forward looks like the best trade candidate of the Wizards‘ three highly-paid cornerstones. His contract isn’t as scary as John Wall‘s, which will make him easier to move. Conversely, he’s not as valuable an asset as Bradley Beal, meaning Washington won’t be as averse to giving him up.

Although Porter’s contract will make him a somewhat tricky sell, he fits the mold of the three-and-D wing that so many teams around the NBA are seeking. He’ll draw interest, especially from teams that have a little cap flexibility but don’t necessarily expect to be major players in free agency — like the Kings, whose expiring contracts and cap space make them an interesting potential trade partner for Washington.

The Pelicans are also said to have interest in Porter. If they’re willing to include a first-round pick and a mid-sized expiring contract, it might be worth it for the Wizards to take on Solomon Hill‘s contract.

Dewayne Dedmon, C
Atlanta Hawks
$7.2MM cap hit; UFA in 2019

A popular subject of trade speculation last season, Dedmon stayed put at the deadline and ultimately ended up exercising his player option to remain in Atlanta for another year. There are reasons to believe that he’s more likely to be traded this time around.

For one, potential suitors may have been put off by his uncertain contract situation last year. This time, his status is clear — he’ll be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, so teams won’t have to worry about accounting for him on next year’s books.

Additionally, the Hawks may have some regrets about how they approached last season’s trade deadline, when they kept Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova, then bought them out after the deadline passed. Both players ended up with the Sixers, serving as important rotation pieces into the second round of the playoffs. This season, Atlanta may be less inclined to let solid contributors get away for nothing.

While Dedmon doesn’t necessarily have one specific skill that could be a difference-maker for a playoff team like Belinelli’s and Ilyasova’s floor-spacing abilities were, he’s a solid big man who has some previous postseason experience under his belt, and he shouldn’t be overly expensive.

Nikola Vucevic, C
Orlando Magic
$12.75MM cap hit; UFA in 2019

It has been a fascinating season for Vucevic and the Magic so far. Despite a modest 10-12 record, Orlando currently holds the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, and Vucevic has played a huge part in the club’s early success, recording career highs in PPG (20.8), FG% (.553), 3PT% (.410), and APG (3.9), among other categories.

The 28-year-old is performing like the type of player the Magic should be trying to re-sign and build around, rather than one they should be looking to dump before he reaches free agency — especially if they remain in the playoff mix. So far, there are no indications that Orlando is interested in trading Vucevic.

Still, this is a complicated situation. The Magic drafted Mohamed Bamba earlier this year to be their center of the future, and with Aaron Gordon and Jonathan Isaac in the frontcourt mix too, it looked like Vucevic might not be in the team’s long-term plans.

Could the Magic realistically lock up Vucevic long-term without compromising the development of their younger players? If they commit to the veteran, would the Magic need to trade one of those other young bigs? Would they be willing to keep Vucevic for the full season and risk simply losing him in unrestricted free agency next summer without any compensation? The answers to those questions will determine whether or not Vucevic becomes available before this season’s trade deadline.

Previously:

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Trail Blazers Rumors: Stotts, Lillard, Collins

November 20th, 2018 at 11:52am CST by Luke Adams

After their 2017/18 season ended with a four-game sweep at the hands of the Pelicans in the first round of the postseason, the Trail Blazers came close to firing head coach Terry Stotts, sources tell ESPN’s Zach Lowe. Portland was close enough to making a move that teams like the Suns begin reaching out to intermediaries to gauge Stotts’ potential interest in their own coaching openings.

However, while ownership seriously considered a change, president of basketball operations Neil Olshey and star point guard Damian Lillard fought for Stotts, according to Lowe.

“I was asked what I thought, and I just said I love him as a coach,” Lillard said of Stotts. “We all love him.”

Lowe’s piece takes a deep dive into the Trail Blazers’ culture, as he notes that Lillard and C.J. McCollum “tolerate no squabbling, or blame games.” That attitude permeates the organization from top to bottom, according to Lowe, who points to the relationship between Olshey and Stotts as another example.

Although the two team leaders haven’t always seen eye-to-eye on everything, they’ve developed an understanding that Olshey will avoid players who don’t fit Stotts’ style and Stotts will coach the players he gets. As a result of their relationship, Lowe explains, players will never see Olshey and Stotts at odds in any serious way, as the organization emphasizes a drama-free and resentment-free culture.

Here’s more from Lowe on the Blazers:

  • The Blazers’ late owner Paul Allen, who passed away last month, addressed the team in the wake of its first-round exit, calling the four-game sweep “unacceptable,” sources tell Lowe. Based on the language and the tone, people within the organization were nervous that a major shakeup was coming during the offseason.
  • Allen was ultimately convinced to give everyone – including Stotts and the Blazers’ core – one more season, while team management and coaches vowed to make changes heading into 2018/19. Namely, as Lowe details, Portland wanted to surround Evan Turner with more shooting on the second unit, re-shuffle the rotation to get Lillard and McCollum more playing time together, and get off to a faster start this season. So far, that plan is going well.
  • The Blazers still want to find a way to supplement their Lillard/McCollum duo with a third impact player, sources around the NBA tell Lowe. Zach Collins and Jusuf Nurkic have emerged as perhaps Portland’s most valuable trade chips, but the club doesn’t want to trade Collins and “almost certainly won’t” anytime soon, Lowe reports.
  • Lowe identifies Khris Middleton and Tobias Harris as the type of player who would appeal to the Blazers, though acquiring either of those guys in a trade or as a free agent would be an extreme long shot. Forwards like Otto Porter of the Wizards and Taurean Prince of the Hawks may be more realistic trade targets, Lowe notes.
  • Lillard still believes the Blazers are capable of reaching greater heights during his tenure with the team. “Good things come to good people, even if you get swept somewhere along the way,” he tells Lowe. “This is what goes through my mind: I’m gonna be in my 11th year or something here, I’m gonna stick with it, and we’re gonna make the Finals.”
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Pelicans Rumors: Porter, Moore, Bazemore, Lin

November 19th, 2018 at 9:19am CST by Luke Adams

Few players have made a bigger impact on their teams this season than Anthony Davis, whose Pelicans have a +10.7 net rating when he’s on the court and a -13.7 rating when he sits. However, Davis could use some help, so Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer devotes his latest article to exploring a number of potential trade options for New Orleans, providing a handful of interesting tidbits along the way.

Let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

  • There are “whispers” that the Pelicans have interest in Wizards forward Otto Porter, according to O’Connor, who believes that Porter could thrive in New Orleans’ up-tempo offense and would fill a major need for the team. While there’s no indication that the two teams have engaged in trade discussions, O’Connor suggests that a package along the lines of Solomon Hill, Julius Randle, and a first-round pick might work.
  • Following up on a report suggesting that the Pelicans offered Nikola Mirotic and a first-round pick to the Timberwolves for Jimmy Butler, O’Connor writes that E’Twaun Moore was included in a version of New Orleans’ offer for Butler. Sources tell O’Connor that the Pels declined to make Jrue Holiday available in those trade talks, and also resisted offering an unprotected 2022 first-round pick.
  • O’Connor identifies Kent Bazemore, Wesley Matthews, James Johnson, Trevor Ariza, and DeMarre Carroll as some other wings and forwards who could be of interest to New Orleans, and who may end up being available. The Pelicans made a play for Bazemore in the offseason, O’Connor notes.
  • Scott Kushner of The Advocate recently argued that the Pelicans could use another playmaker, even when Elfrid Payton is healthy. O’Connor makes a similar point, observing that New Orleans had interest in Jeremy Lin before he signed with the Nets in 2016. Lin could be a trade candidate to watch, according to O’Connor, who points to Milos Teodosic (Clippers) and T.J. McConnell (Sixers) as others to keep an eye on.
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