Atlanta Hawks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Al Horford Returns To Wasserman Agency

December 18th, 2015 at 10:21am CST by Chuck Myron

10:21am: Horford has rehired Wasserman, the agency he dismissed to sign Duffy earlier this year, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

9:56am: Soon-to-be free agent Al Horford has fired agent Bill Duffy of BDA Sports just months after hiring him, reports international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). Horford was one of a stream of players to leave the Wasserman Media Group following the departure of high-powered agent Arn Tellem for a job with the Pistons organization. It’s unclear whom the Hawks center will turn to for representation with his contract set to expire at the end of June.

Horford, who’ll be 30 years old next summer, has put up numbers remarkably similar to last year so far this season, averaging 15.2 points and 7.1 rebounds in 31.4 minutes per game. However, the Hawks haven’t been nearly as impressive as they were during their 60-win campaign a year ago, with Atlanta tied only for eighth place in the much-improved Eastern Conference with a record of 15-12.

The former University of Florida standout is No. 5 in our latest 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings. He’ll be eligible for a maximum salary of a projected $24.9MM next summer, when he’ll be a nine-year veteran.

Duffy remains a strong force with several other marquee clients, including reigning Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins and Klay Thompson, whose four-year extension worth more than $68.979MM kicked in this season.

D-League Notes: Martin, Mickey, Harris

December 17th, 2015 at 10:22pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Grizzlies assigned Jarell Martin, James Ennis and Russ Smith to the Iowa Energy, their D-League affiliate, and later recalled all three, the team announced. This was the first D-League assignment of the season for both Martin and Smith, and it was Ennis’ fourth. Martin is still recovering from a fractured left foot he suffered back in September, and he is likely a few weeks away from seeing any game action, Chris Herrington of The Commercial Appeal tweets.

Here’s more from the NBA’s D-League:

The Celtics have assigned Jordan Mickey to their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced. This marks Mickey’s seventh stint with the Red Claws on the season.
Joe Harris has been recalled from the Canton Charge by the Cavaliers, the team announced. Harris has appeared in nine games for the Charge this season, averaging 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 33.9 minutes per game.
The Hawks have assigned Edy Tavares to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. As part of the league’s flexible assignment program, Tavares will report to the Spurs‘ affiliate in Austin, Vivlamore adds.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Hawks Drafts, Batum

December 12th, 2015 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal‘s repeated leg problems are part of the reason the Wizards have been reluctant to commit to an extension, writes J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com. The Wizards confirmed today that Beal has “the beginnings of a stress reaction in his lower right fibula.” He will miss at least seven games as he will be kept out of action for two weeks before being re-evaluated. Michael notes that the injury is in the same vicinity as his last stress reaction in February and is part of Beal’s “long and complex” injury history since being drafted in 2012. Michael also speculates that the latest injury could hold down Beal’s value when he becomes a restricted free agent next summer, possibly allowing Washington to sign him at a lower price.

There’s more tonight from the Southeast Division:

Despite the injury, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post doesn’t believe Beal’s market value will be reduced. He writes that Beal is still likely to get a max offer from someone, especially with the coming rise in the salary cap linked to television revenue. Beal is trying to stay positive despite the latest setback. “I can’t worry about it,” he said. “If I do, it ruins me as a player. It ruins my confidence. It kind of makes an excuse for me, and I don’t want to live with myself in that category.”
The Hawks‘ recent run of success is being threatened by their draft decisions, according to Jonathan Tjarks of Real GM. Atlanta posted the best record in the East last season, but Tjarks worries that the franchise is being hurt by poor use of its draft picks. The Hawks emerged from the draft with Lucas Nogueira in 2013 and Adreian Payne in 2014, then traded this year’s pick to the Knicks for Tim Hardaway Jr. Atlanta ultimately traded Nogueira to Toronto and Payne to Minnesota, and Hardaway has spent time in the D-League this season.
The Hornets‘ Nicolas Batum has already proven himself worthy of a max contract next summer, writes Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. Batum, whom Charlotte acquired from the Blazers in a June trade, has helped the Hornets get off to a 14-9 start, third best in the Eastern Conference. Fowler says Batum has stepped into the point forward role and has accepted much of the playmaking responsibility. The columnist estimates it will take nearly $20MM per season to keep Batum in Charlotte, but contends it will be worth it.

Southwest Notes: Joseph, Terry, McDaniels, Ennis

December 9th, 2015 at 12:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Spurs “badly wanted” to keep Cory Joseph this summer and rejected attempts by the Raptors and others to trade for him in past years, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Still, they knew that they needed cap space to sign LaMarcus Aldridge, and so they pulled their qualifying offer to him a few days into his free agency, a move that didn’t take Joseph by surprise, since they told him it was a possibility, reports Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News. Joseph signed a four-year, $30MM deal with the Raptors.

“Obviously I loved, enjoyed, and had a great time in San Antonio,” Joseph said to Young. “I was there the past four years. Everything was great – coaching staff, players, fans; everybody was amazing to me. But it was time to move on, and you know, take a different direction in my career.”

Joseph has thrived in Toronto, where he’s seeing 26.3 minutes per game, and longtime former Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer, now Hawks coach and president of basketball operations, is a fan, as Wolstat details. See more from the Southwest Division:

Jason Terry‘s production has tailed off since his injury-hit season with the Nets in 2013/14, but he credits that year for helping teach him how to have continued influence in the NBA, notes Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. Terry, 38 is on a one-year, minimum-salary deal with the Rockets. “It started in Boston, but continued in Brooklyn, watching [Kevin Garnett] and how he interacted with the team and the guys,” Terry said. “Also, Jason Kidd being the head coach here, he gave me a lot of leeway, gave me a voice to kind of help while I was still playing. Being in Brooklyn definitely helped me in Houston the last two years. I have a huge influence, from breaking down film for individual guys to in-game mental management and to be the hype-man so to speak to keep guys motivated and engaged. It’s easy to be engaged when you’re playing a lot, but sometimes you’re not. You still have to know what’s going on out on the court. That’s where I come in.”
The Rockets have recalled K.J. McDaniels, the team announced (Twitter link). McDaniels has averaged 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in 38.5 minutes per game across four D-League appearances so far.
James Ennis is also back from the D-League, as the Grizzlies have recalled the swingman from their affiliate, the team announced (on Twitter). The assignment was his second since he came to Memphis in the Mario Chalmers deal. The Heat never sent him to the D-League at any point before trading him.

And-Ones: Hardaway Jr., Pistons, Williams

December 7th, 2015 at 10:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tim Hardaway Jr. took a positive approach to his two-game stint with the D-League’s Canton Charge, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. The Hawks shooting guard was back at practice on Monday after averaging 17 points with the Charge. “There is no negativity,” he told Vivlamore. “I knew what the objective was – to go down there and get some reps and help the Canton team out.” The Hawks traded their first-round pick to obtain Hardaway from the Knicks in a draft-day deal but he has appeared in only four games, averaging 2.5 points in 11.1 minutes.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Darrun Hilliard will get sent to the Pistons’ D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids a couple more times in the coming weeks, coach Stan Van Gundy told the assembled media, including Hoops Rumors, on Sunday night. The rookie shooting guard out of Villanova, Detroit’s second-round pick in June, scored 31 points for the Drive in his first D-League appearance on Saturday and was immediately recalled. “He can put the ball on the floor and make plays and we don’t have a lot of that on the perimeter with our wings,” Van Gundy said. “We like what he brings to the table. He’s doing everything he can to impress us and get his chance.”
The Pistons acquired their starting small forwards, Ersan Ilyasova and Marcus Morris, for essentially two expiring contracts and a second-round pick during the offseason. Van Gundy, who made those deals as the team’s president of basketball operations, has been thrilled with the results. “We didn’t give up a whole lot to get either one of them and they’ve both got great contracts,” he told Hoops Rumors and other members of the media last week. “That’s probably two of the best things that have happened to us since we’ve been here.”
Point guard Lou Williams told his ex-Raptors teammate DeMar DeRozan that he’s disappointed things didn’t work out for him in Toronto, Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports tweets. Williams, who signed a three-year, $21MM contract with the Lakers after the Raptors let him walk, felt like he ‘found a home’ with Toronto, Lewenberg adds.
The Raptors recalled small forward Bruno Caboclo and rookie combo guard Delon Wright from their D-League affiliate, Raptors 905, the team’s media relations department tweets. Both were on the active roster for Monday’s game against the Lakers.
The Thunder assigned Mitch McGary to their D-League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, according to the team’s website. The second-year power forward has played three games with the Blue and six with the Thunder this season.

D-League Moves: Hardaway Jr., Spurs, Ennis

December 6th, 2015 at 3:02pm CST by Will Joseph

The Hawks recalled Tim Hardaway Jr., Edy Tavares and Lamar Patterson from the D-League, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported they would. The moves were announced in an emailed press release. The Hawks do not have their own affiliate. Pursuant to the flexible assignment rule, Hardaway Jr. and Tavares played games with the Canton Charge (the Cavs‘ affiliate) Friday and Saturday and Patterson played with the Austin Spurs Saturday. It will be particularly interesting to see how Hardaway, who was acquired in an offseason deal with the Knicks, fares in a return to the Hawks. He has appeared in only four games for Atlanta, averaging 2.5 points. In two games with the Charge, as Vivlamore writes, Hardaway averaged 17 points in 32.7 minutes.

Here are some more D-League moves today:

The Rockets assigned rookie power forward Montrezl Harrell to their D-League affiliate. Harrell was the 32nd overall pick in the draft. He has appeared in 15 games with one start for the Rockets this season.
The Spurs recalled Boban Marjanovic from their D-League affiliate. The center averaged 25 points and 11 rebounds per game (two games) with the Austin Spurs. On Saturday, the Spurs recalled Ray McCallum, according to the RealGM transactions log.
The Grizzlies recalled James Ennis from their D-League affiliate, the team announced in an emailed press release. It was the second-year player’s first D-League stint.
The Pistons announced they recalled Spencer Dinwiddie and Darrun Hilliard from their D-League affiliate.

Southeast Notes: Hardaway, Whiteside, Heat Picks

December 6th, 2015 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks have no complaints about Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s performance, even though he was assigned to the D-League this week, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Journal-Constitution. Hardaway, who was acquired in an offseason deal with the Knicks, has appeared in just four games for Atlanta, averaging 2.5 points, but coach Mike Budenholzer said the third-year guard has maintained a good attitude. “He has been great,” Budenholzer said. “The way that he has attacked and worked – before practice, after practice, the weight room, his conditioning, getting stronger, all those things. I think he is understanding some of the things we are doing defensively. I’m very happy with his approach to everything.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

It took Heat center Hassan Whiteside several years to make his mark in the NBA, but he tells Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post that he never doubted it would happen someday. After two seasons out of the league, Whiteside became a force in the middle after signing with Miami last season. “No, I never wondered if it was going to work out,” he said. “I just kept praying on it, and you just kind of hope for the best. I look at things day-by-day. I just feel like, you look at things in the short-term and they don’t seem as long. Like I could have looked at it like, ‘Oh, man, I’m this far from the NBA.’ But I just kind of looked at it like if I do something day-by-day to get closer to your dream, something good’s got to happen.”
Recent visits from the Sixers and Celtics, who are stocked with draft picks over the next few seasons, are a reminder that the Heat are pursuing the opposite strategy, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. This year’s first-rounder is top 10 protected and almost certainly will go to Philadelphia. Miami also owes first-round picks in 2018 and 2021 to Phoenix in the Goran Dragic trade. In addition, four of the Heat’s next five second-rounders are being sent elsewhere.
This week’s trip to Los Angeles had Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton of the Magic recalling their 2014 pre-draft workout with the Lakers, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. “It just wasn’t fair,” Gordon said. “Basically, we were just taking turns coming off the pick-and-roll, setting picks for each other. We were dominating.”

Eastern Notes: Redick, Patterson, Monroe

December 5th, 2015 at 12:46pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Cavaliers have been hit hard by injuries to begin the season and have struggled a bit as a result, but the team would be remiss to believe that the return to health of Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert will cure all that ails them, Chris Haynes of The Northeast Ohio Media Group writes. LeBron James apparently shares Haynes’ opinion, saying, “I hope we don’t think that way. It’s never that way. When you get your guys back, you prepare just as you prepare before. There’s only one guy ever in the world that everything will be all right when he comes back and that’s Jesus Christ. Other than that, you can’t bank on nobody being OK.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Clippers shooting guard J.J. Redick was shocked when the Magic dealt him away to the Bucks in 2013, and though he is happy playing in Los Angeles he still has fond memories of his time in Orlando, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. “If you have a family, if you have a wife, it’s just a great place to play,” Redick said. “L.A. can be a little more stressful in that regard. My wife and I joke all the time, like, ‘Man, life was simple in Orlando. The rent was so low. We didn’t have to deal with traffic or state income tax.’ There’s all these other things out here. But playing in Los Angeles, playing in a big market, playing for a high-profile team — those are things that I wanted in free agency. I wanted the chance to win. So I’m happy, man.“
The Hawks have assigned Lamar Patterson to the D-League, and he will report to the Spurs’ affiliate in Austin as part of the flexible assignment rule, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays (via Twitter).
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy appreciated the abilities of Greg Monroe, who departed as a free agent and inked a deal with the Bucks this past offseason, but he couldn’t justify tying up a large chunk of the franchise’s cap space between Monroe and Andre Drummond, Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel writes. “I think Greg played some at the four obviously and was good, but his best position is at center,” Van Gundy said. “He knew that. We knew that. What of your resources are you going to tie up at basically one position? Or were you willing to play with two centers in a league that’s going the other way? It didn’t have anything to do with the person, really. It was the situation where we had to make a decision. I miss Greg, I do…. He’s a great rebounder, and a great competitor and teammate.“

And-Ones: Dorsey, Skiles, D-League

December 3rd, 2015 at 10:28pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Former Rockets and Nuggets power forward Joey Dorsey has had issues with Galatasaray coach Ergin Ataman, but he remains committed to the Turkish team, international journalist David Pick writes for Sportando. Dorsey, who inked a one-year pact with Galatasaray in August after reaching a buyout arrangement with Denver, has been heavily recruited by the Greek club Olympiacos, but he intends to stay in Turkey, Pick notes. “Dorsey was almost out of the team, but his last couple of games have been great. He is more committed,” a Galatasaray insider said to Pick.

Regarding his decision to remain with Galatasaray, Dorsey said, “‘Where is the old Dorsey At?’ This is what they been saying all over the news and in the newspaper here overseas. I’m overweight and out of shape and lazy in practice. It hurt me so bad when I heard this, first of all I wanted to leave the team ’cause it was problems and guys being selfish, and after talking to coach nothing changed, so I said [expletitve] it, but after talking to [Vassilis] Spanoulis [who plays for Olympiacos], it wasn’t professional to let my fans down and not play good so I’m dedicating this year to the fans of Galatasaray.”

Here’s more from around pro basketball:

The Hawks have assigned Tim Hardaway Jr. and Edy Tavares to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (via Twitter). This will be Hardaway’s first trip to the D-League of the season and Tavares’ second. Both players will be assigned to the Canton Charge, the Cavs‘ affiliate, since Atlanta does not have its own D-League team, Vivlamore adds.
A third key players union executive hired since executive director Michele Roberts came aboard has resigned, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links). Evie Goldstein, the director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, is the latest to depart, according to Berger, joining former COO Domonique Foxworth and former communications director Tara Greco.
Magic coach Scott Skiles was hired to improve the team’s discipline and defense, but he’s made a significant impact on Orlando’s offense thus far, Brett Koremenos of RealGM writes. With the team’s personnel largely unchanged from 2014/15, much of the credit should go to Skiles, who has improved the Magic’s execution, resulting in more efficient possessions on the offensive end, Koremenos notes.

Northwest Notes: Matthews, Newton, Morrow

December 2nd, 2015 at 2:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Wesley Matthews reportedly understands the Trail Blazers‘ decision that they weren’t going to offer him a chance to re-sign once LaMarcus Aldridge left, but that doesn’t mean Matthews likes it, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News explains. Matthews and Aldridge signed max deals this past summer with the Mavs and Spurs, respectively.

“I’m still upset that after everything that I’ve done individually didn’t warrant me having a separate conversation not tied to LaMarcus Aldridge,” Matthews said. “L.A. is my boy and everything, but I still feel like I did enough myself as a player to warrant a conversation.”

Indeed, Matthews appears to have nuanced feelings toward the Blazers, as he also said that he has “nothing but love for the franchise and the fans and the city,” Sefko relays. See more from the Northwest Division:

Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press profiles Timberwolves GM Milt Newton, who’s trying to carry out the vision of late coach/executive Flip Saunders with no promises that he’ll remain in charge of the front office beyond this season. “It’s an incredible challenge,” Spurs GM RC Buford, a longtime Newton confidant, said to Krawczynski. “You’ve got an iconic coach and leader who also had incredible history with the community and the organization. There will be holes that have to be filled, there will be relationships that have to be supported with the passing of one of the great coaches.”
Anthony Morrow has gone in and out of the Thunder rotation, but he’s back in it of late, and coach Billy Donovan said he feels compelled to play the sharpshooter to create space for Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, The Oklahoman’s Anthony Slater writes. Morrow is in the final guaranteed season of his contract. “It’s amazing how quickly he gets his shot off,” said Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer, who watched Morrow hit three 3-pointers against his team Monday. “It feels like it’s in his fingers for like 0.2 seconds or something like that. When you put a great shooter like that with that quick a release around some gifted talented guys, it’s hard to stay with Morrow. He fits them well.”