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Hawks, Pelicans To Work Out Sean Kilpatrick

August 24th, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Former Timberwolves shooting guard Sean Kilpatrick will be a participant in workouts that the Hawks and Pelicans are set to conduct soon, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link). The Lakers and Spurs previously worked him out, as Wolfson notes. The 25-year-old averaged 5.5 points in 17.9 minutes per game across four appearances while on a 10-day contract with Minnesota this past season.

Geography had a significant influence in on Minnesota’s decision to sign the former University of Cincinnati standout, since he was close to New York, where the Wolves were set to play the Knicks without the minimum eight healthy players. Still, he saw plenty of playing time during the 10-day stint and seems to be attracting no shortage of attention from other NBA clubs now. He was on the Bucks summer league squad last month and spent time with the D-League affiliates of the Warriors and Sixers this past season.

The Lakers and Hawks have the $2.814MM room exception to spend, while the Pelicans have their $2.139MM biannual exception and the Spurs are limited to paying no more than the minimum. An all-out bidding war for Kilpatrick seems unlikely, though it wouldn’t be surprising if the interest from multiple teams results in a guaranteed deal of some kind, though that’s just my speculation.

Which team do you think would make the most sense for Kilpatrick? Leave a comment to tell us.

And-Ones: NBPA, Horford, Hawks

August 23rd, 2015 at 11:50am CST by ChrisCrouse

The National Basketball Player Association (NBPA) wants the money that teams receive from the government to construct new arenas to be included in the calculation of Basketball Related Income (BRI), Apratim Ghosh of USA Today writes. The Collective Bargaining Agreement calls for a roughly 50/50 split of all BRI between team owners and players, but the public funding owners receive is not currently included in that calculation.

“Under the CBA, we do not have a gross compensation system,” Executive Director of the NBPA Michele Roberts said. “The players’ 50% share is calculated net of a substantial amount of expenses and deductions. New and renovated arenas around the league have proven to be revenue drivers, profit centers and franchise-valuation boosters. That has been the case over the past few years in Orlando, Brooklyn and New York, to name a few. In some instances, owners receive arena revenues not included in BRI.”

Here’s more from around the league:

Hawks center Al Horford believes the Thunder’s roster offers his former coach, Billy Donovan, a great opportunity to succeed at he NBA level, as he tells Jeremy Woo of SI.com. “I think it’s gonna be a perfect fit. Obviously, so many talented players there, but just the way he wants to play, how he wants to get up and down the floor, that’s the perfect scenario with the type of players there,” Horford said. The Florida product will be a free agent after the 2015/16 season.
In the same interview, Horford touched upon the significance of re-signing teammate Paul Millsap in addition to some of the other offseason moves that Atlanta made. It was very important.I think that was the priority for us, to make sure we brought Paul back. Being able to add Tiago Splitter and Tim Hardaway, really was big. Unfortunately, we lost DeMarre [Carroll]; he’s such a great player, but it was the type of thing he couldn’t turn down, and it’s what’s best for him and his family,” the big man said. “I honestly thought there was a chance we’d be able to keep them both [ Carroll and Millsap]. But it just didn’t work out that way. I’m happy for DeMarre, but I’m happy for us, being able to keep Paul, he’s such an important part of what we do. Just his versatility. He makes the game easier for all of us.”

And-Ones: Williams, Thomas, Nunnally

August 22nd, 2015 at 10:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Alan Williams, who starred at UC Santa Barbara and made an impact during summer league, was surprised that no NBA team was willing to give him a guaranteed contract, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Instead, Williams signed with the Double Star Eagles in Qingdao, China, grabbing an overseas spot that usually isn’t available once NBA training camps end in October. “It gave me financial stability, which is something a lot of people don’t get in their first year,” Williams said. “It gives me an opportunity to go out there and develop my game more and play for a pretty good team. Culturally, I get to go to a whole different continent and see how they play.” Williams thought he might get more interest from NBA teams after an impressive performance with the Rockets‘ summer league squad. He averaged 20.5 points and 11.8 rebounds in four games and was named to the all-NBA Summer League second team. Williams is hoping for another shot at the NBA once his CBA season ends in February or March.

There’s more news tonight from around the basketball world:

Tyrus Thomas, the fourth pick in the 2006 draft, still dreams of returning to the NBA, writes Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. Thomas missed the entire 2013/14 season after undergoing an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for an arachnoid cyst. He signed a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies in January, but only appeared in two games. At 29, he is training for another shot at the league and hopes to be in someone’s camp next month.
James Nunnally has signed with Sidigas Avellino of the Italian Serie A, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Nunnally, another UC Santa Barbara product, appeared in a combined 13 games with the Hawks and Sixers during the 2013/14 season. He spent last season with teams in Spain and Israel, and played for the Pacers‘ entry in this year’s summer league.
Several teams took risks this summer, and Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders evaluates the best and worst of them, including the Lakers‘ and Knicks‘ draft picks, the Rockets‘ deal for Ty Lawson, the Raptors giving big money to DeMarre Carroll and Cory Joseph and the Kings‘ gamble on Rajon Rondo.

Wizards Notes: Temple, Oubre, Camp Deals

August 21st, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

The summer has been relatively quiet for the Wizards, with the trade for Jared Dudley and the Alan Anderson signing perhaps the team’s most significant moves. Washington is hoping it’s a different story a year from now, with native son Kevin Durant poised to hit free agency. While we wait to see how that storyline develops, see the latest from the nation’s capital:

Jazz coach Quin Snyder, and not the Utah front office, is the party that expressed interest in Wizards guard Garrett Temple, according to a source who spoke with J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic (Twitter link). The Wizards don’t appear eager to trade Temple, and it seems unlikely he’ll be changing teams, Michael tweets.
Kelly Oubre intrigued the Hornets and the Heat, who had this year’s ninth and 10th picks, respectively, and the Celtics and Rockets tried to move up to draft him, reports Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Ulimately, the Wizards came up with the package the Hawks accepted for the No. 15 overall pick, allowing Washington to come away with the small forward from Kansas. Deveney chronicles the struggle Oubre’s family faced in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which forced them from their home in New Orleans 10 years ago.
The Wizards aren’t offering partial guarantees with their training camp invitations, Michael writes in a separate piece, and that was a factor in the decision undrafted Maryland shooting guard Dez Wells made to turn down an offer from the Wizards for a deal with the Thunder instead, Michael adds.

Eastern Notes: Embiid, D-League, Bulls

August 20th, 2015 at 6:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Sixers GM Sam Hinkie noted that while Joel Embiid adhered to the prescribed recovery plan for his injured right foot, the team would have liked the center to be more focused at times regarding his rehab, Tom Moore of Calkins Media writes. “He [Embiid] gets thrown into the NBA and the thing you love the most is taken away from you,” Hinkie said. “I found his diligence to be good. At the same time, I’ve had conversations with him that everybody’s got to step up their focus. The stakes are very high. It’s clear to everyone however high they were, they’re higher [now].” Embiid underwent a second surgical procedure on his injured right foot this week, and he is expected to miss the entire 2015/16 campaign.

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

The Raptors have secured the D-League rights to several players via the expansion draft, and a number of recognizable names are up and down the list, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca notes (on Twitter). Some of the better known players selected by the team include Earl Clark, Nolan Smith, Dee Bost, Dahntay Jones, and Ricky Ledo, Grange relays.
The Bulls chose to stand pat for the most part this offseason regarding making roster moves, with the team still believing that its core has the capability of reaching the NBA Finals, a plan that center Joakim Noah agrees with, Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com writes. “I think continuity is gonna be great for us,” Noah told Goodwill. “Even though it’s the same group, it’s still gonna be change at the leadership role as far as coaching. So it’s gonna be very different. So having the same team brings stability as well.”
Lamar Patterson, who inked a two-year pact with the Hawks this offseason, hopes that shedding 22 pounds of weight from his 6’5″ frame will help him earn a regular season roster spot, Jake Fischer of SI.com writes. The guard spent last season with Tofas Bursa of Turkey, averaging 11.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 28.3 minutes per game. Patterson, who turns 24 next month, led the Hawks in scoring at the Las Vegas Summer League with 13.1 PPG to go along with 5.1 RPG in 25.8 MPG.

And-Ones: Morris, Richardson, Draft

August 19th, 2015 at 9:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Darius Morris, who was waived by the Nets at the end of June, has received contract offers from NBA teams and clubs overseas, but thanks to a foot injury suffered during training, he’ll be out of action for a few months, Morris’ agent, Brian Dyke, told international journalist David Pick (Twitter link). The 24-year-old made 38 appearances for Brooklyn during the 2014/15 campaign, logging averages of 2.2 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 7.9 minutes per contest.

Here’s more from around the league:

Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders tabs new L.A. arrivals Roy Hibbert and Lance Stephenson as two of six players who appear likely to benefit from having changed teams this summer.
Jason Richardson‘s deal with the Hawks is a one-year minimum-salary arrangement and is without any guaranteed money, reports Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). It has limited injury protection, Pincus also says, so it appears to be an Exhibit 9 contract. Richardson will see $1,499,187 if he sticks for the entire season, but since the deal only covers one season, it would cost the Hawks no more than $947,276, the equivalent of the two-year veteran’s minimum. The league picks up the rest of the tab.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress peered into his crystal ball and released his first mock draft for 2017’s big event. The current top three players on Givony’s draft board are forwards Harry Giles and Jayson Tatum, with point guard Dennis Smith rounding out the top-ranked trio.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

And-Ones: Turner, Vandeweghe, Horford

August 18th, 2015 at 10:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hawks big man Al Horford is entering the final season of his current deal and will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. But Horford’s eye is on the coming season, and he won’t discuss his future until next summer, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution relays. “My focus right now is to get better individually and help our team be the best team that we can be,” Horford said. “I have the same mindset and that is to help our team win and put us in a good position and try to be better. As far as the contract stuff, I’m going to wait until the season is over. I’m not going to let that linger and be a distraction. The focus is to be on the Hawks, on our team and getting better. Once the season ends, we’ll be able to sit down and talk and figure out all of that.”

Here’s more from around the league:

The NBA officially announced today that Kiki Vandeweghe has been promoted to Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations for the league, a move that had seemed likely for months. He moves up from vice president of basketball ops and replaces the retiring Rod Thorn. Vandeweghe’s new position puts him in charge of player discipline, among other duties. “Kiki is one of the sharpest basketball minds in the NBA,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said. “In addition to his storied UCLA and NBA playing career plus his extensive experience as a general manager, coach, and TV analyst, he has most recently helped drive innovations in analytics that are reshaping the league in areas such as scheduling, game statistics, and player health.”
Myles Turner has transformed from an injured high school junior who was an afterthought to college recruiters into a candidate to start at center for the Pacers this season, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders details. This year’s No. 11 overall pick performed well at summer league, leading to some thought of him as a Rookie of the Year contender, but coach Frank Vogel has reminded the big man not to get carried away, as Turner tells Kennedy.
The Rockets have officially hired Matt Brase as the coach of Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, the team announced (via Twitter). Brase replaces former coach Nevada Smith, who spent two seasons with the Vipers and compiled an overall record of 60-46, including a mark of 27-23 last season.

Hawks Sign Jason Richardson

August 18th, 2015 at 7:10pm CST by Eddie Scarito

AUGUST 18TH, 7:10pm: The signing is official, the Hawks announced via a press release.

AUGUST 15TH, 4:42pm: The Hawks have agreed to a deal with unrestricted free agent Jason Richardson, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). The veteran guard’s deal will be non-guaranteed, Spears adds.

Richardson, 34, appeared in 19 contests for the Sixers last season, averaging 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 21.9 minutes per games. His career numbers through 13 NBA campaigns are 17.1 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.7 RPG to go along with a slash line of .438/.370/.707.

Atlanta currently has a roster count of 16 players, 13 of whom possess fully guaranteed pacts, and three whose deals include partial guarantees.

Sixers Rumors: Embiid, Surgery, Richardson

August 16th, 2015 at 11:32am CST by Arthur Hill

Joel Embiid’s latest setback doesn’t signal the end of his career, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Embiid is scheduled for a bone graft on his right foot Tuesday that is expected to wipe out his entire 2015/16 season. The third pick of the 2014 draft will go through his first two NBA seasons without stepping onto the court, but Hamilton argues that doesn’t mean the young center won’t ever rebound from the injury. With rookie Jahlil Okafor added to the Sixers’ frontcourt, Hamilton says the team can afford to take its time with Embiid’s rehab. He also contends the organization made the right move by selecting Embiid in 2014 despite the injury risk.

There’s more out of Philadelphia:

Embiid’s surgery was supposed to take place “in the next 7-10 days,” according to a July 11th press release issued by the Sixers, notes Tom Moore of Calkins Media. The team hasn’t explained what caused the delay or released where the procedure will occur, though a source who spoke with John Gonzalez of CSNPhilly.com said the holdup was partly because Embiid was still coming to grips with the need for a surgery and that he and his camp wanted more time to go over the situation and pick a surgeon. Moore also points out that Embiid’s recovery time was originally estimated at five to nine months after his June 2014 surgery, in which two screws were implanted into his navicular bone. Embiid was never able to return to game action or even participate in a five-on-five scrimmage.
Jason Richardson was open to re-signing in Philadelphia before committing to a new deal with Atlanta, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. The 34-year-old free agent is expected to sign a non-guaranteed deal with the Hawks on Monday. After missing two years with a cartilage tear in his left kneecap, Richardson returned late last season to play in 19 contests with the Sixers, averaging 9.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 21.9 minutes. “For me, [this season] gave me hope and determination to come back from the injury that I did without really any practice time,” Richardson said, “and to be on the court, that gave me a lot of hope for my future. I can play a few more years in this league.”

And-Ones: Rose, McGee, Jordan

August 13th, 2015 at 9:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks have hired former NBA player Malik Rose as their manager of basketball operations, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reports (via Twitter). Rose confirmed the news via his personal Twitter account. Rose will report to coach Mike Budenholzer, who remains in charge of player personnel as president of basketball operations. The 40-year-old spent 13 seasons in the NBA as a player with the Hornets, Spurs, Knicks, and Thunder.

Here’s more from around the league:

The first year of JaVale McGee‘s deal with the Mavericks is partially guaranteed for $250k, with another $250k becoming guaranteed if he remains on the roster past September 29th, and an additional $250k will become guaranteed if he is still on Dallas’ roster past October 27th, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders tweets. The second season of the arrangement is non-guaranteed, Pincus adds.
McGee is still undergoing rehab for his injured leg, but the Mavs remain confident that he will be ready to play in time for training camp, Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com relays (on Twitter).
Former St. John’s University shooting guard Rysheed Jordan is considering playing overseas or joining the NBA D-League for next season, Keith Schlosser of SBNation writes. “I don’t know yet. It’s either overseas or the D-League, two options,” Jordan told CityofBasketballLove.com. “It depends whether I would prefer to go far or stay local.” Jordan departed the Red Storm after his sophomore season, and back in June said, “Playing professional basketball has always been a goal of mine. I believe I am ready to take the next step in my basketball career and plan to work hard to achieve my dream of playing in the NBA. I am thankful for the opportunities and support St. John’s University has provided to me. This decision was made with my family’s best interests in mind.“