Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Free Agent Rumors: Durant, Conley, Whiteside

June 9th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest piece for Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler examines a few of this year’s top free-agents-to-be, taking stock of their situations and passing along the latest notes and rumors he’s heard on each player. Here’s a round-up of some of the key info from Kyler’s piece:

Even though Kevin Durant is considered most likely to return to the Thunder, he’s expected to take meetings, and Kyler hears that the Warriors and Spurs are “planning big pitches.” The belief around the NBA is that Durant will return to OKC on a deal that allows him to opt out in a year so that his free agency will line up with Russell Westbrook‘s and Serge Ibaka‘s in 2017.
Sources close to Mike Conley‘s camp have suggested recently that Conley is “more open to new situations” than the Grizzlies would like. According to Kyler, those sources believe that the point guard wants to see signs that Memphis is serious about fortifying its roster with other pieces before committing to the team for the long term. Kyler identifies the “dark horse” in the Conley sweepstakes as the Spurs, who are believed to be willing to make some changes to their core if it means landing another high-level player.
Hassan Whiteside is expected to land a maximum-salary contract, with the Lakers and Celtics among the teams believed to be interested. The Heat remain the favorites for the big man, but if they “try to play games,” Whiteside will shop around for other offers, according to Kyler.
The Raptors and Knicks are among the clubs with interest in Nicolas Batum, but Batum will likely be in line for a max contract or something close to it, and the Hornets are viewed as the team most likely to accommodate such a deal.
DeMar DeRozan is viewed as a near-lock to return to the Raptors on a max deal.
Assuming they don’t land Durant, the Warriors sound prepared to keep their current roster intact, even if that means matching a “crazy offer sheet” for Harrison Barnes, writes Kyler.
The odds of RFA-to-be Jordan Clarkson ending up with any team besides the Lakers are slim, but it’s possible his camp will seek out an offer sheet from another club if necessary, in order to get more favorable terms.

Hornets Have Workouts Scheduled Friday

June 9th, 2016 at 6:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hornets have workouts scheduled for Friday with Cat Barber (NC State), Nathan Boothe (Toledo), Jake Layman (Maryland), Isaiah Miles (St. Joe’s), Tyler Ulis (Kentucky) and Stephen Zimmerman (UNLV), Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (on Twitter).

Five Trade Exceptions Expiring This Month

June 8th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

NBA draft day is fast approaching, with just 15 days remaining until the Sixers will be on the clock with the first overall pick. The salary cap and free agent contracts will be significantly on the rise this summer, but rookie contracts will remain relatively affordable, meaning we could see a handful of trades consummated during the draft, as teams look to acquire affordable young talent.

In those trade discussions, draft picks and veteran contracts figure to be the key pieces, but it’s also worth considering which teams have traded player exceptions to utilize. Could a team use a trade exception before it expires to acquire a player without sending out any salary? Perhaps, but of the five trade exceptions set to expire this month (before the July moratorium begins), none are particularly sizable, and there’s a good chance that all five will go unused.

The most noteworthy of the five expiring exceptions is the Thunder’s $2.75MM trade exception, set to expire on June 30th. There are plenty of players around the league earning less than that amount, and with Kevin Durant due for a new deal, Oklahoma City will be on the lookout for inexpensive talent to fill out the roster, so it’s possible the team makes use of it.

Here are all five trade exceptions set to expire later this month, sorted by amount:

Oklahoma City Thunder
- Amount: $2,750,000
- Obtained: Luke Ridnour (Raptors)
- Expires: 6/30/16
Brooklyn Nets
- Amount: $1,357,080
- Obtained: Mason Plumlee (Trail Blazers)
- Expires: 6/26/16
Charlotte Hornets
- Amount: $646,250
- Obtained: Matt Barnes (Grizzlies)
- Expires: 6/25/16
Charlotte Hornets
- Amount: $548,000
- Obtained: Luke Ridnour (Thunder)
- Expires: 6/25/16
Memphis Grizzlies
- Amount: $122,441
- Obtained: Jon Leuer (Suns)
- Initial amount: $967,500
- Used: James Ennis ($845,059)
- Expires: 6/26/16

For the complete list of outstanding trade exceptions around the NBA, including one held by the Cavaliers worth nearly $10MM, check out our full breakdown. And be sure to take a look at the Hoops Rumors Glossary entry on trade exceptions for a refresher on exactly how they work.

Courtney Lee Wants To Play 7-8 More Years

June 7th, 2016 at 8:03pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hornets swingman Courtney Lee, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, says he can see himself playing in the league for many years to come, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders relays (via Twitter). “I think I can ride it out for another seven to eight years. You can play in the league a long time if you can put the ball in from [3],” Lee, 30, said.
With a number of young big men on the roster, the Hornets may be best served to allow Al Jefferson to depart as an unrestricted free agent this summer and concentrate on adding outside shooting instead, Keith P. Smith of RealGM opines in his offseason preview for Charlotte.

Courtney Lee Excited To Be Free Agent

June 2nd, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hornets swingman Courtney Lee is excited at the prospect of becoming an unrestricted free agent at the same time the league’s new TV deal kicks in, David Baumann of Basketball Insiders writes. “It’s going to be eye-opening,” Lee told Baumann. “I don’t think people understand how much money is involved with this new TV deal.”

Latest Draft News

June 1st, 2016 at 9:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hornets have workouts scheduled on Thursday for Montay Brandon (Florida State), Retin Obasohan (Alabama), Goodluck Okonoboh (UNLV), Tim Quarterman (LSU), Adam Smith (Georgia Tech) and Diamond Stone (Maryland), the team announced.

Rockets Consider Silas-Hollins Pairing

May 20th, 2016 at 12:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

12:52pm: The Rockets don’t expect to hire a coach this weekend, tweets Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com. The front office wants to take more time to consider its decision.

11:39am: Stephen Silas is getting serious consideration for the Rockets’ head coaching job, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Hornets assistant was in Houston for a second interview Thursday and met with team owner Leslie Alexander. If the Rockets hire Silas, they would like to add former Nets coach Lionel Hollins as his top assistant, Feigen reports.

Silas “crushed” his interviews, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, and a Silas-Hollins team is being weighed against a possible pairing of Mike D’Antoni and current Grizzlies assistant Jeff Bzdelik (Twitter link). Raptors assistant Rex Kalamian is a candidate to join the coaching staffs in both Houston and Washington, Wojnarowski adds.

Only 42, Silas already has 16 years of experience as an assistant coach. The son of former NBA player and coach Paul Silas was hired by the Charlotte Hornets in 2000 and has also spent time with the Cavaliers and Warriors. The Rockets have liked Hollins for years and had hoped to add him to Kevin McHale’s staff when Kelvin Sampson left, Feigen tweets, but he was hired in Brooklyn before that could happen.

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Anderson, Terry

May 18th, 2016 at 4:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies spoke with at least two candidates today as their search for a new coach heats up. Heat assistant David Fizdale came to Memphis for an interview, tweets Marc J. Spears of ESPN.com., as did Portland assistant Nate Tibbetts, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). Both had been previously named as candidates for the job.

Spurs assistant James Borrego impressed Grizzlies officials during his interview earlier this week, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Memphis has also held interviews with Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, Hornets assistant Patrick Ewing and recently fired Pacers coach Frank Vogel (Twitter link). The Grizzlies have significant interest in Vogel, according to ESPN, but so does Orlando (Twitter link).

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Pelicans free agent Ryan Anderson says he was nearly traded to Cleveland at the deadline, relays Brett Dawson of The Advocate. Appearing on “The Vertical Podcast,” Anderson contends the Cavaliers were trying to work out a deal for him before they picked up Channing Frye from Orlando. “There was a very last-minute phone call that I could have gone to Cleveland,” Anderson said. “I would be playing for the Cavs right now.” Anderson said he didn’t ask the Pelicans to trade him because he wants to have the option in free agency of staying in New Orleans. Anderson’s last experience as a free agent came in 2012 when he was restricted and Orlando swung a deal to send him to the Pelicans. This time, he likes the feeling of being in complete control. “I want to enjoy this process and see where New Orleans is at this summer,” Anderson said. “I want to see where, I don’t know, Houston is at or Sacramento or Washington.”
The Spurs could be interested in power forward Thomas Robinson if he opts out of his deal with the Nets, according to Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. Robinson would give up a little more than $980K by opting out, but he stands to make much more on the open market with the expected jump in the salary cap. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has talked about the need to rebuild the bench with younger players, and the 25-year-old Robinson, a former teammate of LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland, could be a possibility.
Rockets point guard Jason Terry thinks Dwight Howard would be a “great fit” with the Mavericks, but only if he adapts to coach Rick Carlisle, according to The Dallas Morning News. “Whatever [Howard’s] role is, he would have to be the one to buy in first, and then you go from there,” Terry said on ESPN Radio’s Cowlishaw and Mosley show. “But he and Dirk [Nowitzki] together? That’s a powerful combination.” The 38-year-old Terry adds that he hopes to play one more season before retiring.

Grizzlies Talk To Spurs Assistant James Borrego

May 15th, 2016 at 9:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies met with Spurs assistant James Borrego today about their head coaching job, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. Borrego spent 30 games as interim head coach in Orlando last season before joining the Spurs at the start of this season.

Wojnarowski notes that Borrego is among several assistants the Grizzlies are considering, along with Charlotte’s Patrick Ewing, Miami’s David Fizdale, Portland’s Nate Tibbetts and San Antonio’s Ettore Messina. A source says Memphis is going through initial meetings with candidates and the list could get even larger.

Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger was fired eight days ago after requesting permission to interview for other coaching jobs. The Kings hired him Monday, giving him a four-year deal worth $16MM.

Grizzlies Interview Patrick Ewing

May 13th, 2016 at 1:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Grizzlies interviewed Patrick Ewing for their head coaching vacancy Thursday, league sources told Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). Ewing previously interviewed for the Kings job before it went to Dave Joerger, Berger notes, and he’s also a candidate for the Magic head coaching gig, as Berger reported earlier. The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski first identified Ewing as among those in the running for Memphis.

Ewing, a Hornets assistant, would seemingly signal a further commitment to the inside-oriented attack that’s defined the Grizzlies for the past several years. The 53-year-old Hall-of-Fame player has made no secret over the years of his strong desire to become a head coach, an endeavor that seems to have gained momentum this spring, given the interest from teams.

Former Pacers coach Frank Vogel is widely believed to be the front-runner for the Memphis job, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal wrote in a story about a meeting that took place this week between GM Chris Wallace and former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins. Wallace has downplayed the significance of that rendezvous. The Grizzlies have reached out to Vogel’s representatives, and ex-Suns coach Jeff Hornacek, Spurs assistant Ettore Messina, Blazers assistant Nate Tibbets and Heat assistant David Fizdale are also among those on the team’s list of candidates, as Wojnarowski reported.