Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Wroten, Taylor, Butler

January 10th, 2015 at 10:58am CST by Eddie Scarito

CSNPhilly.com’s John Gonzalez took an in-depth look at the potential trade value of Tony Wroten, who was rumored to be the subject of trade discussions between the Clippers and the Sixers earlier this week. A pair of league executives told Gonzalez that Wroten could possibly net GM Sam Hinkie two second-rounders, and another said that it would be difficult to get fair value for Wroten, so it would be wiser to hang on to the guard. Philadelphia currently owns a whopping 15 second round draft picks between now and 2020.

Here’s more from the East:

The Hornets have recalled Jeffery Taylor from the Austin Spurs of the NBA D-League, the team has announced. In four games with the Spurs he averaged 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 26.2 minutes per contest. This was Taylor’s initial jaunt of the season to the D-League.
Rasual Butler had the remainder of his contract guaranteed for the season when he remained on the Wizards’ roster past Wednesday’s deadline. The veteran swingman’s play has made him an integral part of Washington’s rotation, and Butler also has a fan in Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post writes. Thibodeau, who briefly coached Butler in Chicago, said of his former player, “I think it’s the perfect fit for him and he’s a great pro. He’s a guy who plays year-round and stays in great shape. And I think when you look at what John Wall does and you look at what Andre Miller does, he’s the perfect fit because he creates space and his career says how well he can shoot the three. But to be doing it at this stage of his career is a real credit to him. But we always felt strongly about his professionalism, his attitude, how much he loved he game. And the shooting part, that’s never going to go away.”
Despite all of the Knicks‘ struggles this season, first year coach Derek Fisher‘s confidence hasn’t wavered, and he believes this turbulent campaign will help him become a better coach, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes.

Bucher’s Latest: Kings, Pelicans, Cavs

January 9th, 2015 at 1:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

It’s no secret that the Nets trio of Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson are available on the trade market, and they’re among a long list of players that GMs say teams are open to trading as the February 19th deadline approaches, according Bleacher Report’s Ric Bucher. Jeff Green, Brandan Wright, Lance Stephenson, Greg Monroe, Brandon Jennings, Goran Dragic, Nik Stauskas, Ben McLemore, Jason Thompson, Arron Afflalo and most of the other Nuggets are also on that list, with Bucher, in many cases, confirming earlier reports. Still, Bucher hears plenty of new rumbles, as he passes along in his piece, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

Kings owner Vivek Ranadive unilaterally made the decision to fire former coach Michael Malone, sources tell Bucher, even though GM Pete D’Alessandro claimed the decision as his own. Most of the Kings organization was pleased with the direction the team was headed in and believed the team was overachieving, though there were doubts that Malone was the long-term solution, Bucher writes.
Ranadive wanted to make a splash with Malone’s successor, but Kings front office executives prevailed upon him to keep Tyrone Corbin as head coach, according to Bucher. Ranadive would relish the chance to turn the screws on the Warriors, of whom he used to be a part-owner, by hiring Mark Jackson, the ex-Warriors coach, a source tells Bucher, who nonetheless believes that the team won’t hire Jackson during this season.
Talk “circulating around the league” suggests that Pelicans owner Tom Benson is eyeing former Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars and former Mavs and Nets coach Avery Johnson if he decides to make changes, Bucher writes. Still, Pelicans sources tell Bucher that the club hasn’t contacted either Dumars or Johnson, and that there are no signs that Benson is definitively displeased with either GM Dell Demps or coach Monty Williams.
Several executives from around the league don’t believe the pair of trades the Cavs made this week assure the team of any more than a second-round appearance, according to Bucher. One exec tells Bucher that the Cavs “overinflated” the market with what they gave up for Timofey Mozgov.

Berger’s Latest: Stephenson, Jackson, Crawford

January 6th, 2015 at 3:29pm CST by Chuck Myron

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com shares eye-catching rumors from across the league in his latest must-read piece, which looks ahead to the trade deadline that’s just a month and a half away. We’ll pass along some of the highlights here:

The Hornets continue to explore the market for Lance Stephenson, and they’re looking for frontcourt help, Berger hears. Charlotte had reportedly decided to table Stephenson talks late last month, but since that time, Al Jefferson was diagnosed with an injury that’ll keep him out most of January, if not longer.
The Knicks tried to pry Reggie Jackson from the Thunder in talks leading up to Monday’s trade, and they’re expected to try to do so again, Berger writes. Still, the Thunder are holding the line against trading him, as Berger adds.
Jamal Crawford is off-limits for other teams as the Clippers try to acquire a starting-caliber small forward, sources tell Berger. The Clips, up against a hard cap, have told at least one team that asked about Crawford that they don’t plan to move him.
Execs from teams around the league believe the Knicks will be active between now and the draft, as there’s widespread doubt that New York will be able to land a major free agent this summer, Berger hears. There’s speculation that Jose Calderon will be the next Knicks player to be traded, but that’ll be more easily said than done for New York, since the 33-year-old point guard’s contract runs through 2016/17 with salaries in excess of $7MM each year, Berger writes.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Jefferson, Magic, Hawks

January 1st, 2015 at 12:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Doomsday predictions for the Heat in the wake of losing LeBron James are starting to come true, and Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post reports that players are searching for answers. “I just don’t even know what the point of this season — I don’t know. I have no idea,” Chris Bosh said after Wednesday’s loss to the Pacers. After four straight trips to the NBA Finals, Miami is struggling through a season beset by injuries and adjustment to life without its former superstar.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Hornets coach Steve Clifford told Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer that the decision to shut down Al Jefferson came midway through Monday’s loss to the Bucks. “At halftime we spoke and agreed that we were going to sit Al down and say, ‘We appreciate you want to play, but…’” Clifford said. “It’s great that he wants to be out there and is team-first and wants to play. But he just can’t move.” Jefferson has been diagnosed with a strained adductor muscle in his left groin and is expected to be out of action for at least four weeks.
Former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy likes Orlando’s roster but warns there will be some tough choices ahead, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. “Like everybody, you get to the point in all of these projects where then you have to make decisions on money, and that’s actually in some ways tougher than assembling a lot of guys to begin with,” said Van Gundy, now coach and president of basketball operations for the Pistons. “Who are you going to pay and how much and how are you going to put the whole thing together?” Orlando’s decisions will start in July when Tobias Harris and Kyle O’Quinn are set to become restricted free agents.
The Magic have recalled Devyn Marble from the D-League, Robbins tweets.
The Hawks are among the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and Adam Fromal of Bleacher Report opines that they have a chance to be in that position for a long time. Atlanta has slightly more than $41MM committed in salary for next season, with Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll, Elton Brand and John Jenkins as expiring contracts. The Hawks also can exchange first-round draft picks with the Nets as one of the lingering benefits of the Joe Johnson trade, and they have an extra second-rounder coming from the Raptors.

D-League Notes: Dinwiddie, Vonleh, Suns

December 31st, 2014 at 8:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The D-League is becoming an integral part of the NBA’s process of developing younger players, as well as a source for locating hidden gems to bolster rosters during the course of the season. You can easily stay on top of which players are coming and going from the D-League all season by checking out our 2014/15 D-League Assignments, Recalls tracker, which is updated daily. You can also find this page anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”

Here are the latest D-League moves:

The Pistons have assigned Spencer Dinwiddie to the Grand Rapids Drive, their D-League affiliate, the team announced in a press release. Dinwiddie has appeared in eight games for Detroit this season, averaging 3.0 points and 12.4 minutes per game.
The Suns have recalled Tyler Ennis, T.J. Warren, and Archie Goodwin from the Bakersfield Jam, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This was the second trip to Bakersfield of the season for Ennis and Warren, and Goodwin’s inaugural journey.
Noah Vonleh has been recalled from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, the Hornets have announced. Vonleh saw action in two games with the Mad Ants, averaging 7.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block in 13.0 minutes per game. With Al Jefferson set to miss at least a month, Vonleh will likely see increased action with Charlotte.
Toure’ Murry has been assigned to the Idaho Stampede, the Jazz‘s D-League affiliate, the team has announced. This will be Murry’s second sojourn of the season to the D-League. In six games for the Stampede, Murry has averaged 14.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.3 steals in 31.5 minutes of play.

Al Jefferson Out For Minimum Of Four Weeks

December 30th, 2014 at 10:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Hornets center Al Jefferson has been diagnosed with a strain of an adductor muscle in his left groin and is expected to miss a minimum of four weeks, the team has announced. Jefferson initially injured his groin last weekend but aggravated it during Monday night’s contest against the Bucks. Initial estimates had Jefferson likely to miss a few games, but an MRI taken earlier today confirmed the strain, though no tear was revealed, which is good news for both the player and the team.

In 32 games this season, Jefferson leads the Hornets in scoring and rebounding with averages of 18.0 points and 8.2 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per game. The 6’10” center has scored in double figures in 28 of 32 games this season and has a team-high 10 double-doubles. Jefferson’s career numbers are 17.0 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 1.6 APG. His career slash line is .500/.103/.713.

The Hornets currently have the league maximum 15 players on their roster, 14 of whom have fully guaranteed pacts. This means that Charlotte would need to trade or release a player if it wanted to bolster its frontcourt depth in the wake of Jefferson’s absence. The lone player on the roster with a non-guaranteed deal is Jason Maxiell, and he’ll likely be counted on to absorb some of Jefferson’s minutes, which would not make him an ideal candidate to be released if Charlotte chooses to add another big, though that is just my speculation.

The player that will most directly benefit from a prolonged absence to Jefferson is Bismack Biyombo. The former lottery pick is only averaging 14.0 minutes per game in 25 appearances this season. Biyombo was mentioned in trade rumors prior to the season, and has also been noted as a possible trade target for the Cavs, who are desperately seeking a rim protecting big man. A strong showing from the 22-year-old could increase the demand for his services and his perceived value in advance of the February trade deadline. Biyombo is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so his play will also have an impact on his next contract as well.

Southeast Notes: Bazemore, Wizards, Hairston

December 29th, 2014 at 3:20pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks and Wizards are making it tough on more ballyhooed Eastern Conference teams like the Cavs and Bulls to play catch-up. Both Atlanta and Washington have won eight of their last 10 and are within two games of the Raptors for the top spot in the conference. Here’s the latest from around the Southeast:

Kent Bazemore praised the job embattled GM Danny Ferry did constructing the team, as the Hawks shooting guard tells Raul Barrigon of HoopsHype. Ferry remains on indefinite leave of absence after making racially charged remarks this summer. “We don’t really know what was going on there,” Bazemore said. “He’s still watching over us from a distance. He still gets the bulk of the credit for turning around the Hawks organization. We kind of miss him. Coach [Mike] Budenholzer has done a great job filling in, and also [Hawks CEO] Mr. Steve Koonin. The sun is shining bright even on rainy days in the Hawks organization.”
Trevor Ariza spurned the Wizards‘ efforts to re-sign him this past summer, but thanks to the addition of Paul Pierce, the surprising play of camp invitee Rasual Butler and improvement from Otto Porter, the Wizards need not have worried, writes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post.
P.J. Hairston‘s play in the D-League last season gives him an edge that other rookies lack, Hornets coach Steve Clifford said, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer writes amid a look at the team’s decision to send Noah Vonleh, this year’s No. 9 overall pick, on D-League assignment. Hairston, the No. 26 pick, spent much of last season in the D-League after the University of North Carolina cut him loose.
The Hawks have recalled Mike Muscala from the D-League, the team announced. The big man posted 15 points and seven rebounds Sunday while on his one-day sojourn to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, which was his third D-League assignment of the season.

Eastern Notes: Crowder, Celtics, Magic, Vonleh

December 28th, 2014 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Of the three players who came to the Celtics in the Rajon Rondo trade, Jae Crowder may be the likeliest to have a future in Boston, speculates Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. The 6’7″ swingman has been impressive in a limited role since the deal, and Forsberg declares it should be an easy decision for the team to give him a $1.2MM qualifying offer in the offseason if he isn’t part of salary aggregation in February.

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Roster upheaval is one of the reasons December hasn’t gone as planned for the Celtics, writes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. Boston entered the month facing a soft schedule and the chance to contend for a playoff spot, but the Celtics are just 6-8 during December and eight games below .500 overall. The team dealt Rondo to Boston on December 18th and Blakely contends the players they got in return — Crowder, Brandan Wright and Jameer Nelson — aren’t good fits with the current roster.
The Magic’s backcourt of the future is starting to live up to the hype, according to John Denton of Magic.com. Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton were Orlando’s top choices in the last two NBA Drafts, and they were recently inserted into the starting lineup together. “It’s on us to make sure that they made the right choice,’’ Payton said after Saturday’s win over the Hornets. “We’re still figuring it out because this is just our [fourth] game [starting] together, but I think we’re making good strides.’’
Hornets rookie Noah Vonleh hasn’t seen major minutes this season, but coach Steve Clifford says that’s not a reflection on his talent or effort, but rather the late start he had due to a sports hernia injury, writes Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Earlier today, Vonleh was assigned to the Austin Spurs of the D-League.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

D-League Notes: Vonleh, Young, Ledo

December 28th, 2014 at 5:10pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hornets have assigned first round pick Noah Vonleh to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, according to the team’s twitter feed. The ninth overall pick of the 2014 draft will become one of the higher-profile players to play in the D-League. “We believe Noah would benefit greatly from additional game experience,” GM Rich Cho said in a press release. “He will be able to get that playing time through this D-League assignment.” Vonleh has only seen 8.0 minutes per game this season for Charlotte.

Here’s more from the D-League:

The Hornets are assigning Jeffery Taylor to the Austin Spurs for a D-League stint, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer (via Twitter). The team has since confirmed the move in a press release. “As with [Vonleh’s] situation, we think that Jeffery will benefit greatly by getting additional game action,” Cho said in the release. “Our depth at the wing position has limited his minutes and this D-League assignment will allow him to get some valuable playing time.”
The Celtics have assigned James Young to the Maine Red Claws of the D-League, according to the team’s twitter feed. Young has battled a shoulder injury recently and the playing time for the Red Claws should help determine whether his body is ready for significant minutes. Young has only seen action in five games this season for Boston but has been efficient during his time, shooting 62.5% from the field.
The Mavs have recalled Ricky Ledo and Dwight Powell from the Texas Legends, the team announced via press release. Both players saw court time for the Legends during their one game D-League assignment. Ledo nearly recorded a triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes of action. Powell was impressive as well, recording 26 points in 38 minutes.
The Hawks have assigned Mike Muscala to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, the team announced via press release. This will be Muscala’s third assignment to the D-League this season. The second-year center has seen 9.4 minutes per game this season for Atlanta.

Hornets Plan To Make Claim On Tarik Black

December 28th, 2014 at 3:50pm CST by Zachary Links

The Hornets are planning to make a waiver claim on center Tarik Black, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski on Yahoo Sports (via Twitter). Black was waived by the Rockets late last week to make space for the addition of Josh Smith.

The waiver system gives priority to the team with the worst record then works its way up. The Pistons could have added Black without dropping anyone from the roster thanks to their vacant spot, but they’ll pass on the big man (link). The 76ers, Knicks, and Timberwolves are among the teams that have priority over the Hornets and could theoretically beat them to the punch.

Last week, the Rockets worked feverishly to find a suitable deal for Black, Nick Johnson, Isaiah Canaan, Joey Dorsey, or Clint Capela, but they could not find a trade to their liking. Of the five, Black was the only one without a fully guaranteed contract, making him the choice to get cut. Rockets coach Kevin McHale said he was sorry to see Black go, but he also said he was confident that he wouldn’t be out of work for long. McHale, it seems, has been proved correct.

Black averaged 4.2 points and 5.1 rebounds in 25 games with the Rockets, and started 12 games when Dwight Howard was out of the lineup with knee pain. He earned a roster spot with the Rockets after an impressive performance in the summer leagues.