Charlotte Hornets Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Rondo, Waiters, McMillan

December 4th, 2014 at 10:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the trade speculation regarding Rajon Rondo heading to Los Angeles swirling again thanks to a seemingly innocent breakfast with Kobe Bryant, Yannis Koutroupis of Basketball Insiders examines the potential trade market for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent. Koutroupis believes the two most likely teams to acquire Rondo would be the previously mentioned Lakers, or the Kings, whom he believes could offer Boston the best possible combination of assets.

Here’s more from around the league:

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio runs down some of the bigger names whom he believes could be dealt prior to February’s trade deadline. His list includes Arron Afflalo (Nuggets); Dion Waiters (Cavs); Patrick Patterson (Raptors); and Lance Stephenson (Hornets).
Waiters has been struggling to find his role on the Cavs this season, and his difficulties led to him getting on the court for just nine minutes Tuesday night against Milwaukee. But the young guard is trying to remain positive, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com writes. “I think all of us, we know he’s a very, very good basketball player,” teammate LeBron James said. “And when his number is called, I think the best thing is to come in with a lot of energy and effort and you can’t worry about the ball going in. All of us, we all know that. We can’t control it. It’s a make-or-miss league. One thing you can control is how hard you play and how much you give to the team, how much you sacrifice for the team and we’re all trying to do that.”
Former head coach and current Pacers assistant Nate McMillan is happy being out of the spotlight that comes with being the man in charge, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com writes. “I’ve enjoyed it,” McMillan said of being an assistant coach. “You learn a lot and really the enjoyment for me is you get to coach and you don’t have to deal with the other stuff. I coach and I get to go home. Frank [Vogel] has to coach and come talk to the press. You’re able to coach and work with the guys and do all of those things, but the other part, you don’t have to do.”

Eastern Notes: Stephenson, Knicks, Butler

December 4th, 2014 at 8:57pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hornets are one of the league’s more prominent early season disappointments after their success last season. The team’s biggest offseason acquisition, Lance Stephenson, hasn’t produced as expected, and he is still trying to learn Charlotte’s system and fit in with his new teammates, Steve Reed of The Associated Press writes. Head coach Steve Clifford said he’s not down on Stephenson, and he said expectations for him coming into organization might have been too high, notes Reed. “To be fair, one of the things that’s made it more difficult for him is that he came here and people proclaimed him as the next superstar,” Clifford said. “He’s not a star. He’s a guy that has talent to become a star. To be a star in this league, you have to do it over years.”

Here’s the latest from the Eastern Conference:

The Knicks aren’t seeing much from the Tyson Chandler trade, and with the confidence from Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace and teammate Zach Randolph that free agent target Marc Gasol will stay in Memphis, times are tough in New York, opines Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
Marcus Smart‘s assignment to the D-League by the Celtics today is to get him some reps since the rookie hasn’t gone through a full practice with scrimmaging since suffering a left ankle injury on November 7th, Jay King of MassLive.com notes. “I didn’t think he looked ready,” head coach Brad Stevens said. “Nothing to do [with] physically; he hasn’t practiced. I felt like it would be better to go with Phil Pressey and Gerald Wallace. They would give us the same things that Marcus gave us and they’ve been traveling with the team and everything else. It’s kind of tough to just throw him in there. I hadn’t even seen him until we got to the gym today.“
The Wizards‘ Rasual Butler is the perfect example of how hard work can lead to success for a journeyman player, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. Butler was asked why he kept working out for over a year when no NBA teams came calling, to which he responded, “Because I wanted to play basketball. It’s very easy. It’s a simple answer. If you’re serious about doing what you love to do, then you’re going to do whatever it takes for you to continue to do what you love to do. Some people say they love to play the game. If you love to play the game, you’ve got to go through the steps. You can’t give up on your story.” Butler is a key reserve for Washington, and is third in the league in three-point shooting percentage at a blistering 56.4%, notes Zillgitt

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Southeast Notes: Stephenson, Jordan, Hawks

December 3rd, 2014 at 4:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hornets‘ Lance Stephenson has made an issue about not getting the ball at the end of games, to which head coach Steve Clifford has responded, “To be truthful, Lance has never been a closer. That would be a new role for him,” Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) writes. Clifford went on to say that Stephenson is “not a star,” something that Charlotte has discovered rather quickly after signing him to a three-year, $27MM contract this past summer, notes Haberstroh. But Stevenson also isn’t being paid like a star player, and can come off of the Hornets’ books in 2016 when Charlotte can decline his team option for $9.4MM, unless he is dealt prior to then, Haberstroh adds.

Here’s the latest out of the Southeast Division:

Michael Jordan is finding his role as the team owner of the Hornets a humbling experience, especially this season with the team underachieving mightily thus far, Michael Wallace of ESPN.com writes. Jordan does believe that he has grown as an executive since his time with the Wizards, notes Wallace. “I’ve always considered myself a very successful owner that tries to make sound decisions,” Jordan said. “And when you make bad decisions, you learn from that and move forward. I think I’m better in that sense. I’ve experienced all of the different valleys and lows of ownership and successful business. If that constitutes me being a better owner, then I guess I am.”
The Hawks‘ Al Horford and Paul Millsap are still trying to develop their on-court chemistry despite this being their second season together on Atlanta’s roster, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. This is thanks to Horford only logging 29 games last season before a torn pectoral muscle ended his 2013/14 campaign, Vivlamore adds.
With LeBron James gone and the added title expectations removed along with him, the Heat‘s season thus far feels far more “normal” to Dwyane Wade, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today writes. Miami is also waiting for all its injured players to return to see just what kind of team it actually possesses prior to making any new roster moves, notes Zillgitt.

Poll: Should The Hornets Trade Stephenson?

December 1st, 2014 at 9:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Hornets came into the season with ambitions of making a playoff run and challenging for one of the top seeds in the East, but a 4-14 start has team executives worried. The team has reportedly been aggressive in its attempts to find potential trades with other teams. Charlotte made a few big splashes last offseason, as recently noted by Hoops Rumors’ own Chuck Myron. From a financial standpoint, the biggest move was the acquisition of Lance Stephenson via free agency. His arrival hasn’t panned out the way the team had hoped and although it’s unclear whether the Hornets have dangled him in trade discussions, it’s obvious they are looking for upgrade on the wing, Stephenson’s primary position.

It has also been reported that Charlotte is receptive to moving fellow wing Gerald Henderson, so an addition to Stephenson on the court is just as likely, if not more likely, than a replacement. However, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out, Henderson’s $6MM player option for next season severely damages his trade value, which should dampen the hopes of getting an impact player in a trade.

The Hornets still have two quality young prospects in Noah Vonleh and Cody Zeller as well as their own 2015 first round pick. Those are three valuable assets, but finding a team willing to give up on a quality player this early in the season could be problematic. Few teams have the urgency to make that sort of move at this juncture.

Stephenson, who cannot be traded until December 15th, represents the player with the most value this season to a playoff contender. Do you think Charlotte should trade him?

Hornets Active In Trade Discussion

December 1st, 2014 at 6:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

6:33pm: Gerald Henderson has been very available for a few weeks, according to Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter Link).

11:08am: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is probably among those the Hornets would make off-limits as they speak with other teams, Lowe tweets.

10:08am: The Hornets have been aggressive in reaching out to other teams about potential trades, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes. GM Rich Cho and company are seeking upgrades at the wing and power forward, according to Lowe. That would cover every position except the ones where Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson play, and they’re essentially the only players the team isn’t willing to discuss, Lowe hears. It’s unclear whether the Hornets have dangled Lance Stephenson, but few would be surprised if they did, as Lowe writes, noting that Charlotte can’t trade the newly signed shooting guard until two weeks from today.

Charlotte is off to a surprisingly poor 4-14 start, the same record through 18 games as the franchise put up in 2004/05, its very first season, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post points out. The Hornets were roundly expected to continue their ascent up the Eastern Conference standings after grabbing the No. 7 seed last season and signing Stephenson to a three-year, $27.405MM deal this past summer, but it hasn’t worked out so far.

Fellow offseason additions Marvin Williams, Brian Roberts and Jason Maxiell can’t be traded until later this month, either, as our register of trade-eligibility dates shows, and the same is true of Jannero Pargo, who re-signed with the club. Walker apparently isn’t under consideration for a trade, but even if he were, the Poison Pill Provision would make salary-matching difficult in any swap, thanks to Walker’s four-year, $48MM extension. The Hornets have exhausted their cap space and are without a trade exception, further erecting barriers to any deal.

And Ones: Green, Hornets, Lakers, Grizzlies

November 29th, 2014 at 10:41pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr knows he has something special in Draymond Green, writes Rusty Simmons of The San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s fantastic. He’s a winner,” Kerr said about Green, who worked this summer to transform himself into a stretch-4. “We love what he does for our team. In a lot of ways, he’s our heart and soul. He plays with such passion at both ends, and I think it’s contagious.” Still on his rookie contract, Green is under the Warriors’ control through the 2015/16 season, though with their limited financial flexibility, GM Bob Myers and company could have trouble matching an offer for him in restricted free agency.

There was more Saturday night from the NBA:

Hornets coach Steve Clifford blasted his team as unprofessional after Saturday’s 30-point loss to the Hawks, as Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer details. Charlotte trailed 64-28 at halftime and never made a serious run,. “Effort night in and night out is always going to be the responsibility of the head coach and the best players,” Clifford said. “The basic nightly intensity of your team comes down to that, and I’m the person most responsible. That is obviously unacceptable – for the franchise to the fans to ever play a game with that little intensity.”
The Lakers could be headed for years of suffering, but Jim Buss shouldn’t stick around to join in, opines Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times. Calling the team “last in the NBA in defense, last in the Western Conference standings, last in watchability,” Bolch called on Buss, the team’s executive VP of basketball operations, to step down before the three- to four-year timetable Buss gave himself to rebuild the team. Bolch said the Lakers have little chance to land any of next summer’s top free agents like LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love and Marc Gasol.
One explanation for the Grizzlies‘ early success is the sophisticated two-man game executed by Gasol and Mike Conley, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes in a subscription-only piece. The pair overwhelmed Portland in the fourth quarter of Friday’s clash of Western Conference powers. “We’ve pretty much seen any kind of defense you can throw at us, so we pretty much have counters for everything,” Gasol said. “Once we make a couple of jumpers, you have to totally change your scheme and play us a different way.”

And-Ones: Cobbs, Bass, Wright, Casey

November 29th, 2014 at 3:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Justin Cobbs has signed a deal with the Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando reports (Twitter link). Cobbs was released yesterday by the German club VEF Riga after a one-month tryout. The 23-year-old point guard signed with Riga earlier this month shortly after the Hornets released him in advance of opening night.

Here’s more from around the league:

Brandon Bass‘ minutes are down this season to 18.5 minutes per game from 27.6 last season, but the Celtics big man is still determined to be productive, Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com writes. “My mindset? It’s the same,” Bass said. “I’m just trying to get better, try to make the best of my opportunities. I try to be efficient and see how it goes.”
The Mavs’ Brandan Wright is on a record-breaking pace for field goal percentage in a season thus far, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News writes. This increase in production comes at a good time for Wright, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. “Brandan’s come a long way,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s worked very hard since getting here. He’s gotten stronger, his shooting has gotten better. His free throw shooting has come light years. And he’s a smart player. He knows how to play within our system very well. And this year, he’s playing the four [power forward] pretty well, too. And that’s challenging without the spacing of a stretch-four out there beside him. We just need him to continue on the path he’s on, because he’s a very important guy for us.”
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey, whom the team re-signed to a three-year deal this offseason, has been garnering nothing but praise around the league for his work in Toronto the last two seasons, Eric Koreen of The National Post writes.
The Pistons have re-assigned forward Tony Mitchell to the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA D-League, the team announced in a press release. This will be Mitchell’s second trip to the D-League this season.

Wolves Sign Jeff Adrien

November 29th, 2014 at 3:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

3:33pm: The signing is official, the team announced.

2:36pm: The Timberwolves have signed free agent forward Jeff Adrien, Shams Charania of RealGM reports. Minnesota is inking Adrien using a hardship exception, notes Charania. It had previously been reported that Minnesota president Flip Saunders was considering filing for the hardship exception, and if Adrien is being brought on board, then it’s likely the team has received approval from the league to temporarily add a 16th player to its roster. Terms of the deal were not released, but it is most likely a minimum-salary arrangement.

Minnesota has lost the services of Ricky Rubio, Kevin Martin, Nikola Pekovic, and Ronny Turiaf to injuries. Martin is out six to eight weeks after having wrist surgery, and Rubio isn’t likely to return until January at the earliest after injuring his ankle. Both Pekovic and Turiaf will both be reevaluated next week.

The 28-year-old Adrien has appeared in 136 career games, averaging 4.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per contest. He was in training camp with the Rockets this year prior to being waived, after appearing in 25 games for the Hornets last season.

And-Ones: Labor, Mudiay, Prospects, Cobbs

November 28th, 2014 at 3:15pm CST by Chuck Myron

The sharp exchange between Adam Silver and Michele Roberts of late has seemingly served as indication that a work stoppage is on the way in 2017, but Roberts is optimistic that the sides will be able to settle their differences, as she explains to Chris Mannix of SI.com.

“But of course I think it’s avoidable,” Roberts said of a work stoppage. “Does anyone really expect Adam and I will sing kumbaya every day? We’re grown ups. He has a constituency, and I do. We disagree. But that’s the world. You know what we do agree on? We don’t want a work stoppage. Neither one of us wants to see that happen. We have said it to each other. We have said it out loud. Our teams are all smart, we all have the same goals and we should be able to sit down and avoid it. I’d be surprised, frankly, if we had one, but I’m ready if we do.”

While NBA fans hope that Roberts is right about that, here’s the latest from around the league:

About half of the league’s teams plan to send either scouts, executives or both to China to check out highly touted draft prospect Emmanuel Mudiay, and teams are calling almost daily for information about the point guard, a source tells Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling (Twitter link). Mudiay, who signed with China’s Guangdong Southern Tigers rather than attend SMU for what would have been his freshman season this year, is No. 2 in the rankings of both Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress and Chad Ford of ESPN.com.
Errick McCollum, who worked out for the Cavs, Kings and Rockets this summer, is one of several overseas prospects who are making a mark after having gone undrafted, as David Pick examines for Basketball Insiders.
German club VEF Riga has let go of Hornets camp invitee Justin Cobbs after what amounted to a one-month tryout, the team announced (Twitter link; translation via Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). Cobbs signed with Riga earlier this month shortly after the Hornets released him in advance of opening night. The 23-year-old point guard averaged just 2.0 points in 13.7 minutes per game across seven overseas appearances.

Southeast Notes: Curry, Hornets, Heat, Hawks

November 28th, 2014 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Three Southeast Division teams have winning records, the most of any Eastern Conference division, but there are no powerhouses, allowing Western Conference heavies like the Warriors to record two wins of 15 points or more in consecutive nights on the road in Florida. Golden State heads to Charlotte tonight after turning the Florida double play earlier this week, and there’s a heavy Warriors influence on the latest news out of the Southeast:

Charlotte native Stephen Curry spoke this past summer about the idea of someday playing for the Hornets, but this week he sought to downplay the notion, even though he admits he’s always thought about it, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group details. “That’s hard to get out of your head, but obviously, it has no bearing on decisions that I make down the road,” Curry said. “It’s just a fun thought to have. The Hornets name does mean a lot to my family, and obviously I’m starting a new thing with the Warriors. I definitely feel right at home here [with Golden State].”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is confident that Heat first-round pick Shabazz Napier will become a starting-level NBA point guard, and fellow Heat rookie James Ennis is drawing widespread praise as well, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
The Hawks have officially assigned Adreian Payne and John Jenkins to the D-League, the team announced via press release. Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday that the team intended to make the moves.