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Central Notes: Bulls, Bucks, Cavs Coaches, Pistons

September 21st, 2021 at 9:22pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Bulls made a splash in free agency this summer, signing several new veteran players. Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago breaks down the specific ways that costly new additions Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan, and Alex Caruso can help Chicago earn its first postseason berth in five years.

Schaefer notes that DeRozan boasted the 21st-best offensive rating in the league last season (110.4) and can help boost the Bulls’ offense in a variety of ways. DeRozan’s ability to get to the free throw line, protect the ball, and create offense when Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine sits will all help Chicago win, Schaefer contends. Ball should help expedite the pace of Chicago’s offense. On the other end, stingy pick-and-roll defender Caruso should help the team limit opponents at the point of attack.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • The Bucks‘ offseason earned a B grade from Zach Harper of The Athletic. The Bucks upgraded their backcourt depth in signing veteran point guard (and former Milwaukee reserve) George Hill, as well as Tremont Waters. Harper suggests that Milwaukee also improved on the wing by adding solid veterans Grayson Allen and Rodney Hood, who should be able to recover still-injured swingman Donte DiVincenzo. Harper opines that the Bucks regressed in the frontcourt after letting defensive-minded forward P.J. Tucker walk in free agency. Meanwhile, the Bucks stayed the same while preserving their 2020/21 center rotation.
  • The Cavaliers have made some new coaching adjustments, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Dan Geriot, formerly an assistant on head coach J.B. Bickerstaff‘s bench, will become the head coach of the club’s NBAGL affiliate, the Cleveland Charge. Recent Charge head coach Nate Reinking, meanwhile, will join the Cavaliers as an assistant.
  • The rebuilding Pistons have some intriguing rotation decisions that could be informed by training camp performance, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Langlois recognizes that Detroit’s top six players appear to be fairly established, but that there is room for minutes for the club’s developing young players beyond that.
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Eastern Notes: Martin-Garrett, Spoelstra, Bucks, Noah

September 19th, 2021 at 1:56pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The top-heavy Heat could benefit from their two-way players proving their NBA mettle sooner rather than later. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel wonders if either of their two two-way players, guards Caleb Martin or Marcus Garrett, could find their way onto Miami’s 15-man roster by the end of the year.

Because of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, two-way player rules no longer have restrictions on how frequently two-way players can practice or travel with their NBA clubs. Winderman thinks Garrett will see more run with the Heat’s G League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, but that Martin could carve out a fringe rotation role at the next level.

The 6’5″ Martin played his first two years with the Hornets, and holds career averages of 5.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG and 1.3 APG, with shooting splits of .391/.315/.682.

There’s more out of the East:

  • Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra could be a finalist to succeed Team USA head coach Gregg Popovich in future international competitions, opines Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Spoelstra coached the Select Team, comprised of young up-and-coming American players, who faced off against Team USA ahead of their gold medal run this summer.
  • The Bucks could look to more carefully manage the minutes of Olympic champions Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton, coming off the club’s championship run, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic in an extensive mailbag. Nehm anticipates that second-year forwards Jordan Nwora and Mamadi Diakite, as well as reserve point guard George Hill, will benefit the most from the resting of Holiday and Middleton.
  • Retiring former Bulls All-Star center Joakim Noah will be celebrated by Chicago during an October 28 Bulls-Knicks contest. The Knicks are led by Noah’s former Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, and feature his former Chicago teammates Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson, writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. The Bulls are currently led by Noah’s old college coach, Billy Donovan, with whom Noah won two straight NCAA titles with the University of Florida in 2006 and 2007. Noah was a two-time All-Star and the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year while with the Bulls.
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Camp Battles Will Be Fierce

September 18th, 2021 at 10:33am CST by Dana Gauruder
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2021/22 NBA Over/Unders: Central Division

September 17th, 2021 at 12:34pm CST by Luke Adams

The 2021/22 NBA regular season will get underway next month, so it’s time to start getting serious about predictions for the upcoming campaign and to resume an annual Hoops Rumors tradition.

With the help of the lines from a handful of sports betting sites, including Bovada and BetOnline, we’re running through the predicted win totals for each of the NBA’s 30 teams, by division. In a series of team-by-team polls, you’ll get the chance to weigh in on whether you think those forecasts are too optimistic or too pessimistic.

In 2020/21, our voters went 17-13 on their over/under picks. Can you top that in ’21/22?

As a reminder, the NBA played a 72-game schedule in 2020/21, so a team that won 41 games last year finished with a 41-31 record. This year, a club that wins 41 games would be a .500 team (41-41). For added clarity, we’ve noted the record that each team would have to achieve to finish “over” its projected win total.

We’ll turn today to the Central division…

Milwaukee Bucks

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bucks poll.

Indiana Pacers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pacers poll.

Chicago Bulls

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Bulls poll.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Cavaliers poll.

Detroit Pistons

Trade Rumors app users, click here for Pistons poll.

Previous voting results:

Atlantic:

  • Brooklyn Nets (55.5 wins): Over (63.2%)
  • Philadelphia 76ers (51.5 wins): Under (70.0%)
  • Boston Celtics (46.5 wins): Over (58.1%)
  • New York Knicks (42.5 wins): Over (65.1%)
  • Toronto Raptors (36.5 wins): Under (50.6%)

Northwest:

  • Utah Jazz (52.5 wins): Over (61.7%)
  • Denver Nuggets (48.5 wins): Over (69.3%)
  • Portland Trail Blazers (44.5 wins): Over (53.0%)
  • Minnesota Timberwolves (34.5 wins): Under (57.1%)
  • Oklahoma City Thunder (23.5 wins): Under (65.0%)
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Central Notes: Satoransky, Lowe, Okoro, Garza

September 15th, 2021 at 7:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky wasn’t happy with the circumstances regarding his exit from Chicago, according to a story from BasketNews. Satoransky was part of the package sent to the Pelicans in a sign-and trade deal for Lonzo Ball, and he was disappointed that he didn’t get more of an acknowledgement from executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas after spending two years with the team.

“It was tense. You’re in the city for two years, you fight for them, you live for the team — and then you receive a text from general manager Karnisovas which says, ‘Thanks for your time in Chicago,’” Satoransky said in an interview with Czech media. “That was the only thing I got from him. But I’m not angry; you can’t be emotional at that moment. But when one thinks about it … after two years of hard work, it’s actually brutal.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • In an interview with Kelsey Russo of The Athletic, Sidney Lowe says a conversation with his long-time friend J.B. Bickerstaff led him to become an assistant coach with the Cavaliers. Lowe, who was on the Pistons’ staff the past three seasons, mentioned his possible availability while they were talking this summer. “And so, we’re just talking, and he wasn’t really aware of my situation,” Lowe recalls. “And then I let him know what was going on. And, he just told me, he said, ‘Well, you know, we might have something available.’ We’ve always respected each other, and we talked basketball when we saw each other and over the phone. So he said, ‘Well, let’s see what happens down the road here.’”
  • Isaac Okoro made notable progress between his rookie season and Summer League, and an NBA.com article examines what’s ahead for the Cavaliers swingman. Okoro was Cleveland’s leading scorer in the two games he played in Las Vegas, averaging 16.0 PPG and making 13 of his 22 shots from the field. The Cavs would like to see him become more aggressive on offense this season.
  • There’s an expectation around the league that the Pistons will convert Luka Garza‘s two-way deal to a standard contract before the season begins, tweets Ian Begley of SNY.tv. The rookie big man out of Iowa averaged 15 points and 9.6 rebounds per game during Summer League. Detroit currently has both two-way slots filled, so converting Garza’s contract would create an opening.
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Central Notes: LaVine, Sumner, Pistons, Bucks

September 14th, 2021 at 7:13pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Bulls All-Star shooting guard Zach LaVine is not worried about how he will mesh alongside new starting small forward DeMar DeRozan, per Sean Deveney of Heavy.com. Both players to this point have been primary scorers for their respective clubs.

“I don’t get that at all, because that’s just outside narratives,” LaVine said of the on-court collaboration with his pricey new Bulls teammate. “It’s our job to get out there and get to know each other, obviously personally and as a basketball player. It’s easy to make things work on the basketball court if you all have the same intent, and that’s winning.”

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • After recently tearing his left Achilles tendon during an offseason workout, 25-year-old Pacers guard Edmond Sumner underwent a successful surgery to repair the ligament, per a team press release. Drafted with the No. 52 pick out of Xavier by Indiana in 2017, Sumner has developed into a helpful reserve in his first four NBA seasons thus far. In 53 games played during the 2019/20 season, Sumner averaged 7.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG, and 0.9 APG across 16.2 MPG. He posted a shooting line of .525/.398/.819.
  • The Pistons could stand to benefit from adding a third center with their available guaranteed roster spot, writes Rod Beard of the Detroit Free Press. The club signed Kelly Olynyk in free agency this summer, and are hopeful that second-year big man Isaiah Stewart, an All-Rookie Second Teamer, can continue to develop. Beard notes that it makes sense for Detroit to keep its 15th roster spot open through training camp, in case another veteran center becomes available elsewhere in the NBA.
  • Bucks shooting guards Donte DiVincenzo and Grayson Allen, both set to be restricted free agents in 2022, could net contract extensions by October 18 this season. Eric Nehm of The Athletic posits that, judging by the contracts meted out to similar-caliber players during the 2021 offseason, DiVincenzo could earn a multiyear contract worth $50MM or more, though Nehm wonders if the Bucks will be cautious to extend him before seeing how he plays on the hardwood. DiVincenzo injured a tendon in his left foot suffered during the 2021 playoffs. Nehm views the newly-added Allen as something of a contingency plan for DiVincenzo.
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Central Notes: LaVine, Bulls, Valentine, Cavaliers

September 11th, 2021 at 3:33pm CST by JD Shaw

The Bulls and star guard Zach LaVine have yet to reach an agreement on a contract extension, something the 26-year-old is simply viewing as a product of business, he told Vincent Goodwill of NBC Sports Chicago (video link).

“It’s business. At the end of the day, I have my own things that I want to go after,” he said. “I have a lot of different motivations in my life that I try to use on the court, but I’m focused on this next upcoming year, seeing how good that I can help this team win and obviously keep developing myself and getting better as a player.”

Should the sides fail to reach an extension, LaVine would become an unrestricted free agent next summer. The All-Star guard is set to make just $19.5MM in his deal this coming season.

There’s more from the Central Division:

  • Speaking of the Bulls, LaVine is excited to play with his new teammates this fall, Sean Deveney of Forbes writes. Chicago added DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, Derrick Jones Jr. and others this summer, upgrading its roster alongside LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. “I think we have a great group of guys and talent going in there,” LaVine said. “Especially when you have high expectations—you want to live up to those. I want to start early from the ground, get everybody on the same page, obviously we have a lot of new players, a lot of new personalities. We have expectations this year, but we have to go out there and show people why we want to go out there and win.”
  • The Cavaliers‘ two-year deal with Denzel Valentine is partially guaranteed in the first season and non-guaranteed in the second, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Valentine is expected to compete for a role at shooting guard and small forward this season. He spent the last five years with the Bulls, averaging 7.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 19.8 minutes per game on 39% shooting from the field and 36% shooting from three-point range.
  • Cleveland is likely to make one more minor signing for training camp, Fedor notes (via Twitter). As we previously reported, the Cavaliers recently finalized training camp contracts with both RJ Nembhard and Mitch Ballock. The team also signed Tre Scott and Tacko Fall to camp deals earlier this month.
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Zach LaVine Could Receive Interest From Celtics

September 11th, 2021 at 1:45pm CST by JD Shaw

The Celtics could target Bulls swingman Zach LaVine if Bradley Beal doesn’t become available on the trade market this season, Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe opines.

Boston is well-positioned to make a trade for the next disgruntled star, but Chicago made several upgrades around LaVine this offseason. Nevertheless, LaVine and the Bulls have yet to agree to an extension, making his situation one to monitor if the team underwhelms.

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Bulls Sign Tyler Cook

September 8th, 2021 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

In addition to confirming several previously-reported additions to their roster, the Bulls announced today in a press release that they’ve signed free agent forward Tyler Cook to a contract.

While the terms of Cook’s contract aren’t known, Chicago’s other recent deals with Stanley Johnson, Alize Johnson, Matt Thomas, and Ethan Thompson are non-guaranteed, so Cook’s likely will be too.

A 6’8″ forward out of Iowa, Cook played for the Cavaliers and Nuggets as a rookie in 2019/20, then spent time with the Nets and Pistons during the 2020/21 campaign. After signing a 10-day contract with Brooklyn, he inked a pair of 10-day pacts with Detroit and then agreed to a multiyear deal in April. The team waived him at the end of July.

In 32 total games in 2020/21 for the Nets and Pistons, Cook averaged 4.9 PPG and 3.0 RPG in 32 games (13.7 MPG). He made 67.0% of his field goal attempts, but just 48.6% of his free throws.

Chicago has 13 players on guaranteed contracts, plus one on a two-way deal, so there are at least a couple spots up for grabs on the 17-man regular season squad. Cook figures to compete with the team’s other recent signings for one of those spots.

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Scotto’s Latest: Blazers, Beasley, Patterson, Ennis, More

September 8th, 2021 at 11:00am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers have 13 players with guaranteed contracts on their roster and have added Dennis Smith Jr. and Marquese Chriss on non-guaranteed deals to vie for one of the team’s open roster spots. However, that competition may end up including more veterans than just Smith and Chriss.

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Trail Blazers are eyeing other free agent forwards as possible training camp invitees. Michael Beasley, who played for Portland’ Summer League team, is one possibility. The club is also eyeing veteran stretch four Patrick Patterson, says Scotto.

The Blazers still only have 16 players under contract, which means there are four more spots available on their 20-man offseason roster.

As we wait to see how Portland fills those openings, here are a few more items of interest from Scotto:

  • Having previously identified the Bulls as one team interested in free agent wing James Ennis, Scotto adds a few more clubs to that list, suggesting that Ennis has also drawn interest from the Trail Blazers, Lakers, and Magic. Ennis, who has spent most of the last two seasons in Orlando, knocked down 43.3% of his three-point attempts in 2020/21.
  • Another player who has received interest from the Trail Blazers is big man Isaiah Hartenstein, according to Scotto, who says the Clippers have kicked the tires on the former Cav as well. As I detailed on Tuesday, Hartenstein is the only player who is still a free agent after declining an option earlier this summer.
  • Before he signed with Chicago, Alize Johnson generated interest from a handful of other teams, including the Clippers, Suns, and Knicks, per Scotto. If the Clippers had wanted Johnson badly enough, they could’ve claimed him off waivers using one of their trade exceptions, which wasn’t an option for Phoenix or New York.
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