Community Shootaround

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround: 2/14/16

February 14th, 2016 at 11:55pm CST by Will Joseph

It wasn’t that long ago when many people (myself included) figured Hassan Whiteside factored heavily in the Heat’s plans for the future. After all, the center emerged last year as one of the league’s best shot-blockers. At 26 years old, Whiteside was expected to take the next step in his development this season, the final one of his contract with Miami. For the most part, he has — Whiteside is averaging 12.2 points, 11 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game. Whiteside, however, has also looked lost at times defensively and has been inconsistent.

The Heat recently gauged what the market was for Whiteside, who has been coming off the bench after returning from an oblique injury. It would be difficult for the Heat to trade Whiteside since his minimum-salary contract and the league’s salary-matching rules don’t give them the ability to reap much value in return. Still, reports from earlier today said the Heat’s front office is debating whether or not it is worth re-signing Whiteside, who would command a lucrative deal, and is thinking about trading him.

That leads us to today’s shootaround topic: Should the Heat trade Hassan Whiteside?

Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what your thoughts are. We look forward to what you have to share.

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Community Shootaround

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/13/16

February 13th, 2016 at 11:52pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Chatter about a blockbuster three-way deal that would send Carmelo Anthony to the Cavaliers, Kevin Love to the Celtics and an assortment of players and draft picks to the Knicks interrupted NBA All-Star weekend on Friday night. The proposed trade would align Anthony with another star player, which is something that would appease the 31-year-old. “I think everybody always kind of dreams and hopes that they can play with another great player, another star player,” Anthony said. LeBron James has since dismissed the rumors and Anthony, who holds a no-trade clause in his contract, said he isn’t leaving New York.

Anthony has played well this season, accumulating 21.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game while sporting a 20.3 player efficiency rating. He had trouble with his surgically repaired left knee this season, which along with a January ankle injury, has caused him to miss seven games and play others at less than 100%.

The Cavs have reportedly been shopping Love, though their asking price is very high. Netting Anthony would be a nice return for a player of Love’s caliber, but it would be a move with the short term in mind. In tonight’s shootaround, let’s assume Anthony is willing to waive his no-trade clause for a deal that sends him to Cleveland. Would acquiring Anthony be the best move for the Cavs or is there a Love trade that makes more sense for Cleveland?

Take to the comments section to share your opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/12/16

February 13th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

It seems as though former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau‘s name is brought up in connection with virtually every new head coaching slot that becomes available. All the interest and speculation surrounding him is a testament to how Thibs’ coaching abilities are respected around the league, and the smart money is certainly on him returning to NBA sidelines sooner rather than later. Some “cursory contact” has reportedly taken place between the Timberwolves and Thibodeau, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, though the talks were not classified as serious. Thibodeau has apparently long wanted the Knicks coaching job, and while that currently appears unlikely to occur, he’s reportedly of interest to the Lakers and Nets as well. It should be noted that Los Angeles still has Byron Scott calling the shots, but his job security appears dubious at best for 2016/17.

There’s no denying that Thibodeau is a solid coach, but his style and system do have their detractors. Thibs was knocked for focusing too much on defense while in Chicago at the expense of the Bulls’ offense. He also had a tendency to overuse his veteran players, which progressively wore them down over the course of long NBA campaigns. Also of concern, especially for teams with youthful rosters, is Thibodeau’s reputation of being extremely hard on his players, which doesn’t always play well with today’s crop of stars. This would be of great concern in a spot like Minnesota, where a young team needs a coach who will nurture and develop that talent and challenge the players to become better.

This brings me to the topic for today: Which team in need of a head coach (or rumored to soon be in need of one) would Tom Thibodeau fit best with?

Do you think Thibs would be a good fit with the Wolves’ young roster, or should he look for a team that has more of a veteran presence given his past resistance to playing younger players when veterans were available to take those minutes? If you don’t think the Knicks, Wolves, Nets or Lakers would be the right match, tell us what post would be the ideal fit for Thibodeau. Take to the comments section to share your opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/10/16

February 10th, 2016 at 11:59pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Raptors are looking at power forwards in advance of the trade deadline, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, who relayed that Toronto has checked on the availability of Thaddeus Young, Kenneth Faried and Markieff Morris. The Raptors’ current salary structure would make it tough for the team to deal anyone from its existing roster, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca pointed out, but the team has an extra first-round pick for each of the next two drafts, and GM Masai Ujiri has signaled that he wants to trade at least one of those picks at some point. Despite its apparent willingness to upgrade at the four spot, Toronto doesn’t have the cap room or trade exception to absorb either Young, Faried or Morris without relinquishing salary in return.

Toronto has started veteran Luis Scola at power forward in each of its first 51 contests, whose averages of 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds aren’t anything to get excited about. Any of the three players mentioned above would provide a clear upgrade at the four spot for the Raptors, though acquiring any of them would likely leave a hole elsewhere on the roster thanks to the team’s need to send out salary in any transaction. But if Toronto is set on making a splash at this year’s trade deadline, nabbing either Faried, Morris or Young would certainly qualify as an impact move.

This brings me to the topic for today: If the Raptors make a move to acquire a power forward, who would be the best fit — Kenneth Faried, Markieff Morris or Thaddeus Young?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on the matter, including who and what it might take to land one of the three men mentioned above. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/9/16

February 10th, 2016 at 12:00am CST by Eddie Scarito

The Magic are open to trade offers that would add useful veterans to their roster, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com. One player who isn’t currently being shopped is small forward Tobias Harris, but Orlando isn’t discouraging teams from making their best offers for him, Stein relayed. Magic GM Rob Hennigan recently cited the youthfulness of the team’s roster for its recent struggles, though Magic players said before the season that age wouldn’t be used as an excuse. The team has been struggling and is battling to remain on the fringes of the playoff race.

Harris, who’s mere months removed from re-signing with the Magic for four years and $64MM, has seen his role in the offense reduced under new coach Scott Skiles. His scoring is down to 13.7 points a night from his career-high mark of 17.1 last season despite a nearly identical field goal percentage. However, the 23-year-old has seen a dip in his long-range accuracy this season, only connecting on 31.1% of his three-pointers this year after posting a mark of 36.4% a season ago.

This bring me to today’s topic: Should the Magic trade Tobias Harris?

The Magic could certainly use a roster shakeup, though dealing away a solid two-way talent like Harris is a risky move. Harris’ contract is reasonable and will likely look like a bargain after the free agent frenzy that is likely to occur this summer. It’s unknown just what Harris’ trade market would be, but it’s only reasonable to assume some past suitors still hold some interest. The Kings reportedly had a max offer sheet lined up for Harris before he re-signed with Orlando. Detroit and Boston were reported to be the leading contenders for him heading into free agency, while his hometown Knicks were also reportedly planning to make a run at him. The Lakers, Sixers and Hawks were all linked to Harris as well.

So take to the comments section to weigh in on whether or not the Magic should look to deal Harris. But don’t stop there. If you think Orlando should make a move, who and/or what would be a reasonable return? Extra brownie points will be given for salary-cap accurate trade proposals. If you don’t think Harris should be dealt, what changes should the franchise look to make by the trade deadline? We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/8/16

February 8th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nine losses in 10 games were enough to cost Knicks head coach Derek Fisher his job this morning. Kurt Rambis was named to the position on an interim basis and is expected to remain there for the rest of the season. What happens beyond that is anyone’s guess.

Team president Phil Jackson told reporters that Rambis will get a “real shot” to prove himself worthy as staying on as coach, but other potential candidates have been emerging all day. One is Warriors assistant Luke Walton, who guided Golden State to the league’s best record while head coach Steve Kerr was on medical leave. Walton signed today with the Wasserman Media group to be his representative in upcoming negotiations, as several teams are expected to have interest in him.

Former Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, who has connections with Jackson from their days with the Lakers, is another candidate, along with Jeff Hornacek, who was fired by the Suns last week. Ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, always a hot candidate among free agent coaches, reportedly wants his next job to be in New York. Other names to watch out for, according to Bernie Augustine of The New York Daily News, include former Knicks star center Patrick Ewing, ex-Cavaliers coach David Blatt, former Clippers mentor Vinny Del Negro and possibly even one-time Knicks coach and executive Isiah Thomas, a favorite of owner James Dolan.

Fisher reportedly didn’t adhere strongly enough to the triangle offense and didn’t clearly spell out to players what their roles were. There was also talk of a split on the coaching staff with veterans Rambis and Jim Cleamons on one side with Brian Keefe and Joshua Longstaff on the other.

Jackson didn’t offer many clues as to what he’s looking for in his next coach, but it clearly has to be someone who can develop rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis while producing a contender that is still built around 13-year veteran Carmelo Anthony. Those two will be building blocks for whomever takes over the Knicks, but Jackson admitted that the rest of the roster still needs work, according to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. “Do we sit in a really favorable spot? Probably not,” Jackson said today. “We don’t have a tremendous amount of favorable items that are on our roster.”

That brings me to today’s shootaround topic: Who should be the head coach of the Knicks next season? Do you expect Rambis to prove himself over the next two months or will the franchise go in a different direction? Would a defensive-minded coach like Thibodeau be the best answer or maybe Walton, who has shown he can win with a modern-day offense? Should they go after a coach with experience or take a chance on a popular former player like Ewing?

Please be mindful of our commenting policy, and share your thoughts in the comments section below. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/7/16

February 7th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Will Joseph

As Ian Begley of ESPN.com pointed out today on Twitter, the Knicks have now lost nine of their last 10 games and are eight games below .500, which is the worst they’ve been all season, after losing to the Nuggets. Optimists will point out that star Carmelo Anthony missed three of the last eight games, but he has played in four of the last five and New York has lost each game.

At 23-31, the Knicks are 12th in the Eastern Conference. Those facts and the Knicks’ current slide should be enough to suggest the team should be looking to move whatever they can for assets that could make a difference down the road. One thing worth noting is the Knicks also don’t own a pick in this year’s draft, which means they are not exactly set up well for the future.

What they do have, though, is a decent team for the present, albeit one that is lacking in some areas. With Anthony, the emergence of rookie power forward Kristaps Porzingis and free agent acquisitions Derrick Williams and Robin Lopez, the Knicks’ frontcourt isn’t spectacular, but it’s also not terrible. It’s actually rather solid (if Anthony is healthy). An upgrade is sorely needed in the backcourt, however. There have been talks indicating that the Knicks are interested in acquiring Jeff Teague. With a lack of viable starting point guards on the free agent market this summer, I think the Knicks should target Teague now.

That leads us to today’s shootaround topic: Should the Knicks be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline?

Being mindful of our commenting policy, let us know in the comments section below what your thoughts are. We look forward to what you have to share.

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Community Shootaround

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/6/16

February 6th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Former Hawks executive Danny Ferry is reportedly among the candidates who will be interviewed for the Nets’ GM job. ESPN’s Mike Mazzeo lists Ferry among the finalists for the position, along with Nuggets assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas, Rockets executive vice president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas and Nets assistant GM Frank Zanin.

Ferry served as GM and president of basketball operations in Atlanta from 2012 until 2014, when he took an indefinite leave of absence in the wake of race-related comments that he read from a scouting report on free agent Luol Deng during a conference call. “He’s a good guy overall,” Ferry allegedly said about Deng. “But he’s not perfect. He’s got some African in him. And I don’t say that in a bad way.”

The controversy quickly spread throughout the league, which was already reeling from a scandal involving racially charged comments by former Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. called for Ferry to resign or be fired, but team CEO Steve Koonin said the franchise opted for internal discipline rather than dismissal. Ferry never returned from his leave of absence and accepted a buyout with the Hawks in 2015. Deng forgave Ferry for the comments and said he didn’t consider him a racist.

The Nets’ interest in Ferry stems from his ties with former Duke teammate Billy King, who remains with the organization after being removed as GM last month. Ferry interviewed with Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov for the GM post in 2010 before King was hired, and Ferry’s father, Bob Ferry, works as a scout for Brooklyn.

Danny Ferry’s record as an executive also makes him an attractive candidate. He put together the foundation of the Hawks team that won 60 games last season and claimed the top seed in the East. He also built teams that twice topped 60 wins in Cleveland, where he served as GM from 2005 to 2010.

That brings me to today’s topic: Should the Nets consider Ferry as their next GM considering what happened in Atlanta? Would free agents still hold the Deng incident against him, making them less likely to sign with Brooklyn? Or is it time to give another chance to someone who had been connected with the league for 25 years and built a long history of front office success?

Take to the comments section to share your thoughts on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/5/16

February 5th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bucks surprised many this past offseason when they landed center Greg Monroe in free agency, signing the big man to a three-year, maximum salary contract. Milwaukee, fresh off a 41-41 campaign in 2014/15 that included an Eastern Conference playoff berth, felt the addition of Monroe was the next step toward the upper-echelon of the conference. But plans often have a tendency not to work the way they are laid out and the Bucks have stumbled to a 20-31 record this season. Disappointment can bring about sweeping changes and a report by Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times relayed that the franchise is open to trading Monroe and point guard Michael Carter-Williams, who has failed to impress since coming over in a controversial deadline trade a year ago.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is reportedly the only Bucks player completely off-limits for a deal, though it would take a “crazy” offer to pry Jabari Parker or Khris Middleton from Milwaukee, a league executive told Woelfel. Several people around the league have said they’d be surprised if the Bucks don’t make a significant trade, with the deadline looming two weeks from today, Woelfel added.

This brings me to today’s topics. I say topics because there are two related questions I will be posing to all of you this evening. The first is: Should the Bucks look to trade Greg Monroe prior to the trade deadline? While this is a relatively straightforward question, it does raise another extremely important one regarding the franchise’s future dealings, which is: If the Bucks do in fact deal away Monroe, will it negatively impact their future free agent pursuits?

I will readily acknowledge that money trumps quite a bit in the free agent market, but players do have concerns outside the basketball court. When a player changes teams in the league, he also changes homes and cities, sometimes moving across the U.S., or in the case of players signing with the Raptors, outside of the country. The last thing most players want is to have to have to worry about the logistics of moving so soon after making such an important life choice, not just for themselves, but in many cases for their families as well. So, would dealing away Monroe so quickly after signing him count against the Bucks with future free agents? Milwaukee isn’t a destination city among NBA players, so the franchise already has its work cut out. Flipping a recently signed big-name player may not be the best advertisement to send out to other future free agents.

But that’s merely my take and we’re looking for yours. Take to the comments section to share your thoughts regarding a potential Monroe deal, and whether you think it would hurt the team in the eyes of future free agents. We look forward to what you have to say.

Hoops Rumors Community Shootaround 2/4/16

February 4th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Raptors are reportedly eyeing an upgrade at the power forward spot, a position where 35-year-old Luis Scola is currently the starter. Toronto has reportedly expressed interest in the Suns’ P.J. Tucker and Markieff Morris, either of whom could be a boon to the team’s rotation. The Suns aren’t expected to give either player away cheaply if the team does indeed decide to make a trade, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

The Raptors certainly have some appealing assets to deal, with the franchise currently slated for an extra first-round pick both this year and next. Raptors GM Masai Ujiri has indicated that the team plans to unload the surplus of first-rounders at some point, but Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reported that the Raptors have no intention of giving them up cheaply and aren’t interested in a stopgap player. However, that report was filed prior to James Johnson undergoing an MRI on Tuesday after suffering an ankle injury. Johnson was filling in at small forward for DeMarre Carroll, who still remains at least a few weeks away from returning after right knee surgery.

Toronto’s interest in Tucker dates back to at least the summer of 2014, when he was a free agent and re-signed with Phoenix, which led to the Raptors inking Johnson instead, as Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca noted. Tucker was originally a draft pick of the Raptors in 2006, but that was prior to Ujiri taking over Toronto’s front office. While Tucker would likely be just a stopgap if acquired, Morris would certainly factor into the team’s future plans given that he still has three more seasons remaining on the four-year, $32MM extension he signed with Phoenix in 2014.

Phoenix has reportedly been targeting young players and draft picks in exchange for Morris, and the Raptors do happen to have recent first-round picks Lucas Nogueira and Bruno Caboclo to dangle, as well as those surplus first-rounders for the next two seasons. The Suns reportedly spoke with the Pelicans and Rockets about Morris trades earlier this season, and the Pistons are also reportedly interested, so the Raptors may have some competition if they are indeed interested in Morris.

This brings me to the topic for today: Should the Raptors look to upgrade their power forward position? If so, whom should they target?

If you were Raptors GM, which player would you attempt to pry away from the Suns — Tucker or Morris? If you don’t think either would be a good fit, or perhaps believe that the price would be too high to land one of the Suns forwards, whom should the team target? One possibility I’ll throw out there is the Celtics’ David Lee, who is reportedly unhappy with his reduced role in Boston while the team looks to either trade him or reach a buyout arrangement. While I wouldn’t necessarily trade for Lee if I were running the Raptors, he could be a valuable in-season pickup for very little cost if he is in fact released.

But that’s merely my opinion and we’re looking for yours. Take to the comments section to share your thoughts on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.

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