Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Updates: LeBron, Cousins, Paul, Gordon, Fultz

January 1st, 2019 at 10:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Lakers superstar LeBron James did some shooting but little else during practice on Tuesday, according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN. He will miss his fourth straight game on Wednesday due to a groin strain suffered on Christmas Day. It remains uncertain how much more time he’ll need to return. “He’s working on his body, his game, himself all the time. But that’s the first time I’ve seen him shoot [since the injury],” coach Luke Walton said. The Lakers are 1-2 without James.

We have more injury news from around the league:

DeMarcus Cousins is still uncertain when he’ll make his debut with the Warriors, Marc J. Spears of ESPN writes. Cousins has practiced with the G League Santa Cruz Warriors and was involved in private 5-on-5 scrimmages with Warriors teammates last week, Spears notes. “It will mean everything when I get back,” Cousins said. “All the hard work. The dedication. Good and bad days. Tears, cramps and pain. Everything.”
Rockets guard Chris Paul has “no clue’ when he’ll return from his left hamstring strain, according to Hunter Atkins of the Houston Chronicle. Paul has missed the team’s last eight games.
Rockets guard Eric Gordon is hopeful his bruised right knee will heal fast enough to allow him to play against Golden State on Thursday, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle reports. Gordon, who suffered the injury on Saturday, is waiting for the swelling to go down. “I can’t really do a whole lot,” Gordon said. “They didn’t tell me an actual time frame. I know if I’m able to run. I don’t care how much pain I have, I’m going to play.”
Sixers second-year guard Markelle Fultz will be re-evaluated early next week for his thoracic outlet syndrome condition, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. The top pick in the 2017 draft hasn’t played since November 19th. Philadelphia remains hopeful that Fultz can return this season.
Wizards forward Otto Porter Jr. is expected to return to the lineup on Wednesday after missing the last 10 games with a quad strain, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes.

Stein’s Predictions: Davis, Leonard, Durant, Cousins

January 1st, 2019 at 3:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis will turn down a “supermax” extension from the Pelicans, setting up a frenzied competition between the Lakers and Celtics to pull off a trade, predicts Marc Stein of the New York Times in his latest newsletter. It’s one of several prognostications the veteran basketball writer offers up in a New Year’s Day column, but it’s the most explosive and one that will dominate NBA headlines throughout the summer if it comes true.

Davis could short-circuit the story by accepting the offer from New Orleans, which would pay him close to $240MM. But Stein expects Davis to value a shot at winning over money and look to join a loaded lineup in either Los Angeles or Boston. Stein also predicts the Lakers will be aggressive in trying to talk the Pelicans into a deal before the February 7 deadline while there’s not another strong suitor in sight. The Celtics can’t trade for Davis until Kyrie Irving opts out of his current deal because of an NBA rule prohibiting a team from acquiring two players currently on designated rookie extensions through trade.

Stein offers a few more significant personnel-related predictions:

Despite Kawhi Leonard‘s success in Toronto, Stein expects him to sign with the Clippers in July. He adds that the Raptors will likely need to win a title to keep their new star from heading home to Southern California in free agency and predicts Toronto will start rebuilding if Leonard leaves, including a trade of Kyle Lowry.
Kevin Durant may spend one more season with the Warriors before looking to move on in free agency. Stein admits there’s a lot of chatter about Durant joining the Knicks, but he believes the allure of playing in the new Chase Center will keep him him around for another year.
A “wise insider” tells Stein that DeMarcus Cousins will consider returning to the Warriors for another season, although they can only offer a modest raise on his $5.3MM salary. Stein expects other prominent free agents, such as Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson, to stay where they are.
Carmelo Anthony, currently in limbo on the Rockets‘ roster while looking for his next NBA opportunity, may have played his last game. It has been nearly two months since Anthony was last on the court and it doesn’t appear anyone is willing to take a chance on him, even at a minimum salary.
Kevin Love trade talks will heat up soon, and Stein believes the Nuggets should get involved as they try to hold onto the top spot in the West. Love is projected to return from toe surgery this month and will become eligible to be dealt on January 24, a little more than two weeks before the deadline.

Patrick McCaw Wanted “A New Opportunity”

December 31st, 2018 at 5:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Patrick McCaw couldn’t come up with an easy explanation for why he wanted to leave the Warriors, other than saying he was looking for “a new opportunity,” writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

McCaw got his wish last night when Golden State elected not to match the two-year, $6MM offer sheet he received from the Cavaliers. McCaw went through his first practice with Cleveland today, after which Vardon asked him the obvious question: Why didn’t he want to stay with an organization where he won two rings in his first two NBA seasons?

“I loved playing in Golden State,” McCaw responded. “My teammates, the coaches, it was nothing really … nothing stands out to me to say I didn’t want to go back. Think it was just a personal thing where I was just like, I think it was time for me to move on for a new opportunity within myself. Nothing against Golden State, front office, coaches, players, the environment, it had nothing to do with any of that. It’s just a personal thing, and I wanted a new opportunity to move on.”

McCaw went from the two-time defending champs to the team with the league’s worst record. He also made the move without any guaranteed money. Neither year of his offer sheet carries a guarantee, although all NBA contracts will be fully guaranteed for the rest of the season for players who remain on the roster beyond January 7.

As the league’s last remaining restricted free agent, McCaw has been waiting for an offer sheet since July. He turned down the Warriors’ $1.7MM qualifying offer and a subsequent two-year, $5.2MM offer with only the first year guaranteed. The “new opportunity” he had been seeking finally came Friday from the Cavaliers, who need reinforcements after a rash of injuries.

McCaw gets a chance to prove himself again as an NBA player after a disappointing second season and a frightening fall that kept him out of action from March to May. Cavaliers coach Larry Drew plans to play him right away, although he still needs to get into game shape and learn the team’s playbook.

“I took a different approach to this whole situation,” McCaw admits. “I was uncertain if I would get an offer sheet or anything. But being positive in myself and knowing something would come. I can’t really look back on the last two months and how I handled the whole situation, I can only continue to focus on now and the future. That’s all I’m waiting for.”

Warriors Notes: McCaw, Center, McKinnie, Iguodala

December 31st, 2018 at 12:29pm CST by Luke Adams

After deciding not to match Patrick McCaw‘s offer sheet with the Cavaliers, Warriors general manager Bob Myers spoke to reporters today about his team’s decision, citing Alfonzo McKinnie‘s play and roster flexibility as the primary reasons to let McCaw walk. As Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group tweets, Myers also mentioned the luxury tax implications, but suggested that wasn’t the primary factor.

According to Medina (Twitter link), Myers wished McCaw well and indicated that Golden State would have been happy to welcome him back. The Warriors’ GM still isn’t sure exactly why McCaw wanted to leave the club, tweets Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. “I honestly don’t know,” Myers said. “It’s all speculation.”

With that 15th roster spot still open and Damian Jones sidelined, the Warriors are monitoring opportunities to add another center to the mix, Myers confirmed (Twitter link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). However, nothing is imminent, and the GM sounds prepared to wait until closer to the trade deadline – or buyout season – to acquire another big man, according to Slater (Twitter link).

“I wish we could borrow some centers from last year,” Myers joked, referring to a 2017/18 roster that included David West, JaVale McGee, and Zaza Pachulia (Twitter link via Medina).

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Myers was reluctant to discuss a specific timeline when asked about DeMarcus Cousins‘ return, but he was positive about the big man’s recovery process. “I think we’re nearing the finish line,” Myers said, per Friedell (Twitter link).
It sounds like Alfonzo McKinnie probably doesn’t have to be worried about being waived at the contract guarantee deadline next Monday. Myers said today that the Warriors’ players, coaches, and front office all want to keep the young forward around (Twitter link via Slater).
Before the Warriors officially made their decision on Patrick McCaw, Medina spoke to a handful of the youngster’s now-former teammates about the prospect of welcoming him back into the locker room. “It would be an adjustment just because he hadn’t been playing with us and we have a new roster and a couple of new guys,” Kevon Looney said. “But I think most of us would take him back with open arms.” Within the same story, Medina notes that owner Joe Lacob remains “dumbfounded” and “befuddled” about how McCaw’s free agency played out.
Andre Iguodala was fined $25K by the NBA for throwing the game ball into the crowd at halftime in Portland on Saturday, the league announced today in a press release.

Pacific Notes: Lakers, Cousins, Kings, Suns

December 31st, 2018 at 11:16am CST by Luke Adams

After losing their first two games without LeBron James in the lineup, the Lakers picked up a win over Sacramento in Sunday. The victory is the latest signal that the club’s young core is capable of greater things, even without veteran leaders like LeBron and Rajon Rondo available, Kyle Kuzma said after the game, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com.

“We are not just one player,” Kuzma said. “We just got to eliminate little mistakes and we could have won all three games [without them]. For us, it is just continue to keep getting better and better and when those guys get back, hit the ground running.”

Meanwhile, while James continues to recover from the groin injury currently keeping him on the shelf, he appeared on the latest episode of ESPN’s ‘More Than An Athlete’ and made some interesting comments about his spot in NBA history. Addressing the 2016 NBA Finals, which saw his Cavaliers knock off the 73-9 Warriors, LeBron said that he felt that win “made me the greatest player of all-time” (video link).

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

With his debut for the Warriors getting closer, DeMarcus Cousins spoke to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated about what he called “the longest year of my life.”
The Kings have been perhaps the most surprising team in the NBA this season, unexpectedly vying for a playoff spot in a competitive Western Conference. As Matt John of Basketball Insiders details, Sacramento is enjoying success in 2018/19 despite making several roster moves that seemed questionable at the time.
In terms of length and athleticism, the Suns see some similarities between their current roster and their ‘Seven Seconds or Less’ teams from the mid-2000s, writes Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Just a lot of athleticism,” new Sun Kelly Oubre said. “When we’re at our best, we get stops and we get out in transition and we score. The ball is moving around. Everybody is touching it. Everybody is moving. That’s when we’re at our best. It’s just a lot of length out there. A lot of athletes and guys who can guard multiple positions. It’s kind of difficult for teams to turn downhill.”

Warriors Decline To Match Cavs’ Offer Sheet For Patrick McCaw

December 30th, 2018 at 11:27pm CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors have opted not to match the Cavaliers‘ offer sheet for Patrick McCaw, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski confirms (via Twitter). Golden State had until the end of the day on Sunday to formally make a decision on McCaw, who inked a two-year, $6MM deal with Cleveland on Friday.

Reports surfaced over the weekend suggesting that the Warriors were leaning against matching McCaw’s offer sheet, since they were unsure how he’d fit back into the locker room after a lengthy holdout. The club also likes the idea of keeping its 15th roster spot open to retain flexibility going forward. Plus, matching McCaw’s offer sheet and keeping him for the season would have increased the Dubs’ projected tax bill by over $11MM.

McCaw, who has been 2018’s only unsigned restricted free agent for the past few months, had a promising rookie season for Golden State in 2016/17, but took a step backward last season. In 57 games (16.9 MPG), the former UNLV standout averaged 4.0 PPG on .409/.238/.765 shooting.

Despite his struggles in 2017/18, the Warriors issued McCaw a qualifying offer, then reportedly proposed a two-year, $5.2MM contract, with a non-guaranteed second year. Unsatisfied with that offer, McCaw held out for nearly the entire first half of the regular season as he sought a deal with another team. The Cavaliers stepped up and became that team this week.

Cleveland topped Golden State’s offer by signing McCaw to a two-year, $6MM offer sheet. While the Cavs’ deal is fully non-guaranteed, McCaw only has to remain under contract beyond January 7 to lock in his 2018/19 salary. If he’s waived on or before that date, his salary won’t become guaranteed, but he’ll be on track to become an unrestricted free agent, so it’s a win-win scenario for the 23-year-old.

The Cavaliers’ plan for McCaw remains unclear, but they currently have the NBA’s worst record (8-29) and are in the process of stockpiling young talent after carrying a veteran-heavy roster in recent years. McCaw could end up being an intriguing addition to a group of young players that includes Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Larry Nance, and Ante Zizic.

Cleveland won’t have to make a corresponding roster move to finalize McCaw’s signing, since the club had been carrying an open spot on its 15-man roster. The Cavs’ roster is now full, and the team still has a little breathing room below the luxury tax line.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/30/18

December 30th, 2018 at 7:56pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Here are Sunday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

The Hornets announced on Twitter that Dwayne Bacon has been assigned to their G League affiliate in Greensboro. Bacon has appeared in 17 games for the Hornets this season, averaging 5.5 points per game.
The Rockets have recalled Brandon Knight from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The Rockets are thin in the backcourt as a result of injuries to Chris Paul and Eric Gordon.
The Hawks have assigned rookie forward Omari Spellman to the Erie Bayhawks and have also transferred Alex Poythress to the Bayhawks, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Lakers have recalled Svi Mykhailiuk, Moritz Wagner and Isaac Bonga from the South Bay Lakers, according to a tweet from the team’s G League affiliate.
The Warriors have assigned rookie wing Jacob Evans to their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, according to a tweet and press release from the team’s PR department.

Warriors Likely To Decline McCaw’s Offer Sheet

December 30th, 2018 at 6:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

DECEMBER 30, 6:58pm: Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has confirmed previous reports and expectations that the Warriors are not planning to match the two-year deal for McCaw. The team officially has until 11:59 pm ET tonight to decide, but currently has no plans to do so, according to Wojnarowski.

DECEMBER 29, 6:23pm: The Warriors haven’t indicated how they plan to respond to Patrick McCaw‘s offer sheet, but a pair of writers who cover the team believe they won’t match the two-year deal from the Cavaliers.

Sources tell Anthony Slater of The Athletic that Golden State is “strongly leaning” toward refusing to match and letting the third-year shooting guard go to Cleveland. The Warriors kept a roster spot open for McCaw throughout his unexpectedly long holdout, but they have developed a more pressing need at center. With Damian Jones injured, the team’s top priority is finding another big man, according to Slater, with Robin Lopez the number one candidate if he negotiates a buyout in Chicago.

Alfonzo McKinnie has performed well in McCaw’s absence and seems likely to be kept on the roster as his contract becomes fully guaranteed next month. Slater states that Warriors owner Joe Lacob is unhappy about how McCaw handled the situation. Lacob paid $2.4MM to the Bucks two years ago to acquire the draft pick that was used to select him.

Mark Medina of The San Jose Mercury News believes the front office made its decision on McCaw a long time ago. There was limited contact with the 23-year-old after he turned down a $1.7MM qualifying offer and a subsequent two-year, $5.2MM deal.

“The whole thing has been surprising. We anticipated Pat would be part of our rotation this year,” coach Steve Kerr said. “It just didn’t happen, for whatever reason. We’ll see what happens. Obviously we have a decision to make.”

There are also concerns, both writers note, about bringing McCaw back into a locker room environment where he might not be fully welcome. The Warriors opted not to renounce him in case he became a trade asset, but they’re reached a point where a decision must be made.

Golden State must settle on its next step by tomorrow night — 48 hours after McCaw officially signed the offer sheet. The deal promises him $6MM over two years, although neither season is guaranteed. Contracts throughout the league become fully guaranteed on January 10, so whichever team winds up with McCaw would have to waive him by January 7 — a little more than a week from now — to avoid paying him $3MM for this year.

Because of the luxury tax, it would cost the Warriors more than $11MM to keep McCaw on the roster. He wouldn’t be eligible to be traded until the offseason if the offer sheet is matched.

Patrick McCaw Signs Offer Sheet With Cavs

December 28th, 2018 at 7:44pm CST by Luke Adams

7:44pm: McCaw has officially signed the offer sheet, according to a team press release.

10:44am: The Cavaliers’ offer sheet for McCaw is non-guaranteed, tweets Wojnarowski. Players who aren’t waived by January 7 will have their 2018/19 salaries fully guaranteed, so no matter which team he ends up with, McCaw will either have his first-year salary locked in at that point or will be waived, putting him on track for unrestricted free agency.

10:26am: After remaining on the free agent market for nearly six months, shooting guard Patrick McCaw is poised to sign an offer sheet with the Cavaliers, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). It will be a two-year deal worth $6MM, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Because McCaw is a restricted free agent, the Warriors will have the opportunity to match Cleveland’s offer. A report last week indicated that they were still prepared to match any offer sheet within reason, but this offer figures to give them pause, as McCaw has exhibited a desire to move on from Golden State, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. The Dubs will have two days to make their decision once McCaw makes it official with the Cavs.

McCaw, who has been 2018’s last unsigned restricted free agent for several months, had a promising rookie season for Golden State in 2016/17, but took a step back last season. In 57 games (16.9 MPG), the former UNLV standout averaged 4.0 PPG on .409/.238/.765 shooting.

Despite his struggles in 2017/18, the Warriors issued McCaw a qualifying offer, then reportedly proposed a two-year, $5.2MM contract, with a non-guaranteed second year. Unsatisfied with that offer, McCaw has held out for nearly the entire first half of the regular season as he sought a deal with another team. Now, the Cavaliers have stepped up to become that team, with their offer sheet topping the money Golden State had put on the table.

The Cavs currently have the NBA’s worst record (8-27) and are in the process of stockpiling young talent after carrying a veteran-heavy roster in recent years. If the Warriors decline to match their offer for McCaw, they’ll be able to add him to a group of young players that includes Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman, Larry Nance, and Ante Zizic.

Because their offer sheet exceeds the minimum salary, the Cavs will have to dip into either the mid-level exception ($8.64MM) or bi-annual exception ($3.34MM). Both exceptions are fully available and would fit McCaw’s offer sheet. The deal would also leave Cleveland a little breathing room below the luxury tax threshold, since the club is currently about $3.93MM away from being a taxpayer, per ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link).

The Cavs currently have an open spot on their 15-man roster and won’t have to make a corresponding move if they land McCaw. The Warriors also have an opening on their roster, but may prefer to keep that spot available for increased flexibility. Matching McCaw’s offer sheet would also increase Golden State’s projected tax bill by more than $10MM, as Marks tweets.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Warriors Notes: McCaw, Slump, Green

December 28th, 2018 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Patrick McCaw has officially signed his two-year, $6MM offer sheet with the Cavaliers, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). However, the Warriors are still waiting to receive a copy of it, Haynes notes. Once they do, they’ll have two full days to finalize a decision on whether or not they want to match it.

Mark Medina of The Bay Area News Group suggests (via Twitter) that the Warriors’ potential interest in matching the Cavaliers’ offer may be more about maximizing an asset rather than actually retaining McCaw long term. Golden State is mindful of its projected tax bill and will consider how McCaw would be welcomed back into the locker room after his lengthy absence, Medina adds.

Although McCaw’s offer sheet with the Cavaliers is non-guaranteed, that won’t give the Warriors much added flexibility as they weigh their decision. The league-wide salary guarantee date is January 10, and a non-guaranteed player must clear waivers before then to avoid having his full cap hit apply to team salary. In other words, even if the Dubs match McCaw’s offer, they’d have to make a decision on him by January 7, and he wouldn’t be trade-eligible during the 2018/19 season.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Multiple reports have suggested that McCaw appears to want to leave the Warriors. Logan Murdock of The Bay Area News Group adds some more context on that subject, tweeting that McCaw felt like the team’s coaches and staff didn’t adequately communicate with him during his free agency process. One of his only conversations with the club during the offseason involved negotiations to give up his No. 0 to DeMarcus Cousins, according to Murdock.
Despite a rare slump (13-12 in their last 25 games), Warriors head coach Steve Kerr remains optimistic about his club’s outlook, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN.com. “The bar’s been set high,” Kerr said on Wednesday. “I told our guys that; I gave them that line today. You guys have set the bar really high. So everything takes on a little greater sense of urgency in terms of what happens around the team. We’re maybe the most scrutinized team in the history of the league. … As long as you keep responding, keep showing up to work, keep sticking together, keep working, good things are going to happen. That’s what I believe with this group.”
Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic explores the adjustments that the Warriors and Draymond Green need to make to bounce back from their recent swoon, while Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area explains why he’s still buying stock in Green, who is struggling on offense.