Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Donnie Nelson On: O’Neal, Blatche, Sanders

February 27th, 2015 at 8:09pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Mavericks president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson joined Dallas’ 1310 The Ticket today and discussed a number of topics regarding the team. The Dallas Morning News transcribed a number of the highlights from Nelson’s interview:

When asked if the team would still like to add another big man, Nelson responded by saying:

“We’re not opposed to the right addition. But, again, it’s gotta be changed for the right reason. We do like what we have and for it to settle down. I think one of our big needs was answered with Amar’e [Stoudemire]. If we do add a player he would be an end of the bench type, specialist piece; it’s a possibility, but I wouldn’t wait for something like that to happen because it probably won’t at the end of the day.”

On if he thinks the window to sign Jermaine O’Neal is closed:

“That’s really a question for him. The door is always open. We’ve always been fans and he’s our kind of guy. It’s really where he is at with his family, with his health situation. Whether it’s during the season or summer, he’s a Dallas resident and we’d love to have the conversation if and when it’s right for him.”

On if the team has any interest in Larry Sanders, who has hinted that he may not return to the NBA, Nelson said:

“For the here and now, we’re long enough and tall enough on our front line with Tyson Chandler and our backup situation. If there is any potential or possibility there it’d be a summer conversation.”

When discussing Dallas’ interest in free agent Andray Blatche, who is currently considering a lucrative contract offer to return to China, Nelson said:

“Yeah, and a lot of these depend on minutes. Some of the guys, as they’re looking over the NBA landscape, let’s face it. If you take a player of that caliber and put him on our team, how much is he going to play? That certainly resonates with him and his agent. Those are possibilities, whether it’s a shooter or a little more support in the front court. But, again, it’d have to be the right piece. I wouldn’t be optimistic that anything would happen at this point.”

Southwest Notes: Davis, Anderson, Grizzlies

February 22nd, 2015 at 11:05pm CST by Zachary Links

The Mavericks are happy to welcome Amar’e Stoudemire to town but they haven’t forgotten about the way he dominated them in the 2005 playoffs, Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News writes. “They had a tough team to guard,” said Dirk Nowitzki, remembering the Mavericks’ six-game loss to the Suns in the second round of the playoffs. “And Amar’e was amazing rolling right down the middle, finishing above the rim. Nobody could get to him. He was, for a 6-10 guy, as explosive as this league has probably seen. He could just take off from outside the charge circle and dunk on everybody. He was a beast.” More from the Southwest Division..

Good news for Anthony Davis and the Pelicans, as tests revealed there was no structural damage to his shoulder, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). The big man is now expected to be out for 1-2 weeks.
Unfortunately, Ryan Anderson figures to be out a little while longer. The Pelicans announced that the forward has been diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee and he’s expected to miss 2-4 weeks of action. Anderson suffered the injury in the second quarter of Saturday night’s contest against the Heat.
The Grizzlies announced that they have re-assigned forward/center Jarnell Stokes and guard Russ Smith to the their D-League affiliate, the Iowa Energy. This marks the fifth assignment to Iowa for Stokes and the second for Smith, who had three prior stints this season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Stokes, a University of Tennessee product, spoke with Hoops Rumors prior to the 2014 draft.

And-Ones: Wolves, Augustin, D-League

February 21st, 2015 at 5:25pm CST by Eddie Scarito

With the trade deadline passed the Timberwolves‘ focus is now on seeing which players fit into their long-term plans, Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune writes. “It’s an evaluation time for some of these guys, for where they’re at,” president of basketball operations Flip Saunders said. “But also for what they have to work on, once the season ends and they start getting ready for next year, what they need to do to become solid rotational players. So it’s a little of both.”

Here’s more from around the league:

The Grizzlies didn’t need to be make a deal prior to the trade deadline according to coach Dave Joerger, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal relays (subscription required). “We’re pretty happy with where we are,” Joerger said. “What we could possibly add I don’t think is better than what we have here.”
Toronto GM Masaj Ujiri said that the Raptors had “productive talks” with NBA D-League officials during the All-Star break about the team getting its D-League affiliate, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun tweets.
Thunder coach Scott Brooks is excited for what point guard D.J. Augustin can bring to the team, Nick Gallo of NBA.com writes. “I like the toughness that he brings to the table,” Brooks said. “Every night he’s had to battle to be in the position that he’s in. He’s making a nice career for himself. He’s a great shooter. He can run the team. He looks to make plays for others. He’s a pesky defender. He’s a great pickup for us.” Augustin arrived in OKC as part of the deal with Detroit and Utah that sent Reggie Jackson to the Pistons.
The Magic have recalled Devyn Marble from the the Erie BayHawks, their D-League affiliate, John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com reports (Twitter link). This was Marble’s third D-League assignment of the season.
San Antonio has re-assigned Kyle Anderson to the Austin Spurs, the team announced. In two treks to the D-League this season, Anderson has appeared in 10 games, averaging 22.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in 41.0 minutes per contest.

Execs Losing Faith That Ray Allen Will Sign

February 20th, 2015 at 4:05pm CST by Eddie Scarito

There is a growing feeling among GMs and league executives who are interested in signing Ray Allen that the veteran guard won’t play this season, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Allen has been mulling a comeback all season, but neither he, nor his agent Jim Tanner, have made any definitive statements that the player would return to the hardwood during the 2014/15 campaign, Wojnarowski adds. It was rumored that the 39-year-old sharpshooter was going to make a choice regarding his future shortly after the All-Star break.

Allen has been working out, but not at a pace that would allow him a quick transition into NBA playing shape, sources tell Wojnarowski. There’s still time for Allen to make a decision to return, but as one GM told the Yahoo! Sports scribe, “It’s getting late in the game for this to happen.”

The Grizzlies are one team that’s maintained an interest in Allen, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes in a subscription-only piece. Other teams that have been reportedly linked to the veteran include the Warriors, Wizards, Cavs, Spurs, Heat and Hawks.

Nuggets Sign Joffrey Lauvergne

February 19th, 2015 at 4:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

4:02pm: Denver has once more announced the signing and restored the press release to the team website.

2:59pm: The Nuggets sent out a press release recalling the announcement of the signing, and the page about the pact that was on their website has been replaced by an error message.

FEBRUARY 19TH, 2:37pm: The deal is official, the Nuggets announced.

FEBRUARY 11TH, 4:27pm: The Nuggets and Lauvergne are finalizing a two-year, fully guaranteed deal worth more than the minimum salary, Shams Charania of RealGM reports (Twitter link). The pact will also contain a team option for a third season, Charania notes.

6:02pm: The Nuggets and Lauvergne should reach an agreement on a multi-year contract by next week, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post reports (Twitter links).

FEBRUARY 5TH, 8:16am: Khimki Moscow and Lauvergne have officially parted ways, the team announced (hat tip to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia). The Nuggets face “logistical hurdles” before they can formally bring him stateside, a league source told Wojnarowski for his full story, but ostensibly, Khimki Moscow’s announcement clears one of them.

FEBRUARY 4TH, 8:55pm: The Nuggets are working on a deal to sign 6’11” forward Joffrey Lauvergne, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports (Twitter link). Lauvergne was set to cut ties earlier today with Khimki Moscow, his Russian team, a source told David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). The Nuggets currently have 14 players on their roster, so no corresponding roster move would be required in order to ink Lauvergne.

The 23-year-old Frenchman was originally selected by the Grizzlies with the No. 55 overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Lauvergne was subsequently dealt to the Nuggets, along with Darrell Arthur, for Kosta Koufos.

Lauvergne was averaging 7.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 18.1 minutes per game for Khimki Moscow this season. His career European professional numbers are 6.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 0.6 APG. His career slash line is .476/.269/.694.

Grizzlies Re-Sign JaMychal Green

February 19th, 2015 at 12:34pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 12:34pm: The Grizzlies formally announced the signing via press release.

TUESDAY, 12:24pm: The Grizzlies and JaMychal Green have agreed to what will be the power forward’s second 10-day contract with the team, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. The first expired with the beginning of the All-Star break last week. It’ll be the third 10-day pact for the power forward, who spent a single 10-day stint with the Spurs last month, but this will be the last short-term arrangement he can sign with Memphis this season, which would have to sign him for at least the balance of the season next time.

Green has been much sought-after, with the Knicks, Bucks, Bulls and Blazers apparently interested after he began the season with San Antonio’s D-League affiliate. He averaged 23.0 points and 10.7 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game across 20 D-League appearances this year, though his NBA playing time has been sparse, as he’s seen just 6.3 MPG in six total regular season games with Memphis and San Antonio.

The move will restore the Grizzlies to a full 15-man roster, assuming they don’t make any other transactions before Green’s signing takes place. Memphis is relatively close to the tax threshold, but another 10-day contract for Green, who’s in his first season of NBA regular season action, almost certainly won’t cost more than the minimum salary of $29,843.

Western Notes: Chandler, Afflalo, Thompson

February 17th, 2015 at 8:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers have been pursuing Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler for weeks and remain the team most interested in trading for him, according to Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post. Portland wants to add a scorer off its bench, Dempsey adds, and Chandler would fit that description. Chandler, who is making $6.76MM this season, is averaging 13.9 points in 31.7 minutes per game for the Nuggets.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Blazers are also interested in Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo, and have the most assets among his pursuers to make a trade happen, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The Clippers and Heat, among other teams, are also interested in Afflalo, but don’t have the assets to pull off a deal, Wojnarowski continues. Afflalo is making $7.5MM this season and has a player option for the same amount next season.
Enes Kanter could command a contract in excess of $10MM per season as a restricted free agent this summer and the Jazz center wants to protect his Bird rights if he’s dealt, Wojnarowski reports in the same piece. Kanter reportedly turned down a four-year, $32MM offer from Utah last fall. The Jazz are only willing to trade Kanter if they receive a quality young player and a first-round pick before Thursday’s deadline, Wojnarowski continues. In lieu of a trade, Jazz management and Kanter’s representative Max Ergul have been trying to resolve Kanter’s disappointment over his playing time peacefully, Wojnarowski adds.
The decision to sign Klay Thompson to an extension this past fall was relatively easy, but committing money to players is always a nerve-wracking proposition, Warriors GM Bob Myers tells Tim Kawakami of The Bay Area News Group. Kawakami, in that piece and in another, delves into a Warriors front office that thrives on collaboration, with Myers and co-owner Joe Lacob the primary decision-makers who receive tons of spirited input. Assistant GMs Travis Schlenk and Kirk Lacob, consultant Jerry West and coach Steve Kerr have a say on every move from D-League transactions on up, as Kawakami reveals.
Marc Gasol will not rule out returning to the Grizzlies regardless of how they do in the postseason, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. Gasol will be an unrestricted free agent after the season and the Grizzlies have an edge through the CBA because they can offer him a five-year deal while other suitors can only offer four. The Knicks, Lakers and Spurs are among the teams who will pursue Gasol, Amick adds.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Fallout From Stoudemire’s Knicks Departure

February 16th, 2015 at 6:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Mavs remain the front-runners for Amar’e Stoudemire, who clears waivers Wednesday, in part because of the strong relationships that owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle have with the big man’s agents at Relativity Sports, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. The presence of Dirk Nowitzki helps, too, as a source indicates to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). The Clippers and others hope to speak with Stoudemire today, but most executives monitoring him believe he’s destined for the Mavs, Wojnarowski hears. Here’s more on the former All-Star in the wake of New York’s parting with its marquee addition from the much-anticipated summer of 2010:

Berger hears the Grizzlies are interested in Stoudemire (Twitter link), which conflicts with an earlier report that Memphis wasn’t pushing to sign him. In any case, Berger reiterates that the Mavs are in front.
Stoudemire relinquished close to $2MM of this season’s nearly salary $23.411MM salary in the buyout from the Knicks, a source told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). That means the Knicks also stand to reap nearly another $3MM in tax savings on Stoudemire’s giveback.
Carmelo Anthony lamented losing Stoudemire, “one of the main reasons why I’m a New York Knick today” as a teammate, but ‘Melo also said he supports the big man’s endeavor to chase a championship elsewhere, as Nick Powell of NJ.com details.
Knicks owner James Dolan has reason to be bitter after Stoudemire failed to live up to their nearly $99.744MM deal, but the owner instead remains close to the big man and believes Stoudemire restored credibility to the franchise, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Knicks Waive Amar’e Stoudemire In Buyout Deal

February 16th, 2015 at 12:33pm CST by Zachary Links

12:33pm: The Knicks have waived Stoudemire, the team announced via press release, making the buyout deal official. It’s still unknown just how much Stoudemire gave back.

“Amar’e’s period as a Knickerbocker has come to pass, at his request. His time here should be marked by recognizing his effort – it was 100%,” Knicks team president Phil Jackson said in the statement. “As we move forward in structuring this team, we will look for players that exhibit his desire to win.”

The Knicks are left with 14 players on their roster. GM Steve Mills said in the team’s release that he and Stoudemire had developed a “long-term friendship” that would remain in place as they parted ways, and Stoudemire, in his quote as part of the statement, expressed gratitude to the organization, saying, “Once a Knick, always a Knick.”

MONDAY, 7:35am: The Blazers aren’t in the mix, as Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com hears (Twitter link).

SUNDAY, 11:15pm: The Clippers, Blazers, Suns, and Raptors are expected to pursue Stoudemire, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).

11:04pm: Stein (link) adds the Cavs to the list of teams that are not actively pursuing the veteran.

11:00pm: The Grizzlies and Warriors are not pushing to sign Stoudemire, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links).

10:40pm: The Clippers and Mavericks have strong interest in Stoudemire but the Spurs are a dark horse “with [a] level of intrigue,” according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).

10:12pm: The Knicks and Amar’e Stoudemire reached a buyout agreement on Sunday night, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). The big man’s camp has been discussing a buyout with the club for quite some time.

Stoudemire, 32, is in the final year of a massive five-year contract worth nearly $99.744MM that pays him almost $23.411MM this season. The veteran has averaged 12.0 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 36 games (14 starts) for the blue and orange this season. Stoudemire has a rather respectable 19.7 PER on the year and his 6.8 boards per game is a good improvement over his averages from the previous two campaigns.

Even though he has not found individual success with the Knicks, STAT was said to be conflicted about the idea of a buyout. Still, Stoudemire’s reps were pushing for a deal and the Knicks had no intention of re-signing him this summer as they look to push their resources towards younger talent.

“All possibilities at this point are still open,” Stoudemire said of his own buyout possibility. “The door is still open for that. But at the same time, I am with the Knicks now. I got to stay optimistic about things and what we are doing here. I can’t really focus on the future because it’s not here. We still have a couple weeks left before it’s all said and done. It’s a decision I have to make with my family to figure out the best scenario for the near future.”

The Mavs are reportedly the favorites to sign Stoudemire should he buy his way off the Knicks and clear waivers. Of course, with a $23MM+ salary, Stoudemire would be a mortal lock to pass through waivers unclaimed. Besides Dallas, the Clippers and Warriors are said to be interested as well. Marc Berman of the New York Post recently wrote that it’s “quite possible” that Stoudemire would return to the Suns this summer and speculated that the Magic would have interest in the central Florida native this summer, though it’s not clear what the interest level would be from either team if Stoudemire were to reach free agency mid-season.

Atlantic Notes: Knicks, Sixers, Nets, Patterson

February 14th, 2015 at 10:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

Who would want to come to a freezing city with a lousy team? The Knicks are hoping one of the NBA’s top free agents will, reports Mark Herrmann of Newsday. A bitter cold snap wasn’t very welcoming to the free-agents-to-be who were selected for this year’s All-Star Game in New York, but LaMarcus Aldridge, Marc Gasol and Paul Millsap brushed off the weather, just as they did questions about their future from the New York media. “I don’t think about free agency yet,” Gasol said. “It’s going to come to one point in time when I’m going to have to do that and I’ll weigh all my options. And when that happens, I’ll look at everything on the table.” None of the players had anything bad to say about New York, with Gasol calling it “one of the capitals of the world,” and Aldridge expressing admiration for team president Phil Jackson and the triangle offense.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Expect Sixers GM Sam Hinkie to go full-speed ahead into Thursday’s trade deadline with his tanking strategy, writes Bob Ford of The Inquirer. He sees two goals for Hinkie: taking on bad contracts to acquire assets, and reducing Philadelphia’s talent level in hopes of moving up the draft board. The Sixers stand a little more than $13MM below the cap floor, the amount they are bound by the collective bargaining agreement to spend on player salary. They rank third in the Hoops Rumors Reverse Standings.
If the Nets are sold, Sixers CEO Scott O’Neil expects a huge price tag, reports Cork Gaines of Yahoo! Finance. “I think they go for $1.4, $1.5 billion,” O’Neil said on Bloomberg Television’s “Market Makers.” “[the exact amount] depends on what’s included, what the lease looks like, how much of the arena you get. There is a whole bunch of different factors. But I would say, given the current set up, the current structure now, $1.5-ish [billion].”
Patrick Patterson’s stats may not show it, but he has become one of the Raptors‘ most valuable players, writes Eric Koreen of The National Post. Patterson averages 8.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, but his versatility and agility on defense make him a valuable piece in Toronto. “Defensively, he fits in a lot of different schemes,” coach Dwane Casey said, “doing different things: double-teaming in the post, showing in the pick-and-roll, walling in the pick-and-roll.” Patterson is in the first season of a three-year, $18MM contract.