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Hoops Rumors Weekly Mailbag 1/18/15-1/24/15

January 24th, 2015 at 11:44am CST by Eddie Scarito

In addition to our weekly chat, which Chuck Myron facilitates every Wednesday, we have added a second opportunity for you to hit us up with your questions in this, our weekly mailbag feature. Have a question regarding player movement, the salary cap, or the NBA draft? Drop me a line at HoopsRumorsMailbag@Gmail.com or @EddieScarito on Twitter. Now for this week’s inquiries:

“If the Knicks win the lottery this year and have the No. 1 pick, who would they choose out of Emmanuel Mudiay, Karl-Anthony Towns, or Jahlil Okafor? — Mathias

This will be an interesting draft for the Knicks, since it will be Phil Jackson‘s first after a full season as an executive, and he doesn’t have any track record to draw from for reference as to what he might do. Having stated that caveat, I don’t see how New York could pass on Okafor, who is by far the top talent in this draft class. The only way I can see Okafor slipping out of the top slot is if he suffers an injury between now and when his predraft workouts occur. The only other factor that could change Jackson’s focus, possibly to Mudiay, is if Jackson somehow gets the indication that Marc Gasol wants to come to New York via free agency. But that’s an extremely unlikely scenario.

“With all of the trade talk surrounding Michael Carter-Williams, wouldn’t the Sixers be more inclined to trade K.J. McDaniels first? After all, GM Sam Hinkie slipped up in the contract process with McDaniels following the draft. Why not move him and get a return before he can walk?” — Pete D.

I agree with you that Hinkie probably made an error in not signing McDaniels to more than a one-year deal. That kid is a keeper. But it’s for just that reason that I don’t see Philly dealing McDaniels unless the team is absolutely blown away by an offer. But Philadelphia isn’t likely to garner much for what could potentially be just a few months’ rental of McDaniels. Teams will likely be wary of what it might cost them to retain him when he hits restricted free agency this summer. This would likely knock down any potential return that Philadelphia might receive for McDaniels. So I think that Hinkie should, and will, hold onto him, and then do his best to sign McDaniels to a long-term contract this summer. So while he’ll end up costing the Sixers more than if they had simply offered him a guaranteed deal from the start, I think McDaniels is too strong of an asset to give up on this season. Plus, Philly will have ample cap space to match whatever offer sheets McDaniels would garner, within the bounds of the Gilbert Arenas provision and as long as a team doesn’t throw a Chandler Parsons-like contract offer at McDaniels (not very likely). If McDaniels does sign a bloated offer sheet, Philly will just have to swallow hard and let him go.

“Who is more likely to change teams as a free agent this summer — LaMarcus Aldridge or Marc Gasol?” — Steve-O

My honest answer would be neither, but that would be cheating! If I had to pick, I would choose Aldridge as the player more likely to change zip codes and uniforms. Gasol essentially grew up in Memphis, having attended high school there while Pau Gasol was playing for the Grizzlies. Memphis has a solid team that can offer him the most money, and the younger Gasol isn’t a headline chaser, so moving to a major market would likely hold little appeal. Sure, the Spurs may be an intriguing possibility, given how stellar that organization is. But San Antonio’s core won’t be around for too much longer. So why would Gasol risk heading into a potential rebuilding situation when Memphis will remain a contender over the next few seasons?

As for Aldridge, he’s also unlikely to leave his current team, since the Blazers are also a solid franchise and have a talented roster. Plus, Portland could offer Aldridge nearly $30MM more than any other competing team over the life of any deal. But Aldridge is from Texas, and all three teams in the Lone Star state would likely love to add Aldridge to their rosters. But to do so all three teams would need to clear cap space to add him, or in San Antonio’s case, have Tim Duncan and/or Manu Ginobili retire. I would be stunned if Gasol ended up leaving Memphis. Conversely, I wouldn’t be completely shocked if Aldridge changed teams, but it’s still a long shot.

“Is Langston Galloway for real, and is he a big part of the Knicks next season?” — NYCKingpin

I assure you, Langston Galloway exists! But seriously now. Yes, I think he’s an intriguing prospect whom the Knicks should sign for the remainder of the season when his second 10-day deal expires. I also think he’s a keeper for next season as well. From what Galloway has shown thus far, he can be quite a useful rotation piece in the future. Is he a starting-level player on a playoff team? To that I would say probably not. But he can absolutely develop into a valuable bench player on winning team. But I would temper your expectations a bit. It’s too small a sample size to accurately judge his true worth just yet. Sure, he’s putting up decent numbers, but they’re on a dreadful Knicks squad. Competing teams don’t really bring their A-game when playing against New York this season, which is also something to keep in mind when looking at Galloway’s performances. But Galloway has been the best 10-day signee in the league thus far. So at least the Knicks have accomplished something this season!

“Who is the most intriguing free agent in your opinion this summer?” — Kyle M.

For my money it’s the Warriors’ Draymond Green. The 24-year-old will become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, so Golden State will have the opportunity to match any offer sheets that Green receives. And Green should get a few lucrative offers thrown his way with how well he is performing this season. While Green won’t be the biggest name on the market, he is the one with the most potential to end up being overpaid, since an extremely player-friendly deal is what it will likely take to discourage Golden State from matching another team’s offer sheet. But Green also has as much upside as any player who will be hitting free agency this summer, which is a huge draw.

I simply love Green’s combination of athleticism, hustle, defensive ability, and raw talent. Green’s youth is also a tremendous asset to prospective bidders since his next contract will cover his prime production seasons. Green also has the ability to blossom into a star on a team where the ball isn’t dominated by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. My only concerns regarding Green is if his breakout season is simply a product of Golden State’s system, and how much his stats have benefited from playing alongside two All-Star caliber players in Curry and Thompson. But out of all of the second-tier free agent players that will be on the market this summer, Green is the one that I would say has the most potential to be a franchise changer.

That’s all the space that I have for this week. Thanks to all those who sent in their questions. I’ll be back next Saturday to answer a whole new batch. So fire away and keep filling up my inbox with your inquiries.

Western Notes: Bryant, Jerrett, Stokes

January 24th, 2015 at 10:03am CST by Eddie Scarito

There has been speculation that Kobe Bryant‘s shoulder injury could mark the end of his career, something that Lakers coach Byron Scott doubts will be the case, Greg Beacham of The Associated Press writes. “He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve ever been around as far as dealing with injuries and things like that, and being able to come back,” Scott said. “Everybody said he was done after the Achilles, and he came back pretty strong. Knowing him the way I know him, I know he doesn’t want to go out this way. I think he will rehab it if that’s the case, and then we’ll wait and see.”

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Thunder have re-assigned Grant Jerrett to the Oklahoma City Blue, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced (Twitter link). This will be Jerrett’s eighth sojourn to the D-League this season. The 21-year-old has only made four NBA appearances thus far this season, and has averaged 1.8 points in 6.0 minutes per contest for the Thunder.
Blazers GM Neil Olshey insisted that he won’t rush to make up for the absence of LaMarcus Aldridge, and that any deals the team makes at the trade deadline will be with the playoffs and not the regular season in mind, Grantland’s Zach Lowe notes.
Grizzlies rookie Jarnell Stokes is still trying to adjust to not seeing regular minutes after having been the star on every team that he played for prior to arriving in Memphis, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. “It was hard for me at first,” Stokes said of not playing. “The first couple games, even just in the preseason, I was like, ‘Man, I’m going to have to do this all year?’ It was tough. I was coming home just mad and I had to learn that this is the way it’s going to be and that I can learn from this and that God has me in this position for a reason. I’ll have my opportunity [eventually] and I feel like there are some things I can work on now, so I can get better. I’m just working on those things so I’m ready the next time my name is called.” Stokes spoke with Zach Links of Hoops Rumors last August.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Poll: Best Western Conference Move?

January 23rd, 2015 at 11:00am CST by ChrisCrouse

Four Western Conference playoff contenders have made major acquisitions over the past several weeks, and 50 wins might be mandatory for entry into postseason in the West this year with the way some of the contenders playing. The West was already stacked, and it’s only becoming more so.

The Mavericks made perhaps the season’s first major move by trading Jae Crowder, Brandan Wright, Jameer Nelson and a pair of draft picks for Rajon Rondo and Dwight Powell. Almost two-thirds of Hoops Rumors readers believed Dallas would make it to at least the conference finals when they voted in my late December poll, and the team is 11-5 since making the trade. Dallas still lacks depth but the team boasts one of the best starting lineups in the league and is capable of making a deep postseason run.

The Rockets responded by making a couple of moves of their own. Houston acquired Corey Brewer and Alexey Shved in a three way trade with the Wolves and the Sixers. The Rockets then signed with Josh Smith after the Pistons released him via the stretch provision. The team is 9-7 since acquiring the trio, and six of those seven losses are against teams that made the postseason last year. However, any team with superstars on it, like James Harden and Dwight Howard, shouldn’t be counted out once postseason play begins.

The Thunder sustained injuries to their biggest stars to begin the season and as a result, they ended up falling behind in the playoff race. They hope Dion Waiters, acquired from the Cavs in a three way trade, will help put the team in position to make a late-season push and make the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. By many accounts, Waiters has fit in nicely with the Thunder. They’re 5-2 and Waiters is averaging 11.9 points in 28.3 minutes per game since his arrival in Oklahoma City.

In another three-team trade, the Grizzlies acquired Jeff Green from the Celtics and Russ Smith from the Pelicans in exchange for Tayshaun Prince, a first-round pick and cash. They also sent Quincy Pondexter and a second-round pick to New Orleans in the trade. Green was averaging a career-high 17.6 points per game as the No. 1 scoring option in Boston, but he has only scored 13.0 PPG so far in five games for the Grizzlies. Memphis is 4-1 since Green came to town, but the Grizzlies won’t consider the move a success until the postseason arrives and they win a few playoff rounds. They were 26-11 before the trade and as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out, when you’re already that good, marginal upgrades become that much harder to accomplish. While giving up that first-round pick hurts, especially since the team already didn’t control its 2015 first-rounder, Memphis has the talent and the right opportunity to go all in on this season.

The Western Conference race is wide open. Which team put itself in the best position to contend after its recent acquisition(s)? Let us know with a vote, and elaborate on your choice in the comments.

Grizzlies Sign Tyrus Thomas To 10-Day Deal

January 22nd, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Chuck Myron

THURSDAY, 3:37pm: The Grizzlies have officially inked Thomas to a 10-day contract, the team has announced in a press release.

WEDNESDAY, 2:49pm: Memphis is expected to sign Thomas to his 10-day deal on Thursday, GM Chris Wallace confirms to Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal, who writes in a subscription-only piece.

TUESDAY, 3:59pm: The Grizzlies are signing Tyrus Thomas to a 10-day contract, reports Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Broussard indicates that the former No. 4 overall pick has already put pen to paper, though the team has yet to make any announcement. Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports reported earlier that the sides were talking about such a deal, which will be the first for Thomas since Charlotte waived him using the amnesty clause in the summer of 2013.

Thomas had joined Memphis’ D-League affiliate, the Iowa Energy, last week, in an effort to showcase his talents for NBA teams. This move obviously worked, with Thomas averaging 14.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in two appearances for the Energy. Memphis had an open roster spot, so no additional move will be required to bring Thomas aboard.

In 400 career NBA games, Thomas has averaged 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks. His career slash line is .438/.235/.732.

Wizards Most Aggressive Suitor For Ray Allen

January 22nd, 2015 at 2:17pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards are making numerous calls on Ray Allen and they’ve been pushing the hardest to sign the 39-year-old free agent, reports Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter links). Allen is still unsure of what he’ll do this season, in spite of his hints earlier this week that he intends to return to the NBA, and while he’s working out at his home in Miami, he’s also enjoying time with his family, Kennedy cautions (on Twitter).

Washington has planned to keep up its pursuit until the Jim Tanner client gives the team a definite no, as J. Michael of CSNWashington.com wrote earlier this month. Michael described the team’s contact with Allen as “routine” and said that it was nonetheless a long shot that the sharpshooter would end up with the Wizards. Washington only has the prorated minimum salary to offer, and Allen has signaled a strong desire for more than that, but the Wizards do have an open roster spot.

LeBron James reportedly paid a recent visit to try to recruit Allen to the Cavs, who’ve seemingly been the front-runners to land him. Others from the Cavs organization have kept in contact with the league’s all-time leader in three-pointers made, too, as Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com wrote.

The Warriors appear to have ceased consideration of Allen, as Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group indicated overnight, but several other teams have been connected to Allen over the past several months. The Warriors were among the most recent teams to have been linked to him, a group that includes the Clippers and Grizzlies, and the Bulls and Spurs have reportedly been eyeing him, too.

And-Ones: Durant, Heat, Raptors, Bynum, Heslip

January 22nd, 2015 at 1:38pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wizards seem like prime contenders for Washington native Kevin Durant when he hits free agency in 2016, but the thought of a homecoming isn’t on the reigning MVP’s mind, at least yet, as he told reporters, including Royce Young of ESPN.com.

“I’ve never thought about it, to be honest,” Durant said. “I mean, I hear it in the summertime. I heard it for the first time this summer. That’s when it started heating up. I love playing for Oklahoma City, man. There’s just a certain level of pride that I have when I play with that Oklahoma City on my chest.”

The Thunder picked up a key victory Wednesday against the Wizards as they fight to grab a playoff spot and salvage this year’s chance to win a title while Durant remains under contract. Here’s more from around the league:

Miami won’t re-sign Tyler Johnson to another 10-day contract, at least for the time being, a source tells Hoops Rumors. The Heat want to maximize their flexibility in case of a trade, but it’s possible that they’ll re-sign him later, perhaps as soon as a week from now, the source added. Johnson’s original 10-day pact with the Heat expired after Wednesday.
The Raptors had interest in Tyrus Thomas before he reached a deal to sign a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, according to Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
NBA interest is growing in former Pistons point guard Will Bynum, whose Chinese team has won 22 games in a row since he joined the club last month, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Still, the Chinese Basketball Association playoffs threaten to keep him off-limits to NBA teams until March, Wojnarowski notes.
Wolves camp invitee Brady Heslip will sign with BC Igokea in Bosnia, USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt reports (on Twitter). Gino Pilato of D-League Digest first reported that Heslip had left the D-League affiliate of the Kings, with whom he had been playing since Minnesota cut him loose (Twitter link).
Providence junior small forward Tyler Harris plans to enter this year’s NBA draft, sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. Harris is the 65th-best NBA prospect among juniors, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. Chad Ford of ESPN.com doesn’t have him within his rankings.

Jamaal Franklin To Join Lakers D-League Team

January 21st, 2015 at 11:49am CST by Arthur Hill

WEDNESDAY, 11:49am: Franklin will play for the D-League affiliate of the Lakers, who’ve claimed him off D-League waivers, a source tells Pilato (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 10:18pm: Jamaal Franklin, who spent time with the Grizzlies last season, will be joining the D-League, according to Gino Pilato of D-League Digest (Twitter link). Franklin saw limited action last year in Memphis, appearing in 21 games and averaging 7.7 minutes, 1.9 points and 1.1 rebounds.

The Grizzlies chose Franklin with the 41st overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft. He spent much of his rookie season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the D-League. He played with Memphis’ 2014 summer league team, but was waived by the Grizzlies on August 31st of last year.

Most recently, Franklin was with the Zhejiang Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association. He appeared in 26 games before leaving the league on January 5th.

D-League Notes: Anderson, Harris, Green

January 20th, 2015 at 10:27pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The D-League is becoming an integral part of the NBA’s process of developing younger players, as well as a source for locating hidden gems to bolster rosters during the course of the season. You can easily stay on top of which players are coming and going from the D-League all season by checking out our 2014/15 D-League Assignments, Recalls tracker, which is updated daily. You can also find this page anytime on the right sidebar under “Hoops Rumors Features.”

Here are the latest D-League moves:

With Iman Shumpert set to return from his shoulder injury and expected make his Cavs debut this week, Cleveland has assigned Joe Harris to its D-League affiliate, the Canton Charge, the team has announced. This will be Harris’ first stint of the season in the D-League.
The Nuggets have assigned Erick Green to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team has announced. Green becomes the first player of the season assigned by Denver to the D-League.
The Spurs have assigned Kyle Anderson to the Austin Spurs, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Anderson’s second trek of the season to Austin, where he logged 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists in 41 minutes of action in his only D-League appearance.
The Grizzlies have re-assigned Jordan Adams, Russ Smith, and Jarnell Stokes to the Iowa Energy, the team has announced. This will be each player’s fourth D-League sojourn of the season.
John Jenkins was recalled from the Idaho Stampede, the Jazz‘s D-League affiliate, the Hawks have announced. The third-year shooting guard wound up with Idaho via the new rules that allow the Hawks and the dozen other NBA teams that share the Fort Wayne Mad Ants as their D-League affiliate to assign players to other affiliates if the Mad Ants are out of room. In 11 D-League games this season, Jenkins is averaging 18.0 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 28.4 minutes.

Grizzlies, Tyrus Thomas Discuss 10-Day Deal

January 20th, 2015 at 2:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:14pm: Thomas is among several players Memphis is considering for a 10-day contract, as Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes in a subscription-only piece. The chances are 50-50 that the Grizzlies will sign Thomas, sources tell Tillery, who suggests that the greater level of hesitance exists on the power forward’s side, given the team’s deep frontcourt.

8:34am: The Grizzlies and Tyrus Thomas are having serious conversations about a would-be 10-day deal, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. The former No. 4 overall pick last week joined the Iowa Energy, the D-League affiliate of the Grizzlies, when the Energy claimed him off D-League waivers, and Memphis worked him out prior to that move, Spears writes. The Grizzlies have an open spot on their NBA roster, so they wouldn’t need to make a corresponding transaction to add the 28-year-old power forward.

Memphis has been interested in Thomas for a while, having reportedly worked him out in November around the same time the Lakers also gave him an audition. Still, the former Bull and Bobcat hasn’t signed an NBA contract since Charlotte waived him using the amnesty clause in the summer of 2013. Thomas had nearly $18.083MM in salary remaining on his deal with the then-Bobcats, and that’s been coming his way even though it doesn’t count against Charlotte’s cap. So, there’s been no pressing financial need for Thomas to get back into the Association, though it appears he’s been making a concerted effort to do since having a cyst removed from his spinal cord last March and hiring agent Roger Montgomery this past fall. Thomas has averaged 14.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in 26.9 minutes per game in two appearances for the D-League Energy.

James McAdoo rejected a 10-day offer from the Grizzlies to sign one from the Warriors instead, and the same was true when JaMychal Green inked with the Spurs, according to Spears, who notes that Memphis has been looking to add a power forward (Twitter link). GM Chris Wallace and company have shown a willingness this season to see what it can get from former top-five picks who’ve fallen out of favor, having signed 2008 No. 2 selection Michael Beasley to a non-guaranteed contract prior to the preseason. Beasley failed to make the regular season roster, but it appears Thomas is close to doing so.

Southwest Notes: Jones, Green, Pelicans

January 19th, 2015 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Two months after fearing his NBA career would end prematurely, the Rockets‘ Terrence Jones is preparing to return, reports Jenny Dial Creech of The Houston Chronicle. Still recovering from a nerve issue in his left leg, Jones has been going through intense workouts and plans to start playing again soon, though no firm date is set. “I am more active than I’ve been in so long,” Jones said. “Being on the court feels real good and it’s a blessing to be able to get up and down and finally move my leg a little and jump and do things with the basketball that I couldn’t do two months ago at all.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Jeff Green has fit in smoothly since the January 12th trade that brought him from the Celtics to the Grizzlies, according to Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Green’s versatility and feel for the game have made an impression in Memphis. “He’s extremely smart and he’s picked up our stuff very quickly,” coach Dave Joerger said. “Now we’ve just got to keep building the chemistry amongst the players.”
Mike Conley said Green could be the missing ingredient the Grizzlies need to win the Western Conference, reports Tim Bontemps of The New York Post. “I think with us adding a guy like [Jeff] … but even before him, I thought we had a chance,” Conley said. “But now with him, I feel it gives us that much more of a boost, that extra confidence that we belong, we can really do it now for sure.”
Pelicans coach Monty Williams tells John Reid of The Times-Picayune he has been doing a lot of self-evaluation as he tries to bring a winner to New Orleans. The Pelicans are 20-21, but haven’t managed three straight wins during the first half of the season. “I’ve always felt you should always look at yourself first as it applies to helping your team,” Williams said. ”Obviously our guys know if you play a certain way, it equals great success for us. At the same time, I have to make evaluations on what I’m doing and that’s not giving us a chance to be consistent. As frustrating as it is as a coach, I have to stay the course and make sure I get the right guys in the game.”