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Eastern Notes: Heat, Bulls, Hornets

December 14th, 2015 at 7:01pm CST by Will Joseph

The early returns on the Heat‘s investment of $90MM over five years in Goran Dragic are not very good because the point guard and Dwyane Wade have been struggling to work together all season, Israel Gutierrez of ESPN.com details. Dragic’s seeming lack of confidence and reluctance to take open shots are not helping to resolve the issue, Gutierrez adds. This is not a new revelation, but Gutierrez expresses concern because many thought the problem would be behind the Heat by now.

“I like seeing guys go through a struggle to see how they respond, and he responded in a very positive way,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “I think it was great to see him show some character when the chips are not going your way. You can grind through it and help your team.”

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

The addition of coach Fred Hoiberg was supposed to gin up the Bulls offense, but instead it’s been the mainstay of their defense that has the Bulls in third place in the Eastern Conference in spite of some disconcerting signs early this season, observes TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com.
Hornets coach Steve Clifford did not dismiss the idea that Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who has a dislocated right shoulder, would appear in the playoffs, but added there is no timeline for the small forward to return, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets.
Ian Mahinmi, who is in the final year of his contract with the Pacers, has solidified his role as a solid shooting center and veteran locker room presence, Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star writes.

Sixers Talk With Elton Brand, Shane Battier

December 14th, 2015 at 12:16pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Sixers are talking to Elton Brand and Shane Battier in the hopes they can serve as role models for the team’s slew of younger players, sources tell TNT’s David Aldridge, who writes in his Morning Tip column for NBA.com. It’s unclear whether the idea is for them to serve in a playing, coaching or front office capacity. Battier retired as a player after the 2013/14 season, while Brand, who spent the past two seasons with the Hawks, cast doubt on the idea of playing again during an interview this past summer. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com identified Brand on Friday as someone to keep an eye on as the team looks for veterans to add to its roster.

New chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo dismissed the idea that son Bryan Colangelo, the former Suns and Raptors GM, will join the Sixers front office, telling Aldridge that it’s mere speculation. Still, the team does plan to bring aboard Mike D’Antoni as an assistant coach, Aldridge writes.

Former commissioner David Stern played a role in bringing the Sixers together with Jerry Colangelo, a source tells Aldridge. The NBA was “irate” at the way the Sixers handled the reports of Jahlil Okafor‘s various off–court incidents, according to Aldridge. GM Sam Hinkie treated the news with his trademark silence.

“I would say I was present when decisions were made, but there are some things we can do better,” Hinkie said. “We purposely laid low, and I purposely laid low, for a number of reasons. And I’ve always been very comfortable, and [coach] Brett [Brown]‘s been very comfortable, being out front for us when need be, because we trust each other, and we’re attached at the hip in a lot of ways. But sometimes, another voice helps.”

Brand, a David Falk client who spent four years with the Sixers between 2008 and 2012, averaged 2.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 13.5 minutes per game for a 60-win Atlanta team last season. This past spring represented the first time the former No. 1 overall pick appeared in the conference finals. Battier, a client of Jim Tanner, went to the finals in all three of his years with the Heat, with whom he last played, and twice won the championship. He averaged 4.1 points in 20.1 minutes and shot 34.8% from 3-point range in his final season on an NBA roster.

Southeast Notes: Heat, Wizards, Hornets

December 13th, 2015 at 1:46pm CST by Will Joseph

Former Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, in his first extensive interview since the trade that sent him to the Grizzlies, told Ethan Skolnick of the Miami Herald that the reason why he is having success with his new team is because he is being utilized as more of a scorer instead of a facilitator. Chalmers is averaging 9.5 points per game this season, which is better than his career average of 8.9 points per game. Interestingly, Chalmers said he was not provided a reason from Miami about why he was traded. The move allowed the Heat to shed salary.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Gary Neal, whom the Wizards signed to a one-year deal in July, has filled the role of capable bench scorer, which is what Washington hoped for in inking the veteran point guard, Jorge Castillo of the Washington Post writes. Neal’s contract, which is worth $2.1MM, fit into both the Wizards’ short-term plans and long-term flexibility, Castillo adds. The move has paid off with Neal averaging 10.6 points per game.
After being traded to the Hornets from the Blazers, Nicolas Batum is playing the best basketball of his career, Jimmy Toscano of CSNNE.com details. Batum’s all-around game has been so strong this season, Celtics coach Brad Stevens thinks the small forward has a good shot to make the All-Star team, as Toscano adds.
Speaking of Batum, taking chances on him, Jeremy Lamb and Spencer Hawes — who were each at uncertain points of their respective careers — in trades during the summer has made the Hornets dramatically better offensively, Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer explains. In obtaining the players, the Hornets added size and versatility, Bonnell adds. “We made a concerted effort to improve offensively, improve our versatility and find more skilled players,” Hornets GM Rich Cho said. “I knew Nic from [working in] Portland; we knew Spencer had tremendous basketball IQ and could shoot the ball and spread the floor. Jeremy was someone we pursued for a long time. We liked him in college and saw him play a lot of games in the NBA and the D-League.”

Eastern Notes: Porzingis, Whiteside, Johnson

December 13th, 2015 at 11:58am CST by ChrisCrouse

Kristaps Porzingis is having an outstanding rookie season and Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News argues that the Knicks are becoming his team. While Lupica admits that Carmelo Anthony is the current star and face of the franchise, Porzingis’ play will allow him to carry the team sooner than later. The 20-year-old is averaging 13.6 points and 8.4 rebounds, while shooting 35.4% from downtown in 27.3 minutes per game this season.

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

Although it will only take one team to offer him a max contract, Hassan Whiteside‘s market value may have been overstated, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel opines in his latest mailbag. Winderman points out that it seems the Heat are not fully committed to making Whiteside a focal point, citing the team’s reluctance to keep him in the game late in the fourth quarter.
While the possibility of trading for Joe Johnson seems unlikely for the Bulls due to the veteran’s $24.89MM salary, if the 34-year-old agrees to a buyout with the Nets, Chicago would be a logical landing spot, Sam Smith of NBA.com argues in his latest mailbag. Smith is merely speculating, as there has been no indication that Johnson or Brooklyn would pursue a buyout.
The Pistons have assigned Spencer Dinwiddie and Darrun Hilliard to the Grand Rapids Drive, the team’s D-League affiliate, according to their Twitter feed. Terry Foster of the Detroit News reported on Saturday that Dinwiddie might be sent down to the D-League today.

2016/17 Salary Cap Projection: Miami Heat

December 12th, 2015 at 10:35am CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA’s salary cap for 2015/16 has been set at $70MM, which is an 11% increase from last season, and the luxury tax line is fixed at $84.74MM. The last cap projection from the league prior to the official numbers being announced had been $67.1MM, and the projection for the tax line had been $81.6MM. Many league executives and agents believe that the salary cap will escalate to a whopping $95MM for 2016/17, a higher figure than the league’s last projection of $89MM. This significant bump is a result of the league’s new $24 billion TV deal that kicks in just in time for next season.

The increase in the salary cap will almost assuredly set off a flurry of activity in the free agent market next summer, and it will also make it easier than ever for teams to deal away their higher-priced stars. Prudent executives are acutely aware of exactly how much cap room they have to play with, not just for the current campaign, but for next season and beyond as well. While the exact amount of 2016/17’s salary cap won’t be announced until next summer, it always pays to know just how much salary is on the books for each franchise. With this in mind, we at Hoops Rumors will be breaking down the projected 2016/17 financial commitments for each franchise, and we’ll continue onward with a look at the Miami Heat:

Fully Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $48,008,675
Partially Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $0
Non Guaranteed Salary Commitments: $1,855,067
Total Projected Salary Cap Commitments: $49,863,742

If the salary cap were to fall in line with the projection of $89MM, Miami would have approximately $39,136,258 in cap space, or $45,136,258 if the cap were to be set at the higher mark of $95MM. Again, these are merely predictions until the exact cap amounts are announced, and they are not meant to illustrate the exact amount that the team will have available to spend this coming offseason.

Miami will also need to make decisions regarding Tyler Johnson, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer. If the Heat wish to retain the right to match any offer sheets the player were to receive the team would need to submit a qualifying offer worth $1,180,431. That number would merely be a placeholder until the player either inked a new deal or signed his qualifying offer, which would then set Johnson up for unrestricted free agency the following offseason.

Trades and long-term free agent signings made during the season will also have a significant impact on the figures above, and we’ll be updating these posts to reflect the new numbers after any signings and trades have been made official.

The Basketball Insiders salary pages were used in the creation of this post.

Clippers Gauge Interest In Stephenson, Smith?

December 9th, 2015 at 7:56am CST by Chuck Myron

WEDNESDAY, 7:56am: Rivers denies that he’s reached out to anyone about Stephenson and Smith. The coach/executive addressed the issue in an appearance on “The Fred Roggin Show” on The Beast 980 radio in Los Angeles.

“Not true,” Rivers said of the initial report. “It’s amazing how silly this stuff is. I don’t comment on it much obviously but I can tell you, I think I’m the president of basketball and I’ve yet to have a conversation with any team about anyone right now. These reports come out and there’s nothing you can do about it.

An NBA executive told Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times that the Clippers indeed placed calls about Stephenson and Smith but that they were exploratory and routine for this time of year (Twitter link).

TUESDAY, 8:30am: The Clippers measured the trade market for Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith last month, league sources told Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, but they’ve withdrawn from that effort more recently amid a spate of injuries, Spears adds. The team doesn’t have anyone on its injury report currently, but it’s unclear if trade talks will resume. Spears also suggests the Clippers remain open to trading Jamal Crawford, a frequent subject of trade rumors in the offseason, though coach/executive Doc Rivers said in September that he’d be “very surprised” if Crawford doesn’t remain a Clipper throughout the season. Smith becomes eligible for inclusion in trades a week from today, while Stephenson and Crawford are already trade-eligible.

Two NBA executives indicated to Spears that the Clippers probably found a weak market for the pair. One exec suggested that the two are more likely to work buyouts than end up in trades, further speculating that Stephenson ends up back on the Pacers, his original team. The other executive who spoke with Spears alleged that Stephenson and Smith have negatively affected team chemistry in L.A. Smith recently shouted back and forth with assistant coach Mike Woodson following a loss, Spears reports. The second executive also said he believes it’ll be tough for the Clippers to find trade partners for either Smith or Stephenson since few had interest in either before they joined the team, Spears adds.

Still, the Kings, Mavs and Rockets were reportedly interested in signing Smith as a free agent this past summer, when he took a discount and joined the Clippers on a one-year, minimum-salary deal. The Nets apparently talked about trading for Stephenson on two different occasions last season, when he was with the Hornets, and the Heat were apparently among the teams with interest last year, too. It’s unclear if those teams were still eyeing him when the Clippers struck a deal to acquire him in June. He’s making $9MM this season and has a $9.405MM team option for next season.

What teams do you think would be strong fits for Stephenson, Smith and Crawford? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Eastern Notes: Fournier, Green, Young

December 8th, 2015 at 2:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Evan Fournier‘s camp sought significantly more than $10MM a year in extension talks this fall, sources told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com. The Bouna Ndiaye client turned down a four-year, $32MM offer from Orlando, as Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports reported earlier. The Magic might wish they’d upped the number in their proposal, Lowe opines, believing that the team’s decision to bench former No. 2 overall pick Victor Oladipo is, at its simplest, because Fournier is a better player and better option for the Magic as a starting two guard than Oladipo is. See more from the Eastern Conference:

Gerald Green drew criticism for his defense from Suns coach Jeff Hornacek last season, but the Heat signed him in large measure because they saw potential in him for that end of the floor, and the 29-year-old has embraced that part of the game, as Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post details. He wants to parlay his performance on a one-year, minimum-salary deal into a long-term contract with the Heat, Lieser writes. “I’m trying to find a home, and can’t Miami be my home?” he said. “That’s where my intentions are. So what is a Miami Heat requirement? To D-up. I know if I want to be here the rest of my career, [forget] offense. I gotta D up. That’s where my mind is at.”
Frequent D-League assignee James Young had perhaps his best NBA game Monday against New Orleans, an auspicious sign for the development of last year’s 17th overall pick, and it wouldn’t have happened if not for Celtics coach Brad Stevens, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com. It was Stevens who decided to cut short Young’s latest D-League assignment Friday, believing he might need him for depth purposes with R.J. Hunter out.
The Sixers have assigned Carl Landry and Christian Wood to the D-League, as Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com relays via Twitter. It’s a rehab assignment for Landry as he continues to make his way back from a right wrist injury, Seltzer notes, and he’s not expected to play any games for the Delaware 87ers, the Sixers affiliate, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link).

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Raptors, Heat

December 6th, 2015 at 9:27pm CST by Will Joseph

This is only Reggie Jackson‘s first season as a full-time starter so it is conceivable that the 25-year-old still has plenty of room to grow, which bodes well for the Pistons, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports writes. The Pistons surprised many when they locked up Jackson for five years and $80MM, but if Detroit signs Andre Drummond to another contract, Zillgitt adds, they will have their point guard-center combo for the future. Jackson has impressed this season by averaging 20.1 points and 6.6 assists per game.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Goran Dragic is feeling more comfortable in the Heat‘s offense, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel details. From the Heat’s perspective, that is likely a relief considering Miami re-signed the point guard to a five-year, $90MM deal in the summer. “Of course it’s more fun,” Dragic said of his recent string of solid play, per Winderman. “Even my body language is a little bit different. I’m smiling on the court. I’m enjoying. And that’s the most important thing, try to enjoy and at the same time play hard. As long as the team is winning, it’s all good.”
Lucas Nogueira is playing well in limited minutes lately for the Raptors, his fourth team in two years, and his opportunity will likely continue because Jonas Valanciunas isn’t expected back this month, Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca writes. The Raptors picked up their 2016/17 team option in September on the rookie scale contract of Nogueira.

Southeast Notes: Hardaway, Whiteside, Heat Picks

December 6th, 2015 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Hawks have no complaints about Tim Hardaway Jr.‘s performance, even though he was assigned to the D-League this week, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Journal-Constitution. Hardaway, who was acquired in an offseason deal with the Knicks, has appeared in just four games for Atlanta, averaging 2.5 points, but coach Mike Budenholzer said the third-year guard has maintained a good attitude. “He has been great,” Budenholzer said. “The way that he has attacked and worked – before practice, after practice, the weight room, his conditioning, getting stronger, all those things. I think he is understanding some of the things we are doing defensively. I’m very happy with his approach to everything.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

It took Heat center Hassan Whiteside several years to make his mark in the NBA, but he tells Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post that he never doubted it would happen someday. After two seasons out of the league, Whiteside became a force in the middle after signing with Miami last season. “No, I never wondered if it was going to work out,” he said. “I just kept praying on it, and you just kind of hope for the best. I look at things day-by-day. I just feel like, you look at things in the short-term and they don’t seem as long. Like I could have looked at it like, ‘Oh, man, I’m this far from the NBA.’ But I just kind of looked at it like if I do something day-by-day to get closer to your dream, something good’s got to happen.”
Recent visits from the Sixers and Celtics, who are stocked with draft picks over the next few seasons, are a reminder that the Heat are pursuing the opposite strategy, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. This year’s first-rounder is top 10 protected and almost certainly will go to Philadelphia. Miami also owes first-round picks in 2018 and 2021 to Phoenix in the Goran Dragic trade. In addition, four of the Heat’s next five second-rounders are being sent elsewhere.
This week’s trip to Los Angeles had Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton of the Magic recalling their 2014 pre-draft workout with the Lakers, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. “It just wasn’t fair,” Gordon said. “Basically, we were just taking turns coming off the pick-and-roll, setting picks for each other. We were dominating.”

And-Ones: Jones, All-Stars, Draft Picks, Inglis

December 5th, 2015 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Timberwolves have assigned rookie point guard Tyus Jones to the D-League, the team tweeted tonight. The former Duke star was drafted 24th overall by the Cavaliers in June and then shipped to Minnesota in a draft-night trade. He has played just 14 minutes in two games with the Wolves, with 1 point, 1 rebound and 1 assist. Minnesota officials had previously announced their intention to have Jones spend part of the year in the D-League to get more playing time. Jones will be sent to the Idaho Stampede, the affiliate of the Jazz. Wolves GM Milt Newton will address the situation Sunday, according to a tweet from the team.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Pistons center Andre Drummond heads a list of most likely first-time all stars compiled by Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders. With Drummond averaging more than 18 points per game and leading the league in rebounds, Brigham considers the fourth-year center a shoo-in for the February 14th contest in Toronto. Potentially joining him from the Eastern Conference are Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis, the Hornets‘ Kemba Walker, the Celtics‘ Isaiah Thomas and the Heat’s Hassan Whiteside. Brigham’s five picks for the Western squad are the Warriors‘ Draymond Green, the Spurs‘ Kawhi Leonard, the Suns‘ Eric Bledsoe and/or Brandon Knight and the Jazz’s Derrick Favors.
LSU’s Ben Simmons looks like the clear No. 1 pick in the 2016 draft, Brigham writes in a separate story analyzing the top six contenders for that honor. Brigham cites the Australia freshman’s versatility on offense, where he possesses the skills of a point guard but the 6’10” frame of a power forward. Also on Brigham’s list are Kentucky freshman Skal Labissiere, California freshman Jaylen Brown, Duke freshman Brandon Ingram, Providence junior Kris Dunn and Utah sophomore Jakob Poeltl.
The Bucks recalled Damien Inglis from the Canton Charge of the D-League, tweets Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He was sent to Canton on November 22nd.
The Raptors recalled Bruno Caboclo and Delon Wright from Raptors 905, the team tweeted today. Neither was active for today’s game with the Warriors.