NBA G League Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Stone, Oubre, Celtics, Bucks

August 7th, 2017 at 8:04pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Julyan Stone‘s agent is hopeful of freeing his client from a European contract so that the point guard can sign with the Hornets, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Charlotte has offered Stone a two-year deal to be its third point guard behind Kemba Walker and Michael Carter-Williams but he first must be released from the contract he signed with Reyer Venezia in the Italian pro league. Stone’s agent, Giovanni Funiciello, told Bonnell that he’s hopeful a compromise can be worked out this week so that Stone can remain in the U.S. and be close to his ailing father.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

Wizards majority owner Ted Leonsis hopes that small forward Kelly Oubre develops to the point where he has to pay the 2015 first-round pick “a lot of money,” Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic.com writes. Leonsis indicated that Oubre was slowed by a knee injury last season and that coach Scott Brooks believes Oubre “can be a difference maker.” The Wizards are expected to pick up Oubre’s fourth-year option for 2018/19 prior to the start of the upcoming season, setting up Oubre for a potential big payday in the summer of 2019.
All-Star point guard Isaiah Thomas is very pleased with the Celtics’ offseason, highlighted by the free agent signing of forward Gordon Hayward, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com tweets. “We added Gordon Hayward, which is an All-Star-caliber player that’s going to help us get to the next level — and that’s the championship,” Thomas told Forsberg.
Jordan Brady has been named the first head coach of the Bucks’ G League team, the Wisconsin Herd, the Herd announced in a press release. Brady, 34, served as an assistant coach last season for the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s affiliate. He has also been an assistant coach with three other G League organizations.

And-Ones: Africa, Coach/Executives, Scott, G League

August 6th, 2017 at 12:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Improved coaching is the next step for Africa to produce more NBA players, writes Shaun Powell of NBA.com. The league held its annual Africa Game on Saturday, which brought several NBA coaches to the continent for a week of teaching. Powell notes that most of the players who represented Team Africa in the contest learned their skills while growing up in other places.

“The coaches here are getting involved in coaching clinics, teaching techniques and fundamentals like never before,” said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who was part of the event. “Some of the high school coaches are very interested in learning more and understanding how to teach. I think it’s all progressing. The league saw the issue at hand and addressed it and I’ll be shocked if this is not the place where the next wave of NBA players come from.”

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

Commissioner Adam Silver has privately voiced his concerns to some owners and team officials over the idea of coaches serving as executives, relays Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN. The Clippers became the latest team to abandon that approach on Friday when they made Doc Rivers a full-time coach and promoted Lawrence Frank to president of basketball operations. Gregg Popovich, Stan Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau are the only remaining coaches who serve both roles.
Byron Scott tells TMZ that he’s through with coaching and has no desire to return to the NBA. Scott, 56, was fired by the Lakers at the end of the 2015/16 season after two years with the team. He compiled a 38–126 record for a .232 winning percentage that is the worst of any coach in franchise history. He also frequently clashed with the team’s younger players. Scott served as head coach of the Nets, Hornets and Cavaliers before coming to L.A.
The G League is hoping to eliminate a buyout loophole by requiring anyone who gets waived to remain in the player pool for 14 days before being released from their contract, writes Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days. In the past, overseas teams have been able to avoid $40K or $50K buyouts as teams would release players as a gesture of goodwill when they received offers. Johnson says the new rule amounts to a no-compete clause, which is illegal in some states.

Southeast Notes: Richardson, Johnson, Wall, G League

August 6th, 2017 at 10:32am CST by Arthur Hill

The Heat should try to get Josh Richardson to sign an extension as soon as possible, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. After two NBA seasons, the former second-round pick is eligible for an extension up to four years and $42MM that would take effect with the 2018/19 season. Even at the full price, Richardson’s starting salary that year will be $9.4MM, which could be a bargain for someone who has been a contributor when he’s been healthy.

The deadline for an extension doesn’t come until June 30th, and Winderman thinks Richardson might be wise to wait. If there’s no agreement, he will become a restricted free agent in July, with the Heat having the right to match any offer. The team will also have full Bird Rights, which would eliminate the possibility of a backloaded contract like the one the Nets offered Tyler Johnson. Winderman also notes that Miami will send two of its next four first-rounders to Phoenix in the Goran Dragic trade, so it can’t afford to lose a young talent like Richardson.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

With their current cap status, the Heat have little reason to try to move Johnson’s contract before it balloons in 2018/19, Winderman adds in a question-and-answer column. Johnson will make close to $5.9MM for the upcoming season, then nearly $19.25MM in each of the next two years. It’s a provision that Brooklyn threw into its offer sheet in an attempt to discourage the Heat from matching, and it was eliminated in the new collective-bargaining agreement. Winderman states that if Miami is successful with its current mix of players, the team will continue to operate over the cap and Johnson’s escalation won’t really matter.
With a supermax contract in hand, Wizards star John Wall has outlined several goals for the rest of his career, relays Chase Hughes of CSNMidAtlantic. At a press conference Friday to officially announce the new deal, Wall said he wants to win a championship in Washington and become the fifth player in franchise history to have his number retired. “We definitely have a lot of unfinished business,” Wall told reporters. “I want to bring a championship here, so we’re going to keep striving to get that. I’m not going to stop until we get there. That’s why I wanted to come back to this city.”
The Hawks are adopting a radical approach as they take over the G League franchise in Erie, Pa., writes Chris Reichert of 2 Ways and 10 Days. Instead of finding people with G League experience to run the team, they appointed Malik Rose as general manager and last week hired longtime NBA assistant Josh Longstaff as the head coach. Because Orlando pulled its G-League team out of Erie and took its returning player rights, the Bayhawks will be part of the expansion draft August 23rd.

And-Ones: J. Thompson, Franklin, G League

July 30th, 2017 at 6:27pm CST by Austin Kent

Former Kings big man Jason Thompson has signed a contract with EuroLeague champion Fenerbahce S.K., Orazio Cauchi of Sportando writes. The 31-year-old played in China in 2016/17.

Per international basketball reporter David Pick, Thompson’s deal will be worth $1.8MM over one year with potential bonuses that could bring the total up to $2MM.

After an impressive seven-year stint in Sacramento, including a 2009/10 campaign in which he posted 12.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a 23-year-old, Thompson quickly fell out of the NBA.

His last professional season stateside in 2015/16 included brief stints with the Warriors and Raptors.

There’s more from around the NBA world:

After exploring his NBA options, former Grizzlies point guard Jamaal Franklin has opted to sign a two-year, $4MM deal in China, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets.
While it’s a given the Warriors did well to retain their championship core, the club also nailed their supplemental signings. Inking Nick Young and Omri Casspi, David Yapkowitz of Basketball Insiders writes, was one of the best coups of the offseason.
As of this season, fringe NBA players offered more than $50K in partial guarantees can not play for that team’s G League affiliate, Chris Reichert of 2 Ways & 10 Days writes. Reichert offers a detailed explanation of how the new contract wrinkle may affect the league in the recent feature article.

Central Notes: Sumner, Jefferson, Grand Rapids

June 30th, 2017 at 6:58pm CST by Austin Kent

The Pacers drafted a pair of injured prospects earlier this month but it wasn’t an oversight, Nate Taylor of the Indianapolis Star writes. By taking a chance on the heralded but sidelined NCAA stars, president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard was able to get his hands on two quality projects at a bargain rate.

“They don’t want me to rush back,” Edmond Sumner, the point guard out of Xavier said of his new club. “They just want me to get healthy. That’s the main priority right now, just getting healthy. I’m not going to rush.”

Considering that the franchise is at the beginning of a rebuild, they stand to benefit from any young talent they can amass. Ike Anigbogu is the second of Indiana’s intriguing second-rounders.

There’s more from the Central Division:

A former business manager of Richard Jefferson has been indicted of fraud, Billy Heyen of Cleveland.com writes. The manager stole $7MM from the Cavaliers veteran after forging Jefferson’s signature and illegally establishing power of attorney over his finances.
A Detroit city council proposal that would earmark the income tax of NBA players for a neighborhood fund has hit a speed bump, Ben Solis of MLive writes. The proposed fund is estimated to collect $1.3MM annually from Pistons players, their opponents and team personnel.
The Pistons and their G League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, have agreed on a two-year extension, the team has announced in a press release. They’ve also named Rob Werdann their new head coach.

Wizards Will Add G League Affiliate

June 21st, 2017 at 9:48am CST by Arthur Hill

The Wizards will become the 27th NBA team to have their own G League franchise, starting play in 2018/19, writes Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.

The team name has not been chosen, but it will play in a not-yet-built facility in Southeast Washington, D.C., that will also house a practice court for the Wizards and serve as the home arena for the WNBA’s Mystics.

Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said the organization will benefit from having its own G League affiliate, especially one located so close to the parent team.

“The NBA G League has been a great resource for us over the years, both for calling up talent and for allowing young players on our roster to gain more on-court experience,” he said. “Having our own team, selecting the front office and coaching staff and being able to implement our system will allow us to further enhance our player and staff development program moving forward.”

This season, Washington primarily used the Delaware 87ers, an affiliate of the Sixers, for its G League moves Buckner notes that the Wizards have signed 17 players out of the minor league since its creation.

The Pelicans, Nuggets and Trail Blazers are now the only teams without a direct G League affiliate, although New Orleans has plans to add a team in 2018/19, tweets Adam Johnson of D-League Digest.

Formerly known as the D-League, the organization officially changed its named this week with its purchase by Gatorade.

NBA G League Affiliations For 2017/18 Season

June 20th, 2017 at 9:46am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA Development League has officially rebranded itself as the NBA Gatorade League (NBA G League). While we knew the change was coming, it’s official now, with the league’s official website having been updated to reflect the new name and new logo(s).

Going forward, we’ll be referring to the league by its new name, and our page for D-League news has been updated to indicate that it’s now the G League.

The G League will have 26 franchises for the 2017/18 season, with all but four NBA teams now in a one-on-one relationship with an affiliate. Twenty-two of those 26 NBA teams with G League affiliates own and operate their squad.

Here’s the list of affiliates for the 2017/18 season:

Atlanta Hawks: Erie BayHawks (expansion)
Boston Celtics: Maine Red Claws
Brooklyn Nets: Long Island Nets
Charlotte Hornets: Greensboro Swarm
Chicago Bulls: Windy City Bulls
Cleveland Cavaliers: Canton Charge
Dallas Mavericks: Texas Legends
Detroit Pistons: Grand Rapids Drive
Golden State Warriors: Santa Cruz Warriors
Houston Rockets: Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Indiana Pacers: Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Los Angeles Clippers: Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario (expansion)
Los Angeles Lakers: South Bay Lakers
Memphis Grizzlies: Memphis Hustle (expansion)
Miami Heat: Sioux Falls Skyforce
Milwaukee Bucks: Wisconsin Herd (expansion)
Minnesota Timberwolves: Iowa Wolves (new affiliation)
New York Knicks: Westchester Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder: Oklahoma City Blue
Orlando Magic: Lakeland Magic (relocation)
Philadelphia 76ers: Delaware 87ers
Phoenix Suns: Northern Arizona Suns
Sacramento Kings: Reno Bighorns
San Antonio Spurs: Austin Spurs
Toronto Raptors: Raptors 905
Utah Jazz: Salt Lake City Stars

Teams without G League affiliates:

Denver Nuggets
New Orleans Pelicans
Portland Trail Blazers
Washington Wizards (affiliate planned for 2018/19)

Categories:
NBA G League

Bucks Notes: GM Search, Workouts, MECCA, D-League

June 10th, 2017 at 6:12pm CST by Arthur Hill

Whoever is hired as the next Bucks’ GM isn’t expected to bring significant changes to the organization, writes Gery Woelfel of WoelfelsPressBox.com. After the departure of John Hammond to become GM in Orlando, the only person from Milwaukee’s front office likely to join him is Jon Horst, who served as director of basketball operations. The Bucks originally opposed letting Horst leave, but now the move is considered a formality. Billy McKinney, who serves as vice president of scouting, was rumored to join Hammond but now is expected to stay in Milwaukee. The rest of the front office remains intact, including assistant GM Justin Zanik, who was one of three finalists announced this week.

There’s more today out of Milwaukee:

Holding the 17th pick, the Bucks haven’t been able to secure workouts with potential targets Luke Kennard and Harry Giles of Duke, Woelfel notes in the same piece. Kennard worked out today for the Pistons, who have the 12th pick, and has upcoming sessions with the Magic (6), Knicks (8), Mavericks (9) and Hornets (11). Giles’ workout schedule includes the Pistons, Heat (14), Bulls (16) and Pacers, who will pick after the Bucks at No. 18.
Hawks advisor and former GM Wes Wilcox made a strong impression in his interview Friday and may be the front-runner for the Bucks’ GM job, according to Woelfel (Twitter link). Along with Zanik, Nuggets assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas is the other finalist for the position.
As part of their 50th anniversary celebration, the Bucks will play a regular season game at the MECCA, the team announced today on its website. Now called UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, the building served as the Bucks’ home from their creation in 1968 until 1988. “It’s going to be such a unique and special occasion for our current players to take the court at the MECCA and for our fans to experience the early era of the Bucks,” said team president Peter Feigin.
The Bucks’ new D-League team will be called the Wisconsin Herd, according to a release from the team. The Herd will debut in November and will be based in Oshkosh.

Heat Purchase Controlling Interest In NBADL Affiliate

June 1st, 2017 at 1:18pm CST by Luke Adams

The Heat have officially purchased a controlling interest in their NBA D-League affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce, the team announced today in a press release. The two teams had already shared a single-affiliate relationship for the last four years, but the Heat will now have more freedom to own and operate the franchise.

“We are so proud to enter into this partnership with the Miami Heat,” said Mike Heineman, the president and owner of the Skyforce. “They have been so good for the Skyforce and for the city of Sioux Falls. To be able to expand our partnership with Miami while keeping the team in Sioux Falls were our two biggest goals throughout this process.”

Heineman’s reference to keeping the Skyforce in Sioux Falls is an interesting one. With more and more NBA teams securing geographically-adjacent D-League clubs, the Heat/Skyforce pairing is an aberration. The distance between the NBADL arena in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami is 1,825 miles — a 26-hour drive, per Google Maps.

Buying a controlling interest in the D-League organization gives the Heat the opportunity to relocate the club to a more logical spot, perhaps a city in South Florida. However, Heineman’s statement suggests the deal may include an agreement not to move the Skyforce out of Sioux Falls — at least not in the short-term future. The Heat’s press release notes that Heineman and his family will continue to run the Skyforce’s off-the-court business operations and community initiatives.

The NBA Development League, which will be renamed as the NBA Gatorade League in 2017/18, is expected to feature 26 teams next season, with only a handful of NBA teams still lacking an affiliate. The Nuggets, Blazers, and Wizards have yet to announce D-League plans, while the Pelicans’ affiliate is expected to begin play in 2018/19.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Kanter, Wolves, Nuggets

May 31st, 2017 at 10:21am CST by Joshua Fischman

In previewing the Jazz‘s offseason, Bobby Marks of The Vertical points out that three of the team’s starters are free agents: Gordon Hayward, George Hill, and Joe Ingles. Marks also observes that the Jazz possess the 24th and 30th overall picks in the draft, and two of the team’s key players, Rudy Gobert and Rodney Hood, were drafted by Utah in the 20s. The Jazz have cast a wide net in the draft in recent years, often bringing in more than 100 players for workouts, and they figure to do the same this year.

Here’s more from around the Northwest division:

The “can’t play [Enes] Kanter” narrative is not entirely true, writes Erik Horne of NewsOK.com. Kanter provides value for the Thunder, particularly during the regular season, according to Horne, who notes that the big man can thrive in specific matchups and roles.
The Timberwolves announced on Tuesday that their new NBA D-League affiliate in Des Moines will be known as the Iowa Wolves, per the team’s official website. The T-Wolves finalized the purchase of the NBADL organization, formerly known as the Iowa Energy, on May 3.
Michael Rand of the Star Tribune examines the Timberwolves‘ options at point guard in light of recent reports from Ian Begley centering on Ricky Rubio and Derrick Rose.
The Nuggets are well positioned for both the present and the future, Keith Smith of RealGM argues in his offseason preview for the franchise. While Denver may lose Danilo Gallinari and could use another point guard, the club has avoided bad contracts and has the cap flexibility necessary to continue improving its roster.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.