NBA G League Rumors | Hoops Rumors

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.

Northwest Notes: Kanter, Favors, D-League

May 23rd, 2017 at 11:00pm CST by marksuleymanov

Thunder center Enes Kanter endured a scary situation over the weekend as he was detained in a Romanian airport after his passport was canceled by Turkey. Kanter has been outspoken against Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which has resulted in his family disowning him and swarms of death threats.

Speaking to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN at the National Basketball Players Association headquarters in Manhattan, Kanter recalled his troubling weekend experience. At this point, Kanter states that securing American citizenship is top priority.

“Right now I am country-less,” Kanter said. “I am open to adoption definitely. I am going to try to become an American citizen. I have a green card. We will see if they can speed up the process a little bit. It would definitely be nice. Right now my next move is becoming an American citizen.”

Youngmisuk detailed that Kanter’s journey from detainment in Romania to return to the United States required efforts from Homeland Security, Thunder lawyers, Kanter’s lawyers, the NBA and the NBAPA, and Oklahoma Senators Jim Inhofe and James Lankford. Now, Kanter’s sights are set on the 2017/18 NBA season, speeding up the process for his citizenship, and staying out of harms way under the Erdogan regime.

Here are additional notes from the Northwest division:

The Iowa Energy, an NBA D-League team, have scheduled a press conference for next Tuesday to announce itself as the official NBADL affiliate of the Timberwolves, according to D-League Digest (link via Twitter).
Jazz forward Derrick Favors has been a fixture in Utah since joining the team in the Deron Williams trade in 2011. Favors, 28, explained to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune that he wants to stay with the Jazz but it may not be possible. The team will be invested in re-signing Gordon Hayward to a longterm contract, which could eat up most of the team’s salary.”Everyone knows I love Utah, and I love playing for the Jazz,” Favors said. “But I have to prepare myself this offseason to have a great year, whatever city I’m in.”

Pacific Rumors: Iguodala, Kings, Lakers, Tomjanovich

May 15th, 2017 at 8:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors forward Andre Iguodala is listed as questionable for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, the team’s PR department tweets. He underwent an MRI on his left knee Monday, according to ESPN.com’s Chris Haynes, and obviously the results were satisfactory even though the team has yet to provide details. Iguodala could still be rested as a precautionary measure, a source told Haynes. He did not practice on Monday. Iguodala was a non-factor in Game 1, playing just 10 minutes and scoring two points. Stephen Curry also sat out practice but will play in Game 2, acting coach Mike Brown told Haynes and other reporters.

In other developments around the Pacific Division:

The Kings plan to move their D-League affiliate out of Reno after next season, according to Scott Howard Cooper of NBA.com. The Kings want their affiliate to be closer to Sacramento and playing games at multiple locations is a consideration, he adds. (Twitter links).
The Lakers should try to trade for Pacers star Paul George this offseason rather than waiting to pursue him as an unrestricted free agent after next season, according to a panel of ESPN basketball experts. All but one of the five members on the panel believe that acquiring George now is worth the risk of losing him after just one season. Baxter Holmes opines that the Pacers would want a package of young players, including Brandon Ingram, and a draft pick in return.
Rudy Tomjanovich is no longer with the Lakers’ organization, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News reports. Tomjanovich has served as a consultant in various capacities for over a decade and was also a scout for the team’s analytics department last season. Tomjanovich’s son, Trey, has also lost his job as a consultant and statistical analyst.

Clippers Announce D-League Team For 2017/18

May 15th, 2017 at 2:05pm CST by marksuleymanov

MAY 15: In a press conference today, the Clippers formally announced the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, unveiling the logo for the new D-League squad (Twitter link). Here’s the full press release from the club.

MAY 9: The Clippers are closing in on unveiling an NBA Developmental League team that will be called the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario, league sources tell Marc Stein of ESPN.

Agua Caliente Casino Resort, which Stein notes is a prominent NBA sponsor for the Clippers, is finalizing the agreement to join the NBA’s minor league affiliate. Due to the proximity of Ontario, California (approximately 50 miles away from Los Angeles), the Clippers will have the luxury of assigning and recalling players at an accelerated pace.

After the Clippers were eliminated by the Jazz in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs last week, head coach and president of basketball operations Doc Rivers confirmed the team’s D-League aspirations.

“We will have a team, I can tell you that‎,” he said. “We are committed to it‎. The work is in.”

Once this is finalized, the NBA D-League — which will be renamed to the NBA Gatorade League next season — will soon boast 26 teams, four affiliates shy of every NBA team having a developmental team. The only team’s without an NBA D-League team — once the Clippers finalize the Agua Caliente Casino Resort deal — would be the Nuggets, Wizards, Trail Blazers, and Pelicans.

And-Ones: Free Agents, D-League, Bennett, Oden

May 3rd, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Several under-the-radar players who will be free agents this summer are improving their bargaining position with their performance in the playoffs, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. He identifies six players, starting with Golden State big man JaVale McGee, who is averaging 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks through five games despite playing just 11.8 minutes per night. McGee signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Warriors for the veteran’s minimum and could be in line for a huge pay raise in July. The others that Kennedy singles out are Serge Ibaka of the Raptors, Joe Ingles of the Jazz, Nene of the Rockets, Andre Roberson of the Thunder and Deron Williams of the Cavaliers.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

The Texas Legends, the Mavericks‘ affiliate in the D-League, have given coach Bob MacKinnon a two-year extension, tweets D-League Digest. The D-League veteran is in his first season with the Legends.
Invitations have been issued for the D-League’s Elite Mini Camp, which will be held May 8-9 in Chicago, relays Chris Reichert of FanSided. Many players have used this showcase to earn spots on summer league rosters, with alumni such as Jonathon Simmons, Hollis Thompson and DeAndre Liggins. Among the best-known names at this year’s camp will be Russ Smith, JaKarr Sampson, Ray McCallum and Cliff Alexander.
Former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, who played 23 games for the Nets this season, has been replaced on his Fenerbahce team in Turkey, according to Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops. Taking his spot on the roster is Pero Antic, who played for the Hawks from 2013 to 2015. Bennett will remain with the club and is expected to be part of the upcoming EuroLeague Final Four.
Greg Oden, another former No. 1 pick, is hoping to be part of The Basketball Tournament this summer on ESPN, relays Alysha Tsuji of USA Today. Oden’s team is called Scarlet and Gray and is made up of Ohio State alumni. “We think we’re a team that can win it,” he said. “We look at the talent we’ve had here in the last 10 years or so, and we can match up with anybody. We want the state of Ohio supporting us. We’re called Scarlet and Gray, but this team is a representation of the whole state.”

Clippers Notes: Rivers, Griffin, D-League, Pierce

May 3rd, 2017 at 7:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Coach/executive Doc Rivers identified the Clippers’ offseason priorities during a press conference today, relays Jill Painter Lopez of The Associated Press. “We need length,” he said. “We need more length and two-way players. Again, that’s easy to say. Little harder to do with the way our contracts are. We may continue to do what we’ve done or we may decide to change our contracts and have more flexibility.”

The Clippers’ ability to add players will be hampered by their cap status. They are about $10MM over the cap heading into the offseason, and Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are both expected to exercise early termination options and become free agents. Starting guard J.J. Redick will also be a free agent, and forwards Luc Mbah a Moute [$2.3MM] and Marreese Speights [nearly $1.46MM] both have player options. Rivers expressed hope that the core of the team can be kept together, saying, “I think they deserve a chance to win.”

There’s more Clippers news out of Los Angeles:

In the same story, Rivers offered the first medical update on Griffin since his surgery Tuesday on the right big toe that knocked him out of the playoffs. “He’s doing well … The surgery went better than we thought,” Rivers said.
Griffin will be the best available free agent on the market this summer, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Ziller notes that Griffin finished third in the 2014 MVP voting and argues that there wouldn’t be speculation about his availability if not for his injury history and the Clippers’ playoff disappointments.
A D-League affiliate is “going to happen at some point,” Rivers said today (Twitter link). The Clippers are one of just a handful of NBA teams without a direct affiliate in the D-League, and Rivers said the organization is committed to adding one.
Paul Pierce exits the NBA with a wealth of iconic moments, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. Sunday’s Game 7 loss to Utah was the final game for the 19-year veteran, who revealed his retirement plans before the season began.

Timberwolves Finalize Purchase Of Iowa Energy

May 3rd, 2017 at 11:28am CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves have finalized the purchase of the Iowa Energy, a D-League franchise, the team announced today (Twitter link). The Energy previously had a partnership with the Grizzlies, but we learned back in January that the Wolves would be taking over control of the Des Moines-based club going forward.

In the wake of today’s announcement, it makes sense to take stock of where things stand in regard to NBA teams and their D-League affiliates. In 2016/17, 22 NBA clubs had one-on-one relationships with D-League teams, leaving eight NBA franchises without their own affiliates. However, changes are in store for the 2017/18 season, as the Development League becomes known as the Gatorade League.

Here are the changes expected for the 2017/18 G-League season, including updates on all the teams without affiliates:

Atlanta Hawks: Will take over the Erie BayHawks, with an affiliate of their own in College Park, Georgia lined up for the 2019/20 season. Previously unaffiliated.
Denver Nuggets: No concrete plans reported.
Los Angeles Clippers: Hoping to operate new affiliate in 2017/18.
Memphis Grizzlies: Will own and operate a new affiliate in Southaven, Mississippi. Previously affiliated with the Iowa Energy.
Milwaukee Bucks: Will own and operate a new affiliate in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Previously unaffiliated.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Will take over the Iowa Energy. Previously unaffiliated.
New Orleans Pelicans: No affiliation for 2017/18. Intend to own and operate a new affiliate for the 2018/19 season. Search reportedly narrowed to six cities.
Orlando Magic: Will own and operate a new affiliate in Lakeland, Florida. Previously affiliated with the Erie BayHawks.
Portland Trail Blazers: No concrete plans reported.
Washington Wizards: No concrete plans reported.

NBA D-Leaguers To Represent Team USA In Qualifiers

May 2nd, 2017 at 9:39pm CST by marksuleymanov

The 2019 Basketball World Cup will serve as a qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and players from the NBA’s Developmental League will comprise most of the early Team USA men’s basketball roster leading up to that tournament, according to Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press.

The American team announced a six-member committee on Tuesday to select players — mostly from the D-League — to suit up for the USA team that will fight to qualify for the 2019 Basketball World Cup. If the roster of minor leaguers can get Team USA past that round, a Gregg Popovich-led roster of NBA talent will resume the action in the actual 2019 World Cup.

“This will be an excellent opportunity for NBA D-League players to showcase their talent and experience meaningful and important international competition while representing the United States,” USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley said in a statement.

In the past, qualifiers and international events have been held during the NBA offseason, but some of the qualifying games for the World Cup in China will take place during the NBA season, Mahoney notes. With NBA players unavailable during that time, USA Basketball will look to become one of the 32 clubs that qualifies for the World Cup, even without its A-Team.

The new system enables teams to qualify for the 32-team World Cup in China, but since some qualifiers will occur during the NBA season, NBA players will not be available. While one representative on the six-person committee is yet to be named, the other five people will consist of several NBA D-League executives (Trajan Langdon, Adam Simon, and Tony Bollier) and USA Basketball men’s national team director Sean Ford (committee chairman).

Team USA would likely enjoy homecourt advantage at several NBA D-League arenas starting this November. As the AP report describes, “nations will be drawn into four-team groups and play home-and-away games within their zone.” The first round is scheduled for late November through July 2018 whereas the second round will start in late August 2018 and carry on through late February of 2019.