NBA G League Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Notes: Kidd-Gilchrist, Jackson Sr., G League, Playoffs

December 8th, 2020 at 6:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is fighting for a roster spot with the Knicks and he hopes that his experience will help him make the 15-man opening day roster, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.

“It’s a talented group — young, active, lots of energy,’’ the former Hornets and Mavericks forward said. “And I’m the vet of the locker room — which is crazy. It’s my ninth year in the NBA. Just being a leader, man, on and off the court.”

Kidd-Gilchrist signed an Exhibit 10 contract after appearing in just 25 games last season.

We have more on the Knicks;

The Knicks are expected to hire Jaren Jackson Sr. for a role with the G League team in Westchester, N.Y., Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets. Jackson played 12 seasons in the NBA and is the father of Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr.
Westchester is expected to participate in the proposed G League bubble in Atlanta, Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News tweets. NBA teams will have to pay in excess of $500K to enter their G League affiliate. The Atlanta “bubble” season would last for one month, likely starting in late January, with a minimum of 12 games that may increase to 15-16 games, plus a potential playoff schedule.
Coach Tom Thibodeau believes this season’s 10-team postseason format for both conferences gives his team a fighting chance to end its playoff drought, Berman writes in a separate story. “I think it makes it interesting,’’ Thibodeau said. “Obviously, where we are, hopefully we’ll have a shot at that. It’s something that we have to work towards.”

Wizards Notes: Beal, Bertans, Lopez, Westbrook, More

December 8th, 2020 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

Ensuring that Bradley Beal wants to remain in Washington was a top priority for the Wizards as they made their offseason moves, including the blockbuster trade that brought Russell Westbrook to D.C. So did the acquisition of Westbrook have an impact on Beal’s desire to stick with the team?

“Honestly, I haven’t even thought about that. I haven’t,” Beal said, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. “My biggest thing is win now, you know? I wanna win.

“I’m here under contract for this year, next year and a player option, too. So, it’s just a matter of, we gotta win. And the organization knows that. It’s up to me, too, so I can’t just sit here and … look at (general manager Tommy Sheppard) like he’s crazy. I have to go out and lead the team, put in the work and get better every day and bring the results.”

As Katz writes, the Wizards have a tricky tightrope to walk, as they focus not only on building a roster capable of long-term success, but also on winning enough in the next year or two to convince Beal that he doesn’t need to move to a new team to contend.

Here’s more on the Wizards:

Davis Bertans and Robin Lopez haven’t yet been able to join the Wizards for practice, tweets Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Bertans was held up by visa issues, according to Wallace, who notes that the team also had one of its new players test positive for the coronavirus. There hasn’t been confirmation that the affected player was Lopez, but it sounds like that’s very possible.
The Wizards are counting on point guard Russell Westbrook, who is known for his competitiveness and tenacity, to help set the culture for their young roster, Wallace writes for The Washington Post.
Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said today that the starting small forward position will be “fluid,” with Troy Brown, Isaac Bonga, Deni Avdija, Davis Bertans, and Jerome Robinson all among the options there, per Fred Katz of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Brooks also said today that the Wizards are close to a decision on whether or not to participate in the NBA G League’s proposed Atlanta bubble. He believes there’s a good chance the Wizards will opt in, according to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington (Twitter link).

Southwest Notes: Harden, Lyles, Mavs, Ingram

December 8th, 2020 at 10:37am CST by Luke Adams

Around the time that Mike D’Antoni and Daryl Morey departed the Rockets this fall, James Harden approached team management and ownership with a mandate to either build a championship team around him or trade him somewhere where he could win a ring, writes Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

As Iko observes, this isn’t the first time that Harden has approached the Rockets with that sort of mandate. Sources tell The Athletic that the former MVP told the front office the same thing last year, which ultimately led to the Chris Paul/Russell Westbrook trade. That aligns with a 2019 report which suggested that Harden issued a “him or me” ultimatum to the club regarding Paul.

While it remains to be seen how the Harden situation will play out this time around, the fact that the Rockets were able to navigate a similar quagmire in 2019 helps explain why the team has confidence that it can once again sell the superstar guard on the outlook in Houston.

For more on the Harden situation, check out our roundup from earlier this morning. Here are a few more items from around the Southwest:

Spurs forward Trey Lyles is entering a contract year and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2021, but he can envision himself in San Antonio beyond this season, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). “I am very comfortable here,” Lyles said. “It is the perfect situation for me, perfect situation for the player I am, the player I see myself being and becoming. I would love to be able to stay here long term.”
The Texas Legends – the Mavericks‘ G League affiliate – are among the teams expected to opt out of the proposed G League bubble in Atlanta, sources tell JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors (Twitter link).
The Mavericks targeted James Johnson this offseason in large part because of his toughness, but he feels as if he can bring more than that to the team, as Dwain Price of Mavs.com writes. “I know what I can bring, I understand why they brought me here,” Johnson said. “I feel it was more than just the toughness and the black belt, but I’m able to play whatever role that’s thrown my way.”
The trade kicker on Brandon Ingram‘s new five-year contract with the Pelicans is the maximum allowable 15%, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

And-Ones: Ferrell, G League, DeRozan, Brown, NBRA

December 7th, 2020 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Free agent guard Yogi Ferrell is still seeking NBA opportunities, according to Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia. His agent, Cervando Tejada, denied a report that he was negotiating with FC Barcelona in the EuroLeague. “Ferrell is in (the) U.S. working out and waiting for another NBA opportunity and no talks have happened with Barcelona as of now,” Tejeda told. Ferrell played for the Kings the past two seasons and appeared in 50 regular-season games as a reserve last season, averaging 4.4 PPG in 10.6 MPG.

We have more from around the basketball world:

NBA teams are offering fewer Exhibit 10 contracts to players on their training camp rosters, ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. There were 51 players on Exhibit 10 contracts as of Saturday, down from 128 two seasons ago. Players receive a $50K bonus if he spends 60 days with the G League affiliate of the team that signed him. But with the uncertainty regarding the G League’s season, such contracts have become less valuable, Marks adds.
Spurs guard DeMar DeRozan chased an intruder out of his house last month, according to a TMZ report. DeRozan confronted the man, who had made his way upstairs into a play area where at least one of DeMar’s kids was located. The intruder was arrested after attempting to get back into DeRozan’s gated community.
Warriors associate coach Mike Brown has aspirations of turning the Nigeria national basketball team into a powerhouse, Colin Udoh of ESPN writes. Brown has become Nigeria’s head coach and he believes there’s enough talent to earn a medal at next year’s Tokyo Olympics. “Our goal is to finish on the podium,” he said. “We want to show the world that we can compete with the best of them. And I think, with the talent that we have, it’s a realistic goal for us.”
The National Basketball Referees Association has ratified a Letter of Agreement which modifies its collective bargaining agreement with the NBA for the 2020/21 season, the NBRA tweets. The modifications address COVID-19 issues and provide for the officials’ waiver of certain work rules in order to implement those health and safety protocols.

Heat, Lakers Among Teams Likely To Bypass G League Bubble

December 6th, 2020 at 5:51pm CST by JD Shaw

Several franchises are expected to bypass the option of competing in the proposed NBA G League bubble, which would likely be located in Atlanta next month, league sources told Hoops Rumors.

The Celtics (Maine Red Claws), Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce), Lakers (South Bay Lakers), and Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive) are among the teams that have indicated plans of not participating in the bubble, sources said, with discussions ongoing about the final structure of a season. The Athletic first reported that Boston planned on bypassing the bubble.

Among the topics still being discussed are player salaries, committed teams, and a precise calendar for the season. Franchises would have an entry fee of $500K. The newly-introduced G League Ignite team is a major consideration in the league’s push to salvage a season.

Teams would be expected to play a minimum of 12 games during the campaign, which could then be followed by a tournament, sources said. As in past years, a G League draft would be held at a date to be later determined.

Despite some teams gradually beginning to reject the idea, other franchises such as the Sixers (Delaware Blue Coats) and Raptors (Raptors 905) have committed to playing this season, sources said. All in all, optimism remains that a G League bubble will commence, with a minimum of double-digit teams participating and an announcement coming in the near future.

Several Teams Expected To Opt Out Of G League Bubble

December 5th, 2020 at 2:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Several teams plan to opt out of the proposed G League “bubble” campus in Atlanta, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets.

There are already as many as six-to-eight franchises expected to bypass the shortened season, according to Shaw’s sources.

Under the proposal, NBA teams would pay a fee of approximately $500K to play their G League games in Georgia, rather than their home sites. Not all G League clubs would be expected to participate there.

It’s uncertain how many teams are on board with the “bubble” proposal and whether there will be enough to make it viable.

The Atlanta “bubble” season would last for one month, likely starting in late January, with a minimum of 12 games that may increase to 15-16 games, plus a potential playoff schedule. The campus would require daily coronavirus testing and a mandated quarantine for players.

The G League Ignite team, a club comprised mostly of high-level prospects, is also expected to compete in this bubble environment.

And-Ones: Season, Coronavirus, Extensions, G League

November 29th, 2020 at 8:58pm CST by JD Shaw

The NBA released a 139-page memo to its 30 teams outlining the COVID-19 regulations for the 2020-21 season, listing important rules to follow and explaining the procedure to follow when someone tests positive for the virus, Shams Charania and Sam Amick write for The Athletic.

The league acknowledged it will receive positive tests among its players this season, something that didn’t happen in the controlled Orlando campus last fall.

“It is likely that some staff, players, and other participants in the 2020/21 season nonetheless will test positive or contract COVID-19, particularly as the virus remains prevalent in particular team markets and surrounding communities,” the memo read, according to The Athletic. “The occurrence of independent cases (i.e., cases not spread among players or team staff) or a small or otherwise expected number of COVID-19 cases will not require a decision to suspend or cancel the 2020/21 season.”

The memo described the procedure for a positive test in length, specifying that the individual would miss a minimum of 12 days. It also outlawed miscellaneous activities for team traveling parties, including using hotel amenities such as spas or gift shops.

Here are some other odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The Celtics and Jazz would’ve benefited from declining to give Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell fifth-year player options, John Hollinger of The Athletic writes. Hollinger believes the clubs had leverage to push for straight five-year deals with no options, given that they were willing to include favorable Rose Rule language and 15% trade kickers.
NBA G League writer Adam Johnson provided further clarity (via Twitter) on the G League’s potential bubble idea this season, adding that the idea of a January campus in Atlanta (similar to Orlando) is being discussed. A minimum of 12 games would be played, with daily testing and quarantine periods required for each of the participants. Teams would likely have a $500K entry fee in the proposed idea, with the league hopeful of adding more games over time, Johnson tweets.

Georgia Bubble Being Considered For G League

November 29th, 2020 at 2:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NOVEMBER 29: Further details of a proposed Atlanta-based G League “bubble” campus have emerged, Santa Cruz Warriors sideline reporter Adam Johnson tweets.

The Atlanta bubble would last for one month, likely starting in late January, with a minimum of 12 games that may increase to 15-16 games, plus a potential playoff schedule. The campus would require daily coronavirus testing and a mandated quarantine for players.

The G League Ignite team, a club comprised mostly of high-level prospects, would compete in this bubble environment as well, Johnson notes in a separate tweet.

NOVEMBER 27: An Atlanta-area “bubble” concept is one of the options being mulled for the G League season, Marc Stein of the New York Times tweets.

Under the proposal, NBA teams would pay a fee in the neighborhood of $500K to play their G League games in Georgia, rather than their home sites. Not all G League clubs would be expected to participate there.

As difficult as the logistics are for pulling off an NBA season without the campus environment it had in Orlando during the restart, the same concerns surround its development league. A bubble-style setting could be a partial solution for the G League but the challenges of the upcoming NBA season could spill over to the G League.

Players on two-way deals will be able to stay with their NBA teams for up to 50 games this upcoming season due to COVID-19 concerns. Getting those players experience and court time in the G League would be more complex if they had to shuttle back and forth to the Atlanta area.

The NBA is reportedly committed to holding a G League season.

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And-Ones: 2021 Draft, NBAGL, New Coaches, Training Camp Rosters

November 26th, 2020 at 9:45pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the 2020 NBA draft in the rear view, several draft experts have begun previewing what promises to be a loaded 2021 draft class.

Jonathan Givony of ESPN supplies his top 60 best prospects, noting that the race for pole position among them remains fairly open. In his own top 60 list, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic observes that the draft is heavy in wings, always a position of need in the league. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report comments in his top 30 ranking that NBA scouts believe several prospects in 2021 sport All-Star potential.

Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham, G League Ignite shooting guard Jalen Green and Kentucky shooting guard Brandon Boston Jr. comprise the top three selections of all three draft prognosticators, though the ordering of the rest of their lists is fairly different.

There’s more from around the basketball world:

Though the fate of the NBA G League’s 2020/21 season has not yet officially been confirmed, a spokesperson for the league informs Jordan Schultz of ESPN (via Twitter) that they are “committed to playing a 2020/21 season.”
Several of the NBA’s new coaching hires have immediately faced unexpected challenges even before the 2020/21 NBA season kicks off, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. While Stephen Silas grapples with his two Rockets superstars striving for trades out of town, Stan Van Gundy has seen two Pelicans starters get replaced. Meanwhile, new Clippers coach Tyronn Lue and new Sixers coach Doc Rivers will need to integrate significant personnel changes on their rosters.
Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer tweets that he has been told that some NBA clubs do not intend to field full training camp rosters this season due to potential coronavirus risks.

And-Ones: G League, Mitchell, Magnay, GM Moves, Jones

November 15th, 2020 at 3:28pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The G League plans to have its elite Ignite team, which includes top 2021 draft prospects Jalen Green, Jonathan Kuminga and Isaiah Todd, face G League alumni in closed-door scrimmages in Walnut Creek, California this week, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. They will also hold two streamed scrimmages next month, Charania adds. The Ignite team, which is based in Walnut Creek, was formed as a part of the league’s development program for top prospects.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Donovan Mitchell, Lonzo Ball and John Collins are some of the high-profile rookie scale extension candidates who might not be worth a full max, according to The Athletic’s John Hollinger. Hollinger anticipates Mitchell will get a max extension but the Jazz might be wise to go four years rather than five. Hollinger takes a closer look at the value of all extension-eligible candidates from the class of 2017.
Australian big man Will Magnay is drawing interest from NBA clubs, ESPN’s Olgun Uluc tweets. His current club, the Brisbane Bullets, is preparing to play without him this season, Uluc adds. Magnay, 22, was named the NBL’s Most Improved Player last season.
What are the best and worst moves that top NBA executives have made with their current teams? ESPN’s Bobby Marks takes a closer look at all the GMs who haven’t been recently hired by their current organizations.
Former NBA player Jalen Jones may have suffered a torn Achilles playing in Italy, Emiliano Carchia of Sportando tweets. Jones was playing his first game this season for Pallacanestro Varese. The prognosis was first reported by La Prealpina. He last appeared in the NBA during the 2018/19 season during a 16-game stint with Cleveland.