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Bulls Rumors: LaVine, Donovan, DeRozan, Caruso, Lakers, More

November 16th, 2023 at 12:56pm CST by Rory Maher

The Bulls and Zach LaVine are reportedly increasingly open to exploring a trade involving the two-time All-Star. When asked about that report this week, LaVine was evasive and didn’t deny that he might be open to a change of scenery.

One report stated that LaVine was still upset about being benched by head coach Billy Donovan late in a game last year in which he shot 1-of-14 from the field. When Donovan was asked about the recent LaVine rumors, he said the team’s shooting guard has “always been coachable” and that he visited LaVine twice in Los Angeles in the offseason.

“He’s always been been very welcoming when I’ve come out there,” Donovan said, per K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. “We’ve always had really good conversations. He’s always responsive to text messages and phone calls. So I haven’t seen anything where it’s like, ‘OK, this guy has really pushed himself all the way over here and he’s just totally disconnected from everybody. I have not seen that at all.

“I would think that if there’s anything he’d want to talk to a teammate about or a coach about or me about that he as a man would come up and do that. I do think our conversations have been very open and honest. And I think he has worked hard at the relationship just as I have.”

According to Johnson, Donovan also said he’s in constant contact with Bulls lead basketball executive Arturas Karnisovas, and suggested that nothing is imminent on the trade front. That makes sense, given that most free agents who signed new deals over the summer aren’t trade-eligible until December 15 or January 15.

Here’s more on the Bulls:

The Lakers have been linked to LaVine multiple times over the years, including recently. Jovan Buha of The Athletic confirms that L.A. would be interested in the 28-year-old, but only if the price is right. Buha says LaVine’s pricey long-term contract — he’s in the second season of a five-year, maximum-salary deal — is the Lakers’ primary concern. The Lakers also don’t have interest in trading Austin Reaves in a potential LaVine deal, Buha reports.
Of course, as Buha writes, there are several impediments to a trade possibly coming together. The Lakers can only offer one first-round pick and one pick swap, and the players they could use as salary-matching pieces aren’t eligible to be traded until the aforementioned Dec. and Jan. dates. LaVine also might not be an ideal fit for the Lakers’ roster.
Chicago is now 4-8 after losing Wednesday’s game to Orlando. If the Bulls pivot to a rebuild in the next few months, multiple sources tell Buha that the Lakers would also be interested in DeMar DeRozan and/or Alex Caruso, and suggests those players would be a higher priority for Los Angeles. Kurt Helin of NBC Sports hears several teams monitoring the Bulls’ situation would be more interested in DeRozan ($28.6MM expiring contract) and Caruso ($19.4MM over the next two seasons) than LaVine.
Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago reports that, despite the increasing trade chatter and the team’s poor overall play, the Bulls have had no interest in dealing Caruso in the past and there’s no sign that has changed (Twitter link).
Danny Chau of The Ringer examines LaVine’s trade value and comes up with five trades that might make sense. In addition to the Lakers and Heat, who have been previously linked to LaVine, Chau comes up with hypothetical trades sending LaVine to the Warriors, Raptors and Pacers.

Southeast Notes: Poole, Bridges, Hornets, Isaac

November 16th, 2023 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

Jordan Poole has already become a target for criticism in his first season with the Wizards, writes Ava Wallace of The Washington Post. Beyond Poole’s penchant for questionable shots and high-risk plays, controversy erupted this week via a video clip from Sunday’s loss at Brooklyn. The guard appears uninterested in the play that coach Wes Unseld Jr. was designing, Wallace notes, focusing his attention elsewhere until a teammate taps him on the shoulder.

Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Unseld said he hasn’t watched the video and isn’t concerned about Poole’s level of commitment.

“There’s a thousand moments, I think, during the game, and there are times where coaches are talking to players, players are talking to players,” Unseld said. “That happens. I think right now for him, he’s probably under a little bit of a microscope. People are looking for things. So I don’t know the exact sequence of the events, but it’s not a big deal until it becomes a big deal.”

Poole became a leader for a rebuilding Washington franchise when he was acquired in a trade with Golden State this summer. It’s not a role that he’s used to after entering the league with a veteran Warriors team, and Unseld said that has resulted in extra attention from fans who are monitoring his behavior.

Poole also dismissed concerns about the video, saying he understood the play from Unseld and it was “a very normal timeout.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Hornets released a statement (via Twitter), indicating that Miles Bridges will return to action Friday after serving a 10-game suspension regarding his domestic violence case. “We are comfortable with Miles returning to play based on our current understanding of the facts of the recent allegations and remain in contact with the NBA as that matter proceeds through the court process,” the statement reads.
Bridges’ return will be welcome for a Hornets roster that has been depleted by injuries, notes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The team only had 10 available players for Tuesday’s game, as Gordon Hayward, Brandon Miller, Terry Rozier, Cody Martin and Frank Ntilikina were all sidelined. “He’s going to be great,” P.J. Washington said of Bridges. “I just can’t wait for y’all to see him. I know he’s excited to play and we are excited to play with him. So, I’m just happy for him to be back on the floor and I can’t wait for him to come out there and help us, because we need it for sure.”
Magic power forward Jonathan Isaac was able to play both games of a back-to-back this week for the first time since December of 2019, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Isaac is finally healthy after missing more than two years with leg injuries. “The guys have so much confidence in him,” coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Him being at that rim, whether it’s blocking the shot or just changing and alternating shots — it’s what he’s capable of doing.”

Sixers Notes: Oubre, Nurse, Springer, LaVine, Maxey

November 16th, 2023 at 10:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Sixers coach Nick Nurse told reporters he doesn’t have any reason to doubt Kelly Oubre‘s version of an accident over the weekend that left him a broken rib, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Oubre said he was walking near his residence Saturday night when he was struck in the chest by the driver’s-side mirror of a vehicle that was making a turn. A police spokesperson said Wednesday that surveillance footage of the area hasn’t shown the accident, and the investigation is ongoing.

“Listen, I don’t think it’s very fair to him to say that he’s made up some story,” Nurse said after Wednesday’s game. “I just don’t. I’m going to believe him at his word. He’s one of our players, and we’re going to stand behind him. So am I.”

Medics treated Oubre at the scene, and he was taken to Thomas Jefferson University hospital for injuries to his rib, hip and leg before being released Saturday night. Police Sgt. Eric Gripp told Pompey that Oubre isn’t being accused of anything, but police still haven’t been able to verify his version of events. Nurse said he would only become concerned if law enforcement were to determine that Oubre’s story isn’t true.

“Listen, like I said before, I believe Kelly at his word,” Nurse added. “I don’t have any other conversations or anything right now to comment on. I’m concentrating on this game. If some more evidence or anything else comes to light, we will handle it when it comes to light.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Jaden Springer was kept on the bench in three of the Sixers’ last four games, but he looked like a rotation player on Wednesday, Pompey adds in a separate story. The third-year guard hit 4-of-5 shots from the field and was a team-best +20 for the night. “It was really coming in and trying to make an impact,” Springer said, “like staying aggressive. I know my defense is going to be there. But I was trying to show a little more on offense, just showing I can help on both.”
The Sixers have been mentioned as a potential suitor for Zach LaVine, but Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack column that the Bulls guard is unlikely to wind up in Philadelphia. Stein cites a recent interview in which Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey said he’s looking for his next major addition to be another play-maker who is “pretty solid on both ends,” and Stein notes that description doesn’t fit LaVine.
Appearing on The Bill Simmons Podcast this week (hat tip to Bleacher Report), former Sixers coach Doc Rivers said Tyrese Maxey is a much better fit as the lead ball-handler alongside Joel Embiid than James Harden was. “Tyrese, you knew this was going to happen,” Rivers said. “I said that he was going to have a breakout year. Now, I did say it with the knowledge that I felt James wasn’t going to be there. I wouldn’t have made that prediction the other way because he wouldn’t have the ball in his hands.”

Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 11/16/2023

November 16th, 2023 at 10:00am CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors hosted a live chat today at 10:00 am Central time (11 am Eastern).

Click here to view the transcript.

Categories:
Hoops Rumors Chats

Knicks Notes: LaVine, Rotation, Grimes, Perry

November 16th, 2023 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

If Zach LaVine gets traded, his representatives would prefer somewhere other than the Knicks, a source tells Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. LaVine’s camp doesn’t see New York as a good fit for the high-scoring guard, Bondy adds, because the team already has RJ Barrett, another ball-dominant wing who is five years younger and has a less expensive contract. Bondy also hears that the Knicks wouldn’t have much interest in sending Barrett to the Bulls in a potential LaVine deal.

LaVine’s contract will be daunting for any team, as he’s still owed about $178MM, including a 2026/27 player option that’s worth nearly $49MM. He’s represented by Klutch Sports, which is a longtime rival of CAA, the former agency of Knicks president Leon Rose.

With reportedly just one more year left on his contract, Rose will have to acquire a big-name talent at some point, Bondy suggests. The Knicks have young players and a wealth of draft picks to offer, including up to four first-rounders next year, although picks from Washington and Detroit appear unlikely to convey right away. Rose has plenty of ammunition to pursue disgruntled stars, but it doesn’t appear he will make a play for LaVine.

There’s more from New York:

Coach Tom Thibodeau has a reputation for leaning on his starters, but he doesn’t seem to trust anyone on his current squad beyond his nine-man rotation, Bondy adds. In four games in which Barrett wasn’t available, Thibodeau cut that to eight players, with Miles McBride seeing the most playing time beyond that group with 13 total minutes.
The Knicks are saying a “bruised hand” caused Quentin Grimes to leave Wednesday’s game, Bondy states in a separate story. Grimes went straight to the tunnel when he suffered the injury with about 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Bondy notes, and he wasn’t in the locker room after the game. Thibodeau wasn’t sure if X-rays had been taken when he talked to reporters.
Chasing unhappy stars is a risky way to run an organization, former Knicks general manager Scott Perry tells Peter Botte of The New York Post. “I don’t have the arrogance necessarily to believe that a guy’s gonna come to our place and he’s gonna be happy just because,” Perry said. “I like when players and people in general try to figure out the situation they’re gonna be in. And when you look at these disgruntled stars, how many of them have left a situation where everything was catered around them and gone to the new situation, and it’s the exact same thing for them?”

And-Ones: F. Jackson, G. Davis, W. Bynum, Cooks, More

November 16th, 2023 at 7:59am CST by Luke Adams

French team ASVEL confirmed that it has parted ways with former NBA guard Frank Jackson, terminating his contract with the club (Twitter link).

The expectation is that Jackson will move from France to China, according to Dario Skerletic of Sportando, who hears that the 25-year-old will sign a lucrative contract with a team in the Chinese Basketball Association. Jackson appeared in 214 total NBA games for New Orleans, Detroit, and Utah from 2018-23.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

Former NBA players Glen Davis and Will Bynum are the latest to be convicted in relation to a scheme to defraud the league’s health insurance plan, according to a report from The Associated Press. While their sentences likely won’t be as lengthy as that of Terrence Williams, who was deemed the ringleader of the plot and given 10 years in prison, Davis and Bynum will “probably” face some jail time, says Michael McCann of Sportico (subscription required).
Sam Vecenie of The Athletic takes a look at which NBA draft prospects were most impressive at this year’s NCAA Champions Classic, identifying three Kentucky players – freshmen Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham and sophomore Adou Thiero – as a few of the youngsters who have improved their stock at the start of the college season.
Former Wizards forward Xavier Cooks received multiple two-way contract offers before deciding to sign with a Japanese team, sources tell Olgun Uluc of ESPN.com. According to Uluc, the belief is that Cooks prioritized “significant” guaranteed money overseas rather than trying to work his way up the NBA ladder.
Within the same ESPN story, Uluc says that the Cavaliers, Pistons, Jazz, Kings, Clippers, and Wizards are among the teams who have had representatives in Australia this fall to scout the draft prospects in the country’s National Basketball League.

Xavier Moon Signs Two-Way Deal With Clippers

November 15th, 2023 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Maher

The Clippers have signed free agent guard Xavier Moon to a two-way contract, the team announced on Wednesday. Moon will fill the two-way spot previously held by Joshua Primo, who was promoted to the standard roster.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported nine days ago that the two moves would be coming. The Clippers took their time to save some money — their luxury tax bill is massive.

Moon, who played in a handful of non-NBA leagues from 2017-21 after going undrafted out of Morehead State, has spent parts of the last two years with the Clippers, finishing the 2022/23 season on a two-way contract with the club. He has appeared in 14 total games for Los Angeles, averaging 4.6 points and 2.1 assists in 11.2 minutes per night.

The 28-year-old played for the Ontario Clippers – L.A.’s G League affiliate – for most of last season, putting up 20.1 PPG, 5.5 APG, and 3.9 RPG with a shooting line of .523/.389/.824 in 48 total regular season and Showcase Cup games (31.0 MPG). The performance earned him a spot on the All-NBAGL Third Team. He was also named to the All-Summer League Second Team in July.

In three Showcase Cup games (25.5 MPG) with Ontario in ’23/24, the 6’2″ guard has averaged 12.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.0 APG, and 3.3 SPG on .412/.250/1.000 shooting. It seems likely that he will continue to spend much of his time in the G League, but he’ll receive a raise due to his new contract.

The Clippers’ 18-man roster will be full once Daniel Theis clears waivers and officially signs with L.A.

Clippers Notes: George, Lue, Harden, Tax

November 15th, 2023 at 9:37pm CST by Rory Maher

The Clippers now hold a 3-7 record after losing their sixth straight game, including five with James Harden in the lineup. As ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk writes, Tuesday’s contest in Denver went down to the wire, but L.A. was unable to secure the victory after being up seven with six minutes remaining.

Still, star forward Paul George thinks the team is close to a breakthrough.

“I thought we played great,” George said. “It’s tough, the adversity of playing against the extra three [officials]. I thought they were awful. But, [against the] defending champs, we got to play better. There’s a lot to be positive about. I’m not one for moral victories, but I thought we showed more of a sign of a team tonight that’s close to getting it over the hump.”

Here’s more on the Clippers:

Speaking to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report after the loss to the Nuggets, Tyronn Lue said adjusting on the fly after acquiring Harden has been difficult. “This is my toughest challenge as a head coach, but I’m up for the task for sure,” Lue said. “The biggest thing is getting these guys to sacrifice for guys, whether that’s starting the game, finishing the game, shots, touches, who’s running pick-and-rolls, and things like that. Getting these guys to sacrifice will be the biggest challenge all season.”
According to Haynes, George reiterated that he’s confident the group will figure it out, despite the rocky start. “We’re all honoring this adjustment. We have to sacrifice. We understand it. Simple as that. No one is going against that. Nobody is frustrated about it,” George told Bleacher Report. “We know what we have. There’s one ball, and there’s four good motherf–kers. And we understand that and embrace it. We want to make each other better, and I don’t think one person is complaining one bit about it.”
Harden, who told Haynes he’s still working his way into game shape after being absent for most of Philadelphia’s training camp, is also confident the Clips will turn things around. “When we figure this out, it’s going to be scary,” Harden said. “We’re getting there. We’ll let others talk, and we’ll put the work in. It’s going to take some time, and that’s OK.”
Promoting Joshua Primo and signing Daniel Theis (once he clears waivers) will push the Clippers’ payroll past $200MM — L.A. will join the Warriors as the only two teams to ever exceed that figure, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link). L.A.’s luxury tax bill will sit at $142.3MM once Theis is officially a Clipper, Marks adds.

NBA Suspends Draymond Green For Five Games

November 15th, 2023 at 7:33pm CST by Luke Adams

7:33pm: The NBA has officially confirmed Green’s five-game suspension, as well as the $25K fines for Thompson, McDaniels, and Gobert.

In its press release (Twitter link), the NBA said Green was suspended for “escalating an on-court altercation and forcibly grabbing (Gobert) around the neck in an unsportsmanlike and dangerous manner.” The length of the suspension was based in part on Green’s “history of unsportsmanlike acts,” the league added.

7:16pm: Warriors forward Draymond Green will be suspended five games by the NBA for his role in Tuesday’s altercation against Minnesota, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).

After Klay Thompson and Jaden McDaniels engaged in some grabbing, pushing, and shoving that resulted in a stoppage in play early in the first quarter of Tuesday’s game, Green entered the fracas and put Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in a headlock for several seconds (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report).

The game’s officials, who ruled that Gobert had been trying to deescalate the situation, hit Green with a flagrant 2 foul and an ejection.

A report earlier in the day from Wojnarowski indicated that the NBA was reviewing the situation, with Green considered to be the focus of that investigation due to the Gobert headlock as well as his history of on-court physicality and suspensions. When Green was suspended in the 2023 playoffs for stepping on Domantas Sabonis, his reputation as a “repeat offender” was cited by the league.

As a result of the five-game ban, Green will miss the Warriors’ games against the Thunder on Thursday and Saturday, as well as their contests vs. Houston (Nov. 20), Phoenix (Nov. 22), and San Antonio (Nov. 24). That game vs. the Spurs is an in-season tournament matchup.

Golden State is also without top scorer Stephen Curry in the short term due to a sore right knee. Curry has been ruled out for Thursday’s game vs. the Thunder and is expected to be reevaluated later this week.

The suspension will cost Green a total of $769,704, or $153,941 per game, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks. His salary for the 2022/23 season is $22,321,429, and he’ll forfeit 1/145th of that salary for each game of the suspension.

While Green is the only player being suspended as a result of Tuesday’s squabble, Thompson, McDaniels, and Gobert will be fined $25K apiece, Wojnarowski tweets.

Devin Booker To Return On Wednesday

November 15th, 2023 at 7:14pm CST by Luke Adams

OCTOBER 15, 7:14pm: While Booker will return on Wednesday, Beal has been downgraded from probable to out due to his back issue, tweets Rankin. That means the regular season debut of the Suns’ big three will be postponed by at least one more game.

OCTOBER 15, 8:50am: Booker will be available on Wednesday and the Suns’ big three will play together for the first time this season, per Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

OCTOBER 14: Suns guard Devin Booker is expected to return on Wednesday from the right calf strain that has sidelined him for the past five games, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

According to Rankin, Bradley Beal is also expected to be available on Wednesday vs. Minnesota despite tweaking his back in Sunday’s game against Oklahoma City.

Assuming both Booker and Beal are formally cleared to play, it will be the first time that the Suns’ new big three is in action since the regular season began.

With Booker and Beal both on the shelf for much of the season so far, Phoenix has stumbled out of the gate, losing six of its first 10 games despite Kevin Durant‘s usual All-NBA production. Durant has put up 30.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.6 rebounds per game on .498/.429/.851 shooting, while Beal has been limited to three appearances and Booker has played just twice.

Grayson Allen, Josh Okogie, and Keita Bates-Diop have all been frequent starters during the season’s first three weeks, but as long as Phoenix’s big three is available alongside center Jusuf Nurkic, there will only be room for one of them in the starting five as of Wednesday. Allen, who has yet to come off the bench this season, is probably the best bet to hang onto his starting spot.

Eric Gordon, who missed Sunday’s game due to a shoulder injury he sustained on Friday, is also aiming to be back on Wednesday, Rankin adds.