Adreian Payne Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Sanchez, Hornets, Anthony

February 10th, 2015 at 6:12pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Orlando Sanchez remains with the D-League affiliate of the Knicks and continues to seek an NBA contract, agent Brian J. Bass tells Hoops Rumors (Twitter link), even though the owner of Cangrejeros de Santurce, a Puerto Rican team, says Sanchez has signed with his club, as Sportando’s Emiliano Carchia relays in a pair of tweets.

Here’s more from the East:

The Celtics have recalled guard Andre Dawkins from the Maine Red Claws, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. Dawkins has appeared in seven games for the Red Claws this season, and he is averaging 16.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals in 36.3 minutes per game.
Hawks coach and acting GM Mike Budenholzer indicated that dealing Adreian Payne to the Wolves was about creating roster flexibility, and that the trade should be taken on its own merit, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter links). Budenholzer also said that no other trades are imminent, Vivlamore adds.
Hornets GM Rich Cho said that he doesn’t think that Charlotte “gave up a ton” to acquire Troy Daniels and Mo Williams from the Timberwolves, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer tweets. The Hornets shipped Gary Neal and the Heat’s 2019 second-round pick to Minnesota to complete the trade.
Cho also indicated that the Hornets would continue to be active up until the trade deadline, but that there was no specific need that the team would try and address, Bonnell adds (Twitter link).
Carmelo Anthony said that the chances of him undergoing surgery during the season on his injured knee are growing increasingly likely, Keith Schlosser of SNY.tv writes. The Knicks’ star also relayed that the procedure would keep him out a minimum of two months, which would likely sideline ‘Melo for the remainder of the season, Schlosser adds.

Wolves Notes: Exceptions, Deadline, Payne

February 10th, 2015 at 4:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Wolves had a few options regarding trade exceptions and their pair of swaps today. It’s likely that they created an exception worth Troy Daniels‘ $816,482 salary, and they had to have dipped into either their $6,308,194 exception left over from the Kevin Love trade or their $4,702,500 exception from the Corey Brewer trade. It’s unclear whether they absorbed Gary Neal‘s $3.25MM salary into one of those exceptions and created a new exception worth Mo Williams‘ $3.75MM salary, or simply matched salaries for Neal and Williams, creating a $500K exception. If they made an exception worth Williams’ full salary, they could have used that to absorb Adreian Payne‘s $1,855,320 rookie scale salary, but if they only made an exception worth $500K in the Williams trade, they would have had to take Payne into either the Love exception or Brewer exception.

Here’s more on the Wolves in the aftermath of their busy day:

President of basketball operations and coach Flip Saunders said he doesn’t expect to be active again between now and the trade deadline, as he told reporters, including Andy Greder of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter link). Thaddeus Young, Kevin Martin and Chase Budinger have all been in trade rumors of late.
Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press reiterated that he still doesn’t believe the team will move Martin (Twitter link), adding that he doesn’t think it’s likely the team will add a point guard, either.
Saunders also told reporters that he found it a tough choice between Zach LaVine and Payne when the Timberwolves drafted at No. 13 overall this past June, as the Wolves’ Twitter account notes. The team now has both after drafting LaVine and trading for Payne.
Although losing more games to get better odds in the 2015 lottery seems like the team’s best route, winning some games might be in the Wolves’ best interest, opines Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune. Scoggins cites the need to show the fan base that the franchise is building toward something as reason not to pursue a tanking strategy. Minnesota won three games in a row before Monday’s loss to the Hawks.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post.

Hawks Trade Adreian Payne To Wolves

February 10th, 2015 at 1:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:57pm: The pick going to Atlanta will become a second-rounder if it’s not conveyed within the protected years, reports Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities (Twitter link).

1:34pm: The Hawks have traded Adreian Payne to the Timberwolves for a first-round pick, the Wolves and have announced. The Hawks have also acknowledged the deal via press release. Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported that Payne would leave the Hawks, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune had him going to the Wolves, and Vivlamore noted the inclusion of the first-rounder (All Twitter links). It represents a sharp turnaround for the Hawks on Payne, whom the Hawks drafted 15th overall out of Michigan State just this past June. The first-rounder that Atlanta receives is for 2017, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Minnesota only had its own first-rounder for that year. The pick will be lottery protected through 2020, sources tell Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

“We are extremely excited to welcome Adreian to Minnesota,” Timberwolves coach/executive Flip Saunders said in the team’s statement. “Adreian fits the mold of a young, athletic and talented player who we believe will fit in well with our young and talented core. We’ve liked him for a while and look forward to seeing him grow with us in a Wolves uniform.”

The Wolves were indeed high on Payne going into last year’s draft, tweets Jon Krawczynski of The Associated Press. The power forward has gone on D-League assignment four times this season and has appeared in only three NBA games as the Hawks haven’t found much use for him amid their ascent to the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

The move opens a roster spot for Atlanta, which had been carrying a full 15-man roster. It’s possible, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link), that the Hawks would fill it with Ray Allen, whom they’ve sought, or Gary Neal, who worked under Hawks coach and acting GM Mike Budenholzer when they were both with the Spurs. The Timberwolves are reportedly exploring the idea of a buyout or trade involving Neal, whom they just acquired earlier today from the Hornets. The move also helps make way for the Hawks to sign Edy Tavares, a center whom the team drafted 43rd overall in 2014, when the offseason rolls around, Wojnarowski notes (on Twitter).

The Wolves had immediate plans for the roster spot they opened up in their Mo Williams trade earlier today, as Krawczynski reported earlier today, and Payne restores the team to 15 players, including Lorenzo Brown, who’s on a 10-day contract. It represents a chance for the team to buy low on a highly regarded prospect, and the protection on the pick heading to Atlanta means Minnesota won’t give up a pick higher in the order than the one the Hawks used on Payne last year.

Photo courtesy USA Today Sports Images.

Southeast Notes: Magic, Whiteside, Payne

January 12th, 2015 at 3:39pm CST by Chuck Myron

Three Southeast Division teams would make the playoffs if they started today, and a fourth, the Hornets, are but two games out of the final postseason spot. The fifth-place Magic are within hailing distance at four and a half games out, but key decision-makers in Orlando appear to be getting antsy, as we detail amid the latest from the Southeast:

Magic officials feel as though the team has lost its way over the past few weeks, and while they believe that the inexperience of the roster is responsible for the team’s struggles, they’re looking deeper to find the genesis of the problems, according to Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Speculation surrounds the job security of Jacque Vaughn, but Vaughn says he’s not concerned and many players tell Robbins that the coach is not to blame. Vaughn’s contract runs through 2015/16 after the team picked up his option this past offseason.
Hassan Whiteside had a one-day stint with the Grizzlies in November but says that no one else wanted him when the Heat picked him up shortly thereafter, observes Joseph Goodman of the Miami Herald. “It’s different because I got a coach who will play me, so I get to play,” Whiteside said. “You can’t get on the court without a contract. I called the Clippers for a workout, they said no. I called every team for a workout, they said no, except the Heat. The Heat gave me a chance and, I mean, it’s only right for me to give 110% effort every time.” Whiteside’s 23-point, 16-rebound performance Sunday seemed like a turning point for him and the Heat, as Goodman and Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel examine.
The Hawks have recalled Adreian Payne from the D-League, the team announced via press release. The 15th overall pick of the 2014 draft had been on his fourth assignment of the season since December 30th with the D-League affiliate of the Spurs, who took him in under the new rules in place for the Hawks and the 12 other NBA teams who share a D-League affiliate.

Southeast Notes: Wizards, Napier, D-League

December 30th, 2014 at 5:29pm CST by Eddie Scarito

One major factor contributing to the Wizards‘ success this season is their excellent team chemistry, Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle writes. Trevor Ariza was one of the team’s veteran leaders last season, but when he signed a free agent deal with the Rockets this past summer Washington acted quickly to replace that void by signing Paul Pierce, Creech notes. “You always have a contingency plan for that and that’s what we did,” coach Randy Wittman said. “Nothing ever really surprises you anymore in this league. It was a situation where we would have loved to have Trevor stay. We wanted to make sure we didn’t lose anything in that area with a guy like Trevor. We are trying to move on. We have Paul who has come in here and really moved into that spot.”

Here’s more out of the Southeast Division:

The Hawks have assigned John Jenkins to the Idaho Stampede, the team announced in a press release. Jenkins is headed to Idaho as part of the flexible assignment rule since Atlanta is without a one-to-one partnership with a D-League team. In one previous stint in the D-League Jenkins appeared in five games, averaging 19.4 points and 3.8 rebounds in 23.8 minutes.
Adreian Payne has been assigned to the Austin Spurs, the Hawks have announced. This will be Payne’s fourth trek to the D-League this season, and in 11 games Payne has logged 13.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in 28.4 minutes per contest.
The Heat have assigned Shabazz Napier to the Sioux Falls Skyforce, their D-League affiliate, the team has announced. Napier has appeared in 25 games with the Heat this season, averaging 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 21.0 minutes while shooting 42.5 percent from the field. This will be Napier’s second sojourn of the season to the D-League.

And-Ones: Mavs, Payne, Heat, Bargnani

December 22nd, 2014 at 10:31pm CST by Alex Lee

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban wants to keep his newfound starting five together for the foreseeable future, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas. To do so, Cuban will have to strike new deals with free agents to be Rajon Rondo and Tyson Chandler this summer. Add Monta Ellis to that list should he opt out of the third year of his team-friendly deal. “I’ll at least do my best to keep them together,” said Cuban. “I want to keep them together. It’s cheaper to keep them. It’s not where we were before. Do I want to go deep into the luxury tax? No, and I think it’s more because I want us to have some options in a couple of years. But, yeah, there’s no reason for us not to keep everybody together, not that I know now.”

It should be a busy summer for the Mavs owner. Now let’s take a look at what else is going on around the league on Monday night:

The Hawks have recalled Adreian Payne from the D-League, the team announced via press release. Payne had been with the affiliate of the Spurs, and his assignment represented the first use of the new rules for NBA teams without one-to-one D-League affiliates.
While the Heat were without Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on Sunday, facing the Rondo-less Celtics provided the latest reminder of team president Pat Riley‘s staunch advocacy of the star system, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Winderman implies that Riley, unlike Boston executive Danny Ainge, probably would’ve opted to lock up a player of Rondo’s caliber rather than risk sliding further into mediocrity.
Andrea Bargnani, who has yet to suit up for the Knicks this season, was adamant on Sunday that he intends to play this season and will return to the NBA next year despite his impending free agency, writes Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, who adds that it’s unlikely the Knicks will bring the Italian forward back.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Eastern Notes: Payne, Nets, Raptors

December 9th, 2014 at 8:42pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Hawks re-assigned Adreian Payne to the D-League on Sunday night, but instead of heading to Fort Wayne, the rookie was sent to the Austin Toros, the Spurs’ affiliate instead, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. This was due to the maximum allowance of four NBA players already being on assignment to the Mad Ants at the time, though three of those players were recalled Monday, Vivlamore notes. In his two previous stints with Fort Wayne, Payne has appeared in a total of six games, averaging 13.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 31.3 minutes per contest.

Here’s more from the East:

This flexible assignment to Austin for Payne actually works in his and Atlanta’s favor since Austin runs a very similar system to the one the Hawks use, Vivlamore adds. “It’s not the same system that we run here [Atlanta],” Payne said of his previous assignments in Fort Wayne. “It’s different. It’s just like coming from college when you learn a different system.”
With the Nets reportedly willing to trade Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson, Bradford Doolittle of ESPN.com (Insider subscription required) runs down which teams would be the best fit for each. Doolittle opines that Williams would look good in a Pacers uniform, the Lakers would suit Lopez just fine, and Johnson could fit in with the Pelicans.
The Raptors have no intention of utilizing the remaining $4,583,432 of the trade exception they created from the Rudy Gay trade, which expires tonight, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets.
If the Nets do indeed trade Andrei Kirilenko to the Sixers for a player with a non-guaranteed contract, Brooklyn would be able to create a trade exception worth $3.3MM, Robert Windrem of Nets Daily reports (Twitter link).

D-League Moves: Hawks, Pelicans, Ledo

December 8th, 2014 at 5:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

This time last year, Robert Covington was on the Rockets roster but in the midst of a D-League assignment that had begun November 7th and wouldn’t end until this past January 18th. He went down for several more assignments last year, and after the Rockets released him just shy of opening night this year, he became the first pick in the D-League draft and spent a few more weeks on the circuit until the Sixers signed him in mid-November. Covington credits all of that D-League experience with helping him to a strong start in Philadelphia, where he’s knocked down 17 of 32 three-point attempts, as Tom Moore of Calkins Media notes via Twitter. No one on NBA rosters hopes to spend as much time in the D-League as Covington did, but they have a chance to benefit if they do. Here are the latest assignments and recalls:

The Hawks are sending 15th overall pick Adreian Payne to the D-League again, just two days after recalling him, reports Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link). Vivlamore indicates that it’s unclear which D-League team he’ll play for. That signals that perhaps the D-League will be exercising its new rules for accommodating assignments for the 13 NBA teams that share the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, of which the Hawks are one. Still, it’d be odd if the D-League sent Payne to another affiliate, since the Mad Ants don’t have anyone else on NBA assignment aside from Glen Rice Jr. of the Wizards.
That’s in part because Atlanta recalled John Jenkins and Mike Muscala from the Mad Ants today, the Hawks announced (Twitter link). Jenkins had been on assignment since November 28th, while Muscala was with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for just two days.
Russ Smith is back with the Pelicans after a three-day assignment to Fort Wayne, New Orleans announced. This year’s 47th overall pick averaged 14.5 points and 3.0 steals in 26.0 minutes per game over two D-League contests, but Smith, a point guard, totaled nine turnovers and just six assists.
Ricky Ledo is headed on D-League assignment for the fourth time this year, the Mavs announced (on Twitter). He’s yet to appear in a game for the big club this season, and he’s putting up 12.0 PPG in 34.0 MPG across five D-League contests.

And-Ones: Jordan, Ledo, Cauley-Stein, Hawks

December 6th, 2014 at 10:48am CST by Eddie Scarito

DeAndre Jordan‘s continued emergence as one of the best defensive big men in the NBA could put him in line to command a max salary contract when he hits free agency next summer, which would also be the first significant financial test of the Clippers‘ new owner, Steve Ballmer, Ben Bolch of The Los Angeles Times writes. A maximum five-year contract for Jordan projected at $103.5MM would probably nudge Los Angeles over the luxury tax threshold for a third consecutive season in 2015/16, which would trigger the repeater tax the following year, notes Bolch. Ballmer has stated that he would make whatever financial commitment was necessary to preserve the core of his team, but this dollar-for-dollar charge tacked onto the existing luxury tax fees will surely test the billionaire’s commitment to his stated goal, Bolch adds.

Here’s more from around the league:

Despite all the hype leading up to the 2014 NBA draft, this season’s crop of rookies are off to the worst statistical first year start of any rookie class in the last 10 years, Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com writes.
The Hawks have recalled Adreian Payne from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and have assigned Mike Muscala to the D-League, Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (Twitter link).
With his 21 points, 12 rebounds, 5 steals and 3 blocks against Texas Friday night, Kentucky junior Willie Cauley-Stein, “Made himself some money,” according to one NBA scout, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv writes. Cauley-Stein is currently projected as the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft by DraftExpress. The big man returned for his junior season specifically to improve his draft stock, notes Zagoria. “For sure,” Cauley-Stein said. “You know, that is one of the biggest reasons that I came back is to just develop myself more as a basketball player. I feel like I am just starting to do that. It’s only December. I still have three months left.”
The Mavericks have recalled Ricky Ledo from the Texas Legends of the NBA D-League, the team announced in a press release. In five games this season for the Legends, Ledo has averaged 12.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.2 steals in 34.0 minutes per contest.

Southeast Notes: Curry, Hornets, Heat, Hawks

November 28th, 2014 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

Three Southeast Division teams have winning records, the most of any Eastern Conference division, but there are no powerhouses, allowing Western Conference heavies like the Warriors to record two wins of 15 points or more in consecutive nights on the road in Florida. Golden State heads to Charlotte tonight after turning the Florida double play earlier this week, and there’s a heavy Warriors influence on the latest news out of the Southeast:

Charlotte native Stephen Curry spoke this past summer about the idea of someday playing for the Hornets, but this week he sought to downplay the notion, even though he admits he’s always thought about it, as Diamond Leung of the Bay Area News Group details. “That’s hard to get out of your head, but obviously, it has no bearing on decisions that I make down the road,” Curry said. “It’s just a fun thought to have. The Hornets name does mean a lot to my family, and obviously I’m starting a new thing with the Warriors. I definitely feel right at home here [with Golden State].”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr is confident that Heat first-round pick Shabazz Napier will become a starting-level NBA point guard, and fellow Heat rookie James Ennis is drawing widespread praise as well, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
The Hawks have officially assigned Adreian Payne and John Jenkins to the D-League, the team announced via press release. Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Thursday that the team intended to make the moves.