Al Horford Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southeast Notes: Horford, Millsap, Wall

May 10th, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

Hawks coach/executive Mike Budenholzer deflected a question about whether he intends to make a max offer to soon-to-be free agent Al Horford, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution relays. Still, Budenholzer’s reluctance to give a direct answer is probably because the sides technically can’t have negotiations on a new contract until July 1st, when Horford’s existing deal expires, and Vivlamore has said before that the Hawks indeed plan to make a max offer. “It is the day after the season,” Budenholzer said Monday. “All those things, you will have to call his agent. He is incredibly valuable to us.”

See more on Horford, who sits No. 4 in our latest 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, amid other news from the Southeast Division:

Paul Millsap, who re-signed with the Hawks last summer, will take a hands-off approach rather than put on a hard press to recruit Horford back to the team, Vivlamore notes in the same piece. “If he wants my two cents, he’ll ask for it,” Millsap said. “I don’t like to butt into other people’s business but I think he knows from talking to me last year what the process is going to be like. I think Al knows that every player on this team appreciates everything that he did. Love him like a brother. We know how important he is to us but it’s up to him to make his decision.”
The Wizards said John Wall is expected to be ready for the start of next season after undergoing procedures on both knees last week, but it’s not entirely clear whether he’ll recover in time for training camp, which begins in late September, observes Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post.
The Hornets should offer the max to Nicolas Batum and pursue rim protectors, including Charlotte-area native Hassan Whiteside, instead of a new deal with Al Jefferson in the offseason ahead, opines Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer, who lists seven items on his proposed to-do list for the team.

Southeast Notes: Horford, Teague, Walker

May 9th, 2016 at 9:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Soon-to-be free agent Al Horford isn’t leaving any doubt about his fondness for Atlanta and the Hawks, answering affirmatively Sunday when Zach Klein of WSB-TV asked whether he wants to be back with the team next season (Twitter link). The Jason Glushon client expressed his faith in Mike Budenholzer’s system, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays. “I believe it in my heart,” Horford said. “I believe that the way that we play makes us successful, and we have to figure out how we can take that next step as a group.” Those weren’t the only remarks Horford made in the wake of Sunday’s playoff ouster that sound encouraging to Atlanta’s hopes of re-signing him, but players on expiring contracts often speak well of their incumbent teams at season’s end, only to head elsewhere in July.

See more from Atlanta amid the latest from the Southeast Division:

Trade candidate Jeff Teague doesn’t think the Hawks will pull the trigger on a deal this summer, expressing confidence Sunday that he’ll be back next season even after the Hawks sat him the entire fourth quarter of Game 4 in favor of Dennis Schröder, notes Ray Glier of USA Today. “Yeah, I’ve been here my whole career, why wouldn’t I?” Teague said.
Hornets star point guard Kemba Walker underwent surgery Monday to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee, the team announced on its website. Walker is expected to resume basketball activities in early July, according to the release. This was Walker’s second procedure on the knee in 16 months, but it was more elective than urgent, a source told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. Walker has experienced soreness in the knee since his high school days, Bonnell adds.
The Wizards will attend the predraft camp in Chicago this week and have asked permission from the league to interview 30 prospects, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com reports. The team will be looking at mainly second-round prospects who could go undrafted with their primary focus being power forwards and centers, Michael adds. Washington must convey its first-round pick to the Suns unless it has lottery luck and has also traded away its second-rounder.
Budenholzer resists the notion that consecutive sweeps at the hands of Cleveland should prompt the Hawks to tear apart their roster, observes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Losing to Cleveland twice is tough,” Budenholzer said. “But to the fanbase, to people who think [about blowing it up], if we want to find a way to beat whether it be Cleveland or whoever the great teams in the league or our conference are, blowing it up is probably not the way to beat a team like Cleveland or whoever it may be that is very good.”

Southeast Notes: Horford, Hawks, Powell, Batum

May 8th, 2016 at 9:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Al Horford will be among the most popular free agents this summer, but he didn’t sound ready to leave Atlanta after the Hawks were eliminated today, relays Chris Vivlamore of the Journal-Constitution. “My main priority tomorrow is to meet with the team and the coaches one last time [for the season] and go from there and figure out how we can be a better group,” Horford said. The Hawks are planning to offer Horford a maximum contract, and several other teams are expected to bid on him. The nine-year veteran made $12MM this season but could more than double that amount in free agency.

The Hawks are the only team Horford has played for, and he has developed a strong attachment to Atlanta. “I’ve set up here with my family,” he said. “We all live here. We live here in the summer. We live here year-round. I’m very grateful for all the people here. They have taken me in from the very first day, even though I was a [Florida] Gator. They loved me. I really love the city.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

The Hawks need “major change and major improvement,” starting with a go-to scorer who can carry the team late in games, writes Jeff Schultz of The Journal-Constitution. Schultz says Paul Millsap disappeared too often in the playoffs, and Horford isn’t strong enough in the paint or reliable enough outside to be a dependable scorer. The writer adds that Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder are too inconsistent, while Kyle Korver is headed toward reserve status and Kent Bazemore may be leaving as a free agent.
The Wizards would have drafted Dwight Powell in 2014 and may take another shot at the Dallas big man in free agency, according to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic. Washington was one pick away from landing Powell when he went at No. 45 to the Hornets. The Wizards sold their pick to the Lakers after he was taken. Powell, who earned $845K this season, will be a restricted free agent and could fill a backup role in Washington.
Small forward Nicolas Batum plans to make the Hornets his top priority when free agency arrives, as the The A ssociated Press relays. Batum, who has played one season in Charlotte after being traded from Portland, is encouraged by the team’s potential. “I want to talk to [the Hornets] first, for sure,” Batum said. “July 1st will be a crazy day, but will Charlotte be my first call? Yes.” Hornets starters Courtney Lee, Marvin Williams and Al Jefferson will also be unrestricted free agents, and reserve point guard Jeremy Lin is expected to opt out.

Southwest Notes: Morey, Demps, Mavericks, Howard

May 1st, 2016 at 6:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Rockets coaching candidates had better be prepared to discuss defense and team chemistry in their job interviews, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. GM Daryl Morey offered few clues beyond that in a press conference this week as the team decides whether to replace interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Owner Leslie Alexander is a strong believer in an up-tempo attack with a heavy emphasis on 3-pointers, but Morey said running that system won’t be a prerequisite for the next coach. The Rockets are known as pioneers of analytics in the NBA, but none of Morey’s coaches has been a strong believer in numbers. Feigen notes that every coach Alexander has hired came to Houston with previous head coaching experience but adds that the organization targeted several assistants before hiring Kevin McHale and is expected to do so again. The writer mentions ex-head coaches Jeff Van Gundy, Lionel Hollins and Jeff Hornacek as possibilities, along with Adrian Griffin, Ettore Messina, Jay Larranaga and Jim Boylen.

There’s more out of the Southwest Division:

Pelicans GM Dell Demps and his staff are preparing for the draft and free agency, even though the team hasn’t confirmed that Demps will keep his job, tweets Scott Kushner of The Advocate.
The Mavericks can offer one max contract to free agents this summer and possibly a second if Dirk Nowitzki and Chandler Parsons follow Deron Williams and opt out for next season, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Dallas entered the offseason expecting to have at least $32MM to spend, but that number could rise closer to $60MM if Nowitzki, Parsons and Williams all opt out. Bontemps notes that Dallas is counting on landing an elite free agent this summer after last year’s near miss with DeAndre Jordan. He adds that owner Mark Cuban is trying to surround Nowitzki, who’s likely to remain, with as much talent as possible before he retires.
Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram suggests Rockets center Dwight Howard is the first name on the Mavericks‘ free agent wish list. Price believes Miami’s Hassan Whiteside, Chicago’s Pau Gasol and Atlanta’s Al Horford are other centers Dallas will target if it can’t land Howard.

Southeast Notes: Lin, Beal, Horford, Patterson

April 17th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin says Hawks assistant Kenny Atkinson helped lay the groundwork for “Lin-sanity,” relays Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Atkinson, who will become the Nets’ new head coach once Atlanta’s playoff run is complete, aided in Lin’s development when both were with the Knicks. “I’ll text after a game at midnight, one o’clock when I go home,” Lin recalls, “and I’ll say, ‘Hey, can I look at those turnovers? Can I look at the upcoming team? How they run pick-and-rolls?’ And he’ll have the film ready when I walk into the facility the next morning. When I wasn’t playing much, we were working out before practice, and after practice, he was picking apart my game, teaching me what it’s like to play in Coach [Mike] D’Antoni’s system.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

Restricted free agent Bradley Beal said he and backcourt partner John Wall both have to play better for the Wizards to be successful, according to J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic. The fourth-year shooting guard was limited to a career-low 55 games this season and was placed on a minutes restriction after doctors found “the beginnings of a stress reaction in his lower right fibula” in December. “It’s been a rocky year in terms of injuries, offense changing, getting used to playing with new guys on the team and adjusting to a few things,” Beal said. “We both should’ve had a better year than we had. We should’ve carried the team a little better than what we did. We both can attest to it.”
The Hawks‘ Al Horford stands to more than double his salary in free agency and may change the perception of who deserves a max contract, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders. Horford is making $12MM this season, but when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer after completing his ninth NBA season, he will be eligible for a contract starting at approximately 30% of the salary cap, or about $26MM. Hamilton says that may seem expensive for a player who has never averaged 20 points per game, but Horford will likely define the market for fellow free agents Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade, Mike Conley and Harrison Barnes.
The Hawks sent Lamar Patterson back to the Austin Spurs of the D-League to finish their playoff series, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Journal Constitution. Atlanta recalled Patterson on Friday after Tim Hardaway Jr. suffered a groin injury.

Hawks Plan Max Offer For Al Horford

April 15th, 2016 at 12:44pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks plan to offer the maximum salary to Al Horford when he becomes a free agent this summer, as Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution confirmed on the CSNNE.com Celtics Talk podcast Thursday in advance of Atlanta’s first-round playoff series against Boston (audio link; scroll to 17:10 mark). That’s no surprise, though whether the Hawks are prepared to make a full five-year max offer to the big man who turns 30 in June remains to be seen.

Atlanta likes rim protection at the center position, but other teams like him for his floor-stretching capabilities, Vivlamore observes. Horford reportedly places a high priority on signing for five years, which he can only do with the Hawks, but just about every other team in the league is nonetheless eyeing him, Vivlamore says, mentioning the Cavaliers, Raptors and Celtics specifically. Vivlamore makes similar remarks in a video with CineSport’s Noah Coslov on the Journal-Constitution site.

The Magic and Horford apparently share a mutual interest, but the Jason Glushon client enjoys playing in the Atlanta system, according to Vivlamore, who believes his fondness for Atlanta’s schemes will play a role in his decision. Vivlamore pegs the chances of Horford re-signing with the Hawks at 90%.

The starting salary in a max deal for Horford, a ninth-year veteran, will be around $25MM, with a salary cap expected to be at least $90MM. The Hawks, with close to $52MM in guaranteed salary already committed, would have a tight squeeze to re-sign fellow soon-to-be free agent Kent Bazemore if they bring back Horford at the max, since they only have Bazemore’s Early Bird rights. The swingman is poised for an outsized payday after a breakout season.

Horford is No. 5 in the latest 2016 Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings, one spot ahead of Atlanta native Dwight Howard. Kris Willis of Peachtree Hoops discussed Horford’s free agency with Hoops Rumors in an interview we posted earlier today.

And-Ones: Hawks, Labissiere, Bender, Beasley

April 5th, 2016 at 3:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Hawks hope they’ve scored some brownie points with free agents through today’s announcement that P3 Sports Science, a California training facility that counts many NBA players among its clients, will open a location within the new practice facility that the team revealed plans for today, tweets Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported the Hawks would announce today that they’re building the $50MM practice facility, to be paid for through private funding (Twitter links), and Hawks owner Tony Ressler was adamant that building the new facility is his top priority for the team, Vivlamore notes (Twitter link). Soon-to-be free agent Al Horford is among the dozens of NBA players that P3 lists as clients. The facility is scheduled to open in time for the 2017/18 season, Vivlamore writes.

While we wait to see if today’s news has a tangible effect on Horford or anyone else Atlanta targets, see more from around the NBA:

Kentucky freshman center/forward Skal Labissiere plans to hire an agent as he heads into the NBA draft, the school announced, so he’ll be ineligible to withdraw and return to college ball. The 7’0″ 20-year-old is one of 14 Kentucky underclassmen who are entering the draft, as coach John Calipari said last month, though whether any of the others intend to hire agents remains unclear. Labissiere, who once sat atop Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress prospect rankings, is now No. 10 on that list, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him 16th.
Officials from one NBA team told Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders they believe the buyout clause in elite draft prospect Dragan Bender‘s contract with Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv is $650K, precisely the amount NBA teams will be able to pay without it affecting his rookie scale contract (Twitter link). Bender, an 18-year-old power forward, is No. 3 in both Ford’s and Givony’s rankings.
Michael Beasley has left agent Jared Karnes of the Allegiant Athletic Agency, as the SportsBusiness Journal reports. The former No. 2 overall pick has averaged 14.1 points in 19.8 minutes per game since signing with the Rockets last month. The minimum-salary deal includes a non-guaranteed salary for next season, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders.

Atlantic Notes: Durant, Vaulet, Roberts

March 16th, 2016 at 4:50pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics, who are among many teams dreaming of signing Kevin Durant this summer, would have taken the Texas product first overall in the 2007 draft if the pingpong balls had bounced their way, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Instead, Portland landed the top pick and selected Ohio State center Greg Oden, with Durant falling to the Thunder at No. 2. “I was in the draft room, and they would have taken Durant,” said Austin Ainge, son of Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. “I did have some inside information there.” Team co-owner Wyc Grousbeck has verified that claim, according to Forsberg.

Boston may be able to make its pitch to Durant more appealing by acquiring another high-level talent first. Forsberg suggested the Celtics may pursue Hawks free agent center/power forward Al Horford, who is also headed toward free agency and whom they reportedly targeted prior to last month’s trade deadline. Boston will have about $34MM in guaranteed salary for next season if it elects not to hang on to Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko. If the salary cap tops $90MM, as some estimates have suggested, the Celtics could have enough room for two elite free agents.

There’s more on the Atlantic Division:

Durant, who will face the Celtics in Boston tonight for the first time since 2012, had plenty of good things to say about the city, according to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. “I like the city a lot,” Durant told reporters this morning. “It’s cold, but they love sports here. It’s a family atmosphere I feel when I walk around the city, so yeah, I like it a lot.”
The Nets are hoping they might have “the next Manu Ginobili” in second-round pick Juan Pablo Vaulet, according to NetsDaily. Playing in Argentina, Vaulet missed 19 games with an early-season stress fracture in his ankle, but he is starting to show why Brooklyn and other observers were so high on him during the draft. That includes new Nets GM Sean Marks, who was watching Vaulet closely when he was still with the Spurs’ front office.
The Raptors‘ D-League affiliate has announced that Ronald Roberts Jr. will miss the rest of the season with a right knee injury, tweets Chris Reichert of Upside & Motor. Three NBA teams had considered signing Roberts to a 10-day contract before the injury, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (Twitter link).

And-Ones: Horford, Howard, LeVert, Simmons

March 15th, 2016 at 3:41pm CST by Chuck Myron

Trail Blazers GM Neil Olshey is unsurprisingly a major fan of soon-to-be free agent big man Al Horford, as Jason Quick of CSNNW.com tweets. Horford will reportedly prioritize the fifth year that the Hawks, and no one else, can offer him in a new contract this summer, but he hasn’t made any commitments despite his fondness for Atlanta, and he reportedly has a degree of interest in the Magic. Portland wouldn’t offer the geographical advantage of no state income tax and proximity to his college home of the University of Florida that the Magic could, but the Blazers have an intriguing backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum to showcase to Horford and other free agents this summer, when the team will have only about $47MM in guaranteed salary on the books against a salary cap expected to be twice that amount. See more from around the league:

Rockets GM Daryl Morey was mum when ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan asked him whether he planned to re-sign Dwight Howard this summer, as Matt Dollinger of SI.com notes in a roundup of last week’s MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Agent David Falk regards Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf as the toughest negotiator he’s ever gone against, Dollinger notes in the same piece.
Positional versatility and a strong overall package make Michigan swingman Caris LeVert an intriguing prospect, but he looks ill-suited to become a go-to guy, and his history of injuries is a concern, write Josh Riddell and Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress.
Sean Deveney of The Sporting News sides with LSU combo forward Ben Simmons in the debate over whether Simmons or Duke small forward Brandon Ingram is the top prospect in this year’s draft, listing Simmons atop his first mock draft. Ingram follows, with European power forward Dragan Bender at No. 3.

Southeast Notes: Beal, Wittman, Bazemore, Zeller

March 5th, 2016 at 2:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bradley Beal seems certain to return to the Wizards next season, but coach Randy Wittman’s future is in doubt, J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic said on an interview this morning with SiriusXM NBA Radio (h/t Kurt Helin of NBC Sports.com.) Michael said Washington plans to match any offers for Beal, who will be a restricted free agent after failing to reach an extension agreement with the team in November (Twitter link). However, Wittman’s job is in jeopardy unless the 30-31 Wizards make a significant improvement by the end of the season (Twitter link). Michael says Wittman was forced to change his system to the floor-spacing approach that Washington currently uses. (Twitter link). He has a 167-189 record in nearly five full seasons as the team’s head coach.

There’s more news from the Southeast Division:

Soon-to-be free agent Al Horford established a winning tradition in Atlanta, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Hawks made the playoffs in eight straight seasons after drafting Horford third overall in 2007, and they can stretch that streak to nine with a decent finish. Horford has stayed silent on the topic of free agency, trying to keep it from being a distraction, but Vivlamore notes that Atlanta is in position to make the best offer: five years at about $146MM.
Horford will be the Hawks‘ free agent priority this summer, but they would like to keep Kent Bazemore as well, according to Danny Leroux of The Sporting News. Both will be unrestricted, and Atlanta would like to avoid losing talented wing players two years in a row. DeMarre Carroll left the Hawks last summer to sign with Toronto. Atlanta has Early Bird rights on Bazemore, meaning it can only exceed the salary cap to keep him if his contract starts at less than about $6MM annually. Any additional salary for next season would have to come out of cap room.
The Hornets may have benefited from a mid-season knee injury to Al Jefferson, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer. Jefferson, who is headed toward free agency this summer, has missed a significant part of this season with calf and knee problems, but his absence showed that Cody Zeller could handle the rigors of being a starting center.