Andrea Bargnani Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Simmons, Beasley, Bargnani, Maxiell

February 24th, 2016 at 10:46am CST by Chuck Myron

The improvement throughout the season that Duke small forward Brandon Ingram has displayed and his greater opportunity for a postseason showcase gives him a decent chance to unseat combo forward Ben Simmons as the presumptive No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, but Simmons is still out in front, as Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com examine. The “overwhelming majority” of people around the NBA still think Simmons will be drafted first, Ford writes, believing that it’s because of his potential to play like a taller, more athletic Draymond Green. Still, Simmons’ lack of midrange and outside shooting is a concern, Ford adds. See more from around basketball:

Michael Beasley recently turned down an offer from Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv and remains steadfast in his effort to return to the NBA, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter links). Stein reported Tuesday that multiple NBA teams are monitoring the former No. 2 overall pick.
Andrea Bargnani rejected an offer equivalent to about $143K per month to sign with Olympiacos of Greece, which has instead turned its sights to Jason Maxiell, according to the Greek outlet Sport24 (translation via Sportando‘s Emiliano Carchia). However, Maxiell isn’t interested in the club’s idea of including an option for next season on the deal, notes international journalist David Pick (on Twitter).
Many agents and teams would like to see the league and the union discuss what to do about the moves that teams make in the aftermath of a trade that ultimately gets voided, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports hears. The Sixers lost JaKarr Sampson, whom they waived to open a roster spot for last week’s trade with the Rockets and Pistons, which was nullified Monday. Philadelphia reportedly wanted to re-sign him, but he had already inked with the Nuggets by the time the trade was called off.
The reversal of the trade meant teams that aren’t in the tax are projected to each receive an extra $200K, Marks notes in the same piece. That’s because the Rockets are back in line to pay the tax, and thus a greater amount of money is available for the league to distribute.

And-Ones: Bargnani, Draft, Leonard

February 23rd, 2016 at 11:04pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Andrea Bargnani has received a contract offer from the Greek club Olympiacos, Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops.net reports. The power forward is not eager to head overseas to finish out the season, Varlas notes, but the team will require a definitive answer from Bargnani prior to Wednesday’s Euroleague transfer deadline. Bargnani was recently waived by the Nets in an apparent buyout arrangement. Also on Olympiacos’ radar is former Warriors big man Jason Thompson, who was waived via the stretch provision by Golden State in order to clear a roster spot for the newly signed Anderson Varejao.

Here’s more from around the league:

Trail Blazers big man Meyers Leonard has had a tough season thus far dealing with injuries as well as a significantly reduced role for the team and he is trying to remain positive throughout it all, Joe Freeman of The Oregonian writes. “As a competitor, it’s a bit frustrating,” Leonard said. “I want to be out there. I want to help the team win. I’ve said it before and I truly believe this: I’m a starter, talent-wise. But sometimes you have to be willing to sacrifice for the team, which I am. That’s just the kind of guy I am. So I have to keep working hard. I have to keep being a good teammate.“
Heat executive Andy Elisburg noted that the front office was under no specific directive from ownership to get itself out of the luxury tax this trade deadline and stressed that the deals the team did make in no way compromised its playoff chances this season, Couper Moorhead of NBA.com relays. “There was never a mandate to get out of the tax,” Elisburg said. “We always look at the basketball and business benefits of every trade we make or choose not to make. Sometimes you make a trade to open up a roster spot. Sometimes you don’t make a trade because you like the players you have more than the players you may be acquiring. Once we determined that we did not have another trade to make, we chose to move forward with the opportunity to get under the tax.“
The Wasserman Media Group has officially renamed itself the Wasserman agency, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today relays (via Twitter).
A number of highly-touted freshman continue to fall in the latest 2016 mock draft from Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes. Kentucky center Skal Labissiere, UNLV big man Stephen Zimmerman and Kansas small forward Cheick Diallo are some of the players who have fallen out of the projected draft lottery picks since the college season began, Zagoria writes.

Atlantic Notes: Okafor, Knicks, Nets

February 21st, 2016 at 5:37pm CST by Will Joseph

The Sixers assured Jahlil Okafor prior to the deadline that the center was a significant part of their future even though his name was attached to trade rumors, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays. The Sixers listened to offers involving Okafor, according to reports, but needed an overwhelming deal to move him. The Celtics were rumored to be interested in Okafor, but league sources told Pompey that a deal was never in place.

“Rumors have been coming out about me all year,” Okafor said. “It’s just rumors. People here, I talked to them [beforehand]. We are all good where we are at right now. The rumors keep coming out. I know what’s going on here.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

Nets interim coach Tony Brown believes the decision to part ways with Andrea Bargnani in what is believed to be a buyout deal was best for both parties, Brian Lewis of the New York Post tweets.
The Knicks, who did not improve their point guard situation before Thursday’s deadline, hope rookie Jerian Grant, who has been inconsistent, can improve his play, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. Grant is averaging 4.7 points and 2.4 assists per game.
With Kelly Olynyk dealing with a right shoulder injury and David Lee gone, there is a decent chance Celtics rookie Jordan Mickey will receive some playing time sooner rather than later, A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com details. Mickey has spent the majority of this season in the D-League.
The vibe around the Nets is a lot more positive recently after Brooklyn hired Sean Marks as its new GM and moved into a new training facility, Lewis writes. “Definitely. It’s almost like it’s a new situation,” Joe Johnson said. “We have this great practice facility. We’ve got everything pretty much at our disposal. Guys come back with a great attitude since the break. You just want to try to finish strong and try to develop some type of chemistry with players that we have here. Just keep improving as a team, individually and see what happens.’’ Marks will spend the second half of the season evaluating the entire organization, per Lewis, and it will be interesting to see what becomes of Brown if Brooklyn continues its positive trend.

Nets Rumors: Marks, Bargnani, Brown, Prokhorov

February 20th, 2016 at 9:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Sean Marks made his first transaction as GM of the Nets today, parting ways with Andrea Bargnani in what is believed to be a buyout deal. Today’s move creates an open roster spot that Marks has the option to fill. With a 15-40 record, a flawed roster, an interim coach and no first-round picks for two of the next three drafts, Marks recognized the huge task ahead when he was officially hired by the Nets on Thursday.

There’s more news tonight about Marks and his plans for the future in Brooklyn:

The new GM wants to pattern the Nets organization after what he saw as an assistant coach and later an assistant GM in San Antonio, according to Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and GM R.C. Buford are recognized as among the best in the business, and Marks thinks he can pass on the knowledge he learned from them. “The relationship that Pop and R.C. had together, nothing was done without the other not knowing,” Marks said. “So that’s important. It’s inclusive, it’s a partnership. That’s what I’ll be looking for not only in a head coach, but the relationship that I have with ownership and the relationship that I have with all my staff.”
Interim coach Tony Brown will probably retain that role through the end of the season, Mahoney writes in the same story. Brown is 5-13 since taking over for Lionel Hollins. Marks hopes to hire a permanent coach in the next few months.
Defense will be the main criteria in hiring a new coach, tweets Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. “Whoever we bring in here is gonna play team basketball,” Marks said, “and whoever the coach is will have a defensive mindset.”
Dmitry Razumov, chairman of the Nets’ board of directors, told Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post that the organization held official interviews with eight GM candidates, but Marks’ San Antonio background was “too persuasive” (Twitter link).
Marks and owner Mikhail Prokhorov have agreed to expand the entire Nets’ staff, including the scouting department, writes Laura Albanese of Newsday. Marks wants to hire some of his own personnel, and the expansion should happen over the next two to four months. Marks noted Prokhorov’s investments in a new training facility and a new D-League affiliate and said the owner “is willing to spend the money in the right places.’’

Atlantic Notes: Bargnani, Fredette, Sampson

February 20th, 2016 at 6:32pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Andrea Bargnani was a disappointment for both New York-area teams, writes Peter Botte of The New York Daily News. The Nets waived the 30-year-old forward this afternoon in Sean Marks‘ first official act since taking over as GM. The move is believed to be a buyout deal, but details have not been made available. The split comes barely seven months after Brooklyn signed Bargnani to a free agent deal worth $1,362,897 this season with a $1,551,659 player option for 2016/17. He averaged 6.6 points and 13.8 minutes of playing time in 46 games off the Nets’ bench.

The Knicks paid a much higher price for Bargnani when they acquired him from Toronto in 2013. They sent this year’s first-round pick to the Raptors, along with Steve Novak, Quentin Richardson, Marcus Camby and second-rounders in 2014 and 2017. Bargnani played just 71 games in two seasons with New York.

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks are expected to sign Jimmer Fredette to a 10-day contract Monday, and the team will see if the 26-year-old can do more than score, Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press writes. “We’ve got to see if he can actually handle the basketball and be able to create shots for himself and create shots for others,” interim coach Kurt Rambis said.
Sixers GM Sam Hinkie said Robert Covington, Hollis Thompson and T.J. McConnell were among the players who received interest on the trade market prior to the deadline, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays.
Several of JaKarr Sampson‘s Sixers teammates were disappointed that he was waived to make room the trade that netted Joel Anthony and a 2017 second-round pick, Pompey writes in a separate piece. Philadelphia is expected to release Anthony, and the team hopes to re-sign Sampson if he clears waivers Sunday, according to Pompey. Sampson, a second-year swingman, is popular in the locker room and has earned a reputation as a hard-working defensive specialist. “It’s always hard to waive anybody, much less a guy that’s busted his tail to be the best player that he can be,” Hinkie said. “That’s exactly the kind of people we like to work with.”
Even if the Raptors could have obtained a starting-caliber power forward, such as Markieff Morris or Ryan Anderson, the team wouldn’t have been any closer to contention, which made standing pat a good move, Brett Koremenos of RealGM opines.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Nets Waive Bargnani In Apparent Buyout Deal

February 20th, 2016 at 3:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets have waived Andrea Bargnani, the team announced via press release. The sides were in buyout talks, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported earlier today, so it would seem the former No. 1 overall pick has agreed to give back part of his salary. Bargnani signed a two-year, minimum salary contract this past summer that was to give him $1,362,897 this season with a player option worth $1,551,659 for next year.

The sides have appeared headed for a buyout for the past few days, with Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports reporting this week that a buyout was almost certain to happen if the Nets didn’t trade Bargnani by Thursday’s deadline. The 30-year-old Bargnani’s 6.6 points and 13.8 minutes per game are career lows by a wide margin, though he recorded a season-high 25 minutes in an 18-point performance against the Pistons less than three weeks ago, on February 1st.

He’ll be postseason-eligible for any team he might sign with if he clears waivers. He’s also a candidate for a waiver claim, since all 29 teams are eligible to snag him, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports points out (on Twitter).

Nets, Andrea Bargnani Start Buyout Talks

February 20th, 2016 at 1:42pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets and Andrea Bargnani have begun negotiations on a buyout, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com (Twitter link). It’s no surprise, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports earlier this week identified the former No. 1 overall pick among those almost certain to end up doing buyouts if they weren’t traded by Thursday’s deadline. Bargnani is in the first season of a two-year contract for the minimum salary that includes a player option for next year, so the buyout talks have implications that are liable to affect Brooklyn’s cap flexibility for the summer ahead.

The 30-year-old Bargnani missed Friday’s game with an illness and today’s practice because of personal reasons, notes Brian Lewis of the New York Post (Twitter link). He was also out for the final two games before the All-Star break. The Nets have given him only 13.8 minutes per game, a career low by a wide margin, and with 6.6 points per outing, he’s in line to finish a season with a scoring average in the single digits for the first time.

The Leon Rose client essentially has until March 1st to strike a buyout deal. That’s the final day a player can hit waivers and retain eligibility to appear in the playoffs with another team. His nine-year veteran’s minimum salary for this season is $1,362,897, with $1,551,659 scheduled to come his way next season. The Nets have about $45MM in guaranteed salary on the books for 2016/17, not including Bargnani’s option. The cap for next season is estimated to come in at between $89MM and $95MM.

Nets Likely To Part Ways With Andrea Bargnani

February 16th, 2016 at 6:59am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 6:59am: Colangelo and Rosas are still in the race for the GM job, Wojnarowski clarifies (on Twitter).

MONDAY, 11:24am: Andrea Bargnani is among the players almost certain to work a buyout with their respective teams if they’re not traded by Thursday’s 2pm Central deadline, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. It’s not surprising to see David Lee and J.J. Hickson as the other names on Wojnarowski’s short list of buyout candidates, since Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck reported earlier this month that the Celtics intended to either trade Lee or do a buyout, while the Nuggets have apparently been shopping Hickson. Bargnani is in the first season of a two-year deal for the minimum salary that includes a player option for next season and is averaging only 13.8 minutes per game, by far the fewest of his 10-year NBA career.

Still, it’s difficult to gauge just what the Nets will do with their personnel, since they’re in the midst of hiring a new GM. Nuggets assistant GM Arturas Karnisovas and Spurs assistant GM Sean Marks continue to talk with the team as it moves toward second interviews this week, league sources told Wojnarowski. The general consensus around the NBA as of Friday held that former Raptors and Suns GM Bryan Colangelo would ultimately emerge with the gig, as Beck reported then, though Colangelo and Rockets executive VP of basketball operations Gersson Rosas aren’t necessarily out of the running, Wojnarowski indicates. Chris Broussard of ESPN on Thursday identified Colangelo, Karnisovas and Marks as the front-runners for the job that’s been vacant since the Nets removed Billy King from the position last month.

Regardless of whom the Nets choose as GM, he’ll be only one part of a committee that will hire the team’s next coach, Wojnarowski also writes. Various reports have indicated that some combination of team chairman Dmitry Razumov, board member Sergey Kushchenko, CEO Brett Yormark and owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s holding company president Irina Pavlova comprise the committee in charge of the GM search. The new GM will join that group in its efforts to find a coach, according to Wojnarowski. The Nets hope to draw from a pool of coaching candidates that includes NBA head coaching veterans Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau and Spurs assistant Ettore Messina. Mike Mazzeo and Marc Stein reported last month that Brooklyn had strong interest in Thibodeau, and Stein later identified Messina as a candidate, but this appears to be the first legitimate link between the Nets and Van Gundy.

Whomever ends up coaching the Nets likely won’t have Bargnani, unless the team speeds through the process. March 1st represents the de facto buyout deadline, since it’s the last day any player can hit waivers and still be eligible to play for another NBA team in the postseason.

Atlantic Notes: Bargnani, Afflalo, Williams

February 4th, 2016 at 11:46am CST by Chuck Myron

All four Nets who have player options for next season are planning to opt out, as NetsDaily hears (Twitter links). None of them have particularly lucrative options, with Wayne Ellington‘s nearly $1.568MM topping the list, followed by Shane Larkin at $1.5MM, with Andrea Bargnani and Thomas Robinson at minimum salaries of close to $1.552MM and almost $1.051MM, respectively. Their agents believe the inflated salary cap will yield a market too fertile to pass up, NetsDaily adds. Brooklyn has about $45MM in guaranteed salary on the books for next season against a projected $89MM salary cap, so the opt-outs would allow the team to retain flexibility. Here’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

The Knicks consider Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams core players, while Robin Lopez and Lance Thomas are also part of the team’s “inner circle,” writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. Afflalo and Williams have player options for next season, worth $8MM and $4.598MM, respectively, that the team is hoping they’ll pick up, while Thomas is on a one-year contract. Lopez is in the first season of a four-year deal.
The Sixers have given executive Brandon Williams more latitude on player development, agent relations, recruiting and other areas as part of a promotion to a new chief of staff position, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on Yahoo Sports. Williams, who had been GM of the team’s D-League affiliate while serving as an assistant GM of sorts to GM Sam Hinkie, will retain his D-League duties and continue to report to Hinkie, as Wojnarowski details. The team has yet to make an official announcement.
P.J. Tucker might help the Raptors as a stopgap option at small forward, but Markieff Morris isn’t the long-term solution the club’s needs at power forward, opines Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported Wednesday that the Raptors are interested in both Suns players.

Atlantic Notes: Lopez, DeRozan, Nets

January 20th, 2016 at 6:45pm CST by Eddie Scarito

DeMar DeRozan missed 22 games last season for the Raptors with a groin injury and the shooting guard used the scare it gave him to motivate himself to return to form in 2015/16, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. “I don’t talk about it too much,” DeRozan said of the time he missed in 2014/15. “But mentally that injury was tough on me. It took a lot out of me just to accept that I was hurt and I was going to be away from the game that long.”

The swingman also used the time to study the game and players who excelled by the use of their brains not their athleticism, Grange adds. “I watched all these guy who were successful and weren’t even athletic and I asked myself: How were they successful when they weren’t the fastest on the court?” DeRozan told Grange. “You tried to figure out how they did it and apply that to your game, so I didn’t have to jump higher than the defender or be faster than the defender, but just be craftier, smarter and be more patient.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Knicks center Robin Lopez has become a more integral part of the team’s offense recently, something he credits to becoming more comfortable with his teammates as well as the addition of a hook shot to his game, Fred Kerber of The New York Post writes. “I think I have a better idea of where guys are on the floor and where my opportunities are going to present themselves,” said Lopez. “Guys, the team, coaching staff, they’re developing a confidence in me and that helps, that’s contagious.“
The Nets‘ offseason signings of Shane Larkin, Thomas Robinson, Wayne Ellington and Andrea Bargnani were considered low risk at the time, but with each underachieving this season their deals could hamper the franchise next season, NetsDaily opines. All four players possess player options for next season and if they all opt in it could impact the team’s free agent plans, NetsDaily notes.