Anthony Davis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Pitino, Giannis, A. Davis, 2019 Draft

December 20th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Former Celtics and Louisville head coach Rick Pitino is making a coaching comeback, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Agent Drew Rosenhaus tells Wojnarowski that Pitino has agreed to a deal to coach Greek club Panathinaikos for the rest of the 2018/19 season. He’s expected to make his debut on December 27.

Pitino’s lengthy stint at Louisville came to an abrupt end in 2017 as a result of the FBI’s probe into college basketball recruiting. He had spent most of the last two decades heading up the program, having previously coached the Celtics from 1997 to 2001. Since leaving Louisville, Pitino has been looking to re-enter the coaching ranks in the NBA, telling Wojnarowski earlier in the fall that he just wants to be “a part of an organization.”

“I want to develop young players,” Pitino said in October. “I want to be part of a team. I miss it terribly. I’m using this time to really study the NBA. If something opens up with a young basketball team, I’d have deep interest in it.”

While his new job isn’t an NBA position, Pitino is hoping that Panathinaikos can be a stepping stone back to the NBA, writes Wojnarowski. He’ll take over a club that ranks 10th in EuroLeague play so far, with a 6-7 record.

Former NBA players Nick Calathes, Georgios Papagiannis, and Keith Langford are among the players on Pitino’s new roster, along with Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the older brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Here are a few more basketball odds and ends:

Asked whether he’s ever had an issue like the Suns, Grizzlies, and Wizards did last week, when there was confusion over which “Brooks” was involved in a proposed trade, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck told NBC Sports Boston that he has. “With the same team, by the way, that was involved [in last week’s failed three-team trade],” Grousbeck said. “That’s another story – that I’m not going to tell.” Grousbeck didn’t go into any more detail, so it’s not entirely clear which of the three teams he was referring to.
In the wake of LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo openly recruiting Anthony Davis to their respective teams, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report explores whether their comments constitute tampering, and whether commissioner Adam Silver is likely to step in.
Speaking of Antetokounmpo and Davis, they’re the NBA’s two most valuable trade chips, in the view of Bill Simmons of The Ringer, who ranked his top 55 players in the league in terms of trade value.
SI.com’s Jeremy Woo has published his latest 2019 mock draft, with Duke prospects holding the top three spots.

Latest On Anthony Davis

December 20th, 2018 at 9:37am CST by Luke Adams

LeBron James made some headlines earlier this week when he said it would be “amazing” to play alongside Anthony Davis. However, while Davis was flattered by the praise, he wasn’t willing to entertain any ideas about teaming up with LeBron in Los Angeles, as Zach Lowe of ESPN.com relays.

“I don’t really care,” Davis said of LeBron’s comments. “Obviously, it’s cool to hear any high-caliber player say they want to play with me. But my job is to turn this team around. If we’re 15-17, that means I’m not doing my job.”

The Davis rumor mill has followed a familiar pattern over the years — a report or a public comment will stir up speculation about the Pelicans star moving to a team like the Lakers or Celtics, prompting Davis or the Pelicans to try to shut down that speculation. This week, that job fell in part to head coach Alvin Gentry. As Steve Aschburner of NBA.com tweets, Gentry once again reiterated that the Pelicans have absolutely no intention of trading Davis.

“We’re not trading him,” Gentry said. “I can say that to the world. We’re not gonna trade him, no matter what. That’s not an option. It doesn’t matter what anybody says or does. We’re not trading Anthony Davis.”

Still, as long as Davis doesn’t verbally commit to remaining in New Orleans long term, the rumor mill figures to keep following its same pattern. The 25-year-old will become eligible for a super-max extension during the 2019 offseason, and teams around the NBA will be watching closely to see whether he signs that deal or remains on track to reach free agency in 2020.

“When that time comes, of course we will see,” Davis told Lowe. “I love my teammates. I love New Orleans. I love the fans. I talk their slang. I love their food.”

Despite Davis’ love for New Orleans and the Pelicans’ adamant opposition to trading him, they can’t stop players like James from making indirect pitches to their All-NBA big man. According to Aschburner, Giannis Antetokounmpo jokingly made a more direct pitch to his fellow All-Star on Wednesday night, when he ran into Davis after the Bucks’ win over New Orleans.

“Come to the Bucks, man,” Antetokounmpo said with a smile. “Come to the Bucks.”

LeBron James Talks Carmelo, AD

December 19th, 2018 at 8:41am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers fell to the Nets in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, completing a 1-3 road trip, and LeBron James showed visible signs of frustration during the loss, as Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports and ESPN’s Dave McMenamin note.

After a few Lakers flaws were exposed on that road trip, Goodwill wonders if James may be getting a little antsy for the team to upgrade its roster in preparation for a second-half playoff run. While there’s no indication that LeBron is pushing the front office to make moves, he was willing to discuss a couple specific players – Carmelo Anthony and Anthony Davis – on Tuesday.

“I don’t run the team and obviously there’s some things that need to be worked out on both sides,” James said when asked about the possibility of the Lakers adding Anthony, according to McMenamin. “But I’ve always wanted to play along Melo and if the opportunity presents itself, it would be great. So we’ll see what happens.”

LeBron was less equivocal when McMenamin inquired about the idea of the Lakers trading for Davis: “That would be amazing, like, duh. That would be incredible.”

As Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes, the Pelicans have shown no willingness to move Davis, and the star big man still appears very committed to New Orleans for now, so any trade scenarios involving AD are unlikely to become viable until at least the 2019 offseason. Carmelo, on the other hand, is a more realistic target, though reports have indicated that the Lakers’ front office doesn’t share LeBron’s enthusiasm for adding the 10-time All-Star.

According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, James’ comments about Anthony came after the two friends dined at a Manhattan steakhouse earlier in the day. Carmelo is still technically under contract with the Rockets, but has been away from the club for more than a month as Houston’s front office decides whether to trade or release the veteran forward.

The Lakers have been exploring the trade market in search of an upgrade on the wing, having discussed Trevor Ariza with the Suns before he was sent to Washington. However, if they decide to go the free agent route, the Lakers would have to trade or release a player — they have a full 15-man roster, with all 15 players on guaranteed contracts.

Stein’s Latest: Melo, Bazemore, Ross, Davis

December 18th, 2018 at 8:42pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Rockets continue to search for a taker for Carmelo Anthony, Marc Stein of The New York Times reports in his latest newsletter. Moving Anthony’s $2.4MM salary – which has a cap hit of $1.5MM, would afford the team roughly $2.6MM in luxury tax savings.

Stein notes that the Sixers and Lakers—two teams often mentioned as potential landing spots for Melo—appear uninterested in bringing the prolific scorer aboard. The Hornets have also resisted the idea of adding Anthony despite the connection between team owner Michael Jordan and Anthony through the Jordan Brand.

Anthony became trade-eligible on the weekend and perhaps as NBA clubs gather in Las Vegas for the G League showcase, a rival team will strike a deal with Houston.

Here’s more from Stein’s latest newsletter.

Kent Bazemore is generating interest from contending teams looking for a swingman, Stein reports. Bazemore has one more year and $19.3MM left on his deal with the Hawks after this season and the interest in the wing at that price speaks to how highly he’s regarded in the marketplace, Stein writes.
Hawks veterans Jeremy Lin and Dewayne Dedmon are also receiving interest from around the league. Both players are on expiring deals.
Terrence Ross is the Orlando wing who is generating the most interest. However, the Magic would prefer to trade Jonathon Simmons over Ross, who is on an expiring $10.5MM contract.
It’s unlikely that the Pelicans deal Anthony Davis this season but a critical point is approaching. New Orleans can offer Davis a massive contract extension worth over $200MM in total value this summer and should the big man decline it, the Pelicans will realistically have to trade him.

Woj: Lakers Keeping Young Players To Pursue Anthony Davis

December 15th, 2018 at 10:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Lakers refused to break up their young core to acquire Trevor Ariza from the Suns because they’re saving their assets for a run at Anthony Davis, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski said today on ESPN (Hat tip to Real GM).

Davis will be eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension from the Pelicans next summer, which could pay him a record-setting $239.54MM over five seasons. However, if Davis decides not to accept that offer, he is guaranteed just one more season in New Orleans before his player option arrives in the summer of 2020.

The Lakers are among several teams preparing for that scenario, stockpiling as much young talent as they can to offer the Pelicans in a potential trade.

“Here’s the line they have to walk: they’re not going to give away picks and their top young players in some deal that makes them incrementally better this season,” Wojnarowski said, “because they have to save all those assets for Anthony Davis, a big trade this summer either pre or post free agency.”

L.A. has been careful about preserving cap room for next season to be able to make a max offer in a talented free agent class that will include Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson and several other stars. The pursuit of Davis won’t affect that plan, according to Wojnarowski.

“The absolute dream scenario, people talk about (how) they can trade for Anthony Davis or sign a free agent,” he said. “The dream scenario is they do both.”

ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who co-hosted the show with Wojnarowski, explained that the Lakers plan to take a shot at free agency first, then will try to swing a deal for Davis. If it works, that could produce a Big Three that would eclipse what LeBron James had in Miami or Cleveland.

Assuming none of them are traded away during the season, L.A. will have Lonzo Ball ($8.72MM for next year), Brandon Ingram ($7.27MM), Kyle Kuzma ($1.97MM) and Josh Hart ($1.93MM) available to offer in a potential deal for Davis.

Trade Rumors: Ntilikina, Kings, Rockets, Davis

December 11th, 2018 at 6:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite some recent chatter about teams with interest in second-year point guard Frank Ntilikina, Marc Stein of The New York Times gets the sense that the Knicks aren’t actively exploring the trade market for the 20-year-old. While New York will almost certainly be willing to field inquiries on Ntilikina, there’s a difference between listening and shopping, Stein observes.

While Ntilikina recently fell out of the Knicks’ rotation for three games and has struggled immensely on offense, he’s coming off one of the best games as a pro, as he scored a career-high 18 points in just 20 minutes on Sunday. If he can produce anywhere close to that level on a more consistent basis, he’ll likely secure his place as a long-term building block in New York.

Here are a few more trade-related rumors and notes from around the NBA:

In a podcast discussion about the Kings, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst suggested that Sacramento could actually be buyers, rather than sellers, at the trade deadline, since the team has exceeded expectations and doesn’t have its own first-round pick this year. “Sacramento is not incentivized to lose,” Windhorst said, per Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net. “If anything, Sacramento will be gunning to think they have a chance to make the playoffs. Sacramento is actually one of the teams I’ve heard is out there on the trade market looking to improve itself because they have no incentive to tank.”
Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer explores a few potential trade options for the Rockets, arguing that the team needs wings and forwards with size and experience. O’Connor lists James Johnson, DeMarre Carroll, Markieff Morris, and Jeff Green as some veterans that could appeal to Houston.
With the Pelicans playing in Boston on Monday night, Anthony Davis trade speculation has been a popular subject so far this week. Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com explained why those whispers aren’t going away anytime soon, while Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry made light of the topic by joking with Celtics GM Danny Ainge about it, as Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald relays. As for Davis, he once again dismissed that chatter, telling Bontemps that he’s just focused on getting New Orleans back into the playoffs and making a deeper run than last year.
In an excellent, Insider-only breakdown for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks takes a team-by-team look at the trade market, identifying trade candidates, restrictions, and much more.

Southwest Notes: House, Davis, Grizzlies, Bzdelik

November 27th, 2018 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Just hours after signing with the Rockets on Monday, Danuel House was thrown into the fire, logging 28 minutes in the team’s overtime loss to Washington. While House only posted four points in his first game as a Rocket and the club couldn’t get a victory, the Houston native is excited to be playing for his hometown team, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle.

“It’s huge,” House said of his new contract with the Rockets. “I didn’t want to break the news to my family quite yet. Going back home, I’m from Houston, it’s going to be huge. It’s an honor. Showing my little cousins and the people around me to never give up and continue to fight. Life can throw you down, but you have to be judged by how you stand up.”

Although House has now appeared in regular season games for three NBA teams since going undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2016, he has spent a good chunk of his professional career in the G League, playing last season and this year for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston’s NBAGL affiliate. This is the first time he has been under contract with the Rockets.

Here’s more from around the Southwest division:

Asked on Monday about how the Pelicans are dealing with Anthony Davis trade speculation, head coach Alvin Gentry suggested that he’s not even thinking about that, as Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald relays. “That’s what you guys talk about,” Gentry said of the Davis chatter. “We don’t talk about it. So he’s here. He’s playing on our team. We’re trying to win games. That’s the only thing that matters right now. It’s not anything that I’m going to have a say-so in or anything else, so we don’t bother about it.”
Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com takes an in-depth look at how the Grit ‘n’ Grind 2.0 philosophy is working out for the Grizzlies, who are managing to pile up wins despite ranking dead-last in the NBA in points per game.
Rockets assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik officially returned to the team on a full-time basis last Friday, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle details. The return of Houston’s defensive specialist hasn’t exactly had an immediate impact — the Rockets have lost all three games since Bzdelik has been back on the bench, surrendering 122.7 PPG in Detroit, Cleveland, and Washington.

Atlantic Notes: Irving, Davis, Fultz, Free Agency

November 24th, 2018 at 11:00am CST by marksuleymanov

While Kyrie Irving is currently in his prime, the Celtics‘ All-Star point guard does not see himself playing at an advanced age, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps writes.

“Once I’m done with this, hopefully in my early to mid-30s, I’m done with this,” Irving said.

Irving, 26, is in the midst of another characteristically strong season for Boston. In 18 games, he’s averaging 21.9 PPG and 6.2 APG as the Celtics, currently, at 10-9, try to get on a consistent winning streak. However, as Irving reaches free agency this summer, he’s also looking toward his future in the game.

“I love basketball itself,” Irving said. “But everything that comes with it? It doesn’t really matter to me, in terms of my life. I enjoy the game, I enjoy being with my teammates, playing every single day. Being an NBA player, this is a dream I’ve had since I was a kid. I think everything else that comes with it doesn’t hold the same stature it once did.”

Check out more Atlantic Division notes:

While there exists a general belief that Pelicans’ All-Star Anthony Davis will end up with the Lakers down the road, the situation is a fluid one, Chris Sheridan of Get More Sports writes. Davis has reportedly expanded his personal list of preferred destinations to include the Knicks, Sixers, Celtics and Pelicans. And there are a number of indications that Boston could be the favorite, Sheridan adds.
As the controversy surrounding Markelle Fultz continues, including a new report he’d prefer to get a fresh start somewhere else, Shane Rhodes of Basketball Insiders looks at possible destinations. The Nets, Suns, Knicks and Heat are all teams that could have interest and a role for Fultz if the Sixers were to entertain offers.
Steve Popper of Newsday looks at the Knicks‘ standing as the team prepares to recruit free agents, detailing why the team may not be an attractive destination.

NBA Super-Max Candidates To Watch In 2018/19

November 9th, 2018 at 12:05pm CST by Luke Adams

The Designated Veteran Extension, as we explain our glossary entry on the subject, is a relatively new addition to the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement. It allows players with 7-9 years of experience, who would normally qualify for a maximum starting salary of 30% of the cap, to qualify for a “super-max” contract that starts at 35% of the cap, a level normally reserved players with 10+ years of experience.

A player who has seven or eight years of NBA service with one or two years left on his contract becomes eligible for a Designated Veteran Extension if he meets the required performance criteria and hasn’t been traded since his first four years in the league. A Designated Veteran contract can also be signed by a player who is technically a free agent if he has eight or nine years of service and meets the required criteria.

The performance criteria is as follows (only one of the following must be true):

The player was named to an All-NBA team in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.
The player was named the NBA MVP in any of the three most recent seasons.
The player was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year in the most recent season, or in two of the last three seasons.

With those criteria in mind, it’s worth keeping an eye on several players who could qualify for a super-max veteran contract with their play this season. Let’s dive in and examine a few of those guys…

Players who already qualify for a super-max contract:

Anthony Davis (Pelicans)

Davis can’t yet sign a Designated Veteran Extension, but his All-NBA appearances over the last two seasons have ensured that he’ll qualify, even if he somehow doesn’t earn another All-NBA nod in 2018/19.

As of next July, the Pelicans will be able to offer Davis a contract extension that tacks an additional five years onto his $27.09MM salary for 2019/20. Based on the NBA’s latest cap projection for 2020/21 ($118MM), that five-year extension would be worth a staggering $239.54MM.

Players who could qualify for a super-max contract by meeting the criteria in 2018/19:

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks)
Bradley Beal (Wizards)
Andre Drummond (Pistons)
Draymond Green (Warriors)
Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers)
Klay Thompson (Warriors)
Kemba Walker (Hornets)

Technically, any player who earns an All-NBA spot in 2018/19 and meets the contract criteria can qualify for a super-max, but the players listed above are probably the only legitimately viable candidates. And even in this group, guys like Beal and Drummond are a real stretch — if they were to improbably make an All-NBA team, their clubs still probably wouldn’t put Designated Veteran Extension offers on the table, since they’re not bona fide superstars.

Thompson and Walker will both be unrestricted free agents in 2019, so if they meet the DVE criteria, they’d be eligible for five-year contracts with their respective teams worth up to a projected $221.27MM. Lillard and Green are still under contract for at least one more year beyond this season, but they’d qualify for super-max extensions if they meet the criteria — Lillard could get an extra four years, while Green could get five.

A team can only give Designated Veteran Extensions to two players, so the Warriors wouldn’t be able to offer both Thompson and Green super-max contracts, since Stephen Curry already has one. On the plus side, Kevin Durant won’t figure into this equation for Golden State, since he has 10+ years of experience. A deal starting at 35% of the cap for Durant wouldn’t count toward the Dubs’ super-max limit.

Finally, while Antetokounmpo can qualify for a super-max by earning All-NBA honors this season, he wouldn’t actually be able to sign such a deal until 2020, since he’ll only have six years of experience at the end of the 2018/19 campaign. Essentially, he’d be in the same spot that Anthony Davis is in now.

Players who can no longer qualify for a super-max contract because they were traded:

Jimmy Butler (Timberwolves)
Kyrie Irving (Celtics)
Kawhi Leonard (Raptors)

Butler, Irving, and Leonard are probably more worthy of a super-max investment than most of the players in the above group, but they no longer qualify because they were traded while on their second contracts — Butler from the Bulls, Irving from the Cavaliers, and Leonard from the Spurs. They’ll need to reach 10 years of NBA experience before qualifying for a starting salary worth up to 35% of the cap.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Celtics, Lakers, Others Monitoring Anthony Davis

November 2nd, 2018 at 10:34am CST by Luke Adams

Although Anthony Davis remains under contract with the Pelicans through at least 2020, rival NBA executives believe he could be up for grabs for a larger-market team before then, according to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.

Davis will be eligible for a five-year, super-max contract extension as of July 2019. If he passes on that extension – which some executives believe he might, per Haynes – the Pelicans could be forced to consider the possibility of trading the star big man before he gets the opportunity to opt out in 2020.

The Celtics, Lakers, Clippers, Knicks, and Warriors are among the big-market teams that will be monitoring Davis’ situation this year and next, sources tell Haynes.

Whenever he has been asked about his future, Davis has dismissed the idea that he wants to play anywhere but New Orleans. However, as Haynes notes, Davis’ top priority is to win, so the Pelicans will be under pressure to continue building a roster that can help the former first overall pick achieve that goal.

“Of course, I know that in order to win games, a lot of pressure is going to be on me,” Davis said after a loss to the Warriors this week. “I don’t have a good game and we lose. So, I got to play almost perfect every night to give us a chance to win.

“But my teammates do a great job,” he continued. “Even the games I didn’t play, those guys have been battling night in and night out to get victories. … I don’t try to put too much pressure on myself, but I know it’s there.

While the speculation about Davis isn’t expected to subside, the five-time All-Star knows it comes with the territory, suggesting he’s tuning out the noise and focusing on what he can control on the court. He also tells Haynes that his teammates, who “do as much as possible to help me,” don’t view his contract situation as a distraction.

“Nah, my team doesn’t care. They cherish the moments that they have with me,” Davis said. “Every day we try to put in the work to be a great team. They hear it, I hear it. Everybody hears it. It’s hard not to. But we’re focused on what we have to do this year. We’re trying to beat teams like the Warriors and get to where they are. That’s our goal. That’s it.”