Anthony Davis Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Davis, Harris, Blair, Bentil

January 16th, 2017 at 10:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Anthony Davis left today’s game versus the Pacers after injuring his right hip and left thumb. The X-rays he received on both areas came back negative, according to the team’s Twitter feed. Davis hurt his left hip last week against the Knicks, which forced him to miss the ensuing contest against the Nets. The Pelicans won’t play again until Wednesday, so the team will have a couple of days to evaluate Davis’ latest ailment. The big man has only missed three games this season, though he missed parts of six other contests because of various injuries.

Here’s more from around the league:

Gary Harris injured his right ankle today and he’s not expected to play on Tuesday when the Nuggets take on the Lakers, Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post relays. Injuries have prevented Harris from suiting up in 21 of the team’s 38 games this season.
The Texas Legends, the D-League affiliate of the Mavs, have acquired DeJuan Blair, according to Chris Reichert of The Step Back (Twitter link). Blair played for the Wizards last season before the team traded him to the Suns in the Markieff Morris deal. Phoenix waived the power forward just days after the trade.
Ben Bentil has rejoined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League, Reichert reports (Twitter link). Bentil played for the Mad Ants earlier in the season before taking a deal in China.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Gordon, Rockets, Mavs

January 10th, 2017 at 10:07am CST by Luke Adams

Fans of the Celtics and other NBA clubs shouldn’t waste their time pining for Anthony Davis, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. As Bulpett details, Davis is under contract with the Pelicans through at least 2020, and there’s no chance the team will consider moving him anytime soon — in fact, Alvin Gentry laughed at the idea.

“Let me tell you, I learned a long time ago — and this is my 28th year in the league — that you don’t trade great for good, no matter how many you get,” said the Pelicans’ head coach. “Having one great player really makes your team better than having three good players. … We love what we have in him, and it’s just a matter of time. I think if we were healthy, you would see us be a better team anyway, and we’re getting to the point where we are healthy, and we’re playing better basketball.”

Here’s more from around the Southwest division:

Eric Gordon‘s four-year, $53MM contract with the Rockets looked like a bit of a roll of the dice for the team when it was completed back in July, but Gordon’s tremendous fit in Houston has made him one of 2016’s best signings so far. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders spoke to Gordon about his new home and examines the shooting guard’s season to date.
The signing of Gordon was one of several offseason moves that have the Rockets looking as good as they have since Daryl Morey assumed the general manager role back in 2007. In a piece for NBA.com, TNT’s David Aldridge takes a closer look at how the system Morey envisioned for the franchise has become a reality this season, led by offseason acquisitions Gordon and Ryan Anderson, new head coach Mike D’Antoni, and MVP candidate James Harden.
Assuming the Mavericks remain in the lottery and land a top draft pick for 2017, Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News believes the team is more likely to try to trade that selection for an established player, rather than drafting and developing a young prospect. Currently, Dallas is tied with Minnesota for the NBA’s fourth-worst record.

Southwest Notes: Davis, Motiejunas, Bertans, Bonner

January 8th, 2017 at 12:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Anthony Davis won’t be leaving New Orleans until at least 2020, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. The Celtics may dream of packaging their draft picks and young talent for an elite player, but Davis is apprently not an option. Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry made that clear when asked about the possibility before the two teams met Saturday night. “Let me tell you, I learned a long time ago — and this is my 28th year in the league — that you don’t trade great for good, no matter how many you get,” Gentry said. “Having one great player really makes your team better than having three good players. And they’ve proven that. … So we love what we have in him, and it’s just a matter of time. I think if we were healthy, you would see us be a better team anyway, and we’re getting to the point where we are healthy, and we’re playing better basketball.” Davis is in the first season of a five-year, $145MM extension he signed in 2015.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

After signing contracts with the Nets and Rockets last month, Donatas Motiejunas made his season debut Saturday with the Pelicans. He played 20 minutes in a reserve role and contributed 11 points and five rebounds. “He gave us some huge minutes,” Davis told Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com. “He’s going to continue to get better and find his role in our system.” (Twitter link).
With David Lee sidelined by knee problems, Spurs rookie Davis Bertans stepped in with a season-high 21 points in Saturday’s win over the Hornets, relays Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. The Latvian power forward saw 18 minutes of playing time, which was his highest total in more than a month. “It’s basketball,” he said afterward. “I played for many years already. It’s just a regular basketball game.”
Coach Gregg Popovich said he was moved by the retirement video posted by longtime Spur Matt Bonner, relays Jeff McDonald of The News-Express. The 12-year veteran spent the past 10 years of his career in San Antonio. “He was a special teammate for everybody,” Popovich said. “He always gave everything that he had every night, every practice. He was a consummate pro. And on top of that, obviously his personality and humor were very much appreciated by all of us. He was super and that’s why it’s great to keep him in the family.” Bonner will begin work as a pregame and postgame analyst on Spurs broadcasts.

New York Notes: Galloway, LeVert, Porzingis

December 31st, 2016 at 9:14pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Knicks made an effort to re-sign Langston Galloway over the summer, but the lure of returning to his home-state propelled the combo guard to join the Pelicans, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes. “I didn’t think I would leave [New York],’’ Galloway said. “But I had an opportunity to go home. That definitely was big, important for me and my family and wife. It’s definitely been great playing back home, loving the atmosphere New Orleans has.’’

Here’s more from the Big Apple:

Caris LeVert has only played 12 games this season because of a foot injury, but Nets coach Kenny Atkinson likes what he’s seeing from the rookie, Brian Lewis of the New York Post relays. “[LeVert’s play has been] Super positive. I just said that to our coaches, his energy, how hard he plays, how fast he is, his athleticism, how aggressive he is,” Atkinson said. “So that’s the positive we take out of [it], that he’s really starting to grow in front of our eyes. That’s good to see.”
Randy Foye is taking advantage of his playing opportunity this season and he credits his experience playing alongside diverse play-makers for his ability to help the Nets run an effective offense, Lewis writes in a separate piece. “I played with [Blake Griffin in the past], last year being with [Russell Westbrook] and [Kevin Durant], and seeing the double team and just knowing you’ve got to have the right spacing,” Foye said. The shooting guard signed a one-year deal with Brooklyn during the offseason.
Kristaps Porzingis said Anthony Davis‘ game has greatly influenced his own, Berman passes along in a separate piece. “Before I got to the NBA, I was watching him a lot — skinny guy coming out of college, how he was able to adjust to the NBA, at this level,” Porzingis said of Davis. “Obviously, I learned from him — even seeing defensively, able to hold guys in the post. His skill set is his, pretty all-around. He can do everything, but it was more seeing how he can adjust with his physicality.”

Pelicans Notes: Asik, Ajinca, Backcourt, Evans

December 31st, 2016 at 1:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Centers Omer Asik and Alexis Ajinca have dropped completely out of the Pelicans rotation as the team has found success with small-ball lineups, Justin Verrier of ESPN.com reports. Asik and Ajinca have been glued to the bench the last three games while the club has reeled off four consecutive victories. Forwards Dante Cunningham and Solomon Hill are the biggest beneficiaries of coach Alvin Gentry’s altered rotation, and their increased minutes have allowed the Pelicans to switch defensively much more easily, Verrier continues. New Orleans has the league’s 12th best offensive rating and fourth-best defensive rating since the shakeup earlier this week, Verrier adds. Franchise player Anthony Davis is thrilled with the new look, as he told Verrier. “When we play small it gives us an advantage on both ends of the floor.” he said.

In other developments regarding the Pelicans:

Gentry is enjoying the pleasant dilemma of having too many options at the guard spots, Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com writes. Gentry prefers not to have more than four backcourt players in the rotation, Eichenhofer notes. Jrue Holiday and rookie Buddy Hield are the current starters, leaving Gentry to choose from the quartet of Langston Galloway, E’Twaun Moore, Tyreke Evans and Tim Frazier for the remaining minutes. “It’s good to have the depth and have an opportunity that if things aren’t going real well, to stick another guy in and see if he has it for that night,” Gentry told Eichenhofer.
Evans, who can also play small forward, will see an uptick in minutes soon, according to John Reid of the New Orleans Times Picayune. Evans had been on a 15-minute per game restriction since returning from knee surgery and is still not cleared to play both games of back-to-backs, Reid continues. Gentry told Reid and other media members that his minutes would increase to 18 or 20 per game on a regular basis. Evans played 18 minutes against the Knicks on Friday. “I don’t think he’s going to go from 15 to 30,” Gentry said. “I think there’s a possibility that he could play 18 minutes or 20 minutes, that’s the natural progression that’s going to happen.”

Western Notes: Young, Brown, Davis, Morrow

November 29th, 2016 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers shooting guard Nick Young will undergo an MRI on Wednesday after leaving tonight’s game with a strained right Achilles tendon, writes Mark Medina of The Orange County Register. Young suffered the injury about two minutes into the game in New Orleans and had to be helped off the court. The Lakers are concerned that he might be out for an extended period, according to Medina. Young, who many observers thought might get waived during the offseason, has been a pleasant surprise for the Lakers and one of the reasons they are in playoff contention. He claimed a starting job and has averaged 14.6 points per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. The team’s starting point guard, D’Angelo Russell, is already sidelined with soreness in his left knee.

There’s more out of the Western Conference:

Pelicans guard Anthony Brown isn’t holding a grudge against the Lakers for waiving him during the preseason, according to Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Brown said he understands it would have been hard to earn playing time on a team filled with wing players such as Young, Jordan Clarkson, Lou Williams, Brandon Ingram and Luol Deng. “He’s a smart kid and a smart player. I think it means he has the right attitude,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said of Brown. “It’s the truth. You can take these situations and pout and blame other people. Or you can use it to make you better and motivate you.”
Anthony Davis is rising to the defense of his much-maligned teammates, relays Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Davis is putting up All-Star numbers once again, but the Pelicans are off to a 7-12 start amid complaints that the front office hasn’t put enough talent around their franchise big man. “I’m on social media, so I see it all the time,” Davis said in a recent interview with ESPN’s Marc Stein. “But I think, for me, it’s just about the guys in that locker room. I know they come out here every day in practice and every night in the game and fight and leave everything on the floor. It’s nothing that I try to pay attention to as much. But you see it. You have to pay attention to it. For me, that’s not my M.O. to get into all the media and all that stuff. I just worry about what’s going on in that locker room and on the floor with the guys I have in the locker room.”
Veteran shooting specialist Anthony Morrow is starting to get more playing time with the Thunder, writes Susan Bible of Basketball Insiders. Coach Billy Donovan has expanded Morrow’s minutes over the past three games and he has responded by averaging 15 points per night. “He can score,” teammate Russell Westbrook said. “I’m not worried about A-Mo. This is not a surprise to me. Maybe it surprised some other people, but to me, I’ve seen him do this since I’ve been here.”

Anthony Davis Reaffirms Loyalty To Pelicans

November 21st, 2016 at 10:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

A second straight disappointing start by the Pelicans has trade rumors swirling around star big man Anthony Davis, but he told The Vertical’s Shams Charania he has no desire to leave New Orleans.

The shorthanded Pelicans have won just four of their first 14 games and have been mired near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. The rash of injuries that ruined last season has not only continued, it has expanded to other misfortunes such as the offseason death of Bryce Dejean-Jones and the family health crisis that led Jrue Holiday to take a leave of absence.

Still, Davis has refused to complain about the situation and remains committed to seeing the franchise through its bad times.

“My desire to win here is the same,” he said. “I go out there and play. I don’t care what the record is. I just go out there and play. I have to lead this team and make sure my guys are always happy and high energy. I don’t care what people say about our team. They’re not in our locker room seeing us, not part of our group. That’s all white noise. I just try to control what I can: go out there and compete.”

Davis has been an early MVP candidate with averages of 31.7 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. His talent would have virtually every NBA team salivating if the Pelicans ever did put him on the market, even after shoulder and knee injuries that limited him to 61 games last season. Davis also has one of the league’s richest contracts, being owed about $104MM over the next four seasons.

Trade speculation emerged last week involving the Celtics, with one writer suggesting Davis might be acquired for a package made up of Jaylen Brown, Avery Bradley and three first rounders, along with taking back Omer Asik‘s contract. However, there is no sign that New Orleans was ever considering such a deal.

Davis said his top priority for now is to leave the injury problems behind him and play an 82-game season for the first time since entering the NBA.

“Injuries happen, and there’s nothing I can do about it,” he said. “I just wanted to get my body right to be able to play all 82 [games] this year and then play the postseason. I know how important it is to take care of my body and stay on the floor as much as possible. I know this team and what people say is noise. We just want to compete and get wins.”

Pelicans Rumors: Davis, Moore, Holiday, Benson

November 17th, 2016 at 6:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The lack of talent surrounding Pelicans power forward Anthony Davis is the biggest reason why his ability to make teammates better has been slow to develop, Kevin Ding of the Bleacher Report opines. Davis has not enjoyed the luxury of playing with another All-Star caliber player, which has led to his poor assist-to-turnover ratio, Ding continues while noting he’s only finished one season with a positive ratio. Davis’ usage rate, and the percentage of assists he’s had on those possessions, are comparable to low-post players like Brook Lopez and Zach Randolph, Ding points out, rather than a versatile superstar. Coach Alvin Gentry has also failed to develop an offensive support system to facilitate Davis’ growth, Ding adds.

In other news regarding the Pelicans:

Shooting guard E’Twaun Moore is grateful to have some job security after playing for three other organizations during his first five years in the league, Cody Taylor of Basketball Insiders writes. Moore, who left the Bulls and signed a four-year, $34MM contract as a free agent over the summer, is averaging a career-high 12.6 points. “It’s tough to stick around in this league; it’s not easy,” Moore told Taylor.
Guard Jrue Holiday believes his experience will help the club in late-game situations, according to an Associated Press story. Holiday will make his season debut on Friday after caring for his ailing wife Lauren. “Down the stretch, I do think I could help with some directing and just tightening it up,” Holiday said. Gentry said at he might pair Holiday at times with Tim Frazier, who has started at the point in his absence. “Jrue can play off the ball or on the ball,” Gentry told the AP. “That’s what makes him so good. I think he’s a versatile player. We need his shooting also.”
A lawsuit regarding the ownership of the team is close to being resolved, Greg LaRose of the Times-Picayune relays. The parties have asked Judge Jane Triche Milazzo for more time to complete settlement talks. The dispute surfaced when Pelicans owner Tom Benson sought to remove ownership shares of the teams from the inheritance of his daughter, Renee Benson, and his grandchildren. He wants to give control of the franchise to his wife, Gayle.

Atlantic Notes: Davis, Ainge, Brown, Poeltl

November 16th, 2016 at 3:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

Celtics play-by-play announcer Mike Gorman isn’t a believer in the Anthony Davis to Boston trade rumors. Speaking on the Toucher and Rich radio show, Gorman said neither Davis or the Pelicans are interested in a trade. “Joel Meyers, who’s been around the league forever and is a great play-by-play guy who does New Orleans, [told Brian Scalabrine] and I . . . ‘No shot [Davis is] leaving.’ There’s no shot he’s leaving. He is anchored to New Orleans, loves New Orleans, loves living there and wants to ultimately be the leader of a good team in New Orleans,'” Gorman said. “Well, good luck to him if that’s the case, because that’s going to take a while.” Gorman also doesn’t think DeMarcus Cousins or James Harden would be a good fit with the Celtics.

There’s more out of the Atlantic Division:

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge speeded up the rebuilding process by making 19 trades since coach Brad Stevens was hired in July of 2013, writes Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com. Forsberg analyzes all 19 deals and finds that Ainge got at least equal value in return every time.
A coaching change in Philadelphia would be a mistake, argues Marcus Hayes of The Philadelphia Daily News. Hayes states that Brett Brown can’t be judged fairly until Joel Embiid has time to develop his game, the minutes restrictions are lifted on Embiid and Jahlil Okafor and the Sixers acquire a decent starting point guard.
Jakob Poeltl and fellow rookie Pascal Siakam have already been used as starters by the Raptors, notes Spencer Davies of Amicohoops. It’s a unique position for young players to get that opportunity on a team coming off the conference finals, and Poeltl addresses that topic in a wide-ranging interview. “It’s great for us to be out there and get the chance to learn,” he said. “Obviously, we had some injury problems — like, that played into it — but it’s great for [coach Dwane Casey] to be like, ‘Okay you know, I’ll give these young guys a chance. Let’s see what they’ve got.’ I think that shows a lot about him.”

Pelicans Notes: Davis, Evans, Frazier

November 15th, 2016 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans put themselves in a serious hole to start the 2016/17 season, losing their first eight games. Since then, the team has looked a little better, picking up wins against the Bucks and Celtics in the last three games. With Jrue Holiday expected to return soon, the tide may be shifting a little in New Orleans, but the Pelicans still have a significant uphill battle to contend for a playoff spot. Let’s check in on the latest Pelicans news and notes…

According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, there’s a pretty decent chance that the Pelicans will make “big changes in the immediate future,” but those moves won’t involve Anthony Davis — New Orleans has never considered dealing the face of the franchise, and it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the club would consider it, Kyler writes.
Injured guard Tyreke Evans is set to participate in “light practice” for the Pelicans today, reports Scott Kushner of The Advocate (all Twitter links). According to Kushner, it’s too early to pencil in an exact return date for Evans, but there’s a chance he’ll be back in the team’s lineup by Thanksgiving.
Tim Frazier, who started his career in the D-League, signed a guaranteed two-year, $4MM+ contract with the Pelicans this summer, but continues to fight to prove he belongs in the NBA, as Justin Verrier of ESPN.com outlines.