Billy King Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Russell, Nets, Hollis-Jefferson

June 1st, 2015 at 11:13am CST by Chuck Myron

D’Angelo Russell doesn’t seem like a strong fit for the triangle, but his game would complement Carmelo Anthony‘s if the Knicks draft him, and the Ohio State combo guard has the tools to become a strong defender, as Ohm Youngmisuk and Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com examine. Here’s more on the Atlantic Division as the June 25th draft draws ever closer:

The Nets would like to use cash to buy second-round picks to find draft-and-stash candidates in over the next few years, when they’ll have a sharply limited number of draft picks, in the hopes that one or more of them becomes a rotation piece, as NetsDaily explains. GM Billy King and CEO Brett Yormark hinted recently that they want to again have a one-to-one D-League affiliate, though that’s unlikely for this coming season, as the NetsDaily scribe adds.
Small forwards Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of Arizona and Justin Anderson of Virginia highlight today’s Celtics predraft workout, as Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com relays (Twitter link). Jonathan Holmes (Texas), Branden Dawson (Michigan State), LeBryan Nash (Oklahoma State) and Levi Randolph (Alabama) are the other prospects Boston is auditioning today, Forsberg notes.
Hollis-Jefferson will also work out for the Raptors this week, reports Kevin Rashidi of Canada.com (Twitter link). UNLV shooting guard Rashad Vaughn, Minnesota center Mo Walker and Stanford center Stefan Nastic will do the same, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun reports (Twitter link).

Nets Notes: Jack, Plumlee, Prokhorov, D-Will

May 26th, 2015 at 10:46am CST by Chuck Myron

It’s widely assumed that the Nets will look into trading Joe Johnson and Jarrett Jack as cost-cutting alternatives to using the stretch provision to waive Deron Williams, write Marc Stein and Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com. Trade talk has swirled around Johnson off and on since December, while the Nets likely would have dealt Jack to the Wizards if they’d closed a deal on a proposal to send Brook Lopez to the Thunder, as TNT’s David Aldridge reported in the wake of the deadline. Johnson has a whopper of an expiring contract that calls for a salary of nearly $24.895MM in 2015/16, while Jack is due $6.3MM next season with a partial guarantee of just $500K on the same amount in 2016/17. Stein and Mazzeo have more on the Nets, and while the full piece is a must-read for Brooklyn diehards, we’ll pass along a few highlights here:

Some executives from opposing teams figure the Nets will explore the trade market for Mason Plumlee, too, Stein and Mazzeo hear. The Nets were reportedly unwilling to give up Plumlee in a proposal that would have sent Williams to the Kings in December, though GM Billy King said this month that the Nets looked into the idea of trading every player on the roster at some point this past season. Plumlee’s role on the team decreased after the acquisition of Thaddeus Young and the resurgence of Lopez.
People around the league continue to doubt the idea that Mikhail Prokhorov doesn’t want to sell a majority stake in the Nets, according to Stein and Mazzeo. Josh Kosman and Claire Atkinson of the New York Post reported in March that Prokhorov had ended efforts to do so while Prokhorov said the next month that he had never tried. Stein and Mazzeo cite “persistent rumbles” around the league that the reason Prokhorov isn’t actively trying to sell the team is that he would also have to sell his share of the Barclays Center as part of the deal, a detail that Daniel Kaplan and John Lombardo of SportsBusiness Journal reported in February. However, a sports banker who spoke with Kosman and Atkinson disputed that there was any such mandate that Prokhorov would have had to bundle the team and the arena.
Stein and Mazzeo figure the Nets will indeed consider waiving and stretching Williams, yet they believe Brooklyn will ultimately decide against doing so.

Draft History: Billy King

May 14th, 2015 at 6:48pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The 2015 NBA draft is less than two months away, and for teams that aren’t still participating in the NBA playoffs, the focus is on using that event to build toward a better future. The exact draft order won’t be known until the May 19th lottery, when the simple bounce of a ping-pong ball can alter the fate of a franchise. Of course, having one of the top selections in any draft doesn’t guarantee that a team will snag a future All-Star. Team executives and scouts still have the difficult task of making the correct call with their picks.

With this in mind we at Hoops Rumors will be taking a look back at the draft history of the primary basketball executive for each NBA team. Their names, reputations, and possibly employment will be on the line as a result of the decisions to come on June 25th, and we’ll be examining what they’ve done in previous years in charge of a club’s front office. Note that many of them have played other sorts of roles within a team’s executive structure, but this won’t take that into account. We’ll continue onward with a look back at the calls made by former Sixers and current Nets GM Billy King…

Sixers (May 1998-December 2007)

1998 Draft

No. 8 Overall — Larry Hughes: 727 games, 14.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.1 APG. .406/.309/.757.
No. 37 Overall — Casey Shaw: 9 games, 0.2 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.0 APG. .125/.000/.000.

Notable players passed over: Dirk Nowitzki (No. 9), Paul Pierce (No. 10), and Al Harrington (No. 25).

1999 Draft

No first-rounder. Pick No. 19 (Quincy Lewis) owned by Jazz.
No. 47 Overall — Todd MacCulloch: 223 games, 6.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 0.8 BPG. .541/.000/.642.

Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Andrei Kirilenko (No. 24) and Manu Ginobili (No. 57).

2000 Draft

No. 20 Overall — Speedy Claxton: 334 games, 9.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 4.3 APG. .409/.193/.762.

Notable players passed over: Morris Peterson (No. 21), Eduardo Najera (No. 38), and Michael Redd (No. 43).

2001 Draft

No. 26 Overall — Samuel Dalembert: 886 games, 7.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.7 BPG. .521/.083/.706.
No. 37 Overall — Damone Brown: 39 games, 2.8 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 0.5 APG. .336/.286/.667.
No. 57 Overall — Alvin Jones: 23 games, 1.1 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 0.1 APG. .400/.000/.500.

Notable players passed over: Tony Parker (No. 28) and Gilbert Arenas (No. 31).

2002 Draft

*Traded No. 16 overall pick (Jiri Welsch) to Warriors for 2004 second-rounder (Viktor Sanikidze) and a 2005 first round pick (Joey Graham).

Notable players passed over: John Salmons (No. 26), Carlos Boozer (No. 35) and Luis Scola (No. 56).

2003 Draft

No first-rounder. Pick No. 20 (Dahntay Jones) owned by the Celtics.
No. 41 Overall — Willie Green*: 731 games, 8.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG, 1.4 APG. .425/.346/.765.

*Acquired in a trade with the Thunder (Sonics) in exchange for the No. 50 overall pick (Paccelis Morlende).

Notable players passed over: Boris Diaw (No. 21), Kendrick Perkins (No. 27), and Kyle Korver (No. 51).

2004 Draft

No. 9 Overall — Andre Iguodala: 835 games, 14.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.7 APG. .461/.333/.717.

Notable players passed over: Al Jefferson (No. 15), Josh Smith (No. 17), J.R. Smith (No. 18), Jameer Nelson (No. 20), Kevin Martin (No. 26), and Trevor Ariza (No. 43).

2005 Draft

No first-rounder. Pick No. 16 (Joey Graham) owned by Raptors.
No. 45 Overall — Lou Williams: 634 games, 11.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 2.9 APG. .416/.341/.816.
No. 60 Overall — Alex Acker*: 30 games, 2.7 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.5 APG. .370/.320/.500.

*Acquired in a trade with the Jazz in exchange for 2008 second-rounder (Ante Tomic).

Notable players available at draft slot or passed over: Danny Granger (No. 17), Gerald Green (No. 18), David Lee (No. 30), Monta Ellis (No. 40), and Marcin Gortat (No. 57).

2006 Draft

No. 16 Overall — Rodney Carney*: 299 games, 5.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.4 APG. .422/.338/.704.

*Acquired from the Bulls along with cash and a 2007 second-rounder in exchange for the No. 13 overall pick (Thabo Sefolosha).

Notable players passed over: Sefolosha (No. 13), Rajon Rondo (No. 21), Kyle Lowry (No. 24), and Paul Millsap (No. 47).

2007 Draft

No. 12 Overall — Thaddeus Young: 592 games, 13.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.5 APG. .495/.323/.693.
No. 20 Overall — Jason Smith*: 413 games, 6.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.8 APG. .462/.300/.782.
No. 42 Overall — Derrick Byars**: 2 games, 5.0 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 0.5 APG. .273/.000/1.000.
No. 55 Overall — Herbert Hill***: No NBA regular season appearances.

*Acquired from the Heat for the No. 21 pick (Daequan Cook), a 2009 second round pick (Nick Calathes), and cash.

**Acquired from the Trail Blazers along with cash in exchange for the No. 30 overall selection (Petteri Koponen).

***Acquired from the Jazz in exchange for the No. 38 overall pick (Kyrylo Fesenko).

Notable players passed over: Arron Afflalo (No. 27) and Josh McRoberts (No. 37).

Nets (July 2010-Present)

2011 Draft

No. 25 Overall — MarShon Brooks*: 164 games, 7.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.4 APG. .442/.326/.748.
No. 36 Overall — Jordan Williams: 43 games, 4.6 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 0.3 APG. .507/.000/.652.

*Acquired from Celtics in return for No. 27 overall pick (JaJuan Johnson) and a 2014 second-rounder (Russ Smith).

Notable players passed over: Jimmy Butler (No. 30), Chandler Parsons (No. 38), and Isaiah Thomas (No. 60).

2012 Draft

No first rounder. No. 6 overall pick (Damian Lillard) went to Blazers as part of Gerald Wallace trade.
No. 57 Overall — Ilkan Karaman: No NBA regular season appearances.

Notable players available at draft spot or passed over: Lillard (No. 6), Andre Drummond (No. 9), Draymond Green (No. 35), and Khris Middleton (No. 39).

2013 Draft

No. 22 Overall — Mason Plumlee: 152 games, 8.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 0.9 APG. .606/.000/.545.

Notable player(s) passed over: Rudy Gobert (No. 27).

2014 Draft

No first rounder. No. 17 overall pick (James Young) was included in the trade with the Celtics that brought Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn.
No. 44 Overall — Markel Brown*: 47 games, 4.6 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 0.8 APG. .362/.266/.825.
No. 59 Overall — Xavier Thames**: No NBA regular season appearances.
No. 60 Overall — Cory Jefferson***: 50 games, 3.7 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 0.3 APG. .449/.133/.574.

*Acquired from Timberwolves in exchange for cash.

**Acquired from Raptors in exchange for cash.

***Acquired from Sixers in exchange for cash.

Notable players available at draft spot or passed over: Young (No. 17), Rodney Hood (No. 23), Shabazz Napier (No. 24), K.J. McDaniels (No. 32), and Jordan Clarkson (No. 46).

Atlantic Notes: Lopez, Nets, Jones

May 6th, 2015 at 6:47pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Nets GM Billy King reiterated that re-signing center Brook Lopez is a priority for the franchise, which views the big man as a centerpiece to build around, Tim Bontemps of The New York Post writes. “For us to get in the playoffs that stretch, [Lopez] was the guy who carried us. He was our best player,” King said. “Without Brook Lopez, there’s no way we even get to where we go to this year. I’ll say it again: We want him back. I want him back, [coach] Lionel [Hollins] wants him back, ownership wants him back. We’ve all said it. There shouldn’t be any more doubts about it.” Lopez has a player option worth $16,744,2187 for 2015/16, but can become an unrestricted free agent if he opts out this summer.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

King refused to comment on the status of extension talks between he and the Nets, but said he was comfortable working next season without agreeing to a new deal, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link).
When asked if there is a trade market for the Nets‘ big money contracts like Deron Williams‘ and Joe Johnson‘s, King said, “We could have moved them,” Andy Vasquez of The Record tweets.
The Sixers are potentially interested in selecting Jamal Jones and making him a domestic draft-and-stash pick this June, similar to what the Thunder did with Josh Huestis last season, Shams Charania of RealGM writes. “The Sixers have had interest in me all year just because even though I didn’t have a good season with Delaware, they were always there for the practices and they have seen what I’m capable of,” Jones told Charania. “They’re very interested, and want me come up, work out for them and see how I’ve progressed in the time since the season ended.” Jones appeared in 45 contests for Philly’s D-League affiliate this past season, averaging 7.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 0.9 assists.

Eastern Notes: Williams, King, Bucks, Heat

May 5th, 2015 at 2:55pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets have the power to waive Deron Williams using the stretch provision and spread the salaries on his deal, which calls for him to make more than $21.043MM next season with a player option for $22.331MM in 2016/17, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe notes. It would be unwise to dismiss that possibility, writes Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com, but a buyout would be more plausible, a source suggested to Mazzeo. In any case, it’s likely that the Nets will continue to try to shop the point guard, though talks with the Kings probably won’t resurface, Mazzeo surmises. There’s more on the Nets amid the latest from the Eastern Conference:

Mazzeo was privy to chatter similar to the “serious rumblings” that Lowe heard indicating that the Nets and GM Billy King are close to an extension, though Mazzeo hasn’t heard confirmation of the rumor. A source nonetheless recently told Robert Windrem of NetsDaily that the Nets and King had engaged in no such negotiations.
Bucks GM John Hammond admits the deadline deal that sent out Brandon Knight was one made with the future in mind, but he says the team won’t wait around for the chance to win, as Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays. “Make no mistake,” Hammond said. “If we can attract the right kind of player for our team today, we will be as aggressive as possible starting this summer.” The Bucks are a “borderline lock” to make a trade in the offseason if Khris Middleton and Jared Dudley return, Lowe writes in the piece linked above, given the team’s incoming first-round pick and all of the players Milwaukee already has under contract.
Goran Dragic appears likely to re-sign with the Heat, and the team believes it’ll have a roster that can contend as long as Luol Deng, who has a player option, returns, writes Jason Lieser of the Palm Beach Post. Long-term commitments from the team’s core would mean less of a need, and less flexibility for, a free agent push in 2016, as Lieser examines.

Nets Close To Extension With GM Billy King?

May 5th, 2015 at 10:41am CST by Chuck Myron

10:41am: A league source recently told NetsDaily’s Robert Windrem that the Nets and King hadn’t engaged in extension talks (Twitter link).

10:01am: There are “serious rumblings” that the Nets are about to reach a contract extension with GM Billy King, though Nets higher-ups have been tight-lipped, Grantland’s Zach Lowe writes. King signed a multiyear extension with the team two years ago, and while the length of the arrangement wasn’t clear at the time, he currently has one more year left on his contract, according to Devin Kharpertian of The Brooklyn Game.

Owner Mikhail Prokhorov stopped short of saying last month he would rule out changes in the front office this summer, but he offered praise for King’s “bold” approach to the roster. Instead, it would appear that the future of assistant GM Bobby Marks is in doubt, as Mike Mazzeo reported last week and as Lowe notes in his report today, referring to Marks as a “cap whiz.” The team didn’t pick up its option on Marks, who’s risen within the Nets organization from the role of public relations intern 20 years ago, by the May 1st deadline to do so, according to Mazzeo, though the club could still re-sign the executive later in the offseason, Mazzeo cautioned.

King has drawn criticism as the Nets have failed to capitalize on bloated payrolls the last two seasons, including the record outlay of some $190MM in payroll and luxury tax penalties last season. Still, the Nets have been supportive of King, resisting former coach Jason Kidd‘s attempt to wrest player personnel control from the GM.

Atlantic Notes: King, Thomas, Ainge, Young

April 9th, 2015 at 2:57pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets will be almost certainly be picking 29th thanks to their pick swap with the Hawks as called for in the Joe Johnson trade, but it would appear to be in keeping with owner Mikhail Prokhorov’s philosophy.

“If you analyze a championship team, 20% is draft picks and 80% of it is trades,” Prokhorov said to reporters Wednesday, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).

Prokhorov expressed comfort with GM Billy King and praised his “bold” approach, Prokhorov also said, complimenting coach Lionel Hollins, too, seemingly indicating that both will be back next season, writes Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. We passed along more from Prokhorov’s chat with the media earlier today, and there’s more from around the Atlantic Division:

Lance Thomas has started 33 games this season and 20 with the Knicks, earning praise from team president Phil Jackson, and the New Jersey native signaled a desire to re-sign with New York in unrestricted free agency this summer. Thomas made his remarks in a video interview with Jonah Ballow of Knicks.com. “My experience as a Knick has been great, and I hope it doesn’t end,” Thomas said. “This is my hometown team, and I would love to represent New York, so I’m going to do everything in my power to hopefully make that happen.”
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge is impressed with how his roster has performed after all the trades he pulled off, as Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe details. Ainge named soon-to-be free agents Jae Crowder and Brandon Bass among several he believes have excelled.
The Kevin Garnett/Thaddeus Young trade has been a steal for the Nets, argues Daniel LoGuidice of NetsDaily, who believes the arrival of Young, and not the resurgence of Brook Lopez, was the true catalyst for Brooklyn’s late-season run for a playoff spot. Bontemps, writing in a separate piece, believes Young’s on-court presence has helped Lopez operate so effectively. Young hasn’t decided on his player option for next season but has said he wants to remain in Brooklyn.

Nets Rumors: Chemistry, Changes, Prokhorov

March 14th, 2015 at 10:15am CST by Dana Gauruder

Poor chemistry has led to a disappointing season for the Nets, Tim Bontemps of the New York Post writes. Injuries and underachieving players have forced coach Lionel Hollins to constantly tinker with his rotation, leading to 17 different lineup changes, Bontemps adds. “[Chemistry is] very fragile,” Hollins said to the team’s beat reporters. “You constantly have to work at it, and adversity is the first thing that can kill chemistry. You have a little adversity and something happens and it splits, and then you have to get it back. It’s a time-consuming thing to get chemistry, and then you have some success and you have a little more adversity and then it goes back again. It’s hard to define why. You just have it, or you don’t.”

In other news concerning the Nets:

The team’s management plans to revamp the roster to bring in younger, more athletic players, according to a story on the team’s official website nba.com/nets. GM Billy King promised season-ticket holders in a conference call on Thursday that roster changes were coming this summer. “I think it could turn around really quickly,” King said in the call. “We’re going to explore every option to continue to add some athleticism so we can be a better defensive team, become a more athletic team, so we can get out and run. That’s the plan. We’ll look and explore every option. There will be no stone unturned as we go forward.”
Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is no longer seeking to sell a majority interest in the team, according to Josh Kosman and Claire Atkinson of the New York Post. Negotiations to sell the team never became serious because of uncertainty over Prokhorov’s interest in also selling the rights to Barclays Center, sources told the Post. Prokhorov is now actively shopping a minority interest in the team that does not include a sale of the arena, the Post adds. Evercore Partners, an investment banking firm Prokhorov hired to help facilitate a prospective sale of the team, made the decision to end their relationship with the Nets.
Prokhorov recently quit the Russian political party he founded, Civil Platform, and his motivation may have included his desire to protect foreign assets such as the Nets, according to an rt.com story. A relatively new Russian law that prevents senior officials and legislators from possessing foreign bank accounts and securities could have spurred Prokhorov’s decision, the story reveals.

Atlantic Notes: Celtics, Robinson, Jackson

March 1st, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Isaiah Thomas has opened eyes with his three point shooting, but there is another aspect of his game that has impressed the Celtics, according to Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. The newly acquired guard, who came to Boston from Phoenix in a deadline-day deal, has eight three-pointers in his first three games as a Celtic. Coach Brad Stevens said his ability to space the floor is just as valuable. “We started the season playing very skilled at the 4 and the 5,” Stevens said, “but I think the ability to get in the paint, again, off of his (Thomas’) creation — but then the next guy getting into the paint because of it — is probably the key.” More from the Atlantic Division..

The 76ers grabbed Thomas Robinson off waivers to spite the Nets, according to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. They needed another contract on the books since they’re at the salary floor and wanted to take a closer look at the forward, but GM Sam Hinkie also knew that they playoff-hopeful Nets were interested in his services. Hinkie was at odds with Nets GM Billy King over the handling of Andrei Kirilenko, who was traded from Brooklyn to Philly with the belief that he would be bought out. Instead, the 76ers demanded that he report to the club and then eventually waived him.
One year later, there are still questions about whether Phil Jackson can build the Knicks into a contender, Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News writes. Jason Kidd‘s young and athletic Bucks, less than a year into Kidd’s time in Milwaukee, are closer to being a real contender for the title than the Knicks are, or might be anytime soon. Knicks fans clamored for the Zen Master in 2014, but it’s now unclear if he’s the answer for them or whether Derek Fisher has what it takes to be a successful coach.
In a video interview, new Celtics forward Jonas Jerebko tells A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com that he is enjoying his “fresh start” in Boston. He has averaged 12 points and 5.3 rebounds in three games since being traded from the Pistons. “I appreciate Detroit and all they did for me, but it was time for me to move on,” Jerebko said. “I feel great in this new situation. It’s a great organization and I’m honored to play for the Boston Celtics.”

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

Nets GM Billy King On Trade Talks

February 2nd, 2015 at 8:46pm CST by Zachary Links

The trade deadline is weeks away and the Nets have been featured prominently on the pages of Hoops Rumors. Nets GM Billy King admits that the phone is ringing in Brooklyn, but he insists that he’s not the one doing the dialing.

“Are we aggressively shopping our guys? No. Have we had a lot of conversations with people? Yes,” said King in an interview with Sarah Kustok and Lenn Robbins of BrooklynNets.com earlier tonight (via Roderick Boone of Newsday on Twitter).

King went on to explain (link) that he wants to “see this group play” before making any deals. In fact, King said that he wants to sit back and evaluate things between now and the All-Star break before doing anything at all, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (on Twitter). “Then, if a deal makes sense, we’ll do it,” the GM said. The Nets will play their last game before the break on February 10th and won’t resume action until February 20th.

Despite the Nets’ struggles so far this season (they’re 18-28 heading into tonight’s tilt against the Clippers), King says that he still believes that the Nets have enough talent to make it to the playoffs. With that in mind, King says that he will not make a deal just for the heck of it (via Andy Vasquez of The Bergen Record on Twitter). Still, he has spoken to Joe Johnson, Brook Lopez, and Deron Williams about the possibility being traded (via Boone on Twitter).

Recently, the Nets have been discussing Lopez with the Nuggets, though it appears that things have been dormant for the last week. The Nets could also upgrade their roster in the coming weeks without making a trade as they are looking into old friend Andray Blatche.