Brandon Jennings Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Ellis, Cavs, Pistons

January 31st, 2016 at 6:26pm CST by Will Joseph

Monta Ellis, whom the Pacers signed this past offseason, is still averaging the fewest amount of points per game since his rookie season, but he has experienced an uptick in scoring recently because of treatment to his right knee, Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star relays. Ellis, 30, is averaging 18.4 points per game over his last 10 outings. Ellis recently had fluid in the knee drained, according to Buckner.

“It’s been night and day with having that knee drained as far as his energy and just the way he’s moving,” Pacers star Paul George said. “It’s a lot easier, and it’s a lot better for him. He went the whole length of this game of constant pressure on their team. You definitely notice that. I think for Monta, this is something that’s been reoccurring, so he’s dealt with it before, and he knows the difference between the two.”

Here’s more from around the Central Division:

Cavs coach Tyronn Lue has improved the team’s morale because of his straight-forward approach to handling roles, rotations and expectations, Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group and the Cleveland Plain Dealer explains. On the court, the Cavs are playing faster and have scored at least 110 points in four straight games.
Despite referring to this season as the most difficult challenge of his professional career, Mo Williams is not interested in playing for another team and will not request a trade, Haynes reports in the same piece. The Cavs point guard is out of the rotation and played in only five games in January. “Nah, man. I’ve moved my family around enough,” Williams told Haynes. “I’m sticking this thing out.”
Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings is still adapting to coming off the bench after playing in 17 games so far since returning from an injury, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press relays. “It’s basically just me,” Jennings said. “I have to show up with a lot of energy. My role is different and I know that. I have to approach the game differently. I have to be ready and when my number’s called I have to be able to perform.”

Eastern Notes: Brown, Jackson, Jennings, Kidd

January 25th, 2016 at 3:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

Brett Brown has made it clear in his comments to the media that he’d like for the Sixers to either stand pat or make a move that upgrades the current roster instead of one akin to last season’s Michael Carter-Williams trade, but he recognizes that it’s not his call, observes Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News. Brown wouldn’t rule out anything when asked if he thought the roster wouldn’t be changing as much this season as it did last year.

“I’m not confident to say anything, truly,” Brown said. “That’s not because I don’t know. It’s not because I’m afraid of it. It’s because I truly feel like we’re all going to step back. From Day 1, it’s been very, very collaborative. I think that as an organization, with Jerry [Colangelo] coming into it, there’s another voice. I think that we all recognize wholeheartedly that we’re ready to move on. We want to keep moving forward where we’re not always in flux. We want some solidarity. We want some balance to what we’re doing. I can only offer that. But to stamp off on anything of certainty, I can’t do that.”

See more from the Eastern Conference:

The idea of playing Reggie Jackson and soon-to-be free agent Brandon Jennings alongside one another in the backcourt is in the back, not the front, of Stan Van Gundy’s mind, the Pistons coach said, according to MLive’s David Mayo, and it doesn’t appear as though it’s a high priority, as Mayo details.
Bucks coach Jason Kidd returned to practice Monday and plans to coach the team in Tuesday’s game, but he acknowledged that a blood-clot risk may keep him from traveling with Milwaukee on its three-game Western road trip next week, according to Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The banged-up Heat haven’t reached their potential, but Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel believes the team can still find a better way to use the talent on the roster before changing it.

Eastern Notes: Afflalo, Mirotic, Jennings

January 23rd, 2016 at 11:36am CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks shooting guard Arron Afflalo is fine with playing second fiddle to small forward Carmelo Anthony in New York, but he’s ready to answer the call as the team’s go-to player if needed, Mike Coppinger of USA Today writes. “[Anthony] is one of the best scorers of all time, so I don’t mind being second fiddle to that,” said Afflalo. “But, for example, if he ever was to get hurt, or if he’s out of the game for any reason, I don’t have any issues with stepping into that role.”

Most NBA players begin to decline when they reach the age of 30, but Afflalo, who turned 30 in October, believes he can buck that trend, Coppinger relays. “I think I’m only going to get better as I get older because of my style of play,” Afflalo said. “I like to play a more post game, spot-up 3s, coming off screens. These are things that as long as you’re in good condition – I’m not really relying on heavy speed or heavy athleticism – I’m more relying on my footwork and skill and my body. So I feel as I get older with more experience, I’m just going to get better with age.”

Here’s the latest from the Central Division:

Bulls combo forward Nikola Mirotic is struggling with his confidence this season after losing his spot as a starter, but he understands he needs to keep working to regain his form, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. “I’m struggling a little bit now and not shooting well,” Mirotic said. “I’m not feeling the same confidence I was before. The only way to get it back is to work hard and stay positive. I need to forget what happened yesterday. I’m not scoring easy baskets. I’m not running like before. I’m not making those open 3s. I’m not doing things in the low post. But if I can do it last year in March, I can do it this year, too. I think it will come soon.“
Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is pleased with Brandon Jennings‘ performance leading the team’s second unit, but he doesn’t think the point guard will be back to full speed until training camp next season, MLive’s David Mayo notes. “For the most part, our team has played well with him on the court, I think because of the way he pushes the ball, and moves the ball, and everything else,” Van Gundy said. “Not only are you coming back off injury, but you miss 30-plus games, and you missed all of the summer. It just takes time to get back into it.“
The Celtics have assigned James Young to their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced.

Pistons Interested In Al Horford?

January 22nd, 2016 at 8:42am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pistons might have interest in someone like Al Horford to offset a lack of leadership, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hears (Twitter link). Brandon Jennings pointed to a leadership void after Thursday’s blowout loss to the Pelicans, saying that he and fellow point guard Reggie Jackson should give their teammates more direction, as Ellis writes in a full story. It’s unclear whether the Pistons are indeed eyeing the Hawks big man or if the idea would be to pursue him via trade or after his contract expires at season’s end. Horford is No. 5 in the latest Hoops Rumors 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings.

A free agent pitch would appear more likely than a trade, since the Hawks would no doubt be reluctant to break up a team that’s just two games behind second place in the Eastern Conference with a deal that sends out a player they reportedly view as a building block for now and the future. Horford is a longtime client of the Wasserman Media Group, the firm that was home to super agent Arn Tellem before he left this past summer to become vice chairman of Palace Sports & Entertainment, the parent company of the Pistons. The former third overall pick dumped the Wasserman agency for Bill Duffy of BDA Sports after Tellem’s departure but quickly backtracked and rejoined Wasserman. Jason Glushon of Wasserman is Horford’s primary representative, according to RealGM.

The Pistons are reportedly keen on acquiring a power forward who would bump Ersan Ilyasova to the bench and plan to target Ryan Anderson and Donatas Motiejunas this summer. Horford, who turns 30 in June, has swung between power forward and center for much of his career. He’s added a 3-point shot to his game this season, nailing 32.6% of his 129 attempts. That’s a modest percentage, but the sudden addition of this component to Horford’s game (he’s taken more 3-pointers this year than his first eight seasons put together) makes him more of a fit for Stan Van Gundy‘s preferred one-in, four-out style.

Van Gundy clearly wasn’t pleased with his players after Thursday’s game, describing the performance as “deplorable” and saying the Pistons “look like a team that is firmly committed to trying to be mediocre,” as Ellis relays. Jennings pointed to the leadership role he assumed in the wake of Van Gundy’s decision to waive Josh Smith last season, Ellis notes, though that was when Jennings was the starting point guard, a job Jackson holds now.

“We’ll say things here and there, but mostly it’s just coach talking and it has to come from the players and we have to police ourselves,” Jennings said, according to Ellis. “Guys get into it, guys tell how they feel. We don’t have any of that. Maybe it needs to be done. Just let it out and let’s go on from there.”

The Pistons are 23-20, tied with the Heat for sixth place in the East. Detroit has only about $48MM in guaranteed salary committed against a projected $89MM cap for next season, but that doesn’t include $8MM in non-guaranteed salary for Ilyasova, whom the Pistons reportedly intend to keep, and a cap hold of about $8.180MM for Andre Drummond. That would give the Pistons roughly $64MM in commitments, not counting other, smaller cap holds, which would make it a tight squeeze to fit in Horford. He’s eligible for a projected $24.9MM maximum salary.

Eastern Notes: Raptors, Casey, Noah, Pistons

January 13th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Raptors GM Masai Ujiri can’t envision the team using all of the four of the first-round picks ticketed to come the team’s way in the next two years, as he told Zach Lowe of ESPN.com, essentially confirming an earlier report from Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun that the team doesn’t plan to add four rookies.

“We already have so many young players,” Ujiri said to Lowe. “And those extra picks over the next two years — we can’t use all those picks. So [a trade] is always something you’re looking at.”

Still, most signs point to the Raptors standing pat for now, with Ujiri believing that increased parity will reduce the volume of swaps, Lowe writes. See more on the Raptors amid the latest from the Eastern Conference:

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are advocates for Dwane Casey‘s continued presence as Raptors coach, Lowe notes in the same piece. Toronto has a team option for next season on Casey’s contract.
Joakim Noah has returned from his shoulder injury, but he isn’t playing much, and he remains displeased with where he stands in the eyes of the Bulls, a source tells Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, adding that the center isn’t enamored with coach Fred Hoiberg. The source cautioned that Noah hasn’t been a distraction. The Bulls have reportedly made Noah available for a trade, and I examined his trade candidacy last month.
Reggie Jackson is entrenched as the starter, Brandon Jennings and Steve Blake are on expiring contracts and Spencer Dinwiddie appears poised to stay on D-League assignment for the long haul, but Stan Van Gundy is once more casting doubt on the idea of trading a point guard, notes MLive’s David Mayo. “I think there’s a very good chance that we don’t move any of those guys before the trade deadline,” Van Gundy said. The Pistons coach/executive added that the team still has hopes for Dinwiddie, who said GM Jeff Bower told him he’ll be in the D-League for the rest of the season, but Dinwiddie has to show he’s “better than just being a roster guy,” Van Gundy said, as Mayo relays.

Eastern Notes: Jennings, Butler, Biyombo

January 9th, 2016 at 10:20am CST by Eddie Scarito

Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings is growing tired of all the trade speculation and questions regarding his next contract, when all he really wants to do is focus on returning to form as he makes his way back from an Achilles injury, David Mayo of MLive relays. “The worst stuff, the stuff I’m tired of getting asked about, is my contract for one, if I’m going to be here next year, and if I’m going to start. Obviously, you guys have heard the trade rumors,” Jennings said. “All I get is Knicks feed in my Twitter mentions. So it’s kind of like, all right, we just won last night, how about our game? How about this person played bad, this person played good? I’m just getting all types of questions that has nothing to do with how I feel or how I’m playing.”

Here’s the latest out of the Eastern Conference:

With the Magic‘s record currently sitting at 20-17 and the franchise holding a half-game lead over the Celtics for the final playoff spot in the East, the team is facing unfamiliar pressure to win while rebuilding, Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel writes. Orlando is a team still learning how to compete and close out games, and the question still remains as to whether or not the past few seasons of losing basketball has impacted the players’ outlooks, Schmitz adds.
The Bulls‘ offense is starting to round into the form the franchise envisioned when it hired coach Fred Hoiberg this past offseason, and it is due to the team moving the ball and playing unselfishly, Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com writes. Much of the credit should go to Jimmy Butler, who is playing less one-on-one ball and more within Hoiberg’s system since his comments regarding the coach’s laid-back coaching style caused a stir, Friedell adds. “I think we all got a lot of love for each other,” Butler said. “Everybody wants to see everybody be successful. That’s why we’re winning games. We’re buying into any given night. It could be anybody that’s scoring. It could be anybody that’s got it going. You get the ball to them and they’ll take us where we need to go. But that’s special just showing how much everybody wants everybody else to be successful.”
The struggles on the defensive end the Hornets are enduring can’t be placed solely on the absence of small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, but on the organization’s offseason focus to add more offense, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes. Bonnell points to the Hornets’ decision to allow Bismack Biyombo depart as a free agent without so much as tendering him a qualifying offer, and the team’s failure to add a rim protector to replace the center, who signed with the Raptors over the summer.

Central Notes: Kidd, Jennings, Ellis

January 8th, 2016 at 7:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Bucks coach Jason Kidd is doing his best to remain close to the team as he recovers from right hip surgery and will know more about his timetable to return to the sidelines after meeting with his doctor this coming Sunday, Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel writes. “I feel great,” Kidd said. “Everything went well with the surgery. I’ve been around the team of late, for the shootaround and also for the game with San Antonio. I was here today and here yesterday [Wednesday], so making more progress. We’ll find out more or less the game plan once we meet with the doctors on Sunday in New York. We’ll see what they say, what I’m able to do. As much as I would love to get back, we’ve also got to look at travel, which could be tough. It could create a blood clot or something like that. You don’t want to go down that [road]. The doctors will have the answers for us come Sunday, we hope.”

Here’s more out of the Central Division:

The Pistons don’t want to compromise their cap flexibility for the summer ahead, and they feel as though Brandon Jennings is more valuable than anyone else on an expiring contract they could get in exchange for him via trade, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (All Twitter links).
Monta Ellis is averaging his fewest points and shot attempts per game since his rookie season, but he is pleased with how he is adapting to the Pacers after signing with Indiana this past offseason, Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders writes. “I’ve been around [the NBA] for a long time; with this group of guys, everybody gets along, everybody wants to win and everybody is dialed in so that makes it so much easier [to make the transition to this team],” Ellis told Kennedy. “It’s been easy and I’m very comfortable here.”
Newly released city documents show that the Bucks have a March 1st deadline to submit detailed design plans for their new arena, and a June 1st deadline for construction to start, reports Tom Daykin of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The new arena, parking structure and entertainment center is projected to be completed prior to the start of the 2018/19 NBA season, Daykin adds.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Central Notes: Butler, Christmas, Dinwiddie

January 7th, 2016 at 7:40pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Bulls have gone 10-4 since Jimmy Butler made his controversial remarks about Fred Hoiberg‘s laid-back coaching style, and the team appears to have rallied together while playing some of its best basketball of the season, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune writes. “We’re just playing good basketball,” point guard Derrick Rose said. “On the offensive side the ball is moving. It seems like we know who is getting the ball at certain times. On the defensive side, it’s all about rebounding. If we rebound it’s like a 90-some percent chance we win the game. So it’s all about just communicating when we’re out there and getting rebounds.”

Rose, who has reportedly been at odds with Butler on occasion, was asked if the swingman was the most talented teammate he’s had since arriving in the NBA, to which Rose responded, “I think so, man. Who knows how good he can become? I just love his patience right now. He’s playing with unbelievable patience. He’s not rushing anything, he knows what he’s getting whenever he’s in the pick-and-roll or whenever he’s in the isolation. He’s reading everything the right way now.”

Here’s more from out of the Central Division:

Free agent Dionte Christmas, whom the Cavaliers waived shortly before the season started, has signed with the Greek club AEK Athens, the team announced (h/t to international journalist David Pick). The 29-year-old shooting guard averaged 6.8 points in 19.9 minutes per game over four contests in the preseason for Cleveland.
The return of Brandon Jennings from injury has created a bit of a logjam at point guard for the Pistons, but according to coach/executive Stan Van Gundy, it’s far from the worst thing a team could be faced with, notes A. Sherrod Blakely of CSNNE.com. When asked if dividing minutes between Jennings and Reggie Jackson could become a problem for him, Van Gundy said, “It will become an issue I’m sure. Anytime you’re dealing with the issue of trying to get enough minutes for more good players, that’s a good issue to have.”
The Pistons have assigned point guard Spencer Dinwiddie to their D-League affiliate, the team announced via press release. Dinwiddie has appeared in nine games for Detroit this season and is averaging 4.4 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 12.3 minutes per game.

Pistons Notes: Jennings, Jackson, Dinwiddie

January 5th, 2016 at 2:59pm CST by Chuck Myron

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy can envision the team re-signing Brandon Jennings if they can agree on a price and a role for the point guard, as Van Gundy explained to reporters today, including MLive’s David Mayo. Jennings confirmed that he and Van Gundy have spoken about the idea of a new contract when Jennings hits free agency in the summer, notes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).

“We have had talks about this year, and he knows that I’m not looking at this — I’m not — as just a this-year thing,” Van Gundy said, according to Mayo. “Obviously, a lot of that would come down to whether the role would meet his expectations, whether the money would meet his expectations, there’s a lot of things that go into it. But I’m a big Brandon fan. I like Brandon. I’m a big Reggie [Jackson] fan, too. And I think, at times, they could operate very well together. We’ll just have to see where it goes.”

Jennings told Ellis earlier this season that he and Pistons owner Tom Gores had engaged in “a father-son type” chat that appeared to point to a strong relationship between the franchise and the seventh-year veteran who said earlier this week he’d like to stay in Detroit at least through season’s end. See more on the point guards in the Motor City:

Jennings is helping transform the Pistons bench from a drag on the team into a strong second unit, as Ellis examines.
Jackson has experienced ups and downs this season, but on the whole, he’s beginning to justify Van Gundy’s assertion that his much-pilloried five-year, $80MM contract would ultimately look like a bargain, writes Rod Beard of the Detroit News. “You have a lot of opportunities, but you’re the guy who’s going to be criticized a lot because you’re expected to do a lot more than other people,” Van Gundy said. “He’s handled it very well. And he understands and accepts the responsibility and knows there is going to be some good and bad — and he moves on pretty well.”
The Pistons will likely send Spencer Dinwiddie on D-League assignment for this week’s D-League showcase, but Darrun Hilliard and Reggie Bullock will probably stay with the NBA club, Van Gundy told reporters, including Ellis (Twitter link).

Central Notes: Jennings, Tolliver, Prunty, Gibson

January 5th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Brandon Jennings isn’t sure whether the Pistons will trade him, but he said Monday that he hopes he’ll finish the season in Detroit, MLive’s David Mayo notes. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy will listen to offers but has consistently attempted to tamp down trade rumors involving the point guard who’s successfully returned from injury, Mayo writes.

“Our plan, right now, is that Brandon can help us make a playoff push, and that’s what we’re going to do,” Van Gundy said. “That’s our plan right now. If something happens in the next five weeks, we’ll look at it. But right now, he’s a very good player who can help us, and that’s the only way we’re looking at him.”

Jennings called his one-game D-League rehab stint critical to his comeback, as Mayo also relays, and Reggie Jackson continued his praise of Jennings, calling him “the ultimate teammate,” as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press details. See more on the Pistons and the rest of the Central Division:

Soon-to-be free agent Anthony Tolliver wants to re-sign with the Pistons in the offseason, as he wrote recently on his personal blog and as Aaron McCann of MLive points out. “I want to have a good, solid season and help my team win as much as possible,” Tolliver wrote. “And then when I’m a free agent this summer, I hope to sign back with Detroit and try to make this a long-term home for my family and me.”
Bucks interim coach Joe Prunty got his start in the NBA with the Spurs, and he’s using Gregg Popovich as a model for success, as Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details. Still, head coach Jason Kidd remains influential, and Prunty said he and the rest of the coaching staff keep in close contact with Kidd, who’s on a leave of absence as he recovers from hip surgery.
The offseason surgery that uncovered and repaired a torn ligament in Taj Gibson‘s formerly troublesome left ankle has the trade candidate feeling much better, notes K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “I’m completely stronger as far as my lateral movement and being able to switch more to guards,” the Bulls power forward said. “I feel a lot faster.”