Brook Lopez Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Lee, Celtics, Lopez, Nets

December 21st, 2013 at 12:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Last night in Philadelphia, the Sixers stopped a seven-game losing streak with a 121-120 overtime win over the Nets. “We needed to get that win for the sanity of the group, keeping our group together, holding hope,” coach Brett Brown said after Evan Turner‘s game winner, “and for those reasons as that ball is hanging on a rim and then decides to fall in, for us, given where we are, that is an important win.” Here’s more out of Atlantic..

A rumored deal would had the Celtics sending Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass along with a first-round pick to Houston for Omer Asik, but Lee says the rumors were never serious enough to warrant a call from his agent, writes the Boston Globe’s Julian Benbow. “I haven’t even had a conversation with my agent,” Lee said. “He called me before and said he hasn’t heard anything and neither [general manager] called him, so don’t worry about it, and that’s what I did.”
Brook Lopez fractures the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, according to Roderick Boone of Newsday (on Twitter). Earlier today, we learned that the Stanford product will be out for the year with the injury.
Looking back on things, Jordan Crawford says that the trade sending him to the Celtics “had to happen” but admits that he could have been more professional during his tenure in Washington, writes Michael Lee of the Washington Post.

Brook Lopez Done For Year

December 21st, 2013 at 9:57am CST by Zachary Links

Nets center Brook Lopez is out for the season with a broken foot, an NBA source tells Gary Tanguay of CSNNE.com (on Twitter). Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (on Twitter) has confirmed the news.

The Nets could theoretically apply for the Disabled Player Exception, which would be worth the mid-level exception if they are approved. DPEs aren’t often used, but the Nets are the most bullish spenders in the league and it’s certainly conceivable that they could tack on to their bloated payroll. At the same token, owner Mikhail Prokhorov reportedly told his front office before the start of his season that he would not add to their payroll, even in the event of an injury. If they do go in that direction, they would be more likely to add a big man via trade than a free agent signing given the lack of quality available talent.

Foot troubles are nothing new for the center, who played in just five games in 2011/12 thanks to his broken right foot, followed by an ankle injury. While the Nets have struggled so far this season, Lopez has been a bright spot, averaging 20.7 PPG and 6.0 RPG off of 56.3% shooting.

The injury to Lopez is a tough blow for the Nets, who are already reeling at 9-17. The Celtics could be a major benefactor, however, as they currently lead the division with a 12-15 mark.

Atlantic Links: Sixers, ‘Melo, Green, Lopez

October 12th, 2013 at 10:17pm CST by Spencer Lund

Through his first three preseason games, Sixers rookie Michael Carter Williams has 16 assists and just 1 turnover. In Orlando, during summer league action, MCW averaged 4.8 turnovers a game, which was the highest in Orlando.

But Sixers coach Brett Brown wants Carter-Williams to play faster and even more uptempo, he tells the Intelligencer’s Tom Moore: “I actually think we can play faster and he can play faster,” Brown said. “I think we can get it out of the net on makes better. I really feel that’s where we want to place a lot of our focus.”

The risk is MCW’s turnover issues from the summer return if he plays out of control trying to match the uptempo pace Brown is favoring with his young team.

Here are some more links from around the Atlantic division on this Saturday night:

Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony told Marc Berman of the New York Post that he took a “huge risk” this season by not having surgery on his left shoulder.
Anthony actually had a torn rotator cuff to go along with a partially torn labrum, but elected not to have the surgery because doctors told him it would be a 4-5 month recovery because of the severity of the tear and he would have missed the beginning of the season.
But now, ‘Melo says he “feels nothing,” as the twin tears healed themselves.
Knicks coach Mike Woodson says he needs to see more toughness from Cole Aldrich, and that he needs to do the “dirty work,” tweets Al Iannazzone of Newsday.
Jeff Green has shot just 28.6% from the field (8-for-28) through the Celtics‘ first three preseason games, but coach Brad Stevens says it’s too small a sample size to accurately judge, reports the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy.
Stevens thinks Green needs more paint points for the C’s, and tells Murphy, “Getting an and-one, an offensive rebound – something that’s a more difficult thing to do but with an easier finish. That can open the floodgates.”
Brook Lopez came to camp this year at 290 pounds, tweets Pistons.com’s Keith Langlois. That’s 15 pounds heavier than last year’s playing weight for the Nets center, and Langlois says Lopez “looks massive now.”

Odds & Ends: Roster Spots, Hunt, Mavericks

August 29th, 2013 at 11:15pm CST by Ryan Raroque

ESPN.com's Marc Stein (via Twitter) points out that the Lakers, Bulls, and 76ers are the three teams that still need to sign players in order to reach the league minimum of 13 players by opening night, although it's worth noting that L.A. is still yet to sign second round pick Ryan Kelly and Philadelphia is in the same boat with Nerlens Noel and Michael Carter-Williams. Also, as we pointed out a few days ago, Dexter Pittman accepted a training camp invite with Chicago and could fill that 13th roster spot if they end up offering him a guaranteed contract.

Here are more of tonight's news and notes from around the league:

Jeff Haubner of ESPN.com offers a two part preview of the upcoming FIBA Americas tournament.
Charles F. Gardner of The Journal Sentinel notes that the Bucks/Suns deal keeps Milwaukee about $1.9MM under the salary cap and saves Phoenix around $5.6MM in cap space. Gardner also has more comments from Caron Butler regarding his happiness with the trade.
Former 76ers star Charles Barkley isn't happy with the way his former team handled their assistant coaching situation, saying that those who were released upon the Brett Brown hiring had worked for the team the entire summer and therefore didn't have the opportunity to look for another job (Michael Kaskey-Blomain of The Philadelphia Inquirer).
Keith Schlosser of RidiculousUpside.com takes a look at Kyle Hunt, who while eligible for the D-League draft in the fall is also looking to earn an NBA training camp invite.
Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW suggests Mavericks fans should be happy with 45 wins and a 7th seed in the Western Conference next season.
Ben Couch of BrooklynNets.com provides a brief breakdown of the Nets' depth at the center position, profiling Brook Lopez, Andray Blatche, and Mason Plumlee.
Former Knick and now a member of the Canadian men's national basketball team, Andy Rautins tells Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun about how prepared he and his teammates feel heading into the FIBA Americas tournament.
NBA.com posted an article from Atlanta-based freelance writer Jon Cooper about Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer. Though he stressed the importance of forming good relationships with each player up to the 15th man, Budenholzer specifically mentioned Al Horford and Jeff Teague as two players that he's very much looking forward to working with.
Suns.com passes along an article from the archives which delves into the mind of the late former Suns coach Cotton Fitzsimmons.

New York Notes: Lopez, Johnson, Garnett

July 27th, 2013 at 9:50pm CST by Spencer Lund

Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News says the Eastern Conference has returned to its most competitive since the 1990s (Twitter link). But whereas the Heat have LeBron James, the Bulls get back Derrick Rose and the Pacers have improved, neither New York Team – the Knicks, or the Nets – had the "backbone" for the playoffs last year.

The only difference between the two New York teams is the Nets had “surgery” this summer (Twitter link), adding Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce without giving up any of their core players – save an unproductive Gerald Wallace - in an offseason splurge that also saw them sign Andrei Kirilenko.

The Nets are coming off a tough season that ended with a game 7 loss at home to the Bulls in the first round. Bondy mentions, via Twitter, that some players were partying at the 40/40 club the same night of the loss. Garnett's presence changes the culture that would allow that sort of behavior following an elimination defeat.

Pierce and Garnett's former coach, Doc Rivers, agreed about KG changing the culture in Brooklyn when he spoke to the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. But there are some players who might not gel with Garnett's brand of basketball intensity.

Bondy mentions that Brook Lopez took the game 7 loss the hardest out of anyone else on the team (Twitter), which could mean a good partnership with Garnett returning to his more comfortable position at power forward and with Brook on the block.
If Lopez's foot can stay healthy, he might have a real future, but Bondy is concerned about where Joe Johnson fits in with this new team led by the experienced former Celtics (Twitter).
Lopez's toughness shouldn't be an issue now, and Bondy tweets that the seven-footer turned a corner last season; the only real question that remains is whether the foot is fully healed.
The game 7 loss by the Nets was so brutal because it was at home and there were such high hopes for the Nets during their inaugural season at the Barclay's Center. Bondy singled out Johnson for the 40/40 Club visit over Twitter, saying that it was not the best night to go party. It's Johnson's demeanor that could clash with the win-at-all-costs mantra of Garnett.

Eastern Notes: Lopez, Jerebko, Bobcats, Raps

January 23rd, 2013 at 2:20pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite being the subject of trade rumors over the summer, Brook Lopez's strong play this season means he's likely to remain with the Nets at this year's trade deadline. If it were up to Deron Williams, there wouldn't even be a conversation about it.

"We’re happy with Brook," Williams told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. "Brook is our center. He’s having an All-Star year. I don’t see Brook going anywhere."

Here are a few more Wednesday links from around the Eastern Conference:

Jonas Jerebko downplayed a story out of Sweden that suggested he was unhappy with the Pistons, as Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press writes. "I didn't read the story," Jerebko said. "So I don't know what it said. Everybody has a right to their own opinion. It's media. They probably twisted it."
In a piece for MLive.com, David Mayo examines a few possible Pistons trade candidates, including Jerebko, Jason Maxiell, and Will Bynum.
The Bobcats have begun conducting market research on a potential nickname change, now that the Hornets are set to become the Pelicans, reports Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer. The Bobcats are sending surveys to season-ticket holders and polling the Charlotte market to see if a name change would affect buying habits, says Bonnell (Twitter links).
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun takes a look at the Raptors' looming decisions on Kyle Lowry and Jose Calderon.
In his latest mailbag, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel addresses the unlikely possibility of the Heat acquiring Dwight Howard and the impact he expects Chris Andersen to have in Miami.

Odds & Ends: Redick, Crawford, James, Crowder

January 23rd, 2013 at 12:01am CST by Chuck Myron

Just as we crossed into the final month before the trade deadline, the first deal of the new year went down today, and the action will no doubt pick up going forward. Here are a few more notes from a busy evening.

J.J. Redick, an unrestricted free agent at season's end, wants a raise on his $6.19MM salary, but the Magic want him to take a hometown discount, reports USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt. If the team doesn't believe it can re-sign him when the trade deadline rolls around, Zillgitt won't be surprised to see the Magic trade Redick, since they don't want to lose him without any return.
The Wizards are looking to make moves, and Jordan Crawford is drawing the most interest of any of the players they'd make available, HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler reveals, noting rookie Bradley Beal isn't among the players they're dangling, Kyler adds.
Damion James is heading back to the D-League's Bakersfield Jam, as the Nets have opted not to renew his 10-day contract, which expires tonight, tweets NetsDaily.com.
Jae Crowder's contract with the Mavs is fully guaranteed through next season, but he doesn't want that to be the end of his tenure in Dallas, where he wants to play his entire career, as Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reveals.
Elliot Williams, who tore his left Achilles tendon in September, isn't ruling out the possibility he could return at some point this season, as he tells Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com. The league, believing he was done for the year, has already granted the Blazers a disabled player exception, but the team will get to keep it even if he makes it back.
Ben Baroff of SheridanHoops.com believes there will be more deals similar to today's Cavs-Grizzlies trade in the years to come, as luxury tax penalties become more severe.
Amid another round of Dwight Howard rumors, Nets brass has assured Brook Lopez he won't be traded, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.

Nets Mulling Another Run At Dwight Howard?

January 22nd, 2013 at 8:07pm CST by Luke Adams

8:07pm: Tim Bontemps of the New York Post hears the Nets have no interest in going after Howard again, in spite of the earlier report.

10:10am: With the Lakers struggling and Dwight Howard frustrated, the Nets are considering making another run at the All-Star center, according to Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com (Sulia link). Rudolph reports that Nets GM Billy King has been quietly searching for a third team that could include an attractive piece that would help facilitate a trade between the Lakers and Nets.

When the Magic were attempting to find a trade partner for Howard at last year's deadline and again over the summer, the Nets topped D12's wish list. However, Orlando ultimately ended up sending Howard to another one of the clubs on a wish list that also included the Lakers and Mavericks. While Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld reported this morning that trading Howard again isn't something the Lakers are currently considering, the Nets feel like L.A. would at least think about it, for the right price, according to Rudolph.

Rudolph indicates that King was preparing an offer that would have included Brook Lopez going to the Timberwolves and Kevin Love heading to the Lakers, with a handful of smaller pieces also included in the deal. The Nets believed the Lakers would be intrigued by Love, but the plan suffered a blow when the Wolves' big man was sidelined for two months with a broken hand.

King will continue to search for a third team that could facilitate a Howard trade, but won't make landing the big man the priority that he did a year ago, according to Rudolph.

Lakers Rumors: Howard, Gasol, Blake, DPE

January 16th, 2013 at 8:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers' new game plan involves increasing Kobe Bryant's role on defense, having him guard opponents' top wing players. The approach was certainly effective last night, as the Lakers beat the Bucks by 16, and Brandon Jennings told reporters after the game that Kobe played "probably the best defense anybody's played on me since I've been in the league" (Twitter link via Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register). As the Lakers look to continue their winning ways on the court, here are the latest off-court notes on the club:

Brook Lopez is now trade-eligible, which would suggest that trade rumors connecting Dwight Howard to the Nets may be renewed. However, Ian O'Connor of ESPNNewYork.com hears from a source close to Nets management that Brooklyn's interest in D12 may not be as strong as it once was: "It's not as cut and dried as it was last year, when the feeling was go ahead and pretty much gut the team for Dwight, give up a bunch of draft picks and players and take back bad contracts. That feeling isn't there anymore."
Regardless of the Nets' interest or lack thereof, exploring trades involving Howard isn't even something that's on the table for the Lakers, says Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld.
The Lakers are leaning toward keeping Pau Gasol at the trade deadline in part because they're not 100% sure Howard will remain in L.A. long-term, and they don't want to risk losing both of their All-Star bigs in a matter of months, writes Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.
Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com has details on how Gasol and Steve Blake are recovering from their respective injuries.
GM Mitch Kupchak confirmed to reporters, including Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times, that the Lakers have requested a disabled player exception for Jordan Hill. Kupchak expects to hear back from the league within a week or so. I outlined on Monday what a DPE would mean for the team.

Eastern Notes: Cavaliers, Martin, Carlesimo

January 12th, 2013 at 10:17pm CST by Michael Pina

The Plain Dealer's Mary Schmitt Boyer answers e-mails from readers, most of them pertaining to possible Cavaliers trade chips like Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson.

Discussions between the Knicks and Kenyon Martin's representative have not progressed, according to a tweet from ESPNNY.com's Jared Zwerling.
The New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy writes about Nets interim head coach P.J. Carlesimo, who has his team back on the right track since taking over for the fired Avery Johnson.