Carmelo Anthony Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Rumors: Howard, Lakers, Carmelo, Cousins, Kanter, More

November 21st, 2020 at 1:58am CST by Luke Adams

Before he agreed to a deal with the Sixers on Friday night, Dwight Howard posted a message on his Twitter account indicating that he would be re-signing with the Lakers.

“I’m staying right where I belong,” Howard wrote. “Laker nation I love y’all. Purple and gold never gets old.”

A few minutes later, the tweet had been deleted, and a little later in the evening, Howard was set to join the 76ers. So what happened?

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, sources within the Lakers’ organization are adamant that they never put a formal offer on the table for Howard and that they discussed a “deal concept.” Howard, on the other hand, believe that if he agreed to the “deal concept,” the two sides had a deal.

As Haynes writes, Lakers management told Howard’s agent they had to consult with team ownership and get approval before making an official offer. The veteran center waited for almost an hour without hearing back, sources tell Haynes. Ultimately, the communication breakdown resulted in Howard preparing to head east for the 2020/21 season.

Here are a few more free agency notes and rumors from around the Western Conference:

The Trail Blazers haven’t ruled out the possibility of re-signing Carmelo Anthony, even after lining up deals to acquire Robert Covington and Derrick Jones, tweets David Aldridge of The Athletic.
The Rockets touched base with DeMarcus Cousins‘ camp today, a source told Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Iko’s report came before the team reached a deal with Christian Wood, so it’s not clear whether or not signing Cousins remains an option for Houston.
Now that the Lakers aren’t an option for Tristan Thompson, the Clippers could emerge as a real possibility, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who notes (via Twitter) that it’d be a chance for Thompson to reunite with Tyronn Lue.
The Lakers and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope remain interested in getting a deal done, but will have to reach a compromise on salary, tweets Brad Turner of The Los Angeles Times. Caldwell-Pope is seeking a raise, while the Lakers won’t have a ton of wiggle room below their hard cap.
The Celtics gave Enes Kanter a choice of being traded to either the Grizzlies or Trail Blazers in the deal that was completed earlier today, and Kanter chose Portland, a source tells Jared Weiss of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Count the Timberwolves among the teams with interest in free agent big man Paul Millsap, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link).

Blazers Expected To Pursue Millsap In Free Agency

November 16th, 2020 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Trail Blazers had some success with an aging former All-Star forward last season. It appears they’ll be looking to sign another one in free agency.

Portland is expected to pursue Paul Millsap, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer tweets. Millsap, 35, is an unrestricted free agent.

Millsap is highly respected for his toughness, leadership and shooting. He averaged 11.6 PPG and 5.7 RPG in 24.3 MPG and made a career-best 43.5% of his 3-point tries last season.

The Blazers are looking for another big body who can match up with power forwards like Anthony Davis, O’Connor notes.

Millsap could essentially replace Carmelo Anthony, who is also an unrestricted free agent. Anthony saw extensive action at both forward spots after Portland signed him last winter. There’s been no indication whether the Blazers are committed to trying to re-sign him.

With a healthy Zach Collins on the roster, Millsap would figure to have a second-unit role if he joined the Blazers. Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said in late September that he would “love” to see Millsap finish out his career in Denver.

And-Ones: Social Justice Board, Boatright, Jazz, Moore

November 9th, 2020 at 8:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Carmelo Anthony, Avery Bradley, Sterling Brown, Donovan Mitchell and Karl-Anthony Towns are the players chosen to serve on the league’s Social Justice Coalition Board, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter links).

The NBA and NBPA agreed to create the group to advance equality and social justice after teams walked out of games in late August to protest a police shooting. Commissioner Adam Silver, deputy commissioner Mark Tatum and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, as well as owners Micky Arison, Steve Ballmer, Clay Bennett, Marc Lasry and Vivek Randadive and coaches Lloyd Pierce and Doc Rivers.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Ryan Boatright has signed with Lithuanian club team BC Rytas Vilnius, the team tweets. Boatright, 28, played in Europe last season after spending time in the G League during the 2018/19 season. The former University of Connecticut guard also played in Italy, China and Turkey.
The sale price of the Jazz bodes well for the league’s franchise valuations, Bill Shea of The Athletic notes. The team, along with an arena and a couple of minor-league teams, were sold to Qualtrics founder Ryan Smith for $1.66 billion, and the league’s owners are expected to approve the sale. The valuation falls in line with expectations and doesn’t reflect any pandemic discount, Shea continues. It also reinforces the notion that team values keep going up.
Former Pacers forward Ben Moore has signed with South East Melbourne Phoenix of Australia’s NBL, according to the team. Moore is expected to join the club for preseason training next month. Moore, who also spent time in the Spurs organization, logged two games with Indiana during the 2017/18 season.

Northwest Notes: Conley, D. Jones, Anthony, Thunder

October 17th, 2020 at 6:45pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jazz guard Mike Conley isn’t expected to exercise an early termination option on his $34.5MM salary for next season, but Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune suggests that he and the team could both benefit if he did. Walden notes that Conley could opt out and sign a new deal that would give him similar money in the long term while offering Utah some immediate cap flexibility.

If Conley plays out his current deal, he will be a 33-year-old unrestricted free agent next offseason and Walden estimates he can expect three-year offers in the $35MM to $40MM range. The Jazz could combine that with his current deal by offering $70MM to $75MM over four years.

That takes away any worry of an injury that could reduce Conley’s value and it cuts his 2020/21 cap figure in half, bringing it down to about $17-$19MM. That could allow Utah to use Bird Rights to re-sign Jordan Clarkson and add players with its mid-level and biannual exceptions without going into tax territory.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Adding free agent forward Derrick Jones Jr. is an easy way for the Trail Blazers to improve their defense, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. Jones is only 23 and has proven to be an excellent defender who can block shots and switch on pick and rolls. Several teams will likely have their eyes on him, so Quick believes Portland should be willing to offer its entire mid-level exception of roughly $9MM if that’s what it takes to land him.
Carmelo Anthony is looking at a reduced role on a healthier Trail Blazers team next season and will probably search for a better opportunity in free agency, Quick adds in the same piece. Anthony saw a lot of minutes before the hiatus at power forward in place of Zach Collins, who was recovering from shoulder surgery. In Orlando, he filled in at small forward for Trevor Ariza, who opted out of the restart. They’re both expected to be in training camp, along with Rodney Hood, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon last December.
Joe Musatto of The Oklahoman evaluates potential Thunder coaches Darvin Ham and Wes Unseld Jr. in a pair of stories.

Eastern Notes: Dinwiddie, Anthony, K. Porter, Beal

October 16th, 2020 at 8:47pm CST by Dana Gauruder

With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving returning to action next season, Spencer Dinwiddie sees himself in a Draymond Green-style role with the Nets. The combo guard made that comment on ESPN’s The Jump (hat tip to NetsDaily.com).

“Obviously, we don’t know who’s going to start, who’s coming off the bench, That’s with KD and Kyrie excluded, of course,” he said. “But really with all of this being formed, I view myself if we’re going with the Golden State model as the Draymond Green, the glue. Sometimes, I get 10 boards, sometimes, I get 10 assists. Sometimes, I score a little bit more because obviously, we have a super dynamic point guard. We also have the greatest scorer of all-time.”

Dinwiddie will make approximately $11.5MM next season and holds a $12.3MM option on his 2021/22 contract.

We have more from the around the Eastern Conference:

Carmelo Anthony is working out in New York City and it’s not far-fetched to think the free agent forward will sign up for a second stint with the Knicks, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. The possibility of Anthony coming back to New York would increase if it trades for Chris Paul, Berman continues. Knicks president Leon Rose, Anthony’s former rep, is open to an Anthony reunion even without a Paul deal, Berman adds.
Cavaliers second-year swingman Kevin Porter Jr. posted a troubling message on social media, but he’s fine, Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports. Porter raised concerns with a since-deleted message of “You ever wish to see the end of your time?” However, a source told Fedor that Porter was OK and has been warned by the front office about posting similar messages in the future.
Bradley Beal is coveted by many teams but he wouldn’t mind finishing his career with the Wizards, Frank Urbina of HoopsHype relays. Beal made that statement on the “On the Road with Buck & Phil” podcast. “That would mean the world, man. I’m a loyal guy. I want to be here,” he said. “I’m here. I’ve signed my extension. And that will mean the world to me. That honestly would you know, being able to finish your career in one place? You know, you don’t see that in today’s game.”

Knicks Notes: Melo, DSJ, Cole Anthony, Trade Scenarios

October 8th, 2020 at 6:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Were the Knicks to move forward Kevin Knox and additional pieces in a win-now move to acquire All-Star point guard Chris Paul from the Thunder, former Knicks All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony could be interested in a return to Madison Square Garden, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. Both are former CAA clients of current Knicks president Leon Rose.

The 36-year-old Anthony, an unrestricted free agent this offseason, most recently served as an important starting forward for the Trail Blazers during an exciting run in the NBA restart this summer. He played with the Knicks for parts of seven seasons. Anthony enjoyed his most success with the club during the 2012/13 season, when he led a veteran-laden Knicks team to a 54-28 record and a conference semifinals appearance.

There’s more out of New York:

Knicks bench point guard Dennis Smith Jr., the No. 9 pick in 2017, still has ample backing within the front office, according to Ian Begley of SNY. Earlier this month, Smith attended the voluntary mini-camp team practices held by coach Tom Thibodeau and his staff. Smith missed 32 games this season due to various injuries and the death of a family member.
UNC point guard Cole Anthony, son of former Knick Greg Anthony, is apparently being given minimal consideration by the Knicks’ front office with the eighth pick in the 2020 draft, according to the New York Post’s Marc Berman. The team would be open to taking Anthony, who missed part of his lone college season with a knee surgery, with the No. 27 pick if he falls that far, says Berman, but the guard isn’t expected to be an option for New York in the lottery even if the club trades back a few spots.
Mike Vorkunov and John Hollinger of The Athletic have written an epic piece unpacking potential Knicks trades the team could engage in during the 2020 offseason. Both agree that New York will actively look to improve its roster heading into the 2020/21 season, and that all Knicks not named RJ Barrett or Mitchell Robinson could be on the trading block.

Five Non-Bird Free Agents Who May Be Difficult To Re-Sign

October 7th, 2020 at 12:22pm CST by Luke Adams

Every player who finishes a season as a member of an NBA roster gets some form of Bird rights as a free agent, allowing his team to go over the cap to re-sign him. However, a player who spent just one year with his club typically only has Non-Bird rights, which are the weakest form of Bird rights, as their oxymoronic name suggests.

With the Non-Bird exception, a team can re-sign a player for up to four years and give him a raise, but that raise has to be a modest one. Non-Bird rights allow for a starting salary worth up to 120% of the player’s previous salary or 120% of the minimum salary, whichever is greater.

In other words, a Non-Bird free agent who earned $5MM can only get a starting salary worth up to $6MM on his new deal unless his team uses cap room or another exception (such as the mid-level) to bring him back.

This cap restriction will apply specifically to a handful of players around the NBA who may be in line for raises this summer. Because these players will be Non-Bird free agents, it may be a challenge for their teams to re-sign them without cap room or an exception like the bi-annual or mid-level.

Let’s take a closer look at five players who will fall into this category this offseason…

Markieff Morris, F, Lakers
Dwight Howard, C, Lakers

During their run to the NBA Finals, the Lakers have matched up with talented opposing centers such as Nikola Jokic, Jusuf Nurkic, and Bam Adebayo, while also facing a Rockets team that doesn’t use a traditional center. Anthony Davis has, of course, been the most important factor in the Lakers winning those frontcourt battles, but Morris and Howard have played major roles as well, proving their value as role players on a championship-caliber team.

Morris signed a $1.75MM contract during the season, while Howard’s one-year deal is worth the veteran’s minimum, so neither player can sign for more than 120% of the minimum if the over-the-cap Lakers hope to use their Non-Bird rights. If the cap doesn’t increase, that would mean a max of $2.8MM for Morris and $3.08MM for Howard.

My assumption is that both players would be able to do better than that on the open market. So if they’re not willing to accept team-friendly discounts to remain in Los Angeles, the Lakers may have to dip into their mid-level exception (projected to be worth $9.26MM) to try to re-sign one or both players.

Carmelo Anthony, F, Trail Blazers

Anthony’s NBA career appeared to be on the verge of ending before he worked out a minimum-salary deal with Portland. He outperformed that modest contract, with 15.4 PPG and 6.3 RPG on .430/.385/.845 shooting in 58 games (all starts) for the Trail Blazers in 2019/20.

Like Howard, Anthony would be limited to a ’20/21 salary of $3.08MM via his Non-Bird rights. If the Blazers need to go higher than that to retain him, they’ll have to repeat a move they used last summer, when they re-signed Non-Bird free agent Rodney Hood with their taxpayer mid-level exception in order to give him a raise.

Jeff Green, F, Rockets

Green was underwhelming during his brief stint with Utah early in the 2019/20 season, but he thrived in Houston, averaging 12.2 PPG on .564/.354/.857 shooting in 18 games (22.6 MPG) as part of the club’s micro-ball lineup. He was nearly as good in the postseason, with 11.6 PPG on .495/.426/.824 shooting in an increased role (28.6 MPG).

Green hasn’t signed a contract worth more than the minimum since 2016, so it’s possible that’s all it will take for Houston or another team to sign him this fall. That’d be a best-case scenario for the Rockets, given how well he fit in their system down the stretch — topping any rival offer exceeding $3.08MM would mean dipping into the mid-level or bi-annual.

Reggie Jackson, G, Clippers

Like most players on the buyout market, Jackson signed a minimum-salary contract with the Clippers to finish out the season, meaning the team will be limited to an offer starting at about $2.8MM.

Jackson was pretty good for the Clippers in 17 regular season games, knocking down 41.3% of his three-point attempts and chipping in 9.5 PPG and 3.2 APG. But he fell out of the rotation in the second round of the playoffs vs. Denver, and the Clippers will likely be looking to upgrade the point guard position this fall. A reunion probably doesn’t make sense for either side, especially if Jackson can get offers exceeding the Non-Bird limit.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

And-Ones: Fans In Stands, Dotson, Barnes, Harris

October 6th, 2020 at 8:43pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA has pushed back next season until January with the hope of having fans in the stands but the expectation of crowds may be optimistic, Mark Medina of USA Today reports. It’s unlikely a COVID-19 vaccine will be widely available at that point and having large crowds in an indoor facility could lead to a super spreader event, according to multiple health experts who spoke to Medina. Rapid testing could make it more feasible to allow fans into indoor arenas, the story adds.

We have more from around the basketball world:

Western Carolina’s Carlos Dotson has agreed to a deal in France with JSA Bordeaux, JD Shaw of Hoops Rumors tweets. The 24-year-old big man averaged 15.5 PPG and 9.7 RPG last season while receiving SoCon First Team All-Conference honors.
The Players Association has made committee appointments for the NBA Foundation, created in partnership with the league, as well as the new Social Justice Coalition formed when the players agreed to continue the season in late August, Shams Charania of The Athletic writes. Kings forward Harrison Barnes and 76ers forward Tobias Harris will serve as player reps on the NBA Foundation, while Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell, Trail Blazers forward Carmelo Anthony and Bucks guard Sterling Brown will serve on the Social Justice Coalition.
NBPA executive director Michele Roberts anticipates that free agency will begin no later than December 1st. Get the details here.

Thunder Notes: Paul, Carmelo, Daigneault

October 5th, 2020 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

Making an appearance on Sunday night’s broadcast of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Thunder point guard Chris Paul was asked how he feels about spending the “twilight years” of his career with a retooling Oklahoma City team. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN details, Paul expressed no complaints about his time in OKC and seemed to welcome the idea of remaining with the club.

“I just love to hoop,” Paul said. “(Former Thunder coach) Billy Donovan was amazing. My teammates have been amazing. So, for me, you call it twilight years, I call it a blessing. Just being able to compete at a high level at 35 years old, (I’m going to) just keep rolling.”

Trade rumors have swirled around Paul since the day he was sent to OKC in July 2019. Having traded away Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Jerami Grant and stockpiled draft picks, the Thunder were viewed as a strong candidate to go all-in on a rebuild. However, the team ended up keeping Paul and exceeded expectations during the 2019/20 season, compiling a 44-28 record and pushing the Rockets to seven games in the first round of the playoffs.

Paul, who now has just two years left on his pricey contract, figures to become a trade candidate again this offseason. But if the Thunder front office doesn’t find a deal it likes, it sounds like the veteran point guard will be fine with returning to Oklahoma City for at least one more season.

Here’s more on the Thunder:

Like Paul, Carmelo Anthony says he liked playing in Oklahoma City, though he admitted that the Thunder team he was a part of in 2017/18 didn’t outperform its expectations like this year’s group did. “For me personally, I actually really enjoyed my time at OKC. That team, I enjoyed it. Being around those guys, I enjoyed it,” Anthony said during an appearance on J.J. Redick‘s The Old Man and the Three podcast (link via Nick Crain of Forbes). “Granted, we didn’t do what we were supposed to do. The goal was to win with that team. We didn’t do it. We underachieved. … I wish OKC would’ve worked out.”
If the Thunder decide to stay in-house and promote a current assistant to fill their head coaching vacancy, Mark Daigneault would be a prime candidate, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, who takes a closer look at the OKC assistant.
In case you missed it last week, Precious Achiuwa, RJ Hampton, Tre Jones, and Tyrell Terry are among the draft-eligible prospects who have met with the Thunder.

Northwest Notes: Millsap, Whiteside, Anthony, Jazz, Thunder

September 14th, 2020 at 8:45pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Paul Millsap has perked up in the conference semifinals and he’s hoping the Nuggets re-sign him, he told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Millsap will head into unrestricted free agency this offseason. After just one double-digit scoring outing in the seven-game series against Utah, he’s averaging 10.5 PPG and 5.2 RPG against the Clippers.

“My main goal coming here was to help this team and organization get over the hump and help some of these younger guys develop into superstars, which they are,” the Nuggets’ big man said. “I feel like I’ve helped through that, and we’ll see what this summer holds. … It’s going to be a tough decision and hopefully they want me back.”

We have more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers should let backup center Hassan Whiteside and Carmelo Anthony depart in free agency, Jason Quick of The Athletic opines. Whiteside was merely a stopgap while Jusuf Nurkic recovered from a serious injury, and re-signing Anthony would take valuable minutes away from Zach Collins, in Quick’s view. Miami’s Jae Crowder would be an intriguing forward for the Blazers to pursue with their mid-level exception, Quick adds.
The Jazz face a very difficult offseason as they look to go from good to great, Tony Jones of The Athletic writes. Their GM, Dennis Lindsey, acknowledges that finding ways to move up in the rugged West won’t be simple. “This league is not an easy league,” Lindsey said. “The world’s best coaches and players, everyone is reaching for the same prize. Our team wasn’t as good from a point differential as our previous two teams. We were better at closing games this season, and that offense can be a little more stable in the playoffs.”
The Thunder have shown patience with their head coaches and that could help them in their search for a new one, according to Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman. P.J. Carlesimo, Scott Brooks and Billy Donovan are the only head coaches the franchise has employed since moving to Oklahoma City 12 years ago.