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Chris Copeland

Eastern Notes: Johnson, Watson, Dellavedova

July 2nd, 2015 at 10:08pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Nets have been actively shopping veteran forward Joe Johnson over the past few days, Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com relays (on Twitter). Brooklyn hasn’t had much luck in finding a taker, as teams are leery of taking on Johnson’s $24,894,863 salary for the 2015/16 campaign, which is the final year of his deal, as well as gutting their rosters to acquire the 34-year-old, Mazzeo adds.

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • The Wizards refused to compromise their salary cap space for the summer of 2016, when Kevin Durant is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent, in order to re-sign veteran Paul Pierce, J. Michael of CSNWashington.com writes. This was the same stance the franchise took regarding Trevor Ariza, who ended up signing with the Rockets last summer, Michael notes. Pierce agreed to a three-year, approximately $10MM deal with the Clippers this week.
  • The Cavaliers and free agent point guard Matthew Dellavedova are making progress in their discussions to bring the Australian back to Cleveland next season, Shams Charania of RealGM tweets. Dellavedova is seeking a multiyear deal in the $3MM-$5MM range annually, Charania adds.
  • The Wizards have expressed interest in free agent guard C.J. Watson, Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post notes (Twitter link). Watson is intent on signing for the mid-level exception, which is not necessarily what Washington is currently offering, Michael tweets.
  • Greg Monroe chose to sign with the Bucks because they were the most playoff ready team of all his suitors, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report tweets.
  • The Wizards could be a potential landing spot for free agent forward Chris Copeland, tweets Jared Zwerling of Bleacher Report. Washington is also reportedly in discussions with the Bucks regarding a trade for Jared Dudley.
  • Prior to reaching an agreement on his five-year, $90MM deal with the Heat, Goran Dragic asked team president Pat Riley how he could be flexible to aid the franchise in retaining Dwyane Wade, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com writes (on Twitter). Wade and Miami agreed to a one-year, $20MM arrangement earlier today.
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Qualifying Offers: Tuesday

June 30th, 2015 at 9:45pm CST by Zachary Links

Here are the latest qualifying offer decisions to come in..

Earlier Updates:

  • The Sixers declined to offer guard Glenn Robinson III a qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent, league sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.  However, Philly has shown an inclination to revisit a longer-term deal for Robinson this summer, according to those same sources.  In 35 games as a rookie, Robinson averaged 2.1 PPG.
  • The Hornets will not make a qualifying offer to guard Jeffery Taylor, according to a source that spoke with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo (on Twitter).  Taylor will now become an unrestricted free agent.
  • Pero Antic, who was rumored to be going overseas, was given a qualifying offer by the Hawks, according to Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (on Twitter).  If the Hawks need to maximize their cap space, Pincus adds (link), they can revoke the qualifying offer to Antic and renounce him.
  • As expected, the Magic have extended qualifying offers to both Tobias Harris and Kyle O’Quinn, according to John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com (on Twitter).
  • The Rockets made Patrick Beverley and K.J. McDaniels restricted free agents by extending QOs to them, Pincus tweets.
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Eastern Rumors: Copeland, Jackson, Nets

April 9th, 2015 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Chris Copeland is intensive care in a New York hospital and will remain there for the next two or three days, a source tells ESPN’s Josina Anderson (Twitlonger link). The Pacers combo forward and soon-to-be free agent was the victim of a stabbing early Wednesday morning, and the attack left him with a punctured diaphragm, according to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. He also suffered lacerations on his left hand, Anderson hears. Copeland didn’t engage in an argument or initiate any altercation, a source tells Buckner. While we hope for the best for Copeland, here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

  • Knicks owner James Dolan expressed continued faith in team president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills and again insisted that he wouldn’t meddle with the team as he spoke in an interview with Matthew Belloni of The Hollywood Reporter. “You got to believe, baby!” Dolan said, when asked if Jackson is still worth his $12MM annual salary. “I believe, I believe!”
  • The Nets want Brook Lopez back, as owner Mikhail Prokhorov on Wednesday made clear to reporters, including Tim Bontemps of the New York Post. Still, the owner acknowledged the primary choice rests with the center, who has a player option worth more than $16.744MM, as Bontemps relays. “We need him,” Prokhorov said. “I think the Brooklyn Nets, it’s his home.” 
  • Brooklyn would pay the repeater tax if they’re a taxpayer again next season, and the return of Lopez would make that a strong possibility. Still, Prohorov said he’d be willing to do so, Bontemps notes. Prokhorov also insists he never sought to sell a majority stake in the Nets and said that while he’s been approached by 10 people with interest in buying a minority share, there’s nothing on the table for now, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News.
  • The Cavs have some interest in Salah Mejri, a center playing for Spain’s Real Madrid, as Chema de Lucas of Gigantes Del Basket hears (translation via HoopsHype). The 28-year-old who went undrafted in 2008 is averaging 4.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game.
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Central Notes: Bucks, Copeland, Whittington

April 8th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Eddie Scarito

State, county and city leaders continue to bicker over how to raise the public share of funding for a new Bucks arena in Milwaukee even as the team unveiled sketches for the proposed $500MM building today, report Don Walker And Tom Daykin of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The Bucks nonetheless have extreme confidence that the project will get done, tweets Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times. The team is facing an NBA-imposed deadline of 2017 to reach a deal on funding for construction, lest the league seize control of the franchise from its owners.

Here’s more from the Central Division:

  • Pacers coach Frank Vogel expressed concern that the nightclub stabbing of forward Chris Copeland will become a distraction to his team, Peter Botte of The New York Daily News writes. “It’s always a shock when you hear something like this. So it’s a big shock,” Vogel said. “Obviously it hurts to see a teammate be injured like this, but we’re trying to remain focused on the game tonight.”
  • The Bulls were 10-10 while Derrick Rose missed time due to a surgical procedure on his right knee, and the team hopes that his return tonight can spark a deep playoff run, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com writes. The handling of Rose and Chicago’s other injured players this season has deepened the rift between coach Tom Thibodeau and the front office, Berger adds. Thibodeau has grown increasingly frustrated with management’s involvement with the handling of injuries and return-to-play protocols, which he believes should be the coach’s domain, Berger notes.
  • The Pacers have assigned Shayne Whittington to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the NBA D-League, the team announced. This is the forward’s second trip to Fort Wayne this season, and Whittington is the lone player whom Indiana has dispatched to the D-League this campaign.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

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Chris Copeland Stabbed, Suffers Broken Elbow

April 8th, 2015 at 9:57am CST by Chuck Myron

9:58am: The Pacers confirm Copeland suffered knife wounds to his abdomen and left elbow and that he remains in stable condition.

9:04am: A source close to Copeland tells Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling that Copeland suffered a broken left elbow as he was attacked, and he will undergo surgery (All Twitter links). Copeland’s contract is up at season’s end and the Pacers can make him a restricted free agent with a qualifying offer of nearly $3.919MM.

8:00am: Pacers combo forward Chris Copeland is in stable condition at a New York hospital after he was stabbed in the abdomen at a nearby nightclub early this morning, sources tell Rocco Parascandola of the New York Daily News. His wounds are not life threatening, according to Madeline Buckley of the Indianapolis Star.

Hawks swingman Thabo Sefolosha and center Pero Antic were later arrested at the same location and charged with obstructing governmental administration, as they allegedly refused to move when police were setting up a crime scene, sources tell Parascandola. They had just arrived in town with the Hawks set to play the Nets tonight, while Copeland’s Pacers are scheduled to play at the Knicks.

The precise nature or severity of Copeland’s injuries aren’t immediately clear. He’s played in only eight games since the beginning of February for the Pacers, who trail the Nets by a game for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

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Knicks, Pacers Talk J.R. Smith, Copeland Trade?

November 4th, 2014 at 7:57am CST by Chuck Myron

TUESDAY, 7:55am: A source who spoke with WTHR.com and former Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz denied that the talks have taken place (Twitter link).

MONDAY, 8:08am: The Knicks and Pacers have had discussions recently about a swap of J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Still, Knicks team president Phil Jackson isn’t planning on making any trades between now and December 15th, the date that most players who signed this offseason become eligible to be traded, Berman hears. A Smith-Copeland trade could nonetheless take place immediately, since both remained with their teams over the offseason, but a one-for-one exchange of the pair wouldn’t satisfy the league’s salary-matching requirements. Such a swap would also put the Pacers over the luxury tax line, so Indiana would no doubt insist on sending out more salary in any such deal.

Smith has frequently found his way into trade talk since his profound regression last season after winning the 2013 Sixth Man of the Year award. A report in July indicated the Knicks were open to trading Smith, along with fellow guards Iman Shumpert and Shane Larkin, not long after Smith said he wouldn’t blame the Knicks if they traded him on the heels of his subpar performance in 2013/14. Moving the enigmatic 29-year-old would further Jackson’s goal of clearing salary cap flexibility for the coming summer, since Smith has a nearly $6.4MM player option for 2015/16 while Copeland is on an expiring contract. Smith makes more than $5.982MM this season while Copeland earns $3.135MM.

The 30-year-old Copeland made his mark with the Knicks in 2012/13, earning a spot on the regular season roster as a training camp invitee and nailing 42.1% of his three-point attempts in 15.4 minutes per game that season. He moved to Indiana in free agency the following summer, but the Pacers buried him on their bench, as he made just 41 regular season appearances and notched only 6.5 MPG last season. Copeland is averaging 30.3 MPG on Indiana’s depleted roster so far this year. Smith would ostensibly give the Pacers more scoring punch, though he’s only averaging 11.7 points per 36 minutes during the opening week of 2014/15, compared to Copeland’s 19.0.

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Central Notes: Pistons, Copeland, Hill

December 29th, 2013 at 12:58pm CST by Chuck Myron

The failure of Cleveland’s Andrew Bynum experiment has dominated headlines this weekend across the NBA, but while the Cavs have their share of problems, so do most of their rivals in the Central Division. Only the Pacers, with a 24-5 record that’s tied for the league’s best, are any better than four games beneath .500. We’ll pass along a couple of takes on Bynum here amid a larger look at the Central:

  • The tension between Josh Smith and Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks that led to Smith’s benching for the second half last night is an ominous sign for the team, as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News examines.
  • Chris Copeland sought the counsel of his then-Knicks teammates as he contemplated his free agency last summer, and Jason Kidd was particularly helpful, Copeland tells Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. The Pacers forward is confident that Kidd, who’s struggling in his first year as coach of the Nets, has the leadership ability to do the job.
  • The Pacers have assigned Solomon Hill to the D-League, the team announced. Hill says via Twitter that he asked for the assignment (hat tip to Buckner). Coach Frank Vogel has said that the team didn’t have plans to send Hill down, but the rookie guard has been on the inactive list since Danny Granger returned from injury, Buckner notes (All Twitter links).
  • None of the moves the Cavaliers made this past offseason have worked out, including the Bynum signing, and that doesn’t bode well for the franchise after one of the most important summers in its history, opines Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal.
  • Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding argues that Bynum’s free-spirited personality will keep him from once more overcoming his creaky knees and becoming the All-Star he once was, and Ding imparts some of the blame on coach Mike Brown.
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Central Notes: Monroe, Copeland, Ellis

November 10th, 2013 at 9:00am CST by Chuck Myron

The Pacers finished one game shy of the NBA Finals last season, but the team is determined to keep pushing toward a title, observes Chris Mannix of SI.com. Indiana is 7-0 after a key win in Brooklyn last night, and with Paul George playing like an MVP, it seems there’s no ceiling on what the Pacers can do. Here’s more on them and their Central Division rivals:

  • Pistons power forward Greg Monroe says he’s not focusing on his upcoming restricted free agency, but he acknowledges that there’s extra motivation this year as he seeks a payday in the summer, as Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News observes. Monroe is off to a strong start, and Goodwill points to the big man’s superior career numbers compared to peers who signed max and near-max extensions last month.
  • Chris Copeland was the Pacers‘ most expensive free agent acquisition in the offseason, and while he hasn’t been in the team’s rotation so far, coach Frank Vogel still thinks he’ll play a key role, and Copeland remains pleased with his decision to sign. Fred Kerber of the New York Post has the details.
  • Monta Ellis turned down a more lucrative offer from the Bucks before signing a three-year, $25.08MM contract with Dallas this summer, and though he knew the Milwaukee fans would boo him when the Mavs visited last night, Ellis has no hard feelings toward the Bucks. Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has more from the one-night reunion. “It’s just how fans are,” Ellis said. “When I left this organization, everybody in this organization knew that Monta Ellis played every night, every minute, and he played hard, so that’s all that matters to me.”
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Central Links: Pistons, Cavs, Copeland

November 4th, 2013 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

There are a few surprise first-place teams in divisions around the NBA in the early going, but that’s not the case in the Central, where the 3-0 Pacers lead the way. In David Aldridge’s latest Morning Tip column at NBA.com, which also features an extended look at the Bulls, the Pacers sit atop Aldridge’s power rankings.

Here are a few more Monday morning Central items:

  • Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks conceded that a player’s contract situation is “always a topic of conversation for someone,” but suggested that it’s not necessarily a distraction for the player himself. As Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press details, if Cheeks is aware that players like Greg Monroe, Rodney Stuckey, and Charlie Villanueva are on expiring contracts, he didn’t let on.
  • Michael Lee, Kevin Jones, and Tyrell Biggs are on the Canton Charge’s camp roster, a source tells Bob Finnan of the News-Herald (Twitter link). Lee was in camp with the Cavs last month, while Jones was released by the team back in July. Both Jones and Biggs last played for Cleveland’s D-League affiliate, so the Charge still held their rights.
  • As our Free Agent Tracker shows, outside of returning free agent David West, Chris Copeland was the most significant signing for the Pacers this offseason. So why can’t the ex-Knick crack the rotation? Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star discusses that question with Copeland, who isn’t complaining about his lack of minutes.
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Eastern Notes: Humphries, Bucks, Griffin

October 7th, 2013 at 8:22am CST by Luke Adams

As preseason action gets underway and NBA teams adjust to new-look rosters, a few news items are trickling out of Eastern Conference camps. Let’s round up the latest….

  • Kris Humphries recognizes that he’ll be a trade candidate for the Celtics this season, but tells Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald that he won’t let that be a distraction as long as he’s in Boston. “If you worry about the future, then you lose focus on what you have to do today, and that’s basketball,” Humphries said. “Anyone can be traded at any time unless you have a no-trade clause. That’s what it is.”
  • In a piece for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Charles F. Gardner speaks to Bucks GM John Hammond about relying so heavily on free agency to build the team’s roster during the offseason.
  • With Eric Griffin looking good in camp, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel explores the Heat‘s options for keeping Griffin either on the NBA roster or on their D-League affiliate.
  • Chris Copeland didn’t go into free agency this past summer expecting to leave New York, but ended up signing with the Pacers for a handful of reasons, including his potential role, the team’s chance to win a title, and a raise in salary. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News has the details.
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