Danny Green Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: J. Brown, Sixers, Raptors, Anunoby

June 15th, 2022 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Now a crucial part of a Celtics team vying for a championship, Jaylen Brown recalls seeing club owner Wyc Grousbeck get booed by fans on draft night in 2016 when Boston used the No. 3 pick to select and keep Brown rather than using it in a trade for Jimmy Butler or another established star.

“(Wyc) had to defend, like, ‘This is who we’re going with. You guys just gonna have to live with it.’ And I was like, ‘This is crazy.’ These guys have never seen me play before or, you know, I haven’t even got the opportunity,” Brown said, per Michael Pina of SI.com.

As Pina writes, Brown’s development into an All-Star-caliber player has been a major part of the Celtics’ return to the NBA Finals. And at age 25, the standout swingman isn’t necessarily a finished product, meaning his best could be yet to come.

“I think the organization has known the type of ability that I’ve had for a long time; even when casual fans thought they were crazy for not trading me for X, Y and Z, Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens knew,” Brown said. “They seen me every single day, knew what I was capable of. Not to say I’m anywhere close to those guys yet, but I’m continuing to work and I’m excited that we’re here in the Finals now, going through this journey.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer confirms a report which stated the Sixers have explored trades involving the No. 23 pick in the draft and Danny Green‘s expiring contract, explaining why such a move would make sense for the club.
Eric Koreen of The Athletic explores what an ideal offseason for the Raptors might look like, laying out a scenario in which the team re-signs Chris Boucher and Thaddeus Young, drafts Wendell Moore at No. 33, brings in Malik Monk using the mid-level exception, and locks up Fred VanVleet to a long-term extension.
In a separate story for The Athletic, Koreen wonders whether Raptors wing OG Anunoby‘s career path will look more like Jerami Grant‘s or Andrew Wiggins‘. As Koreen writes, Grant left a three-and-D role in Denver for a starring role on a lottery team in Detroit, while former No. 1 overall pick Wiggins has thrived in a complementary role in Golden State, earning an All-Star nod and helping bring the team within one win of a title.

Sixers Notes: Harris, Draft Plans, Warren, Riller, J. Williams

June 14th, 2022 at 4:24pm CST by Rory Maher

Tobias Harris‘ large contract makes his future with the Sixers uncertain, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice, who takes a deep dive into what the team should do with the veteran forward.

Neubeck notes that Harris, who will make $37.63MM in 2022/23 and $39.27MM in ’23/24, has roughly twice the salary of other productive NBA starters, limiting the team’s financial flexibility. Harris also saw his offensive role reduced following the trade for James Harden, becoming more of a complementary spot-up shooter.

In 73 regular season games, Harris averaged 17.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG and 3.5 APG on .482/.367/.842 shooting. He had a nice postseason run, playing improved defense while averaging 16.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 2.9 APG and 1.1 SPG on .500/.386/.864 shooting in 12 games.

As Neubeck writes, Harris is paid like a star, but produces more like a high-end starter. Ultimately, Neubeck believes the most likely outcome is that the Sixers will hold onto Harris through next season, at which point his expiring contract in ’23/24 could make him more valuable.

Here’s more on the Sixers:

In a separate article for PhillyVoice, Neubeck thinks the Sixers will stand pat on draft night and select a player who can step into an immediate rotation role with the No. 23 pick. However, he notes that things change quickly in the NBA, so that outcome isn’t set in stone by any means. Neubeck states that Danny Green, whose name has been floated in trade rumors, underwent surgery to repair his torn ACL roughly two weeks ago.
Within the same piece, Neubeck says that “talk has picked up some” that forward T.J. Warren, an unrestricted free agent this summer, could receive a relatively large, one-year, $10+MM “prove-it” deal from a rebuilding club. Warren has played just four games over the past two seasons, so the injury concerns are obvious. If he’s unable to land such a deal, Neubeck thinks the Sixers and other contending clubs will likely pursue Warren and try to sell him on rebuilding his value on a short-term deal, similar to what happened with Victor Oladipo in Miami.
Free agent point guard Grant Riller has a workout scheduled with the Sixers later this week, a source tells our JD Shaw (Twitter link). Riller spent time on two-way contracts with Philadelphia and Charlotte the past couple seasons. The 25-year-old was waived by the Sixers in December when he injured his shoulder, which required surgery, but he’s fully recovered now.
Santa Clara’s Jalen Williams could be an intriguing option if he’s still available at No. 23, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He’s ranked No. 21 on ESPN’s big board and averaged 18 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 4.2 APG and 1.2 SPG on .513/.396/.809 shooting for the Broncos in ’21/22.

O’Connor’s Latest: Sixers, Collins, Blazers, Cavs, Magic

June 13th, 2022 at 2:21pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers are exploring potential trades involving the No. 23 pick in the 2022 draft and Danny Green‘s expiring $10MM contract, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reports within his latest mock draft.

Because they owe their unprotected 2023 first-round pick to Brooklyn, the Sixers can’t trade their 2022 first-rounder until after it has been used. However, they could reach a tentative trade agreement on or before draft night and make that pick on another team’s behalf, officially completing the deal after the draft.

Using Green’s expiring contract as a salary-matching piece would also be a little tricky, since it’s currently non-guaranteed, meaning it would count as $0 for outgoing purposes. The Sixers could guarantee some or all of Green’s $10MM salary to make it more useful in a trade. But the more money they guarantee, the less appealing it will be as an asset to a potential trade partner, since Green is expected to miss most or all of next season after tearing his ACL.

Here’s more from O’Connor:

The Hawks are looking to acquire a lottery pick and are dangling John Collins, league sources tell The Ringer. It sounds like Atlanta also wouldn’t be opposed to including the No. 16 pick in the right deal. The Trail Blazers, who hold the seventh overall pick, are one of the teams the Hawks have talked to, says O’Connor.
O’Connor is the latest reporter to hear from sources that the Cavaliers would like to re-sign Collin Sexton and bring back point guard Ricky Rubio, and to confirm that the Pistons are among the teams with interest in Sexton.
Chet Holmgren “has some supporters” within the Magic‘s front office, but O’Connor believes “all indications” point to Orlando selecting Jabari Smith with the No. 1 overall pick.

Sixers Rumors: Draft Pick, Maxey, Thybulle, Green, Rivers

May 23rd, 2022 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com has been told it’s “relatively likely” that the Nets will take advantage of their ability to defer their acquisition of the Sixers‘ first-round pick a year and will opt to acquire Philadelphia 2023 first-rounder instead of 2022’s No. 23 overall selection.

The Nets have until June 1 to finalize that decision, so nothing is set in stone yet, but the Sixers are preparing as if they’ll have this year’s No. 23 pick, says Neubeck.

Assuming the 76ers do control that pick, it could be used to add a young, inexpensive draftee to the roster or included in a trade package for a veteran. Neubeck points to Ohio State’s E.J. Liddell and Baylor’s Kendall Brown as long, switchable forwards who may be available at No. 23 and who might appeal to Philadelphia.

Here’s more from Neubeck:

Even if the Sixers attempt to pursue another star player this offseason, don’t expect the team to dangle guard Tyrese Maxey to make it happen, says Neubeck. “Maxey is as close to untouchable as you could be,” a source told PhillyVoice.
Matisse Thybulle is a more realistic trade candidate, but the Sixers won’t move him just to get off his contract, according to Neubeck, who suggests that Danny Green‘s ACL tear has made Thybulle’s defense even more important to the team. If he’s traded, expect it to be for a roster upgrade, Neubeck writes.
No decisions have been made yet on Green, who is expected to miss at least half of next season and whose $10MM salary for 2022/23 is non-guaranteed. Green’s $10MM would have to be partially or fully guaranteed in order for it to count for outgoing salary-matching purposes, so he seems to me more likely to be waived than traded. According to Neubeck, it’s possible that if Green is released, he could eventually return on a smaller salary.
There are suspicions in league coaching circles that the Lakers haven’t given up on the idea that Doc Rivers could become available for their head coaching job, Marc Stein writes in his latest Substack article. Neubeck doesn’t dismiss that idea, but observes that the Sixers have been “remarkably consistent” in their messaging – both publicly and privately – that Rivers isn’t going anywhere.

Atlantic Notes: Green, Sixers, Kyrie, Raptors

May 19th, 2022 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran stars like Kawhi Leonard and Jamal Murray, who suffered ACL tears in the spring of 2021, didn’t play at all in 2021/22, but Danny Green, who tore his ACL in the Sixers‘ second-round series vs. Miami last week, is optimistic that he won’t have to sit out for all of next season.

“I will be back for All-Star break. You got to believe it. You heard it here first,” Green said on his Inside the Green Room podcast, according to Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. “I will work my tail off to rehab to get back healthy. My body and my bones usually heal pretty well. I don’t have any bad habits. So, yeah, I think I’ll be back in time to help a team in the playoff run and show and prove that I’m able to still play at that level to help a team get a win in the playoffs.”

Green is technically under contract with the Sixers for 2022/23, but his $10MM salary is non-guaranteed. He acknowledged that the team could certainly waive or trade him since he won’t be ready to play at the start of the season.

“That’s part of the business,” he said. “… We haven’t spoken yet.”

Here are a few more notes from around the Atlantic:

The Sixers, whose roster lacks depth and features a number of incomplete players, are in a worse spot now than they were in 2019 when they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by Toronto, Pompey writes for The Philadelphia Inquirer. In Pompey’s view, the team could use a traditional point guard and multiple “versatile and gritty” wings and forwards, but probably lacks the flexibility or the assets to address all of its needs.
The Nets have yet to engage in any contract talks with Kyrie Irving, who holds a $36.9MM player option for 2022/23, general manager Sean Marks said in an interview with YES Network (link via Brian Lewis of The New York Post). “It wouldn’t be right for me to comment on what hypothetical could happen, because we don’t know,” Marks said. “We haven’t had those conversations with Kyrie yet. But when they do (happen), we’ll see if it’s the right fit for both sides.”
Eric Koreen of The Athletic considers which 2022 free agents would be good fits for the Raptors and might be attainable for mid-level or bi-annual money, identifying veterans like Bobby Portis, Malik Monk, and Pat Connaughton as possible targets.
In a separate story for The Athletic, Koreen fielded mailbag questions on the Raptors‘ offseason, addressing a number of topics, including whether the team would have interest in restricted free agent center Deandre Ayton. Koreen thinks the Raptors could inquire but that they don’t consider it a top priority to acquire a traditional center and wouldn’t want to give up the assets necessary to sign-and-trade for Ayton.

Danny Green Diagnosed With Torn Left ACL, LCL

May 13th, 2022 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

Sixers wing Danny Green has been diagnosed with a torn left ACL, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). The team has confirmed Charania’s report, adding that Green also sustained a torn LCL in his left knee.

Green injured his knee during Philadelphia’s season-ending Game 6 loss to Miami on Thursday night and there was said to be “significant concern” that the injury was a major one. He underwent an MRI to determine the extent of the damage.

Speaking this afternoon to reporters, including Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, Green acknowledged he expected there to be ligament damage but expressed optimism that the major ligaments in his knee would be intact. Unfortunately, it seems that’s not the case.

An ACL tear typically sidelines an NBA player for the better part of a calendar year, if not longer, so Green’s availability for the 2022/23 season is presumably in jeopardy.

To make matters worse, the veteran swingman will turn 35 years old next month — rehabbing such an injury and getting back to full health and effectiveness at his age could be a far greater challenge than it would be for a player 10 or 15 years younger.

A three-time NBA champion with the Spurs, Raptors, and Lakers, Green was one of the Sixers’ most reliable outside shooters in 2021/22, averaging 5.9 PPG and 2.5 RPG on .394/.380/.786 shooting in 62 games (21.8 MPG). He’s a career 39.9% shooter from beyond the arc.

Green signed a two-year, $20MM contract with Philadelphia last offseason, but only the first year was guaranteed. He now appears almost certain to be waived this summer, allowing the 76ers to clear his $10MM salary from their ’22/23 cap.

Sixers Notes: Harden, Rivers, Green, Butler, Offseason

May 13th, 2022 at 7:01am CST by Luke Adams

It has become clear over the course of the season – and especially in the playoffs – that the current version of James Harden isn’t the same one who earned the MVP award in 2018 with the Rockets, according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN, who suggests that recurring hamstring issues over the last couple years have slowed down the Sixers guard.

“Since we got him, everybody expected the Houston James Harden,” Sixers star Joel Embiid said on Thursday, after the team lost Game 6 to the Heat and was eliminated from the postseason. “But that’s not who he is anymore. He’s more of a play-maker.”

While it’s true that Harden is still an elite play-maker, he’s being paid like he’s also an elite scorer, with a $44.3MM salary this season and a $47.4MM player option for 2022/23.

There’s a belief in some league circles that Harden isn’t fully healthy and has bounce-back potential, writes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. However, according to Bontemps, the soon-to-be 33-year-old is viewed by many executives as more of a $25-30MM per year player than a superstar who should warrant a five-year, $270MM commitment this offseason.

During an ESPN appearance (video link), Amar’e Stoudemire, who saw Harden up close as a member of the Nets’ coaching staff this season, questioned the guard’s conditioning and advised the Sixers against offering a maximum-salary contract.

Harden, who will be eligible for a contract extension if he picks up his player option or a new free agent contract if he turns it down, suggested after Thursday’s loss that he would be open to taking less than his max, and an Eastern Conference scout who spoke to Bontemps said the 76ers would be wise to go that route.

“If there were any logic whatsoever, the answer (to giving him a max deal) would be no,” the scout said.

Here’s more out of Philadelphia:

Asked after Thursday’s loss about his job security, head coach Doc Rivers defended his track record, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). “I don’t worry about my job,” Rivers said. “I think I do a terrific job. If you don’t, then you should write it. I worked my butt off to get this team here. When I first got here, no one picked us to be anywhere. Again this year, the same thing.”
After leaving Game 6 due to a left knee injury, Sixers swingman Danny Green will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the damage, a source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. There’s “significant concern” that Green’s injury is a serious one, as ESPN’s Tim Bontemps relays.
[UPDATE: Danny Green Diagnosed With Torn Left ACL, LCL]
Having eliminated the 76ers from the postseason, former Sixer Jimmy Butler rubbed salt in the wound, according to Rich Hofmann of The Athletic, who notes that the Heat forward said in his postgame interview he wishes he were still playing with Embiid. On his way to the locker room after the game, Butler also referenced the 2019 offseason, when Philadelphia invested heavily in Tobias Harris as Butler departed for Miami. “Tobias Harris over me?!” Butler yelled, as captured by Miami’s WPLG Local 10 Sports (video link).
ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) and Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype both preview the Sixers’ upcoming offseason, examining some of the biggest questions facing the franchise in the coming weeks and months.

Sixers Notes: Rivers, Thybulle, Green, Jordan, Bassey

April 8th, 2022 at 11:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Should the Sixers suffer an early playoff exit, there has been speculation that coach Doc Rivers might be on the hot seat, and with Frank Vogel expected to be fired after the season, Rivers has surfaced as a name to watch for the Lakers‘ head coaching job.

Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com explores the topic of whether Rivers makes sense as a candidate in Los Angeles — assuming he’d even be interested in the job. Neubeck states that Rivers deserves credit for publicly embracing the team’s championship aspirations, but it could lead to him being the fall guy if the Sixers fail to make a significant postseason run.

Here’s more on Philadelphia:

A league source tells Neubeck that there’s no indication that Matisse Thybulle has changed his stance about getting vaccinated. Toronto won Friday night, clinching at least the No. 5 seed in the East. As ESPN’s Tim Bontemps notes (via Twitter), the Bucks will either be the No.2 or the No. 3 seed after Friday’s victory, and the Sixers can finish no better than third, because Milwaukee holds the tiebreaker. Point being, the odds have increased that the Sixers could face the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.
Rivers was vague in his response to Thybulle being ineligible to play in Toronto, per Gina Minzell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). “It’s one game tonight. We’ll go from there,” Rivers said before Thursday’s meeting. When asked how it might impact the team in the postseason, Rivers said, “We don’t know who we’re playing yet, so we’ll just handle that when it comes.” Philly lost to Toronto this week in Thybulle’s absence.
Veteran Danny Green says he’s not happy about the situation with Thybulle, but it wasn’t clear from his wording whether he’s displeased about the rule that unvaccinated foreign nationals can’t enter Canada, or with Thybulle himself. “I’m not happy about it. It is an opportunity for myself and other guys to get more minutes on the road with James [Harden] and other rotations, but I think we’re a better team when we’re whole and we have everybody,” Green said. He added that it was tough to evaluate the team when it isn’t whole. “Most guys, I don’t want to say [are] disappointed, but. … it’s still a point in the season when we’re still trying to gauge who we are, where we are. The only way to do that is to have everybody together. It’s tough to do that when we don’t have everybody” (Twitter thread courtesy of Mizell).
DeAndre Jordan has been positive locker room presence for the Sixers, Mizell writes in a story for The Inquirer. Jordan has served as the team’s primary backup center after being waived by the Lakers.
Rookie Charles Bassey suffered a right shoulder sprain and missed his game with the team’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, per Derek Bodner of The Daily Six (Twitter link). Bassey will be reevaluated in about 10 days. The 21-year-old hasn’t played much at the NBA level, appearing in 23 games with an average of 7.3 minutes per contest, but he’s been productive when given opportunities.

New York Notes: Dragic, Brown, Porter Jr., Randle

April 2nd, 2022 at 11:11am CST by Dana Gauruder

Nets guard Goran Dragic has entered the league’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, the team tweets. Dragic has been a rotation piece since signing with the Nets as a free agent, averaging 7.3 PPG and 4.8 APG in 25.5 MPG through 16 games.

Bruce Brown has a non-COVID illness and will also miss Saturday’s contest against the Hawks.

We have more on the New York teams:

The Nets could use their taxpayer mid-level exception this offseason to try to sign a wing such as Otto Porter Jr., according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post. Robert Covington, T.J. Warren, Nicolas Batum, Danny Green and Danilo Gallinari are other potential targets via trade or in free agency, a source told Lewis.
Knicks forward Julius Randle, who won’t play against Cleveland on Saturday due to a quad injury, will also miss the team’s game against Orlando on Sunday, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. Coach Tom Thibodeau said Randle will “most likely will be out the rest of the way.”
Thibodeau deserves some blame for Randle’s subpar season, Ian O’Connor of the New York Post opines. Thibodeau failed to form a partnership with his highest-paid player — never inspiring him to lead, to be a team player, or to honor the terms of his $117MM extension, says O’Connor.

Atlantic Notes: Rivers, Embiid, VanVleet, Robinson

March 20th, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by JD Shaw

Sixers coach Doc Rivers disagrees with the perception that his bench needs to score more, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Many league observers believe Philadelphia’s depth could be an Achilles heel, especially after the team gave up Seth Curry and Andre Drummond in last month’s deal for James Harden.

“All year, we were playing with five bench guys. I think that was too many for people,” Rivers explained. “Now, we are playing three bench guys. That’s not enough for people.”

Philadelphia’s bench consists of Shake Milton, Danny Green, Georges Niang and DeAndre Jordan, which likely isn’t better than other Eastern contenders such as Miami or Milwaukee. The team’s starting group certainly makes up for it, however.

“I think the biggest thing everyone is missing is since James has come, we play two starters with the bench,” Rivers continued, alluding to his new substitution pattern. “So when you do that, the bench guys aren’t going to score as much.

“The reason they aren’t going to score as much is because the two starters that are playing with the bench are probably scoring more when they are playing with the bench. So it does change it a little bit for sure.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Sixers superstar Joel Embiid is eager to play in every game before the playoffs, but he understands the importance of being healthy, Pompey writes in a separate article for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid has been playing through a sore back. Philadelphia will need his production in the playoffs, as he’s currently averaging a career-high 30.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (right knee injury management) will miss the team’s game against Philadelphia on Sunday, Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports tweets. VanVleet played nearly 47 minutes against the Lakers in an overtime game on Friday. He leads the team in minutes per game (38.2) and is in the midst of his first All-Star campaign.
Mitchell Robinson has provided a boost for the Knicks on the offensive glass, Pette Botte of the New York Post writes. The seven-footer has averaged just over four offensive rebounds per game this season, trailing only Grizzlies center Steven Adams. “Huge … those effort plays, they inspire your team,” head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Our rebounding has been off the charts, that’s a big part of winning. You have to keep improving … keep fighting, scratching. Whatever we gotta do, we gotta do right now.”