DeMar DeRozan Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Nets, Sullinger, DeRozan, Colangelo

January 19th, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets don’t have enough dissenters within the organization to offset the prevailing opinion, leading the team to make too many ill-advised decisions, as NetsDaily argues. The team hired few people in recent years without some sort of connection to former GM Billy King, and the recent consolidation of ownership that gave Mikhail Prokhorov 100% of the team doesn’t help, NetsDaily adds. Those at the top of the chain of command for the Nets were generally the ones most convinced within the organization that the team would be competitive this season, NetsDaily tweets. Brooklyn is 11-31, which is the league’s third-worst record. See more from the Atlantic Division:

Jared Sullinger triggered the starter criteria on Monday to increase the value of his qualifying offer from $3,270,004 to $4,433,683, as Bobby Marks of “The Vertical” on Yahoo Sports points out (Twitter link). Monday’s start for Sullinger was his 82nd over the past two seasons, meaning he’ll average at least 41 over that span, enough to bring the starter criteria into play. The Celtics now have to tender that higher qualifying offer to retain the right to match competing bids for him in free agency this summer.
DeMar DeRozan is a fan of former Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo, to whom the Nets are apparently giving strong consideration as they search for their next GM, notes Brian Lewis of the New York Post. DeRozan has made it clear he prefers to stay with the Raptors, though the Nets had reportedly been expected to make him one of their primary offseason targets, at least before they removed King from the GM role. “[Colangelo] gave me the opportunity of a lifetime, you know? And I credit a lot of my success to him,” DeRozan said Monday, as Lewis relays. “[He’s] one of those stand-up honest guys. [He’ll] work extremely hard, and wants the best for whatever organization and players that he’s working for.’’
Kristaps Porzingis has the potential to become the sort of player whom marquee free agents want to play with, and that changes the timeline for the Knicks to return to contention, argues Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders. Instead of going for broke this summer to find someone to pair with an aging Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks can afford to wait until 2017, when a much better free agent crop of point guards will be on the market, as Beer details.

Atlantic Notes: DeRozan, Hollins, Mills, ‘Melo

January 15th, 2016 at 8:59am CST by Chuck Myron

DeMar DeRozan has made no secret of his affection for Toronto, and he tells Michael Lee of The Washington Post that just because the Raptors have a history of star players leaving doesn’t mean he’ll follow suit. DeRozan is poised to turn down his player option worth only slightly more than $10MM and hit free agency this summer.

“One thing I never did was look at anybody else, what they did or what they followed, honestly,” DeRozan said to Lee. “I always stuck to what I believe in and what I’m comfortable with. If I see a hundred people walking left, that don’t necessarily mean I’m going to walk left. I may see this clear path and want to stay right.”

See more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets higher-ups were angry about the way former coach Lionel Hollins would pin blame on his players, sources tell Brian Lewis of the New York Post, and several sources who spoke with Andy Vasquez of The Record couldn’t identify a single player on the team who was fond of Hollins. Many players thought the coach talked down to them and found it hard to respect him because of that, Vasquez writes.
Knicks GM Steve Mills is very much involved with player personnel in his role under team president Phil Jackson, as agents tell Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that Mills is the go-to guy when they talk to someone from the Knicks. James Dolan has done little meddling with Jackson around, and the team hasn’t had substantive talks regarding a Carmelo Anthony trade this year, Deveney adds.
Nerlens Noel has long been a fan of Ish Smith, but the point guard has helped Jahlil Okafor‘s offensive game, too, observes Keith Bodner of Philadelphia magazine. The No. 3 overall pick has put up impressive numbers, albeit in a small sample size, since the Sixers traded for Smith on December 24th, as Bodner examines.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Ujiri, D-League

January 13th, 2016 at 8:31pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Raptors are currently enjoying one of the most successful runs in franchise history and GM Masai Ujiri needs to capitalize on that momentum by swinging for the fences at the trade deadline this season, Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca writes. The most effective way to add to the team’s core would be to use the team’s surplus of first round picks, four in the next two years, which could land an impact player, Grange notes. The Sportsnet scribe does acknowledge the team may face stiff competition to re-sign future unrestricted free agent DeMar DeRozan, and building around him could be a risky proposition as a result, but it would be folly for the team to not go all in this season and shoot for the stars in the trade market.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Joel Embiid‘s hiring of Leon Rose as his new agent is a positive move for the Sixers, Jake Fischer of Liberty Ballers opines (on Twitter). The scribe points to Rose being based out of New Jersey and his history of representing Sixers players as reasons for his optimism. The center’s former agency, the Wasserman Group, is based out of Los Angeles.
The continued emergence of rookie Jerian Grant changes the dynamic of the Knicks‘ offense, and the point guard’s energy and defense have become assets to the team, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes.
The Celtics have recalled power forward Jordan Mickey and point guard Terry Rozier from their D-League affiliate in Maine, the team announced. This was Mickey’s ninth stint with the Red Claws on the season and Rozier’s fifth.

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.

Max Offers Waiting For DeRozan; Likely Batum, Too

January 12th, 2016 at 9:30am CST by Chuck Myron

Several teams, including the Lakers, are ready to make maximum-salary offers to DeMar DeRozan, and Nicolas Batum is likely to draw max offers, too, writes Zach Lowe of ESPN.com in a piece on the Raptors. Toronto GM Masai Ujiri “has long been connected” to Batum, as Lowe puts it, and Batum’s camp has spoken in the past about his desire to play for the Raptors, as Lowe reported over the summer. However, Batum was vehement in the wake of that offseason report that he wants to remain with the Hornets, and while the Lakers reportedly have a longstanding interest in Southern California native DeRozan, he’s said he’d like to play for Toronto the rest of his career. Indeed, it appears that the most likely outcome for Batum and DeRozan is that they stay put, Lowe concludes, though it appears they’ll be well-compensated to do so.

The pair are eligible for the maximum-salary tier that would give them starting salaries of a projected $24.9MM each. Their incumbent teams can exceed the salary cap using their Bird rights to give them five-year deals with 7.5% raises, while competitors must use cap space and are limited to four-year offers with 4.5% raises. DeRozan was unlikely to command max salaries as recently as a year ago, but improvement in his pick-and-roll play has changed that, as Lowe details. Batum and DeRozan are both in the midst of career seasons that have no doubt enhanced their respective values.

For what it’s worth, both have lists of suitors that reportedly include the Nets, who have $45MM in guaranteed salaries against a projected $89MM cap, leaving not quite enough room to snag both of them. The Lakers have only about $23MM committed, though it’s unclear if they have strong interest in Batum.

Which would you rather have on a max deal, DeRozan or Batum? Leave a comment to tell us.

Eastern Notes: DeRozan, Hawes, Mozgov

January 10th, 2016 at 7:00pm CST by Will Joseph

DeMar DeRozan will reportedly turn down his player option and become a free agent this summer, but the Raptors shooting guard reiterated to Sportsnet 590 The Fan that he wants to stay in Toronto for the rest of his career (h/t Jeff Simmons of Sportsnet.ca). DeRozan is a native of California, but he’s only played for the Raptors. The Nets and Lakers both reportedly have interest in him.

“That’s one you thing you can never question: my loyalty to the city,” DeRozan said. “How much I really love and appreciate the team and the organization. I think all the fans understand that. A lot of times they don’t understand how contracts or things like that.”

Here’s more from around the Eastern Conference:

Center Spencer Hawes, whom the Hornets acquired in a June trade with the Clippers for Lance Stephenson, acknowledged his situation with Los Angeles appeared to be a good fit in theory, but can’t quite put his finger on why it didn’t work out well, Rowan Kavner of NBA.com details. “Sometimes, situations just don’t work out the way you draw it up on paper,” said Hawes, who added he was surprised by the deal.
It would make little sense for the Cavs to trade center Timofey Mozgov, despite his recent struggles and even if moving him could save between $15-20MM in tax penalties, Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal argues. Mozgov is a bargain because he is making close to $5MM and it would be difficult for the Cavs to find another serviceable center on the market, Lloyd writes. The Cavs are obviously all-in for this season and do not have any inclination of moving Mozgov, Lloyd surmises.

Atlantic Notes: Sixers, Lee, DeRozan, Lopez

January 9th, 2016 at 6:38pm CST by ChrisCrouse

With the addition of Elton Brand, which led to the release of Christian Wood, the Sixers are no longer the youngest team in the league by average age, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes in a piece that dissects the team’s moves since the hiring of Jerry Colangelo. The youngest team in the league may be the Bucks, but Philadelphia still has several inexperienced players in need of minutes. Jahlil Okafor, whom we examined as a trade candidate, has seen his playing time decreased of late, as he is averaging just 21.6 minutes per game over his last five.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Boston’s need for a go-to scorer, coupled with its logjam in the frontcourt, makes it obvious that a trade is necessary, A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast Sportsnet Northeast opines. The scribe names DeMar DeRozan as a player to watch, adding that if the Raptors get a feel that he is going to walk in the offseason, they could be inclined to move him in order to get something in return. The Celtics have several young prospects on the roster and they could potentially have four first-round picks in the 2016 draft, which puts the team in a good position should a marquee player become available on the trade market.
The team has been open to moving David Lee for most of his time as a Celtic, which makes asking for a trade something that won’t do the big man any good, Blakely opines in the same piece.
The Nets own a 10-26 record, which is good for second worst in the Eastern Conference. Still, Brook Lopez has no regrets about signing his three-year, $60MM-plus deal with Brooklyn over the summer, Andy Vasquez of The Record writes. “No, no, no. I’m happy to be here,” Lopez said. “Time and time again I’ve said I wanted to see something built here, I see a special opportunity, a great situation to be in.”

Lakers Have Longstanding Interest In DeRozan

January 8th, 2016 at 11:58am CST by Chuck Myron

The Lakers appear poised to become one of the teams to make a play for DeMar DeRozan in free agency this summer, given their long-held interest in the native of nearby Compton, California, writes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. Speculation that DeRozan would seek to play close to home has existed for quite some time, and it’s not surprising that the Lakers, who’ve struggled to field competitive rosters the past few years, would want to add a 26-year-old who’s currently the NBA’s 11th-leading scorer at 22.6 points per game. A source close to DeRozan who spoke recently with Brian Lewis of the New York Post confirmed the widely held assumption that the shooting guard will turn down his player option of slightly more than $10MM for next season, and the Nets are also expected to pursue him in free agency this summer.

Still, despite DeRozan’s ties to Southern California, he’s also fond of Toronto and has shown no hesitation to express his affection for the city and the Raptors organization. The source who spoke to Lewis cited DeRozan’s loyalty to the Raptors, and with next month’s All-Star Game set for Toronto, DeRozan again paid homage Thursday to the only NBA city he’s ever represented, as Wolstat points out.

“I think I’m just excited for being in Toronto and people really getting a chance to see what Toronto is like,” DeRozan said. “The city, the culture, really, to put us on the main stage and let this city get the credit that it deserves that I feel like it never got.”

The Raptors have close to $70MM in guaranteed salary committed for next season against a projected $89MM cap, and they have fellow wing players DeMarre Carroll and Terrence Ross signed to long-term deals, but they hold DeRozan’s Bird rights and can exceed the cap to re-sign him. DeRozan won’t necessarily be the No. 1 priority for the Lakers, with the team no doubt eager to make a pitch to Kevin Durant, this summer’s top free agent prize. DeRozan is No. 8 in the latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings.

The rising salary cap and the impending retirement of Kobe Bryant, which will allow the Lakers to remove his massive $26.25MM cap hold from the books next summer, will help give them no shortage of flexibility to sign multiple marquee free agents in the offseason. They have only about $23MM in guaranteed salary, not counting a $3.135MM player option for Brandon Bass and cap holds much smaller than Bryant’s. DeRozan will be eligible for a max deal with a salary of a projected $24.9MM for next season.

Nets Eye DeMar DeRozan, Who’ll Opt Out

January 7th, 2016 at 9:21am CST by Chuck Myron

The Nets are expected to make DeMar DeRozan one of their primary targets in free agency this summer, writes Brian Lewis of the New York Post, who hears from a source close to DeRozan that he’ll turn down the player option for next season on his contract with the Raptors. However, DeRozan feels the Raptors have treated him well, and he has an uncommon loyalty, Lewis’ source cautioned. The Aaron Goodwin client has spoken about his loyalty in the past, saying at the start of camp this fall that he takes pride in being the longest-tenured player on the Raptors roster.

It’s no surprise to hear that DeRozan plans to opt out, since his option is worth only slightly more than $10MM and the 26-year-old is the NBA’s 11th leading scorer this season, averaging 22.6 points per game. Zach Lowe of ESPN.com wrote this summer that early indications were that he’d opt out. DeRozan is eligible for a maximum salary of a projected $24.9MM next season, and turning down the option would make him part of a relatively thin 2016 free agent class just as the NBA’s salary cap is set to surge, leaving teams with plenty of cash to burn. The Nets have only about $45MM in guaranteed salary committed for 2016/17 against a projected $89MM cap.

Bojan Bogdanovic and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are the only Nets wing players with fully guaranteed salaries for next season, and the Nets, at 10-25, could use a major upgrade. Brooklyn, which doesn’t have much at the point guard position, either, is reportedly likely to make Mike Conley its top free agent target, though DeRozan, No. 8 in our 2016 Free Agent Power Rankings, probably wouldn’t be far behind. The Raptors have wing players DeMarre Carroll and Terrence Ross signed to long-term deals, but they’d surely be loath to watch DeRozan bolt, especially to another Eastern Conference team.

Where do you think DeRozan will be playing next season? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.

Eastern Notes: DeRozan, Nets, Jefferson, Curry

January 5th, 2016 at 4:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Coach Dwane Casey isn’t quite sure why DeMar DeRozan has been playing better of late, but the Raptors nonetheless believe his improved shooting and overall play are sustainable, based on an uptick that dates back to this past March, observes Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca. DeRozan has a player option worth slightly more than $10MM for next season, but it seems a near-certainty that he’ll decline it and hit free agency in the summer. See more from around the Eastern Conference:

Nets CEO Brett Yormark spoke about the need for the team to play better in an interview with Crain’s New York Business, and while his remarks weren’t particularly substantive, they demonstrate a continued increase in Yormark’s basketball chatter, NetsDaily points out (Twitter link). Yormark, if given basketball decision-making power, would like to offer “everything under the sun” to bring John Calipari back to the Nets, as Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post wrote in a chat last week (hat tip to Sam Amico of Amico Hoops). However, owner Mikhail Prokhorov wants to make CSKA Moscow team president Andrey Vatutin the next Brooklyn GM, with current GM Billy King‘s contract up after the season, as Aris Barkas of Eurohoops.net reported earlier today.
Al Jefferson‘s history of injuries juxtaposed against a rising salary cap suggest that the Hornets face a difficult choice as they ponder whether to re-sign him in free agency this summer, writes Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders.
Stephen Curry has no shortage of affection for Charlotte, where he grew up, but a multitude of reasons that extend even beyond his idyllic basketball situation with the Warriors convince Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer that Curry won’t give the Hornets a second thought when he hits free agency in 2017.