Dennis Schröder

And-Ones: Trade Predictions, Perkins, Extensions

In his latest predictions feature, Zach Lowe of ESPN speculates that a number of players will be put on the block this season if not officially traded. Since we already know that there’s at least some truth to the oddly specific guess that the Timberwolves would trade Cole Aldrich for Jared Dudley, perhaps we should take a closer look at some of the rest.

Among the other trade predictions that Lowe makes is one that has the Raptors seeking to shop big man Jonas Valanciunas. Considering that the traditional Lithuanian center has been the subject of speculation over the course of the past few seasons, this one seems like rather low hanging fruit.

Similarly, Lowe makes the thoroughly uncrazy prediction that Eric Bledsoe will be on the move. What bonus points Lowe doesn’t earn for predicting a Bledsoe trade, however, he does earn for earmarking the Nuggets and Clippers as possible interested suitors. Alas Denver, it’s worth noting, is already rather backloaded at the guard positions.

Other players that come up in Lowe’s column include the likes Dennis Schroder, DeAndre Jordan and Tobias Harris.

There’s more from around the league:

  • The NBA will name Michelle Johnson their new Senior Vice President and Head of Referee Operations, Shams Charania of The Vertical tweets. Johnson is a retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General.
  • The NBA coaching community could soon have another recent league veteran join its ranks. As Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype writes, Kendrick Perkins – who played 11 seasons in the NBA – believes he would have plenty of options to accept a role on the sidelines.
  • Only a few players from the 2014 NBA Draft class have landed sizable pay days and that’s for good reason, Mitch Lawrence of Forbes writes. Beyond players like Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, few have earned substantial rookie contract extensions. Only Marcus Smart, he writes, has been a notable contributor to an elite playoff team.

Dennis Schroder Arrested On Battery Charge

Hawks guard Dennis Schroder has been arrested on a misdemeanor battery charge, reports Adrian Wojnarwoski of ESPN. The arrest was related to an incident early Thursday morning in a suburb of Atlanta, and Schroder has been released on bail.

“We are aware of an incident involving Dennis Schroder earlier this morning,” the Hawks said in a written statement. “We are still gathering information as it pertains to the situation, and out of respect for the legal process, we will have no further comment at this time.”

With few details about the case available, it’s uncertain how it might affect Schroder’s playing status, though a suspension is possible if he gets convicted.

Entering his fifth NBA season, Schroder is expected to be a team leader in Atlanta. He claimed the starting point guard role last year and averaged 17.9 points and 6.3 assists in 79 games.

Southeast Notes: Spoelstra, Heat, Millsap

Whenever the time comes that Heat president Pat Riley decides to step down, head coach Erik Spoelstra will be eager to fill the position. Spoelstra recently spoke with Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical on his podcast.

The short answer would be, I’m a Pat Riley disciple. He’s always pushed me and nurtured me for the next step,” he said, adding that through both good and bad, the Heat feel like a family. The coach tempered expectations that anything imminent could happen, however.

But, yeah, Pat’s going to go on hopefully for a while though. I think he’s younger now than when he was coaching. […] I want this to be the set up that it is. I feel involved, I’m in every meeting that deals with the [Heat] organization and personnel.

Spoelstra has served as the head coach of the Heat since 2008 and was an assistant coach for ten years before that.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Though they may have ultimately lost, Dennis Schroder‘s performance in the first round of the postseason shows just what the Hawks see in him, writes Michael Lee of The Vertical. “Dennis’ competitive spirit and his competitive nature, I think we’re always going to bet on that first,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said.
  • With their cap space set to shrink in 2018/19, this is the last chance for the Heat to land a major free agent, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post writes. Gordon Hayward, Blake Griffin and Paul Millsap could be possible options.
  • Although it appears they’ll offer Cavaliers general manager David Griffin their president of basketball operations position, John Hammond and David Morway are also on the Magic‘s short-list, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweets.
  • It’s reasonable to expect Paul Millsap to opt out of his contract this summer but the Hawks forward hasn’t made any decisions about where he’ll go just yet, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN writes.
  • The Wizards won’t need a seventh game to close out the Hawks but even if they did, center Ian Mahinmi wouldn’t have played in it, J. Michael of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. The big man had said that he hoped he would be able to recover from a strained calf in time to play in the first round.

Southeast Notes: Waiters, Johnson, Schroder

If the Heat are to retain James Johnson and Dion Waiters, it will likely be on short-term deals, Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel writes in his weekly mailbag.

Both Johnson and Waiters saw their careers take off this season after years of bouncing around and each were instrumental in the Heat’s impressive push for an Eastern Conference playoff berth.

That said, while the pair seem to be a good fit with the Heat, the franchise will look to maintain flexibility by committing only to short-term deals. Eventually, Winderman writes, the club could explore signing them to a longer term deal when their Heat Bird Rights take effect.

Waiters averaged 15.8 points in 46 games for the Heat this season while Johnson added 12.8 points, 5.0 rebounds per game while providing a sense of toughness that fit the traditional Miami mold.

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Although it’s easy to second guess decision in the NBA, Hawks owner Tony Ressler is careful not to when it comes to his own club’s contracts, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes. “The NBA is all about second-guessing,” Ressler said. “[…] Listen at the end of the day I’m going to argue that if you look at our payroll this year, I think we did OK. We had a $98 million payroll. We won 43 games. We are in the middle of the playoffs. We are really competitive.
  • Don’t expect Dion Waiters or James Johnson to give the Heat a discount during free agency, the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman writes in a separate mailbag. Money, he says, always talks loudest when it comes to free agency.
  • In the postseason of his fourth campaign, Dennis Schroder is showing off just how dominant he can be. According to Hawks teammate Kent Bazemore, the 23-year-old’s playing style is eerily similar to that of Wizards guard (and current playoff opponent) John Wall‘s, Keely Diven of CSN Mid-Atlantic writes. “[He] is un-guarable regardless of if he’s making shots or not. He is one of the quickest guys in the league. He can get by anyone. He is a great finisher around the rim. He is growing, a young guard. He has a bright future ahead of him. Glad he’s my point guard. I would hate to guard that guy for 35 minutes.

Southeast Notes: Schroder, Wizards, Heat

Two days after Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer benched Dennis Schroder for most of the second half against Golden State, the two men met on Wednesday to discuss the incident and move forward, writes Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution.

“He was very good,” Budenholzer said of Schroder, the Hawks’ starting point guard. “He and I communicating and understanding what is important. Really, he came in understanding what is important. Things happen in our league. Things happen in games. It’s part of our growth as a team, my growth as a coach, his growth as a player.”

Vivlamore notes that Schroder has gotten under the skin of some of his teammates at times, adding that a source familiar with the situation said Paul Millsap had “sharp words” for the young guard after Monday’s game. However, speaking to reporters, Millsap acknowledged that Schroder is still learning and improving, and said Monday’s incident won’t be a distraction for the Hawks going forward.

Here’s more from out of the Southeast division:

  • It flew somewhat under the radar during the week of the trade deadline, but the Wizards‘ acquisition of Bojan Bogdanovic has arguably had the most impact so far of any February trade. Michael Pina of RealGM.com examines how Bogdanovic has been the NBA’s most dangerous scorer off the bench since arriving in Washington.
  • Following Wednesday’s win, the Wizards became the first team in NBA history to get to 15 games above .500 after starting a season with a 2-8 record. As Michael Lee of The Vertical outlines, head coach Scott Brooks deserves plenty of credit for the job he has done in his first year with the club.
  • Disabled player exceptions will expire for 2017 on Friday, and that’s relevant for the Heat, who received a modest DPE worth about $1.3MM when Justise Winslow went down for the season. As Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald details, that exception figures to go unused. Check out our glossary entry for more details on how disabled player exceptions work.
  • In a separate piece for the Herald, Jackson breaks down why it makes more sense for the Heat to make a push for the playoffs rather than hoping to land in the lottery.

Southeast Notes: Schroder, Ellington, Oubre Jr.

A mid-game argument resulting in an ugly defensive breakdown has some questioning the team harmony in the Hawks‘ lockerroom. In addition to a spat with Dwight Howard, 23-year-old point guard Dennis Schroder is said to have engaged with head coach Mike Budenholzer too, Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes.

While Schroder and Howard were caught on camera arguing about a Howard turnover the previous possession, Stephen Curry wasted no time calling for the inbound pass and draining a three. The basket put the Warriors in front and they would go on to win the game. Shortly after the incident, Schroder – who at that point had led the Hawks in scoring with 23 points – was benched by Budenholzer for the remainder of the contest.

We need to learn to play together and stay together for 48 minutes,” Budenholzer said of his Hawks. “That is something that is important to us.

Vivlamore reminds readers that this isn’t the first time the Hawks have punished Schroder. When the guard returned to Atlanta late after the All-Star Break, he was suspended for one game. In that situation, Schroder cited passport complications as the reason for his delay.

Worth noting, Schroder has posted a photo of himself and Howard on Instagram and Twitter, a likely attempt to bury the hatchet, publicly at least.

There’s more out of the Southeast Division:

Hawks Suspend Dennis Schroder For One Game

The Hawks have suspended Dennis Schroder for one game without pay for a failure to report to the team on time following the All-Star break, the team announced today in a press release. Schroder will sit out tonight’s game against the Heat.

“Dennis has played an important role for our team and been a significant contributor to our success this season,” head coach Mike Budenholzer said in a statement. “We are disappointed that he did not return to the team on time and we have discussed this with him. We look forward to him rejoining the team in Orlando tomorrow night.”

Schroder, who signed a lucrative new $62MM contract with the Hawks in the fall won’t see that extension go into effect until 2017/18. As such, his lost pay will represent 1/110th of his more modest $2.709MM salary for 2016/17, which works out to about $24.6K.

Schroder said today that his late arrival was a result of visa issues, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution details (via Twitter).

Stein/Lowe On Cousins, George, Noel, Monroe

In a Wednesday edition of The Lowe Post podcast, ESPN’s Marc Stein and Zach Lowe discussed several teams who could make a trade at some point this season, and several players who are candidates to be moved. Both ESPN reporters agreed that the Trail Blazers are one of the most likely clubs to complete a deal within the next three months, with Lowe suggesting he’d be “blown away” if Portland doesn’t make at least one trade. Stein also identified the Kings, Suns, Nuggets, and Celtics as clubs to watch for potential deals.

Here are several more highlights from the discussion:

  • “I’ve had a couple guys from other teams tell me they’re hearing that the Kings are starting to get sick of [DeMarcus] Cousins, whatever that means,” Lowe said at one point. Lowe added that there are so many voices involved in the Kings’ decision-making process – in ownership and the front office – that it’s hard to know exactly what the team is thinking. Some decision-makers may want to move Cousins, while others would rather keep him.
  • During the conversation about Cousins, Stein said that the latest word out of Sacramento still suggests the Kings don’t want to move their star big man, though teams around the NBA think the Kings will – or should – make a move by the deadline to maximize Cousins’ value. In Lowe’s view, at least one or two suitors would be willing to give up “a lot” for Cousins, despite the posturing going on at this point to downplay his value.
  • Both Stein and Lowe are frequently asked whether Paul George might become available, and Stein points out that if teams are asking reporters about it, they’re probably asking the Pacers as well. George is extension-eligible and Indiana has expressed interest in locking him up to a max deal, but nothing has happened so far, so teams may sense an opening. However, Lowe hears that most people expect Pacers president Larry Bird to “take it to the end” with George, and to avoid trading him at all costs.
  • Lowe confirms a couple trade rumors that have been reported in the past, noting that the Raptors and Sixers discussed a possible deal that would have sent Nerlens Noel to Toronto for Terrence Ross and at least one other piece. The Pelicans have also had “semi-serious talks” with the Bucks about Greg Monroe over the course of the last six to 12 months. Nothing is imminent on either front though, and Lowe isn’t sure exactly what New Orleans would give up for Monroe.
  • Stein and Lowe both agree that Monroe’s trade value is very low, with Stein observing that there’s more supply than demand for big men on the trade market right now. Lowe also wonders how Monroe will handle his 2017/18 player option (worth nearly $18MM) if the Bucks keep him and continue to bury him in the rotation, crushing his value — he could exercise it out of spite, or opt out if he badly wants to find a better situation.
  • According to Lowe, the Mavericks were among the teams hoping Dennis Schroder would reach free agency in 2017, but his new extension with the Hawks took that possibility off the table.

Southeast Notes: Hawks, Schroder, Hardaway, Zeller

The Hawks and the city of Atlanta issued a joint press release today announcing plans to renovate Philips Arena. The team and the city reached an agreement to put toward $192.5MM toward the project, with Mayor Kasim Reed committing $142.5MM from the city, while the Hawks will pay the remaining $50MM. Along with the renovations, the Hawks extended their lease extension by an additional 18 years, committing to remaining in downtown Atlanta through 2046.

“I want to thank Tony Ressler and the Atlanta Hawks’ ownership for committing to this deal that will keep the NBA in our City and help re-imagine downtown for the millions of residents, visitors and tourists who come to Atlanta each year,” Mayor Reed said in a statement.

Here’s more from around the Southeast division:

  • Dennis Schroder‘s new four-year deal with the Hawks has a base value of $62MM, but it can be worth up to $70MM if the point guard gets an All-Star nod or if Atlanta plays in the NBA Finals, says Bobby Marks of The Vertical.
  • While Schroder got a new deal with the Hawks, Tim Hardaway Jr. remains unsigned, despite having several conversations with the club leading up to Monday’s deadline. As Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution writes, Hardaway says he’s still “excited” to be in Atlanta and both sides are optimistic about striking a deal next summer.
  • Two years ago, Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer would have thought the Hornets‘ four-year, $56MM extension for Cody Zeller was nuts, but now he explains why he believes it’s prudent. As Bonnell tweets, Hornets GM Rich Cho felt that Zeller would have been a “priority target” for multiple teams if he reached restricted free agency in 2017.
  • Wizards point guard John Wall recently spoke to J. Michael of CSNMidAtlantic.com about making a speedy recovery from offseason knee surgeries and getting back on the court to start the 2016/17 season.

Southeast Notes: Batum, Magic, Schroder, Heat

Nicolas Batum drew interest this summer from several potential suitors, such as Dallas and New York, but he never seriously considered any team besides the Hornets, as Shams Charania of The Vertical details. “There were options with other teams and different scenarios,” Batum said. “But I tried to look at what suited me best, and look at this franchise long term. Having Kemba [Walker] under contract, having [Michael Kidd-Gilchrist] under contract, having Frank [Kaminsky] under contract, having Coach [Steve] Clifford under contract, we have the same core.”

Here’s more from out of the Southeast division:

  • The Magic expect to choose the location for their new D-League affiliate within the next month or so, CEO Alex Martins tells Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. Orlando hopes to have a D-League affiliate ready to begin play in 2017/18, and the team has narrowed the potential location down to two Florida-based candidates: Kissimmee (Silver Spurs Arena) and Lakeland (Lakeland Center).
  • Bobby Marks of The Vertical has the details on Dennis Schroder‘s new deal with the Hawks, who will carry a $15.5MM annual cap hit for the point guard for four years, from 2017/18 through 2020/21. According to Marks (via Twitter), the extension features $2MM per year in unlikely incentives, so the total value could max out at $70MM.
  • Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel isn’t sure there’s room in the Heat‘s rotation for Derrick Williams, who joined the team on a one-year, $4.6MM deal in July.
  • The Hornets‘ first game of the season showed that new center Roy Hibbert, who signed a one-year deal with the team this summer, can impact games in a way that no Charlotte player could last season, writes Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer.