Dennis Smith Jr. Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Southwest Notes: Mirotic, CP3, DSJ, Grizzlies

January 25th, 2019 at 11:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans, already missing star big man Anthony Davis, will be without another key frontcourt player for at least the next week. The club announced in a press release on Thursday evening that Nikola Mirotic is dealing with a right calf strain and will be re-evaluated in a week. Shams Charania of The Athletic suggests (via Twitter) that Mirotic may end up missing a week or two due to the injury.

Meanwhile, a division rival got some promising injury news this week. The Rockets are expected to get Chris Paul back in their lineup on Sunday, head coach Mike D’Antoni confirmed today (Twitter link via Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun). While Paul isn’t quite ready to return from his hamstring ailment on Friday night against Toronto, he’d play if it were a playoff game, D’Antoni said.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

After a two-week absence from the Mavericks‘ lineup, Dennis Smith Jr. returned on Tuesday and had head coach Rick Carlisle raving about his performance, as Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com writes. Carlisle said Smith gave the Mavs “everything we needed,” while Luka Doncic was happy to see his teammate back in the lineup, writes Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News. Despite the positive vibes, Tim Cato of The Athletic doesn’t believe much has changed about how the two sides feel, writing that DSJ would probably still welcome a trade and Dallas will likely continue to probe the market.
In the wake of Grizzlies owner Robert Pera telling longtime franchise players Marc Gasol and Mike Conley that they could be traded, Mark Giannotto of The Memphis Commercial Appeal writes that – for the sake of the city of Memphis – he really hopes Pera knows what he’s doing.
Frank Urbina of HoopsHype identifies four potential landing spots for Conley if the Grizzlies get serious about moving him before this season’s deadline.

Magic Notes: DSJ, Isaac, Gordon, Vucevic

January 24th, 2019 at 11:56am CST by Luke Adams

It’s unclear how serious the Dennis Smith Jr. trade talks between the Magic and Mavericks have gotten, writes Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel. However, at least one rival NBA front office official believes Smith would make a lot of sense as a target for Orlando.

“Their priority should be a starting point guard,” the official said of the Magic. “Those guys don’t grow on trees, and Dennis Smith is pretty alluring because when are you going to get (a starting point guard otherwise)?”

As Robbins observes, there will be a couple intriguing point guard prospects – Murray State’s Ja Morant and Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland – near the top of the draft, but it’s not clear if the Magic will pick high enough to have a shot at either one — and the point guard class isn’t particularly strong after those two. Currently, Orlando ranks seventh in our 2018/19 Reverse Standings.

Robbins doesn’t go too in-depth on potential free agent targets for the Magic, but suggests it seems “unrealistic” that the team will land a marquee point guard in free agency. Most of 2019’s top free agent point guards are either restricted free agents (like D’Angelo Russell and Terry Rozier) or aren’t expected to consider Orlando (Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker).

Here’s more on the Magic from Robbins:

Within his discussion of the DSJ rumors, Robbins notes that the Mavericks were interested in Jonathan Isaac in 2017, but Orlando remains “strongly disinclined to give him up.” The Magic also haven’t shown any signs that they’re willing to trade Aaron Gordon, sources tell Robbins.
Exploring the possibility of a Nikola Vucevic trade, Robbins wonders what sort of impact a Vooch trade would have on the long-term development of Isaac, Gordon, and Mohamed Bamba. Robbins also questions whether the Magic would trade Vucevic in a deal for a first-round pick that falls outside of the lottery and wouldn’t necessarily change the club’s long-term outlook significantly.
In a separate story on the Magic, Robbins posits that the franchise hasn’t found a “star-quality player” to replace Dwight Howard since losing him back in 2012. Head coach Steve Clifford drew attention to the star-shaped hole on Orlando’s roster after Wednesday’s loss to Brooklyn, pointing out that the Magic don’t have a player who can be relied upon to score a basket or make a play in crunch time. “It’s the most important thing that you can have in any NBA game: a guy that can go get a shot or create help so his teammate gets a shot,” Clifford said. “It’s the No. 1 thing that you want.”

Charania’s Latest: Wizards, Hornets, Grizzlies, DSJ

January 23rd, 2019 at 11:32am CST by Luke Adams

As Shams Charania of The Athletic details in his latest round-up of trade rumors from around the NBA, there still aren’t many clear-cut sellers out there, which may limit activity leading up to the February 7 deadline. However, clubs like the Wizards and Magic still haven’t made any decisions one way or the other and could end up being sellers if they’re trending downward a couple weeks from now, says Charania.

The Wizards have made it “adamantly clear” the Bradley Beal isn’t going anywhere, league sources tell Charania. Otto Porter could be more available though, according to Charania, who hears that the Jazz are among the clubs to show interest in Porter.

The Hornets are another team competing for one of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spots and – like the Wizards – have made it clear that they don’t intend to move their star guard. Nonetheless, teams have tested the Hornets on Kemba Walker, says Charania, citing sources who say that the Mavericks recently inquired on Walker and were told Charlotte wants to keep him.

Charania’s article includes many more rumors on the trade market, so let’s round up some of the highlights…

Despite indicating they’re willing to listen to inquiries on Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, Grizzlies officials told players on Tuesday that the team remains committed to winning and to tune out any trade noise, writes Charania. Elsewhere on the Memphis front, JaMychal Green is expected to attract significant trade interest and the Grizzlies have attempted to engage the Hawks about a Chandler Parsons deal, Charania reports.
Charania adds the Knicks and Lakers to the list of teams that discussed a possible Dennis Smith Jr. trade with the Mavericks. The Magic are also on that list.
In addition to discussing deals involving veterans like Kent Bazemore and Dewayne Dedmon, the Hawks may also consider moving younger players such as Taurean Prince and Tyler Dorsey, says Charania.
According to Charania, the Thunder plan to explore ways to use their traded player exception, which is worth nearly $11MM. Oklahoma City is reportedly seeking a forward who can shoot, though acquiring a player without sending out any salary would increase the club’s tax bill exponentially.
The Sixers are seeking a wing shooter and a center, sources tell Charania.
Cavaliers swingman Rodney Hood has emerged as a “targeted” trade asset, according to Charania, who identifies the Pelicans, Thunder, and Bucks as some of the teams that have scoured the market for wing help.

Southwest Notes: Carmelo, Cousins, Faried, DSJ

January 22nd, 2019 at 12:20pm CST by Luke Adams

The Carmelo Anthony trade between the Rockets and Bulls is still expected to get done at some point soon, but the trade call has yet to take place, tweets Marc Stein of The New York Times. According to Stein, the deal may have to be amended due to a discrepancy involving the rights to a draft-and-stash player.

In addition to receiving Anthony and cash in the trade, the Bulls are also expected to receive the rights to Marko Todorovic, while the Rockets receive Tadija Dragicevic‘s rights, per Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. However, according to Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link), the NBA has made an effort to crack down on swaps that include a player who aren’t expected to ever come stateside. It’s not clear if those efforts will impact what the Rockets/Bulls swap ultimately looks like.

Let’s round up a few more items from out of the Southwest…

Within an article about DeMarcus Cousins‘ free agency and his debut with Golden State, the big man admits to Shams Charania of The Athletic that he hasn’t forgotten about how his time with the Pelicans playing alongside Anthony Davis ended. “I think about our pairing all the time,” Cousins said. “Me and A.D. talk about it. It’s f—ed up. It could’ve been something great, something special, but other people had different things in mind. That’s out of our control, and you never know what’ll happen later on down the line.”
After sitting on the bench in Denver and Brooklyn, Kenneth Faried is happy to have an opportunity to play an actual role for the Rockets, as Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle details. “The coaches and team believe in me,” Faried said. “They want me to come out and do what I do. I’m excited to be here.”
The Mavericks are listing Dennis Smith Jr. as a probable starter for his return game tonight, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, who tweets that the club never discussed a possible move to the bench with Smith before his sabbatical.
Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic has been fined $10K for kicking the game ball into the stands during Saturday’s game, the NBA announced today in a press release.

Dennis Smith Jr. To Return To Mavericks

January 20th, 2019 at 5:01pm CST by Eric Spyropoulos

Amidst reports of tension in the Mavericks‘ locker room between head coach Rick Carlisle and Dennis Smith Jr. – which led to reports that Smith was being put on the trading block – it appears that tension has subsided.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium is reporting (via Twitter) that Carlisle and Smith spoke on the phone and were able to have productive conversations. Smith will, in turn, report back to the team on Tuesday. Charania also tweeted that Carlisle apologized to Smith and expressed his remorse over the situation.

The Mavericks play the Clippers on Tuesday and the plan is for Smith to play in that game, which will be his first game since January 7.

For the season, Smith is averaging 12.6 points and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 37.5% on 3-pointers, a significant improvement from last season. While the Mavericks may continue to look for possible trades involving Smith, it appears tensions have calmed down for now.

Knicks Notes: Vonleh, Smith Jr., Tanking, Prospects

January 20th, 2019 at 11:41am CST by Arthur Hill

Noah Vonleh has achieved his goal of re-establishing himself with the Knicks, but their partnership may not last beyond the February 7 trade deadline, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Vonleh was looking for playing time when he chose New York last summer instead of the Spurs, Bucks or Cavaliers. He joined the Knicks on a one-year, partially guaranteed contract and has turned in his best NBA season, averaging 8.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting better than 40% from 3-point range.

“A lot of talented players in the NBA don’t get to showcase certain things because that’s not how the team views them — they already got guys that can do that,” Vonleh said. “So the opportunity and the role is here, so I’m able to showcase some of the things. Coach (David Fizdale) said he has confidence in me, and that’s a big part. If your coach has confidence in you, ain’t no telling where you can go in this league. Sky’s the limit.”

However, Vonleh’s contract status brings some uncertainty to his situation. The Knicks don’t have his Bird Rights, so there’s no advantage to keeping him for the rest of the season. They will have the cap space to bid on him in free agency, although they are hoping to use that money on a top-level talent. A few teams have expressed interest in dealing for Vonleh, sources tell Vorkunov, although the Knicks haven’t said if they’re open to a trade.

There’s more out of New York:

It doesn’t appear the Knicks are interested in a second chance at Dennis Smith Jr., according to Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York bypassed Smith in the 2017 draft to take Frank Ntilikina and hasn’t pursued him despite rumors that he might be available in the midst of a troubled second season in Dallas. A source tells Berman that the Knicks asked about the Mavericks about Smith before the season, but “not recently.”
Despite reforming the rules for the draft lottery, the NBA is still faced with a four-team tanking race for the rest of the season, Berman notes in a separate story. The teams with the three worst records will have an equal shot at landing the top pick, and the Knicks are in that competition with the Cavaliers, Suns and Bulls. New York has dropped 17 of its past 19 games to move into third place in our latest Reverse Standings, but all four teams are separated by just two games.
In another piece, Berman examines the top five prospects the Knicks will be looking at if they land a high lottery pick. He places the Duke trio of Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and R.J. Barrett and as the top three, followed by Murray State guard Ja Morant and Virginia forward De’Andre Hunter.

Texas Notes: Smith Jr., Barea, Nene, Gasol

January 19th, 2019 at 10:06pm CST by Arthur Hill

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle is willing to welcome Dennis Smith Jr. back to the team whenever he’s ready, relays Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Smith hasn’t played in the past four games — officially because of back soreness and an illness — and didn’t join the Mavs for their current road trip. He also didn’t report for Friday’s practice.

“This is just my feeling, is that he’s being told to stay away for whatever reason,” Carlisle said on his weekly radio show. “I just don’t want people out there to think he is snubbing the Mavs or anything like that. This is just my opinion, I believe there’s business stuff going on, and he’s being told to stay away. Listen, if that’s what they feel is in his best interests, he should trust his advisers. But it’s unlike him not to want to be with his teammates. I do feel strongly that people should not look at Dennis in this situation now and judge him harshly, that he’s doing something against his teammates or the Mavs or anything like that. I just think this is a business-type situation, and this is what he’s being advised to do.”

Sources told MacMahon that Smith is frustrated over changes to his role on the team with the arrival of Luka Doncic, but the Mavericks remain hopeful for a reconciliation. Smith’s agent, Glenn Schwartzman, didn’t return text messages and phone calls seeking a comment. Carlisle said he also reached out to Smith and Schwartzman.

There’s more NBA news out of Texas:

Mavericks guard J.J. Barea expects to be out of action for six to nine months after surgery to fix a torn right Achilles tendon, tweets Dwain Price of Mavs.com. The 34-year-old, who suffered the injury last week, will be a free agent this summer.
The Rockets won’t ask Nene to play more minutes with starting center Clint Capela sidelined after thumb surgery, according to Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The team expects to bolster its frontcourt by signing Kenneth Faried once he clears waivers Monday. “Coach has a plan,” Nene said. “We have other big men. We have young big men, too. They will get those minutes. Coach will decide when I am going to play.”
Pau Gasol has been back in the Spurs‘ starting lineup in four of the past five games, but the move hasn’t resulted in more playing time, notes Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express News. He has averaged just 11 minutes per game during that stretch. “At this point, I’m just doing my best with the opportunity and the conditions I am playing under,” Gasol said.

Deveney’s Latest: D. Smith Jr., Nuggets, J. Parker

January 18th, 2019 at 1:21pm CST by Arthur Hill

Teams that might otherwise be interested in trading for the Mavericks‘ Dennis Smith Jr. may prefer to try their luck with a talented crop of point guards in free agency, writes Sean Deveney of Sporting News. The Magic and Suns, who have been mentioned in trade rumors involving Smith, will both have cap room available this summer and could try to upgrade at the position without giving up any assets.

Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker will headline this year’s class, which will also feature D’Angelo Russell and Terry Rozier. They are all more traditional point guards than Smith, who was bumped out of that position in Dallas when the Mavericks drafted Luka Doncic.

“He is very athletic, but he’s not a playmaker and not a great shooter,” a front office executive said of DSJ, per Deveney. “If you have money under the cap this offseason, there are other guys you can pursue who fit better, who can pass and score.”

There are also concerns that Smith is already clashing with management midway through his second season in the league, Deveney adds. Dallas is reluctant to give up on such a talented young player a year after taking him with the No. 9 pick, but another source says he will eventually be traded, whether it happens before the February 7 deadline or sometime in the future.

Deveney shares a couple more trade-related rumors:

The Nuggets may be willing to use their trade exceptions to help improve their defense. After some early-season progress, Denver has been allowing 115.3 points per 100 possessions over the past 15 games, placing the team 29th in the league. The Nuggets have three active trade exceptions, worth $13.7MM, $12.8MM and $5.9MM. They can’t be combined, but any of them could be enticing for teams looking to get rid of salary before the deadline.
Jabari Parker‘s return to the Bulls‘ rotation came more out of need than coach Jim Boylen’s declaration that he has displayed more effort in practice. Deveney claims that Chicago’s front office hasn’t made any progress in its effort to trade Parker and needs him back on the floor to help spark some interest. The former No. 2 overall pick has responded by averaging 14.7 PPG in 18.0 minutes per night over past three games.
The Bulls have no desire to accept salary beyond this season, so Deveney speculates that in order to move Parker, a three-team deal might be necessary with an under-the-cap team involved. Deveney also notes that the Knicks and Pelicans have expressed interest, but Chicago doesn’t want Courtney Lee or Solomon Hill, who are both signed through next season.

Southwest Notes: DSJ, Jordan, Rockets, Parker

January 18th, 2019 at 10:59am CST by Luke Adams

Mavericks guard Dennis Smith Jr. didn’t report to the team’s facility for practice this morning, a source tells Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to MacMahon, that wasn’t an unexpected development, since Smith isn’t expected to join the Mavs on their upcoming road trip, as we relayed on Thursday night.

While the relationship between Smith and the Mavericks doesn’t appear to be in a great place, the club is – at least for now – willing to be patient and to do the work necessary to mend fences, MacMahon writes. Smith’s camp seems to prefer a trade, but it may be in the 21-year-old’s best interests to try to work things out with Dallas in the short term. The Mavs are unlikely to receive any favorable trade offers for him right now, so getting back on the court and accepting the role Rick Carlisle envisions for him could help Smith rebuild his value.

Let’s round up a few more items from around the Southwest…

NBA sources don’t believe that the Mavericks will offer DeAndre Jordan the multiyear contract that he and his agent will be seeking during the 2019 offseason, reports Mac Engel of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram. As Engel observes, it would be much easier for Dallas to let Jordan walk in the offseason if the team could acquire his potential replacement in a Smith deal.
In the wake of Clint Capela’s thumb injury, Kelly Iko of The Athletic explores some potential frontcourt targets for the Rockets, identifying seven players who could be fits. Within the article, Iko notes that Houston would look to challenge the Warriors for Robin Lopez’s services if Chicago buys him out.
In advance of Tony Parker‘s return to San Antonio earlier this week, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com took a deep dive into why the veteran point guard left the Spurs during the offseason. “[Gregg Popovich] just told me that I was going to be the third point guard, and I had to think really hard about if I was going to stay,” Parker says. “So then I told him I’m not gonna stay. I think they really didn’t believe I was gonna leave anyway. I think they thought I’d be like Manu [Ginobili] and just stay.
We rounded up a few Grizzlies notes earlier today.

Dennis Smith Jr. Hasn’t Requested Trade From Mavs

January 17th, 2019 at 7:57pm CST by JD Shaw

The Mavericks and Dennis Smith Jr. have held positive discussions in recent days, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who also adds that Smith hasn’t requested a trade to this point.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported earlier in the day that Dallas hopes to reconcile and move forward with Smith on the roster, despite shopping the 2017 lottery pick in recent weeks. Teams have yet to give the Mavericks a tempting trade package for Smith, with the 21-year-old expressing interest in moving on from the team and finding a new situation, according to MacMahon.

The fractured relationship between Smith and coach Rick Carlisle is partially to blame for this mess, with team officials characterizing the relationship as a veteran coach being demanding of a young player to ultimately help his development, MacMahon added.

Smith missed the Mavs’ game on Wednesday due to an illness, sitting out the previous three games with what the team listed as a “sore back”. The Mavericks don’t expect him to join them for their two-game road trip against the Pacers on Saturday and Bucks on Monday, MacMahon reports (Twitter link).

Dallas has other contracts that could be used in trades — particularly Wesley Matthews, Salah Mejri and the injured J.J. Barea — but is clearly motivated to keep Smith on the roster and see how the pairing of him and young star Luka Doncic pans out in the longterm.

The NBA’s annual trade deadline falls on Feb. 7 at 3:00 pm ET this season.