Devin Booker Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Booker, Suns, Griffin, Huertas

August 9th, 2016 at 9:00am CST by Luke Adams

At age 19, Suns guard Devin Booker could still have upwards of two decades of his NBA career ahead of him. For now though, he envisions playing his whole career in Phoenix, if given the opportunity to do so, as he recently told Jeramie McPeek of SLAM Magazine.

“I love it in Phoenix and I want to be one of those guys that gets drafted by one team and stays there the whole time,” said Booker, the Suns’ 13th overall pick in the 2015 draft. “You know, they turn around the franchise, and they get love for that in that city like they’re the mayor… People still wear Steve Nash jerseys here. That’s definitely something I want to be.”

Of course, a player’s career goals at age 19 could end up being much different than his goals at age 29 or 39, so it will be interesting to see if Booker does indeed stick with the Suns for most or all of his career. He’s under contract through the 2018/19 season, and will be eligible for a rookie-scale extension in ’18.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

In a recent interview, Clippers head coach and president Doc Rivers essentially called trade inquiries on Blake Griffin a non-starter, suggesting that the star forward isn’t going anywhere. Still, rumors persist that the Thunder – and other teams – will target Griffin in free agency in 2017, or even before then. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders examines those rumblings, exploring whether the Clippers will have to consider their options with Griffin prior to the 2017 trade deadline.
Now that Marcelo Huertas‘ two-year deal with the Lakers is official, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders has provided the specific details on Huertas’ contract. The point guard will earn $1.5MM guaranteed this season, then has a $1,567,500 non-guaranteed salary on the books for 2017/18.
While the “villain” tag followed Kevin Durant around this summer following his decision to sign with the Warriors, head coach Steve Kerr called that notion “absurd” during an interview with Michelle Beadle and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “This is one of the most likeable people in this league. He’s just an awesome human being. What he did in Oklahoma City was just amazing for that community,” Kerr said. “Circumstances kind of dictate, I guess, that some people are going to see him as a villain. But it’s only because he decided to go elsewhere to play. He wanted to change his scenery, he wanted a new challenge.”

Western Notes: Hollins, Parsons, Booker

May 11th, 2016 at 5:32pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The obvious choice as to who should become the Grizzlies new head coach is Frank Vogel, whom the Pacers dismissed last week, Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal opines. Vogel has the track record of success and experience with younger players that the organization is seeking, Calkins writes. However, there should be some concerns regarding Vogel’s offensive acumen, which was one of the franchise’s issues with former coach Dave Joerger, and it isn’t clear if the former Indiana coach would be interested in joining a team that may well be on the decline, Calkins adds.

The scribe also notes that while GM Chris Wallace and Lionel Hollins met Monday night at a Memphis restaurant, it would be very surprising if the team were to rehire its former coach. After the issues the front office reportedly had with Joerger, it’s doubtful Memphis would hire another coach who butted heads with the front office during his tenure with the team, Calkins adds. The Grizzlies went 214-201 in parts of seven seasons under Hollins.

Here’s more from out West:

Despite showing that he is capable of being a building block for the Mavericks, Chandler Parsons‘ injury history should give the team pause if the forward opts out of his deal and Dallas looks to re-sign him this summer, Bobby Marks of The Vertical writes in his offseason primer for the club. The Mavs would be wise to put in injury-protection language pertaining to Parsons’ balky knee in his next contract, Marks adds, but it may be difficult to get the forward to agree to that given the amount of teams with ample cap space that are likely to compete for his services.
The Suns highly value the predraft interview process and believe that how a player performs under that type of pressure carries over to how well he responds to adversity on the court, writes Matt Petersen of NBA.com. The team was extremely impressed last year when it spoke with Devin Booker, whom it selected with the No. 13 pick, assistant GM Pat Connelly told Petersen. “He definitely stuck out in the interview,” Connelly said of Booker. “It’s not an easy thing to go into a room with a bunch of people you don’t know. We’re just one of the teams there. We had our early prep feel for Devin, but he came in and he was very confident. He answered questions really well, never got flustered in a situation. Some of the stuff you saw on the court with him now – walking into a new situation or being put in a new situation and looking like he was comfortable – it was the same thing there.”

Southeast Notes: Winslow, Green, Antic, Sefolosha

April 2nd, 2016 at 7:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat rookie Justise Winslow may not have entered last year’s draft if Duke hadn’t won the national championship, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. The 6’7″ small forward, who is averaging 6.6 points and 5.2 rebounds in 72 games, was selected 10th overall after leaving school as a freshman. “It depended how we would have done in the tournament — losing early, how I was playing,” Winslow said. “But I wasn’t guaranteed or I didn’t go into college saying I’m going to be one and done without a doubt.” Without Winslow in the draft, Winderman speculates that Miami may have used its pick on Kentucky sharpshooter Devin Booker or Texas big man Myles Turner.

There’s more news from the Southeast Division:

Gerald Green had plenty of motivation for breaking out of a long slump with 30 points Friday in Miami’s win over the Kings, Winderman writes in a separate story. The 30-year-old Green, who will be entering free agency this summer, has seen his playing time cut dramatically since the Heat signed Joe Johnson in late February. “Every day, I go to the gym at night, I run, I read y’all comments, and go back to the gym, read y’all comments, go right back to the gym,” Green said. “So I’m just motivated. My teammates motivate me. So I’m just doing whatever I can to just keep myself together.”
Former Hawks center Pero Antic has filed a civil rights suit against the New York Police Department in connection with an incident from April 2015 outside a New York nightclub, tweets Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com. He adds that Thabo Sefolosha, who is still with Atlanta, plans to formally file his lawsuit this week. Sefolosha suffered a broken fibula and ankle ligament damage in the scuffle and had to miss last year’s playoffs. He was cleared in October of charges of resisting arrest and obstructing the administration of government. Antic is now playing for Fenerbahce in Turkey.
The Hornets‘ effort to fix their shooting problems through offseason moves has been successful, writes Mike Prada of SB Nation. Charlotte was last in 3-point percentage a year ago, but has improved with the additions of Spencer Hawes, Frank Kaminsky, Jeremy Lin and Nicolas Batum.

Suns Notes: Morris, Bogdanovic, Booker

April 1st, 2016 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

A lack of “trust” was the issue that made Markieff Morris want to leave Phoenix, relays Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. Morris had been unhappy with the Suns since his brother Marcus Morris was traded to the Pistons last offseason. Markieff Morris finally got his wish to go elsewhere at the trade deadline when Phoenix shipped him to Washington. “I always felt free to play,” Markieff Morris said of his time with the Suns. “It was just tough to do certain things with no trust and play for people that you really don’t trust.” He refused to identify who it was that he didn’t trust but said he’s happy to be with the Wizards.

There’s more news out of Phoenix:

The Suns appear serious about adding Bogdan Bogdanovic to the team next season, according to Adam Green of ArizonaSports.com. Bogdanovic has played overseas since Phoenix selected him in the first round of the 2014 draft. He spent this season with Fenerbahce Ulker, averaging 10.8 points and 3.2 rebounds per game in the Euroleague. “We’re going to go meet with Bogdan after the season; he does have ways to get out of his contract with Fenerbahce and come to the NBA,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough said of the 6’6″ swingman. “We’ll present a plan for him about how we kind of envision his role with the Suns.”
Rookie Devin Booker has been the best part of another nonplayoff season in Phoenix, writes Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic. The 13th overall pick in last year’s draft, Booker has been such a surprise that he might change the Suns’ long-term planning. Bickley speculates that Phoenix may make renewed efforts to trade point guard Eric Bledsoe or go back to a three-guard lineup. Booker remained patient as he waited for his opportunity with the Suns to arrive. “At the beginning of the season, I wasn’t playing at all,” he said. “I used that as motivation to stay in the gym, work on my game, attack what people thought were my weaknesses. … It’s unfortunate that a couple of injuries happened, but that opened up my opportunity to play. And once I got that chance, I never wanted to come off the bench or play limited minutes again. I would’ve never thought this would’ve come at such a young age. But this has always been my ultimate goal.”

Nuggets Rumors: Nurkic, Mudiay, Jokic, Gallinari

March 20th, 2016 at 4:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets center Jusuf Nurkic is trying to pick up the pieces of an injury-plagued second season in the NBA, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. After earning second-team all-rookie honors in 2014/15, Nurkic has seen his playing time and effectiveness limited by an aching left knee. He had surgery during the offseason to repair a partially torn patellar tendon, but the knee hasn’t responded the way he hoped it would. He is averaging 6.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in just 23 games. “I can’t control this stuff,” Nurkic said. “When I hear my name I go in. I haven’t heard it a lot this season for some reason, but I will be a professional until the end and try to finish the season the right way.” In October, Denver picked up his option for 2016/17 at $1,921,320. He also has a team option for 2017/18 at $2,947,305.

There’s more news today out of Denver:

Both Emmanuel Mudiay and Nikola Jokic have strong cases to be first-team choices on this season’s all-rookie team, Dempsey contends in a separate story. Mudiay, the seventh player selected in the 2015 draft, leads NBA rookies in assists with 5.7 per game and is fourth in scoring average at 12.3 points per night. His main competition for first-team honors in the backcourt will come from the Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell and the Suns’ Devin Booker, Dempsey believes. Jokic was a second-round pick in 2014 who played in the Adriatic and Serbian leagues before coming to the NBA. He ranks second among rookies behind the Wolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns in player efficiency rating and is fourth in rebounding and eighth in scoring.
The Nuggets don’t know if Danilo Gallinari will play again this season, but the injured small forward plans to be part of the Italian team in the Summer Olympics, according to Marco “Barzo” Barzizza of Eurosport [hat tip to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando]. Gallinari suffered two torn ligaments in his right ankle during a late February game. The injury was expected to keep him out of action for about a month, but the Nuggets may shut him down for the season even if he does recover. “I don’t know if I’ll be back before the end of the season,” Gallinari said. “I am very happy to be in Denver and before thinking about new teams I hope to win something here and to play for the Denver Nuggets for many years.”

Pacific Notes: Lieberman, Ayres, Clarkson, Booker

March 17th, 2016 at 9:23pm CST by Dana Gauruder

George Karl has unofficially exiled Kings assistant coach Nancy Lieberman because Karl views her as a confidante to owner Vivek Ranadive, according to Sam Amick of USA Today. That’s created an extra plot twist with the Karl-DeMarcus Cousins saga because Ranadive has been loyal to Cousins and the mercurial center can’t help but notice the in-fighting among the staff, Amick adds. The Kings deny that Lieberman has Ranadive’s ear or that Karl has pushed her to the background, sources indicated to NBCSports.com’s Dan Feldman, though Feldman notes that Amick is well connected and has reported out of Sacramento for many years.

In other news around the Pacific Division:

Power forward Jeff Ayres is relieved he can settle into one place now that the Clippers have signed him for the remainder of the season, Rowan Kavner of Clippers.com reports. The power forward, who played under two 10-day contracts with the Clippers earlier this season, played two games for the D-League’s Los Angeles D-Fenders after being traded from Boise before the Clippers came calling again. “I was telling somebody this morning, I’ve been living out of my suitcase – like really living out of a suitcase,” Ayres told Kavner.
Lakers coach Byron Scott isn’t concerned about Jordan Clarkson‘s shooting slump, Bill Oram of the Orange County Register writes. The second-year shooting guard has averaged 9.7 points, shot 29.5% from the field and made just two of 17 3-point attempts over the past three games. “I don’t put a whole lot of stock into it,” Scott told Oram and other members of the media. “You’re going to have stretches of this season, which is a long season, where you’re going to have some bad games.”
Rookie shooting guard Devin Booker is being groomed as the Suns‘ go-to player at the end of games, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Interim head coach Earl Watson is putting the ball in his hands during those situations to see how he responds, as Watson relayed to Coro. “Devin has to learn how to finish games at the elbow like Kobe Bryant,” Watson said. “He knows that. We talked about that. That’s the progression of him finishing games.”

Pacific Notes: Griffin, Booker, Looney

March 14th, 2016 at 6:44pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Clippers did not seem to miss power forward Blake Griffin during the initial aftermath of the quadriceps tendon tear he suffered on Christmas, but that has changed, Andrew Han of ESPN.com writes. Point guard Chris Paul told Han and other reporters after the Clippers lost to the Cavs by 24 points on Sunday that Griffin’s extended absence is taking a toll. “[Playing without him] gets real tough,” Paul said. “They have three, four guys out there that [with a] low shot clock can bail you out. Just all that tension that he brings opens it up for all of us.” The Clippers won their first nine games without Griffin but have stumbled recently, losing by double digits in three of their last five games. Griffin’s hand, which he fractured in a January 23rd fight with assistant equipment manager Matias Testi, has healed faster than his quad. Once he is cleared for game action, Griffin still faces a four-game team-imposed suspension for that incident.

In other news around the Pacific Division:

The Clippers are likely to keep their superstar trio of Paul, Griffin and center DeAndre Jordan intact this summer, a panel of ESPN Insider experts opines. As Jeremias Engelmann points out, superstars rarely get dealt unless they request a trade. A majority of the panel also believes the Clippers will be better off when Griffin returns from his injuries and suspension.
Rookie shooting guard Devin Booker is often initiating the Suns’ half-court offense, even with the return of point guard Brandon Knight from a sports hernia, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports. Booker recorded 11 assists against the Warriors on Saturday. “Both of us can bring the ball up the floor, so you get the rest,” Booker told Coro. “If you have to bring it up every time, it’s tough on a team.”
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was instrumental in the Warriors hiring Bob Myers as their assistant GM in 2011, as owner Joe Lacob discusses at length in an interview with Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News. Myers was promoted to GM the following year.
The Warriors recalled power forward Kevon Looney from their D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz, according to the team’s website. Looney has appeared in 12 games with Santa Cruz this season, including two games during his latest assignment.

And-Ones: Suns, Fisher, Satoransky, Bennett

March 10th, 2016 at 1:54pm CST by Chuck Myron

Suns owner Robert Sarver said he’s committed to keeping GM Ryan McDonough for next season and optimistic about the team’s position for the future, in an extensive interview with Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic. Sarver referred to rookie Devin Booker as a potential face of the franchise and also expressed belief in fellow recent first-round picks Alex Len, T.J. Warren and Archie Goodwin. The owner maintains faith in disappointing offseason signee Tyson Chandler, believing that he’ll perform better next season, when he’ll be 34. Still, Sarver insisted that he’ll leave matters of player personnel to McDonough and company, even as he feels a responsibility to set the tone.

“My biggest regret is that, as a manager of people, I feel I let the organization down in terms of the culture,” Sarver said to Coro. “I didn’t put my hand print on that culture and maybe didn’t hold people as accountable as I should and really make sure we’re putting that together. But I’m starting to see some of that.”

Sarver also stumped for public funding of a new arena and pointed to a clause in the team’s lease at Talking Stick Resort Arena, its existing home, that would allow the Suns to leave in 2021, as Coro relays. See more from around the NBA, which has seen the last of referee Joey Crawford, as Steve Aschburner of NBA.com reports:

Derek Fisher insists he didn’t lose his job as Knicks coach over character or integrity issues, as he writes in an essay for The Cauldron blog on SI.com. Fisher addressed his preseason encounter with Matt Barnes at the home of Barnes’ estranged wife, writing that he didn’t retaliate against Barnes during the incident and that he never had issues or much of a relationship with Barnes before that. Still, Fisher failed to address why he was in California and away from the Knicks when the episode took place, notes Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News (Twitter link).
It’s still possible for the Wizards to sign draft-and-stash prospect Tomas Satoransky this summer even in the wake of the four-year extension he signed with Barcelona of Spain, which doesn’t include an NBA out until 2017, a source tells Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post. The Wizards could buy out Satoransky’s contract before the extension kicks in, Castillo hears, adding that Washington would likely sign him to a two-year deal with a team option on the second season if the team brings him stateside.
Luis Scola‘s professionalism is well-known around the league, and Anthony Bennett, cognizant his NBA career was teetering on the brink, sought out his advice not long before the Raptors waived the former No. 1 overall pick last week, team sources tell Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. The release of Bennett was an eye-opener, rookie Delon Wright said, as Smith also notes in his look at the roles of nonstars in the NBA.

Suns Waive Kris Humphries

February 28th, 2016 at 4:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

4:18pm: The Suns have waived Humphries, the team announced (on Twitter), confirming an earlier tweet from Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

SUNDAY, 11:01am: The Suns are expected to complete a buyout deal with Kris Humphries later today, according to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic. The Hawks are the favorite to sign Humphries after he clears waivers, as Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops first reported Saturday. Because Humphries is being released before Tuesday’s deadline, he will be eligible to participate in the postseason with his new team. “Basketball always comes down to winning and competing, especially now that the season is so long,” Humphries said, according to Coro. “[Joining a playoff team] is always an option.”

Humphries has been in Phoenix for a little more than a week after Washington traded him there in a deadline deal for Markieff Morris. The Suns also received a top-nine protected draft pick and DeJuan Blair, who was waived on Monday. Humphries is making $4.6MM this season and in 2016/17, so it’s possible he could be giving up a substantial amount of money in the buyout.

The parting of ways with Humphries coincides with Phoenix’s desire to give more time to younger players, as Coro examines in a separate story. Interim coach Earl Watson used the team’s 18th different starting lineup of the season Saturday and wants to see more of Alex Len, Archie Goodwin and Devin Booker.

“I think it’s time to put our young guys in position, as many young guys as we can, in a position to be successful,” Watson said. “I think we have to let them be comfortable.”

The Hawks have an open roster spot and are definitely interested in Humphries, writes Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Atlanta has been monitoring buyout candidates as it searches for a replacement for center/forward Tiago Splitter, who is out for the rest of the season after undergoing hip surgery this week. Splitter was averaging 5.6 points and 3.3 rebounds through 36 games, mostly as a reserve.

Humphries could play a role in costing his former team a playoff spot if he signs with Atlanta, writes Ben Standig of CSNMidAtlantic. At 27-30, the Wizards are in 10th place and four games behind the Hawks in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The teams will meet three more times this season.

Pacific Notes: Varejao, Teletovic, Booker, Karl

February 23rd, 2016 at 1:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Leandro Barbosa helped recruit fellow Brazilian Anderson Varejao to the Warriors, Varejao said, adding that his familiarity with former teammates Shaun Livingston, Marreese Speights and Luke Walton and respect for Golden State’s stars also helped persuade him to sign with the team, observes Monte Poole of CSNBayArea.com. Varejao’s agency confirmed the Hawks, Spurs, Thunder and Mavericks were his other suitors, while Marc Stein of ESPN.com also heard the Clippers made an offer.

“I’m glad I came here [to Oakland], because I can tell they love each other,” Varejao said, according to Poole. “That’s what it’s about. When you want to win, you have to be like they are. Friends that have fun out there, have fun in the locker room. I’ve been here for a couple hours, but I can tell. I can tell this group, they love each other.”

See more from the Pacific Division:

Mirza Teletovic is on a one-year contract and was reportedly the subject of trade talk between the Suns and Bucks, but he said he’d like to stay in Phoenix as long as possible, notes Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Rookie Devin Booker is the top scorer remaining on the Suns in the wake of injuries to others and the Markieff Morris trade, but while Booker manages the difficulty of having become the focal point for opposing defenses, the Suns want him to work on his defensive development, Coro writes in a separate piece. “His major, major growth opportunities are on defense,” Suns interim coach Earl Watson said. “We don’t care about offense and averaging 20 points a game. We care about defensively being accountable, getting stops, being in the right position, helping your team.”
The Kings have been unfair to George Karl, argues Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post, who believes that the coach has much too long a track record of success to put up with the turmoil in Sacramento. Still, Dempsey can’t envision Karl quitting and walking away from the money the team owes him.