Draymond Green Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: D. Green, Warriors, Clippers

December 7th, 2016 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

It has been an interesting week for B.J. Armstrong of the Wasserman Media Group, who weighed in on on Derrick Rose‘s potential long-term future in New York and confirmed that Donatas Motiejunas isn’t reporting to the Rockets after having his offer sheet matched. Earlier in the week, Armstrong also provided his thoughts on another client, Draymond Green, telling Sam Amick of USA Today that the NBA’s rule changes are designed to make money rather than to improve the game. Specifically, Armstrong criticized the league’s “unnatural acts” rule which has penalized the Warriors big man for flailing his limbs and kicking opponents.

“People flail, people do things, and their bodies respond in certain ways,” Armstrong said. “I think it (Green’s play with James Harden last Thursday) is a no-call. … When I played, I would never, ever try to run Reggie Miller off the line because I knew Reggie. If I ran at him, and I was trying to run him off the line, I was going to get kicked. I knew that, and people around the league knew that. And players always adjust.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific division:

In an interesting piece for The Vertical, Adrian Wojnarowski notes that the Warriors – along with the Spurs – made an effort to trade up in the 2011 NBA draft to select Jonas Valanciunas with the No. 5 pick. Ultimately, the Raptors kept that selection and took Valanciunas themselves, while Golden State and San Antonio got decent consolation prizes — they ended up with Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard, respectively.
Clippers owner Steve Ballmer is “dead serious” about trying to move the club into a new arena when its lease with the Staples Center expires, writes David Aldridge of NBA.com. Aldridge’s piece provides plenty of other interesting tidbits on the Clippers, including a look at Lawrence Frank‘s role in the team’s basketball operations department.
The fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft, power forward Thomas Robinson is still just 25 years old, but he has lived a nomadic existence in the NBA so far, having spent time with seven teams in just five seasons. Mark Whicker of The O.C. Register examines how Robinson is fitting in this year with the Lakers as he looks to find a consistent role in the NBA.

Pacific Notes: Jenkins, Suns, D. Green, Durant

October 21st, 2016 at 11:50am CST by Luke Adams

Suns guard John Jenkins is drawing some interest from Euroleague club Baskonia, per Spanish website Encestando (translation via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype). Jenkins, who is battling an abdominal strain, is currently on a non-guaranteed contract, but it will become fully guaranteed if he remains on Phoenix’s roster beyond October 23, so potential international suitors – like Baskonia – could be preparing to pounce. According to Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic, Jenkins remains focused on the NBA for now, saying he hasn’t “thought about anything overseas.”

Here’s more from out of the Pacific:

A handful of interesting pieces and quotes have come out of Golden State recently, including a Draymond Green rant about the criticism Kevin Durant has received for deciding to sign with the Warriors. As Anthony Slater of The Bay Area News Group details (via Twitter), Green compared it to an Apple employee joining Google, suggesting that he doesn’t understand why athletes are criticized for prioritizing their happiness and making “business” decisions.
Meanwhile, Green was the subject of a fascinating feature from Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com, who explores the impact the volatile Warriors All-Star big man has on the locker room. While Green’s passion and emotion can be a positive in Golden State, it also has the potential to disrupt the team’s chemistry, as former Warriors center Marreese Speights reportedly told Strauss.
Finally, Paul Solotaroff of Rolling Stone has a feature story on Durant, who provides a handful of interesting quotes throughout the piece. Notably, the former Oklahoma City star expressed disappointment that the Thunder could never add that final veteran piece to get over the hump and win a title. “Where other teams went out and got that veteran guy, we kept getting younger,” Durant said. The former MVP also touched on his relationship with Russell Westbrook and the difficult phone call he made to Thunder GM Sam Presti and owner Clay Bennett to let them know he had chosen the Warriors.
As we noted earlier today, the Lakers reportedly have interest in retaining Metta World Peace as an assistant coach if he doesn’t make the team’s 15-man roster as a player.

And-Ones: Big Men, Colangelo, Fortson

July 23rd, 2016 at 5:27pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The emphasis on guard play and the 3-point shot hasn’t depressed salaries for big men, Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders notes. High-profile players like Al Horford, Hassan Whiteside and Dwight Howard were paid over $20MM annually in this year’s free agent market but less heralded centers also cashed in, Greene continues. Timofey Mozgov (Lakers) and Ian Mahinmi (Wizards) were both signed to four-year, $64MM deals, even though Mozgov had a diminished role with the Cavs last season, while the Wizards already had an established center in Marcin Gortat. Bismack Biyombo received an even bigger contract from the Magic after playing a limited role with the Raptors much of last season, while the Bucks will pay Miles Plumlee an average of $13MM annually over the next four seasons even through he’s never averaged more than 25 minutes during his career.

In news around the league:

USA Basketball executive director Jerry Colangelo will not discourage Team USA players from speaking out on social or racial issues, The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears reports. NBA and WNBA players have increasingly taken public stands on hot-button topics, while the league pulled the All-Star Game from Charlotte this week over a controversial North Carolina law. “No, we’re not telling them what to say,” Colangelo told Spears. “We are saying we’re supportive. We’re in fact encouraging and they have to make their own choice. We’re not telling them what to say and what not to say.”
Courtney Fortson has signed with the Chinese team Zheijiang Guangsha, international journalist David Pick tweets. Fortson played last season with Banvit in Turkey. The point guard appeared in a combined 10 games with the Clippers and Rockets during the 2011/12 season.
The Warriors’ new trio of Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant played two minutes together during Team USA’s exhibition win over Argentina but more often in pairs, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com writes. Team USA had a lot of success with a smaller lineup featuring Green at center and Durant at small forward, according to Windhorst. “Honestly, if you want me to be quite frank with you, I didn’t even notice me, Klay and KD were out there together,” Green told Windhorst.

And-Ones: All-Star Game, Green, Alan Williams

July 22nd, 2016 at 9:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Orleans has emerged as the strong favorite to host the All-Star Game in February, a source close to the situation informed Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. The NBA pulled the game from Charlotte on Thursday in protest of a North Carolina law that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people. Charlotte will host the 2019 ASG if sufficient changes are made to the law, Mahoney adds. Boston and Atlanta have also shown interest in hosting the event, Mahoney continues. The Pelicans franchise also hosted the ASG in 2008 and 2014.

In other news around the league:

Warriors All-Star forward Draymond Green has reached a plea agreement that will allow him to avoid jail time and reduce the charges he faced for allegedly slapping a Michigan State University football player on July 10th, Christopher Haxel of the Lansing State Journal writes. The former MSU All-American will pay a $500 fine and $60 restitution fee, Haxel adds.
Power forward Alan Williams has a strong chance to remain on the Suns’ roster, Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports. The 23-year-old Williams appeared in 10 games with the Suns last season, averaging 2.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in 6.8 minutes. Williams’ $874,636 contract for next season becomes guaranteed if he’s on the roster through Sept. 1. “Chances are, he’ll have a spot,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough told Coro.
Former NBA power forward D.J. White has re-signed with Torino in Italy for another season, according to E. Carchia of Sportando.com. The 29-year-old White played for the Thunder, Celtics and Hornets before going overseas. His most recent NBA stint was 2013/14, when he appeared in two games with Charlotte.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Lakers, Green

July 21st, 2016 at 9:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Jae Crowder, who participated in the Celtics‘ pitch to Kevin Durant earlier this month, isn’t thrilled that Durant ended up choosing the Warriors over Boston, or even over Oklahoma City. As Crowder tells Tom Westerholm of MassLive.com, the Celtics were the only team to beat both the Cavaliers and Warriors on the road last season, and the team’s presentation to Durant included an explanation of its strategies in those games.

“We played him clips from both games and told him basically the scouting report of how we guarded Steph (Curry) and Klay (Thompson) — our entire game plan, basically,” Crowder said. “That’s what made me mad. We (expletive) told him everything we do to beat these guys, and we beat them, and he went and joined them. I mean, that’s part of the process, but I did not think he would go to those two teams.

“I felt like afterward, I was talking to Isaiah (Thomas), like maybe after you sit back, you shouldn’t have told him everything, but who the (expletive) thought he was going to Golden State, realistically?” Crowder continued. “It was like a slap in the face for us, basically.”

Here’s more on Durant, along with a couple more Pacific Division notes:

The Lakers have an “unnamed trade target” in mind, but the team would be willing to use its cap room to accommodate another Jose Calderon-esque salary dump, writes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Taking Calderon off the Bulls’ hands landed Los Angeles a pair of future draft picks.
Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com examines how Durant is adjusting to his new role as a villain, while Michael Lee of The Vertical explains why the newest Warriors star isn’t worried about his legacy.
Draymond Green‘s attorney, James Heos, tells Christopher Haxel of The Lansing State Journal that his client’s court case could be resolved at any time. However, if a trial is set, Heos will ask that it happen after the Olympics and before the NBA regular season begins. The Warriors forward faces a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery stemming from a July 10 incident in East Lansing.

Western Notes: Green, Bourousis, Nuggets

July 12th, 2016 at 8:35pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Warriors forward Draymond Green was arrested over the weekend for an alleged assault, but his attorney stated that Green is completely innocent of any wrongdoing and that his client will be pleading innocent, Brendan F. Quinn of MLive.com relays. A spokesman for the East Lansing Police Department, which handled the arrest, told Ethan Sherwood Strauss of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link), “We are confirming that Draymond Green was arrested for assault in our downtown business district early Sunday morning at around 2:30AM. The victim was a male. It was basically an altercation between two guys. There’s no injuries. He was released with a $200 bond on Sunday. And he’s got 10 days to get arraigned and then prosecution will continue from there.”

The East Lansing PD spokesman also told Strauss (ESPN Now link), that the police were not summoned to the incident, but were already in the area and responded to the commotion. Here’s more from out West:

All-Euroleague center Giannis Bourousis has reached a agreement with the Greek club Panathinaikos on a two-year contract, Nikos Varlas of Eurohoops reports. The big man reportedly had contract offers from the Clippers and Warriors, with the Spurs also expressing interest, Varlas adds.
Given the Spurs‘ offseason moves thus far, it appears the team is preparing to increase the roles of Kyle Anderson and Jonathon Simmons, Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com relays. “This is a great experience for them. They get out on the court, and they’re going against quality competition in an organized setting. It’s not like you’re just playing pickup in the summer time,” assistant coach Becky Hammon said. “This is a great setting for them to be in situations like this. That’s how you build confidence in them, and that’s how coaches get confidence in them, too. If they see that putting Kyle in as a decision maker at the end of the game is a good option for us… there’s different things that we’re always trying to pick up, learn on and also stretch them mentally, and get them better as well as work on their individual game.“
The Nuggets are a team rich with potential trade assets and Jonny Aupin of RealGM ran down a number of hypothetical swaps the team may explore this season.

USA Basketball Finalizes 2016 Olympic Roster

June 27th, 2016 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

USA Basketball has finalized its 12-man roster for this summer’s Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, as Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press details. Team USA will head into the 2016 Olympics looking to win its third straight Gold medal in basketball. Barring any injuries or other unforeseen circumstances, the following 12 players will be representing America in Brazil this summer:

Carmelo Anthony, F
Harrison Barnes, F
Jimmy Butler, G/F
DeMarcus Cousins, C
DeMar DeRozan, G
Kevin Durant, F
Paul George, F
Draymond Green, F/C
Kyrie Irving, G
DeAndre Jordan, C
Kyle Lowry, G
Klay Thompson, G

While Team USA’s roster features a bevy of All-Stars, former Olympians, and an MVP winner, many notable players declined invitations to play in Rio this summer. LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden are among those who withdrew from consideration.

And-Ones: Olympics, Griffin, Messina, Vesely

June 25th, 2016 at 9:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Kyrie Irving and Harrison Barnes will fill the last two spots on the U.S. Olympic basketball team, writes Brian Mahoney of The Associated Press. The roster will be formally announced Monday in New York. Ten players committed earlier, but Mahoney reports that openings were left for Irving and LeBron James, who both asked for more time to decide after playing in the NBA Finals, which ended Sunday. James opted not to make the trip to Rio de Janeiro.

Barnes joins Warriors teammates Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on the roster, along with Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Paul George, DeMarcus Cousins, Jimmy Butler and DeAndre Jordan.

There’s more news tonight from around the basketball world:

The State of Florida has dropped first-degree attempted murder charges against former D-League All-Star Eric Griffin, according to D-League Digest. Griffin last played in the D-League in 2014/15, when he was a third-team all-league selection and a second-team all-defensive choice. He played in Dubai this season and may be ready for a shot at the NBA now that his legal case has been resolved.
Despite rumors, Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina won’t be leaving to take a job in Spain, tweets international journalist David Pick. “I have no contact with Barcelona,” Messina said. “I’m a happy Spur.”
Several NBA teams are interested in former lottery pick Jan Vesely, according to Sportando. The Mavericks, Nets and Pelicans are the teams listed as suitors for Vesely, who was selected sixth overall by the Wizards in the 2011 draft. Vesely played for Fenerbahce in Turkey this season and is a free agent. He is expected to get offers in the range of $30MM over three years.
Greek star Giannis Bourousis is ready to take a shot at the NBA, reports Aris Barkas of Eurohoops. “I would go to any NBA team,” said the 32-year-old seven-footer. “I just want to be there, after 14 years in Euroleague.”

Pacific Notes: Green, Barnes, Kings, McCaw

June 20th, 2016 at 10:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Warriors All-Star power forward Draymond Green has accepted an invitation to play for USA Basketball at the Rio Olympics, a source told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. Green will be making his USA Basketball national team debut, though he played on last year’s USA Showcase team. Golden State teammate Stephen Curry has already declined an invitation in order to rest his gimpy right knee.

In other news around the Pacific Division:

The team that gives Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes a big offer sheet in restricted free agency will be taking a major risk, Andrew Tobolowsky of UpsideMotor.com opines. Lance Stephenson posted better stats with the Pacers than Barnes did this season prior to hitting the free agent market and never lived up his supposed potential after signing with the Hornets in 2014, Tobolowsky points out. Potential suitors may overvalue Barnes in the belief he’ll thrive with a bigger role than he’s had with Golden State, Tobolowsky adds.
The Kings could revamp their roster for a second straight summer with their primary focus being the point guard spot, according to James Ham of CSNBayArea.com. The Kings could use a power forward who can stretch the floor, a long-term solution at small forward in place of Rudy Gay and an upgrade at shooting guard but solving the point guard dilemma is the biggest concern, Ham continues. Rajon Rondo is headed to unrestricted free agency and Darren Collison is engulfed by legal issues but the draft and free agency are unlikely to produce a solution, Ham believes. Kris Dunn and Jamal Murray could be off the board by the time the Kings’ No. 8 overall selection comes up, and it would take a tremendous sales job to land top free agent point man Mike Conley, Ham adds.
The Kings were the only team to bring in Sacramento native Michael Bryson for a second draft workout, Kings radio reporter Sean Cunningham tweets. The 6’4” shooting guard averaged 18.2 points during his senior season at UC Santa Barbara.
UNLV shooting guard Patrick McCaw was among the players who worked out for the Clippers on Monday, according to the team’s website. McCaw is a potential late first-round pick, ranked No. 28 by ESPN Insider Chad Ford and No. 29 by Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony. Other notables included a trio of forwards, Kentucky’s Alex Poythress, Iowa’s Jarrod Uthoff and Maryland’s Jake Layman.

Pacific Rumors: Curry, Olympics, Clippers, Suns

June 6th, 2016 at 11:34am CST by Luke Adams

Stephen Curry is just two wins away from his second consecutive NBA championship, but whether or not the Warriors finish off the Cavaliers, this year’s MVP reportedly won’t try to add a 2016 Olympic gold medal to his résumé. According to Marcus Thompson of The Bay Area News Group, Curry has decided not to play in this year’s Olympics in Brazil, opting instead to let his right knee heal.

While Curry’s decision to get healthy doesn’t come as a surprise, it remains to be seen how many other NBA players will back out of the Olympics in Brazil due to health or safety concerns. Thompson writes that other Warriors players like Andre Iguodala and Klay Thompson could opt out due to concerns about the Zika virus epidemic, but neither has informed USA Basketball of such a decision at this point. For his part, Draymond Green tells Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link) that he “would love to play” in Rio this summer.

Let’s check out a few more updates from out of the Pacific…

The Clippers are telling player agents that they’re trying to move up in the first round of the draft, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). It’s not clear whether or not Los Angeles, currently slated to pick 25th and 33rd, is eyeing a particular prospect.
Former California forward Jaylen Brown, projected as a potential top-10 pick, has a solo workout today with the Suns, who hold the No. 4 and No. 13 picks in this year’s draft (Twitter link).
Manhattan’s Jermaine Lawrence‘s pre-draft workout with the Warriors was originally scheduled to take place today, but it has been pushed back to June 11th, a source tells Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv (Twitter link).