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New York Notes: Harris, Davis, Nets, Hezonja

July 2nd, 2018 at 10:18am CST by Luke Adams

Before he agreed to a two-year, $16MM deal with the Nets, free agent sharpshooter Joe Harris fielded competitive offers from rival suitors. However, he tells Michael Scotto of The Athletic that his priority was remaining in Brooklyn.

“I had some offers for longer-term deals, but ultimately from the get-go, I had basically said that I wanted to stay in Brooklyn and however we could come to an agreement on that,” Harris said.

Meanwhile, the Nets’ other noteworthy July 1 move involved reaching a contract agreement with Ed Davis, who will ink a one-year, $4.4MM contract with the club. According to Scotto, Davis received interest from the Warriors, Sixers, Thunder, and Trail Blazers before striking a deal with the Nets.

Here are a few more notes on the NBA’s two New York teams:

The Nets are not actively shopping anyone on their roster in trade talks, a league source tells Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). That includes Jeremy Lin, who has a $12.5MM expiring contract in 2018/19 and will be part of a point guard rotation that also includes Spencer Dinwiddie and D’Angelo Russell.
Within his report on Mario Hezonja‘s agreement with the Knicks, Marc Berman of The New York Post notes that the forward chose New York over seven other teams, including the runner-up Trail Blazers. “The main reason is David Fizdale. He sold him,” a source told Berman. “The goal is to be here long term and finish his career. He was a fan of the team growing up.” Hezonja’s deal significantly reduces the odds of Michael Beasley returning to the Knicks, Berman adds.
Nets restricted free agent Milton Doyle has drawn interest from the Timberwolves and an Eastern Conference team, among others, reports Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). A two-way player last year, Doyle could sign an offer sheet with another club, but Brooklyn would have the chance to match it.

Northwest Notes: Nurkic, George, Jazz, Bryant

May 12th, 2018 at 9:09pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Trail Blazers should resist the temptation to spend big on free agent center Jusuf Nurkic, writes Dan Favale of Bleacher Report. Portland is already in a dicey cap situation with more than $110MM committed for next season and little relief coming until the summer of 2020.

Favale’s advice is to re-sign free agent Ed Davis, who earned $6.35MM this season and should have a much smaller price tag than Nurkic. He adds that the Blazers can form an effective center combination with Davis and rookie Zach Collins without plunging themselves into luxury tax territory.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Paul George got nearly all A’s in his first season with the Thunder from Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. George received high marks for deportment, stamina, defense and 3-point shooting, but only a D in ball security and a C for his performance in the playoffs. George was outstanding against the Jazz in Games 1 and 5, but shot a disastrous 2-of-16 with six turnovers as OKC was eliminated in Game 6.
The Jazz will be looking for another scorer this summer to complement Donovan Mitchell, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Utah could have $17MM to spend, depending on what it does with free agent Derrick Favors and the non-guaranteed contracts of Thabo Sefolosha, Ekpe Udoh and Jonas Jerebko.
Elijah Bryant of Brigham Young, who worked out for the Jazz today, is trying to prove he can carve out a place in the NBA, relays Kyle Goon of The Salt Lake Tribune. The Cougars’ leading scorer last season, Bryant is considered a long shot to be drafted but left school a year early because he wants to get started on a pro career at age 23. The first step is matching up with higher-regarded prospects at workouts. “So you come into a situation like that and you’re used to being the main guy on the team, but now everyone’s playing well, right?” Bryant said. “So I think being assertive and being able to communicate on this level is a different thing than being at BYU. Being able to show you’re in shape and show you can hit shots when you’re tired. Those are things that I’ve been able to show throughout this process.”

Injury Updates: Hill, Irving, Wall, Gasol

March 31st, 2018 at 5:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

An MRI confirmed that Cavaliers guard George Hill sprained his left ankle in last night’s win over the Pelicans, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Hill was pulled from the game midway through the third quarter after landing awkwardly on a layup attempt.

Hill has been declared out of Sunday’s game with the Mavericks, but there is no word on his availability beyond that. He will undergo treatment and rehab, but the team hasn’t set a timetable for a return, according to Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated (Twitter link).

Hill has been a valuable addition to the Cavs since he was acquired from the Kings in a deal at the deadline. He has appeared in 22 games, all starts, and is averaging 9.9 points and 2.9 assists per night.

There’s more injury-related news from around the NBA:

Celtics coach Brad Stevens offered an update on the progress of Kyrie Irving, who underwent a procedure on his left knee last week, relays Chris Forsberg of ESPN (Twitter link). “I saw him yesterday,” Stevens said, “spent a lot of time with him. Spirits were good. Bending, extending his knee on a training table. No on-court videos. No 360 dunks.”
John Wall played 33 minutes today in his first game since arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in January. However, the Wizards aren’t going to take a chance with using him in back-to-back games as coach Scott Brooks has already ruled him out of Sunday’s contest in Chicago, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post.
Spurs center Pau Gasol will continue to play through a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News (Twitter link). Gasol said the shoulder is “going to nag” him for the rest of the season.
An MRI conducted today showed that Trail Blazers forward Ed Davis has a sprained right ankle, according to Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com (Twitter link). Davis will be re-evaluated in seven to 14 days and may miss the start of the playoffs.
Hornets guard Dwayne Bacon was removed from today’s game with a right ankle sprain, the team tweeted. Further evaluation will be needed to determine the extent of the damage.
Hawks forward DeAndre’ Bembry is listed as probable for Sunday’s game with the Magic, according to Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal Constitution (Twitter link). Bembry has been limited to 21 games this season and hasn’t played since suffering a groin injury Feb. 23.

2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Portland Trail Blazers

March 29th, 2018 at 10:17pm CST by Austin Kent

The Trail Blazers are burdened by some unpalatable long-term contracts, but the $112MM already on the books for 2018/19 is tolerable given that they’re in the running for home-court advantage in the first-round of the playoffs.

With little foreseeable cap space projected until the summer of 2020 at the earliest, the Blazers will have to make some decisions on whether to keep the current core together or make more ambitious, financially-driven moves to position themselves for the future.

The 2017/18 campaign saw general manager Neil Olshey unload 22-year-old Noah Vonleh at the trade deadline in order to duck under the luxury tax line. Could a deep postseason run in the spring be enough to convince franchise owner Paul Allen to blow by that threshold next year?

Jusuf Nurkic, C, 23 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $8MM contract in 2014.
While Nurkic’s value tends to fluctuate from month to month, there’s no denying that he’s capable of big things if given an opportunity. Were it not for the Blazers’ financial binds, bringing back the Bosnian Beast on a significant deal would be a no-brainer. Alas, making or matching a significant offer for the big man would vault Portland well into the luxury tax, something that we’re not quite sure the club is willing to do yet. It would be a shame for the Blazers to watch Nurkic walk for nothing, so expect them to work the phones aggressively to see if they can find a way to make it work. If they can’t, he’ll get paid elsewhere, even with a glut of other available centers on the market.

Pat Connaughton, SG, 25 (Up) – Signed to a three-year, $3MM deal in 2015.
After two years of sparse playing time, Connaughton has carved out a role for himself in Portland’s rotation. The dual-threat athlete won’t break the bank as a restricted free agent, but could be a welcomed addition should the Blazers look to bring the familiar face back on the cheap.

Ed Davis, C, 29 (Down) – Signed to a three-year, $20MM deal in 2015.
While Davis has consistently established himself as an efficient player in reserve minutes, he’s never taken the leap to make a case for himself as a starter. The big man should be able to at least replicate his last contract considering his per-36 rates of 10.2 points and 14.0 boards, but don’t bank on that coming in Portland — he’s a replaceable piece of the current puzzle.

Shabazz Napier, PG, 26 (Up) – Signed to a four-year, $6MM contract in 2014.
It took Napier four years and three teams to find a home in the NBA, but he has finally come into his own in Oregon. The prolific 26-year-old combo guard has slotted in admirably behind Portland’s celebrated starting duo – a duo consisting of two other prolific combo guards – and has stepped up occasionally when called upon. In nine games as a starter, the former UConn standout has posted 15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists per contest, and may have shown just enough in those stints to draw an offer sheet out of a desperate team in restricted free agency. It’s hard to imagine Olshey digging deep to match an aggressive offer from a team with cap space to spare but that wouldn’t be for a lack of interest.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Northwest Notes: Trail Blazers, Baldwin, Dieng

October 26th, 2017 at 5:23pm CST by Austin Kent

The Trail Blazers have jumped out to a hot start this season thanks in large part to their formidable second unit. Jason Quick of NBC Sports Northwest writes that the club’s bench is becoming one of the league’s best.

The catalyst, Quick writes, has been Evan Turner, the 28-year-old second-year Trail Blazer who’s posted 13.3 points, 3.8 boards and 4.3 assists per game. Between Turner’s production, his ability to minimize turnovers and chip in with solid defense, he’s making an early case to be included in the Sixth Man of the Year conversation.

Other player who have looked solid off the bench for the Trail Blazers include Ed Davis and Pat Connaughton. This season, 28-year-old Davis has emerged as a voracious rebounder (18.8 per-36) and Connaughton has chipped in with 10.8 points per game, including two three-pointers made per contest at a 50% clip.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Nuggets strike Gina Mizell of the Denver Post as the ideal landing spot for disgruntled Suns guard Eric Bledsoe. While the team has expressed a willingness to let Emmanuel Mudiay and Jamal Murray play through their mistakes, it’s understandable that they may be intrigued to make a play for Bledsoe now that he’s definitely available.
Second-year guard Wade Baldwin signed a two-way contract with the Trail Blazers this week but the team’s official website has announced that the guard has undergone surgery and is expected to miss six weeks after tearing a ligament in his right thumb.
The Timberwolves will need to figure out just how Gorgui Dieng fits into their plans now that they’ve revamped their roster, Michael Rand of The Star Tribune writes. After playing 32.4 minutes per game last season, the 27-year-old advanced stat darling has seen just 13.8 through five games so far in 2017/18.

Trail Blazers Notes: Trades, Davis, Nurkic

September 26th, 2017 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers had one of the quietest seasons in the NBA, with few new incoming or outgoing players. The trade that sent Allen Crabbe to the Nets was Portland’s only major deal of the summer, but that wasn’t for lack of trying. Speaking to reporters at Media Day on Monday, Blazers president of basketball operations Neil Olshey suggested that his club was “incredibly aggressive” in exploring potential upgrades (link via Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com).

“I don’t like to talk about things that could have been, but like I said, we did everything in our power to try and accelerate where we’re trying to get to as a team,” Olshey said. “In terms of trades, it didn’t work out, but like I said, we didn’t give anything up either in terms of the future of the roster that we continue to build.”

Here are a few more highlights from Media Day in Portland:

While Olshey was unable to add any impact players via trade over the offseason, he pointed to the Blazers’ $12.97MM trade exception – created in the Crabbe deal – as a tool that will continue to create opportunities for the club going forward, as Jason Quick of CSNNW.com writes. “Things are not over yet,” Olshey said. “We have the biggest trade exception in the league; we are still aggressive.”
Veteran forward Ed Davis confirmed to reporters, including Holdahl (Twitter link), that he has been medically cleared to practice, and plans to be a full participant for training camp. Davis is coming off shoulder surgery, which he underwent back in March.
Jusuf Nurkic, who is eligible to sign a contract extension until October 16, said he feels like Portland is the best place for him (Twitter link via Joe Freeman of The Oregonian). “I want to be here,” Nurkic said. While the Blazers likely feel the same way, an extension for the big man may be challenging, since he has only appeared in 20 games for the franchise, and the club has a handful of expensive, long-term commitments on its cap.

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Nurkic, Murray, Wolves

June 28th, 2017 at 9:58am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers are in a tough spot heading into this year’s free agency period, with more than $133MM in guaranteed salaries on their 2017/18 cap, not to mention cap holds for a pair of first-round picks. However, as Joe Freeman of The Oregonian details, Neil Olshey continues to explore ways to make his team better, even if his financial flexibility is virtually non-existent.

“We’re never content with the roster,” said the Trail Blazers’ president of basketball operations. “Every day we wake up looking to find ways to improve the roster, to accelerate what we’ve been trying to do the last couple of years and make the team more competitive. We’re incredibly pleased with what we were able to accomplish in the draft with both of these guys and they are going to contribute. But until we get to October and training camp starts, the roster always is in a state of flux and we’re always looking to upgrade and we’re always looking to accelerate what we’ve been trying to build the last couple of years.”

While Olshey doesn’t intend to stand pat in July, he also cautioned against pursuing “quick fixes,” stressing that the Trail Blazers front office wants to build a team capable of long-term success, rather than pushing all its chips into the middle.

Here’s more from around the Northwest division:

Jusuf Nurkic continues to recover from a broken leg, but the Trail Blazers expect him to be healthy and ready to go by the time training camp begins in September, writes Mike Richman of The Oregonian. As Richman notes, the franchise is also counting on Ed Davis (torn labrum) and Allen Crabbe (foot surgery) to be back for training camp.
Nick Kosmider of The Denver Post has a Nuggets injury update, writing that Jamal Murray played in a two-on-two game on Tuesday. Murray, who underwent surgeries to repair core muscle-related injuries in April, “thinks he’s ready to go now,” according to GM Tim Connelly. The 2016 lottery pick is expected to be medically cleared well before training camp begins.
Appearing on The Scoop podcast with Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said that the Bulls initiated talks related to Jimmy Butler, and added that the Wolves wouldn’t have made the deal if Chicago hadn’t included the No. 16 pick.

“Not A Chance” Blazers Bring Back Festus Ezeli

March 13th, 2017 at 3:50pm CST by Milo Taibi

Jason Quick, CSN’s Trail Blazers Insider, rejected the possibility of Portland picking up Festus Ezeli‘s team option for 2017/18, saying there’s “no chance” of it happening (Twitter link). Should Neil Oshey decline Ezeli’s options, he’ll join the 2017 free agent class as a bounce-back candidate.

Ezeli didn’t play a game this year, suffering a left knee injury before undergoing season-ending surgery. The 27-year-old Ezeli made $7.4MM in 2016/17, and would be owed $7.733MM if Portland picked up his option for next season. Quick discussed other big men Portland could pursue over the offseason, suggesting the team look for a trade partner or hope for a return to form from Ed Davis, who will be entering the final season of his three-year deal (Twitter link).

Prior to his season-ending surgery, Ezeli spoke to reporters in December about the frustration of a lost season.

“I’m kind of past the point of frustration because at first it was — I’m not going to lie, it definitely was,” he said. “I’m at the point where I’m just trying to find a solution. The sooner I can, the sooner I can get on the court and help my team win games. I just can’t wait to get on the court, that’s my biggest thing. I miss basketball, I haven’t played basketball in a while, so that’s my biggest thing right now.”

Northwest Notes: Cole, Oladipo, Nurkic, Davis

March 3rd, 2017 at 9:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Veteran point guard Norris Cole is thrilled to be back in the NBA after nearly a year away from the league, writes Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman. The Thunder signed Cole for the rest of the season on Wednesday, giving them a veteran point guard to back up Russell Westbrook. The job belonged to rookie Semaj Christon when the season started while Cameron Payne was rehabbing from a foot injury. Christon got it back again when Payne was traded to the Bulls last week. Now Oklahoma City has a more experienced option in Cole, who saw plenty of playoff action during his three and a half seasons in Miami. “I think he understands what he’s walking into and what he’s got to do,” said coach Billy Donovan. “And it will take some time. I think he understands that. Just need him to run our team when he’s in there, make good decisions, defend – all the things he’s done for most of his career.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Donovan isn’t worried that Victor Oladipo‘s back injury will become a long-term problem, Dawson tweets. Oladipo missed his fourth straight game with back spasms Thursday night, but the coach believes it’s just a muscular issue and the recovery time is normal.
Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic made a powerful impression Thursday in his first home game since being acquired in a trade with the Nuggets, notes Casey Holdahl of NBA.com. Nurkic put up 18 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and five steals, making him the first Portland player ever to reach all those numbers in a single game. “I feel great to be here, excited every day to spent with those guys in this city,” Nurkic said. “They give me a lot of opportunity when I came here, so I just try to play and have fun. I know who I am… I know I’m going to be on the court. I just go there and play.”
Blazers big man Ed Davis discusses his decision to have season-ending shoulder surgery with Joe Freeman of The Oregonian and says he will definitely be ready for the start of next season.

Trail Blazers’ Ed Davis Out For Season

March 1st, 2017 at 9:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

Portland center/power forward Ed Davis will undergo shoulder surgery and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, tweets Chris Mannix of the Vertical.

The procedure will fix an injured labrum in his left shoulder. It will be performed Tuesday in Los Angeles, according to radio station KXL-FM in Portland. A Blazers spokesman says says Davis first hurt the shoulder last season and it has gotten steadily worse since then.

Davis appeared in 46 games this season, averaging 4.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per night. He has one year left on his contract worth more than $6.35MM.