Enes Freedom Rumors | Hoops Rumors

And-Ones: Cavs, Bogut, Barnes, Holiday

February 23rd, 2017 at 12:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Cavs won’t make a decision on Larry Sanders until after the trade deadline, Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com passes along (ESPN Now link). Cleveland is also keeping an eye on the Andrew Bogut situation. The Cavs would like to bring the center aboard and they’re expected to be in the mix for him.

Here’s more from around the league:

Several teams have expressed interest in Matt Barnes, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com tweets. Sources tell Shelburne that he’s waiting until after the trade deadline to make a decision.
Jarrett Jack will audition for the Pelicans, Marc Stein of ESPN.com tweets. New Orleans is pursuing backcourt help after trading away several players in the DeMarcus Cousins deal.
Point guard and pending free agent Jrue Holiday said the Pelicans “see me as a part of [the future],” the team tweets. The organization is calling Holiday, DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis their version of a Big Three.
Mike Bibby and Ricky Davis will be the co-captains of the Ghost Ballers, the fourth official team in the new 3-on-3 league, according to a press release on BIG3.com.
Thunder center Enes Kanter returned to practice on Wednesday for the first time since undergoing arm surgery, Royce Young of ESPN.com reports. It’s uncertain whether Kanter, who suffered a broken arm punching a chair on the bench on January 26th, will return to action on Friday against the Lakers.
Former Rockets center Yao Ming, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year, has been appointed as president of the Chinese Basketball Association, according to an ESPN.com report. He gave up ownership of the league’s Shanghai Sharks in order to take over his new role.

Chris Crouse contributed to this post

Western Notes: Kings, Tolliver, Kanter, Trade Deadline

February 15th, 2017 at 10:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings are in position to be players at the trade deadline, but first they must decide which direction they want to pursue, writes James Ham of CSNBayArea. Sacramento entered tonight just a game and a half out of a playoff spot, but a 24-32 record suggests a lot of improvement is still needed. The Kings can’t offer a draft pick before 2021, but they have several expiring contracts to deal, including Ty Lawson, Darren Collison and Omri Casspi. Kosta Koufos has been the subject of trade rumors, and Olympics star Bogdan Bogdanovic, currently playing in Turkey, could be a valuable trade chip.

There’s more tonight from the Western Conference:

Veteran forward Anthony Tolliver is hoping his stay in Sacramento won’t get cut short, relays Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee. A rash of injuries has created more playing time for the 31-year-old, and he has responded by shooting a career-best 45% from the field and 40% from 3-point range. Tolliver signed a two-year, $16MM deal over the summer, but only $2MM of his $8MM salary for next season is guaranteed before June 1st. That might make him attractive on the trade market for a team looking to cut salary, or the Kings could decide to save money by not bringing him back next season.
Thunder backup center Enes Kanter had the cast removed from his fractured right forearm, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Kanter had surgery January 27th and is scheduled to be re-evaluated February 24th. His recovery time was originally projected at four to eight weeks. Kanter says he knows when he should be able to play again, but doesn’t want to release it publicly, fearing it might put pressure on him or the organization to hit the target date.
Bobby Marks of The Vertical examines trade possibilities for the Clippers, Grizzlies and Thunder as next week’s deadline approaches. All three teams have dealt with major injuries this season.

Northwest Notes: Timberwolves, Kanter, Burks

January 30th, 2017 at 2:31pm CST by Luke Adams

The Timberwolves remain on the lookout for a big man, according to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link). That’s not a new revelation — a report in mid-December suggested that Minnesota was interested in adding some frontcourt help to its roster. Still, at that time, the trade deadline was more than two months away. February 23 is inching closer, so if the Wolves do indeed intend to address their frontcourt rotation via the trade market, they’ll have to do so within the next few weeks.

Here’s more from around the Northwest division:

After breaking his forearm last week when he punched a chair, Enes Kanter told reporters this weekend that he apologized to his Thunder teammates for his mistake, writes Royce Young of ESPN.com. “Of course it’s like a really sad thing because like, I mean because you’re letting your teammates down when you make a mistake like that,” Kanter said. “I mean you’re [letting] coaches down and stuff. But the only thing you can do is just, you know, you learn from it. The one thing you know I wish we could go back [in] time and then I could take it back.”
As Erik Horne of The Oklahoman details, player injuries could play a not-insignificant part in determining what kind of deals happen before the deadline. In the case of the Thunder, Cameron Payne missed several months earlier this season after having been mentioned in trade rumors, and Kanter will now be sidelined through February despite being a possible trade candidate.
The Jazz have a handful of potential backup point guards available now that the roster is healthy, but it has been Alec Burks who has received a chance to fill that role a couple times lately, says Mike Sorensen of The Deseret News. Unlike Burks, who has a longer-term deal, Utah’s other four point guards are all eligible for free agency in 2017 or 2018.

Northwest Notes: Anthony, Kanter, Towns

January 28th, 2017 at 3:57pm CST by Austin Kent

The Thunder are intrigued by the idea of adding Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, though he also adds that they know such a pairing is a long-shot.

Anthony has been the subject of trade speculation for the last few months. In order for the forward to change teams, however, he would have to first waive his no-trade clause, something that he’s said to have only considered for the Clippers or Cavaliers and not specifically the Thunder.

That said, the possibility of suiting up alongside Russell Westbrook must at least somewhat appeal to the 32-year-old. Westbrook has led the Thunder to a 28-19 record.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

After fracturing his forearm while punching a chair, Enes Kanter has undergone successful surgery, writes Royce Young of ESPN. The Thunder big man is still expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks, but will be re-evaluated in four weeks.
Second-year center Karl-Anthony Towns started the year shooting nearly four three-pointers per game. That trend, Michael Rand of the StarTribune notes, has subsided of late. Rand observes that the Timberwolves big man saw his percentage from beyond the arc drop as the season went on and suggests that Towns is now striking a more successful balance between shooting from the outside and going to work down low. Seven of Towns’ highest games scores have come in his last eight game, a span in which he’s shot just 2.0 triples per game.
The unique ability of Nikola Jokic has given the Nuggets flexibility when it comes to generating lineups, writes Nick Kosmider of the Denver Post. His passing ability gives the team plenty of options when executing their offense. “Nikola is a guy we play all over the floor,” says head coach Michael Malone. “He’ll be in the low post. At times he’ll be in the high post and at the elbows. We’ll play through him anywhere.”

Northwest Notes: Jokic, Kanter, Blazers, Thibodeau

January 27th, 2017 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will undergo an MRI today to determine the damage caused to his left hip in a collision Thursday night, according to Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. X-rays taken after the game were negative and the injury has been diagnosed as a hip strain. The Nuggets, who currently hold the eighth seed in the West with a 20-25 record, would have a hard time withstanding a prolonged absence by Jokic, who is averaging 15.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. “It’s good news for us,” teammate Will Barton said of the X-ray results. “He’s been playing out of this world for us, our best player. It would be tough to see him go down for a long time. I’m just happy he’s fine.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

The loss of Enes Kanter will create an even greater burden for Russell Westbrook, notes Royce Young of ESPN.com. Kanter is expected to be sidelined six to eight weeks after breaking his right forearm by punching a chair Thursday night. The Thunder center was third in the Sixth Man of the Year voting last year and has become even more valuable this season by improving his passing, Young writes. His absence robs the bench unit of a player who can create his own offense.
The Trail Blazers have one of the best backcourts in the league in Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, but they may need to break it up to build a contender, writes Michael Pina of RealGM. He suggests dangling both players in trade talks to see what kind of return they might bring, mentioning Andre Drummond, Jimmy Butler and Nerlens Noel as possibilities.
Tom Thibodeau’s style is starting to work with the Timberwolves, contends Jim Souhan of The Star-Tribune. Thibodeau can be loud and profane on the sidelines, but he is said to be fair and even-tempered with players behind the scenes. The Wolves are 17-29, but are only 3 1/2 games out of a playoff spot that would be the first for the franchise since 2004. “He’s honest,’’ Andrew Wiggins said after a recent Thibodeau press conference. “He said we were flat but he likes the way we fought at the end.’’

Enes Kanter Fractures Forearm Punching Chair

January 26th, 2017 at 10:33pm CST by Dana Gauruder

10:33 PM: Kanter will be out six to eight weeks, Wojnarowski reports (Twitter link).

10:00 PM: Thunder coach Billy Donovan told the media during his postgame press conference that Kanter suffered a fractured forearm, Wojnarowski tweets. Donovan said he would meet with Kanter before commenting on how the 6’11” center injured himself, Young tweets. No timetable has been established for Kanter’s return, according to Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman (Twitter link).

9:36 PM: Thunder center Enes Kanter, a leading candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, is feared to have fractured his right hand, sources told The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Kanter suffered the injury punching a chair on the bench in frustration after he was called for an offensive foul against the Mavericks on Thursday night.

He had X-rays on his wrist, ESPN.com’s Royce Young reports, and there is concern that the injury is significant pending further evaluation (Twitter link).

Kanter has arguably been the league’s most productive reserve this season, averaging 14.6 PPG and 6.8 RPG in 21.9 MPG. Kanter leads all centers with a Player Efficiency Rating of 24.76.

With Kanter out for an extended period, the Thunder will have to rely more heavily on starter Steven Adams. Joffrey Lauvergne will likely pick up the bulk of Kanter’s minutes off the bench. Nick Collison, 36, could also be in rotation mix after barely seeing the court this season.

Kanter has been very durable in recent years. He has played in every game this season and answered the bell every time last season, when he averaging 12.7 PPG and 8.1 RPG. He appeared in 75 combined games for the Jazz and Thunder two seasons ago, and played 80 games for Utah in 2013/14.

Northwest Notes: Turner, Blazers, Lauvergne, Payne

November 23rd, 2016 at 11:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Evan Turner says it’s nice to know he’s missed in Boston, even as he struggles to find a role in Portland, writes Steve Bulpett of The Boston Herald. Turner accepted a four-year, $70MM deal this summer to head to the Pacific Northwest. However, the Trail Blazers haven’t used him as a primary ballhandler the way the Celtics did, and he has found it hard to adjust to a backcourt rotation with Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. “I was most definitely comfortable there [in Boston],” Turner said. “There were certain situations where there were coaches that didn’t really sort of comprehend my game, and sometimes I wasn’t always in position to be comfortable or successful. So when you finally find that mixture of great basketball and off the court and things like that, you definitely don’t take it for granted.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Blazers haven’t shown significant improvement so far despite raising their payroll from $62MM to $112MM, contends Bobby Marks of The Vertical. Portland will have a hard time shaking things up until at least December 15th when the trade restrictions expire for Turner and Festus Ezeli. Restrictions for Allen Crabbe, Meyers Leonard and Maurice Harkless will remain in effect until January 15th. Crabbe cannot be traded without his approval for a year because the Blazers matched an offer sheet from Brooklyn.
Offseason addition Joffrey Lauvergne is taking away minutes from Enes Kanter in Oklahoma City, notes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Lauvergne, acquired in an August trade with the Nuggets, has impressed the Thunder with a combination of defense and long-range shooting. “A lot of it’s going to be based on matchups, how the game’s going, who’s alongside of him, do we have the speed and quickness in the frontcourt,” OKC coach Billy Donovan said when asked about Kanter’s playing time. “That’s not to say the last couple of games with Enes, with his minutes, he’s not going to play more because I do think he and Steven [Adams] together is a good combination for us.”
Timberwolves forward Adreian Payne‘s option wasn’t picked up last month, but his role with the team is growing, writes Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune. Payne got a chance to show what he could do after Shabazz Muhammad was sidelined with a sore knee. “Being patient is part of the NBA, being ready,” Payne said. “You just have to continue to work. Just going through this has been tough. It can break a lot of people. You just have to stay positive and continue to work.”

Thunder Considering Pursuit Of Al Horford

June 30th, 2016 at 7:35am CST by Luke Adams

If the Thunder re-sign Kevin Durant, adding him back to their current roster, the team won’t have any cap space to use for 2016/17. However, that isn’t stopping Oklahoma City from considering a run at another one of the top free agents on the market. According to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com, the Thunder have been making calls around the NBA looking to clear cap room, and rival executives believe the club is intent on pursuing Al Horford to go along with Durant.

As Windhorst details, the Thunder have made calls exploring the possibility of sending players like Enes Kanter and Kyle Singler to teams with the cap room necessary to absorb their salaries. The team could also save nearly $11.8MM in 2016/17 salary by cutting Ersan Ilyasova and Anthony Morrow, whose salaries aren’t guaranteed yet. Of course, if the Thunder want to avoid guaranteeing Ilyasova’s salary, that will require a quick decision — his $8.4MM becomes guaranteed tomorrow.

Even if the Thunder kept Ilyasova, they could clear plenty of salary by dealing Kanter and Singler, and waiving Morrow — that would move nearly $25.5MM off the team’s books. Remove Dion Waiters‘ qualifying offer and that would leave Oklahoma City with only about $46.6MM in team salary. Both Durant and Horford are eligible to earn maximum salaries of about $26.6MM, so depending on where the salary cap lands, some additional maneuvering may be required to make a Horford signing a reality for the Thunder, unless he and/or Durant were willing to take less than the max.

Horford’s interest level in the Thunder isn’t entirely clear, but he has a connection to head coach Billy Donovan, having played for him as a Florida Gator, and the two men remain close, according to Windhorst.

Although adding Horford would require several steps, and may be a long shot for the Thunder, the fact that the team is exploring such a possibility could be a selling point for Durant. Oklahoma City is set to sit down with its superstar forward today, and while the two sides technically aren’t permitted to discuss contract terms until July, the Thunder could present the Horford plan to Durant as one of several avenues to improving the roster. Playing for a perennial championship contender is a top priority for Durant, so OKC’s pitch figures to center on how the team can remain in contention for a title for years to come.

As for Horford, he’ll have a ton of suitors outside of the Thunder. The Hawks will work hard to re-sign him, and the Lakers, Rockets, Magic, Pistons, Wizards, Celtics, Heat, and Nets are among the other teams expected to have some interest. A Wednesday report suggested that Atlanta is hesitant to offer Horford a five-year deal, and if the team maintains that stance, it could risk losing him.

Northwest Notes: Durant, Westbrook, Dixon

June 19th, 2016 at 9:46pm CST by Arthur Hill

Free agency won’t be the only item on Kevin Durant‘s summer schedule, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The former MVP plans to be part of the U.S. Olympic team and may be the biggest name on a roster that has already lost Stephen Curry, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Stein reports that Durant is considered a sure thing for the team, along with Klay Thompson and Paul George. They will join DeMarcus Cousins, whose participation was first reported by Marc Spears of The Undefeated. Kyrie Irving is considered almost certain to join the team, while officials are waiting to hear from LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony. The full 12-man roster is expected to be announced soon.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Westbrook is making a smart decision to skip the Summer Games, contends Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman. With Rio de Janeiro beset by a financial crisis, reports of drug-resistant super bacteria on the beaches and possibly the Zika virus present, Tramel believes that presents too many risks for NBA players.
At age 38, Nazr Mohammed has probably played his last NBA game, according to Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Mohammed signed with the Thunder in March, but appeared in just five games and served mostly as a mentor to younger players, in particular giving defensive tips to Enes Kanter. Mohammed said he won’t try to play again next season and would like to someday become a GM. “That’s my five-year, 10-year plan,” he said. “To one day run my own organization.”
Mike Dixon Jr. has received a passport from the nation of Georgia and will participate in the Blazers‘ free agent camp Monday, reports Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. Dixon was a senior at Memphis in 2014 and played in the Czech Republic this season.
The Nuggets are facing an unpredictable draft with three picks in the first round, writes Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post. Dempsey lists shooting, shot blocking and toughness as Denver’s top needs and speculates that a significant roster shakeup could happen by draft night.

Thunder Notes: Durant, Free Agency, Adams

May 8th, 2016 at 11:54am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant, who is expected to be the most sought-after name on this summer’s free agent market, respects David West for passing up millions to pursue an NBA title, relays Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. West declined a $12.6MM option with the Pacers last year and signed with the Spurs for the $1.5MM veteran’s minimum. The move raised eyebrows around the league, but Durant found it admirable. “Money isn’t everything in this life,” Durant said. “I know we tend to think about taking care of your family and being financially stable, but from the outside looking in, it looked like he said, ‘I’ve been blessed enough to make X amount of dollars, and I want to be happy chasing something that is the grand prize in this league.’”

There’s more news from Oklahoma City:

The Thunder are the favorites to keep Durant, but their chances would decline if they can’t get past the Spurs, writes Mark Heisler of The Los Angeles Daily News. That largely falls in with a Friday report from Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Heisler expects Durant to sign a one-year deal with Oklahoma City or possibly a two-year pact with an opt-out clause for next summer. That will enable him to earn about $40MM more and time his free agency with Russell Westbrook‘s. “I think he’s going to test the water,” said former Thunder teammate and current Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie, “but at the end of the day, Oklahoma City is something dear to his heart.” In order, Heisler lists the Spurs, Warriors, Wizards, Clippers, Knicks and Lakers as the top contenders if Durant does decide to leave OKC.
Because he was drafted with a pick the Thunder received in the James Harden trade, Steven Adams has been dealing with huge expectations from the start of his NBA career, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. Adams averaged 8.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this year while splitting time at center with Enes Kanter. Before the start of last season, Oklahoma City picked up Adams’ $3,140,517 option for 2016/17. “He’s not easily impressed, he doesn’t take things too seriously,” said teammate Nick Collison. “I think that’s the culture from his background. He’s all about, ‘Get over yourself.’ He didn’t grow up with the dream to play in the NBA, and it shows.”