Eric Bledsoe Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Murray, Aminu, Hernangomez

November 2nd, 2017 at 7:59pm CST by Austin Kent

The Nuggets have an opportunity to develop Jamal Murray into a significant part of their franchise for years to come, they just need to make sure that they handle things better than Denver’s NFL counterpart has handled their quarterback situation, Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post writes.

Those unfamiliar with the Broncos depth chart need only know that the club has attempted to eke into the postseason with a short-term quarterback rather than organically developing their younger, higher-ceiling, long-term quarterback. Kiszla fears that a hasty acquisition of Eric Bledsoe could put the Nuggets in a similarly short-sighted position.

While nobody is denying that Bledsoe is a solid NBA player, Kiszla writes that the Nuggets would be better off giving Murray the opportunity to learn to be a solid starter. The club should push his learning curve to find out just what he’s capable of.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers will be without forward Al-Farouq Aminu for the time being. Mike Richman of The Oregonian writes that the 27-year-old left Wednesday night’s game in a walking boot. While Richman writes that X-Rays came back negative, the team revealed that he’ll miss Thursday’s contest.
Despite the fact that the team opted against exercising his fourth-year option, Josh Huestis would like to remain with the Thunder, Erik Horne of The Oklahoman tweets.
It will be at least a couple of weeks before Nuggets forward Juan Hernangomez returns to the lineup, Gina Mizell of The Denver Post tweets. We wrote in late-October that the sophomore has been sidelined with mononucleosis.

Pelicans, Suns, Pistons Discussed Bledsoe Trade

November 2nd, 2017 at 6:28pm CST by Luke Adams

6:28pm: It turns out the third team involved in the Bledsoe/Jackson trade discussion was New Orleans. Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated writes that the Suns would have landed Detroit’s 2019 first-round pick, New Orleans’ 2018 first-round pick, Alexis Ajinca, and Omer Asik. Jackson would have gone to the Pelicans in that scenario. The talks are now “dead,” the report states.

2:25pm: According to Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, the Pistons offered the Suns a package including Jackson and a first-round pick for Bledsoe.

12:06pm: If they make a deal with the Pistons, the Suns would prefer to get a third team involved to take Jackson, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

It makes sense that the rebuilding Suns wouldn’t want to absorb Jackson’s contract, which runs through 2019/20, but involving a third or fourth team typically makes trades more difficult to complete, so we’ll see if this goes anywhere.

11:39am: The Pistons should be added to the list of teams that have exhibited interest in disgruntled Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe, league sources tell Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). However, Stein cautions (via Twitter) that for a deal to appeal to Phoenix, the Pistons would have to attach additional pieces to Reggie Jackson.

Shortly after Bledsoe publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with his situation in Phoenix a week and a half ago, the Suns sent him home and began aggressively seeking a trade. At that point, it seemed as if the Suns may resolve the situation quickly, but GM Ryan McDonough said this week that there’s no timetable for a Bledsoe deal, suggesting the team isn’t rushing to get something done.

Reports last week indicated that the Nuggets and Bucks might be the most likely landing spots for Bledsoe, but Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay have played well lately for Denver, and Malcolm Brogdon – whom the Suns would reportedly target – is off to a good start in Milwaukee. As such, the Suns may be looking to engage other teams in trade discussions.

The Pistons would be an interesting trade partner. It’s worth noting that the Suns were said to have expressed “strong” interest in Andre Drummond back in June. Jake Fischer of SI.com, who initially reported Phoenix’s interest in Drummond, tweeted today that Bledsoe’s name was part of those discussions as well.

For what it’s worth, Detroit has been linked to multiple point guard trade candidates over the course of the year, including Kyrie Irving in August and Ricky Rubio back in January. Those rumors never led to anything real, so it’s possible Stan Van Gundy and the Pistons are just doing their due diligence again here. However, the fact that they’ve kicked the tires on so many other point guards may also suggest they’re open to moving on from Jackson.

After enjoying a career year in 2015/16, Jackson struggled through an injury-plagued 2016/17 campaign. He’s off to a good start this season, averaging 16.4 PPG and 6.0 APG through eight games.

Latest On Jahlil Okafor

November 2nd, 2017 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

Having turned down Jahlil Okafor‘s request for a buyout, the Sixers remain focused on finding a trade involving the third-year big man, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

According to Wojnarowski, Sixers president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo is determined to land some sort of “asset” in an Okafor deal. However, a trade may ultimately revolve around future second-round picks in exchange for Okafor, league sources tell Wojnarowski.

It has been a busy week on the Okafor front. We heard last Friday that the 76ers are working Okafor’s camp to try to find a workable trade, but the club wasn’t able to find a deal before the rookie scale option deadline on Tuesday. Philadelphia declined Okafor’s option for 2018/19, which prompted him to ask for a buyout, as he confirmed on Wednesday. The former third overall pick further expressed his frustration with his current situation in a conversation with reporters.

The Celtics have been mentioned as a possible destination for Okafor, but a few other teams have displayed interest in the 21-year-old as a “reclamation project,” per Wojnarowski. Woj’s report suggests that an Eric Bledsoe trade may help create the “moving parts around the league” necessary to pave the way for an Okafor deal. While it’s not clear if the Suns have interest in Okafor, Woj does note that they’re monitoring the situation in Philadelphia.

Suns GM: No Timetable For Eric Bledsoe Trade

October 31st, 2017 at 10:16am CST by Luke Adams

With the Suns in Brooklyn to face the Nets tonight, Eric Bledsoe will miss his fourth straight game, and he may end up sitting out many more. According to Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic, Suns GM Ryan McDonough said this week that there’s no timetable for a Bledsoe trade, suggesting the team isn’t rushing to get anything done.

“We are open to doing a deal whenever the best offer presents itself,” McDonough said. “Any other comments or thoughts from me would be pure speculation at this point.”

The 2017/18 regular season is only two weeks old, so there are unlikely to be any teams desperate enough to improve their existing offers for Bledsoe at this point. Additionally, as Bordow notes, some potential trade partners may be able to make more competitive offers when trade restrictions lift on certain players on December 15.

Of course, the two teams most frequently mentioned as potential landing spots for Bledsoe are Denver and Milwaukee, and neither the Nuggets nor the Bucks were very active in free agency over the offseason, so they’re not limited by many trade restrictions at this point.

In any case, since the Suns have no real playoff aspirations this season, there’s not much downside in being patient and hoping that the offers for Bledsoe improve. Phoenix will have to continue paying its disgruntled point guard while he remains away from the club, but team salary is currently below the required floor anyway, so paying Bledsoe isn’t having a real impact on the Suns’ bottom line.

Southeast Notes: Simmons, Bledsoe, Kaminsky, Morris

October 28th, 2017 at 11:52am CST by marksuleymanov

Jonathon Simmons played his first game against the Spurs since he signed a three-year deal in free agency to join the Magic. Simmons had a productive night, posting 17 points in Orlando’s 114-87 blowout win over San Antonio. Despite the loss, Simmons’ former teammates are happy for him, Tim Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News writes.

LaMarcus Aldridge called Simmons “a good guy” and said his former teammate is “comfortable” in his new role. Magic coach Frank Vogel spoke glowingly of Simmons the impact he has on the court.

“When we put the ball in his hands, typically he makes good things happen,” Vogel said. “He’s a good decision maker, a threat going to the basket. He really attacks the rim and will get finish and get to the free-throw line. But he does a good job making the pass, too. So I have a lot of trust in him. He’s earned it.”

Check out other news tidbits around the Southeast Division below:

In his latest Ask Ira mailbag, Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel writes that the Heat — despite not having too many desirable contracts or prospects to deal — cannot be counted out of the Eric Bledsoe sweepstakes. Pat Riley has an affinity for going all out to improve his teams, but Winderman notes that pairing Bledsoe with Goran Dragic again may be counterproductive.
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer writes that despite a love-hate relationship with Hornets fans, Frank Kaminsky is playing with a renewed confidence. After offseason surgery on his chest, which delayed his offseason workouts for several weeks, Kaminsky shown improvements all across the board.
After undergoing hernia surgery, Wizards‘ big man Markieff Morris is nearing a return, Candace Buckner of The Washington Post writes.

Central Notes: Collison, Cavaliers, Thompson

October 27th, 2017 at 8:01pm CST by Austin Kent

The Pacers have jumped out of the gates with one of the league’s fastest-paced and most potent offenses. Much of that is thanks to their newly acquired point guard, Darren Collison, Jim Ayello of the Indianapolis Star writes. The guard has taken a substantial leap forward since his last tenure with the franchise.

“I’m a much better player than I was in the past,” the Pacers guard said. “I know the game a little better. I’m more mature. I don’t think I’ve lost a step, but I’m not as fast as I used to be. But my basketball IQ is at higher level than it ever has been.”

In five games with the Pacers so far this season, Collison has averaged 15.6 points and 8.4 assists per game. Indiana, as a team, has averaged 114.0 points per game, the fourth-highest total in the NBA.

There’s more from the Central Division:

The Cavaliers are not in the mix to acquire Eric Bledsoe at this point in time, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com writes in a question-and-answer with readers. There are no Bledsoe trade scenarios that make sense for the squad so long as Isaiah Thomas returns healthy and Derrick Rose is accountable all season.
In his latest comments about the Nikola Mirotic–Bobby Portis kerfuffle, Bulls executive vice president John Paxson reiterated that they’re feeling out the best way of handling the scenario but noted that they’ll do what’s in the organization’s best interest. As K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes, that’s a reminder that both players technically remain under contract, giving the franchise final say in what happens.
The Cavaliers will start Tristan Thompson for the next little while, Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com tweets. Head coach Tyronn Lue opted to slot the familiar face in at the five, bumping Jae Crowder out of his role as the starting small forward.

Suns Explore Trading Chandler With Bledsoe

October 27th, 2017 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As they continue to seek out a viable trade involving disgruntled point guard Eric Bledsoe, the Suns are exploring ways to include Tyson Chandler in the same deal, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times (via Twitter).

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders first reported earlier this week that the Suns appeared to be looking for deals involving Chandler. Kyler, who noted that both Chandler and Bledsoe were favorites of former head coach Earl Watson, wrote in his report that the “ideal scenario” for Phoenix would be to move the duo in the same trade.

Taking into account the stage the Suns are at in their rebuilding phase, it certainly makes sense to explore trading Chandler — at 35 years old, he seems unlikely to be part of the next contending team in Phoenix.

Still, it may be tricky for the Suns to attach Chandler to Bledsoe in a single trade. The two players are earning a combined $27.5MM this season, and most of Phoenix’s potential trade partners will have little interest in taking on extra money in a deal. That would mean finding a Bledsoe suitor with at least $27.5MM in salaries of their own to trade back to the Suns.

The Bucks, frequently cited as a team with interest in Bledsoe, may be the most logical match for a deal involving both players. Possible trade candidates on their roster include John Henson ($11.4MM), Mirza Teletovic ($10MM), Matthew Dellavedova ($9.6MM), and possibly even Greg Monroe ($17.9MM), so they could potentially figure out a package that lands them both Bledsoe and Chandler without pushing them into luxury tax territory. It’s not clear if the two teams are exploring that scenario though.

Like Bledsoe, Chandler has one additional guaranteed year on his contract beyond 2017/18. Both players will come off the books in the summer of 2019.

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.

Latest On Eric Bledsoe

October 26th, 2017 at 12:46pm CST by Luke Adams

Eric Bledsoe continues to sit out games for the Suns and, after a disastrous start to the season, the club has actually looked better with a new starting point guard — and a new head coach. Since Jay Triano replaced Earl Watson on the bench and Mike James replaced Bledsoe in the starting lineup, the Suns have won consecutive games at home, beating the Kings and Jazz.

As the Suns look to build on their recent success, here’s the latest on Bledsoe, from Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times:

NBA sources tell Woelfel that if the Bucks and Suns were to make a deal involving Bledsoe, Phoenix would likely ask for Malcolm Brogdon, plus either John Henson or Mirza Teletovic. Milwaukee has had interest in Bledsoe over the last few years, but is reluctant to part with Brogdon, the reigning Rookie of the Year, per Woelfel.
According to Woelfel, the Bucks are – for now – dangling Matthew Dellavedova, but he’s not of much interest to the Suns — Phoenix remains focused on Brogdon.
The Suns are eyeing young guards, and are also intrigued by Denver’s Emmanuel Mudiay. According to two NBA officials, the Nuggets and Bucks are viewed as “the leaders in the Bledsoe sweepstakes,” writes Woelfel.
Those same two sources tell Woelfel that a number of other teams have internally discussed the idea of making a play for Bledsoe, including the Clippers, Celtics, and Heat.

Atlantic Notes: Fultz, Knicks, Hernangomez, Wright

October 26th, 2017 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Markelle Fultz‘s NBA career is off to an unusual start. After playing through shoulder pain for the first few games of the regular season, Fultz has been shut down by the Sixers for at least the next three contests after comments made by his agent to ESPN.

Given how cautions the Sixers have been in recent years with top picks, it’s fair to wonder why Fultz was on the court at all to start the year. However, as Jessica Camerato of NBC Sports Philadelphia relays, president of basketball operations Bryan Colangelo insists there’s no structural damage to Fultz’s shoulder and that he was medically cleared to play.

Colangelo also suggested that Fultz’s shoulder pain may have been caused by the changes the rookie made to his shot mechanics, a hypothesis rejected by Fultz’s trainer, Keith Williams. Speaking to Sam Amick of USA Today, Williams stressed that the Sixers guard altered his jump shot as a way of coping with his shoulder pain, and that there would have been no reason to change his mechanics otherwise.

It’s an odd situation, one that Derek Bodner of The Athletic spent more than 3,500 words trying to sort out. In Bodner’s view, the statements from the Sixers and from Fultz’s camp don’t make sense unless there are nuggets of truth on both sides — perhaps the No. 1 overall pick slightly altered his shooting mechanics and his shoulder issue made things worse, forcing further changes to his form.

While we wait to see if Fultz can get healthy and recover his jump shot, let’s round up a few more Atlantic notes…

Acquiring Eric Bledsoe would be a classic Knicks move, and that’s not a good thing, argues Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. Deveney, who says a trade for Bledsoe would be ill-advised, suggests the club appears satisfied to be patient with its rebuild and avoid a deal for now.
Without Carmelo Anthony on the roster to provide “automatic offense,” the Knicks are struggling this season to adjust to Jeff Hornacek‘s new, post-triangle offense, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post.
In a separate article for The New York Post, Berman explores what Willy Hernangomez has to do to get back into the Knicks‘ rotation. Berman also notes that Joakim Noah will certainly have a role when he returns from his suspension, further crowding the frontcourt picture.
Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca takes an in-depth look at Delon Wright‘s path to the NBA and has development into a reliable bench player for the Raptors. As Grange notes, Toronto’s confidence in Wright – who will be extension-eligible in the 2018 offseason – allowed the team to trade backup point guard Cory Joseph to Indiana this summer.