Ersan Ilyasova Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Central Notes: Karasev, Barnes, Ilyasova, Pistons

February 19th, 2014 at 11:21pm CST by Alex Lee

Here is the latest coming out of the Eastern Conference’s Central Division on Wednesday night:

The Cavaliers have recalled rookie Sergey Karasev from the D-League, the team tweeted earlier tonight. Karasev returned to the Canton Charge for last night’s contest after being recalled to the NBA a week ago.
Despite a recent uptick in Harrison Barnes rumors, Zach Lowe of Grantland tweets that any buzz about the UNC product likely ending up in Cleveland is inaccurate for now.
Acting Cavaliers general manager David Griffin is a “breath of fresh air” in trade talks according to one opposing GM, tweets Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Griffin took over general manager duties after Chris Grant was fired earlier this month.
The asking price for Ersan Ilyasova is very high, tweets Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who adds that Bucks owner Herb Kohl believes the 6’10” Turk could eventually be a star. Ilyasova requested a trade from Milwaukee last week.
While the Pistons are hardly without their problems, things are pretty quiet on the trade front in Detroit, writes Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News. Players like Charlie Villanueva, Will Bynum, Rodney Stuckey and Jonas Jerebko were thought to be on the block, but there has been next to no movement since the surprise firing of head coach Maurice Cheeks.

Amick’s Latest: Rondo, Love, Asik, Ilyasova

February 18th, 2014 at 8:06pm CST by Charlie Adams

Despite the high asking price set by Celtics GM Danny Ainge, Rajon Rondo is still being pursued by several teams, most actively by the Raptors, Knicks, and Kings, writes Sam Amick of USA Today. Ainge is seeking multiple first round picks and a young prospect in exchange for Rondo, and no team has been able to present a deal that meets such a hefty cost. Here’ more from Amick:

The Timberwolves are willing to listen to offers for any player on their roster besides Kevin Love, says on league executive. It’s a common belief Love will part ways with Minnesota in the summer of 2015 to seek out a deal with the Lakers, and the Wolves want to do everything they can to help prevent such a scenario.
Omer Asik has been asking for a trade since the Rockets signed Dwight Howard, but Amick hears it’s unlikely the disgruntled big man gets moved this week. It’ll be interesting to see where Asik is come Thursday, since this news contradicts an earlier report stating the Sixers might be in play to land him.
The Bucks have emerged as a possible “longshot destination” for Asik, as the Rockets would be interested in a swap involving Ersan Ilyasova. The Bucks remain hesitant to take on Asik, who will receive a steep pay increase next season, despite word that Ilyasova is unhappy in Milwaukee.
Amick reiterates earlier reports that suggest Mike Dunleavy is unlikely to be traded away from the Bulls.
Jeff Teague might emerge as a fallback option for clubs that are unable to trade for Rondo, as rival executives believe Teague will be available to teams if the price of the package coming their way is high enough.

Ford’s Latest: Magic, Cavs, Bobcats

February 18th, 2014 at 12:33pm CST by Chuck Myron

Victor Oladipo may be the only Magic player unavailable for a trade, according to Chad Ford of ESPN.com, who adds that the team is looking for multiple first-round picks or young players for Arron Afflalo. Ford believes Orlando will indeed find a taker for Afflalo, but that’s in contrast to a report from Sam Amick of USA Today indicating the Magic aren’t that eager to trade him and aren’t hearing from any team with strong interest (Twitter link). The Magic’s price is much lower for Glen Davis and Jameer Nelson, Ford writes, and while Amick tweets that the Magic is focusing most of its trade attention on those two, Orlando hasn’t gotten anywhere with either of them yet, Amick says.

Ford has much more in his latest Insider-only piece, and we’ll hit the highlights here:

The Cavs and Bobcats appear to be the only teams capable of trading away a 2014 lottery pick that would actually do so, according to Ford. If the Cavs are determined to make a playoff push, they’ll offer Dion Waiters and their 2014 first-round pick in search of veteran help, Ford writes.
There’s nothing major happening on the Ersan Ilyasova front, Ford hears, naming Gary Neal and Luke Ridnour as the Bucks most likely to be traded. Milwaukee is reluctant to let go of Caron Butler, who’s a native of nearby Racine, Ford adds.
The Sixers want “significantly” more than just a first-round pick for Thaddeus Young, which has been dissuading some teams from trading for him, Ford writes.
Jeff Green and Brandon Bass are the names that come up most frequently in trade discussions involving the Celtics, according to Ford.
Several GMs tell Ford that the Lakers appear willing to discuss any player on their roster short of Kobe Bryant.
Everyone outside of DeMarcus Cousins, Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas is available from the Kings, with Marcus Thornton, Jason Thompson, Carl Landry and Jimmer Fredette the primary bait, Ford writes.
It’s unlikely the Jazz trade Gordon Hayward, Ford says, naming Marvin Williams as the team’s most likely trade candidate.
Teams are looking to acquire a package of both Greg Monroe and Rodney Stuckey, but the Pistons remain unwilling to deal Monroe, as multiple GMs tell Ford.

Odds & Ends: Sixers, Spurs, Ilyasova, LeBron

February 16th, 2014 at 10:30pm CST by Zachary Links

Defense may win championships, but it doesn’t mean much in the All-Star game. Tonight the Eastern Conference topped the West 163-155 behind the stellar play of Kyrie Irving, who had 31 points and 14 dimes. Here’s tonight’s look around the Association..

The 76ers have held trade discussions with all 29 other NBA teams and are believed to be the most active in talks leading up to the deadline, writes Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. General Manager Sam Hinkie & Co. are seeking future draft picks in compensation for Evan Turner, Spencer Hawes, and Thaddeus Young. Teams view the 76ers as an organization willing to acquire an expiring contract and they’re still not budging on their demand of high first round picks.
The Spurs would love to acquire Young or Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova, but no one is sure how they can make that happen, writes Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio.
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert recently opened up about his decision to write an open letter after LeBron James took his talents to South Beach, writes Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I would’ve reworded the language in The Letter, but I don’t regret sending a letter out to our fan base,” Gilbert said. “People forget the letter was not to LeBron, it was to our fan base. If I had to do it again, for sure, I would’ve reworded several parts of it. But I think it definitely needed a strong statement from me at that time. I keep a couple binders on my desk and I have a binder of the responses to The Letter from the people of Cleveland.” Late last week we rounded up more of Gilbert’s thoughts on the state of his franchise.

Ersan Ilyasova Requests Trade

February 14th, 2014 at 9:33pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Ersan Ilyasova concedes he has some strong emotional attachments to the Bucks organization and to Milwaukee, but he admits his allegiance to the team is being severely tested these days, according to The Racine Journal Times. As the team’s longest-tenured player, Ilyasova has become dismayed about the front office’s penchant for making radical personnel changes. Multiple sources have said that he has expressed a desire to be traded, apparently having had his fill of the Bucks’ continual rebuilding project. For the record, Ilyasova declined to comment on whether he or his agent, Andy Miller, had requested a trade.

Speaking about those personnel changes, Ilyasova noted how the team went to the Eastern Conference playoffs during the 2009/10 season and then made wholesale roster changes the following offseason. The result was a 35-47 record in 2010/2011. Then, after making the playoffs last season, the team brought in 11 new players an have won only nine games this season, and are on the way to the worst record in team history.

The Bucks are still searching for the right team chemistry, and according to the article, are willing to trade anyone on the roster outside of John Henson and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ilyasova is arguably the Bucks’ best trading chip and several teams are believed to be interested in him. For the season, Ilyasova is averaging 10.2 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 1.4 APG, in 27.1 MPG.

Ilyasova isn’t the only player on the team wanting out of Milwaukee. In the same article it was noted that Gary Neal and his agent, David Bauman, have talked to GM John Hammond in recent weeks about the possibility of a trade. Neal wants to play for a contender, instead of coming off the bench for a rebuilding team. Milwaukee remains agreeable to helping Neal move onto a competitive team, tweeted Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. He was signed to a two-year, $6.5MM contract this past summer. For the season, Neal is averaging 10.2 PPG, 1.7 RPG, and 1.6 APG,

Also from the Racine Journal Times post, Pelicans guard Eric Gordon said before Wednesday night’s game that he’s “heard the Bucks have had interest in him for some time.” Gordon is reportedly on the trading block, though his contract for $14.2MM this season, $14.9MM next season, and a player option of $15.5MM in 2015/16 would make it difficult for the Bucks to fit him into their budget.

Kyler’s Latest: Rivers, Bobcats, Sixers

February 5th, 2014 at 10:59am CST by Chuck Myron

Sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders that the Pelicans have had a deal in place all season to trade Austin Rivers if he didn’t start seeing minutes. His playing time has perked up of late, and Kyler wonders if the Pelicans are merely showcasing him for other trades. The Pelicans are also open to trading Eric Gordon and Tyreke Evans, according to Kyler, who shares plenty more in his latest piece. We’ll hit the highlights here:

The Bobcats are “kicking around” the idea of trading for Greg Monroe, Kyler writes. He also hears they’d be willing to throw Bismack Biyombo into a Ben Gordon trade to convince teams to take on Gordon’s inflated deal, but as Kyler notes, that wouldn’t do much to persuade reluctant trade partners.
The Sixers could wind up dealing away all of their three veteran trade candidates — Spencer Hawes, Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young — by the deadline, Kyler writes, adding that the Rockets have been targeting Young all season. We heard Young connected to Houston in December, but this is the first report suggesting the Rockets have had interest in him since.
Dion Waiters and Alonzo Gee are the names most frequently mentioned around the league when the subject of Cavs trade candidates comes up, according to Kyler. Cleveland is reluctant to make Anderson Varejao a part of its talks, but the Cavs are coming around to ideas they hadn’t previously considered, Kyler observes, adding that the team looks like it will be a seller, either at the deadline or around draft time.
Almost everyone on the Bucks, outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo and John Henson, is fair game for a trade, according to Kyler, who hears that the Rockets have been eyeing Ersan Ilyasova.
Marcus Thornton and Jimmer Fredette are the Kings that Kyler keeps hearing in trade chatter, but there’s little market for either, he writes.
Rival teams are getting the sense that the Pistons will stand pat at the deadline, which Kyler finds vexing.
Sources close to the Raptors tell Kyler that their trade talk is simply due diligence, and that they’re only considering overwhelming offers.

Ford’s Latest: Raptors, Kings, Cavs, Bucks

November 18th, 2013 at 3:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Before fielding questions on the NCAA and the 2014 draft, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford addressed a number of NBA inquiries in his latest chat. Let’s dive in and round up a few of the highlights from ESPN’s draft guru….

Rival general managers tell Ford that Raptors president Masai Ujiri has been active on the phones. However, Ford has heard “mixed responses” from those GMs on whether Ujiri is looking to blow up his roster or trying to improve in the short term.
The Kings have “a lot of interest” in Derrick Williams, and could be a logical trade partner for the Timberwolves. Ford cites Chuck Hayes and “Jason Williams” as possible trade candidates, though presumably he means Jason Thompson.
There are “rumblings” that Dion Waiters has been a source of chemistry issues in the Cavs‘ locker room. Still, even if Cleveland were to shop the second-year guard, Ford isn’t convinced the return would be great.
In Ford’s view, the Cavs will likely need to make a roster move soon to either attempt a playoff push or a run at another high lottery pick.
When the Rockets explore Omer Asik trades, they’ll likely be targeting a player such as Ryan Anderson or Ersan Ilyasova. says Ford, adding that both of those guys might be available. Asik may not be the right fit for either the Pelicans or Bucks though, according to Ford, so a third team might have to get involved.
Even though Bucks owner Herb Kohl is known to be anti-tanking, Ford suggests John Hammond should be sending Kohl video of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, and Jabari Parker every day until he reconsiders. The insinuation there, of course, is that a poor finish this season will be the Bucks’ best chance to land a star.

Western Notes: Timberwolves, Pekovic, Rockets

November 7th, 2013 at 10:42pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Timberwolves GM Milt Newton is content with how the roles have worked themselves out on the roster: “I see our team already falling into knowing their roles and playing their roles, so that’s good to see. I’ve spoken to guys from other teams, and there’s a period that a lot of teams go through when they’re trying to figure out who is the go-to guy, who is the guy who’s going to get the most shots. We don’t seem to have that problem” (Charley Walters of TwinCities.com).

It doesn’t seem to be as easy of an adjustment for everybody, however. With Kevin Love‘s return to the lineup and Kevin Martin securing a major role within the team’s offense, Nikola Pekovic has been struggling to return to the niche he found on that side of the floor last season. Though Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune points out that Pekovic’s scoring average (11.0) and shooting percentage (38.9%) are significantly lower than last year (16.3 and 52%), the 6’11 center insists that he isn’t unhappy and is focused on trying to find other ways to help the team win games.

Here’s more out of the Western Conference tonight:

Kevin Pelton of ESPN examines the Rockets’ offensive struggles while using a big lineup, and suggests that dealing Omer Asik for Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson or the Bucks’ Ersan Ilyasova would be ideal (Insiders only).
Lakers star Kobe Bryant opened up about his health and Dwight Howard among other things in this video from Hoopsworld. Earlier this evening, Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles tweeted that Kobe had been sprinting as part of his rehab, but hasn’t begun any lateral/ cutting movement yet.
As brilliant as the Clippers have been offensively, Eric Pincus of Hoopsworld gathers up some thoughts about their defensive struggles.
Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram writes that the Mavericks have been able to develop chemistry by keeping the same starting five, which is worth noting considering that Rick Carlisle had shuffled through 23 different starting lineups last season.

Kyler On Warriors, Bucks, Ilyasova, Spurs

September 10th, 2013 at 10:19am CST by Luke Adams

The tenth and final installment of Steve Kyler's series on trade scenarios to watch was published today on HoopsWorld, focusing on the Warriors, Bucks, and Spurs. Let's dive in and round up the highlights….

With the expiring contract of Andrew Bogut and plenty of players on rookie deals, the Warriors have plenty of options should they decide they need to make a big splash at 2014's trade deadline, writes Kyler. However, Golden State is very high on its current roster, so it's more likely that the club tries to use one or two of its trade exceptions to supplement the present core.
The Bucks are in good position to trade frontcourt depth during the season, once new head coach Larry Drew sorts out roles and minutes for the team's big men.
Sources tell Kyler that virtually every team in the NBA has inquired about Ersan Ilyasova at some point this offseason. Ilyasova struggled at times last season in the first year of a long-term contract, but is still viewed as a good value. If Larry Sanders and John Henson emerge as the Bucks' go-to frontcourt pairing, don't be surprised if Ilyasova is dangled before the trade deadline, says Kyler.
The Spurs' offseason saw the team bring back players like Tiago Splitter and Manu Ginobili on multiyear deals, rather than clearing cap space and shopping in free agency. That's a sign that San Antonio is comfortable with its present core, making it unlikely that they'll get too involved in the trade market. Expiring contracts like Boris Diaw's and Matt Bonner's could be shopped, but those guys probably have more value to the Spurs than as trade chips.

Bucks Rumors: Ilyasova, Jennings, Sanders

July 29th, 2013 at 10:22am CST by Luke Adams

In his latest NBA AM piece for HoopsWorld, Steve Kyler focuses on the Bucks' offseason, attempting to explain the thinking behind their moves this month. Zach Lowe of Grantland wrote last week that many executives around the league were confused by the Bucks' offseason plan, but Kyler makes the case that the roster is deeper and better poised for the long-term than it was before. Here's more from the HoopsWorld scribe:

The Bucks feel like Ersan Ilyasova is "capable of a big leap" in 2013/14, and made a number of their offseason decisions with an eye on acquiring players who can complement him.
Milwaukee remains very open to re-signing Brandon Jennings, but the two sides still don't appear to be all that close on a dollar figure. While Jennings continues to seek a deal comparable to those signed by Jrue Holiday, Stephen Curry, and Ty Lawson last summer (four years, $44-48MM), the Bucks aren't interested in going that high.
Sources tell Kyler that Jennings has "strongly considered" accepting the Bucks' one-year qualifying offer. It would pay him about $4.53MM next season, and would make him an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2014.
The Bucks have started contract extension talks with Larry Sanders. Sanders can avoid becoming a restricted free agent next summer by signing a new deal by October 31st, and there appears to be a "better than average" chance that happens, according to Kyler.