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Northwest Notes: Blazers, Rubio, Wolves, Hill

January 17th, 2017 at 11:59am CST by Luke Adams

Few NBA teams spent as aggressively and as extensively as the Trail Blazers did in the offseason — in addition to committing more than $240MM to free agent contracts, Portland also signed C.J. McCollum to a nine-figure extension. However, through the season’s first half, the team hasn’t justified its owner’s financial commitment, writes Joe Freeman of The Oregonian.

As Freeman details, most Trail Blazers players are confident that the club can turn things around and have a strong second half, earning a playoff berth. But since its summer spending spree, Portland has been considered one of the NBA teams most likely to make a trade at some point this season, given the franchise’s overlap at certain positions and its huge future financial commitments. So it will be interesting to see how the team performs over the next few weeks, and how that might affect what GM Neil Olshey does at the trade deadline.

Here’s more from out of the Northwest:

Ricky Rubio got off to a poor start this season, slowed by an elbow injury, but he has been thriving for the Timberwolves this month, as Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune writes. “It’s hard to remember when I felt this confident,” Rubio said. “I think this is the best two weeks of my NBA career. I’m more consistent, I would say. Maybe I’ve had better weeks before. But as a feeling? This is good.” Rubio’s play as of late is good news for the Wolves, who are a better team with their veteran point guard thriving and could get a better haul for a productive Rubio if they decide to trade him.
Minnesota’s Target Center, the home of the Timberwolves, is undergoing renovations, and the cost of those changes has increased by an addition $21MM, according to Jay Kolls of 5 Eyewitness News. Sources tell Kolls that the Wolves are expected to pay the brunt of those extra costs.
George Hill has battled injuries early in his first season with the Jazz, but he has been a key part of the team’s lineup when he’s been healthy and is improving his stock for 2017 free agency. Still, as he tells Jody Genessy of The Deseret News, Hill is critical of his own performance and sees room for improvement.

Northwest Notes: Ezeli, Hayward, Hood, Sabonis

January 15th, 2017 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Trail Blazers may be considering a Disabled Player Exception for Festus Ezeli, according to Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders. Today is the deadline to apply to the league for a DPE, and NBA officials would have to agree that Ezeli’s injury will keep him out for the rest of the season. The 27-year-old center hasn’t played since signing a two-year, $15MM deal with Portland over the summer. He had offseason surgery on his left knee, but wasn’t able to do more than a couple of practices before it started hurting again. Ezeli said last month that another operation, which would sideline him for the rest of the season, might be necessary to save his career. If the DPE is approved, the Blazers would be granted half of Ezeli’s cap hit to sign a free agent or to use in a trade.

There’s more this morning from the Northwest Division:

Jazz star Gordon Hayward might be tempted to reunite with former college coach Brad Stevens in Boston, but Utah will be able to make a substantially better offer when he becomes a free agent this summer, writes Randy Hollis of The Deseret News. The Jazz can offer Hayward a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $180MM, while other teams will be limited to $132MM over four seasons. Another option for Hayward is to sign with Utah for one year and hope to make the All-NBA team, which would make him eligible for the new Designated Veteran Player status and a $235MM deal over six seasons. Hollis thinks the Jazz can improve their chances with Hayward by re-signing George Hill, who has become an effective complement to Hayward.
Rodney Hood will be re-evaluated today after suffering a hyperextended right knee late in Saturday’s game, the Jazz tweeted. He had to be helped off the court after the knee buckled on a drive to the basket. “Hopefully it’s not serious,” coach Quin Snyder said. “It’s serious enough that he had to leave the game, but we don’t know when he’ll be back.”
The Thunder are urging rookie forward Domantas Sabonis to shoot fewer 3-pointers, relays Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. That was the plan even before a recent shooting slump in which he has missed 18 of his last 19 shots from long distance. “What I don’t want to see him just become is just a stretch four, a guy that’s just shooting 3s,” said coach Billy Donovan. “We’ve got to be able to utilize his ability to handle the ball and pass, his ability to play with his back to the basket. And certainly face up and shoot the basketball when it’s there.”

Northwest Notes: Hill, Burks, Oladipo, Wolves

December 28th, 2016 at 9:30pm CST by ChrisCrouse

George Hill, who has been sidelined with a toe injury, could return as soon as Thursday against the Sixers, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com (ESPN Now link). The Jazz traded for Hill during the offseason, but the point guard has only been able to play in 11 contests due to injuries.

Here’s more from the Northwest Division:

Alec Burks is making strides toward getting back on the court and the Jazz are excited to have the shooting guard back at practice, Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune writes. This week was the first time Burks practiced since breaking his ankle last season.
Victor Oladipo remains out of the lineup, but the Thunder are viewing his absence as an opportunity to evaluate the team’s depth, as Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman passes along. “We’ve found maybe different things that we can do that maybe we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to explore, to experiment with,” coach Billy Donovan said. “Hopefully when he gets back, his absence has made us better and helped our team grow in a way that we can continue to move in a positive direction.”
Jordan Hill hasn’t played much since joining the Wolves, but he remains optimistic about his role in the organization and the team’s future, as Kent Youngblood of the Star Tribune writes. “In a couple years, man, I feel this team will definitely be a surprise,” Hill said.
Coach Tom Thibodeau is having trouble finding minutes for Brandon Rush, whom the Wolves signed in the offseason, Youngblood relays in the same piece. “It’s tough to play 10 guys,” Thibodeau said. “We’re settled in a rotation right now. But that doesn’t mean it will stay that way. He’s a good pro, works hard every day.”

Injury Notes: Nance, Nowitzki, Parsons, Oladipo

December 21st, 2016 at 7:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. has a bone bruise in his left knee and will be out indefinitely, the team announced on its website. He suffered the injury Tuesday in Charlotte. Nance had an MRI today to confirm the injury, but further results were limited because of swelling. He will be re-evaluated Sunday, and the Lakers plan to issue an update on availability after that examination. Nance has played in 28 of the team’s 31 games this season, all off the bench.

There’s more injury news from around the NBA:

Dirk Nowitzki won’t play tonight, but the Mavericks hope to have him back soon, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Nowitzki is almost fully recovered from a strained right Achilles and could play Friday against the Clippers or Monday against the Pelicans. “I’ll probably get a good workout tonight and see how it responds,” Nowitzki said. “I’ll probably get my first practice [Thursday] and see how it feels, basically go from day to day. It’s been encouraging. It hasn’t gotten worse from some of the stuff we’ve been doing. Hopefully, I’ll be out there soon.”
Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons is active for tonight’s game with the Pistons, tweets Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Parsons, who was still recovering from offseason surgery on his right knee when the season started, has appeared in just six games. He suffered a bone bruise on his left knee shortly after returning.
Thunder guard Victor Oladipo says his injured right wrist is improving, but he will sit out his fifth straight game tonight, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Despite his optimism, coach Billy Donovan said there has been “no change at all in terms of what he can and can’t do” since suffering the injury in a December 11th game. “He is getting better,” Donovan said. “I don’t want to come across like he’s not. There is improvement there, but it’s not at a point where he can do enough in terms of catching, passing, shooting, playing right now.”
Back tightness forced Hawks center Dwight Howard to sit out tonight for the second straight game, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s a lot better than it was a couple days ago,” Howard said. “It continues to get better.” Howard, who signed a three-year, $70.5MM deal with the Hawks in July, has had back issues before. In 2014/15, back and knee problems limited him to 41 games with the Rockets.
The Jazz expect to have point guard George Hill back in the lineup soon, although it may not happen until next week, report Aaron Falk and Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Hill went through an intense workout Tuesday as he tries to overcome a sprained toe that has sidelined him for nearly a month.
Wizards center Ian Mahinmi had platelet-rich plasma treatments on both knees this morning, tweets Candace Buckner of The Washington Post. Knee problems have limited him to just one game after signing a four-year, $64MM contract this summer.

Jazz Rumors: Favors, Hayward, Hill, Burks

December 14th, 2016 at 4:39pm CST by Luke Adams

Jazz big man Derrick Favors will return to the court on Wednesday after missing the last 12 games of action due to a left knee injury, league sources told Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Although Favors won’t get a ton of playing time, the Jazz will get another chance to see him play alongside Rudy Gobert, something head coach Quin Snyder wants to see more of.

As Zach Lowe of ESPN.com details, the Jazz face several important decisions on players who are eligible for extensions or will soon reach free agency, so it’s crucial that the team gets as much information as possible about how those players fit together. If possible, the team would also like to see how certain lineups – like ones featuring Favors and Gobert – fare in a playoff series.

“The answer to whether Derrick and Rudy can play together is unequivocally yes,” Snyder said. “The bigger question is in what situations, and how best to maximize every player. On some level, you don’t know. We might find challenges that are hidden to us now.”

Here’s more on the Jazz from Lowe:

The new CBA is expected to help Utah when it comes to re-signing Gordon Hayward, since the new deal should widen the advantage incumbent teams get (in terms of money and years) for re-signing their own players, says Lowe. Still, the Jazz need to show progress this year to convince Hayward they’re capable of developing into a serious contender. Hayward on his looming free agency: “It comes down to where I can compete for a title. Where I live — that doesn’t affect me. The limelight doesn’t matter to me. I just want to make a run at it.”
Lowe suggests that “almost everyone with max-level cap room” will at least check in with Hayward’s agent next summer. Lowe adds that the Clippers explored a sign-and-trade for Hayward in 2014, and that Doc Rivers “loves” him, though L.A. won’t have a clear path to max space in 2017.
The Jazz can extend George Hill now, and doing so would help improve the team’s odds of retaining Hayward, since the two players are close. Still, while Hill is open to listening to any offer from the Jazz, he may wait out Hayward’s decision, Lowe writes.
The Jazz are hoping to get Alec Burks back in January and see their whole team in action well before the trade deadline, sources tell Lowe. The ESPN scribe identifies Burks as a potential trade candidate, since Utah can’t afford to keep everyone.

Northwest Notes: Leonard, Blazers, Nuggets, Hill

December 4th, 2016 at 9:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

Things worked out fine for Meyers Leonard in Portland, but not without some difficulty, writes Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders. Leonard turned down a $40MM extension offer from the Blazers in 2015 in hopes of cashing in as a free agent. Instead, he suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder in March and missed the rest of the season, throwing a wrench into his free agency plans. “It was a complete nightmare last year,” Leonard said. “Last year was the hardest year of my life, not even close. I lied to my entire family the whole year. I told them I was okay, I wasn’t. I came from nothing and I turned down $40 million.” Ultimately, the Blazers chose to keep Leonard, giving him $41MM over four seasons.

There’s more tonight from the Northwest Division:

Off to a disappointing start, the Blazers would likely have to surrender guard C.J. McCollum in any deal to bring in a star, Sports Illustrated writer Ben Golliver said in an interview with John Canzano of The Oregonian. Portland would probably be reluctant to part with McCollum after giving him a maximum extension in July.
Denver doesn’t have a good track record when it comes to attracting top free agents, but coach Michael Malone hopes that will change soon, relays Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. The Nuggets made a strong play for Dwyane Wade over the summer and believe they can improve enough to become an attractive destination. “I think once you get guys to Denver, a lot of people fall in love with it,” Malone said. “We’ve have veterans on our team, Darrell Arthur, [Danilo] Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, they don’t want to leave. Darrell Arthur told his agent, ‘Listen, get it done with Denver, I don’t want to go anywhere else.’ I think that speaks more than anything I can say, the fact that once you’re there and the quality of life and how beautiful it is, I think Denver sells itself.”
The Pacers thought they needed to unload George Hill to switch to an up-tempo style, and the Jazz were happy to take him, writes Nate Taylor of The USA Today Network. Hill has brought stability to the point guard position in Utah, while providing the Jazz with an upgrade in ballhandling and defense. “I knew he was a good defensive player, a team player, an unselfish guy,” said teammate Rudy Gobert. “I thought that was great for our team. A guy that’s tough and unselfish and can shoot the ball and create. He can do a lot of things. I knew he was a very good player.”

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Jazz, Wolves, Thunder

November 29th, 2016 at 3:56pm CST by Luke Adams

After committing about $340MM to new contracts this offseason, the Trail Blazers are off to a slow start so far, and while that’s no reason to panic, it’s cause for some concern, says Sean Deveney of The Sporting News. As Deveney notes, Portland general manager Neil Olshey has a reputation for being fairly cautious with his personnel, so the team is unlikely to shake things up too significantly anytime soon. Still, the Blazers will definitely be a club to watch prior to this year’s trade deadline, particularly if their middling performance continues.

Here are a few more items from around the Northwest division:

As Jody Genessy of The Deseret News details, the Jazz have been a much better team this season when George Hill and Gordon Hayward are playing together than when at least one of the two players are out of action. Utah will have to try to figure out a way to keep the duo together long-term, since both players are eligible to reach free agency in 2017.
With rookie point guard Kris Dunn joining the mix, and Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Zach LaVine all a year older, the Timberwolves were expected to take a big step forward this season. So far, that hasn’t happened, writes Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post.
As the clear leader of the Thunder this season, Russell Westbrook is providing a singular voice for the team, according to Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. Meanwhile, Enes Kanter – occasionally mentioned as a possible trade candidate – says he expects head coach Billy Donovan to trust him “more and more” down the road, writes Erik Horne of The Oklahoman.

Jazz Prioritizing Extension For Hill Over Favors?

November 18th, 2016 at 10:12am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran contract extensions are rare, but when a team has cap room available to renegotiate a contract and give a player an immediate raise, they become much more viable. The Jazz are one team with the flexibility necessary to give an extension-eligible veteran a significant raise for 2016/17, and Utah has two candidates: Derrick Favors and George Hill. While Favors has been viewed as the more likely candidate to be extended this season, ESPN’s Marc Stein reports that Hill is believed to have emerged as the Jazz’s priority.

Hill, acquired by the Jazz in a three-way trade with the Pacers and Hawks during the offseason, has only appeared in seven regular-season games for Utah so far, having been slowed by a right thumb injury. However, he has looked excellent in those seven games, averaging career highs in PPG (20.4), FG% (.541), 3PT% (.432), and several other categories.

According to Stein, the Jazz like Hill’s leadership qualities — the former Pacers point guard has more playoff experience than most of the other players on the team’s roster. The ESPN scribe also observes that, after locking up Rudy Gobert to a four-year extension last month, the Jazz may be focused on securing a key backcourt piece, rather than extending another big man like Favors. Additionally, Hill is in the final year of his deal, while Favors is under contract through 2017/18.

As our salary cap breakdown for the Jazz shows, Utah has in excess of $13MM in cap space available for 2016/17. The team could use that cap room to bump Hill’s $8MM salary up over $20MM, while tacking on additional years to his contract. While that may seem like an exorbitant price for the 30-year-old, he’s poised to be one of the best available point guards on the market next summer, particularly if Chris Paul, Stephen Curry, and Kyle Lowry all stay with their current teams, as is currently expected. A big year for Hill in 2016/17 would put him in line for a huge payday if the Jazz don’t extend him before then.

Teams can renegotiate veteran contracts up until February 28, so the Jazz have plenty of time to mull their decision. With Hill and Favors both dealing with injuries early in the season, it would be a surprise if the team rushed into a new agreement with either player. Of course, Utah could ultimately retain both players, but probably doesn’t have the cap flexibility to do more than one in-season extension.

Northwest Notes: G. Hill, Nuggets, Thunder, Paige

November 10th, 2016 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

George Hill was involved in one of the offseason’s biggest trades, a three-way deal that sent him to the Jazz in exchange for the 12th overall pick. So far, he’s thrived in what he describes as a great situation in Utah, telling Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders that he has the ball in his hands much more than he did in Indiana.

“I have the coach’s green light to be aggressive and take shots,” said the Jazz’s starting point guard. “Not saying I didn’t have the green light in Indy, so no disrespect to the coach there, but it’s a little different. When I have the ball in my hands a lot more, I’m not in the corner a lot, just taking advantage of the opportunity that’s given to me.”

Hill is eligible for an extension this season, and for unrestricted free agency in 2017, but even with his stock seemingly on the rise, he tells Scotto that he’s not thinking about his next contract right now: “I’m going to let [Jazz GM] Dennis Lindsey and the front office handle that and my agents. My focus is just to play basketball and try to get us to the playoffs.”

Here’s more from out of the Northwest:

The Nuggets have resisted multiple trade overtures for Danilo Gallinari over the last two years, sources tell Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who suggests that Denver is well positioned to package a handful of players and/or picks for an All-Star. O’Connor envisions John Wall as an ideal target for the Nuggets, though he acknowledges that there are no indications the Wizards point guard is available.
Although the Thunder are off to a good start after a tumultuous offseason, the team isn’t sitting back and relaxing, content with its current roster, writes Royce Young of ESPN.com. As Young observes, the Oklahoma City roster will likely undergo some additional changes during and after this season, as the club continues to retool around Russell Westbrook.
Former Jazz point guard Marcus Paige, who is one of just three 2016 draft picks who was waived by the team that selected them, admits that he wasn’t surprised about landing in the D-League and discusses his goals for his time with the Salt Lake City Stars (Twitter link via Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune).

Jazz Notes: Hayward, Diaw, Favors, Exum

November 5th, 2016 at 3:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Four weeks after fracturing his left ring finger in practice, Gordon Hayward is expected to make his season debut Sunday, reports ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. Hayward was originally given a six-weeks prognosis after the Oct. 7 injury, but he will make it back in a little less than a month. The 6’8″ small forward, who can opt out of his current deal next summer, led the Jazz in scoring last season with 19.7 points per game.

There’s more news out of Utah:

Boris Diaw is expected to miss about two weeks with a contusion on his right leg, MacMahon posts on ESPN Now. With Derrick Favors still on a minutes restriction, that should mean more playing time for second-year forward Trey Lyles.
With Rudy Gobert‘s extension now out of the way, Utah can turn its attention to locking up the rest of its core, writes Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune. Hayward will be the priority, and the Jazz are expecting him to earn at least $25MM in his next deal, a hefty raise from this year’s salary of $16,736,710. They would also like to get something done with Favors, who is eligible for a renegotiation and extension through March. Utah’s front office believes he would receive a max contract on the open market and would prefer to reach an extension agreement before that happens. The Jazz may also need to find money for point guard George Hill, who is in the final year of his contract after being acquired from the Pacers in a three-team trade. At age 30, Hill wants a long-term deal and a raise from his current $8MM salary, but he would prefer not to change teams again.
Dante Exum seems fully recovered from the ACL tear in his left knee that forced him to miss all of last season, notes Nathan Harker of The Deseret News. Exum played a season-high 29 minutes in Friday’s loss to the Spurs, collecting seven points and seven rebounds. “I feel good. I feel like I’ve put a lot of work into where I am now,” Exum said. “It’s just about continuing to get better, playing those 28-plus minutes where I’m playing those late minutes trying to get the win.”